Eclipse Season: Pisces/Virgo Lunar Eclipse & Libra Solar Eclipse
The Nodes of the Moon are two points in space where the planes of the Earth, Moon and Sun intersect – hence creating eclipses. Every 19 months or so these points change signs (moving backwards through the signs), bringing a new collective focus on apsects of life which need to be renewed. The South Node encompasses the lessons we need to renew, while the North Node shows us how we do it.
The Nodes are presently in Aries and Libra, hovering around 6-7* of this axis for the next few months. If you have planets at this degree in Aries/Libra, you will be affected by this lunar eclipse and perhaps called to something new. The Libra South Node shows us what isn’t working in our relationships and why, while the Aries North Node shows us how to fix things – by finding the courage to be our authentic Selves.
Each series of eclipses point to the aspects of our collective and personal lives that need refreshing. Since July 2023, the nodes have been in Aries and Libra, the signs that rule the Self and the Other – the I/Thou relationshp. Since last year, we’ve been through a time when we need to find our courage to explore ourselves as unique beings (Aries North Node) and stop being overly concerned with other people’s expectations of us (Libra South Node). This isn’t to say we can be disrepectful or rude; it means that we have to speak our truth and stand in our values with courtesy to the Other.
Our old ways of relating (Libra South Node) need to be upgraded. For example, Libra often thinks they have to be nice to people. Did you know that the etymological root of the word nice means ‘stupid and inconsquential’. And when you think about it, what does saying ‘She’s a nice lady’ really tell us about her? In what ways are your relationships languishing because you’re stuck in old ruts and beliefs about being ‘nice’ in relationships. Libra is an air sign; it likes to talk and share. Communication is so important in a good relationship, whether with lovers, family or friends. True and vulnerable communication is a skill you can learn the more you do it.
So how do we learn to communicate our authentic self in our relationships? We do that through the Aries North Node, the sign of the search for Identity. Collectively, these past years have been a time to go on a search for our true identity, which holds our purpose. With Chiron in Aries now, we’ve had a chance to heal the wounds to our sense of self and hopefully find the courage to write a new story. Once we do, we can begin to practice our relationship skills in new ways. Can we be authentic with others? Can we stand in our truths? If so, our relationships (Libra) will prosper and we will even find a new way to be ourselves (Aries).
Because the Nodes are near the cusp of the next two signs the Nodes are moving into, this week’s Lunar Eclipse is in the signs of Pisces and Virgo, where the eclipses will occur next year. The South Node in Virgo and all its old patterns that make up our sense of ourselves will need to be renewed. We do this through the Pisces North Node ability to use our creative imagination to connect with Source so we shed those old patterns and limiting beliefs about ourselves.
Then we need to let our Piscean soul vision incarnate in us so we can embody the original meaning of Virgo, a mutable Earth sign. Virgo is the sign of the Virgin, the one who belongs to herself. She bears her child, the fruit of her labor to become herself. Virgo is the sign where we integrate body, mind and spirit to BE our unique Self.
(Virgo’s wisdom is to ‘know thyself’ while Pisces’ wisdom is to ‘let go and return to Source for guidance’.)
So this upcoming Pisces/Virgo Lunar Eclipse introduces us to this next phase of renewal, and then we’ll go back to both a Libra and an Aries solar eclipse, to see if they have been renewed.
Pisces/Virgo Full Moon Eclipse
The Pisces/Virgo Lunar Eclipse occurs on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at 7:34pm PDT/ 8:34pm MT/ 9:34 pm CDT/ 10:34pm EDT and on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 3:34am GMT.
This Sturgeon/Harvest Full Moon is a SuperMoon because the Moon is close to the Earth. This partial eclipse is visible in much of the US.
The oppositions of this Lunar Eclipse are comprised of the Virgo Sun, Mercury and Vesta opposite the Moon, Saturn and Neptune in Pisces. These oppositions are squared by Jupiter in Gemini. Uranus, the bringer of surprises, sextiles the Moon and trines the Sun. Venus in Libra is opposite Chiron and Eris in Aries squaring Pluto retrograde in Capricorn. And Mars in Cancer and Ceres in Capricorn both square the lunar nodes.
As you can see, all the planets are interacting on some level. Let’s look at them.
The Star Sparkes for the Sun at 26* Virgo is: An old man counting gold coins.
“The idiosyncrasies, the eccentricities, the lingering residues of worlds gone by. Attachment to what has outlived its usefullness. Memory in the mind, producing behavior that is binding, small, begging to be changed. . . . beyond the maze of self-obstruction, a free, open territory. There are moments of seeing our way clear. . . . Turning around lifetimes is serious business.”
This image speaks to another part of this eclipse chart – Saturn in Pisces, which is slowly dissolving the rules of our patriarchal society. It’s on its way out! No turning back. This eclipse wants to help rid us of our inner allegiance to patriarchy’s rules. With Saturn opposite Mercury in Virgo as well as opposite the Sun and conjunct the Pisces Moon, we can clear out a lot of old (many lifetimes old) emotional junk from our hearts, minds and beliefs.
