Solar Eclipse by Jean-Paul Avisse

Eclipses

 November Solar Eclipse (Sun)  December Lunar Eclipse (Moon)  How Eclipses happen

The Eclipse of the Sun

The eclipse of the Sun has traditionally been viewed with dread over the ages, as the great giver of life seems inexplicably to disappear from the sky. Birds prepare for bed; the sky darkens in the middle of the day. It seems as though something dreadful is about to happen. Over the years, experience has shown us that old things come to an end (or are overthrown!) under a solar eclipse and a new beginning can be made. The effect on the world of eclipses has been seen to be generally felt for some six months, until the next eclipse then restructures the cosmic energies.

Astrologically, solar eclipses signify the fall of the mighty (or at least, they're in big trouble!). Depending where in the zodiac the eclipse occurs, stress is always placed on the matters governed by that sign, or sector of the zodiac. A powerful Solar Eclipse can create massive havoc, in accordance with other aspects in the heavens at the time, as can be clearly seen by the trail of earthquakes and other disasters associated with the Solar Eclipse and Grand Cross of August 1999.

At a more personal level, the solar eclipse can have a big effect on our personal lives when it occurs in conjunction with one of our natal planets, especially our natal Sun, Moon, or Ruling Planet. Other important chart factors, such as Moon's Nodes, Ascendant, Mid-heaven, or Part of Fortune can also have a very significant effect when impacted by a solar eclipse. Where the eclipse falls in the chart is significant, as the energies expressed by its house placement will show the areas of life that are affected by the new beginning that is implied.

Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius on November 25th, 2011

Sagittarius, by Barbara Nagel

The fourth solar eclipse of 2011 is a partial eclipse of the Sun, at the New Moon in Sagittarius on November 25th. A partial eclipse is when only a part of the eclipsed body of the Sun is blocked out and darkened. It will be visible from high latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, including southern South Africa, Antarctica, Tasmania and much of New Zealand. At the instant of greatest eclipse (06:20:17 UT) the eclipse magnitude is 0.905, making it the largest partial eclipse of the year. At that time, the lunar shadow will pass just 330 km above Earth's surface near the coast of Antarctica, so the penguins will have the best show! However, as discussed below, there are a number of powerful factors at work that will be triggered by the weakening of the cosmic fabric.

The eclipse begins south of Port Elizabeth, South Africa then moves across the Southern Ocean over Antarctica, finally losing contact with Earth over Invercargill at the south end of the South Island of New Zealand. No eclipse will be visible from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, or mainland Australia. Four partial solar and two total lunar eclipses take place in 2011. Fred Espenak says that this 4:2 combination of solar and lunar eclipses in a single year is rather rare with only six cases during the 21st Century (2011, 2029, 2047, 2065, 2076 and 2094). The first and last eclipses always occur in January and December. For more detailed info from Fred Espenak on the path of the eclipse, please click here.

Check out this fabulous animation of the eclipse, on shadowandsubstance.com!
For more on the science of eclipses, see Fred Espenak's NASA Eclipse Home Page.

Eclipse in Sagittarius

The Tower, by Virginijus Poshkus

This eclipse occurs at 02°37' of Sagittarius, the sign of the Archer, tightly conjunct the Fixed Star, Dschubba (δ scorpii), a star of Mars (passion; war; conflict) and Saturn (restriction; karma; sorrow) in the constellation of Scorpius, the Scorpion. It is one of three stars in the Crown of the Scorpion. According to Robson, Scorpius is associated by the Qabbalists with the Hebrew letter Oin and the 16th Tarot Trump, The Lightning-Struck Tower. Mars the Warrior rules Scorpio, and The Tower is a card about war, a war between the structures of lies and the lightning flash of truth. As Thirteen says, "this is a card about anything we believe to be true, but later learn is false. This realization usually comes as a shock, hence, the violent image. It is, quite simply, that moment in any story where someone finds out a shocking truth, one that shatters their perceptions and makes them reassess their beliefs". Modern astrologers assign Pluto (destruction; transformation; regeneration) to Scorpio too. Under this influence, which also occurs just as Mercury is stationary retrograde, structures will fall and personal integrity will be threatened. We must remain focused after a rude awakening on rebuilding our personal strengths, remaining connected with the divine, the inner nature that shows us what we need, rather than being blinded by what we want. In the event that we are not connected with this inner lifeline, we will be forced to create a connection, or be crushed under the rubble.

