A Reckoning: Fall Eclipse Season Begins with the Solar Eclipse
Eclipse season arrives with the Solar Eclipse on October 14, 2023. A ring of fire hangs in the sky, the moon a dark silhouette. Even if you can’t see it, this interruption of light can be felt. Magic, mystery. Endings and beginnings. The Moon, the Sun’s constant mirror, covers her face at each New Moon. No reflection. A call to turn inward, away from the ego. At an eclipse, the call deepens. We journey to deeper realms within our psyche. Worlds fly apart and new ones are constructed. A proverbial door closes, and a new one creaks open. What was will never be the same again and a new chapter beckons.
Since antiquity, eclipses have portended change and stirred fear and wonder within onlookers. Empires have fallen. Wars have begun. New rulers were established. The lives of everyday people changed in profound ways.
The Solar Eclipse occurs at a New Moon, a portent of change, awakening to new beginnings. It is an extra-potent New Moon. Often, we discover it is what we have known deep within our bodies, where the soul lives. The realm of heart space.
Yet, sometimes we are pulled asunder, the unexpected undertow sucking us down into psychic depths that were before unknown to our oblivious conscious mind.
We may be taken to places of deep grief, of profound loss that we must navigate with an unsettling sense of no direction, all we can do is stumble blindly through the dark until light dawns again.
An eclipse literally “eclipses” something buried deep within us, something becomes fractured, abandoned — as the ancient Greek meaning of “ekleipsis” declares. We must let go to go on. We must set down what’s weighing down our journey. We set out in the dark on a new path, feeling our way step by step.
Eclipse Mechanics
Eclipses occur when the Moon’s orbit intersects with the Sun’s perceived orbit, known as the ecliptic. The ecliptic is an imaginary line that describes the Sun’s apparent motion through the sky from our vantage point here on Earth. Of course, it’s the Earth that is orbiting the Sun, but the ecliptic is based on our perspective from Earth. The point of intersection is called a node.
Eclipses follow cycles and they occur in series. The effects of an eclipse are said to last about six months. However, you may begin to notice uncomfortable sensations, frustrations, or unexpected events within a few weeks of an eclipse.
Solar Eclipse Details
A Solar Eclipse will occur on the New Moon at 21 degrees of Libra on October 14, 2023, at 12:55 p.m. Central time. This will be an annular Solar Eclipse, which means that there will be a ring of sunlight — a ring of fire — visible around the dark moon due to the distance between the Sun, Earth, and Moon at this time.
This annular eclipse will be visible across much of the United States, Canada, South America, and the western portion of Africa. In the United States, the annular eclipse will be visible to those in Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Vermont, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. That said, all the lower 48 states will be able to view a partial solar eclipse.
The lunar nodes are currently in the signs of Aries and Libra. A nodal cycle lasts about two years and repeats about every 18.6 years. What was happening in your life about 18.5/19 years ago? Do you notice any similar themes?
Eclipses have effects that can last up to around six months. Perhaps something that started about six months ago is now leading to some new awakenings or shifts in your life.
This eclipse will be especially powerful for you if you have strong Libra or Aries placements, such as your Sun, Moon, or Rising. You will likely notice some significant shifts or revelations regarding your relationships or in how you are relating to others. Aries may notice it more as an epiphany about the Self.
If you have strong Cancer or Capricorn placements, you are also likely to notice strong effects. Other signs may feel these energies to a lesser degree, but if you have any placements at 21 degrees, you could still experience some rumbles.
Pay attention to how some of these effects or events may play out for you over the next few months. The energies released and actions taken at this time will likely culminate in some fashion by or around the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse at 5 degrees Libra on March 25, 2024.
Rest and Recover
Eclipses can be powerful, unsettling times. You may find that you feel irritable or more tired than usual. Give yourself grace. Allow yourself to rest as much as you are able.
If you are experiencing challenging changes, be especially kind to yourself. Keep in mind it is likely that many other people are also going through some deep and unsettling shifts in their lives. Let’s remember to take a deep breath, exhale, and be kind to one another.
In just two more weeks, we will have a Lunar Eclipse. More to come on that soon.
If you are not sure where your planetary placements are, go to www.astro.com for a free copy of your birth chart. To go deeper, schedule a session with a professional astrologer.
Solar Eclipse Journaling Prompts
What shifts are you noticing in your relationships?
How are you relating to others? Do you need to release any old beliefs or behaviors to move forward?
Image from Unsplash
