Partial Solar Eclipse

25th October 2022
Max Eclipse: 11:00 UT/GMT; 12:00 BST; 13:00 CET

Technical Astrology bits are in italics, which can be ignored if you prefer.

At this eclipse, the Sun and Moon are exactly conjunct with Venus, which will be behind the Sun, so that the Moon will effectively be eclipsing both the Sun (partially) and Venus (totally).

This eclipse in Scorpio is concerned with going beyond the need for emotional intensity, desire fulfilment or dramas, and looking for authentic soul connections in all that we do, and in all our relationships. Whilst Sun - Moon - Venus are in the Tropical Zodiac sign of Scorpio, they are also in the Sidereal (star) Zodiac constellation of Virgo, the all-nurturing, all-providing divine Mother.

The two Zodiacs, the Tropical (beginning at 0° Aries at Spring Equinox) and the Sidereal (based on the actual star constellations) are out of phase, due to Earth’s roughly 26,000-year wobble on its axis, called ‘precession’.

The planets’ positions in the Tropical Zodiac signs influence our behaviour at the physical, emotional and lower mental levels; their positions in the Sidereal signs influence our higher mental and spiritual levels of being.

Mercury, just 10° away from the Moon – Sun – Venus conjunction, is conjunct Spica, the brightest (alpha) star in the constellation of Virgo. It is also conjunct Arcturus, in the constellation Bootes. Mercury’s job at this eclipse will be to bring the qualities of Spica and Arcturus into our conscious awareness.

Spica is the Ear of Corn held by the goddess; she is concerned with the harvest, with abundance and nourishment, which is particularly relevant now for ensuring the supply of grain to many people on the planet. Spica is also concerned with our spiritual harvest, and with the immutable law of karma that, sooner or later we reap what we sow.

Arcturus is the alpha star of Bootes, the Hunter. In Celtic times, this was perceived as the constellation of Cernunnos, or Herne, the horned Green Man or shaman, sitting with legs crossed, holding a serpent in one hand and a torc in the other, as depicted in what is clearly a star map on the inside panel of the famous Gundestrup Cauldron, discovered in a bog in the north of Denmark in 1891. Cernunnos represents the power of the masculine, aligned with the feminine power that manifests through the natural world. Bootes lies directly North of Virgo, so together they receive the energies of the Heavens, from the polestar.

In later times, the constellation of Bootes also came to depict the noble spiritual warrior-king, Arthur (Arcturus) whose job was to bridge the transition from the Old Religion (represented by the magician / shamans Merlin and Morgana) and the New Religion (represented by Jeshua and Mary Magdalene, embodying cosmic Christ consciousness). Arthur and his knights’ search for the Holy Grail represented the quest to be true to the energy of the heavenly Christos, whilst honouring the more earthly traditions of the divine feminine (Virgo), as the new religion took hold.

Mercury – Spica – Arcturus form part of the Grand Trine (big blue triangle) pattern with Mars and with Saturn conjunct Vesta, which we will consider in a moment.

At first glance, Venus - Moon - Sun look as if they are a part of the Grand Trine, but they are actually not – this is an illusion. Part of the purpose of this Eclipse is to help us to see through the many webs of illusion being spun around us, on a daily basis. Let’s examine this pattern, in order to see what’s really going on here.

Moon, Sun and Venus are in fact part of a Large Learning Triangle, with Mars making a (90°) square to retrograde Jupiter in Aries, which is (150°) quincunx the Moon, Sun and Venus, which then make a (120°) trine back to Mars.

The movement of energy in the Learning Triangle pattern begins with Mars in Gemini, making a red square (90°) to retrograde Jupiter in Aries. This is about needing to actively dismantle the old paradigms, beliefs, social structures and systems, so that we may truly begin to create new ones. The green quincunx (150°) from Jupiter to the Moon – Sun – Venus conjunction shows that we need to acknowledge just how deeply the feminine principle (Venus) has been eclipsed, distorted, manipulated, or made to appear as something that it is not.  Whilst Venus appears to be part of the nearby easy-going Grand Trine, it is in fact part of a deep learning process that requires us to let go of entrenched attitudes, beliefs and, especially with Venus in Scorpio, to let go of any negative emotional attachments to these old ways of being and relating to the feminine.

Mercury conjunct the stars Spica and Arcturus are showing us, with great clarity, that we really must get in touch with and honour the divine feminine within Nature (Spica) as well as the Green Man aspect of the masculine (Arcturus), if we are going to continue living on this planet with any degree of balance, comfort, dignity and quality of life.

In Arabic, Arcturus and Spica are referred to as al-simāk “the uplifted ones”. They are considered to be the two most fortunate stars in the sky. Spica is regarded as sweet and innocent, whilst Arcturus is more able to deal with the down-to-earth challenges of life on the physical plane. In a sense they mirror the qualities of Guinevere and Arthur.

Arcturus is also said to rule the sacral (2nd) chakra, two inches below the navel, the seat of our emotional and sexual power. It is concerned with the right use and right expression of this energy, in ways that honour both the feminine and the masculine.

Mercury conjunct Spica and Arcturus are (120°) trine Saturn conjunct Vesta in Aquarius, which are trine to Mars in Gemini, which is trine back to Mercury again.

