Eclipse Season

          Today is a partial solar eclipse that falls at 2 degrees scorpio and on November 8th there is a total lunar eclipse at 16 degrees taurus. Eclipses are markers of significant changes on an individual and collective level. They can't be classified as "good" or "bad" but rather that there can be dramatic changes soon, sometimes in unexpected or sudden ways. Eclipses can be read for individual natal charts and also for the composite and davison charts. I have seen that eclipses to progressed and converse secondary progressed angles, and solar arc angles work as well. Eclipses are used along with transits, progressions, solar arcs, and solar and lunar returns to give insight into future themes and trends, the energies that will be dominating at any given time period. Eclipses in a relationship chart can signal beginnings, transitions, endings and high and low energy time periods. It can also mark an unexpected reversal in the dynamic of the relationship. For example, if someone was highly appreciative of what you have done for them for a long time and communicated this to you regularly, it could be if the eclipses are active in your relationship chart then there could be a sudden change of heart even though there may not be a rational explanation or cause. People can have a falling out after a long period of things being on good terms or perhaps they can reconcile after years of not speaking or being distant. It could be that the two people changed roles relative to each other in some capacity, or that they are now unhappy with the role they have played in the relationship for a long time. Eclipses also explain why platonic relationships can suddenly turn romantic, or how people re-connect after many years apart.

     Erratic and unstable energy is associated with eclipses, so it is not advised to launch major projects, sign contracts, begin important ventures or get married at this time. It is better to wait at least a week on either side of the exact eclipse day in order to do these things. I would avoid entirely the period in between, in this case Oct 25th to Nov 8th.

​      The energy of an eclipse can be unpredictable and sometimes bring out of the realm of possibilities that one can not possibly imagine much later down the road. One instance that I came across recently was a couple that married, and many years later when they had children, the husband felt he was not the correct gender and decided to make the change in a formal way. He wanted to continue the marriage. The couple subsequently divorced because the wife could not tolerate this. Two other famous examples of the tragedy of marrying near an eclipse are Diana, Princess of Wales and Prince Charles who married July 29th 1981, just one day before the solar eclipse on July 30th 1981 and John Lennon and Yoko Ono who married on March 20th 1969, just 3 days after the solar eclipse on March 17th 1969. Both of these marriages took place in between the two weeks of eclipse season (i.e. there was an eclipse on April 2nd 1969 and one on July 17th 1981). There would have been no way to predict how horribly wrong things went for these hopeful lovers. It is not necessarily the case that the relationship itself would turn sour from within but sometimes unforeseeable events coming from outside the couple can cause the split. Charles was intensely attracted to Camilla who he later married. Diana famously said there were 3 people in the relationship, and she also felt undue pressure from the Royal family as well as as the paparazzi. John Lennon was murdered and Diana died in a car crash, both of them at a young age. Yoko Ono was also unfairly blamed for the breakup of the Beatles.

    Eclipses are more favoured for spiritual and contemplative work, self-care, journalling and re-connecting with one's inner self. It is a good time do do vision work, affirmations, deep breathing, retreats, walking in nature, grounding yourself and reading and listening to inspiring works. Hidden information comes to light with eclipses, possibly challenging beliefs and values you have held about a person, or experiences in your life. Sometimes other people can share feelings that they previously were hesitant to talk about, which can change the relationship dynamics. You may need to carve out time and space to process your feelings arising from these discoveries.

          To gain more awareness into the nature of an eclipse in your chart, you would look at where the degree falls in your chart. For example, if your descendant is 6 degrees scorpio, then your ascendant-descendant axis is impacted by the eclipse at 2 degrees scorpio. The orbs are generally about 5 degrees for eclipses. Eclipses will always fall somewhere in the chart and will influence the house axis they fall in. They don't just impact the house they fall in, it is always the the opposite house as well. It is more powerful if the eclipse is making a conjunction, opposition or square to a planet, node, vertex, house cusp or angle (ASC, DSC, IC, MC) in your chart, and the orb is smaller (i.e. the smaller the orb, the more significant is is for you with exact aspects being most powerful).

     House cusps are the most powerful part of the house, followed by the midpoint of the house. If you have your third house extending from 18 degrees virgo to 20 degrees libra, the midpoint would be 4 degrees libra (the house is 32 degrees and it would be the halfway point). Therefore the most powerful points of your third house would be 18 degrees virgo, followed by 4 degrees libra and then all the other degrees between 18 virgo and 4 libra.

     The effects of the eclipse are retroactive by one year and can operate over the first year after the eclipse without a transit to trigger its effects. It can operate for up to 5 years after the eclipse but needs a transit to trigger it as the degree becomes sensitive.

​      If the eclipse impacts the house ruler, dispositor or any planets in the house, it will influence the house. For the eclipse happening on Oct 25th at 2 degrees scorpio, 27 degrees to 7 degrees of the cardinal and fixed signs will be affected. That is 27 degrees aries to 7 degrees taurus, 27 degrees libra to 7 degrees scorpio, 27 degrees cancer to 7 degrees leo and 27 degrees capricorn to 7 degrees aquarius. You would need the degrees of all your planets and angles to verify what in your chart is being impacted. For the eclipse happening Nov 8th at 16 degrees taurus, 11 degrees to 21 degrees of the fixed signs (taurus, scorpio, leo and aquarius) are affected.

