Eclipses come round twice a year, with a Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon) and Solar Eclipse (New Moon) two weeks apart, followed every six months by the same pair. The Solar Eclipses fall into different Saros Series which have their own theme.
On individual charts, the eclipses fall in a particular house and may aspect – conjunction or opposition – natal planets or the chart axis. Since eclipses are Nodal experiences – driven by the movement of the North/South Nodes – they bring challenges to individual development. The South Node represents what is familiar, our unevolved selves, into which we tend to retreat as the line of least resistance – the road to nowhere. The North Node is the unfamiliar towards which the individual must strive if they wish to be fulfilled.
Eclipses can bring crises as a way of forcing change especially if lessons have not been learned and challenges ducked. There is usually a sense of heightened awareness or trepidation when they come round.
The up and coming April Solar Eclipse at 19 degrees Aries is being hyped because its path runs across North America. But is not an especially difficult Saros Series (see post 20th March 2024).
Previous Solar Eclipses around this degree occurred on April 2005 (19 Aries); April 1986 (19 Aries); April 1978 (17 Aries); April 1959 (18 Aries). October 2004 (21 Libra); October 1996 (20 Libra); October 1977 (19 Libra); October 1958 (19 Libra).
Eclipse conjunct natal Sun is a wake-up call, indicating a new path must be chosen, old attitudes junked, a definite decision to let go what is familiar and find the courage to reorganize priorities and make a fresh start. Burying head in sand is only likely to bring forced change, so best get in front of the curve and volunteer.
Eclipse opposition natal Sun – mistakes need to be faced and acknowledged. Finding a new perspective will bring a chance to get off onto a better footing.
Eclipse conjunct natal Moon – will bring into focus Moon areas such as family, mother figures, the past, close relationships, the connection to the individual’s community in terms of public image, sometimes health, what brings safety and security. It will prompt a reevaluation of the past and a need to alter habitual ways of approaching problems. Given the Moon’s nurturing qualities, it could feel as if foundations under a life are shifting.
Eclipse opposition Moon – it may put strain on close relationships with emotional over-reactions. Moving away from the past will help in the long run and more significantly realizing what old emotional patterns need to change.
Eclipse conjunct Mercury – upsets familiar attitudes, opinions, beliefs and ways of looking at the world to force a rethink. Brings added curiosity. Getting out of an intellectual rut.
Eclipse opposition Mercury – communication muddles as loose ends fly around. Effort will be need to maintain order in thinking and in organization. Time to get a grip and get jolted out of familiar ways of looking at life.
Eclipse conjunct Venus – can bring an emotional or financial crisis, feeling isolated for a while, but also a hint that indulging yourself is not a sin.
Eclipse opposition Venus – feeling separated from appreciation, indulgence or a close relationship. Being tolerant, compromising and thinking of other people’s needs, not your own is required.
Eclipse conjunct Mars – will press a red button on energy and anger. If normally over-active, then will need to slow down but for the meek and mild will be a time to find a backbone, put down limits and indicate displeasure at being pushed around.
Eclipse opposition Mars – argumentative, uncompromising, revitalizing. Needs to be handled with caution since an urge for thrills and excitement can cause trouble.
Eclipse conjunct Jupiter – over optimism can be a problem since Jupiter’s tendency to extremes gets out of hand. Need to double check and take nothing for granted.
Eclipse opposition Jupiter – questions of trust come into focus. Have you relied too much on an unreliable friend/institution/belief. Sorting out what to put your faith in and what not is crucial.
Eclipse conjunct Saturn – chickens come home to roost and the price must be paid for past actions. Taking responsibility is key where Saturn is involved. Be realistic and get a grip.
Eclipse opposition Saturn – getting landed with added responsibilities, including for other people’s actions. A need to face up to fears and have a good clean out.
The outer planets are probably less noticeable in effect but worth paying attention to with a hint of problems when the attributes of the planets are ignored. Uranus can offer liberation or if avoided restrict freedom. Neptune points to deeper spiritual understanding or self-deception. Pluto – opportunity for transformation which if ducked leads to stagnation/decay.
Eclipse conjunct Ascendant – a change in image is required, how others see you, whether in changing job, relationship status, wardrobe and appearance.
Eclipse conjunct Descendant – need to be less self-sufficient and more adaptable to make close relationships work, otherwise a separation may occur.
Eclipse conjunct Midheaven which rules career and direction in life – will bring a rethink of how best to fulfil your inner potential by walking a path that suits you. Can precipitate a career change or just a fundamental revaluation of your life’s direction.
If the eclipse falls near your North or South Node it is a key staging post in your development (or should be). The Nodal Returns occur at approximately 18, 37, 55, or 74 years of age. This is when a Solar Eclipse is around the conjunction to the North Node. It will be a time to reconsider your priorities and get yourself onto the right track.
The Nodal Half Return at approximately 27, 46, 64 or 83 years of age will occur with the Solar Eclipse around a conjunction to the South Node. You may be tempted to slide backwards into familiar habit patterns. But more helpfully you can explore the better qualities of the south node without going into reverse gear.
Eclipses through the houses see: Eclipses on top bar or:
https://www.thedarkpixieastrology.com/the-new–full-moons.html
Not mentioned yet is T Chiron conjunct the eclipse. Perhaps suggesting vulnerable or uncomfortable feelings, emotionally or physically, affecting Aries self-awareness and individual activity around the eclipse.
I have a 20 Aries Mercury and a 18 Sagittarius Moon. I don’t think it should be much worst than Jupiter in Taurus transits conjunct my chiron. Painful feet issues.