I do not wish to repeat myself, or unduly labour the point, but the cosmic forces have been shall we say, somewhat problematic this year (and the last year—and the next one!) and I have discussed the issues in previous eclipse articles and in the Mercury Retrograde series. Because Mercury turns retrograde within hours of this solar eclipse (the day after Thanksgiving), many of the salient issues have been outlined in the current Mercury Retrograde article. However, for those who may not be able to access that article, I will briefly address them once more, while looking at the issues from a slightly different perspective.

As I mentioned, the eclipse is conjunct Dschubba, a fixed star known as The Scorpion's Crown. Sudden assaults, malevolence, immorality and shamelessness are characteristic, as is a warning of mass catastrophe. Given that eclipses often signal earthquakes and other natural disasters, as well as the fall of the mighty, we need to bear this in mind, although this eclipse is not over a heavily populated area, so offers little threat in of earthquakes of major proportion. It does however give skill in battle, which is valuable, given that the eclipse is square a slowing Mars in Virgo. Warlike Mars is slowing because he is approaching a lengthy retro phase of his own, beginning mid-January 2012 in Virgo, the sign of the Military. This star favours research, especially into secrets and hidden things. It is an adept and makes those affected patient and wary. Rightly so too, as Mars is opposed to Chiron (healing) and inconjunct Jupiter (power; government; leaders) as well. Leaders of course are already falling like nine-pins, too many to list, though the rulers of Greece, Italy and Spain come immediately to mind, and there is already great unrest in Egypt and Syria, not to mention Yemen, Qatar and so on.

As stated earlier this year, the USA is undergoing its Saturn Return and so is suffering from regret and the consequences of decisions made long ago. The eclipse is conjunct the cusp of the US ascendant, the house of self-image, so we can expect a significant shakeup, especially in its leadership. Hidden factors will become evident and this is likely to see a number of presidential contenders drop out of the race. The eclipse is in the mid-heaven of President Obama, implying that his public image will be taking a beating and that he may even fall from grace, due probably to the actions of his partners, as Mars (conflict; aggression) is in his 7th house, square the eclipse and conjunct his natal Pluto (obstruction, transformation, regeneration). The people and situations he must deal with are intense and purposeful, who will urge him to be more forceful than usual. His interaction with others can cause him to become deeply jealous and vengeful, perhaps with truly perilous results; and thus, it would not be wise for the Pres to confront or provoke a hostile situation. His academic and inquiring mind would be better put to use conducting research and investigation, especially concerning the mysteries of the science and nature.

However, in his Washington chart (relocated because he is now based in Washington DC, as the leader of the Free World), his Sun is in the 12th house, suggesting that figures at work behind the scenes will be busy trying to turn him to their point of view. President Obama, it's worth noting, is currently undergoing his Chiron Return, the cosmic signature of the beginning of the decade of the 50's, a massive change of life for any person so affected, especially the most powerful man on Earth. With Mars activating Pluto in his first house (for Washington) he will be tempted to use his power, but with Jupiter highly elevated in Taurus (square his natal Mercury/Jupiter opposition), he should move with great caution, especially since Mercury is now retrograde. His progress will be delayed by frustrating obstacles, wrong information, paying too much or too little attention to details, and having too little time to accomplish his goals. Tardiness or mechanical failure can cause of frustration in his travel. He should have patience, because this is a difficult strand in his character which is aggravated by the position of Uranus (sudden disruption; catastrophe). Scandal and slander may plague him thanks to treacherous associates. He needs to be careful with travel, for it may bring loss and trouble. Contracts or agreements may not come to bear in time, leading to trouble and loss. Unwarranted egotism and mental pride are characteristic of this aspect (but how else could he have gotten where he is..?).

