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eclipse season

Lunar Eclipse in Pisces: When Psyche Lights the Lamp

A lunar eclipse in Pisces does not usually arrive with the clean edges we might prefer from a turning point. Pisces belongs to the emotional regions where endings happen gradually, where certainty dissolves before a new understanding has fully formed, and where we often sense that something has changed long before we can explain what that change means. This eclipse brings that process into sharper focus because the Moon in Pisces opposes the Sun in Virgo while forming a square to Uranus in Gemini. The North Node, meanwhile, has already moved into Aquarius, placing the eclipse inside a larger developmental story that reaches beyond the Virgo–Pisces axis.

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The Eclipsed House: Where the Story Changes

Eclipses have always carried an atmosphere of interruption. The ordinary rhythm of light is disturbed, the familiar order of the sky briefly gives way, and something normally dependable becomes uncertain. Ancient cultures responded to eclipses with fear because the Sun and Moon were not simply objects in the sky. They were regulators of life, time, fertility, kingship, and the relationship between the human world and the divine.

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Eclipse Survival Guide

So, imagine if you will, that it’s 1500 BC and you are the astrologer to the Babylonian king.  Yes, you can wear any outfit you like, so feel free to get crazy.

As the king’s astrologer, it is your job to predict events that will be useful or of extreme importance.  You do your calculations (sorry it’s going to be longhand because computers were not yet available), and you conclude that there are two upcoming eclipses – a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse.

What would you do?

Well, in ancient times eclipses were ominous warnings.  Eclipses seemed to coincide with wars, floods that ravaged the lands, earthquakes, dangerous weather and volcanic eruptions, attempted coups, and the death of the kingdom’s ruler. Your job is to convey the will of the gods, and every ruler wants the favor of the deity because their reign and the allegiance of their citizens depended upon it. So, you enter the king’s office to inform him of the future to avoid future calamities.

Now, let’s imagine that you are the astrological advisor to the President of the United States. You are sitting in your corner office with all the amenities a job in the 21st century provides including a computer with ‘high end’ astrology software. The chief of staff has asked you to map out the transits for the next six months, and you notice that the solar eclipse is within orb of the Sun in the United States chart landing in the 7th house of partnerships and open enemies.

You quickly glance at the latest headlines and notice tariffs with China, problems with Mexico due to immigration issues, and potential conflicts with Iran.  The eclipse is opposed to Saturn, which intensifies your concern.  You pull out your laptop and write a memo encouraging caution because any action could have potential consequences leading to citizen hardships.  In other words, the gods have spoken, and it will be up to the President as to whether he will listen.

I am sure that you have correctly guessed that this web series is about eclipses.  I have seen a lot of fantastic articles that have explored the mundane application and the effects that eclipses have on world events. However, there is very little that is written on using eclipses energies in our personal lives, even though worldly affairs ultimately affect us all personally.

I am going to break down this web series into digestible chunks that you can go through at your own pace.  I recommend that you get a copy of your chart so that you can follow along.  If you have little knowledge of astrology, many sites provide basic horoscopes, and most of these have daily planetary guides.  I will leave it up to you to decide what sites you prefer.  Further, you can also check out my Astro 101 series for further information.

Let’s dive in…

The Lunar Phases
2019 Summer Eclipse Season
Eclipsed Houses
Eclipsed Planets

© Storm Cestavani | New Insights in Modern Astrology

 

Lunar Phases

So, I am going to start with something that everyone is familiar with, and that’s the lunar cycle.  Everyone has stood in the evening sky and looked up at the Moon, which is always changing – no night will ever be exactly like the one before it.  Essentially, the Moon today will be different than the Moon tomorrow.

The phase of the Moon is dictated by its angle to the Sun.  The New Moon begins each month as the Sun and the Moon conjoin in the same sign of the zodiac.  Of course, during the New Moon, the Moon is not visible, and the heavens are completely dark, which is eerie and a bit foreboding.  The Moon then travels at the speed of approximately 13 degrees a day until it forms a 90-degree angle (square) to the Sun, and this is known as the first quarter moon stage.  The Moon continues to increase in light until she forms a 180-degree angle (opposition) to the Sun.  This angle is known as the Full Moon stage, and when you look up into the sky during this phase, the Moon is huge and in all her splendor.  The Moon continues its trek through the zodiac until it reaches the last quarter moon when it forms another square (90-degrees) to the Sun.  Finally, she continues to wane, decreasing in light, until she conjoins the Sun again during the next New Moon and completes its circular cycle.

