Time for Another Lunar Eclipse... Today!

LET'S DISCUSS IT

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WHAT’S HAPPENING

Today (Wednesday), November 28, at 9.45 a.m. GMT, a lunar eclipse occurs. Lunar eclipses happen at approximately the same time as Full Moons, though only some Full Moon periods feature lunar eclipses.

(Lunar eclipses occur when a Full Moon falls within about 13 degrees of the Moon's Nodes.)

At a Full Moon, the Sun and the Moon are located at two points that are exactly opposite from each other in the zodiac.

During this month’s Full Moon, the Moon is located at 6 degrees 40 minutes Gemini, while the Sun is at 6 degrees 40 minutes Sagittarius. Because it’s also a lunar eclipse, the Earth’s shadow passes over the Moon.

 

MY APPROACH TO WHO’S AFFECTED AND WHEN

As I discuss this month's lunar eclipse, I will take a somewhat conservative, middle-of-the-road approach compared to other astrologers.

(For more about a few other astrologers' individual approaches to eclipses, see the Appendix at the end of this blog entry.)

If you were born between roughly May 25 and May May 31, or between roughly November 29 and December 5, then this month's eclipse is particularly significant for you. You can expect issues to arise that impact your sense of who you are and the way that you express your general vitality.

To determine more about whether your birth chart is especially triggered by this event, pull out your birth chart.

(If you don’t have a copy, then you can enter birth information and get a free chart at http://www.astro.com).

Check your birth chart to see if your Sun, Moon, Ascendant, Mercury, Venus or Mars lies between roughly 4 and 10 degrees of Gemini / Sagittarius.

If so, then the affairs of the triggered planet and how you choose to respond to that planet are emphasized during this eclipse.

For example, if your Venus is triggered, then how you approach your social or aesthetic or recreational activities, and what happens in connection with them, may be emphasized during the eclipse period.

Which of your houses have Venus-ruled Taurus or Libra on their cusps (i.e., at the beginnings of them)?

Their affairs may also be emphasized now.

(On the other hand, if your Sun, Moon, Ascendant, Mercury, Venus and Mars are NOT in early-to-mid-Gemini or early-to-mid-Sagittarius, then you’ll mainly experience this eclipse in terms of whichever house in your chart it emphasizes.)

How long is an eclipse in effect?

I recommend that you start by considering the period from about a month before until about a month after the eclipse (from roughly October 29 till January 28), and then you see what patterns you notice in your own experiences.

 

SOME GENERAL THOUGHTS, APPLICABLE FOR EVERYONE

During a lunar eclipse, the Earth blocks the Moon’s light. Practical considerations (the Earth) take precedence over emotional considerations (the Moon).

Between late October and late December, you might unexpectedly experience a confrontation with positive or problematic facets of your feelings now—facets or feelings that you have ignored. You might also experience a sudden confrontation with someone or something external to you.

In any event, don’t be surprised if some of your subtler, deeper or most hidden feelings get stirred up and brought into the light now. Since the Moon is in an air sign (Gemini), you may experience challenges involving matters involving intellectual activity, communication, or social activity.

During this period, aim to focus more on what’s going on here and now, rather than what happened in the past or the feelings that you still carry around, about what happened in the past.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Astrologer Tracy Marks suggests making room in your life to expect the unexpected and deal with it flexibly; plan to wrap up your activities or let go of outdated, limiting attitudes in whatever part of your life is affected; and maybe emphasizing spending more time on activities that help you feel grounded a la Saturn, rather than more focused on internal expansion a la Neptune.

IN ANY EVENT

As always during a Full Moon, two particular houses in your chart are emphasized between roughly November 25 and December 1.

During that time period, this month’s Full Moon eclipse highlights whichever the natural tension between whichever house in your chart contain 6 40 minutes Gemini and whichever house contains 6 degrees 40 minutes Sagittarius. This is true for everyone.

