The Eclipse That Came Before...
The upcoming Eclispe at 23 Virgo happens on the South Node, on axis. While the Nodes were still in Aries/Libra, one of the Eclipses we experienced last fall was an off-axis precursor to THIS Eclipse, taking place at 25 Pisces while the Nodes were squared by Mars from Cancer on September 17, 2024.
Whatever is happening under this upcoming Virgo Eclipse is directly tied to what was initiated in this previous Pisces Eclipse. I've decided to make this brief piece publicly available, so that people can have time to revisit, rethink, and retrace steps. My full analysis of the Lunar Eclipse at 23 Virgo will be available to Divine Lunation subscribers (who also receive the benefit of asking me specific and direct questions about the Eclipse in the context of their chart).
Lunar Eclipse at 25 Pisces: Of Madness and the Path Toward Manifestation
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Lunar Eclipse at 25 Pisces 10:34 PM EDT
Lunar Eclipse conjunct Neptune in Pisces, T-square Jupiter in Gemini
Lunar Eclipse sextile Uranus in Taurus, sextile Pluto in Capricorn
Lunar Eclipse quincunx Venus in Libra, Venus opposite Chiron in Aries, Venus trine Jupiter in Gemini
Grand Trine: Sun in Virgo, Uranus in Taurus, Pluto in Capricorn
Mars at 7 Cancer square the Nodes at 6 Aries/Libra
Mercury in Virgo opposite Saturn in Pisces
Neptune at 28 Pisces opposite Hekate at 29 Virgo
Black Moon Lilith on the South Node in Libra, Perigee on the North Node in Aries
Lunar Eclipse and Neptune square Dark Moon Lilith at 28 Sagittarius
Eclipse time is upon us once again! In this Eclipse pattern, we have a Lunar Eclipse in Pisces, out of sign from the North Node in Aries and a Solar Eclipse that will take place in Libra on the South Node. The influences the emotional context of upcoming changes surrounding the North Node, which is were we feel called and drawn to action while the Solar Eclipse represents activity that transpires and manifestation, and this time it happens on the South Node, where we need to release and let go of old patterns that don’t further growth. The North Node is about potentials, and the South Node is about traps and self-sabotage and difficult lessons. The North Node is where we’re going, and the South Node is where we’ve been, and may have been clinging for too long. This Lunar Eclipse is not a total Eclipse, but it’s still a time of extremes, because it occurs out of sign and brings a cascade of uncertainty and confusion with it, because it’s both conjunct Neptune AND it’s occurring out of sign to where the North Node actually lies. When we encounter out of sign Eclipses, these are situations where we may be more hesitant to act on impulse and intuition, and where it may take longer to see the results of changes made during this time. This Eclipse may feel overwhelming yet elusive, with intense intuition as we delve into feelings long submerged and hidden. Eclipses portend times of profound change, and confrontations with the things that we cannot control. Given that this one occurs in a state of deep feeling, from the outside looking in as it is disconnected from the North Node out of sign in Pisces, there is a sense of isolation that it may entail, or dissociation.
The North Node in Aries is calling us to realign to a place where we have our own best interests at the forefront of motivation, but this Eclipse in Pisces may keep us more entrenched in the greater lessons of compassion, with a heavy weight of idealism and the consequences of ignoring reality checks. We’ve spent over a year now with the Nodes in Aries and Libra, balancing our own needs in the Aries North Node with the experience of relationships on the South Node. The last Eclipse that we experienced was a Total Solar Eclipse at 19 Aries conjunct Chiron, and it was one of the most powerful of the decade. This Eclipse comes now as the emotional undertow, the Lunar Eclipse that will impact our emotional, inner worlds as we prepare for the next Solar Eclipse that guides the outer realm of manifestation. This Lunar Eclipse on the North Node in Pisces is not an easy one, and it’s intensified by the North Node at 6 Aries being extremely close to Lunar Perigee while the South Node at 6 Libra is very close to Lunar Apogee, the undulating and enigmatic realm of Black Moon Lilith. The Eclipse occurs very near the closest point to Earth in the Moon's orbit. This is a plunge to the core of the depths of the subconscious, and we have to go there willingly, with the North Node calling and Neptune dissolving boundaries. Precisely how this Eclipse will impact you depends upon not only what house it falls in for you, but how the Eclipse and all planets at that time aspect your own, personal natal chart.
Lunar Eclipse conjunct Neptune in Pisces, T-square Jupiter in Gemini
Pisces is the final sign of the Zodiac, where we encounter the realm of dreams, intuition, the subconscious, and the culmination of our emotional past. Pisces is a space of ultimate compassion, this Mutable Water sign is driven by feeling, and experience here is elusive and ever flowing according to that which surrounds us. Pisces is a reactive sign, it depends upon the surrounding circumstances which way we move. This is a sign of escapism and sometimes addiction, we seek experiences of a spiritual nature here, this is where we explore higher callings, and also where we may bury spiritual trauma. Pisces is deep, and can be all consuming. This Lunar Eclipse brings all of this into consciousness, given that this is the North Node, it’s where we need to begin to pursue some sort of understanding or reconciliation…but there is difficulty in Neptune’s influence. Neptune, planet of dreams and intuition, can bring confusion or lack of clarity, this is a planet that dissolves boundaries and makes things hazy, elusive and ethereal. Insight is ephemeral here, it dissipates just before we have a clear view, and we are driven by profound feelings that don’t exactly make sense, or strong impulses that may contradict the more grounded reality that surrounds us. Feelings don’t have to make sense. This is a Lunar Eclipse that, above all else, calls for acceptance and absolution, where Neptune dissolves boundaries, so does it entice us to embrace forgiveness, compassion, and sacrifice. Neptune can dissolve relationships, and shift the nature of belief. Neptune may also take long held and cherished dreams, and crush them, shattering them into a thousand shards. Where hope has lived and been a detriment, it’s time to recognize and accept that it no longer remains. Before we can move forward on the North Node in Aries, we have to deal with previous Pisces emotional trauma, and work through Neptunian escapism. There is no escaping, there is only allowing whatever comes to happen, and remembering that the power of Pisces lies in how we react to the current, no matter how dark and overwhelming it may become. This is an Eclipse of madness, of idealistic fantasy and provocative apprehension…the emotional world we are walking within will be difficult to ascertain, and may not be possible to explain.
The intensity of the Moon/Neptune conjunction swirls with uncertainty, and illusion. Pisces is the Jupiter ruled sign of belief, and there may be necessary confrontation with false belief as we have Jupiter, ruler of Pisces, T-square the Eclipse axis from the intellectual sign of Gemini, where Jupiter is in its sign of detriment. Jupiter in Gemini may be over-confident and unreasonably assured, we may be overly idealistic about potentials that we see during this time. Jupiter magnifies all that it touches, and in this square, it’s coming from detriment in a sign that is a rollercoaster of big ideas and an extreme need to communicate them, to get them out into the open. There may be a grandiose sense of purpose, that takes the ego far beyond what is supported by reality in this potentially delusional and contentious T-square. This may provoke argument for the sake of argument, and challenge otherwise good ideas with seemingly unnecessary tension and contentious debate. This is a T-square that brings resentment out into the open to address it, and the process may be rather unpleasant. Pisces has a tendency to avoid or repress things that are unpleasant, and this T-square is here to put an end to procrastination, and get us moving in the right direction. The dreams we have now are what will inspire growth and emotional development that we can take into the real world in the Solar Eclipse in two weeks, which will be a poignant resolution to this process that begins now.
