Lunar Eclipse [11 Leo 37]
January 31, 2018 (13:27 GMT)
Eclipse season is upon us once again with the first pair of eclipses of 2018 taking place on January 31st (13:27 GMT) and February 15th (21:05 GMT).
If my website statistics are anything to go by, eclipses still strike awe and wonder in people today. They were probably way more frightening thousands of years ago when the light of the Moon blotted out the Sun and people thought the world was ending. Yet, even with the knowledge we now have about eclipses, this blog, What Does The Leo/Aquarius Eclipse Mean For You is the most-read article on my website. Eclipses remain one of the fascinating aspects of astronomy/astrology.
The Royal Factor
In past history, eclipses were perceived as an omen that there would be a change in leadership or a significant event would befall the royal family. The classic example in recent times was Princess Diana (b. July 1, 1961). Here’s an extract from an article written previously about her:
Born On An Eclipse
I’ve been working recently with clients born close to an eclipse and there’s always a sense of destiny about their life path. Very often, they find themselves in the public eye and can develop a split persona as they act one way in public and another way in private. This fits the eclipse theme, as one aspect of your personality is hidden or ‘eclipsed’.
Being born close to an eclipse may lead to greatness, but it needs to be handled carefully otherwise you end up falling from grace. Be wary of hubris, when excessive pride and, in traditional terms, defiance of the Gods can lead to your downfall. The mantle of an eclipse is not one to be worn lightly.
N.b. The first eclipse of 2018 falls in the star sign, Leo, linked to royalty. In the UK this year there have already been two Royal Wedding announcements, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank.
Incidentally, Meghan Markle (b. August 4, 1981) is a Sun Leo (the royal sign) and was born four days after a Solar Eclipse in Leo. She’s definitely stepping up to her eclipse destiny potential joining the Royal family in the UK.
Eclipses And You
So when are eclipses most significant for you and how can you work with them? An eclipse has the most impact when it falls within 2 degrees of a planet or angle in your birth chart. Very often, an event close to the eclipse date sets the wheels of change in motion and the eclipse energy plays out over the next few weeks or months.
This is also because eclipses take place in cycles that last for over two years. What often happens is you get a run of eclipses triggering key points in your birth chart and your life shifts significantly within the two to three year period. When you look back on the past, you invariably see that major turning points in your life, moments of destiny if you like, coincide with important eclipse cycles.
Eclipse Cycles
The current eclipse cycle cuts across the Leo/Aquarius axis of the zodiac. Here’s the complete set:
- August 18, 2016 – Lunar Eclipse [25 Aquarius 52]
- February 11, 2017 – Lunar Eclipse [22 Leo 28]
- August 7, 2017 – Lunar Eclipse [15 Aquarius 25]
- August 21, 2017 – Solar Eclipse [28 Leo 53]
- January 31, 2018 – Lunar Eclipse [11 Leo 37]
- February 15, 2018 – Solar Eclipse [27 Aquarius 08]
- July 27, 2018 – Lunar Eclipse [ 4 Aquarius 45]
- January 21, 2019 – Lunar Eclipse [0 Leo 52]
You can probably see some patterns emerging if you look at the degrees of the eclipse. The eclipses on August 18 2016, February 11 2017, August 21 2017 and February 15 2018 are all within 6 degrees of the zodiac. The eclipses on August 7 2017 and January 31 2018 are within 4 degrees of the zodiac. Therefore, if these eclipses are close to planets/angles in your birth chart, events now may be linked to what was happening last year or the year before.
You can also expand the symbolism to consider the last cycles in these two signs, Leo and Aquarius, as they are triggering planets/angles in the same sector of your birth chart. The last Leo/Aquarius eclipse cycles took place from:
- February 2008 to August 2009
- August 1998 to July 2000
- August 1989 to July 1991
- August 1979 to February 1982
- and so on…
Embracing Change
Even if the 2018 eclipses don’t fall close to planets or angles in your birth chart, they are still influencing specific areas of your life. This can be helpful to know where change and challenge are likely and where your life may propel forward at top speed.
It’s never a good idea to venture into eclipse season with your eyes shut or your gaze averted. Hidden themes can and will emerge and, as with retrograde planets, it’s a good idea to tidy things up and deal with any loose ends before eclipse season. The theme of karma is closely connected to the eclipses, as they work in unison with the astrological nodes, destiny points in the birth chart, so bear this in mind.
Also, the day of the eclipse is rarely a good time to take radical action or make a big decision. Eclipses represent intensified planetary energy and it’s only when the eclipse begins to fade or settle that you understand more or can view your situation more objectively. This is particularly important during the Lunar Eclipse, which is a Full Moon when emotions are heightened. Wait a few days for a calmer response.
To help you understand what the Lunar Eclipse symbolises for you, here are the areas of life that are highlighted by the Leo/Aquarius axis for each set of opposite star signs. Read your Sun sign first, your Ascendant second:
- Leo & Aquarius: 1st/7th houses – your image & appearance, personal goals; love & relationships, significant others, contracts. RELATIONSHIPS
- Virgo & Pisces: 12th/6th houses – retreat, quiet, solitude, a spiritual path; your health & work, what you sacrifice for others. SERVICE
- Aries & Libra: 11th/5th houses – your friends, groups & social issues; your children, creativity, love affairs, what you ‘give birth to’. SELF-EXPRESSION
- Taurus & Scorpio: 10th/4th houses – your career & vocation, your status & reputation, where you’re heading in life; your home & family, your past & roots, where you come from. FOUNDATIONS
- Gemini & Sagittarius: 3rd/9th houses – your education, neighbours & siblings, how you communicate; the bigger picture, travel, philosophy, religion, what gives your life meaning. LEARNING
- Cancer & Capricorn: 2nd/8th houses – money, possessions, where your values lie; your joint finances, your sexuality, all things hidden, the unconscious. WORTH
To give you an example, my Sun sign is Scorpio and during the current Leo/Aquarius cycle, I was commissioned to write a set of Twelve Astrology Titles by Hodder & Stoughton changing my status to ‘author’ – 🙂 – and I will most probably be moving home for the first time in 16 years – 🙁 . Therefore, the eclipses are impacting my very foundations. One is a definite win and one seems like a loss, but with time will hopefully feel as if it’s the trigger for positive change.
Do let me know your eclipse story in the comments below. It’s always fascinating to read how the eclipses play out in our lives and whether they really are turning points, moments of destiny and whether we are in control of them or not.
You can draw up your birth chart for free here: https://www.astrotheme.com/horoscope_chart_sign_ascendant.php.
This is part one of two articles helping you work with eclipses. Part two will be available a few days before the Solar Eclipse on February 15, 2018.