April 8 2:21 PM EST
Here we go! This is undoubtedly one of the biggest astrological events of this year, and it promises to pack an extra dose of healing power. The new moon eclipse occurs at 19 degrees of Aries, exactly conjunt Chiron, the asteroid of healing in the same degree. This is also a north node eclipse, which connects it to our highest destiny and path forward in this lifetime. So we can make major strides forward now!
This is reassuring, especially because a lot of the energy of the past few years has emphasized releasing, shedding, and letting go. We had a long series of eclipses in Scorpio, the sign of death and transformation. We still have powerhouse Pluto dancing back and forth this year between 29 degrees Capricorn (the old) and the early degrees of Aquarius (the new). So this kind of cusp energy of shedding and rebirth has been dominant.
But Aries is fully and completely about the new. It is about what’s next, what feels exciting and where our instincts and impulses, unimpeded and uninhibited, want to lead us. Chiron, however, does require that we LEARN from the past. In mythology, Chiron was not only half divine, but also the most revered teacher of the immortals. He had been wounded, and could not heal his own wound, but instead can offer the lessons of alchemizing suffering into wisdom.
That is precisely the trick of moving forward in the strongest possible way: to bring with us the lessons of the past without the baggage and drama. This theme is reinforced by the fact that Mars, the ruler of Aries and hence the ruler of the eclipse, is in Pisces and conjunct Saturn, the planet of responsibility and karma.
Mars tends to prefer to be in more fiery and focused signs, and is not necessarily very comfortable in nebulous, intuitive Pisces. But there is important learning here. Where Aries and Mars may instinctively want to rush or force, Mars in Pisces cannot escape the watery psychic fluid in which it is enmeshed. It cannot help but to feel, see, intuit, know some of the energetic information that is swirling around it. And that is very personal to it. Like being shown a reel of moments of our life in a dreamlike state, Mars in Pisces conjunct Saturn, is giving us the glimpses and ‘hits’ we need to piece together whatever we need to acknowledge in order for this big healing to be successful, and this new chapter to commence unimpeded.
If we resist what we need to see and take responsibility for (Saturn) then things can move more slowly and frustratingly than we would wish. Mars in Pisces can lose focus and direction, become confused or even give up. And Saturn is traditionally associated with obstacles, hold ups, and restrictive laws or rules. It is worth noting that during the Libra full moon lunar eclipse that preceded this Aries eclipse, Venus (the eclipse ruler of that eclipse) was also in Pisces conjunct Saturn. So we have been being asked in the lead up to this powerful Aries eclipse, to do some of this karmic deep digging so that we can finally turn the page of certain things we are ready to move on from. Saturn in Pisces in general is giving us a three year lesson (2023-2026) in getting back into alignment with our soul path.
Besides the sun, moon, and Chiron, we also have Mercury and Venus in Aries during the eclipse. This Aries stellium is giving us a HUGE amount of information about what what we truly want and desire moving forward. Aries is unapologetic about going after what it wants. And if we have been doing a lot of moving on from the past recently, then the question becomes : What now?
We are starting to get the answers to that question. Our most basic drives and impulses are leading the way. And all of this will give us a “first taste” of what may be in store for us as both Neptune and Saturn look set to enter into Aries for the first time in many decades in the next two years. We are getting ready for a LOT of Aries fresh energy, but if we aren’t quite sure what this means for us personally yet, events that come up around the time of this eclipse could have the answers for us.
Mercury is retrograde at 24 degrees Aries, exactly conjunct Eris. I don’t cover the asteroid Goddesses very often in these analysis for the sake of simplicity, but we cannot, we MUST not relegate Eris to the sidelines. That is exactly what she stands against. And Eris, after all, is not technically an asteroid and is now considered by astronomers as a dwarf planet, in the same ranks as Pluto. So we can see her beginning to get the respect and attention she deserves. Eris moves very slowly and has been in Aries for decades, but at 24 degrees of that sign, she played an important role in many of the events of the past several years, including exactly squaring the massive Saturn Pluto conjunction of early 2020 which was an energetic catalytic of what we have experienced over the past several years.
Eris refuses to be polite, to be sidelined, or to sit by while manipulation and deception run rampant. She calls out gaslighters, and dishonorable power plays. With Mercury retrograde conjunct Eris we may be looking at situations from the news, or from our own lives, that are coming back up for the past and that deal with some of these uncomfortable themes. We may need to “right wrongs” in order to move forward with our healing and next chapter, and that could include having Mercurial conversations or correspondence. We may be reading or hearing news or information that makes us think twice about things that we had perceived differently. So it’s important to stay open to new ideas and information now. And also to reviving or rectifying past conversation or situations.
Mercury retrograde can, of course, also have to do with travel delays or changes of plan. So we may also be in situations that are rapidly (Aries) shifting. If we can hold off on buying plane tickets or getting too locked into anything until after Mercury goes direct on April 25th, we may be saving ourselves some headaches.
Mars, the ruler of the eclipse, is not only conjunct Saturn but also in beautiful sextile to the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction that will become exact on April 20th. Astrologers have been excitedly anticipating the once-a-decade conjunction of these two planets as it is an auspicious union that brings upgrades, breakthroughs, quantum leaps, lucky breaks and fortuitous encounters. If we have the courage to see what Saturn conjunct Mars in Pisces wants to show us about our path, our karma, our soul alignment- then we can elevate exponentially now.
And courage is a key word for Aries! So we DO have what it takes to get ourselves firmly on an exciting new path, ready for a new chapter. We need only believe that it’s possible and say yes to any final clearings, conversations, or acknowledgments that are necessary to shed the past and blaze onwards towards what’s next on our path.
*art by @thomhavlik
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