Overnight tonight we reach the New Moon in Sagittarius which is also a total solar eclipse. Since this eclipse is only visible very far to the south of our globe, most of us will not see it. It’s still there, still happening, and still a force to be reckoned with.
With this eclipse, we find ourselves at intersecting thresholds. First, we begin a new lunar cycle. With an eclipse, the cycle extends at least six months, lengthening the influence of this New Moon.
We’re ending the eclipse season of 2021. This is the last eclipse of this calendar year.
We’re also closing the current eclipse cycle, featuring eclipses across the Sagittarius–Gemini axis. If you have lots of mutable energy in your chart, your transformational time (this time around) is coming to a close. Whatever has changed over the last 18 months can now begin to settle, sort itself out, and be understood.
2022 will feature eclipses across the Taurus–Scorpio axis. We had a preview of this energy in the last Full Moon. So we’re leaving a mutable eclipse season and entering one in fixed signs.
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The eclipse falls in the second decan of Sagittarius. We tend to think of Sagittarius as a jovial, easy-going place. The second decan, though, speaks to the courage and commitment it takes to overcome obstacles. Here, we look for the strength to protect what we’ve built when opposing forces arise.
Depending on the system, this decan is ruled by Mars or the Moon. Mars speaks to courage and tenacity, the Moon to commitment and the strength in our bodies.
Mercury is separating from the Sun but remains close and combust. Our perceptions, thoughts, and communication are fused with both luminaries at this eclipse. We may find ourselves strongly committed to defending what is ours without being able to articulate the why clearly.
Jupiter, who rules the New Moon, squares Mars, who is one ruler of this decan. Mars wants what he wants. Jupiter demands to know the justification. What principles are being enacted? Is our action governed by the rule of law? Which law?
Mars separates from a trine with Neptune. Perhaps he has been touched by visions that fuel his desires and inform his actions.
Even though Venus and Pluto are not aspecting the New Moon, I see their role as significant. Venus is very slowly approaching Pluto. At the conjunction, she turns retrograde. This retrograde happens entirely within Capricorn, where Venus remains until March.
Venus will retreat deep into the Earth. We are invited to descend with her. What do we need to know about Capricorn that has escaped us? What challenges will we face on this journey?
Austin Coppock, in his book 36 Faces, notes a link between the second decan of Sagittarius and the goddess Persephone, who has her own descent story to tell.
So here is one more threshold we approach at this New Moon, the one in which we accompany the goddess on a descent journey. We can see why courage and tenacity will be valuable qualities, in fact essential, on such a pilgrimage.
Remember New Moons are dark times. At this particular one, this eclipse, both luminaries are in fact dark. We can feel energies swirling around us. We know we are in a time of change, personally, in our communities, and worldwide. We cannot see our way right now.
We can take some comfort in knowing we’re not supposed to. With so much shifting, we can’t expect to know exactly what to do.
If we keep all our senses open and attend to what unfolds around us, we’ll get the glimmers we need for our first steps.
We’re in cosmic time. I’ll close with a quote from Gene Rodenberry:
Time is the fire in which we burn.
Saros Cycles
Every eclipse, lunar and solar, is part of several cycles unwinding over long years. The one that intrigues me is the Saros cycle, a family of eclipses that wind their way around the globe.
Each family is born with an eclipse located near the North or South Pole. Eclipses at the South Pole align with the South Node and move northward. Eclipses at the North Pole align with the North Node and move southward.
Saros cycles last over 1200 years and were known to the Chaldeans, because eclipses in the same family repeat themselves: Happening near the same Node, the same distance from Earth, and at the same time of year.
Astrologer Bernadette Brady found that the birth of each Saros cycle, the chart of the first eclipse, influences the entire cycle. In her book, Predictive Astrology: The Eagle and the Lark, she includes tables and descriptions for all the solar Saros families now unfolding.
Unfortunately, I could not find our current eclipse’s family in her appendix. So I created an inception chart for my location.
Tonight’s eclipse is part of Saros 152, which began on July 26, 1805. This is a young family, with many more eclipses to come. The final one will be August 20, 3049. I can’t imagine what our world will be like then.
Saros 152 began with a New Moon eclipse at 2° of Leo conjunct Mercury at 15°.
Both this first eclipse and tonight’s are born in Fire. In fact, they trine each other. Tonight’s eclipse is in an easy flow with the first of its family. This is a Fire trine, though, which speaks to the chaotic energy swirling around this current eclipse season.
The inception chart shows a Jupiter–Neptune conjunction in Scorpio, adding mystery, magic, and depth. Pluto in Pisces in the 10th House suggests this family will be marked by transformations seen in the public sphere.
The North Node is tightly conjunct Chiron, the wounded healer. Are we triggered by eclipses in this family? Are we seeking healing?
Finally, the inception chart shows Saturn at 10° Libra applying to conjunct Uranus at 17°, interesting in light of the Saturn–Uranus square that has been the hallmark of 2021.
In 1805, Europe was at war. Napoleon, having come to power in the overthrow of the French monarchy, now wanted to be emperor of all of Europe. In North America, the Lewis and Clark expedition is underway, a survey that became the wedge to extend the power of the United States into the West.
Those two examples are easy to relate to issues we still face. Issues of power, who wields it, and how. Does might make right? If I can seize power and keep it, does that justify my actions? Or are there other principles, other ways of organizing our societies, that perhaps are more just, more sustainable?
There are many more eclipses in this family. Perhaps we humans have much more to learn about how power works and the consequences of how we wield it.
A Note on Electional Charts
I’m not offering an electional chart for making wishes and setting intentions at this New Moon. There are two reasons for this and both are worth sharing.
The first and most important is that this is an eclipse. A full solar eclipse. It’s a chaotic time, one in which attempting to do something, magically, in ritual, is likely to have seriously unpredictable results. It’s not recommended.
I’ve been thinking about this idea of eclipses and chaos, and feeling it too. The time since the Full Moon eclipse has felt all over the place for me. Odd things happening in the world, between people, and within ourselves.
It’s also felt powerful, in the sense that things are moving in ways not under any control of mine. So I wonder if a reason eclipses feel chaotic to us and therefore are not good times for attempting to do something magically is because of the amount of power.
If we think of a regular New Moon as ordinary household current, then an eclipse New Moon is one of the mains coming out of the power plant. Sure, we could try to plug into it, but we’re more likely to get blasted than reach our goal.
Chaos and power are worthy of attention. Of awe. Eclipses are wonderful times to pay attention. Have open focus. Notice what goes on. We can learn a lot. We just might not want to plug in directly.
The second reason is that I couldn’t find a chart I felt comfortable recommending.
My goal is to locate a good quality chart that falls after the New Moon, once the Moon is 60 degrees from the Sun, and before the Crescent Moon phase. This is a fairly short time window, but one that feels workable to me at present.
This cycle, this means the Moon needs to be in mid to late Capricorn. This could work except that in my time zone, using Placidus houses, this means Saturn would be in the same house as the Moon. Since a Moon in Capricorn is already ruled by Saturn, this felt like too much constriction and limitation to actually get anything done.
If you wish to do some intention setting, despite the eclipse presence, I would suggest Monday, December 6, which is the Moon’s day. If you can choose the Moon’s hour as well, all the better.
My recommendation is to remain in an observing role. You will know the best choice for you.
Title image adapted from Yun Xu
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