At 4:00am PST, tomorrow the 17th, the Aquarius Moon meets the Sun, and the two luminaries pass through the never-ending shadow that lives between conscious awareness and what is unknowable, hidden out of sight. If you could see the solar system from above, you would witness a constant penumbra of darkness cast by the sheer enormity of the relentless light of consciousness itself. Where there is light, there must be shadow, and twice a year we move through this portal of transformation, where fated events can change our lives forever. This one carries a tremendous thrust of unstable change that is as exciting as it is terrifying. This is not hyperbole. An eclipse in the sign ruled by Uranus, Squaring Uranus himself, is like lightning striking, sudden, electrifying, and undeniably destructive.
Uranus is a fascinating planet, the only one in our system with an orbital tilt greater than 90°. We experience it as moving up and down rather than side to side like the rest. This extreme tilt likely came from a massive collision, an impact great enough to knock the planet onto its side, radically altering its perspective. Like that unexpected cosmic blow, life right now has the potential to knock us over as we are confronted with sudden, shocking revelations. We cannot escape the force of this change, but like Uranus, we can allow our perspective to shift. We must, in fact, because eclipses are collective, and no one is sitting this one out.
Our trickster mind, reflected by Mercury’s flitting around the Sun, thinks it’s all that and a bag of chips. But this moment is ruled by the higher octave of mind, where pedestrian thoughts are diminished in favor of inspiration and insight that comes from on high. I have been saying for almost a year now that we must now begin to truly be guided by feel, not intellect. It can be challenging to quiet that never-ending chatter of your inner narrator, but thankfully Venus in Pisces is all about moving through the world with emotional intelligence.
Venus is in exact Conjunction with the North Node in Pisces. The Nodes mark the crossing of the Sun and Moon’s paths, the very portals through which eclipses arrive. While Uranus delivers lightning-bolt instability, Mercury and Venus flanking the North Node soften our perceptions. This Pisces stelium aligns mind and heart with a future purpose that must be felt rather than figured out. Mercury may be out of his depth here, but even he must learn to trust sensation over data, which is easier to do with Venus leading the way.
Mercury will retrograde in this sign, and we are in what I sometimes call the brochure phase, the retreat itinerary, the prep time. Back on February 11th, Mercury Conjunct the North Node, offering an early hint about what wants to move forward, and perhaps with whom. Venus, and soon Mars, in this same watery mansion create the sensation of floating through the eclipse wormhole. If you feel flooded with confusion, don’t expect the fog to lift anytime soon. We are meant to fly blind this eclipse season. This lunation is like a rocket ship blasting off, only to disappear into the dark vastness of space. If you can’t see right now, let Jesus take the wheel.
The collective fires have been lit by Saturn joining Neptune at the 0° of Aries. There are four significant points in the zodiac called the World Axis points. They are 0° of Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. You might recognize those as the points where seasons change, and when the Sun moves into one of those cardinal (startup energy) signs, we experience an equinox or solstice. They divide the circle into four, and create the very energetic structure upon which our whole solar system, and therefore consciousness, is held.
Neptune has been here since the end of January, and the last two weeks have felt markedly different. He governs the portal to the unconscious, where inspiration, unity, and multidimensional awareness flow, asking us to live in two worlds at once. Neptune opens the heart through vision, and Saturn demands that we act on that vision through compassion and empathy. Together, they feel almost chastising to the collective moment. When those in power lack empathy, it becomes painfully clear how easily the vulnerable are eaten by the eaters at the top.
So what do we do about all of this mess we are being told to organize? Our mind and heart are still working in congruence, and Venus is allowing us to feel our way through the dark, even as the fires in Aries begin to burn. In all of the chaos promised in this eclipse and lunar cycle ahead, Venus, Mercury, and the North Node are the only aspects of consciousness that are not feeling the heat. They are forming a Trine with Jupiter, exalted in Cancer. That slice of geometry is personal, supporting us with easy access to hope, a full heart of compassion, and a personal capacity to manifest your desires.
I just finished teaching my class on spiritual practice, and this eclipse offers an amplified expression of what consciousness, and life in a body, demands of us. We must be part of the collective and of service when the village is burning. But if we are not spiritually fit, we cannot truly help each other. This is one of those elegant moments when planetary movement tells a very clear story. The outside world is on fire, and we must not burn along with it. Fire is subdued by water, so let this eclipse help you become masterful, one foot touching the flow of love, while the rest of your resources engage a world moving through wild fluctuations of radical change.
Once again, lean into a practice that helps you connect to the love, compassion, and empathy that can feel so barren in our institutions. But the world is made of people, which means the future is still negotiable. Do not underestimate what it means to stay conscious when others panic, to stay loving when others close their hearts, to stay present when others check out. Uranus may strike like lightning, illuminating as much as it destroys, but that flash comes suddenly, often with destabilizing shock. Let this eclipse wake you up, not knock you out. The more grounded you are in love, the more useful you become in a world shaking itself into a new form. Have at it!
