What Is A Solar Eclipse and How Does It Affect Our Life?

by Robert Wilkinson

Since we usually have two Solar Eclipses each year and they often affect us for several years after they occur, today we’ll explore what they are and how their influence works. They are recurring important stellar events, and there are a lot of myths about them. Historically, an eclipse, whether Solar or Lunar, is one of the most dreaded events in all of astrology.

This year is one of those uncommon years when we’ll actually have three Solar Eclipses! They are all Partial Eclipses, and none are very bright or seen by very many people. The first Solar Eclipse of 2018 was in February at 27 Aquarius. The one about to happen is the dimmest of the 3, with the last one this year in August at 19 Leo being the brightest of 2018, but still not as bright as many in the past or coming years.

The coming Partial Solar Eclipse falls at 21 Cancer at 7:48 pm PDT on July 12, 3:48 am BST. I’ll explain more about its unique qualities over the next 10 days. Today we’ll discuss Solar Eclipses in general.

Tables of various eclipse cycles have been kept since antiquity in several cultures, and it is said that the ancient Babylonians had eclipse tables over a 500,000 year period. Traditional sources of antiquity state that when the shadow of an eclipse falls on a nation or people, it is assumed to have dire consequences for the future of that nation.

Historically, more than not this is accurate. Yes, that means the one in August 2017 at 29 Leo which tracked across the entire US indicates that those places in the Eclipse path, as well as those states, towns, and people in power with anything near 29 Leo, have been and continue to be affected! Think of how the US has changed since August 2017 to get a sense of the process.

Without this becoming a boring recitation of different empires crashing under the weight of their own excesses rather than an astronomical phenomenon, I will remind you that an astrological event does not make anything happen, correlations notwithstanding. That being said...

There are many cycles of eclipses, some recurring relatively frequently, some taking decades, even centuries to recur. The ancients felt that its shadow signified the passing from power of a ruling family or dynasty, the invasion of the nation by hostile foreign powers, the death of an era, even famine, drought, or pestilence.

Solar Eclipses indicate the shadowing of the "great light" by another object that obscures that light, if only momentarily. So an eclipse blocks the light of the Sun for a period of time, from a few minutes to a few hours, and in those places that the Eclipses are most visible, the skies go dark and we can see other, fainter light coming from stars we wouldn't ordinarily see.

This is certainly true of a total Solar Eclipse, and to a lesser degree during partial eclipses. The ancients also thought that the number of hours a Solar Eclipse lasts over a nation shows the number of years it would suffer affliction, and the number of hours a Lunar Eclipse lasts shows the number of months it will suffer. But of course, that doesn't happen in our ultra-rationalistic, left-brain reality any more, right?

Leaving aside any argument of causality, I have found that where an eclipse falls in a birth chart corresponds with something ending in that part of the life. Whatever house it occurs in is where something is about to end in a significant way. It could be said that eclipses are “Cosmic Recyclers,” taking away what we no longer need, creating space for new things to present themselves.

We can learn a lot about how they impact us by seeing how they aspect our planets and angles. If the eclipse conjuncts a planet, we can expect to see endings in that old planetary psychological function in the house (life area) the Eclipse falls in. And of course, it will affect the houses ruled by any planet it touches.

For example, if an eclipse conjuncts your Venus, you may assume that sooner or later you will confront the end of an old way of enjoying life, an old value, or an old relationship. You will see this work out in the houses ruled by Taurus and Libra.

If it conjuncts Mercury, an old mindset, perception, attitude, or way of interpreting or communicating that was a significant part of your life will pass away through the life areas ruled by Gemini and Virgo. If an eclipse conjuncts your Saturn, an old important responsibility, limitation, obligation, hindrance, or fear will leave the life as seen in the areas of life (houses) ruled by Capricorn and Aquarius.

If the eclipse affects the Moon, expect the ending of an old habit or way of experiencing life. Usually there are major personality shifts and endings associated with parts of the life represented by the houses where you have Cancer and Leo.

If Mars is affected, it could mean that an old hassle, aggravation, or quarrel will end, or there will be a hassle or aggravation as a result of an ending in the houses ruled by Aries and Scorpio. Of course, it could mean the end of an old way of “attacking the problems of life,” or an old way of responding to a call for immediate action.

If a Solar Eclipse impacts our Jupiter, an old vision, philosophical view, or an obsolete moral stance will end, or there will be something taken away that affects the houses with Sagittarius and Pisces on the cusp. This contacts show an end to a spiritual focus or aspiration, or a line of opportunity ceases and another one opens wherever the Eclipse falls in the chart.

If the eclipse falls on your Sun, you can expect the end of your Light or Life in some way. This shows the passing of an old life order, but of course since Nature abhors a vacuum it also shows that a new life and light will begin. It will most affect the houses with Leo and Cancer on the cusp, and transform the part of the life represented by the house the Eclipse falls in.