The Arab Spring

The previous solar eclipse occurred in close conjunction with the late Moammar al-Gaddafi's natal Sun. Colonel Gaddafi was the former president of Libya and as forecast he was defeated (and killed) before the end of 2011. Such is the power of the solar eclipse.

President Bashar al-Assad and his British-born wife, Asma

The focus of the world's attention has now turned to the President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad. In what has become known as the "Arab Spring", the governments of Muslim nations in the Middle East and North Africa have fallen one after another to purportedly democratic revolutions instigated by young, technologically aware individuals who are seeking to bring their countries into the 21st Century (beginning with Tunisia in December 2010/ January 2011). This Arab Spring has swept the Middle East like a tidal wave, or a desert storm, and a number of regimes have toppled before it, even including Egypt. The US and the West have generally been seen to support this movement "for democracy", but this has mainly been because the Western Leaders have been too dazed by the onrush of events (and the fruiting of mass karma indicated by cosmic aspects) to have done otherwise. But then it's not unusual for them to turn on their erstwhile friends (that's politics after all). Saddam Hussein comes to mind.

Assad, like Saddam, is no fundamentalist Muslim theocrat, despite the propaganda. He is not even a proper Muslim! And, like Saddam, he is the leader of his country's Ba'ath Party, a sort of pan-Arab, socialist welfare-state party, not a theocratic Muslim fundamentalist party like that led by Ayatollah Khomeini, which swept away the Shah of Persia to institute a fundamentalist Muslim state called Iran, now led by President Ahmadinejad, who is a scary dude. No. President Assad, who was trained in London as an eye-doctor, is an Alawi by religion. But isn't that just a branch of Islam? Yes and no.

The Alawi religion is nominally Muslim, but has been condemned as inferior, heretical and even pagan by the orthodox Muslim establishment. It is a secretive creed that appears to have developed from a pre-islamic religion which now contains elements of Christianity, Sabeanism, even Gnostic teachings and ceremonies. It is said that it adopted an Islamic veil for protection when Syria and the rest of the Middle East fell to the victorious Muslim armies in the 7th Century, although its followers usually describe themselves as part of the Shia branch of Islam. Nevertheless, since then Alawis have been treated as second-class citizens, persecuted and anathematized by the Sunni Muslim majority.

How then did a member of a despised and persecuted minority get to be the leader of one of the most powerful and historic lands of the Middle East? Well, during negotiations for Syrian independence from France at the end of WWII, the Alawis sought either a separate state or attachment to Lebanon, as they feared repression by the Sunni majority in Syria. They were however included in Syria when independence was granted in 1946. Alawis, seeking power and protection, infiltrated the army and the security forces, which they eventually came to control. In the 1950s they also infiltrated the radical Ba'ath party and when it rose to power they were ready to take control of the Syrian State. In 1971, Bashar's father, Air Force General Hafiz al-Assad, became the first Alawi president of Syria. While keeping up the appearance of Syrian nationalism and Sunni Islam as state religion, the elder Assad repressed the Muslim Brotherhood and all Sunni groups that threatened his position. At the same time he gave most positions of power in the security forces, the Ba'ath party and the government to Alawis. The Alawis, a minority group, now controlled the Syrian state. Sunnis reacted with civil unrest and by assassinating key Alawi leaders. In 1982 the Muslim Brotherhood started a rebellion in Hama which was put down with thousands of casualties by forces commanded by Rif'at Assad, the president's brother. General Assad remained firmly in control and began grooming his son Basil as his successor; but in 1994 Basil was killed in an auto accident and Bashar was recalled to take his place as heir-apparent. On the General's death in 2000, Bashar was appointed leader of the Ba'ath Party and the Army, and elected president unopposed.

