Astrology in September 2016 - On The Threshold of an Annular Solar Eclipse at 10 Virgo

by Robert Wilkinson

We have a Solar Eclipse coming soon! As I've told you before, no eclipse of itself is "bad," nor do we have anything to fear. We cannot lose what belongs to us; but there are good times to clear out the old to make space for the new that is not yet here.

There is a lot of superstition about Eclipses, mostly focusing on "dreadful" or difficult elements that often seem to accompany them. However, while all eclipses take something away and/or shut something down, an Eclipse can have beneficial effects if we just know "when to hold 'em, when to fold 'em, when to walk away, and when to run."

Eclipses are both dreaded and misunderstood recurring phenomena. Solar Eclipse effects usually last for several years, while Lunar Eclipse effects usually last for a few months. And not all eclipses are equal in strength or duration, making some stronger and longer than others.

This Annular Solar Eclipse happens on Sept 1, 2:03 am PDT, 5:03 am EDT and 10:03 am BST. The penumbral phase is 5 hours 47 minutes, and the umbral phase is 3 hours 38 minutes. That shows an influence lasting well over 5 years, with an intense period of about 3 years and 6+ months!

Today we'll continue our discussion about eclipses in general and a little about this one. In following articles I'll elaborate on the astrophysics of the phenomenon, who is most affected by this Eclipse, symbols, aspects, patterns, and what we can expect from this Total Solar Eclipse at 10 Virgo.

I've composed quite a few articles on past eclipses in the archives that bear re-visiting, since the Solar Eclipses of 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 have been manifesting effects since then, and many continue to, if traditional Eclipse lore is to be believed. Links to Solar Eclipses from 2011 to now are at the bottom of this article.

Also, here's another important article explaining even more about what effects we can expect to result from Lunar and Solar Eclipses. For your reconsideration, The Solar and Lunar Eclipse - Is Any Eclipse Destined to Have Bad Effects?

To whet your appetites, here is a bit from the article:

There is a lot of fear and trepidation connected to Eclipses, an unfortunate leftover from previous centuries when Eclipses were believed to augur the fall of empires, dynasties, and powerful people anywhere the Eclipse shadow fell. While Eclipses do tend to shut down some elements in the area of life (house) in which they fall, this is not necessarily a bad thing, since we must bring some things to an end if we are to embrace newer, better ways of doing our Being. While the future effects of an Eclipse may be powerful, in that they last over a long period, they are not necessarily bad.

No Astrological event need be "bad," or have "evil" effects, regardless of whether we're using Vedic, Chinese, Western, or any other approach to defining "All-That-Is" within a precise system of space-time factors. Though a circumstance may seem to have "bad" omens for the future, we can always transcend any negativity and turn the future to beneficent possibilities. No matter where an Eclipse falls, we can turn it to good.

Here it is important to remember Astrology is NOT a "predictive" art, in the usual way this is understood. The craft is less deterministic than most believe, including we professional Astrologers who seem to be able to "hit the mark" regarding future manifestations.

Pattern is everything, and time is a continuum. By knowing the past and present, we can often extrapolate the future. But we can never know how a being will respond to any given life challenge, whether pleasant or painful. Each has their ability to respond as they choose in the moment.

This directly related to the concept that each planet has a duality of function. It is up to us to determine whether the Moon, Sun, Mercury or any other planet involved in eclipses, "bad" aspects, configurations and other phenomena manifests productively or non-productively.

To remind you, a square can be more productive than a trine, and an opposition can produce awareness. Polarization is only a problem on the ego level. Seen from a higher angle, oppositions are necessary for us to acquire objectivity and the ability to encompass duality within a higher view.

By all means, check out the entire article, since I explained how past eclipses affected my chart, and gave examples of the good that can come after an eclipse removes old patterns. This Annular Solar Eclipse in Virgo over time will show us the fulfillment of some form of emotional or social perception, and remove old worries, as well as old ways of working, or viewing physical, emotional, or mental health issues. It can lead to forms of healing by turning corners on old limitations, rules, and obligations.

Due to the Mercury retrograde, this will give us a look back to understand why things have been shut down before now, or we will see how current and future endings were set up by Jupiter’s transit through Virgo this past year. Many will see how their “wisdom path” has been cooking them a feast up to now, and can find opportunities by taking an unusual view. This is a true “turning point” Eclipse, and will test how effectively we learned how to handle the Mutable T-square we all had to deal with non-stop for the entire first half of this year.

