by Robert Wilkinson
We have a Penumbral Lunar eclipse on March 25 which combines the power of a Full Moon, an eclipse, and Uranus driving some intense internal and external aggravation. As with all eclipses, this one will shut down some elements of our lives wherever we have early Aries and early Libra. We’re at another “fork in the road of destiny,” with a need to accept a concentrated dose of spiritual energy so we may protect or be protected.
As most of you know, I take the view that no eclipse 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."
Today we'll discuss a lot about eclipses in general and a little about this one, as well as who is most affected and where. In following articles I'll elaborate on symbols, aspects, patterns, and what we can expect from this Penumbral Lunar eclipse at 6 Aries and Libra.
Eclipses Are Not Bad – They Recycle What We No Longer Need In Our Lives
Even though I gave you this material 5 months ago at the Lunar eclipse at 6 Scorpio/Taurus, it bears another look. In eclipse lore, we are told Lunar eclipses shut down parts of our lives for a few months, while Solar eclipses shut down parts of our lives for years after they occur. In my archives you can find a lot of articles on past eclipses which bear re-visiting, since the Solar eclipses of 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 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, Why Are Solar Eclipses Special, 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.
As I offered in that article, eclipses are “Cosmic Recyclers,” removing what is over and done in our lives. While eclipses are associated with many elements in our lives shutting down 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. We need to clear the dead material from our old garden before we can prepare the ground for a new planting.
No astrological event is automatically "bad," or has "evil" effects, if we respond in a conscious way with an eye to the larger cycle we’re in. Though a circumstance may seem to have "bad" omens for the future, we can always transcend negativity and turn to a better future 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.
Where and When Is This Lunar eclipse Visible?
This Full Moon Lunar eclipse happens on 12 am (0 hour) PDT, 7 am GMT, on March 25. From the NASA site, the penumbral magnitude is strong at .96, while the umbral magnitude is weak at -.13 and the duration is long. The penumbral phase of the eclipse lasts 4 hours and 39 minutes, showing a general eclipse effect for 4 months and 20 days.
It will be visible at moonrise on a vertical line from Manchuria, Korea, Japan, New Guinea, central and east Oz, Nez, and Polynesia. It will be fully visible from Alaska down to Hawaii and all of North and South America except eastern Brazil. It will be visible at moonset in Greenland, Iceland, Norway, southern Sweden, all of Europe to central Poland down through the Adriatic sea through the middle of Libya straight south to Capetown. Besides these regions of the world, it will also strongly impact all who have 4-8 Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn on the angles, or any planet in those parts of the zodiac.
What Can We Expect From This Lunar Eclipse?
This Penumbral Lunar eclipse in Aries-Libra over the next few months will lead us through loss to a change in what we show the world and a revision of what we want to see made manifest, or the end of something we visualized which has fulfilled its purpose. This is a new light where we “illuminate a facet of Self” even as we confront the results of previously held hopes and dreams.
This will shed a new light on whatever was awakened in 2011-2012, and remove “encrustations” from what we began then. This eclipse will remove things creating voids in our Aries sector which will be filled with life contents by Saturn and Neptune in 2026 and 2027. As it falls in Aries/Libra, we will experience the end of old ways of seeing ourselves and others, with many old ideals and instinctive patterns of behavior leaving over the next 5 months. Whatever is lost will show us a new illuminated facet of Self which mirrors an old visualized ideal we’ve held for a long time.
The outstanding feature of this eclipse is the huge number of interior aspects made between the planets which, except for the Moon, are all still within a 108+ span, the very serendipitious tredecile. You can find out more about this unique, specializing, interactive “lucky” aspect by consulting the articles I’ve written on it. With all the planets within this narrow of a span, it’s like 9 people are crowded into three small rooms; they’re all getting along, but it’s still a VERY crowded house wherever we have Pisces, Aries, and Taurus!
