November 8 6:02 AM EST
This is a very powerful total lunar eclipse, and may just be our most important astrological event of 2022. It is primarily concerned with continuing to shake us free of the constraints and limitations of the past, even or perhaps most especially, the self-imposed ones.
Lunar eclipses are super-charged full moons that fall along the path of the ecliptic- or the sun’s apparent rotation pattern around the earth. When eclipses are exact, such as this one, the sun/moon/earth are in an actual straight line through space which absolutely does *not* occur during every full moon! This gives us a sense of how and why these aspects are so powerful. There is an enormous concentration of energy and purpose.
And the concentration of energy and purpose is of course colored primarily by the signs that the sun & moon occupy (Scorpio & Taurus). But also by any other planets that are close to (conjunct) the sun and moon. Because this is an exact lunar eclipse, we are looking for planets as close as possible to the sun and moon and we certainly have them here! The sun/moon eclipse axis is 16 degrees of Taurus/Scorpio and we have Uranus EXACTLY conjunct the moon at 16 degrees of Taurus, and Mercury 1 degree away from the sun at 15 degrees of Scorpio. We also have Venus, the relationships and money planet, at 20 degrees of Scorpio, not as tightly conjunct as the other two planets but still very very close to the eclipse.
So we have a lot of players on the field, so to speak. Which once again magnifies the energy and gives us indications of what the lessons and invitations of the eclipse are. Beginning with Taurus and Scorpio as general archetypes- this eclipse is about the “things” of our life (money, possessions, resources) which are the domain of Taurus, and how those things or our relationships with them may be changing, transforming, or releasing- which is the domain of Scorpio. Taurus is the growth and acquisition of Spring, and Scorpio is the shedding and release of late Autumn.
If the new moon Scorpio solar eclipse that set the stage for this eclipse season was about learning to more deeply trust ourselves and Spirit in our voyage into the unknown of the present and future, this lunar eclipse is about continuing to dismantle the old that we cling to, even as we try to make our way towards the new. Humans are creatures of habit, and our attachments to our possessions, our routines, and our creature comforts are natural to a certain extent. If Taurean energy did not provide the consistency of attention and care that it is known for, then haphazard conditions would not result in the beautiful growth and new life of Spring. But it can be all too easy to fall into the shadow lower vibrational Taurean energy and become entrenched, stubborn, covetous, possessive and immovable. Then the stellar Taurean qualities of dedication, loyalty, perseverance, groundedness, and sensual appreciation become obscured under layers of “too much”.
We can all see how this may not only be true in our own lives (we *all* have Taurean energy, no matter what our sun sign or dominant signs are), but also in the collective. Over the past 200 YEARS the “grand conjunctions” that happen every 20 years between Jupiter and Saturn and set the energetic stage for the generational energy of the 20 year span that follows have all happened in the Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn). That means that the dominant energetic of the past several centuries has been the Earth element. Until recently. In 1981 there was a grand conjunction in Libra giving us a taste of the Air element. Then we went back to Earth in 2000 (Taurus) for a ‘last hurrah’. During this time we experienced the fall out from the dot-com bubble burst and the recession of 2008. Finally in December of 2020, Jupiter and Saturn formed their most recent grand conjunction in Aquarius, marking the “official” beginning of the NEXT 200 Year period when the grand conjunctions will all occur in Air signs. This is a massive shift energetically for all of us and this eclipse is highly connected to that shift.
One of the reasons this eclipse is highly connected to that shift (from Earth => Air) is because the eclipse is, as mentioned, exactly conjunct Uranus, one of the ruling planets of Aquarius and the planet related to change, disruption, technology, science, egalitarianism and the future. Uranus has been transiting through the “most earthy” of all the earth signs, Taurus, since 2018. This can be visualized as a futuristic high-tech agricultural machine tearing up the earth beneath us. It has been disrupting the status quo in the Taurean realms of finance, nature, food, supply chain, agriculture, precious metals, currency, stock markets since that time. And in many ways this is just the beginning. It is the “excavation phase”. And certainly, each of us since 2018 have seen many things that we thought “were stable” shift, and most of us have had big adjustments in our lives and finances. It is happening personally and collectively.
