Full Moon/Partial Lunar Eclipse

ASTROLOGY of the PARTIAL LUNAR ECLIPSE ON 16th July 2019
Maximum Eclipse at 21:32 UT (GMT) / 22:32 BST / 23:32 CEDT
Umbral Eclipse Duration from 20:01 – 22.59 UT (2h 58mins)

(You can ignore the technical Astrology bits, which are in brackets, if you prefer.)

This Partial Lunar Eclipse will be visible over South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. It follows the Total Solar Eclipse of 2nd July. Whilst Solar Eclipses show us the potentials for global paradigm shifts, Lunar Eclipses show us how we may consciously adapt to and manifest those shifts in our personal lives.

The Astrology chart for the Lunar Eclipse is dominated by a large red triangular pattern (T-square).

(The T-square has the Moon conjunct retrogrades Pluto and Saturn at the Moon’s South Node in Capricorn, in opposition to Sun conjunct Mercury, Venus and the Moon’s North Node in Cancer. Pallas Athene in Libra is making 90° squares to both ends of the opposition.)

The Moon at the South Node means that this Lunar Eclipse is about releasing our past. In particular it is about letting go of attachments to the power structures of the past that are no longer serving the interests of the majority. It is about letting go of actions or attitudes by which we may be insidiously perpetuating the power structures that are so patently corrupt and so obviously resulting in the abuse of many people around the planet. It is also about the need for self-examination, so that we can acknowledge and let go of any behaviours through which we ourselves might be abusing whatever power we might have over others.

This requires shifting our consciousness away from behaviour and attitudes that may have been perfectly acceptable in times gone by, but are no longer so, given the changing circumstances and awareness of the age in which we are living now. Asteroid Pallas Athene in Libra is quite literally holding the scales of balance between our past and our future. She requires us to be ruthlessly and compassionately honest with ourselves and others about what is acceptable and for the benefit of all in the future, and what is no longer acceptable from the past. We need to use our awareness of this to work with the precision of a surgeon’s knife and uncompromisingly cut away the bad bits of the past, whilst recognising and keeping what is still good, for the future. Pallas is aided in this process by its connection with Vesta along a green (150° quincunx) aspect.

(The T-square is part of a 2 Double Ambivalence figures; one has a 150 ° quincunx from Pallas Athene in Libra to Vesta in Taurus. Vesta makes a 120° trine to retrograde Saturn conjunct the South Node in Capricorn, and a 60° sextile to Venus conjunct the North Node in Cancer. As part of this pattern, the quincunx also creates two Learning Triangles.)

The significance of the connection between Pallas Athene and Vesta is that we need to connect with the inner understanding that can only come from the stillness of our heart, before making any decisions about our past or our future. Retrograde Saturn will show us where our resistance to change lies; it may also place obstacles in our way, if we are not connecting with the inner stillness required to see things clearly. Meanwhile Venus will bring us a sense of ease, harmony and rightness when we are getting this right. It is a fine balancing act between doing what we know to be right in principle, doing what is right for us individually and doing what is also right for others. In order to achieve this, we need to be highly creative, intuitive and innovative in our thinking; this will not work if we try to apply the same tired old solutions to the same old problems. It requires subtlety and the ability to think and act in nuanced ways, in order to bring about positive change.

(The other Double Ambivalence figure has a 150° quincunx from Pallas to retrograde Neptune in Pisces, with Neptune making a sextile to retrograde Saturn conjunct the South Node in Capricorn, and a trine to Venus and the North Node in Cancer.)

The significance of the connection between Pallas and retrograde Neptune is for us to be able to discern in what circumstances we need to simply surrender, forgive and let go of the past, and in what circumstances we need to take a more active role in cutting and clearing away the past, and holding others to account for their actions where necessary.

(Pallas Athene is also part of a Trapeze pattern, with a 60° sextile to retrograde Jupiter in Sagittarius, which is square (90°) square to retrograde Neptune in Pisces, which is trine (120°) to Venus conjunct the North Node in Cancer, which make a square back to Pallas. There are 150° quincunxes from Pallas to Neptune and from Jupiter to Venus conjunct North Node, creating 4 Learning Triangles within the Trapeze pattern.)

The Trapeze pattern is concerned with us being willing and able to let go of our old vision of how things should be, which we may still be carrying, consciously or unconsciously from the past Age of Pisces. Neptune’s job, whilst traversing through Pisces, is to help free us from our attachments to this old vision; this will be ongoing and will not complete until January 2026, when Neptune enters Aries, and begins a new cycle. Right now, we are all being challenged to become consciously aware of just how deeply we may still be attached to and invested in the old paradigms of the passing Age. This is about letting go of any belief that there is only one right way of doing, behaving or being. Venus square Pallas is showing us that we must cut away all such identification with any kind of one-size-must-fit-all mentality, if we are to bring about a return to harmony and balance. We need to find ways to do this in all our relationships, at the individual, social, political, and spiritual levels. Venus conjunct the North Node in Cancer is showing us that we need to apply to whole world the same levels of patience, tolerance, compassion and understanding that we would show to the individual members of our own family.

(There is a Grand Trine, with retrograde Mercury in Leo trine (120°) Ceres, which is stationary, turning direct in Sagittarius and trine retrograde Chiron in Aries.)

The large blue triangular Grand Trine is the reward, or potential reward that we can reap, if we are able to adapt to the challenges posed by the T-square and Trapeze patterns, above. Retrograde Mercury in Leo requires us to ‘unhook’ our attachments to cherished ideas of what our ego needs in order to feel fulfilled and nurtured. Instead, as we need to embody a new vision for how we can each live sustainably in service to, and in right relationship with Mother Earth (Ceres in Sagittarius). As we learn to do this, retrograde Chiron in Aries brings the possibility for personal and planetary healing, but only if we can transcend our old ways and attitudes, which have brought us collectively to this crisis point in our evolution.

(Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there is a small Learning Figure from Mars conjunct Juno in Leo, square (90°) to Uranus in Taurus, which is semi-sextile (30°) to retrograde Chiron, which is trine (120°) back to Mars - Juno).

Mars conjunct Juno in Leo requires us to act creatively, from a place of staying in right relationship with our own heart and towards the hearts of others. To do this effectively, we need to feel rooted and secure enough in our heart, so that we feel able to embrace the changing and uncertain circumstances of our time. Now is the time that we really need to understand that what is real is the truth in our hearts, which can only truly be expressed as love in action. Uranus in Taurus is breaking down and revealing all of the illusions that have been created, perpetuated and accepted by too many for too long. If we lose our connection with our heart and identify with this chaos, then we will end up feeling that we are lost in the chaos, with no firm ground under out feet. If we stay in our hearts, stay in relationship with our true self and act from a loving place of right relationship with all beings, then we will see clearly enough to remain focused on what is being healed, not on what is being destroyed.

For All Our Relations.