When we consider that this is a deep and provocative underlying emotional context within this Lunar Eclipse, and that Jupiter in this square has a magnifying impact, this indicates that nothing will feel small, or light, or inconsequential. This is an Eclipse under which all emotion is intensified and exacerbated, illusion may cloud judgment, and the heights of overinflated idealism can bring the lows of extreme and sudden reality checks. Saying things louder does not make them more true, and saying things more vehemently convinces no one under this T-square. The exaggeration and inflation of Jupiter in an intellectual context works against the intuitive nature of this Eclipse axis. Sun is in Virgo, where we need a grounded and realistic plan, a conscientious effort of mundane, real world persistence and Moon is Eclipsed in Pisces, where lofty spiritual ideals are dreamt and pursued on the North Node…what may just hold us back here is Jupiter in Gemini, that will not admit where we have been wrong, and where we think we know infinitely more than we actually do. This is also a T-square that indicates we cannot be too careful about what, or whom, we believe…trust should be hard earned, not given freely. Promises made are promises broken under this Eclipse, and it does create potential for lies and deceit. Lies of omission, or possibly lies of exaggeration OR of minimization are all equally dangerous under this Eclipse, with Jupiter being the ruler of Pisces and Jupiter in this T-square, big downfalls come from big mouths.
Lunar Eclipse sextile Uranus in Taurus, sextile Pluto in Capricorn
There is extreme instability present given that the Eclipse conjunct Neptune is not only tightly sextile Uranus, the planet of rebellion and awakening in Taurus, but is also sextile Pluto, planet of transformation, now in Capricorn. These sextiles are supportive aspects, but the planet involved are both evocative of major change, and through instability in Uranus and possible loss in Pluto. The transformation that we face during this time of uncertainty and illusion is forced by external circumstances and events that shift the current, and this is what brings us to our knees. The Eclipse in Pisces draws forth emotional circumstances that spin us and challenge us, but also that awaken us given the involvement of Uranus, and the awakening transforms us by the nature of Pluto. Uranus in Taurus is destabilizing to build a stronger foundation, but anything weak will be up for attack and examination here, and Pluto in Capricorn is restructuring the nature of work and aspiration, and also structures that support us. Uranus recently hit Station Retrograde and Pluto just moved back into Capricorn where it will be until November 19 when it finally crosses into Aquarius to stay. As the reach of Eclipses lasts for about six months until we face the next set of Eclipses, these close aspects to the Eclipse may continue to be influential. These are not hard aspects, they are supportive, and they are not likely to be events or issues of which we’re unaware. These can be considered reminders as to the things we already know that we should have dealt with, or that have been underlying and are, as of yet, unresolved.
Change does not HAVE to be painful, or shocking…when we choose to embrace it and allow the intuitive nature of this Eclipse to guide us, we can work with it in ways that are more productive and that create less chaos. Pluto often entails giving up control and realizing how little of it we actually have, and Uranus often entails a sense of rebellion. It’s not hard to see that this combination is one that can bring frustration, feeling trapped, or that can reveal hidden or previously denied truths…in the end, as these are supportive aspects, these things work in beneficial ways even if they are disruptive and bring uncertainty or a sense of loss with which to begin. Pluto in Capricorn asks us to deconstruct tradition, and examine what we’re doing for the sake of holding on to old ways that may be outdated when Uranus steps in to offer new methods and different ways of thinking, so that we can build toward new traditions that have strong foundations and material support. This Pisces Lunar Eclipse espouses a spirit of creative freedom, and speaks to the needs of the soul so that we don’t forsake it in the mundane, daily life centric Virgo Sun end on the opposite side of the axis.