       To illustrate, say your mercury is at 3 degrees of the fixed signs, it is impacted by the eclipse on Oct 25th via opposition, square and conjunction. Assuming a case where mercury rules the 2nd house (you have gemini on the second house cusp and virgo on the 5th house cusp) and is placed in the 1st house, then the 1st, 2nd and 5th houses will all be impacted. Further, if mercury is the dispositor of any house (if you have a planet in gemini or virgo), that house will be impacted. That is for example, if you have mars in gemini, and mars rules the 12th house (aries on the 12th house cusp), then mercury is the dispositor of the 12th house and matters of the 12th house may come up.

     By way of example, I published my first book on astronumerology in December 2015. I did not start writing this book until the Spring of 2015 and finally completed the manuscript in the Fall. The 9th house represents broadcasting and publishing, the 3rd house all types of oral and written communications, and eclipses to the 3rd-9th house axis are usually involved when someone publishes a book.  My ninth house cusp is 4 degrees aries.  On September 27th 2015, there was a total lunar eclipse at 4 degrees aries. On April 4th 2015, the total lunar eclipse at 14 degrees libra fell in my 3rd house opposing the 9th house and on March 23rd 2016 the lunar eclipse at 3 degrees libra was tightly conjunct my 3rd house cusp. From Jan-Dec 2016, I completed a postgraduate certificate from a postsecondary institution (the 9th house represents higher education). When the eclipses hit a a pair of houses on the axis, there can be one or more matters under the domain of those houses that become dominant in a person's life. I have never seen marriage take place without eclipses to the significations of the 1st and 7th houses (ruler, dispositor, house cusp, planets in the house).

      The eclipses are looked at in addition to the other predictive tools like transits and returns. For the publishing of my book on December 2nd 2015, transiting pluto was at 14 degrees capricorn making an exact opposition to my 9th house ruler mars. Transiting uranus at 16 degrees aries was conjunct jupiter in my 9th house. Transiting nodes were within about 7 degrees of my 3rd-9th house axis. On the day of the official release on Dec 2nd, transiting venus and mars were in my 3rd house, with venus within a 4 degree orb of making an opposition to my jupiter. Transiting jupiter was making a 1 degree quincunx to my jupiter. Transiting mercury was making a 2 degree conjunction to my 9th house dispositor moon, and saturn and the sun were also making wider conjunctions to my moon. The solar return for 2015 showed my natal 3rd-9th house cusp degrees on the solar return ascendant-descendant axis (within a 5 degree orb) meaning it is a year where this axis takes prominence. Moreover, jupiter in my solar return was at 18 degrees leo (the exact degree of my natal ascendant) showing significations related to jupiter and its natural house (the 9th) would be prominent for me. Jupiter represents sharing philosophical knowledge in formal ways, and governs publishing and teaching. Mercury was conjunct the 9th house cusp by 2 degrees and mars and the sun fell in my solar return 9th house. The nodes at 6 degrees libra and aries were conjunct my natal 3rd-9th house axis by 2 degrees. The new moon that happened on December 11th fell at 19 degrees sagittarius, making a 3 degree conjunction to my moon as dispositor of my 9th house.  This new moon also opposed my sun by 1 degree, perhaps reflecting my new identity as an author and making way for a major expansion in my business with increased opportunities to discuss the book and my work at various venues. The book was destined to be written long before the conscious thought entered my mind to write it. It felt very natural and easy for me to communicate what I wanted to say to my audience and I felt compelled at the time to put my knowledge and experience into a book format.

       Whatever is brought to angles in the solar return takes prominence, particularly if a natal planet or angle would fall there. For example, if your solar return ascendant is at 5 degrees sagittarius and that is within orb of your natal venus, significations of venus will be prominent in your life that year.

       You would study the eclipse chart as a whole to get information on the energies an eclipse will bring. The eclipse today is making an exact conjunction to venus, making it very auspicious for romantic relationships that begin around this time. Because venus is the goddess of love and romance, she will lend affection, sweetness, nurturing, and even more beauty and pleasure to couples that start their journey with this eclipse. Venus will also give a boost to relationships of all kinds even if not romantic in nature, it will make relations smoother, more harmonious and diplomatic. The eclipse on Nov 8th also has the sun conjunct venus by a wider orb, so this Fall looks lucky for those who fall in love. Venus in the Nov 8th eclipse chart is making a conjunction to the south node, indicating a romance from a past life could enter your life again. Check to see whether venus is making a hard aspect to the nodes in your synastry, composite and/or davison charts with that special person and if it is, then you know that you were indeed lovers from the past.

        The Nov 8th eclipse is being tightly squared by saturn at 18 degrees aquarius and receiving an exact conjunction from uranus at 16 degrees taurus and close conjunction from the north node at 13 degrees taurus. Venus at 20 degrees scorpio  and mercury at 15 degrees scorpio make close oppositions. This is a lot of planetary energy impacting this eclipse and supercharging it! This combination will give you a dramatic and unexpected change if you have a planet or angle close to 16 degrees of any of the fixed signs. The uranus conjunction can make it be experienced as a complete shock or a change that is thrust on you with little warning. Uranus trines and sextiles allow you to integrate change in a more gradual way but hard aspects from uranus come on very suddenly. The north node involvement suggests that the change is of a destined nature, like a turning point with far ranging impact.  This change is more likely to be of a fixed karmic nature. Because saturn is involved, the groundwork that is laid now will have serious, long lasting consequences. It gives longevity to ventures, and the desire and willingness to put hard work in to make things succeed. My ascendant is 18 degrees leo, and my IC is at 7 degrees scorpio, and starting at the beginning of October, there has been huge unexpected changes in my life. Fortunately of the very positive kind, but it has certainly been a whirlwind. The changes are still happening and I expect it to intensify over the next month too. The planets never fail to deliver! 

       I'd love to know how eclipse season has been showing up in your life. Please let me know in the comments below:)