Ultimately this is so that we can all come to a more even playing field, literally and metaphorically. The Earth is being moved, as it is in any excavation, so that what has been buried and entrenched can be transformed/reseen (Scorpio) and find a different and proper place. Then something new, solid, even-keeled, stable, durable and effective can be built. It is not possible to build on ground caked with centuries of rubble and debris, of generations worth of greed, waste and wonton accumulation. The process of excavation can be messy and disruptive. But it’s important to remember that the PURPOSE of excavation is not chaos or disruption, but rather unearthing and preparation for the new, for the future. The chaos is temporary and most definitely serves a purpose. But the transition is often uncomfortable.
That is where we find ourselves during this total lunar eclipse in Taurus, conjunct Uranus. It could be messy. It could be chaotic. There could be financial drama and even more unexpected news. But remembering that it serves a purpose and deciding, as the Scorpio solar eclipse reminded us, that we can trust ourselves and the Divine in how we navigate ‘all of this’ is essential. Then we may even be able to enjoy the ride, rather than going along kicking and screaming.
The presence of Mercury at 15 degrees of Scorpio shows that there are still a variety of “different opinions” about what is going on, what the right way forward is, etc. This also is understandable. But can add to the confusion. Ultimately following our own inner knowing and focusing on the immediate next steps in front of us is a better choice than getting swept up in the ‘rhetoric’ of an over-active Mercury. This is compounded by the fact that Mars is retrograde in information-oriented Gemini, perhaps giving ‘many versions’ of the same event, without much anchoring to the facts. The other planet of persuasive opinions and sweeping beliefs is Jupiter, currently at 29 degrees of Pisces, having just retrograded back into that sign in late October. Jupiter Rx in a critical degree in its own sign is highly powerful and likewise will have many strong opinions about life events and news on the world stage. Some of these may contain some potent truths, especially if we are getting that “I knew it” feeling. Jupiter in Pisces here reminds us that our own inner wisdom and knowing is our strongest and best ally always, and that we often know in a deep way more than we give ourselves credit for.
Venus conjunct the sun and Mercury, in the middle of the eclipse party, underscores that relationships and finances (two important domains of Taurus and its ruler, Venus) are a critical area where we will ‘see the action’ this eclipse. At the end of the day, it is often when problems come up that people reveal who they truly are. Saturn at 18 degrees of Aquarius is nearly exactly square the eclipse. Saturn is the co-ruler of Aquarius (bringing us back to the significance of the big shift towards Air), and is the planet of responsibility and realism. We can no longer afford to see the people or situations in our lives through “rose colored glasses”. This eclipse urges us to see ACCURATELY and again may catalyze situations whereby that becomes painfully obvious.
Nobody wants to recognize that the people they have invested in as friends, lovers, colleagues, advisers, coaches, business partners, are incompetent/incapable/untrustworthy/or irresponsible. That their advice is misguided, or that they will not ‘do the right thing’ when the going gets tough. All people are, of course, sacred and holy, but many people simply have not reached a level of internal maturity (Saturn) where they recognize that they are responsible for their creations (what they have agreed to and the situations they have set up). Instead they deflect, blame, avoid, excuse, or run away. If you recognize these behaviors in yourself, now is the time to decide to stop. To decide to take responsibility and meet the reality of the situations and relationships in front of you and do what needs to be done in integrity, whatever the outcome may be. It will be well worth it. If you recognize these behaviors in others in your life or in situations you are enmeshed in, then ignore them at your own peril. The writing is on the wall, and making changes now will avoid drama and more of the same in the future.
If all of this sounds like the Wild West, well it very well could be. That was another time/place archetypally of deep transition, when life was unmoored. There is a certain kind of unmooring happening now, which again is an apt word for the transition from Earth to Air. The final note on that point, and this eclipse, is that eclipses have a window of duration of several months, sometimes even several years (whereas the average full moon is only energetically influential for about 2 weeks). On March 23, 2023, Pluto will exit Capricorn and enter Aquarius. That will be the first time that Pluto has left Capricorn since 2008 when it entered that sign and catalyzed the sub-prime mortgage financial crisis. As it passes through 0 degrees of Aquarius in the spring of the 2023 it will trigger the Jupiter Saturn grand conjunction energy, which also occurred at 0 degrees Aquarius. This is seismic activity and perhaps the biggest energetic event of 2023. This eclipse is like a taste of that, since Aquarius represents the ‘new domain’ that we are transitioning towards. Giving ourselves the opportunity to “allow the excavation” to do its work, with minimal resistance, and maximum faith in the future is what will help give us a birds eye view on the changes that are happening around this eclipse, and align to the new situations and relationships that are part of the future and not the past.
*art by @_jpierce
vibrational-astrology.com 