Unfolding In Syria

To cut what is becoming a long story short, the Arab Spring is now unfolding in Syria, although Bashar al-Assad is of the view that he will not fall (partly because he is anti-US and anti-Israel and partly because he controls the military and security forces). And (also like Saddam in Iraq) his regime, although brutal at times, has greatly raised the living standards of ordinary Syrians of all shades and creeds. Other Arab countries have condemned the crackdown in Syria (partly no doubt because they don't like seeing Alawis in power), but Iran, which although Muslim is not an Arab state, still supports Syria. The US and Europe have also condemned Syria and have been sabre-rattling in the area.

Born in the turbulent mid-60's, Bashar is a Virgo (the sign of analysis, intellect, healing—and the military), with his natal Sun exactly opposed to his natal Moon in sensitive, imaginative Pisces. Mars (conflict; warfare) is travelling now through Virgo, and in coming weeks will oppose his natal Saturn (sorrow; karma; restriction) and conjoin his natal Uranus (disaster; catastrophe) and Pluto (destruction; transformation), then turn retrograde in conjunction with his natal Sun and in opposition to his natal Moon. Not a good look for the leader of a military regime.

Al-Qaeda Fighters Invade Syria

The solar eclipse falls in conjunction with Bashar al-Assad's Dragon's Tail (Moon's south node—loss; past-life commitment). Mars in the figure is conjunct his natal Mercury in Virgo and square his Dragon's Head and Tail (the Moon's nodal axis of fate and karmic retribution). On top of that he is experiencing his counter-nodal return, when the transiting north node forms a conjunction with his natal south node and vice versa (as the nodes are an axis and are always opposed to each other). This must be a very difficult situation for him, given that he was once a doctor, dedicated to saving lives, rather than oppressing and taking them.

In 2000, Bashar married a glamorous British-born investment banker, Asma Fawaz al-Akhras, the daughter of a London cardiologist (her father Fawaz Akhras) and a retired diplomat and philanthropist (her mother Sahar Otri al-Akhras). She is a Sunni of Syrian stock and has pronounced views favouring the modernisation and indeed liberation of the Syrian people. They have three children: Hafez, Zein and Karim. The centre of the ongoing Syrian rebellion is in Sunni areas, notably Homs (where his wife's family originated). Saturn in the figure is conjunct his natal Venus, restricting his finances (his funds have been frozen in the West) and his emotional relationships (his children have been taken by their mother to London for protection, though she is back in Syria). The eclipse falls in his house of children, conjunct his south node, suggesting separation from or even loss of his children.

What is worse for Bashar is that the impending Lunar Eclipse on December 10 falls exactly square to his natal Sun/Moon opposition. This will mark great problems for him, possibly even overthrowing his regime, but at least creating turmoil in Syria, even more than there is now. As I write, Al-Qaeda insurgents have already crossed into Syria in an effort to bring down the government, and Sunnis are up in arms in many parts of the country. Reports indicate that most Syrians do not want another Iraq, or even an Egypt, but the cosmic pressure will not make it easy for them, any more than it has for anyone else in the fire zone. Let's hope that Barack Obama is sensible enough to keep the US out of the conflict—not that they can afford another war, as they have already found in Libya. The US has too many problems of its own, and, frankly, Syria does not have enough oil to be worth fighting over.

Solar eclipses don't often pass over populated areas. That's a good thing! However, when they do, they appear to have significant disruptive effects on the people and nations concerned (e.g., economic or political crises, civil unrest). This one affects a very small population, though it may have some effect on southern Africa, Tasmania, and southern New Zealand. Whether this effect is an astrological one or not, is a moot point, though recent scientific work on the effects of the Moon on earthquakes and other terrestrial phenomena is interesting. No doubt they would hasten to deny any astrological effect! See my article on Moon Wobbles. The eclipse being in Sagittarius means that people with Mutable signs (Gemini; Virgo; Sagittarius; Pisces) featured in their birthcharts are more likely to be affected. The next eclipse of the Sun will be in Gemini on May 20, 2012, but the next total Solar Eclipse is not until Nov 13, 2012.