As with all eclipses involving Aries and Libra, this one offers us opportunities to grow in our ability to be more genuine, expressing it with elegance and style. These signs show our instinct to be ourselves with others, and engage them in active ways. An eclipse in this axis shuts down an old way of expressing our “Lover” archetype so that new ways of relating to others can come forth. All eclipses both shut and open doors. I’ll give you more specifics in the next articles in this series.
Though there are always endings associated with any eclipse, these open up 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.
For some, this Lunar eclipse will shut down old instincts, impulses, ideals, standards, aesthetic considerations, and ways of evaluating and interacting with others. This begins a new pioneering impulse wherever it falls in our chart, and as I’ll explain in the section on Special Evolutionary Configurations, this one will help us turn away from social patterns which have trapped us in the past while intensifying our love. Though there may be disappointments, we’re being led to a greater courage as we focus our willpower in a renewal of our part within the larger whole of the work.
Over the next few months, figure out what you’re done showing your world, and explore other facets of your personality to express wherever this eclipse falls in your chart. This is an intensely spiritual interior eclipse, and we’ll see the end of many old things as we 1) confront the results of the ideals we’ve held before now, and/or 2) realize we need to be more precise and concentrated on visualizing what we want to see made manifest in the future.
This eclipse will clear out space and prepare the ground to allow the themes of the coming Solar eclipse at 20 Aries to be manifest. With the current Sun in Aries and Moon in Libra, look at the next few months as a time of removing obstructions to “being yourself” so you may express a difference elegance or balance in your life.
This ends the run of Taurus/Scorpio Lunar eclipses from last year, and introduces a different set of lessons and tests. This Aries/Libra is the first Full Moon of Spring, and as such is one of the “High Moons” associated with the Wesak Festival and the World Teacher Festival which I’ll elaborate on soon. This will initiate new social and emotional energies in our lives, and propel us forward as we dance down the intersections of Fate Street and Free Will Street at a corner on Eternity Boulevard. Whatever is taken away over the next few months will be replaced with a greater life enjoyment perfect for where we’re at now.
See you soon with more on this 2024 Aries/Libra Penumbral Lunar eclipse!
Before we get to the list of past Solar eclipses which activated various sectors of our charts, because Venus and Jupiter are in mutual reception and rule all the planets in this eclipse except Neptune, She is a major player in what happens behind the scenes. If you want to know more about your inner Venus and its power to shape all your life relationships for the better, please consider getting your copy of The Magic of Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames. It is the most comprehensive book on Venus ever written, and explains why we attract who we do and how to create more satisfying relationships in the future.
You will understand what you’ve been learning about your “urge to merge” across your various life chapters, and know the foundations of long term healthy relationships and friendships, why Soul Mates come into our lives, and how to know the difference between a Soul Mate and our Twin Flame. Even if you’re not looking for a partner, this book will explain why certain people with certain traits came into your life and what they taught you about yourself.
It has chapters on the qualities of each sign’s natural mate, the qualities of Venus in each sign, and when crucial choices and changes are made, affecting who we attract in the future. It was written for both astrologers and lay people, and as it has a thousand gems for better relationships, with self, others, and Source, please consider getting your copy by going to the link above! (And when you’re done, please leave a review on Amazon, since it helps the book and all other books on astrology as well!)
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 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!) (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).
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 all the other details about its qualities).
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 all the other details about its qualities).
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 all the other details about its qualities).
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 all the other details about its qualities). [These effects last through April 2026.]
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). [These effects last through April 2026.]
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). [These effects last through June 2026.]
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). [These effects last through January 2026.]
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). [These effects last through September 2026.]
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!) (Again, go to parts 1 and 3 to find out the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities). [These effects last through November 2026.]
For more about the April 2023 Hybrid Solar Eclipse at 30 Aries, here’s The April 2023 Solar Eclipse at 30 Aries Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in April-May (and through 2028!) (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 October 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse at 22 Libra, here’s The October 2023 New Moon Annular Solar Eclipse at 22 Libra Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in October-November (and through 2029!) (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 Penumbral Lunar Eclipse Full Moon!
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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