AN EXAMPLE: THE FULL MOON IN YOUR 3RD HOUSE AND THE SUN IN YOUR 9TH HOUSE

For example, let’s suppose that the Moon illuminates your 3rd house and the Sun activates your 9th house.

The Full Moon highlights the polarity between what’s “near and now,” what’s familiar and immediate (your 3rd house) and life’s larger issues and possibilities, what’s unfamiliar and distant (your 9th house). Attending to what’s of immediate concern, while also considering the overall direction of your life, can be an issue now. 

How could you integrate these two threads of your life more effectively, rather than overemphasize one to the detriment of the other?

During this lunar eclipse, you may experience an ending of circumstances related to travel, education, sales or marketing (some matter related to your 3rd house).

For example, maybe you give up on some old way of dealing with classmates, or neighbors, or siblings, or someone else in your immediate world. Maybe you let go of an old idea that life has proven to be unworkable. Maybe you give up on pursuing some contract of sale or certification program that just isn’t going to happen.

Although a ending might feel painful, it could also free you from your past so that you can claim your future. You may feel tempted to act irrationally now. You may want to cling to some facet of yourself or your experience out of a heightened desire for security.

This eclipse, however, is a reminder to step out of the past. It’s a reminder to move beyond acting reflexively on your feelings, to deal with issues more objectively. Emphasize wrapping up your activities that have outlived their usefulness. Emphasize letting go of outdated, limiting attitudes or values.

2012 ECLIPSES

Solar and lunar eclipses occur when a New or Full Moon falls within about 13 degrees of the Moon's Nodes. During most years, two sets of solar and lunar eclipses occur; each set includes a solar eclipse at the New Moon and a lunar eclipse at the Full Moon 14 days later.

Here’s a list of 2012 eclipses:

On May 20, there’s a solar eclipse at the New Moon. The Sun and Moon are both at 0 degrees 20 minutes Gemini.

On June 4, there’s a lunar eclipse at the Full Moon. The Sun is at 14 degrees 8 minutes Gemini, and the Moon is at 14 degrees 8 minutes Sagittarius.

On November 13, there’s a solar eclipse at the New Moon. The Sun and Moon are both at 21 degrees 57 minutes Scorpio.

On November 28, there’s a lunar eclipse at the Full Moon. The Sun is at 6 degrees 40 minutes Gemini, and the Moon is at 6 degrees 40 minutes Sagittarius.  

APPENDIX: TIME PERIOD AND WHO’S AFFECTED: APPROACHES VARY

Astrologers vary in which people they consider to be affected significant by eclipses. They vary in the orbs they use when looking at aspects between an eclipse and a person’s natal chart.

Jeff Jawer says that the impact for an individual is greatest when the eclipse is within about five degrees of conjoining or opposes a significant point in the natal chart.

Jodie Forrest says that if an eclipse occurs within about three degrees of conjoining or opposing one of your personal natal planets, it emphasizes the affairs of that planet, and how you choose to respond to that planet.

Tracy Marks say that an eclipse is most significant when it conjoins natal planets within two degrees. She says that we may experience crises in relation to ourselves or someone else when the eclipse squares or opposes a natal planet within two degrees.

Marks adds that when an eclipse sextiles or trines a natal planet within two degrees, we usually experience people helping us or new dimensions of our “higher subconscious or super conscious” opening up.

Astrologers also vary in how long they consider an eclipse to be in effect astrologically.

For example, in The Astrology of Self Discovery (c 1985, CRCS Publications, ISBN 0-916360-20-2) Marks says that an eclipse is mainly felt during the month before it occurs. She adds that if the eclipse conjoins, squares or opposes a natal planet within two degrees, it is felt until the next eclipse cycle.

Forrest considers it to be in effect for about a month before and after it occurs.

In an article at StarIQ.com, Jawer considers it to be in effect for about six months afterwards, or until the next eclipse of the same type (solar or lunar) occurs.

Marks says that the effect of an eclipse is reactivated whenever a transiting planet (especially Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune or Pluto) conjoins the eclipse degree.