Go Beyond the Familiar

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Eclipses are major events in astrology, and no wonder, they are the intimate aligning, the celestial “ménage á trois”, of the three most significant players of the zodiac; the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth. Our ancestors considered eclipses to be “harbingers of calamity” for the simple reason that human consciousness experiences change with fear and foreboding. But this is not the only reason. Our ancestors worshiped the Sun and the Moon as God and Goddess who created, nourished, and sustained life on Earth, and witnessing the bright face of either deity suddenly blacken or turn blood red must have seemed tantamount to witnessing the wrath of the Universe. Today, most western cultures pride themselves on a mechanistic ordering of life, the Sun and Moon benign within the physical comprehending of phenomenology, and yet, observing an eclipse can still fill the human heart with awe and wonder at the numinous power of the same Universe of our ancestors of which we are a living part.

Astrology is the charting of the eternal cycles of change, the same cycles that govern the ebb and flow of our individual lives, navigating three distinct cycles of time: the annual cycle of the Earth through the zodiac, the monthly cycle of the Moon through the zodiac, and the daily cycle of the Earth rotating upon it’s axis through the zodiac. If we consider the significance that interweaving all three cycles adds to the meaning of our life experiences then we can appreciate the cosmic forces of change presented to us with every Eclipse.

In astrology the Sun represents our life force, the core of our essence, our unique individuality; the Moon our instinctual need to survive, our intuitive sense of security, and our emotional seeking to belong; and the Ascendant our window onto the world through which we see our perceptions and expectations of life reflected back to us. When we experience a Solar Eclipse the Moon has moved between the Sun and the Earth and our life force is momentarily consumed by our instinctual need to survive and disrupting our view of the world we are offered the opportunity to set new agendas and patterns in our life. When we experience a Lunar Eclipse the Earth has moved between the Sun and the Moon and our perception and expectations in life are casting a long shadow on our emotional need to belong stimulating us to break old habits or eliminate past conditioning in ways that will enhance our self-awareness and unique individuality.

On August 1 we will experience a Solar Eclipse at 9 Leo 32 and on August 16 a Lunar Eclipse at 24 Aquarius 21. The theme of Leo and Aquarius eclipses is the conflict between the creative expression of the individual verses the ideology of the group. Two fruitful questions we can ask ourselves are: how can we integrate the creative expression of our unique individuality with the hopes, wishes, and aspirations of our community; and, are the communities that we have created successfully honoring and respecting the ideas and opinions of each individual? Astrologer Marielle Croft recently wrote that the greatest theme for this New Moon is global peace and I absolutely agree, in fact, the August Eclipses are harbingers of hope not calamity if we can truly open our hearts and minds, the realm of Leo and Aquarius, and enthusiastically embrace working together in global consciousness to improve the quality of life for our collective community, Earth.

A Solar Eclipse sweeps away the old offering the possibility for something new to rise in conscious light at the Full Moon Eclipse. The Leo- Aquarius Eclipse axis is directing our attention to the necessity for individuals to step up and challenge corporate decisions dictating global policies which foster the interests of a “royal few”. Now is the time for a social revolution which requires the full participation of every individual united together as world citizens regardless of gender, race, and religion. When we are under the influence of Leo the core of our essence, our radiant light, our unique individuality generously shines forth for the well being of all others. We can use the coming months observing when we act from insecurities and self-doubts which we have unconsciously projected onto the behavior of others. We can use this time to observe within ourself when we mentally scapegoat, bully or intimidate anyone who does not agree with our thoughts, wishes, or ideals.

When we are under the influence of Aquarius we are keenly aware of our individual participation within a group of our choosing preferring to focus on the interests of the group rather than the interests of the individual. However, it is worth remembering, as the deeper expressing of Aquarius understands, the interests of the group reflects the individual interests of the members, without which there would be no group. Aquarius is that aspect in our self which can be open minded and inclusive of all points of view if we are willing to let go of our intellectual attachments to what we believe. We cannot afford to continue as before overwhelmed by the complexities of contemporary life allowing a hand full of individuals to determine policies for the majority. Many of us have allowed ourselves to be lulled into complacency considering the material comforts of ourselves and our families more important than the quality of life on Earth, and in so doing, we have unwittingly undermined the very thing that we were seeking. Leo and Aquarius working hand in hand understands that the strength of any group is dependent upon the heart of the individuals within that group. The August Eclipses are offering us the courage to open our hearts and minds to the unknown and risk going beyond the familiar.

I highly recommend reading Julie Demboski’s insights into the August Eclipses especially if you are interested in knowing about the contribution of the asteroids.

Another insightful inquiry into the August Eclipses is found at Cafe Astrology which includes excellent information on the meaning of the Eclipse axis in each zodiac house.