The Grand Trine derives its energy from the corner where Mars forms the Learning Triangle. This means that the Grand Trine shows the rewards that become possible when we engage in right attitude and right action towards both the feminine and the masculine in our relationships and interactions with the natural world. When that occurs, then the spiritual truths brought by Mercury – Arcturus can provide spiritual and physical nourishment (Mercury – Spica) that can flow into the heart (Vesta) and into the body (Saturn). The planets in the Grand Trine are all in Air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius), suggesting that for us to reap their potential rewards, we need not only to understand our connectedness with everything and everyone, but to appreciate and give gratitude for that, to ensure that positive outcomes result from all our thoughts and actions.

Mercury - Spica – Arcturus are also part of a T-square, with (90°) squares from Mercury to Pallas Athene in Cancer and Pluto in Capricorn, which are in (180°) opposition to one another.

The opposition between Pallas Athene in Cancer and Pluto in Capricorn represents the polarisation between the interests of the power of the feminine (Pallas) and the power of the masculine (Pluto); this is manifesting through the confrontations between those who are standing up for the rights of the individual to have their basic needs for a home, warmth, nourishment and quality of life (Pallas in Cancer) to be met, in contrast to the financial “interests” (some might say, greed) of the powers that control big corporations, banks and other vested interests and manipulate governments to do their bidding (Pluto in Capricorn). The resolution to this power struggle lies at the apex of the T-square with Mercury, conjunct Spica and Arcturus.

Mercury - Spica – Arcturus are showing the need to apply intelligence (Mercury) towards negotiating and finding solutions that take into account the needs of the individual as well as the needs of the structures and systems that underpin society, but in a far more balanced and equal way (Libra). The presence of Spica and Arcturus in this mix, means that this can only be achieved if solutions are found that truly honour the needs of Mother Earth (Spica) and the integrity and autonomy of individuals (Arcturus).

Mercury – Spica – Arcturus are also part of a “Trapeze” pattern, with Mercury (90°) square Pluto, which is (60°) sextile retrograde Neptune in Pisces, which is square Mars, which is (120°) trine back to Mercury. There are (150°) quincunxes from Mercury to Neptune and from Mars to Pluto.

In this search for balance, our minds are challenging the existing power structures, requiring us to be very discerning in the ways we act in the world, and to distinguish between what is merely transient and what is going to be more long-lasting. When the powers that be push back against our efforts, we need to learn detachment, to not get emotionally caught up in the struggle or drama that they are trying to generate and draw us into. If we do not get caught up, but stand our ground, then the control or manipulation being attempted will either backfire, or fizzle out like a damp squib (retro Neptune in Pisces).

If, when we act with integrity, we feel that our individual efforts are pointless or fruitless (Mars square Neptune), then we may need to reappraise our understanding of the situation and look for the deeper spiritual meaning, rather than merely seeing the cause and effect being played out at the physical level. Mars’ green (150°) quincunx to Pluto is about learning to find an acceptable compromise between the expression of our personal will (Mars) with the will of the collective (Pluto); it is about finding a position where we can retain a sense of personal empowerment, even though there may be many areas of life over which we feel we have little control, especially when others are abusing their power.

Mercury – Spica – Arcturus are part of another “Trapeze” pattern with Pallas Athene (90°) square Mercury, which is (120°) trine to Vesta and Saturn, which is square retrograde Uranus conjunct the Moon’s North Node, which is (60°) sextile back to Pallas; there is a single (150°) quincunx from Pallas to Saturn.

If we are experiencing tension or conflict between what our rational mind is telling us and what our intuitive mind is saying, then we need to tune into what our heart and body are telling us about any situation, before we make any decisions. By listening to the inner knowing of our heart and body, this can inform our intuition, enabling it to show us a clear way forward in ways that the rational mind alone could never have figured out.

An incomplete Mystic Rectangle is formed by the Moon’s North Node conjunct retrograde Uranus in Taurus, (120°) trine Ceres in Virgo, which is (60°) sextile the Moon’s South Node and in (180°) opposition to Juno in Pisces. The Moon’s South Node is in opposition to the North Node conjunct Uranus and is trine to Juno. The orb from Juno back to the North Node is too great to complete that side of the Mystic Rectangle, but this gap is filled by Chiron in Aries, forming a Projection Figure / Finger of God with two (150°) quincunxes to Ceres and the South Node.

In order to reap the unexpected benefits (Uranus – North Node) offered by the Mystic Rectangle, we need to break free from our emotional attachments to the past (South Node), in order to shift away from any attitudes or behaviours that may be preventing us from being in right relationship (Juno) with Mother Earth (Ceres). Healing our relationship with the Earth can come about when we calmly acknowledge those past attitudes or behaviours that may have been harmful and commit to finding effective ways to move forward in the future. With Chiron in Aries filling the ‘gap’ in the Mystic Rectangle, this means being ruthlessly honest about what changes are actually required for the deep healing of these old patterns, rather than merely putting a sticking plaster on one problem and thereby just shifting it elsewhere.

Retrograde Uranus conjunct the Moon’s North Node is challenging us to make radical, long-lasting change. Whilst Uranus is retrograde (until 23rd January 2023), it means that we need to undo any changes that are proving to not be effective, or which have merely been done in order to look good, or somehow keep maintaining the status quo, whilst appearing to be different from what has gone before. Uranus conjunct the Node in Taurus means that the fundamental structures, beliefs and accepted norms that support our society need to undergo a radical transformation. Fundamental change in our relationship with Mother Earth (Ceres) is one aspect of this; the other is fundamental change in our relationships to one another (Juno).

For All Our Relations