Each time an eclipse season rolls around, there is a lot of rhetoric on the internet about what will happen during this time and what the mass majority of people will experience. That said, it isn’t always as cut and dry, so let’s unpack the major things to look for when deciding what might happen during these periods of time.
I think it’s first important to understand what an eclipse is. Eclipses, put simply, take place when a new or full moon occurs within 16º of the lunar nodes. The lunar nodes are not planets but rather points in the sky that are represented by the crossing of the sun's path and the moon's path in the sky. The nodes are always opposite one another and move backwards through the zodiac. There are many interpretations of the nodes, and these interpretations vary based on the type of astrology one studies, but to keep things simple: the south node tends to suggest areas of your life that are comforting, possibly a little too comforting and can contribute to a sense of ‘baggage’, and the north node is a point that challenges you to grow out of those comfort zones within this lifetime.
Now that we’ve laid the groundwork, let’s talk a little about what eclipses can represent for us. The ancients believed that eclipses were ‘bad’ or 'malefic’ in nature due to one of the luminaries (the Sun and Moon) being eclipsed. They associated these times with times of death, war, etc., and this is where we get the interpretation that eclipses are bad. But, as things have changed throughout history, some of that interpretation still applies and some of it doesn’t. It’s true that these periods tend to initiate major changes and transformations within our lives, but in my experience, it isn’t always as obvious as some make it out to seem. There may have been very tangible shifts under eclipses like a job promotion, a marriage, a car accident, injury, etc., but there are also likely eclipses that don’t illicit a major change that same day, so why is this? I have noticed in my time observing these time periods that there are just some eclipses where the change happens in a domino effect kind of way. It isn’t obvious the day of, but when I look back months later, I remember that I ended up meeting someone that day who introduced me to someone else, which gave me a new opportunity to do xyz… Something changed that day or around that time that laid the groundwork for a shift in my life.
When we enter eclipse season, it’s important to look at the pair of houses the eclipses will take place in. Like I said earlier, the nodes are always opposite one another, which means they are transiting opposing houses in your chart. This might be the first and seventh houses or the fourth and tenth. This opposition already gives you vital information about the areas of your lives that are shifting over the 18-month period that the nodes stay in those houses. For example, if the nodes are in your first and seventh, you will see changes and transformations within who you are and how you present yourself to the world, and that will, in turn, bring transformation into how you show up in your relationships.
It will also be important to consider the degrees of the eclipse and how it might interact with your planets, angles, and other points in the chart. As I am writing this, we have two eclipses coming up. The first is a lunar eclipse, meaning it is a full moon. This eclipse sits at 5º Libra and takes place on March 25, 2024. The second eclipse is a solar eclipse, meaning it is a new moon, at 19º Aries on April 8. With these degrees, you can see how the eclipses are aspecting your own planets. Do you have any planets at 5º? Or 19º? Are they conjunct the eclipse or in a square with the eclipse? The planets that are involved with these will heavily flavor your experience. If the eclipse squares your Saturn, it will likely be intense and you may feel exhausted, whereas if it squares your Venus or Jupiter, there may be a more positive and abundant feeling around this time.
I know that some of this may feel overwhelming, especially to a beginner, so if you’re interested in understanding transits or aspects further, I suggest checking out my other blog posts on “Tracking Transits," “Understanding Your Birth Chart,” or “House Meanings in Astrology, as each of these will help you decipher how this eclipse fits into your own chart. That said, if that all feels like entirely too much for you, I am also offering written reports in which I do all of this for you! If that is something you’re interested in, check that out under the 'shop’ tab on my website.
Both of these eclipses are unique in their own way and will initiate you, either subtly or not so subtly. These major times of change can be scary, especially for folks who aren’t as open to change (I see you heavy-fixed peeps!), but remember that the changes that take place during this time will lay the groundwork for major positive change in your life. It can be hard to grapple with doors closing and things ending, but with that come other open doors that you may not have been able to see without an ending taking place first. All of this might sound cliche, but know that this change isn’t for nothing; it’s meant to push you farther along on your journey throughout this lifetime.
I hope that this eclipse season is as nice to you as it can be!
Xoxo,
Lauren
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