by Robert Wilkinson
We have a Total Lunar Eclipse coming in 2 days!
As I've offered you before, no eclipse of itself is "bad," nor do we have anything to fear. 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.
This Total Lunar Eclipse happens on January 31, 5:27 am PST, 8:27 am EST, and 1:27 pm GMT (UT). While the Umbral phase lasts 3h 23m, showing a very strong effect for the next 3 months and 12 days, the total Penumbral phase of the eclipse will last 5h 17m, showing an influence lasting over 5 months!
Today we'll discuss a lot 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 Lunar Eclipse at 12 Aquarius-Leo.
I've composed quite a few articles on past eclipses in the archives that bear re-visiting, since the Solar Eclipses of 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 are still manifesting results, if traditional Eclipse lore is to be believed. Core material about the timeline of Eclipse effects can be found in the article, The Solar Eclipse - What It Means and Its Effect On Our Life, as well as many other elements of what we can expect from these recurring celestial events. Links to recent eclipses are at the bottom of this article.
Also, if you missed them, please re-visit this week’s important articles explaining what effects we can expect to result from Lunar and Solar Eclipses. As I offered, eclipses are “Cosmic Recyclers,” removing what is over and done in our lives. While eclipses shut down some elements in the area of life (house) in which they fall, this is needed for growth, since we must bring some things to an end if we are to embrace newer, better ways of doing our Being.
No Astrological event need be "bad," or have "evil" effects, regardless of whether we're using Vedic, Chinese, Western, or any other approach to figuring out cycles within "All-That-Is." 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 if we find the right point of view. No matter where an Eclipse falls, we can turn it to good.
Favorable ways to use Eclipse energies can be seen by the aspects in eclipse charts as they impact our natal and progressed planets. And because time is an unbroken continuum, we can anticipate what is ending and let it go with grace and a sense of surrendering to a greater life in the becoming.
The choices we make at crucial astrological junctures bring pleasurable or painful circumstances, depending on what we need to learn. These choices are directly related to how evolved our planetary responses are. As I explain in my book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend each planet has a duality of function. It is up to us to determine whether our Moon, Sun, Mercury or any other natal planet involved in eclipses, "bad" aspects, and configurations manifests productively or non-productively.
This Total Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius-Leo over the next few months will lead us to see the how adult and at ease we are in social setups. We will all have opportunities to see the broad “staircase” of human evolution, and recognize where our knowledge needs to be guided to a higher level, and how we can use our knowledge to help others attain a higher level of understanding or experience. This will be an exceptionally favorable Eclipse, and I’ll explain various reasons why in over the next few articles.
With the numerous harmonious aspects in play, we have Uranus making a quintile and tredecile with the Eclipse, bringing extraordinary blessings of unique and individualizing circumstances! This will bring forth exceptionally favorable specializing spiritual energy for all who have planets or points around 1-3 Gemini/Sag, 5-9 Cancer/Capricorn, 11-15 Leo/Aquarius, 17-21 Virgo/Pisces, 23-27 Libra/Aries, and 29-30 Taurus/Scorpio. More on this and other aspects in future articles.
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 opening before your very eyes.
Enthusiasm, spontaneity, creative self-expression, and taking an honest look at how to mobilize to get things done will be good ways to use this eclipse. Look at your expectancies, and eliminate all that are less than the best! The clarity you’ve achieved these past 2 weeks can lead to forms of abundance, whether material or psychological or just a sense of how blessed we are. See how your expectancies have brought you to where you are right now, and move into the abundance that is your divine right.
There is a lot of love, vision, and harvests to receive in this Eclipse chart, and though many things will fall apart, it’s just as accurate to say that this will help us get focused with poise and maturity. This will be a highly specializing Eclipse, so whatever is taken away will be replaced with unique things and people perfect for where we’re at now. New strengths and new vision are coming forth over the next few months.
See you soon with more on this 2018 Leo-Aquarius Total Lunar Eclipse!
Past Solar Eclipses
These were all active for 2 to 5 years.
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.)
These are still active at this time.
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.)
