August 7th ~ 14th
“Guldnyckeln and the Norns” by John Bauer
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. So if you’re feeling uncomfortable right now, know that the change taking place in your life is a beginning, not an ending. ~ Neale Donald Walsch
On Wednesday, August 12th, we have a Total Solar Eclipse at 20º Leo 08. It will be seen in its totality in Greenland, Iceland, parts of Russia, northern Spain, and a bit of Portugal. For the rest of us where the Eclipse occurs during the daylight hours, it will be seen as a partial eclipse. Here on the East Coast of the United States, the Eclipse occurs at 1:46 pm (10:46 am Pacific Time; 6:46 pm in the UK).
Solar Eclipses occur at the New Moon. When the Sun, Moon and the Earth are in such perfect alignment, as this one is, the Moon will completely cover the face of the Sun. Solar Eclipses are not ordinary New Moons. They are still associated with New Beginnings, but with certain qualifications. The Sun represents our ego drive. The Moon our Soul’s needs. And when they are in perfect alignment it is an opportunity to bring us more in touch with our true soul’s purpose and needs. However, this may not necessarily be what the ego wants. And so it can sometimes feel like we are being brought off course.
The truth is that it is difficult for us to see the much larger picture. And so what might be best for our soul’s growth, may not be what we think we need. And this is more likely to be so when the Eclipse is at the South Node of the Nodal axis. The Nodes of the Moon are the places when the Sun’s path crosses the Lunar path allowing these eclipses to occur. The current North Node is what we are needing to cultivate for the sake of our collective soul’s growth. This is also true for us individually. The South Node is showing us what needs to be released or adjusted in order to allow us to do this.
The Total Eclipse in Leo on August 12th is conjunct the South Node, showing us what needs to be released, where we may need to step back, in order for the New Beginning, as symbolized by the New Moon, to occur.
On July 26th the Nodes of the Moon entered the Leo/Aquarius axis. Through the South Node in Leo we are being asked to put the ego aside in order to more fully recognize and appreciate the impact that we have on each other. We cannot achieve our goals without others. Our achievements rest on the shoulders of many. We depend on others in order to succeed. Recognizing this can shift the narrative in so many significant ways. This may require us to drop concepts having to do with exceptionalism, of being the Star of the Show, or even the Divine Right of Kings.
Leo is a sign of leadership, and the responsibility of what it means to be seen or stand for something. This is still true, but motivation will be everything now that the South Node has shifted back to Leo and the North Node to Aquarius. Those who are in positions of leadership power and visibility who use their power and influence to serve themselves, their fame, their own enrichment, are more likely to see a correction in their lives. Perhaps even a fall from grace. However, those who are in positions of power and leadership, but who use their positions and influence in order to enrich the whole, or for the greater good of all concerned, are more likely to thrive.
There is also this growing realization that if everyone does their job, we can then do our own job. In this way, everyone is important in order for systems to function. And when we collaborate with others, instead of competing for the spotlight, we can achieve so much more, and go so much further. This shifts the emphasis from the individual to the collective, where rather than standing alone, we stand in the spotlight with all the others who brought us there. Teamwork wins.
Our interdependence and interconnections with one another take on an even heavier note when we look at the backdrop of the Solar Eclipse, which is a beautiful but complex planetary picture involving the remnants of Barbault’s Basket from July, a Grand Trine in the Air Signs, and two Kites.
On August 6th Venus returned home to her sign Libra. And on this coming Sunday, Mercury will enter Leo. Because of Venus entering the air sign of Libra, in the few days leading up to the eclipse, she she is also perfecting an Air Grand Trine with Uranus and Pluto, while opposing Neptune, forming the first Kite with Neptune at the focal point. Mercury in turn creates a second Kite as it opposes Pluto while sextile Venus and Uranus. If this sounds complex, it is. And as Mercury in Leo occupies the place where Jupiter was in July, it is also reinvisioning Barbault’s Basket from July from a more personal perspective.
Barbault’s Basket from July was primarily made up of the outer planets which generally have a greater impact on society as a whole. Barbault even referred to this configuration as “A Splendid Relaunch of Civilization.” However, it is when the personal planets, such as Venus and Mercury become involved that we begin to see the bearing of this complex planetary picture in our own lives. And so we may all ask:
What extraordinary challenges to our egos, and concepts of Self, are we currently facing?
What am I needing to release, and what am I needing to move towards, in order to fulfill my role within the larger evolving landscape?
What is my part in all this?
Where is it taking me?
What new risks am I being asked to make, even in the face of uncertainty and doubt?
Venus in Libra helps to bring us into alignment with our people, our allies, our partners and friends. Mercury in Leo is trying to connect us with our joy. This encompasses and dares to rearrange all the things and the people that are going to truly matter in the end. And we are being asked to do so against extraordinary forces that seem to be working against us. But thanks to the Grand Trine/Kites and the Basket, we are being given opportunities to find that place, find our people, find our role in this extraordinarily shifting world, with all of its newly evolving expectations, challenges and rewards.
The Solar Eclipse conjunct the South Node does speak to endings and release, but what follows also looks like promise and hopes for ever better things to come. We are being asked to consider new ideas, new concepts. To take some risks and chances. To step outside of our comfort zone, and make way for what is emerging. For some this could feel like we are entering unknown territory, or like we are strangers in a strange land. But at the same time we are being asked to take that first step into the unknown, trusting that it is going to take us where we need to be in the end.
There is so much here to unwrap. It’s all connected. These are all pieces of the tapestry that is being weaved, within which our destinies will be unfolding.
As the Sun is the source of our vital energy, do not be surprised if you feel drained on or around the Solar Eclipse. Like a reboot, the lights are going out in order for us to find ourselves again. The space betwixt and between the Solar Eclipse on August 12th and the Lunar Eclipse on August 28th can feel a bit like a roller coaster ride, and an overload of information. Just know that by the end of August a plan will begin to unfold.
There is something magical and karmic about the Nodes of the Moon where the Soul (the Moon), Spirit (the Sun) and the body (the Earth) are all in perfect alignment. But because the Eclipses are concerned with what the soul needs, and may not necessarily be what our ego wants, it is also the reason why these periods can be so unpredictable. Therefore, unlike ordinary New Moons, you might not necessarily want to make intentions, the way you normally would, as there is no telling what the outcomes will be.
However, it can be a time in which to be open to guidance. Meditate, toss the coins, read the cards, divine the dreams. Be open to what you are being shown. It is trying to bring you where you need to be. And in Leo this is nothing less than realizing your true Joy and heartfelt Purpose. Let us lead by example by investing each day with Joyous Enthusiasm, Laughter and a Willing Heart. And so may the games begin.
For this week’s Horoscopes, click below: