Eclipses hide the light, so you can see a shadow, then turn the light back on so you can heal the shadow.
On July 4th, we experienced our third and final eclipse this season. One month earlier, on June 3rd, I shared the quote above in my article called June / July Eclipses. Think about all that occurred during this long month in light of the quote above.
In that article, I wrote, “For what it’s worth, I don’t think this week (or maybe the next five weeks) is a time for progress.” As I consider the Astrology that is upon us now, I still think some time and experience may be needed before visible progress is discernible.
For example, we are knee deep in the retrograde motion of three powerful planets. If one tried to sum up 2020 in a single Astrological aspect, it would be the triple conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter, and Pluto. The three have been dancing around each other since the start of 2020 and will continue to do so throughout the rest of it.
12/21/2020 marks the day when Jupiter finally catches up to and joins Saturn exact…and in the first degree of Aquarius. One who recognizes the death/(re)birth paradigm would certainly see that as an onset. 2020 is liken to a long death/dying. Maybe the (re)birthing in 2021 will be quicker.
There is an interesting observation of eclipses I want to discuss for a moment. Consider a Total Solar Eclipse and a Total Lunar Eclipse. In both of these, the body that is occulted is covered completely. In the first case, the moon blocks the entire solar disc and in the latter, the moon is fully submerged into the shadow of the earth. (We did not have either of those this time around.)
However, notice that in neither case does full darkness occur. When the solar disc is covered, the corona is brilliantly visible. And even in full shadow, the moon’s surface glows, this time in the red light that bends around the earth due to its atmosphere.
Eclipses don’t exactly hide the light. They hide some of the light…maybe even the greater portion of it.
In the Tarot, the Moon is about this same concept. When the larger source of light is hidden, the more subtle light becomes conspicuous. Taken to the largest degree, the light within each of us becomes dominant.
In that earlier post, I mentioned how we have two Cancer New Moons this year. The second one will occur on July 20, 2020. Take a look at this chart.
The sun and the moon join at 28o Cancer, which places them precisely opposite Saturn, and in alignment with the Nodes of the moon. Two parallel 150o aspects are present, which I highlighted within the chart.
Here in Austin, those lines are precisely vertical, thus illustrating an 11. If you look at the numerology of this month (07.2020), you will see that it adds up to 11.
11 would normally reduce to 2, but because it is a Master Number, we instead consider it the higher vibration of 2. It contains all of the meaning of 2, but then an additional set of meanings specific to 11.
This is what I wrote about 11 in my book Scribe to the Pantheon of Rome:
Disillusionment can be shocking and painful. We can feel betrayed, abandoned. Our trust of others can be shattered. We mistakenly assume life is degrading, crumbling, being destroyed before our very eyes as with the Tower.
But this is decidedly not the case. The problems revealed are not new, they are merely seen.
One is always free. One always has the ability to choose one path or another. Through disillusionment, which is a version of illumination, more choices are made available. The paths are more brilliantly illuminated with light. You can thus see further down each of them than before.
The moon joining the sun in Cancer two times within one month is another hint at the duality. 2020 again reflects this.
Venus was retrograde for about half of May and nearly all of June. Mars, which sits precisely on the Descendant in the chart above, is now in Aries. He will travel through nearly the whole sign of his rulership, then station retrograde and retrace his steps.
The horizontal axis in the chart is very personal. It is the relationship with self versus the relationship with other. In this chart, it is like saying: “I cannot balance myself while my enemy is out there.” But what if this is precisely backward? What if the perception of or reaction to an enemy out there is solely created by an imbalance within?
War is most certainly upon us. We are right in the middle of a number of them. These wars are not fought with guns or bombs, but rather with words spoken and written. With the Lunar Nodes in Gemini/Sagittarius, both sides are certainly talking, but is the opposing side listening?
War is of the vibration of 2, the shadow of 2. Here is another excerpt from Scribe:
2, like any other number, has something to offer. Shadow has purpose. Entering a shadow may be necessary for growth and change, but we needn’t live inside of it for long to see what is has to show us.
The sign of Cancer is that most associated with mother (mothering, motherly love, caring, nurturing, keeping safe, holding close). Mars rules Aries and Scorpio. In Aries, he is the warrior; in Scorpio he is the lover. When Mars travels through Cancer, he is detriment. He is said to be injured, wounded, ineffective. But why?
Can a warrior continue to fight once he sees his enemy akin to a child?
Maybe we have received two Cancer New Moons this year to help us see the shadow of 2, and have compassion for it. Hating hate is still hating. Waging war against something bad is still waging war.
One cannot fight fire with fire and expect other than the burning of everything. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
We fear the shadow, but then that draws us further into it. So what can we do?
It may help to recognize that shadow only exists because of the light! When we are seeing shadow, we have (been) turned away from the light. So stop (whatever you are doing) and turn around. We have to turn away from the shadow to gaze upon the (source of) light!
An eclipse may last seconds, minutes, or hours. An eclipse season can last up to a month. A year like 2020 lasts the same as any other year, but it can feel so much longer.
As I mentioned above, when the greater source of light is occulted, the lesser light still shines. By closing your eyes for a moment, you will adjust, and then when you reopen your eyes, you will see the more subtle rays of love, light, hope, and well-being that you might have thought were extinguished.
A Fool's Inclination 