Posts Tagged ‘Eclipses’

Eclipses in astrology

I’m just in time for the longest solar total eclipse of the 21st century. I got so fascinated by this eclipse I bought Celeste Teal’s Eclipses last year, which I wouldn’t want to miss as part of my collection.

Interpreting eclipses

While they foremost have a mundane signficance, people usually ask what the eclipse means for them so I will focus this paragraph on the interpretation of an eclipse in a natal chart. First thing to find out is what house the eclipse falls in and which sign. If it falls in one of the angular houses (1,7,4,10) the effect of the eclipse is enhanced because the 4 angular houses are also the 4 corner stones of life: profession, relations and marriage, home and family and the (bodily) self. The sign of an eclipse tells you in what kind of way this eclipse will work out.

The third thing to find out is whether this is a North Node eclipse or a South Node eclipse. The difference between the two is that North Node eclipses signify areas of new beginnings, gained strength and vigor while the south node eclipse is about giving, an area of vulnarability, where you might be confronted with some crisis. While backtracking some of my own eclipses, which I admit I didn’t have a lot in my adult life, I didn’t really notice a difference between south node eclipses and north node eclipses. Perhaps that is also because many of the eclipses occurred in my 1st and 7th house; which is also the natal position of my Nodes. Perhaps that’s what’s meant in this article, “On the other hand, an eclipse falling in a house of the North Node influence may open new doors and present major life-changing opportunities.”

Aspects the eclipse makes to natal planets are only important if they’re conjunctions or oppositions. Some count squares or parrallels as well, but I personally wouldn’t do that. The planet in conjunction or opposition to the eclipse point will color the entire meaning of the eclipse. In my own chart you can see that my Mars/North Node in the 7th house is on the exact spot the July 21st eclipse will hit. A solar total eclipse in an angular house is literally active for years and it remains a sensitive point for quite some time. Usually the eclipse also needs to be activated by either Sun, Mars or Saturn since these are the planets that have the biggest impact.

20-7-2009 17-53-59-eclipse

Solar Eclipse Chart july 2009

  • 7th house: relationships, partnerships (business), open enemies, contracts.
  • Eclipse in Cancer (water): home(land), family, large crowds, the public, popular subjects of the moment. Those dealing in domestic products or services of interest to women will find that eclipses in the sign of Cancer precede a transitional period [Teal].
  • Eclipse conjunction to Mars: health issues, feeling like you have confidence “fight spirit” but at the same time conflicts, one of the most eclipsed planets prior to the marriage of a woman [Teal].

Points of discussion
Some astrologers say that you need to be “in the path” of the eclipse for it to be of signficance to you.

Predictive work for my own chart in 2009

As you know I’ve been doing an astrologic experiment for quite a few months now, where I estimate good/bad/neutral days in advance and look back on it after the month has passed. I’ve been working on the predictive analysis for myself for the coming year as well. This means working with transitions, solar and lunar returns, solar arc, progressions, etc. I’ve noticed quite a few uncommon patterns, which I’m relatively sure is an understatement.

In the years I have practised astrology, I have seen my share of “heavy configurations” but I believe that this year for me the “heavy configurations” are stacking themselves in a way I’ve never seen before. If you ask me what it’s about, I’m surely to have my ideas, but when it comes down to it the only thing an astrologer will be able to tell you for sure is that “x marks the spot” for change. Will it contain a pirates’ treasure or will the chest be empty?

I’ve written this entry primarily to show you how “x marks the spot” comes together. A compilation for anyone that’s attempting predictive astrology that has trouble putting the pieces of the puzzle together. The two questions it attempts to answer:

  • Where exactly is “x”?
  • When is a chart configuration “heavy”?

Notes on the time sheet and other included charts.

I. Time sheet

The how
Generally the first thing I do is create a timesheet by astrology software. I make sure the transitions of outer planets are included, conjunctions by Node,  eclipses, secundary progressions of personal planets (including the moon as trigger) and lastly primary directions of the ASC/MC. Since the software can’t plot Solar Arc, I print out the time sheet and draw those on myself. After that is done, I check for clusters and triggered transitions in the time sheet. When I think I’ve found one, I check the tertiary moon to try and narrow the timespan down further.

Where is “x”?
Judging from the time sheet only, “x” is found in two places. On the first sheet the green marker is used to combine a few things together (Vertex, Moon). Vertex has a tendency to call ‘fateful events’ in your life, which can be of any kind. There also is a Solar Arc in that time period on the second sheet. Looking at the second sheet, you can see by the Solar Arc, Tertiary Moon highlights October. There also is a Solar Eclipse very important to my chart to my Natal mars at 29 degrees Cancer in July. If you’re familiar with eclipses, you’ll know that an event doesn’t need to happen right away, but it can be 3 months later when the Sun squares the Eclipse or any other personal planet. In my case the sun squares the Eclipse point on the 22nd of October, and a mere few days in front of that Mars is conjunct the Eclipse point.

II. Lunar Returns

What the lunar returns look like.
Attached you see quite an amount of lunar returns. Though on itself you should never attribute great meaning to these charts when the time sheet doesn’t give any indications, look at the charts for September and October. Note that these charts start 22nd of August and 19th of September respectively. These two charts have distinct patterns and are heavy on the ASC/MC axis in comparison to the other lunar returns. You’ve now found supporting charts of the timeframe you marked on the time sheet. What’s especially compelling is the concurrent focus on the 29th degree; the same degree of the eclipse and the same degree of my Natal Mars. Every time I look at it, I’m simply awed.

