Image by José Luis Mieza (cc)
On Thursdays I answer astrology questions I’ve received through email or the search bar. If you have a question, contact me and yours might be answered next!
Gary writes,
Does the lunar eclipse on 26 June have special significance for me? I simply want to ask, “What does this mean?”
Gary was kind enough to give me his birth data, and a quick glimpse showed me that this eclipse falls on his nodal axis. I’m not going to post the chart without permission, but the moon/Pluto end of the eclipse will conjunct his 12th house north node in Capricorn, opposite natal Saturn on the south node (which happens to be the point of a yod with Jupiter and Neptune).
There is lots going on here, so we’ll be methodical.
It would be easy to just pick one part of this and say “this is the big focus”, but as the structure of the eclipse is really overlaid on the focus of the chart, the challenge here is to synthesize all the pieces at once. This is the kind of case where talking to a real astrologer instead of just getting a computerized report makes a world of difference. The whole is much, much more than the sum of the parts.
The focus here, without getting in too much detail, is on the nodal axis (the imaginary line connecting the north and south nodes). The nodes of the moon are about the pull between the past and the future, our deep habits and where we’ve been (the south node) and what we need to learn and integrate (north node).
Pluto digs deep and brings inexorable change, and the moon conjuncting it at the same time amplifies deep, unspeakable emotions. The sun on the opposite end will pull us away from the emotional vortex of the moon/Pluto combination, so the June 26 eclipse will have something of a whipsawing effect on us all emotionally. This is particularly true if it aspects parts of your chart- the aspects will point out the particular area of your life affected by the eclipse.
Lunar eclipses occur during full moons, when the moon is opposite the sun and that opposition aligns with the nodal axis (a built-in opposition within itself). This opposing energy stretches us, and pushes us to both ends, which makes eclipse times extremely moody for people, and sometimes turbulent for society too. This is how the correlation between eclipses and bad luck got traction- everyone in the world is affected by this stretching, and pulled off balance, all at the same time. People born during eclipses carry this energy within them throughout life, leading to the old wives’ tale about that too.
This eclipse will emphasize the Cancer/Capricorn polarity for everyone, and for people with planets or points in early (0-10 degrees) Cancer and Capricorn especially. If you were born around the end of December, you’re really getting hammered right now and this will bring even more new things to light (are you tired of hearing that? Hang in there, keep reading, call me. If there were ever a time in your whole life when astrology can help you, it’s NOW).
So for you, Gary, the focus here is that this eclipse is a giant neon sign bringing your attention to your 12th house north node in Capricorn. You’re at the tail end of your Pluto square now, and this is a chance to work harder on getting your (12th) house in order before Pluto transits your ascendant in a few more years. I recommend taking a look at Jan Spiller’s Astrology for the Soul
Judy Hall’s book The Hades Moon
