The Solar Eclipse, Friday August 1, 2008
I realise its a little late to be posting this, but I feel it is important to talk about the solar eclipse that occurred last Friday.
The most important thing to obviously comment on is of course its position at 9? Leo, placed in the 5th House. Eclipses are gateways, omens of new beginnings, and this one heralds a time where we should be looking at all aspects of creativity - but given the sign on this House's cusp (15? Cancer) points to aspects of nurturing and nourishing, we should be looking closer to home: what is it that nourishes ourselves, nurtures our soul? What activities will help us fulfill our potential? Of course, creativity can take many forms, from hobbies and arts, to having children. One interesting thing that happened with this eclipse was that China was one of the best places on the planet to view the eclipse, intriguing given that the Olympics are about to begin there, an event which that nation is using to step up to the plate as being a major Global player.
There are two other things about this chart that struck me as important. The first was the spread of planets amongst two quadrants. The 2nd Quadrant finds most of the inner planets (except Mars, and including Saturn), whilst the 4th Quadrant is dominated by the outer planets. The 2nd Quadrant points to issues of internal (self) security and relationships with others, and the placement of nearly all of the inner planets further strengthens this. In contrast, the 4th Quandrant focuses on goals of public service, and contributing to humanity, and it is no surprise that the outer planets sit comfortably here. It points to a time whereby we need to focus personally and internally on our self-esteem and sense of self-security. This is not a time for us to be insecure - the time is ripe now for us to finally deal with these issues, so we can begin to bring on the creative change auspiced by this eclipse. At the same time, we need to become further involved in community-building, directing the new-found energy of self-security outwards. In this time of dwindling natural resources and unstable economic circumstances, we need to be sure of ourselves and comfortable with ourselves if we are to direct our energies to helping our family, friends, and neighbours. All of the outer planets in the 4th Quadrant speak of the changes that this time heralds.
The other noteworthy points in this chart are the aspects Chiron (19? Aquarius) has with both Mercury (12? Leo) and Venus (24? Leo) (both in opposition). This is giving us a clue to the collective healing that needs to occur between the heart (Venus) and the head (Mercury). In a sense, we can look towards our service to others as the way in which we can reconcile these aspects of ourselves; aspecst which many of us keep poles apart (as it is seen predominantly in Western culture), but in truth are interdependent and actually quite connected. The 10th degree of Leo (in which the eclipse occurred) governs the jugular vein, a vessel which connects the head to the heart. Often, stiff and sore necks show an obstruction/blockage between head and heart, and reconciliation of these often frees up that stagnation.
All of this will be couples with the partial Lunar eclipse early in the morning of August 17, where again the emphasis is on identity and personal resources as the basis of all other success in one's life, and the need to feel secure within oneself before stepping out into the world. So the next few weeks will see all of these themes come up as our buttons get pushed.
Ideally, we need to examine eclipses and other astrological events in contrast to our own personal Birth charts. Where the eclipse occurs based upon the individual chart is important, pointing to where all these themes of change occur for ourselves. Consult your local Astrologer for more information regarding this, as it is quite enlightening, and can often reveal a great deal about our journeys in life.
Stay happy and healthy,
:D