With Saturn conjunct this eclipsed Moon, letting go of patriarchy within ourselves is a must. As our present, patriarchal Saturn (his form determines the rules of the society) dissolves into the collective unconscious, we too have to let it dissolve in us. What would it mean to be Free to be yourself, without the critical voices or limiting beliefs that occupy our collective mindset. Let’s have an Occupy Ourselves protest and clear out the old fears, projections, griefs and limitations patriarchy has imposed on our souls. We see these energies being acted out by some Americans, while others are transforming those emotions into positive action. Be brave (Aries NN) and let go of who you thought you should be and let yourself settle around who you really are. Then you can consciously create a new structure (Saturn – owning your authority) for your personality out of that new understanding of yourself and your needs.
The square to this lunar eclipse from Jupiter in Gemini pushes us to explore more options, different perspectives and to be more curious about how to let go gracefully and explore new information. Jupiter and Saturn have just had the first of three squares of their new cycle that began on December 21, 2020 at 1* Aquarius. How are we going to help change the collective mindset (Aquarius) through letting go of old patriarchal beliefs (Saturn) and exploring new information (Jupiter).
The Pisces Moon is also conjunct Neptune retrograde. Neptune is the new ruler of Pisces, and is the energy of imagination and emotional intelligence. Neptune can cause delusions and overwhelm us with illusions if we don’t have a good sense of ourselves (Virgo). With it so close to this Pisces Moon, pay attention to your dreams because dreams are the best way for our unconscious to speak to us about our life. Early next year the Nodes will shift into Pisces/Virgo and the North Node in Pisces will conjunct Neptune at the last degree of the zodiac! Sounds important. Stay tuned in.
The Star Sparks for the Moon at 26* Pisces is: The Aurora Borealis! (I love the synchronicity – this weekend there are lots of solar flairs and so the auroras will be strong. If you live up north check it out.)
“A transfixing vision of ultimate perfection and wholeness. The raw feeling for what is intended, what is possible, where it all will go after we have returned to ourselves. The consistent, nagging presence close at hand of the optimal, ideal state as calling, claiming, propelling us toward it. . . . What we seek through this focus is our belongingness to the cosmos, to the divine world order. And what we find when we go there is that something has to be surrendered in order to get through, which turns out to be the main point. Whatever we have held over ourselves and our world as the ‘way its gotta be’ becomes what must be given over to make the passage to that dream vision real.
We are coming into our divine inheritance.”
It seems to me this says it all.
All Full Moons are times of realization and manifestation. An eclipsed Full Moon is a time to realize what we need to release that no longer serves us. We need to let go of the control of our egos by patriarchal standards and let the vision of who we are meant to be create new standards that we live by.
With Uranus in Taurus adding easy connections to this lunar eclipse, the changes we want to make might come in surprising ways, but come they will. Don’t be afraid to be eccentric and interesting and unique. Be your most creative self!
Venus, always willing to be diplomatic in Libra, is opposite Chiron and Eris in Aries, owning her own wounds and opening her heart to her truth. This opposition is squared by Pluto retrograde in Capricorn, pushing for more regeneration and evolution, but also showing us how patriarchy has caused those wounds to ourselves and to our relationships. Eris shows us how to follow our heart’s wisdom. We need to know that we can be ourselves and still take others into consideration. With Libra, there’s always courtesy and consideration in dealing with others.
Then we have Mars in Cancer (Mars will retrograde back through Cancer later this year and early next year) opposite Ceres, the Grain Goddess, in Capricorn. The divine Mother who nurtures us in Capricorn knows what we need as a society. Instead of fearing ‘socialism’, let’s think of it as helping each other have a better life. Mars in Cancer wants to protect and help his family. How do these energies intertwine with the nodes in Aries and Libra? Knowing what we need to thrive helps us to know ourselves and to know how to relate with others. We all need the same things to thrive, don’t we?
Mars ‘rules’ the Aries North Node, so while many astrologers see Mars in Cancer as weak and in its ‘fall’, I know Aries men who have Mars in Cancer who are protective of their families and helpful to those in need. So I offer that as a new way of exploring Mars as it travels through, then retrogrades back into Cancer through early next year. This especially impacts the United States, with its Cancer energies, especially its Mercury in Cancer.
Protect and defend those you hold in your heart. Work to open your heart to include the world. Remember always – Do it with kindness and caring.
So go out and watch this eclipse. While you’re watching, release old beliefs, trash old routines and open yourself to your creative imagination and find new ways to live your life that are true to your needs and vision.
Be free to be yourself. But please, be your best Self!
Libra Solar Eclipse 2024
There’s a Libra Solar Eclipse occurring on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 11:49am PDT and 2:49pm EDT – and 7:49pm GMT.