The lunar cycle has fascinated people for thousands of years.  She appears in numerous stories of the undead in both literature and film, and several songs have been written about her.  Luna (the Moon’s name) is also a central figure in several children’s stories. Her cycle changes constantly and it’s unpredictable, yet predictable nature reflects an archetypal image associated with the feminine principle.

There are a few mythic images that I feel reflect this ever-changing cycle, and myth, which in its original context means ‘a scheme or plan,’ often describes archetypal imagery more eloquently than we can.

The first figure that I want to explore are the Fates.  These are the three daughters of Mother Night. In Greek Myth, the Fates were said to be born without a father, which interpreted psychologically means that the Fates reflect natural laws that exist beyond human consciousness and the control of the ego.  The concept of the Fates can be terrifying because it involves the mysterious parts of life that cannot be controlled or harnessed in any rational way.  In many ways, the Fates are ‘Mother Nature’ who rules over natural processes including our biology because no matter who we are or our position in life, the reality is that we will all one day die.

Besides the Fates, there are other mythic figures that are part of a lunar trinity that are relevant – The Graea, the Stygian Witches, the Erinyes, and even the bearded ladies in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.  But, perhaps, the three most important figures connected to the lunar cycle are the Goddesses Persephone, Demeter, and Hecate.

Let’s begin with Hecate because she is the mythic image of the New Moon.  There are some conflicting stories of her parentage.  In some mythic stories, she is the only child of the Titans Perses and Asteria, and other sources say she is the daughter of Zeus and Hera.  However, all mythic sources agree that she is the Goddess of Witchcraft, magic, and ghosts (Theoi).  Hecate is a mysterious figure who often appears at the crossroads, in tombs, and is a revered goddess of the Underworld.  Additionally, Hecate had an association with childbirth.  So, this enigmatic force, like the New Moon reflects endings and beginnings.

The most important story in which Hecate appears is in Homer’s Hymn to Demeter.  Demeter who is grieving for her daughter Persephone, is guided by Hecate to discover Persephone’s abduction by the God of the Underworld, Hades.  Symbolically, we can say that Hecate helps process unconscious potentials and birth them into the light of human consciousness.  Likewise, the New Moon landing in a sensitive area of the chart acts as a trigger for events that bring the unconscious forward to birth new potentials and possibilities.

We can now move on to Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter.  She is symbolized by the crescent moon, which is ready to ripen and fulfill its potential.

Persephone’s story is one of the most famous Greek myths.   Persephone lives with her mother Demeter on Earth.  The two were constant companions and bound by their love for one another. However, Aphrodite found this relationship unnatural and stirred up the underworld god Hades to fall in love with Persephone.

One day, while Persephone was out picking flowers, Hades burst out of the underworld through a passage created by Gaia, whose an older undifferentiated version of Demeter. Hades abducts Persephone and brings her to his underworld kingdom of the dead.

Predictably, Demeter becomes distraught over her missing daughter, and she travels the earth looking for the young goddess.  Eventually, with the help of Hecate (an older version of both Demeter and Persephone), Demeter finds out that Hades abducted Persephone.  Demeter pleads with Zeus to return Persephone, but the god refused her.  So, Demeter goes berserk and scorches and burns the earth and lets the living suffer from starvation and disease because of her overwhelming grief.

Zeus finally relents and orders Hades to return Persephone to her mother, but before he does, Hades cleverly knows that Persephone ate of the food of the dead (a pomegranate), which binds her to the underworld.  Since Persephone ate six seeds, and since the laws of the underworld supersede the powers of Zeus, Persephone must live six months of the year with Hades and six months with her mother, which is a mythic allegory for the change of the seasons.

Persephone is an image of promising potential.  Her nubile youthfulness is innocent and unformed, but beneath the surface, the budding growth to womanhood persists and is ultimately her fate.  Likewise, the crescent Moon, which begins as a sliver of light, continues to grow day by day to blossom into its fullness eventually.  Just like Persephone goes through experiences in her growth process, so does the Moon as it ripens into fullness.

Let’s now take a look at Persephone’s mother, Demeter.  Demeter is the eldest daughter of the Titans Chronos and Rhea.  She is an earth goddess and is often referred to in myth as the goddess of the grain or agriculture. Primarily, she governs growth and fertility, and many of her stories involve the cultivation of crops, which symbolizes her connection to the life cycle in its numerous phases.

Besides the Persephone myth, Demeter is a significant figure in the story of Prince Demophoon, the son of King Celeus and Queen Metaneria of Eleusis.  Demeter arrived in Eleusis, disguised as an old lady (again a connection with Hecate) and was invited to be a wet nurse for the young prince.

