Eclipses in Astrology – General Information

Hello to all of my wonderful new friends who have checked into my website and offered comments and questions and to all of you new visitors. I am quite humbled by the amount of attention my eclipse articles have generated and thank each of you for making them a success.

Because many of you are concerned about doom and gloom reports on eclipses, I have decided to post more information on the nature of eclipses. I hope it eases your mind.

1. A very important thing to remember about all astrological interpretations regarding transits, progressions, solar returns, eclipses, etc. is that nothing can happen if it isn’t first contained in the birth chart. What this means is that unless a transiting body aspects a natal planet or point, its effect will be negligible or nonexistent. Furthermore, it is necessary to look at the type of aspect that is being made. Conjunctions, squares, oppositions, semi-squares and sesquiquadrates bring about action and could cause something to happen. Trines and sextiles are easy energy. They just sort of flow and seldom cause a significant event unless action is taken by you.

2. A lunar eclipse is often more emotional and internal. A lot is going on but it is within your own psyche. Therefore, quite often the events brought about by a lunar eclipse were brought about because a person impacted by the eclipse felt antsy and “just had to do something.” That action then brought about an event of some sort. Because they are so internal, lunar eclipses can be quite uncomfortable. The lunar eclipse of June 2010, was a good example. That eclipse fell on the cardinal T-square and generated a lot of emotion in those who were affected. However, uncomfortable is just that, uncomfortable. It doesn’t mean they are “bad.”

A lunar eclipse may bring sudden awareness of things that you were previously unaware of. Revelation, culmination and completion are other keywords that can be used to describe a lunar eclipse. They may impact relationships (because of the emotional component). But you do have some control over that. It might be wise not to discuss “charged” issues during an eclipse, etc.

1. Solar eclipses are more external. They may bring in events that take us by surprise in some way. Again, this event could be either “good” or “bad.” As in transits generally, at a solar eclipse something that another person does, an external event or something in the news can have an impact on us. The important thing to remember is that, in most cases, the energy is coming from outside us. Solar eclipses can bring a lot of progress if we are able to harness the energy and use it to our advantage.

2. Eclipses, whether “good” or “bad” often bring things to light that you have tried to keep hidden. It may be time for soul searching. Have you been above-board in all matters?

3. Often the thing that makes an eclipse memorable in your life, is not just the immediate energy from an eclipse season (the lunar and then the solar in a couple of weeks), but the impact it has as time goes on.

4. The difficulty of a particular eclipse depends on the Saros series to which it belongs. Each eclipse carries energy from the beginning of the series. Some of the series are quite difficult. Others are not. The particular series we are now dealing with in December 2010 and January 2011, are not a particularly difficult series.

5. Eclipses have power ratings depending on the intensity in the location where you live. If a solar eclipse is total in the area where you live, it is considered to be more powerful for you.

6. Most things that happen have a benefit in them somewhere. Sometimes it is very hard to find it, but it is there. I can attest from my own life that some of the hardest times took me to a much better place.

7. One of the biggest values of astrology is that it offers a timetable for when you can expect better times. It may not be as soon as you would like to see it, but it still gives you something to hold onto to make it through the rough times.

I hope this helps, blessings to all.