Grand Trine: Sun in Virgo, Uranus in Taurus, Pluto in Capricorn
There is a grounding and affirming Earth Grand Trine within this Eclipse that guides toward stability and material foundations once the confusion of Neptune can be navigated and resolved with Sun in conscientious Virgo, Uranus in dependable Taurus, and Pluto in relentless Capricorn. This is the glue that holds us together here, an influence that says no matter how rough the current Pisces Moon may be experiencing, there is an underlying common need in Virgo, common foundation in Taurus, and common transformative process in Capricorn. This is not a series of luck, but an underlying need to simply TRUST THE PROCESS. This Eclipse will feel “off-kilter” because it’s out of sign, and the North Node is driving a me first, Aries impulse led process, but the Eclipse is all about the deep well of feeling that is Pisces, a sign of sacrifice and compassion and ultimately the end of the Zodiac, where Aries is the beginning. We cannot truly BEGIN and become without culminating hard lessons, and part of that is grounded here in this Grand Earth Trine that may just point the way to resolving some of these things, if we can listen where Virgo Sun sees how and where to care, Uranus in Taurus shows us where instability points to change, and where Pluto in Capricorn calls for a new and different sense of structure. Change is coming, that much is certain, and this Lunar Eclipse is the emotional context…we’ve got these Earth influences to support and from which to take strength as the path unfolds before us.
Lunar Eclipse quincunx Venus in Libra, Venus opposite Chiron in Aries, Venus trine Jupiter in Gemini
Venus, planet of relationships and resources, is in her home sign of Venus, where she feels rather comfortable and has confidence in negotiating, and the delicate balancing act she entertains here is graced by a trine to Jupiter in Gemini. Remember, Jupiter squares the Eclipse axis, so this trine may be a double edged sword. The trine in these Air signs is lovely, free flow thought and intellectual stimulation and connection, but Venus is also opposite Chiron, the Wounded Healer, suggesting that old relationship patterns may arise in the present, or that old relationship issues that were not resolved may now demand a final confrontation as Venus also makes a sneaky quincunx aspect to the Eclipse itself. Venus is in an uncomfortable place in this aspect, where she isn’t directly impacted but feels helpless on the sidelines, while Chiron in this opposition from the sign of Aries can indicate ego wounds or losing to competition. The Venus/Chiron dynamic here is one of Venus feeling inferior due to Chiron’s pressure, so Venus tries to overcompensate and ends up spinning out, while Venus is quincunx the Eclipse and does not realize that no matter what she does, she cannot change anything, no matter how accommodating she may try to be.
The trine to Jupiter in Gemini lends Venus quick thinking and mental resources, and she can best navigate this tension and difficult set of circumstances by not acting on impulse, and remembering that compromise is her secret weapon under the weight of this Eclipse. We may need to sacrifice our own emotional burdens temporarily to work through the needs of others in this opposition that also makes a quincunx directly to the Eclipse, but Chiron in Aries will see to it that our own emotional needs do not get completely crushed in the process. In situations where there is struggle pulling in multiple directions as this set of aspects suggests, it may be best to prioritize the themes of the Virgo/Pisces axis first and foremost: support/compassion, planning/avoiding, thinking/feeling and mundane/spiritual. These are the balancing acts that Venus in Libra can understand, as the master calculator of relationships who takes action by balancing and an active process of creating harmony. Venus in Libra typically operates with tact and diplomacy, but those may be in short order under this opposition to Chiron, and that causes deeper wounds than previously experienced, so be careful with words, and expression of frustration since Venus will be uncharacteristically tactless. Also avoid taking other people’s frustrations personally, the Chiron influence is likely to absorb and consume and instead of empathy, will meet Venus with offense and a wall of Chiron’s “bigger and louder” feelings that leads Venus to feel disregarded in the process.