This Eclipse will reinforce last year’s Solar Eclipse at 21 Virgo and release the energies of the March 2016 Solar Eclipse at 19 Pisces. This one is preparatory, and marks a fulfillment of old Saturn lessons and restrictions. This will help us pull out of any nosedives we’ve been experiencing, and opens new arenas of development, so face the future and rise to the occasion! The years this eclipse is in effect will show results from the “venerable standards” we adopted in 2009.

A big challenge involves getting clear and staying clear so we can maneuver through a curious drifting dream scape indicated by the Eclipse opposed Neptune with both squared by Saturn. This is the next major step in this aspect’s influence, since it was also in effect at last Autumn’s Solar Eclipse in Virgo, with the power of the aspect boosted by the current Lunation. At least Mercury conjunct Jupiter with both quintile Saturn will bring special gifts for those who can use the Mercury retrograde with skill.

This means the line of tension and creative awareness involves a LOT of Pisces/Virgo polarities in play for the next 5+ years! When we factor in the sextiles and trine made by Pluto to the opposition, we see that this is a very productive reorganization of our awareness that will help us move into actions and situations that will provide us what we need to sustain ourselves. Pluto also plays a big part in the energies of this chart via tredeciles from Mercury and Jupiter, as well as a biseptile from Venus, triggering the Grand Irrationality!

Whatever is shut down by this Solar Eclipse creates a space for a way of working and/or new service, discipleship, or ways of adjusting within a social setup. This is a healing energy that can help heal us and/or help us heal others, will help us refine methods, and find Divine Discrimination by ending old ways of adjusting to conditions.

All Eclipses radically transform areas affected by the planetary positions, so look to where you have 10 Virgo to see what will be shut down. That life area will yield a new way of looking at everything associated with the Virgo sector of our lives. With Mercury as the ruler of the Eclipse, and it’s conjunct Jupiter, we should be able to take a look back to find a greater “whole view” of life, with educational experiments dominating the landscape. And Mercury as final dispositor of all the other planets except Neptune shows it will have amazing power behind the scenes for years to come, which I’ll discuss in a future article on this eclipse.

Though there are always endings associated with any Eclipse, these open the space we need to align with Spirit in natural and productive ways. Take a new look to see what really matters and what you do and do not want to bring with you into the new world you're already living.

We've all blasted off into new realms in the past few years, and now many have reached a point of graduating into a new realm of being because of the navigational skills they’ve cultivated up to now. This Eclipse is the next huge step in leading us to a greater sense of spiritual service, and quickens us through how we demonstrate how well we’ve trained the past 7 years. This one may require some disciplined focus of powerful energies that want to scatter in many directions, and will help us integrate a new sense of purpose through our instinctive wisdom, leaving behind ambivalence and any confusion or doubt about the roles we’re supposed to play in our world.

See you soon with more on this 2016 Annular Solar Eclipse in Virgo!

Past Solar Eclipses

For more about the June 2011 Gemini Solar and Lunar Eclipses and their influences, here's Important Cosmic Influences Happening in late June and July 2011. The January eclipses can be found in the corresponding archives.

For more about the November 2011 Sagittarius Solar Eclipse with links to the 2011 Gemini Solar Eclipse, please check out The Solar Eclipse at 3 Sagittarius November 24-25, 2011 Pt. 3 - Signs, Sabian Symbols, and What It All Means. (You can follow the internal links in this article to the previous articles about this specific Eclipse.)

For more about the May 2012 Gemini Annular Solar Eclipse, here’s The Solar Eclipse at 1 Gemini May 20-21 2012 Pt. 3 (You can follow the internal links in this article to the previous articles about this specific Eclipse.)

For more about the 2012 Scorpio Total Solar Eclipse, here’s The Total Solar Eclipse at 22 Scorpio Nov 13-14, 2012 Pt. 3 - Signs, Sabian Symbols, and What It All Means. (You can follow the internal links in this article to the previous articles about this specific Eclipse.)

For more about the 2013 Taurus Solar Eclipse, here’s The May 2013 Solar Eclipse in Taurus Pt. 3 – How Will This Lunation Affect Us? (As with the previous links, follow the internal links in this one to the previous articles about this Eclipse)

For more about the 2013 Scorpio Solar Eclipse, here’s A Hybrid Solar Eclipse New Moon in Scorpio Pt. 2 – What’s Happening in November 2013 as well as 2014-2015-2016. (link to pt. 1 at the bottom of that article. Pt. 3 has the Sabian Symbols.)

For more about the 2014 Taurus Solar Eclipse, here's The New Moon Solar Eclipse in Taurus Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in May 2014 (Part 3 elaborates on the Sabian Symbols and other factors.)