For more about the September 2016 Annular Solar Eclipse at 10 Virgo, here’s The Annular Solar Eclipse at 10 Virgo Pt. 2 (though there are links to previous articles in that series, you will have to go to part 3 to find the Sabian symbols, Jones pattern, aspects and more.)
For more about the February 2017 Annular Solar Eclipse at 9 Pisces, here’s The Annular Solar Eclipse on February 26, 2017 at 9 Pisces Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in February-March 2017 (and through 2022!) (You’ll have to go to parts 1 and 3 to find out the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).
For more about the August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse at 29 Leo, here’s The Total Solar Eclipse on August 21, 2017 at 29 Leo Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in August-September 2017 (and through 2022!) (You’ll have to go to parts 1 and 3 to find out the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).
In answer to questions about why I don’t include the Lunar Eclipses from years past in this section, it’s because their effects are usually only for a few months, and so they’ve completed their work long before many long lasting Solar Eclipses. If you’re interested, you will always find what I wrote a couple of weeks before or after the Solar Eclipses, depending on when the Lunar Eclipses fell in those years. They’re all in the archives.
© Copyright 2018 Robert Wilkinson
Great stuff as usual Robert thank you!
I'm curious about something, this eclipse is almost exactly conjunct my IC at 1156 Aquarius. Any thoughts on such a situation?
Also for context:
natal Venus 8 aquarius
natal Neptune 7 sag
natal Pluto 4 libra
natal Saturn 13 gemini
natal Chiron 13 aries
natal Moon 0 gemini
Thanks!
Posted by: Elisa | January 29, 2018 at 01:56 PM
Hi Robert, thank you for the (as always) wonderful insights on the upcoming eclipse. On my chart, I have the lunar eclipse conjunctioning my natal mars at 14’39” Leo 3rd house. I have been trying to locate any information about the lunar eclipse conjunction natal Mars that is not negative. Is there an insight from your experience that you could provide? Many thanks.
Posted by: Heather | January 29, 2018 at 02:38 PM
"It's a fresh wind that blows against the Empire!"
Paul Kantor, Jefferson Starship
Posted by: Clay Uptain | January 29, 2018 at 10:09 PM
Natal Sun 10 Leo, Mercury 14 Leo, Uranus 16 Leo - Bring it on baby!!!
Posted by: Zephyr | January 30, 2018 at 05:32 AM
Hi Robert, just one quick question:
How about when the Lunar Eclipse makes a conjunction with one's own South Node?
Thank you in advance.
Posted by: Clemencia | January 30, 2018 at 12:05 PM
Hi Elisa - It makes a lot of great aspects to your planets, so you should do very well! Especially with the quintile/tredecile to your Moon, expect some magical reconnections with kindred spirits. It may shut down some things related to your past and public self, and your Venus will be illuminated, if only to show you the various levels of your relationships past and present, and why you left some behind while helping others to rise to a new level of spiritual awareness.
Hi Heather - That would imply an old way of doing things and/or being aggravated will shut down. And old Mars function will be seen as not taking care of certain current needs, or alternatively, if your Mars has been inhibited, over the next few months you'll be called upon to "put on the show!"
Hi Clay - As I noted on another stream, it's going to fall on the groper's Pluto, thereby shutting down the core of his protection. Of course, it'll affect many born in the mid to late 40s in various ways. Maybe the end of an old Pluto dance, so a new one can begin?
Hi Zephyr - An old Solar uniqueness and your way of understanding and expressing it will end in the next few months, and a new way will become bright. Remember that last year's Eclipses also feel close to your stellium; some things have already left your life. This is peeling the next layer of the garlic!
Hi Clemencia - That means it's also conjunct your North Node, creating a "double eclipse" effect. It would mean the current Nodes are either identical to yours, or flipped and in opposite signs. Either way, you'll grow through the NN stimulation, and can express it through the SN releases. And of course, you are most welcome.
Posted by: Robert | January 30, 2018 at 02:44 PM
Thank you very much, Robert!
Posted by: Clemencia | January 31, 2018 at 04:21 AM