What I find interesting is every year during the Aries Season, Marjorie will start featuring Sun Aries profiles on her blog.
My mother-in-law has Mars in 19 Aries in the 12th house, conjunct Saturn at 25 Aries, both opposition North Node. I wonder how it will affect her. She also has Jupiter in Aries in the 12th. She has always been like the Duracell bunny, she’s mid eighties and still mows the lawn. But I wonder if she will have to slow down now.
In any event, i think it will be significant for her, and possibly for her family (including me). We are travelling up to see her April 9th, the day after the Aries eclipse. I am apprehensive, she has volcanic amounts of anger, usually kept under polite wrap, but I am anticipating an explosion, directed against me…….
Personal note: My husband is a 20′ Aries Sun. I am 8′ Libra Sun. We met in October 2005 just days after the Libra Solar Eclipse. I guess points had been reached where both of us were very determined to have a stable relationship.
This time, I think it’s about his mother, a 18′ Aries Sun, whose Alzheimer has reached the stage where it affects her daily life. My father in law is managing, he has always cooked, cleaned, and acted as a handyman for neighbors, but as a Fixed person has relied on his wife to give a final push. So, it’s up to my husband and his sister (both Aries Moons) to see that their mother get the care she needs.
This is general comment. A book review in The Spectator, 30 March. The Anxious Generation: How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness by Jonathan Haidt. Statistic quoted the percentage of US students in 8th, 10th and 12th grade who said they were happy in themselves. Between 2010 and 2015 this self-satisfaction score falls off a cliff. Question asked is why people born after 1996 are much more anxious, judgemental and miserable? Perhaps you have looked at this?
This is an interesting one, I believe that some of the problems stem from early childhood when babies and little children are cared for in early years centers as oppose by their natural parents mainly the mother, the tax system is stacked against the family, if the Chancellor and many governments really cared about society they would ensure that the allowances afforded to families to pay for strangers to look after young children, were instead given to the mothers who then would be able able to stay at home.
There is a niggling suspicion that there is a concerted effort to destabilize natural institutions such as the family.
Nobel Laureate James Heckman: The Family is the whole story
Universal Childcare: Is it good for children, by Maria Lyons published by Civitas 2024.
when eclipse nodes square natal nodes, as they will for me this time, I guess it suggests turning a corner? In my case from
eclipse nn in Aries toward natal nn in Cancer. Is that how it works?
In my case, the eclipse is exactly (same degree) square my Asc/Des. I wonder how I will be triggered.
This eclipse will be conjunct my progressed sun 19 Aries and natal Venus 19 Aries and natal mars 20 Aries, all in 10th house. Saturn is currently transiting my natal sun at 10 Pisces so I’m a little nervous. Work has been going really well these past few years so I don’t think it can relate to changes there. I have always been perpetually single so maybe it will force some change there which isn’t a bad thing, but I probably have become a bit set in my ways.
How about an eclipse closely square natal Sun? That will be the case for me on April 8. The lunar eclipse in Libra was conjunct my Midheaven. It certainly brought a re-evaluation of my life’s direction.
This recent lunar eclipse on March 25 fell on the Neptune in both my husband’s and my charts as we are the same age. It is angular conjunct my IC and also square my Mercury. In his chart Neptune is in his 2nd house of income and is opposite his Venus in his 8th house of investments and joint finances, part of a Grand Cross in cardinal signs. The week before this eclipse our online bank account was scammed after my husband opened a dodgy email. Luckily we were able to get our money back but it was a very unpleasant experience, showing the negative side of Neptune. At the same time we had a plumbing drama requiring new taps and thermostat after a water leak. We had an insurance policy covering plumbing problems but they refused to honour it. So this made us cancel the policy and we realised we didn’t really need it, saving us quite a lot of money. Our wonderful computer expert managed to remove the computer bug which was a new development as our computer was already protected by strong antivirus software. The whole episode forced us to strengthen our spiritual side as we waited to see how these problems resolved. Exactly the day after the lunar eclipse all the issues were sorted out. These events also forced us to alter our financial affairs by not keeping large sums of money in our current account where it was not needed for every day transactions. This type of situation is so brilliant for seeing how astrology works out in real life. The forthcoming solar eclipse on 8 April lands on my husband’s sun in the 8th house of investment so I think it will continue to teach him more about how to handle his finances.
About 2 degrees between eclipse and natal Sun for me, does that count? If so, the + or – 2 = 4, which would affect more rhan 1% of the population if natal suns spread out evenly. Am I making sense?
Hello Marjorie, Is an eclipse on the node rare? This March 25th eclipse at 5 degree was exactly on my south node aries 5 degree…does this not have have significance Marjorie as you haven’t mentioned nodes in the list..?
Have added a para at the end. Nodal Returns and Half Returns (on south node) are key staging posts in spiritual development.
Astronomically, the Nodes are the intersection of the orbital planes of the earth around the sun and of the moon around the earth (the two orbits are at a slight angle to each other). Because they are at an angle to each other, the moon’s orbit around the earth intersects the earth’s orbit both going up and coming down, hence the North and South Nodes.
The Sun and the Moon are opposite each other every month (Full Moon) and conjunct each other every month (New Moon). But because their orbits are at an angle to each other, an eclipse does not occur every month.
An eclipse occurs when there is either a conjunction of the Sun, Moon and either node (solar eclipse) or an opposition of the Sun and Moon with one Node conjunct each (lunar eclipse).
So, to answer your question, an eclipse on the Node is not only not rare, the nodes are the reason that eclipses happen.
I thought this eclipse was 19 Aries not Libra. Happy Easter though Marjorie.
Ooops. Thanks.