Mars at 7 Cancer square the Nodes at 6 Aries/Libra
This is another tough junction that occurs during this Eclipse. The axis of the Nodes is integral here, it’s the space within which the Eclipse occurs, and we cannot ignore that the Nodes are afflicted by Mars, in its sign of fall, in Cancer. This is a passive-aggressive Mars, and one that may have been building resentment that is ready to rupture. Mars in Cancer is primarily concerned with domesticity, the nurturer and protector of home and family. There is an underlying need for emotional security for this Mars, but that is not easy to attain under this Eclipse, and it’s even harder to pursue given that Mars is square the Nodes. Our energy and attention is spun away from whatever we may feel called to be doing, and wherever we feel like we “should” be heading and is demanded in other areas, we are burdened in ways that may prevent us from reaching for our goals. Our hopes and dreams in this Pisces Eclipse that can bring wishful thinking and illusion with Neptune may feel impossible due to the constraints of Mars, that requires action that is at odds to the Nodes. This square occurs at 6/7 degrees and will be profoundly impactful for Cardinal signs at the beginning of the sign, while the actual Eclipse itself happens at the end of Mutable signs. Cardinal sign people (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) are most likely to feel the Mars square to the Nodes being a demand and a challenge while Mutable sign people (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) are most likely to feel the emotional tidal wave of the Eclipse itself, and the confusion and illusion of Neptune. The demand and shift in priorities has emotional consequences, and we have to navigate them in ways that build emotional security rather than crushing it, and we have to unleash the torrent of feeling sometime. We still have a Libra South Node Eclipse to get through in two weeks, and by then, Mars will be getting close to its Retrograde shadow period. Mars will be Retrograde in Cancer, so when frustrations arise, it’s better to deal with them now than to hide within our shell and refuse to acknowledge them. We just have to find a productive way to navigate them rather than passive aggression and blowing up.
Mercury in Virgo opposite Saturn in Pisces
This is another difficult influence under the Eclipse. It’s just a little too wide of an orb for me to consider it being conjunct, but it’s close, and it’s still important. Mercury, planet of thought and communication, in its home sign of Virgo where we feel like it was finally making progress after the Retrograde, may now feel halted in an opposition to Saturn, the planet of restriction and discipline, in Pisces. Mercury in Virgo is adept at problem solving and high level analysis, but Saturn in Pisces forces us to slow down and consider things outside of our wheelhouse, this is a Saturn that is restructuring the nature of belief, and I’ve said several times that this Saturn in Pisces transit is the place where dreams go to die, so that we can give rise to something possible, in which we see the rebirth of hope. Mercury feels the weight of duty and responsibility keenly in Virgo, and Saturn reminds us that we have to bow to a higher authority here. There may be difficulty with communication for Mercury here, so that speaks to all of the emotional intensity and difficult situations we encounter feeling like they have to be suppressed or put on the back burner until later, because Saturn has other priorities that require our time and effort. This is an opposition that may make us feel like we’re drowning in unavoidable responsibility and repercussions, thanks to the Saturn influence, and part of Saturn in Pisces is dealing with areas where we have procrastinated or not put forth enough effort. Mercury in Virgo has an opportunity to step it up and start making up for lost time, given that Mercury is in it’s sign of rulership as well as exaltation here, so this is one opposition that has a clear and decisive advantage on one side if we can take what the opposing side says, and put it to good use. Procrastination, avoidance, and wasting time are the pitfalls that disrupt the process…the best way to address any issues is as they arise.
Neptune at 28 Pisces opposite Hekate at 29 Virgo
Neptune, planet of dreams and intuition, will be opposite asteroid Hekate, the Crossroads Goddess of magic and liminal spaces. This opposition is one that can provide clarity, but we have to actively engage the process. Sun is combust Hekate in Virgo, it’s conjunct but at a distance, we may have difficulty integrating the directive we receive at this Crossroads, and in the sign of Virgo, that tends to be due to insecurity regarding competence, or self blame and criticism. Neptune is on the opposite end of the axis in Pisces, conjunct the Eclipse, and we have to remember that we cannot just wish problems away. Ignoring them, avoiding them, putting them off only leads to further trouble and exacerbated conditions. Hekate in Virgo is lighting the way with torches that nurture and that yield fertile places where we can continue to grow and develop in this sign of healing and service to others, but Neptune on the opposition side may have us wistful for the things that cannot be, or should have been, or would be, if only…
Hekate in Virgo may be quieted by the deluge of Neptune, but she’s still there, an analytical influence underneath it all that challenges us to rise to the occasion, to balance intuition with a plan, to move with consideration and respect. Hekate is whispering in the background, burned by the Sun, ensuring that we don’t forget any important details as long as we ask for guidance, and are open to the answers, even if we don’t like them.
