The upcoming Full Moon brings us into 2024’s first eclipse season. This Full Moon and the New Moon to follow are both eclipses.
We’re already in the eclipse field. In fact, you may already be experiencing more chaos and less predictability–a sense that anything could happen.
This lunar eclipse has the potential for more chaos than usual. The Moon is in lovely, harmonious Libra, but the chart is dominated by Aries and Pisces, combining action, frustration, and confusion all in one package.
Let’s look at the patterns.
The Moon in the first decan of Libra is peaceful and calm, skilled at smoothing out disagreements. She doesn’t like intense conflict, though, and can struggle in highly charged settings.
The Sun in the first decan of Aries is strong, exalted, and proud. This Sun wants to act decisively without having to consider others (like, say, the Moon).
Aries is excited by direct action to reach goals. Libra wants a meeting of the minds in which everyone who needs to be represented has a place at the table. This polarity, represented by the Sun and Moon, is reinforced by the Nodes of the Moon
The North Node’s hunger is fueled by Aries’ drive. The South Node’s grace in letting go is enhanced by the Libran view that balance and harmony are essential to a good life.
Yet the clarity of this opposition is complexified by the rest of the chart.
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The Sun and North Node in Aries are accompanied by Chiron, Mercury, and Eris. This looks like a lot of energy on the “direct action” side, except Mercury has already entered the pre-shadow for their retrograde in Aries.
The “shadow” periods are important. Think of any planet’s retrograde as a loop in which the planet visits the same stretch of the zodiac three times. All three passes are important. We get a preview, a review, and a post view.
We entered the pre-shadow when Mercury hit 15º58’ Aries. Mercury will keep moving to 27º13’ Aries, where they’ll stop, then move back to 15º58’. Then Mercury will turn and move forward, leaving the post-shadow at 27º13.’
Mercury retrograde slows down our perceptions, processing, and communications–which is not at all what Aries likes. This gets in the way of being decisive and getting things done.
We’re asked instead to review, revisit, and revise our Aries ways. With Chiron and Eris nearby, we may encounter our own personal triggers (Chiron) and/or the wounds of the world (Eris).
Retrograde periods are valuable, even necessary, for us to grow our understanding and our capacity to act. But having Mercury in Aries retrograde during eclipse season, affecting not only this Libra lunar eclipse but also the upcoming Aries solar eclipse, adds extra confusion where we don’t really need more.
Now notice that Mars has entered Pisces. This is not a happy place for Mars, who struggles in every water sign but especially in this place of mists and magic. And Mars rules all the Aries planets, adding extra Piscean ambiguity.
If we feel confused, it could be the eclipse, Mercury retrograde, or the ruler of Aries swimming through Pisces.
Mars’ move into Pisces is also significant because it brings Mars into the same sign as Saturn. Mars–Saturn connections often feel frustrating. Mars wants to take off. Saturn wants all engine components checked and a full flight plan filed first.
Now let’s consider some positives.
Venus rules this Full Moon eclipse, as the ruler of Libra. She is also in Pisces, which she loves. She has passed her conjunction with Saturn and is no longer caught between Mars and Saturn, a rock and a hard place. Instead, she’s moving toward Neptune, where some really deep magic could happen.
In addition, Venus sextiles Jupiter in Taurus. Since Jupiter is the ancient ruler of Pisces, these two planets of good fortune are in mutual reception, helping each other.
This Venus–Jupiter connection, and Venus ruling the Full Moon from a place she loves, provides a framework for how to engage with this eclipse season.
In fact, it reminds me of a connection between Aries and Libra I hadn’t considered before.
There’s a highly desirable and also magical state of mind called a flow state. Being in flow happens when we’re doing something we love, and somehow the doing takes over. Action feels almost effortless. It’s as if we’re part of a larger process of doing, rather than working hard to make something happen.
There are two arenas in which flow states have often been studied, two groups who seem to pursue and understand the value of flow. One group is athletes. The other is artists. Aries and Libra. Different arenas, different modes of action, different outcomes, and yet both love being in the zone.
We know that the time around eclipses is not well suited to making detailed plans, or seeking to accomplish fixed, specific goals. There’s simply too much energy floating around to create stable pathways.
And yet the creative, world-shifting, mind-bending potential of eclipses is huge.
What if we approached eclipses in general and this Aries–Libra eclipse season in particular as an opportunity to find flow states?
If you’re more of an Aries person, think about physical activities that favor getting into the zone. Running, especially distance running, is known for this, but any repetitive activity can work. Find something you already know how to do well enough that you don’t need to focus on specific steps, and can let go and find flow.
If you’re more artistically inclined, more Libran, perhaps, think of creative activities that have similar characteristics. Playing music, spinning and weaving, painting that is open-ended and free-flowing, or anything you know well enough to do without tracking specific steps.
Flow states allow for creativity to emerge, for our activities to move in new, deeper, unforeseen ways. This is a mental and emotional state that will fit to this eclipse season well. The unusual mix of action, structure, creative potential, and the introspection of a Mercury retrograde could lead us to amazing flow experiences.
Another question during eclipse seasons is, how do I know if this eclipse is important for me?
There are several ways to explore this.
One is to know whether you happen to be an eclipse baby. If there was an eclipse within two weeks of the day you were born, your life path is likely to be more sensitive to any eclipse. When an eclipse has the same characteristics and qualities as the one you were born under, the sensitivity is greater.
Anyone with significant planets, points, or chart angles in Aries and Libra will also be affected. Having important stuff in Cancer and Capricorn, the other two cardinal signs, may also make you sensitive to this eclipse season.
Because of the strong Piscean presence in this lunar eclipse chart, having important stuff in Pisces may also attune you to this lunar eclipse Full Moon.
Keep in mind that everything is in flow during eclipse season. Be open-minded about making plans and reaching for goals. It’s not that nothing can happen, but more that the way we get there might not look like we expect.
Look for unexpected opportunities. Step gracefully around unexpected obstacles. If you can find or create flow states for yourself, that could be really magical.