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Lunar Eclipse by Mickie Mueller

The Eclipse of the Moon

The eclipse of the Moon, when the light of the Moon mysteriously darkens at the luminous height of a Full Moon, has traditionally been viewed as a bad omen. It can awaken distinctly irrational responses. Since the Moon governs domestic matters, the public and the emotional personality, rather than leadership, it tends to have a more personal effect than the solar eclipse, which plays a more outward, even political, role.

As a rule, women and family are generally more affected by the lunar cycle, whereas men and politics are signified by the solar. This is not to say that women are not political animals, nor that men are distinct from the family, but that the private, nurturing side is more affected than the public, social and media driven arena, which even in the 21st Century is still primarily dominated by males, or at least by what might be described as masculine energies.

Gemini, by Barbara Nagel

Total Lunar Eclipse in Gemini on December 10th, 2011

A total lunar eclipse on December 10th, 2011 occurs at 18°11' Gemini, a Mutable sign, with the Sun in Sagittarius, another Mutable sign (remember, the Sun and Moon are always opposed at a lunar eclipse, since it's a Full Moon). This magnificent spectacle will be the last lunar eclipse of 2011, a powerful total eclipse that occurs at the Moon's descending node in the middle of the constellation Auriga, the Charioteer. It's a moderately lengthy eclipse, with the total phase itself lasting 51 minutes.

The entire cosmic show is visible from Asia and Australia. For North Americans, the eclipse is in progress as the Moon sets with western observers favoured by a larger fraction of the eclipse before moonset. Observers throughout Europe and Africa will miss the early eclipse phases because they occur before moonrise. Unfortunately, the eclipse cannot be seen from South America or Antarctica.

When the Moon is completely immersed within the Earth's dark umbral shadow, scientists call this totality. During totality, a number of bright stars can be used for magnitude comparisons. Aldebaran is 9° to the southwest of the eclipsed Moon, while Betelgeuse is 19° to the southeast; Pollux is 37° east, and Capella is 24° north. After the total phase ends, we will see a partial eclipse as the Moon gradually leaves the umbral shadow. To view NASA's graphic illustration of the Moon's path through Earth's shadows, as well as Fred Espenak's map illustrating worldwide visibility, click here!

See it from Sydney!
Sydney Harbor Bridge, by Ebroh

Eclipse in Gemini

This eclipse occurs at 18°09' of Gemini, the sign of the Twins, tightly conjunct the Fixed Star, Hoedus I (ζ aurigae), a star of Mars (passion; war; conflict) and Mercury (intellect; communication) in the constellation of Auriga, the Charioteer. It is a part of the asterism The Kids in the lap of the Charioteer, just below the she-goat Amalthea he is holding. In mythology Amalthea nourished the infant Jupiter. Fortunately for us, it is rising, bringing out its better side, though not if you are a mariner, as storms are indicated, possibly even earthquakes. According to Robson, Auriga is associated by the Qabbalists with the Hebrew letter Samech and the 15th Tarot Trump, The Devil. The Devil is a card about excess, pleasure and abandon. It suggests a charismatic leader who promises to fulfil all our desires, but in the end takes the power to be truly ourselves away from us. As Thirteen says, "This card is about temptation and control, addictions and manipulation. It asks us a most important question: who or what will we allow to enslave us? And who or what will be under our control? Only by understanding this part of ourselves can we gain power over it and use it to our benefit rather than letting it use us.". Under this influence, which occurs as Mercury, the ruler of this Gemini eclipse is retrograde in Sagittarius, suggesting breakdowns in communication and misunderstandings, especially regarding the greater social issues at play in the world.

