by Robert Wilkinson
As we approach the coming Solar eclipse, please remember that though they were feared centuries ago, we now know an eclipse isn’t necessarily "bad." While 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 30 Aries, those voids will be filled with new Aries things, people, and activities! We now begin a period of surrendering old ways of concentrating our energies, or taking a look beyond our personal “duck pond,” perhaps taking flight in a galactic perspective. 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 Sunday, “What Are Solar Eclipses and Why Are They Feared?,” 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 Hybrid Solar Eclipse falls at 30 Aries at 9:13 pm PDT on April 19, 5:13 am BST April 20. The total Penumbral phase is 5 hours 25 minutes, indicating an influence lasting 5 and a half years. The Umbral phase begins about an hour after the Penumbral, and lasts for 3 hours and 20 minutes, showing the most intense eclipse effects will begin to manifest a year from now, and last 3 years and 4 months. As the magnitude is 1.01, reasonably strong, so this eclipse is long and somewhat strong.
This eclipse will only be seen by those in SE Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Oz, NewZ, and the Philippines. Of course it will also profoundly impact those with planets or points around 28-30 Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn and 1-3 Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, as well as 13-18 Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini, and Virgo.
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 Hybrid Solar eclipse at 30 Aries.
I've composed quite a few articles on past eclipses in the archives that bear re-visiting, since the Solar Eclipses of 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 are still manifesting effects, if traditional Eclipse lore is to be believed. Those which are still active fell at 11 Taurus, 20 Gemini, 1 and 11 Cancer, 2 Scorpio, 13 and 24 Sagittarius, and 5 Capricorn. 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 2019. You can find out more about the lengths of each of these and where they fell through the links to past Solar Eclipses at the bottom of this article.
How Do Eclipses Work?
As I mentioned in the previous article, for many 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. It's always good to have a sense of humor when it comes to life's passages. 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 Aries Eclipse
This Hybrid Solar eclipse in Aries over time will help us release old ways of “doing our Being,” where we get beyond our old boundaries and comfort zones. This will remove some instincts and ways of focusing our individual and spiritual potency. Some will leave the old “duck pond” and fly free in a larger Soul field of activity. Many will enjoy the genuineness which comes forth after old mental patterns end. With Jupiter prominent, be of good cheer, since what's leaving will be replaced with something better!
Mars rules the eclipse, and is conjunct the star Sirius, “the Sun of our Sun.” That makes this a profound eclipse, introducing Ageless Wisdom as we peel away old limitations. The Moon rules Mars, creating a “mutual reception” which rules all the other planets. The quintile makes for high specialization and “quintessential” events, so fly free into “new vistas of conscious development.”
There are other important factors we’ll discuss in future articles. Expect eclipse effects to activate when Jupiter transits the eclipse degree in early May. Mars will definitely activate eclipse effects when it transits the eclipse degree in early June, 2024.
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
This is the first Aries Solar eclipse in a long time! We’re now finishing our run of eclipses with a Taurus/Scorpio focus, with two more Lunar eclipses in that axis this year. The October 2023 Solar eclipse will be in Libra, and in 2024, we’ll have a Penumbral Lunar eclipse in March at 6 Aries/Libra, a Total Solar eclipse in April at 20 Aries, a Partial Lunar Eclipse in September at 26 Virgo/Pisces, and an Annular Solar eclipse in October at 11 Libra.
Still, because eclipses are tied to the Moon’s nodes, they ultimately show us the evolutionary pull in each event. In the current Solar eclipse, the North Node is in early Taurus, as it will be for the Lunar eclipse coming in 2 weeks. However, by the October eclipses, the North Node will be in late Aries and the South Node in late Libra.
During the eclipses with the nodes in Taurus/Scorpio, 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. When the Nodes shift into Aries/Libra, it will open new ways of experiencing ourselves on our own terms, demonstrated by the balance and sense of proportion of the SN in Libra.
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.
The October 2022 eclipse at 2 Scorpio has helped us release some very powerful memories from the past as we’ve opened to deeper relationships with people in our lives now. We’re all letting go of a lot of stuck feelings, and opening to a new way of enjoying life.. This one shut down parts of our Scorpio sector which we no longer need in our magnetic field.
See you soon with more on this 2023 Hybrid Solar eclipse in Aries!
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 (Internal links in this article go to previous articles about this Eclipse.)
For more about the September 2015 Partial Solar Eclipse at 21 Virgo, here’s The Partial Solar Eclipse at 21 Virgo Pt. 3 (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 (You can find the other articles in that series 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 (Link to pt 1 at the bottom. 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!) (Parts 1 and 3 have the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and other details about its qualities).
This lasted through November 2022, the last 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!) (Parts 1 and 3 have the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and 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!) (Parts 1 and 3 have the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and other details).
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!) (Parts 1 and 3 have the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and other details).
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 other details).
This was active through April 2023.
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 other details).
These are still active at this time.
This is active through June 2024.
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 other details).
This is active through July 2024.
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 other details).
These will be in effect through 2026 and beyond.
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 other details).
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!) (Parts 1 and 3 have the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and other details).
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!) (Parts 1 and 3 have the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and other details).
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!) (Parts 1 and 3 have the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and other details).
For more about the October 2022 Partial Solar Eclipse at 2 Scorpio, here’s The October 2022 Partial Solar Eclipse at 2 Scorpio Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in November (and through 2026!) (Parts 1 and 3 have the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and other details).
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 2023 Robert Wilkinson
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