the blue moon/total lunar eclipse at 11’37 leo occurs on wednesday january 31st 2018 at 5:27am PST. this is the midpoint of the current lunar cycle we are in that began with the new moon in capricorn on january 16th. that new moon was very significant as it activated the capricorn confluence that 2018 focuses on. due to many things going on in capricorn this year- a lot of which can be quite intense- that new moon really showed us very clearly where we are being asked to step up in our self-mastery and integrity. it also really showed us what was out of balance, out of integrity and out of alignment. our choice to face these areas of life and rise to the occasion to grow is key in navigating 2018 with grace and ease! to read in-depth about that lunation click here- https://www.divineharmony.org/cosmic-insight/astrology-blog/new-moon-capricorn-sowing-seeds-love/
so now we have the total lunar eclipse in leo and a blue moon to boot (a blue moon is the 2nd full moon in a month)! into the eclipse portal of change, transformation, endings and new beginnings we go! it’s interesting to track the lunar cycles that have occurred since november 2017. all of them have had significant venus or juno configurations to the new moon and full moons, starting with the new moon in sagittarius on december 17th which was conjunct venus and also a 29th degree saturn (which is very karmic). venus and juno are the two bodies we look at to get information about relationships. venus governs Love, romance, what we value and our sense of self worth. juno governs partnerships, marriage, commitments and contractual arrangements (romantic, business and financial). so there’s been a very strong focus on relationships and partnerships of all kinds in the last couple of months. yet really this goes back further as what set the stage for these lunations unfolding right now was the pluto/juno dance of last year (from april to november). pluto dancing with juno brought up shadow in partnerships and a need to get deep and look at what is not working- particularly what is toxic/stagnant/stuck in the root and foundation of relationships- so that we can do the work to transform them, evolve ourselves and/or let them go (if transformation or evolution is not possible while staying in these relationships/partnerships). the exact pluto/juno conjunction was 11/11.
we are in deep territory right now- asking us to strip away the old, the toxic, the karmic. the old paradigms we keep adhering to in our lives that really are not serving us are up for looking at and releasing if we have the courage to do so! the new moon that began this cycle was in capricorn- the sign of structure, foundations, that which is old, patriarchy as well as where we rigidly hold onto the past. with so much going on in capricorn this year (the ‘capricorn confluence’ as i am calling it) we are going to be seriously challenged to up level what is going on in the house(s) that capricorn falls in our natal charts (check the weekly horoscopes for more info)- and if we cannot up level it we will be asked to surrender it. what is fascinating is that the new moon was in capricorn and this total lunar eclipse/full moon is in leo. capricorn is ruled by saturn- the farthest planet visible to the naked eye (he is referred to as the dweller on the threshold or the gatekeeper). leo is ruled by the sun- the center star of our galaxy and the Source of Light and life. where the sun is about shining, being seen and expressing ourselves creatively and originally- saturn is about discipline, lessons, hard work and reigning it in. they are very opposite energies and if we overdo either at the expense of the other we will have issues. too much saturn and we are inhibited, holding ourselves back, hard on ourselves and not realizing our fullest potential. too much sun without healthy saturn to balance it and we are narcissistic, self-focused, always doing what we want but not able to creatively work within limits and discipline ourselves. so this lunar cycle has a focus on this imbalance- with a need for us to really admit which side is our edge- so that we do the work to push past it!
a total lunar eclipse in leo is asking us to take stock of our hearts, our passions and our Solar Fire. do we live aligned with it? do we shut it down? are we radiating Light and generosity or are we shut down from our Light or alternatively a black hole that is seeking to devour the Light of others? with this total lunar eclipse on the north node in leo- there’s a clearing out happening in our solar plexus/3rd chakras and in our creative selves, romantic relationships, relationships with children and/or relationship to the child within. we are being asked to grow past the shadow of the aquarius south node (ruled by saturn and uranus) where we are stuck in the past, in old paradigms, in patriarchal patterns, in our heads and minds trying to control and power over our bodies and hearts with the intellect, and also where we are divorced from our feelings and basic needs. and we are being asked to grow INTO the leo north node- into more self-care, care for others, nurturing and nourishment. we are being asked to focus on pleasure and creativity and passion and heart-connection as what is leading us forward!
