Solar Eclipse in Leo - Following The Heart ❤️
Awww the heart... such a powerhouse of a machine, yet so delicate in nature. This essential life giving organ has such an important job to do and if it were to stop for even a few seconds, that would be the end of us. So why don't we listen to it more? Honor its hard work and dedication to keep life flowing through our veins? Clearly it's running with a mission!
In my opinion, our 3rd and last eclipse of this season, is helping to tap into just what is needed to honor this mission and revitalize the heart's passion for the joy and creative flow that embracing life brings. The New Moon Solar Eclipse at 18°42' Leo - exact on Saturday August 11th, 2018 at 2:58am PDT - is asking for us to go within to make heart-centered decisions that may be acted upon and nurtured into being over the next 6 months time.
As this is the last Solar Eclipse to happen while the moon's nodes are still in the Leo / Aquarius axis, it is now the time to put into motion all that we have been working on in this polarity since Spring of 2017. This eclipse is a partial one with a 13° separation from the actual node, so it won't be as strong as the "Great American Eclipse" last year around this time, however I think that is because that initial eclipse is what kick started a lot of what we needed to work on in this self-love zone before we could even consider putting into motion what is now urging itself into being. We've done the work, the heartbreak, the questioning of how to reconnect with our joy... so let's give rise to these powerful conclusions and put the finishing touches on this time in our lives as the opportunity to do so won't come back around until 2035, and of course the conditions will have changed by then.
The Aspects - The Challenge of Expansion 🌱
So let's take a look at the chart below, which is set for my location here in San Diego, CA at the time of the eclipse. The most noticeable configuration lies in the Sun / Moon / Mercury RX conjunction in Leo making a tense aspect to Jupiter in Scorpio, along with some other planets chiming in with their own unique signatures that apply layers to the current planetary dynamic. So let's dive in...
It seems fitting to first address the square configuration that is triggering Jupiter in the intense sign of the Scorpion. I do have to say that a lot of the aspects for this Solar Eclipse are happening before the new moon takes place, suggesting that much of what we feel emotionally and instinctually surfaces into consciousness the week leading up to the conjunction. As I write this, we are in the thick of the transits!
This seems to be a blessing as the time period when the moon wanes her way back to the Sun is a potent time for self reflection, incorporating the wisdom of what has transpired in order to discern and set the right intentions for the coming cycle. Every new moon works on the same principle, yet with an eclipse we are looking at a longer effect, and since Leo new moons are always strong as the Sun sits in its domicile, we are offered a more potent than usual yearly dose of awareness into manifestation.
I chose the particular image above for this eclipse from an 1810 collection of poems by a woman named Caroline Maxwell. I have no idea what story she aligned with this imagery, but I immediately connected the haunting ghouls in the graveyard as part of the dispelling of old fears and emotional baggage that keep us from invoking the heart center and living from our authentic truth. This woman seems so strong and confident as she bares herself in ritual, igniting the heart and its passions with a spell that seems to give those old ghosts a run for their money! Their influence begins to fade and the honesty that has come from the process transforms the energy - letting what has past rest for good, while our heart continues to conjure and work it's magic for the reinvention of the future.
Prior to the conjunction, we get quite clear when the mind and the heart meet as Mercury RX conjoins the Sun a few days prior, while at the time of the eclipse the messenger is exactly in a pressure inducing square to Jupiter. Our minds know what has to change, what may need to be weeded away in order to do so, what boundaries might need to be placed for future success... and if it is still unclear, this is the moment where we are likely to be tested. Squares can be challenging, bringing events that force us into action - yet there is a quiet to this new moon that is creating this pressure on the inner level.
Mercury RX is also parallel to Uranus in Taurus at this time - a planet that has also made significant moves this past week as the "Great Awakener" stationed for retrograde motion. There is a fusing of the mind and the heart with what needs to be liberated and set free, particularly on an internal level, in order to push past our comfort zones and innovate our reality with slow and purposeful steps in the right direction. With a million and one planets retrograde right now (I'm being dramatic, yet there are 7 including Chiron!) life is moving at a snail's pace, particularly for the rest of this month. You'll see the results of your efforts on the inside for now, which is an extremely powerful place to start. So rather than rushing ahead in pursuit, take this valuable time to align further before we really get down to business in September.
The last things I will say on this note is that Venus has had her fair share of work this week, and although she is not necessarily contacting hot points of this configuration, there still is an element of partnership and social grace that is getting an adjustment this week. Finding balance within our relating abilities and moving through old pains that trigger our assertion with others and how well we are able to cooperate - while also knowing where to draw the line when assessing what truly has longterm sustainability - is being tested now. So you can consider these contacts to be an underbelly or an additional dimension to what is going on.
Mars is also at 0° Aquarius conjunct Black Moon Lilith, which seems like a blessing as our motivation and drive is about to switch gears back into Capricorn, the sign of its exaltation, but not before getting a hit of insight into what causes fears around our ability to act. So our own boogey man is off our back so to speak, while we figure out how to act on and initiate our decisions into reality over the coming weeks.
The Symbol - Rocking The Boat 🛳
As always, I like to take a look at the sabian symbol for the degree of the lunation to get another layer of insight into how it could potentially manifest. We are going to take the degree and the minutes and round up, leaving us with the following:
19° Leo: "A houseboat party."
Keyword: Congeniality
Theme: Celebration
A party... what's not to like about this symbolism? There is the element of having a good time here and finding enthusiasm in the moment, even if life is rocking a bit - hence the houseboat and it's foundation resting on water. It's a nice little reminder to ourselves of what there is to celebrate about life - living, loving, and allowing ourselves to float in joy.
That IS of course if you go with the flow... if you have a hard time living in the moment there may be thoughts of: "how do I get off this thing?" - "when do we dock?" - "why do I feel so queasy from all this motion?" We can't necessarily get off whenever we like if the boat is out to sea and at that point we are forced to enjoy the surroundings and accept where we are at this current juncture and the potential that it contains. Allow yourself to relax and have a good time as life is meant to be fun! So rather than fight it, live for the moment.
Moon Horoscopes - EP on Patreon 🌚
If you want to go further with how the energy will affect you personally, I encourage you to sign up for my Moon Horoscopes on Patreon! For $3 per month, you can gain access to my musings for each Sun and Rising sign, while also gaining early Sunday access to the Energetic Principles Podcast, which airs weekly. If you are into utilizing the wisdom of the tarot, you can upgrade to the $6 per month tier that includes my weekly custom tarot spreads - aligned with the planetary energies of the week - along with the horoscopes and early podcast access. Touted by one patron as the "Best Self-Help Tool In Town!" Curious? Well come on down and check it out here!
New Moon Eclipse Blessings To All!!! 💫
So here we are at the final eclipse for what has seemed like one hell of a Summer! I will be going within to fully connect with my heart and I hope that you do the same. We all want to experience the sheer joy that Leo can bring, so do what you can to align with the energy of the future and how you can transform your life in the now to be that of your heart's making! Only you have the power to do so...
May the stars be with you! ✨✨✨
💜 Mel
