by Robert Wilkinson
As I trust you understand, even though feared in antiquity, we now know an eclipse isn’t necessarily "bad." While traditionally eclipses are associated with things leaving our life and the world, it’s a fact that we all need to let go of some things from time to time, and we cannot lose what truly belongs to us.
Eclipses are recurring celestial phenomena which lead us into life periods where we get to end old ways, making space for a new way of living our lives. While this Solar eclipse will lead to endings wherever we have 2 Scorpio, those voids will be filled with new Scorpio things, people, and activities! We now begin a period of surrendering parts of our past which may be nostalgic and even poignant, but surrender we must, because a new life is already in motion!
Eclipses Are Never A Bad Thing
Eclipses are times to face facts about what needs to end. Most people want to hold on to what is familiar, even a past that’s already faded or needs to end. It still intrigues me that so many are afraid of the endings accompanying eclipses, even though life is about cleaning out obsolete behaviors, feelings, and ideas from time to time so we can get a fresh view of life.
There is a lot of superstition about Eclipses, mostly focusing on "dreadful" or difficult elements that often seem to follow eclipses. However, I’ve found that while all eclipses take something away and/or shut something down based in what house of our chart they happen, all eclipses 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 a natural part of how the Moon, Sun, and Earth relate to each other as they move through space and time. They are certain not anything to be feared, and by understanding this recurring phenomena we can cooperate with our own “pulse of life,” letting go of what we no longer want or need to create space to attract new potential.
In the article posted Monday, “The Solar Eclipse at 2 Scorpio in October 2022 – Why Are Solar Eclipses Thought to be Bad,” I noted Solar eclipse effects usually last for several years, while Lunar eclipse effects last for a few months, and that eclipses all vary in strength or duration, making some stronger and longer than others. I have found it’s a great exercise to take a look back at what ended in the various life areas where eclipses fell in our charts to see what’s ended and the new that has come forth. We’ll discuss more about this downstream, but for now….
When and Where is this Solar Eclipse Visible?
The coming Partial Solar Eclipse falls at 2 Scorpio at 3:49 am PDT, 11:49 am BST on October 25. The total Penumbral phase is 4 hours 4 minutes, indicating an influence lasting just over 4 years. As the magnitude is only .86 it is dim, so this eclipse is both short and weak. This eclipse will only be seen by those in Europe, northeast Africa, the Middle East and west Asia. Of course it will also profoundly impact those with planets or points around 1-4 Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, as well as 16-19 Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini, and Virgo, and 30 degrees Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn.
Today we'll discuss eclipses in general and a little about this one. In following articles I'll elaborate on who is most affected by this eclipse, symbols, aspects, patterns, and what we can expect from this Partial Solar eclipse at 2 Scorpio.
I've composed quite a few articles on past eclipses in the archives that bear re-visiting, since the Solar Eclipses of 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 were or are still manifesting effects since then, if traditional Eclipse lore is to be believed. Those which are still active fell at 1 and 11 Cancer, 5 and 16 Capricorn, 19 and 29 Leo, 9 Pisces, 10 Virgo, 13 and 24 Sagittarius, 20 Gemini, and 11 Taurus. All of us have had various parts of our inner and outer lives “recycled” during this time. We’re still experiencing effects from all Solar Eclipses since 2016. You can find out more about the lengths of each of these through the links to past Solar Eclipses at the bottom of this article.
How Do Eclipses Work?
In previous centuries, people freaked out about eclipses because they were believed to foretell the fall of empires, dynasties, and powerful people anywhere the Eclipse shadow fell. The doom and gloom associated with eclipses which happened centuries ago often marked major changes in governments and nations. Of course, it could also have been a situation where the changes were in motion, and the eclipse just happened to come at a “perfect time” for those changes.
No Astrological event is “bad” in and of itself. Thought some configurations might seem to portend “bad omens” for the future, we always have the power to respond as positively as we are able, generating momentum toward beneficent possibilities. No matter where an eclipse falls, we can turn it to good. It all depends on our point of view.
By looking at the aspects in eclipse charts, as well as aspects those charts make with our natal and progressed planets, we can turn negatives to positives. 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 voids arising after an eclipse opens the door to countless other opportunities.
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. That work is a guidebook for taking control of your destiny and bringing forth your most loving, wise Spiritual Self.
Key Factors in This Scorpio Eclipse
This Partial Solar eclipse in Scorpio over time will help us release old feelings which may still be strong, but are already fading in the light of a transformation toward a new life direction. This will remove many old stuck feelings and magnetism which isn’t attracting what we want. Some will attract some intense experiences which will help them get to a deeper layer of letting go. And some will delight in the truths they find.