one of the most significant aspects of the eclipse chart is something that showed up in the new moon in capricorn chart: ceres the Great Mother asteroid EXACTLY on the north node of destiny and evolution and juno the asteroid Goddess of partnership and marriage on the karmic south node. the actual juno/ceres opposition was on friday january 19th and the actual juno/south node conjunction was on monday january 22nd- so these energies have been brewing and building since then. karmic energies are at play right now in relationships of all kinds- with a need for us to discern where old patterns are needing to be released, where evolution is possible and where letting go completely is the only option to move forward in life.
the ceres/north node conjunction is a longer term transit due to ceres’ retrograde journey. she aligns with the north node for a total of 3 times: the first was on december 10th 2017, the 2nd was on january 7th and the last will be on april 30th. interestingly on the date of this eclipse she is at the exact midpoint of her Underworld journey (she stationed retrograde 45 days ago and stations direct in 46 days). once she passes her last conjunction with the north node she will make her way to quincunx pluto, the Lord of the Underworld, on june 3rd. if you know your greek mythology you know that pluto and ceres (also known as demeter) have an intense relationships. pluto abducted ceres’ daughter kore/peresphone and took her into the Underworld. pre-patriarchal consciousness (5000+ years ago) the earlier myth of persephone and demeter was very different than the one we hear about today. pluto’s abduction of persephone was a change in the original myth when patriarchal consciousness started to overtake the ancient Goddess/matriarchal consciousness. as we shifted from one consciousness to another a lot of myths about powerful Goddess’ got changed and male deities were written into the myth and they either married the previously powerful Goddess and subsumed her power or they would rape/abduct them to take their power. originally demeter was the Goddess of earth AND the lower world/Underworld and persephone as her daughter oversaw what was going on in the Underworld. when the patriarchal shift happened- this governance was given to pluto and persephone became his bride. (read demetra george’s book ‘the dark Goddess’ for an in-depth look at how this played out in many cultures, with many other Goddesses. honestly a MUST READ book for anyone interested in this discussion).
i re-tell this story as i think it’s important to be aware of. myths change over time depending on who is in charge- just like our understanding of history changes to reflect good on those in power and negatively on those who who are being overpowered (the oppressors versus those being oppressed). with ceres on the north node heading into quincunx pluto- we are in deep times right now where we are being asked to see what is out of balance, what is not healthy and what is being suppressed within us emotionally but also collectively. this ceres/pluto dance began in december- but the exact ceres/pluto quincunx is not until june. i wrote about this in my weekly forecast- about how during this 7 month period of time there can be big themes up around shadow/Underworld journeys regarding mothers, mothering, nurturing, fertility, women’s health, relationships with children, family issues (particularly maternal lineage issues), safety/security issues, nourishment (emotional but also literal), self-care, care for others, as well as issues around Mother Earth, the environment, Her health and well being.
ceres on the north node is calling us into deeper self-care, care for Mother Earth and care for the feminine within and without. demetra george says tense pluto/ceres aspects can unearth intense emotional crises- particularly regarding loss and separation (from mother, from children, from Mother Earth, from the essential self). deep experiences of grief, rage, sorrow, anger and depression can arise when pluto tense aspects ceres- much like ceres went through in her myth when pluto abducted her beloved daughter and took her into the Underworld. the lunar eclipse is right smack on this north node/ceres conjunction- really amplifying our Underworld journeys and asking us to see where we are holding onto the old: old ways of being, old patriarchal structures and habits, old relationships, old paradigms. the north node in leo is asking us to get radical in our self-care, self-Love and self-nourishment! we also need to get radical in our care and Love for Mother Earth!!! she is our Mother Matrix- without her we cannot sustain ourselves. taking care of Mother Earth should be the top priority- above and beyond power, control, wealth, prestige and fame.
this total lunar eclipse on ceres and the north node is opposite the sun, venus, juno and the karmic south node all in aquarius. this speaks to karmic patterns arising right now in relationships and partnerships of all kinds. what is evolutionary and helping us to thrive? what is not? and worse- what is stunting our growth and holding us back? this eclipse can illuminate the shadow in relationships- and it can also help us to make big shifts in partnerships and relationships in our lives where we have been very very stuck. the north node in leo asks us to step up big time into self-Love and self-care so that we are making healthy relationship decisions. this is also about stepping into our sovereignty- knowing that we are whole unto ourselves rather than seeking others/substances/things to fill us up from without.