During her stay in Eleusis, Demeter was insulted by Abas, the king and queen’s older son, which she turned into a salamander.  Demeter feels guilty for her actions and decides to do a favor for the king and queen and grant their newborn son immortality.  Every night she slowly burned off Demophoon’s mortality over a fire, but on the night before the transformation is completed, Metaneria enters the room and catches Demeter in the act, disrupting the process.  Moreover, Demophoon dies, and Demeter reveals herself in all her glory.

Upon finding out that another one of his sons died, King Celeus falls into deep grief.  Demeter offers him comfort and informs the king that she would grant gifts upon his remaining sons, including Triptolemus, who assists Demeter in ultimately finding Persephone.

Demeter reflects the ripening potential of the Full Moon.  She is a goddess that governs the growth process, and despite her attempts to keep Persephone frozen in childhood, it is through her laws that Persephone must grow and become a woman in her own right.  Natural laws connect Demeter with the Fates, whose rules are irrevocable.  Everything must grow, ripen, and ultimately whither, and even the mother goddess cannot stop or override her decrees.

The story of Demophoon is a powerful metaphor for the disruption of the growth process.  Although the story is filled with alchemical imagery, the myth reveals the implications of attempting to ‘interrupt’ the process, which ironically Demeter was doing to her daughter.  We all go through cycles where our growth is necessary as part of the process of our evolution, and myth warns us of the complications of attempting to skirt nature.  In many ways, like the Full Moon, Demeter reflects that something has ripened in our lives and for us to enjoy the fruit, we must embrace and respect the process.

Finally, after the Moon reaches its peak performance, it slowly shrinks in light, and we enter once again into Hecate’s mysterious realm, and a new cycle begins again.

Now, this is a lot of mythic material, but understanding the lunar phases is essential in astrology because all planetary aspects have phases that they go through.  They conjoin at the conjunction, face obstacles at the first square, challenges at the opposition, and a final hurdle at the last square only to begin the process once again.  For some planets, this process happens monthly or yearly, but in the case of the social or outer planets, this process can last decades or centuries, but the patterns regardless of the planets remain the same.

A valuable way of noticing the Fates at work is through examining our own lives.  Everything, regardless of whether it’s a relationship, friendship, job, or profession, has a beginning and an end. We can look at situations in our lives and see the defining points, and when things changed.  Although we may not like what is happening when it happens, and even at times resist change, when we get beyond our emotional attachments and reactions, we can see how our experiences have ultimately helped us grow.

I want to discuss eclipses before closing this blog on ‘Lunar Phases,’ which are often misunderstood or dramatized to epic proportions.  Like Mercury retrograde, I feel that eclipses are often cast as celestial villains.  I don’t think that is particularly helpful and doesn’t give us much of a chance to work with them productively.

If you don’t know what an eclipse is, let me give you a quick rundown.

The astrological year begins when the Sun moves into Aries, which is the beginning of spring in North America and the beginning of autumn in South America. Astrologically, this is 0 degrees of Aries.  During the astrological month, the Moon travels through all the signs and will conjoin the Sun, which as we discussed is the New Moon, and the Moon will oppose the Sun, which is the Full Moon.

Twice a year, we enter into eclipse season.  An eclipse occurs when the lunation conjoins the lunar nodes.  This happens approximately every six months.  Eclipses are supercharged new and full moons that are significant when considering transits and progressions, and they are often triggers that activate slower moving planetary transits.

You can track eclipses in an ephemeris, astrological calendar, or with software. If the eclipse (and to a less extent new and full moon) is in a hard aspect to a planet (use a 3-5 degree orb) then that planet will be eclipsed, and if that planet is in a problematic configuration, then the entire configuration will be activated.  Especially if that configuration is already being aspected by a slow-moving transit, the themes can easily become triggered.

There is a lot of disagreement regarding how long eclipses sensitize the chart.  Some astrologers state years, some a couple of weeks, and others use Saturn as an indicator as to when the eclipse concludes. For example, if an eclipse happens at 2 degrees of Taurus and Saturn is at 4 degrees of Cancer, then the eclipse would be active for about 2 ½ years until Saturn gets to 2 degrees of Leo.  Astrologers that use this method use only the hard aspects (conjunctions, squares, and oppositions).   Since I am a psychological astrologer, and I am concerned with natal astrology for life-coaching purposes, I use the six-month window between eclipse seasons for their activation and sensitivity.   So, when one eclipse energy begins, then the other eclipse ends.  In other words, the Fates spin their web elsewhere within the chart.

Make sure you check out my other articles in the series:  2019 Summer Eclipse Season, Eclipsed Houses, Eclipsed Planets

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2019 Summer Eclipses

So, typically, I would start this type of content with an examination of the eclipse season and how the eclipse(s) influences are going to affect us in our personal lives.