The Devil, by Virginijus Poshkus

The Sun in the eclipse is in Sagittarius, as the Sun and Moon are always opposed at a lunar eclipse. It is conjunct the Fixed Star Sabik, which is not one you'd bring home to mother. Sabik (in Ophiuchus) warns of wastefulness and lost energy, perverted morals—and success in evil deeds. Not such a good look. Especially when we consider that the Sun is square Mars and Ceres.

Mars the Warrior is slowing in the heavens towards his own retrograde phase in Virgo, which will begin on Jan. 24th, 2012. This is significant because Mars is in a very stressful T-square aspect to the Moon's nodal axis, the Dragon's Head and Tail, which is the cosmic indicator of fate. Mars is also in a slightly wider T-square to the eclipse itself. The minor planet Ceres, oten a harbinger of disaster, is also square the eclipse from Pisces, thus completing a Grand Cross in the heavens, pushing us to extend our consciousness in order to deal with what looks pretty stressful, even calamitous. Fortunately Venus in Capricorn is also in tight aspect to the eclipse, and in a hopefully beneficial trine aspect to Mars, so her love of beauty and harmony (along with sex and relationships) might ease the pain, especially for Earth Signs, so long as her notorious greed for money does not upset the applecart given the shaky state of the world's financial system. Venus is conjunct the Fixed Star Sheliak, promising the expression of artistic talent and sexual adventures, but warning of disgrace and gaudiness. Independent thought is likely to bring trouble with authority, and death by violence. Very suited to an aspect with Mars, whose passions when released are as irresistable as a steamroller.

Mars in the figure is conjunct a fortunate star, Coxa, which is good for voyages, gain from merchandise and the redemption of captives—and gives the ability to prophesy! Will this outweigh the stormy influence of The Kids..? It is stimulated by the trine from Venus, suggesting the outflow of passion, wine, women, song—the lot! So it's a great night for a Full Moon party, so long as you don't live in a war zone, because the other side of Ascella brings burning and poison. Let's pray there are no violent shipwrecks, or natural disasters, not to mention vicious suppression by the authorities of popular dissent.

I should warn that while both Mars (the focal point of subliminal drives) and Pluto (a cosmic big hitter, marking destruction, transformation and regeneration) are both conjunct fortunate stars and in good planetary aspects that calm their nerves, they are both heading for very stressful celestial connections in times to come. Mars will reach the nasty conjunction with the Fixed Star Mizar, connected with fires of a catastrophic extent and mass calamities on the weekend of the 17th Dec., while Pluto is heading for the thoroughly horrifying star Facies which he reaches as Mars turn retrograde in the last week of January. Facies is associated with blindness, violent death, sickness, accidents and broken limbs. It is fond of leadership and war, but is noted for coldness, detachment and perfectionism. Facies awakens earthquakes and pure combative energies. Quite a mix for Mars to dive into!

One good thing brought out by this configuration is the stimulus for adventure, risk-taking, artistic and musical creativity, often awakened by disasters of one sort or another.

All of this is interesting but what does it all mean? Well I have to say that the solar eclipse in Sagittarius, combined with a retro Mercury there has had a signally bad effect on me! I have come down with a dreadful dose of bronchitis which is what has delayed this part of the article so long. I am barely able to sit upright, so this shows what can happen. Sagittarius is my rising sign, and indicator of health, and since I am a Cancerian, it occurs also in my 6th solar house, the house of health! That's good support for the solar houses, despite what some astrologers believe. Anciently, horoscopes can be drawn from a number of points (including the Sun, Moon, Dragon's Head and others) and these give great insight into the forces at work. Indeed to this day in India astrologers routinely draw up what they call vargas, or divisional charts, based on other starting points than the ascendant.

Financial Globalization

I mentioned in the Solar Eclipse section above that this Lunar Eclipse will be exactly square the Sun/Moon opposition in the chart of Bashar al-Assad, the Alawite premier of Syria, which has been undergoing a popular uprising for months, as part of the "Arab Spring". Assad is a cultured man, a doctor, but this may not save him. Being born under a Full Moon is always a risk! The Arabs have turned against him, as has the West, leaving just about his only ally Iran, the bad-boy of the Middle East (at least according to the US, the Israelis and the Arabs).