with ceres out of bounds in the eclipse chart and conjunct dubhe- a fixed star that is about being deeply loving but also fierce and forceful- i am feeling strong sekhmet energy present at the time of this eclipse! sekhmet is a fiercely loving Mother Goddess from ancient egypt. she is part woman, part lioness- and she cares deeply and does not take any shit! she is deeply connected to her heart and also deeply expressive of her powerful roar and courageously defends her boundaries. it will take fierce Love to shift things right now- within ourselves, in our relationships, on our planet and more. this is not a time to be passive, surrendering or playing the victim or the martyr. this is a time to ROAR and RISE UP and TAKE CHARGE!
one last aspect to take note of in the eclipse chart is the full moon/ceres/north node triple conjunction quincunx to neptune in pisces. neptune with the moon and ceres speaks to the potential for Unconditional Love and deep empathy, but also tendencies towards sacrificing of the self, being a victim or a martyr, turning to addictions to numb out and caring for others as a means to escape truly taking care of the self. neptune harmoniously links with the sun on the karmic south node- which can make it very easy to spiritually bypass during this eclipse. spiritual bypassing is when we use spirituality to escape our pain, when we prematurely forgive before we have fully moved through the pain/anger/grief/rage that is there, and when we default to transcendence, choosing to go up and out before we have truly descended and gone all the way down and in and through. the full moon/ceres/north node conjunction asks us to be fully here now: embodied. passionate, in touch with our emotions and feelings, in full contact with our anger and rage which actually is the protector of healthy boundaries. sekhmet is able to be so loving because she is so fierce. her fully open heart is able to stay that way because she has exceptional boundaries and excellent self-care. she is compassionate and understanding AND she will call you on your shit and hold your feet to the fires of transformation. she is not the loving mother who always forgives and fixes everything for you- she is the loving Mother who helps you deepen into your own agency and power, helping you to take full accountability for yourself and your actions in life so that you may go forward having learned from the past so you no longer need to repeat it.
i leave you with ellias lonsdale’s star sparks meditation for this lunar eclipse. all his meditations are so on point and this one does not disappoint! he speaks to the path of our destiny only opening up when we liberate ourselves from illusions (north node quincunx neptune). he talks about how we may think we are free and spacious and evolved but actually we are stuck in karmic patterns of the past (all those aquarius planets on the karmic south node). we keep playing out this karma until we finally completely get fed up with our self-avoidance! he talks about the true destined path not being about the ego or being special- but rather about us remembering our part in a much Bigger Story than any we have been told or any we have been telling ourselves. he speaks to the key to the future being about truly knowing our worth, and also truly knowing the worth of the world we inhabit (ceres on the north node in leo). when rooted in deep self-worth, profound self-care and exquisite self-Love- the path forward becomes crystal clear! use this lunar eclipse to clear out anything that holds you back from this <3 eclipse blessings sent your way! ~divine harmony STAR SPARKS by Ellias Lonsdale Leo 12 The mouth of the Amazon River This world we live in is wide open. Anywhere we want to go, the invitation is there. Yet if we are going to take the path of open destiny where it leads, first we will need to liberate ourselves from all the versions of this which turn out to be mirages, illusions. We so easily draw to ourselves that which looks and insists that it is the open adventure, the free space, the clear possibility. Yet soon enough we find that we are enveloped in something so familiar and so stuck. In fact, we are repeating ourselves endlessly, in yet another variation. Quite compulsively, we persist in this pattern until we cannot bear another cycle of self-avoidance. Then the actual open portal of the New Earth is right here before us. Unlike the substitutes, this one gives no ego-mileage, never will it make us a special person. Instead, it floods us into journeying with everybody in a bigger story than the one we’ve told before. That unusual dimension allows us to breathe free of our own extraordinary nature. For it turns out that the good we can do starts when we give it all through us without a trace of self-conscious absorption in our own magnitude. But it takes so many heartbreaks, such deep letting go to find the place beyond the separative self version of existence. The only way we’ll hang in there through all the twists and tuns is if we just know that we are worth it and that this world is worth it. The place of all-worlds-converging, all-times-now, all-windows-open calls to us here with a force, a power, a great passion. We must find the real thing and become it’s true servant.