I mean that’s what everyone wants to know, right?  How is this going to ‘affect’ me?

Well, I’ll get to that!  But let’s begin with what is happening in the sky because eclipses often act as triggers for existing planetary configurations and this eclipse season is no exception.  I am not going to go over technical stuff on the lunar phases because I did that in my lunar phases portion of this web series, and you can read that at your leisure.  It does give a backdrop to the information that I am covering here.

The first thing that I think everyone will notice is that through most of eclipse season, Mercury will be retrograde.  On July 7th, 2019, Mercury reverses course in fiery Leo and travels back to 24 degrees of Cancer, which is the same degree as the lunar eclipse that occurs on July 16th.  Mercury turns direct on July 31st and retriggers the eclipse.

Mercury goes retrograde three to four times a year, and since the explosion of social media, the trickster planet has made its way into pop-culture.  Almost everyone knows about Mercury retrograde, and they groan when they hear the cycle is coming.  However, because of the focus on mishaps, miscommunication, and general trickery, the practical side of the retrograde often gets lost.

In July, Mercury will retrograde in Leo.  Mercury is how we understand life, and in fiery Leo, we understand life through the imaginal realm that we experience the most in childhood.  Have you ever seen a child fascinated by the mythic world of unicorns, fairy princesses, handsome princess, magical kingdoms, and even the monsters that ultimately must be dealt with to save the kingdom?  This mythic reality is alive and well for Mercury in Leo, and on the inner level it’s not the imaginal world that’s important, it’s the creative function that develops and the individuality that forms.  Mercury in Leo gets to create its own world, cast its own actors, and write its own endings.

When Mercury goes retrograde, Mercury works on the inner level.  A keyword I associate with Mercury retrograde is ‘reflection,’ and I feel this is the easiest way to work with it.  So, instead of just projecting Mercury onto mishaps and communication problems, it’s more productive to look within.  In Leo, the creative world and fertile imagination turn inward, and it’s about creating oneself and defining one’s individuality and values.   During eclipse season, it may be helpful to focus on how you are writing your own script and how you are ultimately in control of your own destiny.

There are a couple of aspects that are also active in the heavens – Jupiter in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces and Saturn conjunct Pluto in Capricorn.

Let’s start with Jupiter square Neptune.  Jupiter is currently moving through its own sign of Sagittarius and Neptune is moving through Jupiter ruled Pisces, a sign that has a strong affinity with Neptune.  Jupiter is the planet of expansion and tends to expand any planet he aspects.  Neptune is a planet that reflects the collective dreams and visions in search of redemption and has a particular idealization of life colored by his sign in the zodiac. In Pisces, Neptune idealizes unity, equality, and being part of a broader community.  You can easily see Neptune alive, and well in politics, ideas and individual values seem to be less important than being part of something with other people whose life experiences may be similar to your own, and this is happening on both the left and the right.

Jupiter in philosophical Sagittarius strives to have an understanding of life, and in aspect to Neptune, Jupiter expands Neptunian idealisms, yearnings, and dreams. On the positive side, Jupiter-Neptune aspects are great for creative work and spiritual purposes.  While this aspect is active (until November 2019), you will feel more charitable, empathetic, and compassionate.  In its more challenging mode, Jupiter-Neptune can be unrealistic, easily swept away by movements and trends, and has an intense need to be part of the collective group regardless of the potential cost.  There is a tendency to ignore the obvious and logical for the redemptive vision.

I didn’t want to slide into politics, but it’s the easiest way to see this aspect at work.  There has always been a divide between idealisms and since the 1970s political discourse has increased into a blood sport. The social and outer planets seem to color Neptune’s quest for redemption, and the tone slowly distills through the collective.

The current political vision is group-oriented and individual desires, and agendas are sacrificed for the greater good of the collective – and this is on both sides of the political spectrum. The current collective quest for redemption is not concerned with the personal quirks and dishonest behaviors of its leaders, it is concerned with leveling the playing field regardless of how difficult that may be to maintain, and despite the current political actors on the world stage, many of whose motives are questionable. The pursuit of the redemptive vision is all that matters.

It is tough to provide an antidote for a collective vision.  On one level or another, we tend to get caught up in the movement.  After all, we all participate because we are all part of the collective.  The only thing we can do is ask questions, do research, and stay true to our values.

Next up is Saturn conjunct Pluto in Capricorn, which will be active through early 2021.  There has been plenty of content written on Saturn conjunct Pluto, and I will be releasing my take later this summer, but it is so significant to this eclipse cycle that I’ve decided to discuss it briefly here.