In Europe, the Sun of the eclipse is conjunct the natal Saturn (restriction; suffering) of the European Community. They are in a serious situation that does not give them much fun! European leaders may want (or be forced) to demonstrate that they are reliable and trustworthy, but the fact that the Moon (the public) is opposing this point at the eclipse does not augur well for them. They are hoping that their past hard work may get the recognition it deserves, but what the people will think is that it already has, and now they deserve to be tossed out altogether. As a result of past neglect or abuse, close relationships in Europe (especially political and financial ones) are seriously threatened, or may even be severed. Whatever is gained will only come at an extremely high price; a price they may come to regret paying.

Wall Street Bankers

In the US, this price is actually a gigantic one, if we consider the TRILLIONS of dollars that have been "invested" by the Federal Reserve in keeping those banks that are "too big to fail" on life-support. It has come to light in the past week that the 700 billion dollars of taxpayers money doled out to the likes of Citibank et al is nowhere near the true amount. One of my contacts in the financial world passed this on to me:

In October 2008 Congress passed the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), supposedly in response to the subprime mortgage crisis. It was the most controversial of all the government's many bailout schemes. Perhaps you recall the outcry at that time against the TARP bailout. But if you followed the financial news just this past week, you also know now that in truth, TARP was little more than a quaint sideshow.

Try to imagine the public's outrage had people known that the real bailout action involved dollar figures that were 10 times the size of TARP — yet this bigger-in-every-way story received absolutely zero coverage. The reason is simple: the transactions were carried out in secret. A two-year court battle, the Freedom of Information Act, and the eventual review of 29,000 documents led to the story published last week on Bloomberg.com: "Secret Fed Loans Gave Banks $13 Billion Undisclosed to Congress."

The "$13 billion" refers to the virtual free money the banks earned because they received below-market rate loans from the central bank. But the Fed's total bailout guarantees and lending limits amounted to $7.77 TRILLION. On Dec. 5, 2008, the "banks were in trouble so deep they required a combined $1.2 trillion" in loans from the Fed — that one day alone far exceeded the entire $700 billion TARP bailout.

Now, the bankers and policymakers who covertly carried this out—and kept it secret for three years—desperately hope that enough time has passed so that what was out of sight will still stay mostly out of mind.

— From Elliott Wave International

So how does the eclipse affect this? It's come out, for a start. Secondly, the lunar eclipse is exactly square to Mars in the Wall Street chart, suggesting that the financial wizards and their political cronies will have to make a complete turnabout, if they and their flawed system are to survive at all, let alone return to the good old days of ridiculous profiteering at the expense of the People. They will have to manage the emotional effects with great care, especially in the media and the public sphere, where the Moon will be conjunct the south node (karma; loss). If others challenge what they are doing, or get in their way, they won't stop to prove anything or engage in time- and energy-wasting games. The uber-capitalists (now evidently turned socialists) will simply keep moving along. We have already seen the governments in the US turn on the "Occupy" protesters. Our financial guides will be all for "competition", but the odds are that if aggression is allowed to get out of hand, nothing much will be accomplished. The Middle East and Europe are another ball-park altogether. There will be a lot of stress on the hearts and heads of those involved.

In order to shore up his own position, President Obama may have to take quite strong action, as his Mars is also square the eclipse, although in the house of other people's money. It's time he made his position clear and stopped pussy-footing around the problem.

Each of us will experience these stresses according to where the eclipse falls in our own charts. The Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces) will take the brunt, especially if you were born around the middle of your sign. Even though this eclipse and its associated aspects are quite unpleasant, we can still take positive steps to reduce the stress.

Check out this fabulous animation of the eclipse, on shadowandsubstance.com!

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How do Eclipses Happen?