Black Moon Lilith on the South Node in Libra, Perigee on the North Node in Aries
The Nodes in this Eclipse are aligned at the crucial points of North Node at Perigee, or closest point to Earth in Moon’s orbit, and the South Node at Apogee, the realm of Black Moon Lilith, Moon’s furthest point from us in orbit, where feeling is a mystery and we can’t easily touch and understand the emotional context that we are experiencing. This makes the Eclipse even more complicated, and more powerful. It’s a partial Eclipse, but Moon is about as close to Earth as it can get, so the drive on the North Node is powerful…and as we know, the Nodes are in Aries/Libra, but the Eclipse is in Pisces, with Sun on the Virgo end of the axis. The influence of Black Moon Lilith on the South Node can bring extreme difficulty leaving behind shades and shadows of the past, the things that have shaped our insecurities, contributed to guilt or shame. There is immense pressure on the Aries North Node to act, but being so close in proximity to Earth and the sign is actually in Pisces can lead to a lot of initial energy to work with but it quickly turns to steam and dissipates, especially with Neptune’s presence complicating things. The range of intensity of feeling may be vast under this Eclipse, and it’s just as important to pay attention to the subtle feelings as it is the overwhelming ones. This is not at ALL a rational Lunation, it’s one where the subconscious isn’t just explored in Pisces, it’s deeply provoked with Black Moon Lilith trying to bury South Node history and patterns even deeper, but Moon and Neptune aren’t going to let that happen, revealing everything out in the open on the North Node end of this Eclipse.
The things that you’ve been dreading, once they are dragged out into the light under this Lunation, may feel almost anti-climactic at their conclusion, with a sense of finality happening rapidly and putting an end to things that have festered for far longer than they should have. Sudden endings are highly likely given this extremely unstable connection of the Nodes to these crucial orbital points, and the out of sign Eclipse lends even more unpredictability and uncertainty to the Lunation. There is EXTREME explosive potential, but explosions have a sense of being the final nail in a coffin that should long ago have been put into the ground where it belongs. The Solar Eclipse that will take place on October 2 will happen EXACTLY conjunct Black Moon Lilith at 10 Libra, so it is imperative to begin to consciously work through these things NOW in an effort to be receptive to wherever that next powerful Lunation will provoke and maneuver.
Lunar Eclipse and Neptune square Dark Moon Lilith at 28 Sagittarius
The Lunar Eclipse also makes a rather nasty square to Dark Moon Lilith, hypothetical shadow body, at 28 Sagittarius. I do not consider this rarely glimpsed and elusive hypothetical point to have any major connection to the Galactic Center like I would a planet at this degree, but that it squares the Eclipse IS significant. We are already dealing with an Eclipse conjunct Neptune that plunges to the core of the subconscious, and may bring confusion surrounding hard realizations and a massive emotional tidal wave of things that have been repressed or avoided or buried. Dark Moon Lilith is a profound survival instinct, something that arises within only under circumstances of threat, where we feel somehow in danger, and in Sagittarius, it’s not overtly malicious, but it can be cruel in words and harsh judgments that disturb sensitive Pisces Moon, and Dark Moon Lilith in Sagittarius acts by demand for space and freedom where Pisces will cling, it leaves and abandons completely without looking back. This Dark Moon Lilith doesn’t wait around to get revenge, this is one that will burn the bridge right in front of you and throw on gasoline for good measure, eradicating all traces and ties. This is likely to be the response to any sort of deception or manipulative tactics, and remember, deception is highly possible under the Neptunian influence that this Eclipse entails. Moon/Neptune conjunctions are one of the most intuitive aspects within the entire Zodiac, but in this time of Eclipse, where we are spun into questioning reality around us, if we feel a sense of threat, we respond impulsively with Sagittarius act first, think later, and that’s where we cause damage and end up regretting moving so rapidly, or not holding back.