While this eclipse doesn’t make many aspects, the main influence is the conjunction with Venus on a degree of cooperative building with others in our community. As Mars is the ruler of this stellium and is on its stationary retrograde degree, there will be a relationship between the Mars’ theme of “seeing beneath the surface,” or “seeing the archetypal shape of things,” and the letting go indicated by the symbol for the Lunation. That makes Venus very powerful in this eclipse.
Obviously, when an Eclipse conjuncts a planet in our chart, we can expect something about that function to end, creating space for something new to come forth. Because this Scorpio Eclipse is in a close conjunction with Venus, you may want to take a deeper look at what’s taken away and what’s coming in by checking out my new book The Magic of Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames. Even though the eclipse may not make many aspects to the other transiting planets, it’ll definitely keep making important aspects to all our natal planets.
There are other important factors we’ll discuss in future articles. Expect eclipse effects to activate when Mercury transits the eclipse degree around October 30. Mars will definitely activate eclipse effects when it transits the eclipse degree on October 13/14, 2023.
Different eclipses have different timing. Some things are removed quickly, others are removed gradually over time. Some eclipses are VERY beneficial because they bring an end to something we really don’t need to be involved with, and leave a void we can fill appropriately, according to our evolved awareness and intention. As I just offered, we can see favorable ways to use eclipse energies by noting the aspects in eclipse charts as they impact our natal and progressed planets.
Different Times Bring Different Focus
We’re now in a Taurus/Scorpio eclipse focus. While we had a Lunar Eclipse in late Scorpio/Taurus in November 2021, this is the second in a run of Solar eclipses along the Taurus-Scorpio axis. During this run, old attractions, aversions, stuck emotions, and old emotional ghosts are being removed through the South Node, and new directions of enjoying life, feeling secure and stable as we see what we do and do not value are opening wherever we have Taurus. This eclipse promises new developmental directions wherever we have 2 Scorpio in our chart.
We had a heavy Capricorn and Cancer focus of 2019 and early 2020, with effects from those Solar eclipses still very much in play for years to come. 2019 and 2020 began a period of shutting down parts of our Cancer sector, creating space for new forms of individual self-expression. The “recycling sequence” of how we were affected can be seen in the July 2019 Solar Eclipse at 11 Cancer, the Christmas 2019 Solar Eclipse at 5 Capricorn, and the Solstice 2020 Solar Eclipse at 1 Cancer. Of course these continue to recycle various elements of our lives.
When the Nodes entered Gemini and Sag in May 2020, we opened the gateway to a more balanced social happiness during 2021, even though the Solar eclipse was at 1 Cancer. I explain more about that below. The December 2020 Lunar and Solar eclipses in Sagittarius/Gemini were the first in that run of Lunations in the same sign as the Nodes. This was an important phase shift in our eclipse experience. The 2021 Solar eclipses in Sagittarius and Gemini began a several year period of removing old ideas, perceptions, and truths which no longer serve our higher purpose.
The May 2022 Taurus Solar eclipse has an individual, mental, and spiritual focus in substantiating something about our individual spirituality. Whether we get flashbacks showing us that what we cultivated in the past is yielding harvests in the present, or we find ourselves or another confronting their lack of care in some way will be determined by our level of awakening these past few years.
This October 2022 Scorpio Solar eclipse has an actional and physical focus in some form of communion, past or present. We have the ability to shed a lot of astral detritus in the next few years, so “let go, let god,” and trust that you’re deepening your connection to your integrity and authenticity. This is a great eclipse for eliminating stagnant feelings and responses.
A Look Back at Recent Eclipses Still Active
The January 2019 Solar Eclipse, though weak, helped us sprout seeds of power that were fulfilled in 2019. The July 2019 Solar Eclipse has been helping us find a sense of humor by seeing the illusion of the ego with its “pomposities.” As the “Tension of Opposites” involved the Cancer/Capricorn axis with forming oppositions to Saturn and then Pluto, those years allowed us to purify our intention, service, what we are and are not responsible for, and accept new forms of emotional or social rebirth which feed our feelings.
The June 2020 Solstice Eclipse at 1 Cancer has been showing us our willingness to adapt to new needs, new relationships, and new life habits. We have found stability and security by moving in new directions, with cooperative collective pioneering group endeavors front and center since then. That powerful Solstice eclipse promised us all a new life allegiances, new relationships, new concerns, and new ways of living our daily existence these next few years, letting go of old attachments to people and things. It has especially favored those who cultivated spiritual intuition, as it led to a very favorable period of social rebirth, with new standards to be admired and old truths to be left behind.
The December 2020 Solar Eclipse has been helping us to see our good fortune from a wider angle, and gives us the power to “read the tea leaves,” seeing the deeper and wider truth of people and situations from material patterns which arise. This is leading to forms of “executive power,” setting future patterns of social power into motion which will lead to greater building endeavors.