For more about the 2014 Scorpio Solar Eclipse, here's The October 2014 Solar Eclipse in Scorpio Pt. 3 – Signs, Sabian Symbols, and What It all Means (Links to other articles on the Eclipse at the bottom of this post.)

For more about the March 2015 Total Solar Eclipse at 30 Pisces, here’s The Total Solar Eclipse at 30 Pisces Pt. 3 (You can follow the internal links in this article to the previous articles about this specific Eclipse.)

For more about the September 2015 Partial Solar Eclipse at 21 Virgo, here’s The Partial Solar Eclipse at 21 Virgo Pt. 3 (though there are no links to previous articles in that Eclipse series, you can find them in the articles posted in the week before this link).

For more about the March 2016 Total Solar Eclipse at 19 Pisces, here’s The Total Solar Eclipse at 19 Pisces Pt. 2 (though there are no links to any other articles in that series, you can find them just before and just after this one.)

© Copyright 2016 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Layli]

As someone with a natal Pisces-Sagittarius-Virgo t-square, I am fascinated to see how this configuration will play out as the Pisces-Virgo tension you describe resolves through Saturnian vehicles in coming years, particularly in public life and in the mundane sphere. Thanks for this insightful treatment of the imminent eclipse.

[Mudita]

This eclipse is spooky feeling to me as it falls so very closely on my 9Virgo52 ascendant (along with the transiting North Node). Some details: this eclipse has a 30 minute orb from my ascendant, while transiting Neptune opposes the eclipse Sun and Moon from my descendant. Transiting Saturn is conjunct my 8Sag45 Moon (which is conjunct my 6 Sag IC), closely squaring the eclipse Sun-Moon and transiting Neptune.

I lived through Mars conjunct stationary Saturn squaring my ascendant last week and felt some uplifting energy from it; it gave me hope that the eclipse would also be liberating and freeing of old structures and trauma.

Yet transiting Uranus-Eris is squaring my natal Mars 25 Cancer and less closely, my Sun at 29 Cancer, and this makes me rather nervous. Transiting Uranus and natal Mars are both conjunct the midpoint of transiting Saturn/Sun-Moon and Saturn/Neptune. (I was also born with a quite exact Saturn-Neptune conjunction at 21 Libra, about a minute apart, square both natal Uranus and Mars.)

Anyway, I don't think I've ever confronted such an amazing exact transiting configuration to my natal chart as this eclipse time--and it has been a powerful time indeed as much of my old life structure has been breaking down over the past year, and I feel increasingly and disturbingly ungrounded, disconnected, and scattered--in that curious drifting dreamscape you mention, both anxious and listless, with flashes of powerful spiritual and creative energy that are hard to know how to handle.

At the same time I also feel guided by a sense of spiritual calling into a new life, an almost desperate urgency to figure out a sustainable healing direction. I very much like what you say about being called to a new level of spiritual service. Yet it feels like such a pressure of necessity that I often grow confused as how to reconcile it with my more mundane day to day existence and maintain some kind of balance. I fear I am somehow losing it completely, though wonder if perhaps that is what I most need in order to deeply heal--radical dissolution and metamorphosis! :-) And I heard what you said about focus, that seems like a great challenge to me. Perhaps in good time that power will manifest to me when needed. There is some focus in that sense of calling, but the energy needed for it seems overwhelming. Still--I have been gardening and doing art, very simple, spontaneous, and joyful acts that help me be grounded and centered, acts that become a spiritual practice in their simplicity and clarity, and this feels like a direction, if I can keep centered in them.

I appreciate the chance to write this as it helps me feel how blessed I've been, not always easy to remember, yet emerging strongly in these moments of paying attention.

I am looking forward to pondering your further writings on this eclipse--thank you for your work!

[Nic]

Thank you Robert, great information and very clear and insightful.
Ready for the next posts.

Blessings be to all.

[sue]

Nostradamus Century 8 - 15
Vers Aquilon grans efforts par hommasse,
Presque l'Europe & l'univers vexer,
Les deux eclipse mettra en tel chasse,
Et aux Pannons vie & mort renforcer.

VAPELP ...apple

[J. Sue]

Hi Robert,

I love this article on the Virgo Solar Eclipse and your views on eclipses. I'm fairly negative on this one, but I bow to your greater knowledge and research. I hope those who read my version will click on your site from mine and get the whole story. My Capricorn rising flaunts my negativity a bit.
Blessings,
Sue