Saturn and Pluto conjoin roughly every 35-40 years depending on where Pluto is in the zodiac.  The last conjunction occurred in Libra during the early 1980s and it led to a geopolitical realignment.  Relationships between countries radically changed and worldly opponents became viewed as ‘evil’ or ‘diabolical.’  Remember, the Soviet Union was once known as the ‘evil empire.’

The dynamics of relationships also changed.  As women entered the workforce in increasing numbers, their financial needs were no longer male-dependent.  Although women were grossly underpaid (an issue we still deal with), they had their own money and capacity to make more.  Not surprisingly, the divorce rate increased dramatically, and financial security and survival were no longer the primary reasons two people got married.

Saturn has been moving through Capricorn, his sign, for about 1 ½ years.  Capricorn is an extremely conservative position for the ringed planet, and he tends to want to preserve the status quo, the traditional order, and making sure everyone stays in their lane.  He is authoritarian, likes to control, and can be repressive towards anything that may shake sturdy foundations. Pluto also likes power, but he gains it by uprooting and bringing to the surface anything that is spoiled and past its shelf life, by amputating it to survive.  In Capricorn, Pluto uproots governmental corruption, cooperate malfeasance, and religious authorities and exposes them in the light of day, which you can see daily in your news feed.  While this aspect is active, you may feel powerless, at the will of a governmental or worldly structure that cares little about your plight, and at the mercy of corporations that take advantage of you with little recourse.  However, Saturn-Pluto can help remove structures from our personal lives that may be corrupt or no longer working and rebirthing ourselves through more practical life management.

Now these are severe issues, and it’s often difficult to face the ways we have contributed to our participation in life’s difficulties, but it is essential if you want to make the most of this aspect.  I have long believed that Pluto in transit likes to enter through the other planet’s weaknesses.  In the case of Saturn, he tends to work through our fears.  The things we hold onto in life, whether that be a low paying job, complicated relationships, or even self-defeating behaviors, we cling to because of fear.  Saturn-Pluto asks us to challenge these fears to create a more meaningful life and gives us the ability to build more solid structures.

I am now going to move to the first eclipse that occurs on July 2, 2019, at 11 degrees of Cancer.  Now, if you have planets or angles between 6 degrees and 16 degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn), then your chart will experience the eclipse stronger than other people.  Additionally, you will need to note the house the eclipse lands in because the sphere of life the house represents will often be the stage the eclipse walks out on.

There is good news about this eclipse.  The eclipse is a North Node eclipse, which reflects new energies coming in, meaning that this new moon is excellent for intention and magical work to bring in new opportunities and start new ventures in your life.  So, get those candles and vision boards ready to go!

The solar eclipse occurs in watery Cancer.  You may notice an emotional sensitivity to the environment, and family concerns may crop out of the blue.  Cancer rules the home, domesticities, countries, and one’s heritage.  This energy is an auspicious time to consider home repairs, redecorating, discovering your familial roots, and even repairing damaged familial relationships.

The eclipse does form an opposition to limiting Saturn in Capricorn, which could limit or slow down the promise of the eclipse.  There may be unexpected obstacles and concerns, but it doesn’t mean you can’t proceed forward, it just means that you should be cautious (especially with Mercury going retrograde later in the week).  Remember, sometimes slow and steady wins the race.

The next eclipse happens on July 16, 2019, and is a little more troublesome.  It’s a lunar eclipse that occurs at 25 degrees of Capricorn.  If you have planets or angles between 20 degrees and 29 degrees of cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, or Capricorn), then your chart will be sensitive to this eclipse, and like the solar eclipse, take note of the house the eclipse falls in.

There is not a lot of good to say about this lunar eclipse; it is incredibly challenging and is a South Node eclipse.  The South Node has a rather nasty reputation in astrology and points towards being forced to let things go, and resisting the energy usually makes matters worse.  So, this eclipse is easier to manage if you are willing to take an in-depth look at your life and let go of things that no longer serve you.

Capricorn is an earth sign, and it is concerned with practical matters such as money, career, social standing, and reputation, and these themes could quickly surface over the next six months.  The eclipse is conjunct Pluto, which can bring intense emotions to the surface, and often before we are willing to make the changes necessary, we need to learn to stand in our power and take the reins. Usually, with this eclipse, we are required to slowly climb up the mountain, facing the obstacles that stand in our way head on, and eventually getting to the top.  For some, it might even require finding a new mountain to climb that is more aligned with your purpose and ultimate destiny.

That’s it for this blog post; there are two more in the series that dig deep into the personal chart and how eclipses affect the planets and houses.

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