The June 2021 eclipse at 20 Gemini has begun to bring unique and serendipitous returns, as well as signs and signals of a future still in the making. We’ve seen “the indestructible elements of our spiritual nature” as we’ve mobilized and shared information during a time of being “large diamonds in the cutting process” learning to manifest our Higher Self.
The December 2021 eclipse at 13 Sagittarius has begun to give us glimpses of the future, more enjoyable roles to play, the stirring up of a new love, and rewards for doing what we had to do these past two years. This eclipse will ultimately yield us all a transfigured life after a time of purification.
The April 2022 eclipse at 11 Taurus has shown us the nature of our “Garden of Life,” and what needed tending and what we needed to clear out because it was cluttering our garden or more trouble than it was worth to maintain those things which were not healthy. This is shutting down parts of our Taurus sector so the void may attract more productive “crops” in the future.
See you soon with more on this 2022 Partial Solar eclipse in Scorpio!
If you want my take on how much is fate and how much is free will when it comes to eclipse effects, please check out The Solar and Lunar Eclipse - Is Any Eclipse Destined to Have Bad Effects? (It’s part 1 of a two part series, so make sure you read part 2, as it describes how past eclipses conjunct my Sun and Ascendant were very beneficial for me!)
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.)
For more about the October 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.)
This ended June 2022
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.)
This ended July 2022
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).
This will last through November 2022, the next national election.
This eclipse has brought America to its knees! This Eclipse penumbral phase was 5 hours and 18 minutes, showing those effects are in play for 5 years and 3.5 months. The umbral phase, which is the most intense part, lasted 3 hours and 14 minutes, showing that would be in play for 3 years and 3 months. So the eclipse effects began August 21 and entered the umbral phase an hour and 12 into it. That means the most intense part of the eclipse effects began November 2018 and lasted through February 2022. Looking back, it’s clear to see America had a meltdown between November 2018 and now, with maximum intensity in 2019-2020-2021! It’s safe to say America has been “eclipsed” between August 2017 and now.
For more about the August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse at 29 Leo, here’s The Total Solar Eclipse of August 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).
This was active through December 2021
For more about the February 2018 Partial Solar Eclipse at 28 Aquarius, here’s The Partial Solar Eclipse of February 2018 at 28 Aquarius Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in February-March 2018 (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).
This was active through December 2020
For more about the July 2018 Partial Solar Eclipse at 21 Cancer, here’s The Partial Solar Eclipse of July 2018 at 21 Cancer Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in July-August 2018 (and through 2020!) (Again, go to parts 1 and 3 to find out the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).
This was active through February 2022
For more about the August 2018 Partial Solar Eclipse at 19 Leo, here’s The Partial Solar Eclipse of August 2018 at 19 Leo Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in August-September 2018 (and through February 2022!) (Parts 1 and 3 have Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).
These are still active at this time.
For more about the January 2019 Partial Solar Eclipse at 16 Capricorn, here’s The Partial Solar Eclipse of January 2019 at 16 Capricorn Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in January 2019 (and into 2023!) (Parts 1 and 3 have Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).
For more about the July 2019 Total Solar Eclipse at 11 Cancer, here’s The Total Solar Eclipse of July 2019 at 11 Cancer Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in July 2019 (and through Spring 2024!) (Parts 1 and 3 have Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).
For more about the December 2019 Annular Solar Eclipse at 5 Capricorn, here’s The Annular Solar Eclipse of December 2019 at 5 Capricorn Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in January 2020 (and through 2025!) (Parts 1 and 3 have Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).
For more about the July 2020 Annular Solar Eclipse at 1 Cancer, here’s The Solstice New Moon Solar Eclipse of June 2020 at 1 Cancer Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in June-July (and through 2025!) (Parts 1 and 3 have Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).
For more about the December 2020 Total Solar Eclipse at 24 Sagittarius, here's The December 2020 New Moon Total Solar Eclipse at 24 Sagittarius Pt. 3 - Signs, Sabian Symbols, and What It All Means (Links to other articles in the series at the bottom of this one)
For more about the June 2021 Annular Solar Eclipse at 20 Gemini, here’s The Annular Solar Eclipse of June 2021 at 20 Gemini Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in June-July 2021 (and through 2026!) (Again, 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 December 2021 Total Solar Eclipse at 13 Sagittarius, here’s The Total Solar Eclipse of December 2021 at 13 Sagittarius Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in December 2021 (and through 2025!) (Again, 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 April 2022 Partial Solar Eclipse at 11 Taurus, here’s The April 2022 Partial Solar Eclipse at 11 Taurus Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in May (and through 2025!) (Again, 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.
See you soon with part 1 of the 3 part series on this Partial Solar eclipse New Moon!
© Copyright 2022 Robert Wilkinson
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