At the very end of today, early tomorrow for those of you points east, we move through the Full Moon in Scorpio that is also a Total Lunar Eclipse. The lunation peaks at 9:14pm PDT, and because this eclipse is total, we will be able to see the Moon turn red from this remarkable phenomenon at many places on the planet. Our solar system is designed in such a way to produce this attunement, where the relentless beam of sunlight is broken for a moment, in a remarkable little reset. This is that “Have you tried turning it off and back on again?” moment that makes us laugh. This silly little trope kind of describes what happens in every eclipse. We get to turn ourselves off, and then back on again, and in so doing, we upgrade the entire system. Of course, in this bird’s eye view language, that sounds so simple, and like an easy, simple process. But in the trenches, the change and transformation we are being slammed through at the individual level means lots of little deaths and rebirths for us all.
This moment is brought to you by Pluto, ruler of Scorpio, the planet that invented death and rebirth in the first place. Changes that rise up at this time run deep (slow change). The other agent of change, Uranus, whose transformative powers run toward the sudden and unexpected (fast change), also has his handprints all over this month. He was Conjunct the New Moon two weeks ago, and now the Sun has moved close enough to where he is in Taurus to bring the expect-the-unexpected sensibility into this Full Moon. My DMs tell me that much of what is changing is relational, and intimate connections are being strengthened or torn apart right now, right, left and center. But it can be innocuous things as well; yesterday early morning there was a 20-foot wall of bamboo in the neighbor’s yard behind my house, offering this tremendous sense of privacy for me. When the Sun went down on Friday, after a daylong cacophony of invasive sounds, that wall was gone, and my back yard is now completely exposed. So not every change is going to knock you on your ass, but you can bet your ass, the changes that rise up now will require a need to emotionally pivot, and integrate all sorts of things that you didn’t see coming.
Big change and transformation taking place at this level require this direct participation of the outer planets. But in order for an eclipse to be impactful at the personal level, the personal planets must be involved. And none of them disappoint. Mercury, Mars and Venus are all adding something powerful to the mix. That means we are being reset body (Mars), mind (Mercury), heart (Venus), and spirit (Sun/Moon) at this time. Every inch of us is engaged in this life changing eclipse, and surrender is key, as some of the things that are being torn away from us at this time may leave us feeling outrageously vulnerable. Think of this whole month as a psychic surgery, and trust that you are well prepared, anesthetized to whatever extent is possible, and that what is being removed from your life or psyche is necessary. You’ve already signed up for it. So lean into it, even if the feelings that rise up as things go away unexpectedly are bigger than you think you can handle.
This entire year has been driven by the movement of Venus, who has been doing all sorts of things to help us open our hearts up to more love. Ever since her recent retrograde, all her other movements are bringing with her the potential for change and transformation she received by spending so much time with Pluto through the beginning months of 2022. Today, she catches up with Chiron, The Great Healer, and this moment of release has something akin to a surgeon’s knife pointed in the direction of wounds ready to be cauterized and permanently healed. They are in Aries, the first fire sign, and fire means change. This may not offer the softest approach, or the most comfortable sense of healing, but the power of this Conjunction should not be underestimated. Take the death/rebirth capacity of a Scorpio Full Moon, and drop this combustible gathering of love and healing, and truly, this eclipse can transform things beyond recognition.
Mars is also pretty busy over in Pisces, about to go through a spiritual initiation. Mars Conjunct Neptune has a few shadow artifacts such as confusion, lack of clarity, and even physical challenges in the direction of fatigue or malaise. But the beautiful nugget of this energy includes the willingness to take action based on faith. Our beliefs and ideologize rise up in importance, and it is easier to value the way of Spirit, when the planet though which we make our decisions is guided by the benevolence of Neptune. Mars is the planet that reflects how we are embodying our beliefs. This Full Moon has been a wild ride because of the intensity of the Scorpio archetype raising the stakes to the level of life and death. Mars with Neptune in Pisces raises our ideals, and increases our willingness to surrender to the transformation we must submit to, in order to receive the blessings we desire.
Let’s complete the picture with Mercury, who is retrograde, and on his way to meet up with the Sun the very same day the Gemini mansion begins in just a few days. That means in this powerful eclipse driven by the unconscious itself, Mercury takes what he is marinating in the below right now, and will deliver some important awareness and insight when they come together in just about a week. There may be some integration or making sense of things that could rise up then, and also be part of his entire retrograde cycle. The changes of the moment are happening deep within us, and it may take a few weeks for our intellect to catch up with all the changes.
And we’re still not complete with the picture of this humongous wave of energy. Both Neptune and Saturn are participating directly with the Opposition between the Sun and the Moon. This is reflecting the theme that has been present all year long, of two, simultaneous, but very different waves of energy. One positive, full of possibility and yumminess with Neptune the Great Spirit as the Anchor. The other, much more challenging thread, courtesy of Saturn, the Great Teacher. Both are making contact with the Nodes of the Moon, the collective points that create the eclipse in the first place. Neptune is allowing for great flow, and a sense that through faith, anything is possible. Saturn is helping in his way, but by throwing all sorts of obstacles and challenges our way as part of the path to help us grow. What you experience is largely based on what you focus on. Let this eclipse take with it impulses of self-pity, complaint, and focusing on problems rather than solutions.
This is the peak moment of the most challenging month of the year. But the blessing at the heart of this passage is tremendous change. And of course, with growth there are growing pains, and the Scorpio Moon will certainly increase our emotionality all day today and tomorrow. Remember that our conscious awareness, the Sun, is in Taurus, the most grounded and stable mansions of the zodiac. Taurus is ruled by Venus, and so we are held in the hands of love through this eclipse. Remember to allow Pluto to do his thing, and let the moment be what it wants to be. We cannot be reborn if we are not willing to die to Self, over and over again, and all eclipses are part of this process. Only this one takes it to a whole other level. Have at it!