So we’ve come to the last two eclipses in the Aries/Libra part of the nodal cycle. October’s solar eclipse New Moon in Libra gives us the opportunity to find a new balance in our relationships – if we did our work last year in finding our independence. Libra is ruled by Venus in he aspect of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Courtesans and leader of the 9 Muses. Aphrodite counsels us that we can use the Arts to bring us together in a community. And as individuals, we can use charm and wit and laughter to connect with our people, rather than feisty independence and stubborn insistence on being right.
It takes a village, not only to raise children, but to have a healthy, happy life.
This eclipse New Moon occurs at 11* Libra. The Star Sparks for it is: Tea leaves that form a pentagram. This image says it’s time to let go of control and let fate have its way with you. The things we have created in the past have to be dealt with now. And then we can be renewed.
“When the dial of time is set beforehand and fixed, inevitability prevails. The graceful choice is to accord with the signs and portents. We can flow into and embrace whatever comes as our lot in life. We can know it to be something we created long ago.
There is as well a very sharp dynamic at work leading in a fresh direction. It’s an option, a possibility, a leap beyond the expected and the assumed. Once the pattern is digested and known in all its contours, there is a possible step of leaping toward freedom and becoming somebody new.”
We are entering a shifting tidal flow, as the tide shifts the balance between ebb and flow. With our Libra scale, we can find the balance between the old washing away and the new coming in. How much of each we put on our scales will establish our new normal.
This Libra Solar Eclipse is part of a cardinal grand cross similar to the one we saw in the Lunar eclipse chart, making this a very dynamic New Moon. The Libra Sun, Moon & Mercury join the South Node and oppose the Aries North Node, with Mars in Cancer opposite Ceres in Capricorn forming the other opposition of the grand cross.
By adding the Libra Sun & Moon and Mercury to the south node side of the Libra scale, it appears to me we’re being tested to see if we’ve dispensed with our Libra SN’s need to be nice and accommodating, forgetting boundaries and needing to be needed, to be ‘appropriate’. This New Moon eclipse’s ruler is Venus in Scorpio, with a trine to Saturn in Pisces. Venus is connected to the emotional tides of Pisces as they dissolve the old order, and in Scorpio, she knows how to release what no longer serves us. She offers us a chance to go deep into intimacy with those we choose to share with. This is a time we have to be truthful with ourselves and with each other. Libra softens our communication skills, so we learn to do that gracefully.
The Wheel of the Year: Autumn Equinox – Mabon 2024
The Wheel of the Year keeps on turning. Up in the northern hemisphere, we’ve arrived at Autumn Equinox, while in the southern hemisphere you’re about to begin Spring.
This Equinox with the Sun at 0* Libra and the Moon at 2* Gemini, we have the opportunity to talk and exchange ideas, with our Gemini Moon supplying the information. The Moon has just finished meeting up with Uranus in Taurus, and is out-of-bounds, so watch your dreams and ideas now. They might hold some realistic answers to issues in your life and in the collective.
Venus, the ruling planet of Autumn Equinox, is at 29*+ Libra squaring Pluto retrograde at 29*+ Capricorn. These last degrees of a sign indicate a’make it or break it’ need to learn the lesson of the sign. We ask Venus is she’s willing to be fair and balanced in all her relationships. We ask Pluto if we’ve finished cleaning up our Capricorn transformations. In their square, we’ll be challenged to bring some justice and fairness into our collective institutions this fall. It will be interesting to see how the US election plays out.
Venus in Libra is at the point of a YOD from Neptune in Pisces and Uranus in Taurus. Stay open to your dreams of freedom and become a living embodiment of it.
The Virgo Mercury connects with Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, opening our Mind to bigger, cosmic energies and information. Listening to your own intuition is important. Not being caught up in other people’s delusions are also a must. If you’re going to be deluded, make up your own instead of following the herd.
Mars in Cancer squares the Equinox Sun in Libra, once again asserting its need for safety and security for itself and his family. Mars will be in the astrological news for the next six months as it retrogrades back through half of Cancer. It begins its retrograde on December 6th at 7* Leo and retrogrades back to 18* Cancer on February 23, 2025. And it’s still opposite the dwarf planet Ceres, the Grain goddess of nurturing. In capricorn, she wants to know why we’re not ‘feeding the children’ and stopping the war on children. She’s directing Mars in Cancer to do something about it.
The Gene Key for the Equinox is interesting. The Shadow is seriousness, the Gift is delight and the blessing is ecstacy. Maybe now that the harvest is in, despite all the ills in our world, we need to take a moment to not only be grateful for our lives, but to feel delight in LIFE. And go for ecstacy if you can.
May your harvest be bountiful. And may you share that bounty with those in need.
May the peace and the love of the Goddess and the God be ever in your hearts. Merry meet. Merry part. And Merry meet again!