There are many ways to look at a new year—astrologically speaking, anyway. I prefer eclipses. Because they offer a bird’s eye view of the cosmic dance between the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. Eclipses are like mini-ballrooms (that is, if the ballroom in question were run by the janitorial staff). Because at their core, eclipses tend to operate like vacuum cleaners. They “Hoover” out the house they hit, and force you to clean up your act…get your ducks in a row, tidy up your closet, get the junk out of the trunk. And this is all true enough, and it is a good analogy. But here is possibly a better one: eclipses are like picking at a scab—annoying and itchy but somehow satisfying at the same time. The best eclipses do cause some discomfort, but if they didn’t we’d ignore them and let our wounds fester and become infected. We open the wound up to clean it out, so that we can really heal up. It doesn’t always feel good at the start, but once we pay attention, we gain important awareness that ultimately helps us to make necessary changes.
If you doubt this, just take a moment to think back to October/November of 2014. Did you feel the deep cleansing energies at work then? Were you depressed, ill, or just plain worn out? Were there days that felt so heavy you could barely get out of bed? Did you feel like the world just got a whole lot meaner (or crazier) all of a sudden? Or did you perhaps have an epiphany or breakthrough about your life (and the people in it)? Such is the reward of walking thru the underworld. The eclipse of late October was a solar eclipse in Scorpio and that made us tango like we meant it. Don’t like to tango? Well, then it may have just turned you into a pillar of salt. This is the power of eclipses, but don’t forget that the purposeof eclipses is not to trip us up or lay us out begging for mercy. The purpose is to clean out your old wounds (this is especially potent in the sign of Scorpio) so we can begin again, all healed up and stronger still.
In 2015 there are 4 eclipses and three of them are TOTAL eclipses (these are the strongest kind). Now, all eclipses get the energy moving again—that’s what they’re supposed to do—but total eclipses will bring with them some particularly potent energy for change. For the eclipses of 2015, I used the Sabian Symbolsfor the degree of each eclipse (along with the sign the eclipse occurs in) to get a glimpse of some themes we might be processing. Sabian Symbols are like little psychic vignettes; images that we can meditate upon for more clarity about our individual and collective issues. Sometimes they are just metaphorical images, meant to stimulate our subconscious imagination; to open up our minds to see potential new possibilities or solutions. But sometimes,I have found them to actually be quite literal. So, are we all ready to learn a new dance this year? Here are some of the highlights and possible themes for the upcoming year, courtesy of the dance of the eclipse:
March 20th: New Moon and TOTAL Solar Eclipse @ 29ºPisces
“Light breaking into many colors as it passes thru a prism.”
Do you like the Ballet?At the edge of Pisces, this eclipse may have you (literally) “dancing in the moonlight.” But it might be a good idea to take dance lessons first. So, you might need new shoes (or to take better care of your feet). Also, as Neptune is part of this Eclipse’ Pisces stellium, you might want to have your eyes checked or get new glasses. Sight is definitely an issue now, the question is—what kind? This can represent as literal sight and problems/solutions with the eyes or “the” sight (psychic visions, prophetic dreams, etc). Being able to see and use color (photography or crystal healing for instance) is one theme, and photographers, artists, musicians and healers may go through a very creative phase now. Another theme is “seeing” the many colorful possibilities that exist in your life! Opportunities should expand now but they only exist if we can actually see them. Try to look at things from different angles or points of view. A single idea or vision may contain many possible outcomes at this time. And you may be “blinded” by being one-sided. So open your eyes and look around! The view might suddenly surprise you.
April 4th: Full Moon and Partial Lunar Eclipse @ 14ºLibra/Aries
14 Libra: “In the heat of noon, a man takes a siesta.”
This is a Dance in Slow Motion.Time for a well-deserved break (or needing a break to restore health). Needing to rest in order to begin again, renewal, recuperation, downtime, getting your “mojo” back, taking time off. Solutions to problems may come through dreams or meditation now. Using stillness to rebalance your life. May also indicate taking a break in relationships in order to help you regain perspective on your own life. Learning to stop and enjoy the moment. Ask yourself if you’re “too pooped to pop.” Avoid forcing issues now or working til the point of exhaustion; because in the long run it will have been wasted effort and can actually set you back instead of helping you move forward. Another good saying for this energy is “work smarter, not harder.” Also remember that noontime is just halfway through the day. Perhaps this symbol is telling us we need to remember to conserve some energy to get us all the way home.