Eclipses of the Sun or of the Moon are material, astronomical events, obvious to the naked eye, and as regular and as predictable as clockwork. They have an evident physical effect, as the light of either the Sun or the Moon is noticeably dimmed during the period of the eclipse. This is a scientific phenomenon, one which has been carefully observed since quite primitive times. In astrology, which studies the cosmic phenomena in terms of their effects on the lives of beings that inhabit the Earth, an eclipse is also a psychological, spiritual, social and emotional phenomenon. This aspect of eclipses has also been studied intensely, since before the beginning of civilisation.

In ancient times, priests and astrologers discovered how to predict eclipses, having realised their significance. Using observation and mathematics, they prepared reliable tables, utilising their knowledge of the movement of the Moon's Nodes, that have hardly been surpassed for accuracy until the recent advent of the computer. The Moon's Nodes mark the points where the path of the Moon's orbit around the Earth crosses the plane of the ecliptic (the apparent path of the Sun and planets around the Earth) as viewed from the surface of the Earth. An eclipse takes place when either a New Moon (producing a Solar Eclipse) or a Full Moon (producing a Lunar Eclipse) occurs close to either of the Nodes.

The Moon's light is reflected from the Sun, as the Moon does not shine of her own accord. Each month the Moon in her orbit travels completely around the Earth; the New and Full Moons happen as the Sun aligns with the Moon, either in conjunction or opposition. These powerful periods are called lunations. Among other effects on the world, they generate the tides, as well as stimulating primeval zoological, biological and botanical phenomena which are well-documented in the scientific literature.

New Moon Solar Eclipse

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse

When lunations are also eclipses, their effect is even more powerful — although solar eclipses are generally more strongly felt than lunar eclipses. Eclipses usually occur in pairs, with either a lunar eclipse (Full Moon) heralding a solar eclipse (New Moon) about two weeks later, or vice versa. The energy of any lunation is always most strongly felt a day or so before the Moon (emotions; habit patterns; the public) reaches the exact alignment with the Sun (character; rationality; rulers).

At a Full Moon, when the Earth, Sun and Moon are so closely aligned that the Earth is located precisely between the Sun and the Moon, the shadow of the Earth covers the face of the Moon generating a Lunar Eclipse. The light of the Moon is darkened temporarily. It is safe to observe the Lunar Eclipse, or to take photographs, as there is no likelihood of eye damage, unlike the dangers during a Solar Eclipse.

When similarly aligned at a New Moon, the body of the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, producing a Solar Eclipse by hiding the face of the Sun. Remember, you should never view eclipses of the Sun directly with the naked eye, because the potential for eye damage is high.

Check out this fabulous animation of the eclipse, on shadowandsubstance.com!

For more on the science of eclipses, click here. Remember when looking at this astronomical material that they are using the sidereal zodiac, whilst we are using the tropical zodiac, so sign placements may seem out of whack with those mentioned here. This is due to the cosmic phenomenon known as the precession of the equinoxes, which makes the tropical zodiac of the seasons, as used on this site, seem out of sync with the constellations. This factor however has no effect on the predictive power of astrology.

Cosmic Coincidence?

Although the actual size of the Moon is much smaller than the size of the Sun, one of the most remarkable facts about our universe is that, when viewed from the Earth during a total eclipse, the Moon's disc exactly covers the disc of the Sun. The odds against such a striking coincidence happening in the one known area of the Universe where intelligent beings can experience it are, in a word, astronomical! This is one more in a long list of phenomena that inclines this writer to believe that our world is much more like a mind than a thing. See Is Astrology Scientific, for more on this approach.

Astrology shows that the stars and planets are a map to our personalities and a guide to our place in the world. It also explains how the world is regular and predictable (up to a point!). An astrological forecast will place these trends into a context, with regard to our own personal destinies.

Enlightened Astrology does not teach a fatalistic view of the world. Within the environment indicated by the stars, we have considerable freedom to move and make decisions, according to our character and circumstances. See Nexus of Probability.

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