III. Solar Returns

I haven’t said anything about the Solar Returns that are active during this period. I’ve spoken about the 2008 solar return before, here. What you generally do here is watch what the same planets involved or highlighted in the time sheet do in the active solar return. For instance, what/where is the Solar Eclipse degree in the Solar Return of 2009? Seeing as Saturn is the main planet transiting my stellium in the 8th house, how about Saturn in the solar return of 2009?

Conclusion:

I somewhat fear and dread these patterns but at the same time I’m welcoming them, change is not always a bad thing. I’ve even noticed recently that my mother has Mars and Venus conjunct in the Anaretic degree (Aries). The Eclipse is surely to impact her as well, though perhaps in lesser manner than it will for myself (her’s are square). My father and I have Mars conjunct Mars in synastry, though his Mars is not in the Anaretic degree. In any case, after discovering “x” by identifying “heavy configurations” you will keep adding elements to your analysis as you go along. Hope this has made the art of predictive astrology slightly clearer.

Looking ahead for about 2 years

My methods of trying to predict something with the use of astrology are kind of elaborate and detailed compared to many other astrologers. Did one expect anything different from a virgo with a capricorn ascendant? Despite the effort, you always overlook something important. Astrology is just amazingly complex that way. I did my own predictive analysis for the upcoming two years. I generally use a method now that’s been adjusted from things that I’ve been taught in my earliest courses and including techniques from the newest books in my collection. At it’s basis are some techniques from George Bode, that come from his book on Progressions. In the attachments of this article you will find the chronological list of transitions, progressions and eclipses for my chart in the coming two years. You will see there I’m using the terms ‘long wave’, ‘midwave’ and ‘short wave’.

What I generally look for in analysis are ‘hitting points’. These are clusters of transits or progressions that are:
a. Activated by the secundary moon
b. Revolve around the same subject by planet nature or make sense from the natal chart.

So this post is about showing the findings of that analysis. Perhaps I will elaborate on my adaptation of several methods another time. I got interested in doing the analysis after I found out that Eclipses seem to trigger external events in the house it falls in. I’ve figured out the upcoming eclipses focus on the houses 1 and 7, which signify relationships and/or contracts you have with for example employers. Back in 2000-2001 eclipses marked an important relationship for me as they cycle in the signs of capricorn/cancer a lot. Now in the attachment with the chronological positions you will see I marked numbers 27 to 49 in a light blue color. That to me is a major cluster. Earlier (numbers 9 through 16) is a minor cluster. I kind of stopped at the second large cluster, so please if you see something past July 2007 just yell (comment). The problem is, the major cluster coincides with an important event taking place in my job, namely the delivery of a project.

The minor cluster
I don’t expect much of the minor cluster in terms of real events happening to me, since I would still consider it too weak to be of value. Whether I’m right about that, I guess I’ll find out. Both Tr. Neptune opposite Vertex and Tr. Jupiter square Venus are returning, they were there in January 2008 as well. In January 2008 I’ve made an experience I would not like to repeat. Back then I had good hopes Tr. Neptune opposite Vertex wouldn’t do further damage in the way I viewed love, but in all honesty, I would have rather not met that person which I met back then.

The major cluster
Seeing as the major cluster coincides with the delivery of one of my projects at work, it makes it hard for me to distinguish between that and my personal life due to the dualistic nature of the astrological houses. If it in part relates to my project, I have good hopes I will be able to finish it within a (to me) acceptable time period. Tr. Jupiter opposition Mars is a great example, part of the interpretation for it is: “projects you have been working on are now culminating”. I’m suspecting it’s a little more than that though, to say the least. In the new year of 2009 I’ll be keeping my eyes pealed for attractive men, that’s for sure;) If I’ll ask you for your birthday, you’ll know what’s up;) I of course have taken a few steps to try and get it down to a smaller timeframe. Once you find a cluster you’re kind of curious if you can’t narrow it down just a bit. I have done nothing more than look at my solar return, venus return and a few lunar returns very superficially at this point. The solar return speaks of disappointment in work affairs, which I hope isn’t any stronger than my own natal transitions and progressions and takes to the latter part of the solar return year. The Venus return shows the same convincing picture (Venus, Mars and some in the first house). The lunar of December is showing interesting things to say the least. The fifth house is completely full, Venus at the seventh house, nodes right on the axis. I still have to attempt tertiary progressions and anything else I can think of!

That’ll be it for now, but I will be sure to update on this as time progresses!

Attachments:
Chronological transitions, progressions and eclipses to my natal chart 2008-2009.

Book review: Celeste Teal – Eclipses

I actually had some serious doubts about the practical use of this book when I read it. It was only when I started to look up eclipses in contact with some of my own natal positions that I’ve come to value Celeste Teal’s book on eclipses. I have discovered that in accordance with Celeste’s findings, I have had a great deal of activity in the area of relationships when it coincided with a cluster of eclipses on the Ascendant. Moreover eclipses seem ‘not all bad’ as I thought beforehand. I’ve discovered that they act as the engine behind the success of well known people.

I have yet to see the refining effect of whether it’s a dragons tail or dragon’s head eclipse or if there’s really any noticeable difference between solar and lunar eclipses. Eclipses have certainly caught my eye now. I had hoped the book would establish some more examples so it would be easier for me to imagine what the effects are of a certain eclipse (cluster), but the examples given provide just enough studying material.

The appendix is really valuable.

Graphic depiction of natal charts

Next to interpeting charts and blogging about astrology I also create graphic depictions of natal charts when I find the time. They are wallpapers that can be used on your desktop. Visit the art gallery.