September 13th: New Moon and Partial Solar Eclipse @ 20ºVirgo
“A caravan of cars headed for promised lands.”
This Dance is really more like a Marching Band.A journey or pilgrimage of some importance is on the horizon. Perhaps a trip that is taken for a larger purpose—such as relocating to create better opportunities or to take advantage of new offers (of employment, better living conditions, relationships, etc). Restlessness, itching to get going. Moving on, but not travelling alone, shared goals, shared adventures. Creating fellowship. For some, this journey will be more metaphorical than physical and they will be moving on in terms of new and better ways of thinking and being (instead of actually relocating or travelling). The literal meaning of this eclipse (especially in Virgo) reminds us all that the details count now, so make sure that your vehicle is road worthy before heading out. And don’t forget to pack a map!
September 27th: Full Moon and TOTAL Lunar Eclipse @ 4ºAries/Libra
4 Aries: “Two lovers are strolling through a secluded walk.”
Now we shyly ask our partner for a Romantic Waltz. The need for privacy in order to allow true intimacy to develop, partnership, sharing your heart or mind with another. Falling in love, wanting alone time with someone special. Needing time to devote to one special person, project, or idea. Something beautiful has begun, but it needs to be nurtured and paid attention to in order to mature and blossom. Processing issues by walking a path, labyrinths.
All of us will be processing these eclipse themes this year (at various levels of intensity) at the same time because the eclipses happen in real time up in the sky and they happen to everyone. However, we will also have individual (as well as collective) responses to eclipses. How will these eclipse energies manifest specifically in your own personal life? Well, that depends a great deal on where they hit your natal chart. If you have a copy of your astrology chart you may want to start by seeing which house(s) the eclipse degrees will fall in. That represents the stage on which the planets will act out their parts. For instance, if an eclipse falls in your natal 7thhouse of marriage and partnerships you might meet someone, get married, get divorced, etc. Because the 7thhouse is the stage on which we work out our important and intimate relationship dances. Here’s a brief rundown of the houses and what they represent:
1st House: “me, myself and I” the self, the physical appearance and body, self-expression, identity.
2nd House: the house of resources, how you earn your money, self-esteem, self-worth.
3rd House: communication and the mind, local travel (generally this means by car, bus, ferry, etc).
4th House: home, where you lay your head at night, early childhood, the family, the tribe one hails from, the emotions.
5th House: children, creativity, lovers, youth, recreation, speculation.
6th House: physical health, chronic health problems, daily routines, work and service, co-workers, employees, small pets.
7th House: the house of marriage, partnerships of all kinds, significant others, best friends.
8th House: the house of death, transformation and rebirth, sex, taxes, insurance, inheritance, wills, your partner’s resources.
9th House: the house of truth, higher education, spiritual philosophy, publishing, long-distance travel (generally this means travel by plane).
10th House: career, achievement, awards, where we spend our day when we go to work, the public.
11th House: hopes, dreams, goals, teamwork and group work, groups we belong to because we share something in common (project groups, hobbies, etc), step-children, what we do in retirement, hospitals.
12th House: what is hidden, the subconscious, the unconscious, psychic ability and intuition, dreams, sleep, imprisonment.
Keep in mind the above list is just a “taste” of what each house offers. But wait (gasp)! What if you don’t have a copy of your natal chart or know anything about astrology? Guess who can help you there? Call me, we’ll talk.
So, as we all begin this brand new wonderful year, may we open our hearts to the many breathtaking possibilities before us. And now is the perfect time to ask ourselves some important questions. When offered a new beginning—how will yourespond? What part of your life needs a re-boot? And where should that new beginning take place? Whatever adventures 2015 brings you, remember, it’s only a dance. Surely we can all afford to learn a few new steps every now and again. So play, laugh, be kind, and—most importantly—keep on dancing. Then look up and thank your lucky stars.