So it primarily shows as an ending in the house in which it falls. It shows as an ending of a psychological function if it conjuncts a planet, and this works out through the houses ruled by the planet it touches. Of course, if it affects a planet, it also affects all the other planets that are connected to the eclipsed planet by sign rulership, i.e., if an eclipse conjuncts your Venus, it will naturally affect planets you have in Taurus or Libra.

It is useful to remember that in a chart all the planets represent important people in your life, both past and present. If an eclipse conjuncts your Jupiter, expect a relationship with a Jupiterian, or someone with strong Sagittarius or Pisces in their charts, to end or go through such a radical change that it will seem like you're relating to an entirely different person. If it impacts your Sun, expect the passage of someone of power, authority, or significance to your life or illumination.

The same with Saturn and the rest of the planets. When an eclipse conjuncts your Saturn, it usually signifies the passing of an elder, someone in a position of power in your life, or someone who kept you under a limitation or fear. It also indicates the ending of an old duty, responsibility, or purpose in our lives so we can redirect the energy of Self-mastery to other ends.

Every ending is beneficial because they remove obsolete elements in our lives, or people that no longer symbolize who we really are, or who we have become since we originally met them. Old illusions give way to greater realizations. When a fulfilled planetary manifestation ends, we are free to recreate a higher and greater manifestation of that planet in our lives in new ways. Lesser Wisdom gives way to greater Wisdom, and lesser forms of love give way to greater Love.

All Eclipses indicate coming endings, obscurations, and the passing of people and things out of our lives, and maybe even deaths, both literal and metaphoric. We always are under the influence of more than one Solar Eclipse from the past, and there’s always a Lunar Eclipse two weeks before or after a Solar Eclipse.

So Eclipses occur several times a year, and not all eclipses are equally influential. Their strength is determined by their magnitude (brightness) and longevity. We’ve been on a run of very bright Solar Eclipses for the past 7 years, with only their length fluctuating to any great degree. Some have been of VERY long duration, showing effects lasting years, while others have been so short that the influence came and went fairly quickly.

Last year’s Eclipses were relatively bright but only one was of any significant duration, while all of 2018’s Solar Eclipses, as noted earlier, are relatively short and weak. The one in August is the strongest since last Summer, and slightly stronger than the one coming January 2019. After that, all the Solar Eclipses for the rest of 2019 and 2020 are powerhouses!

One more thing to note: a Solar eclipse is a New Moon, while a Lunar eclipse is a Full Moon. Like all lunations, the Full Moon brings to form the promise of the seed represented by the New Moon. Eclipses work the same way, but are considered more influential over a longer period.

To return to an important point, Solar Eclipse effects last for years, while Lunar Eclipse effects last for a few months. From one approach, the Lunar Eclipse may distill the essential elements that must be shut down in the weeks it is in play, and after that, other transits trigger the Solar and Lunar effects in secondary ways.

That’s why an Eclipse can still be triggered years down the road by the outer planet transits, and demonstrates the importance of what houses and planets have been impacted by past eclipses. And as I mentioned, we always have several from the past that are still at work moving things out of our lives so we can attract other things more appropriate to who we are now.

See you soon with part one on this weak Partial Solar Eclipse in Cancer!

© Copyright 2018 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Jo Garceau]

Robert, I enjoyed this eclipse review, once again.

Would you comment on what is being released with the eclipse on Pluto in Cancer? One idea, on a collective level just occurred to me--that the sense of lack for the Pluto in Cancer generation has been worked through.

While few people relate to Pluto, I wonder what impact an individual might expect?

Thanks.

[Denise]

Thanks Robert. Sometimes I am a bit slow on the uptake. The August 2017 eclipse was tightly conjunct my south node in the 12th. Reading your article here, now, that sounds like maybe a gift, removal of things past. Makes sense in terms of my changes this past year.

[sue]

Mother Shipton saw this eclipse...
His masked smile - his false grandeur
Will serve the Gods their anger stir
And they will send the Dragon back
To light the sky - his tail will crack...
Upon the earth and rend the earth
And man shall flee, King, Lord and serf...

For the future is female...

[sue]

Aquarius the water carrier...is a woman...men don't carry water!

[Helen]

Hi Robert, thanks for your wise words & advice. I feel really unsettled big time at the moment because of these eclipses and current life events!
The Leo eclipse is exactly conj my Venus, which is conjunct my IC exactly/opposite MC.
On Friday 13th I have a job interview that will change my direction and by Friday 10th August I plan to have left my current job and break free for some "me time " and relaxation/fun times for a change.
I have been thinking a lot about how I value myself and what value I have to others at work and personally. I have a non-existant love life. Interesting that the eclipse is opposite my MC - I think it's going to definitely rebirthing my professional life/job. All the best to you.