Allllrighty then!

Ready for today’s total solar eclipse? Got your safety glasses and your colander handy? The eclipse is obviously one of the highlights of this week, which are:

• New Moon/total solar eclipse in Aries on Monday
• Sun conjunct Chiron on Monday
• Mars conjunct Saturn in Pisces on Wednesday
• Sun conjunct Mercury retrograde on Thursday

It goes like this:

• MONDAY:  Moon in Aries drives the day with a need to get things started and boldly go where no one has gone before. It meets up with the North Node at 8:18 AM ET. I mention this because after the March 25th lunar eclipse in Libra, minutes after the Libra Moon met up with the South Node, the Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed (because a ship veered into it, as you may or may not recall, because that’s how fast things are moving these days). The South Node can represent a point of destruction and/or toxic release. The North Node can represent a point of growth and good fortune. We shall see. [UPDATE: as of 9 AM ET, the latest story to hit the homepages of major newspapers is that TFG says that abortion access should be “up to the states to decide.” Meanwhile, at 2:20 PM ET, the New Moon in Aries begins.

A pause, while we discuss the chart for the New Moon, which is also a total solar eclipse. The eclipse itself is not an unusual phenomenon, but from the perspective of those in the United States, it’s a very big deal because the path of totality will cut across the contiguous 48 states, as NASA helpfully explains. The last time this happened was on August 21, 2017 — for the first time in 99 years. And we won’t have another total eclipse visible in the United States until August 23, 2044.

Echoing what I posted here on August 20, 2017, it is indeed a miracle — astonishing to contemplate — that from our perspective on Spaceship Earth, the Sun and the Moon are the same size. — equal in stature — even though in reality, the Sun is ginormous and distant, compared to our teeny, next-door neighborly Moon. Whose idea was it to create this perspective, and why was it imagined so? Seriously. WHY???

Astrologers love this saying: “As above, so below.” Whatever is going on in the cosmos must necessarily be reflected in our experience on Earth. Humans in every culture and every age have assigned symbolic meaning to the planets, and astrologers interpret these planetary symbols and cycles as if they were part of a language — which they are. Astrology is a language which can be used to discuss human experience through time. Let the astronomers have their discussion of human experience through space (insert winking emoji here).

In the language of astrology, solar eclipses are like super-charged New Moons. Wherever they fall in your horoscope is an area of your life where seeds may be planted for something new to grow. That which is new may completely override whatever was there before. This often means that an old form must be released.

Sometimes the seeds planted are hidden from view, even though they are germinating in plain sight. This makes sense, when you consider that the New Moon reflects no light. Another way to think of solar eclipses comes courtesy of Douglas Adams, who wrote “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Have you ever heard of a SEP Field? SEP stands for Somebody Else’s Problem. If it’s SEP, that means you might not see it, even though it’s going on right under your nose. If an alien spaceship landed in Times Square surrounded by a SEP Field, the spaceship would be invisible. Or so Douglas Adams argues.

When a solar eclipse is later activated by a transiting planet, the bottle-necked energy is released and the SEP Field drops. Surprise! There’s a spaceship in Times Square. Deal with it!

Solar eclipses (“as above”) suggest accelerated progress (“so below”). There is no turning our backs on what is revealed. The genie is out of the bottle. It can’t go back inside. Alternatively, the final curtain falls. Whatever is released must be integrated into your life, so we can move forward.

In the language of Western astrology, this solar eclipse will occur when the Sun and Moon meet up (the technical term is “conjunction”) at 19 degrees into the 30-degree span of time Western astrologers call “Aries”. It suggests seeds planted now — perhaps hiding in plain sight — that involve the symbolism of Aries — e.g., pioneers, courage, self-reliance, crusades for an underdog, and passion (those are upside potentials of Aries; downsides include not looking before one leaps, for one).

Here is the chart for today’s New Moon, set in Washington, DC:

Observations:

• This New Moon is at 19 Aries, conjunct the asteroid Chiron, named for the mythological physician to the gods. Chiron suffered from a head wound he could not heal, which is why Chiron is known as “the wounded healer.” Wherever Chiron is in the horoscope is where personal suffering can be a source of great wisdom, compassion and — of course — healing. Thus, this eclipse could spark a collective healing crisis, perhaps especially for the United States, which has Chiron at 20 Aries.
• For the United States, the focus of this eclipse is the 9th house: matters involving collective belief systems (e.g, higher education, courts, religious dogma, philosophy, internationalism, publishing). Note that Venus is right on the cusp of the 9th house, ready to raise hell at 4 Aries. Tomorrow (April 9th), Venus will activate the March 25th lunar eclipse, so perhaps we’ll see a crusading/warrior release involving money, values, women, aesthetics.
• Fun fact: all of the planets except Pluto are above the horizon and most should be visible during the eclipse. Cool.
• Mars (assertion, aggression) and Saturn (authority, controls) are in the 8th house. Their militantly disciplined potential is steaming up matters involving joint investments and shared values, driven by the Pisces need for empathy and ideals. Planets in Pisces arguably need support, and this pair may find it by reaching out to….
• …the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in earthy Taurus, which sits in the much more visible 10th house. Jupiter-Uranus suggests big innovation and/or big disruption in matters of money, food/agriculture, real estate — anything related to material comfort and security, especially in the element of Earth (including planet Earth).
• The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is “a young girl feeding birds in winter,” which astrologer Blain Bovee suggests is “an image of compassionate need during a harsh season.” May its of kindness and desire for connection guide the initiatives that could sprout in the aftermath of this powerful celestial event. If you’re not familiar with the Sabian Symbols, their story is here.
• You are more personally affected by this New Moon/eclipse if you have planets or angles around 19 degrees of Aries, Libra, Cancer, or Capricorn. Off the top of my head, that includes Ron Johnson (R-Moscow), Robin Wright, Julian Lennon, Joe Scarborough, Jeff Zucker, and Cynthia Nixon. They were all born on either April 8 or April 9. Yes, I am still offering several paragraphs of personalized eclipse insights, if you’d like to know how this eclipse is likely to manifest in your life. You’ll find a link to order those insights at the bottom of this page.
• Things that are percolating in the dark of this solar eclipse may be activated when another planet arrives at the place where the solar eclipse took place. Transiting Mercury (information, transportation) gets there on April 16; Venus (who, what, and how we need to love; women, money, values, aesthetics) on April 20 and Mars (assertion, aggression, action) on May 25. The latter is a date to watch for a possible acceleration of bottle-necked energy. April 20 is interesting because that’s when the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction will be exact.

Back to the forecast for the week:

• MONDAY (CONT): Moon meets up with Chiron at 2:21 PM ET; Sun follows suit at 2:28 PM ET. Watch for news about leaders playing the role of a wounded healer. At 10:38 PM ET, Moon meets up with Mercury — still retrograde in Aries. Take whatever hits the wires with a grain of salt, and chill during the nearly-nine hour Moon void. Avid Readers know that Moon voids are best for routine concerns. Roll with the twists and flakes; don’t make a mountain of crisis out of a molehill; avoid impulse purchases. CHILL!
• TUESDAY:  Moon enters Taurus at 7:23 AM ET, ready to put New Moon energy to good use and build material comfort and security. These next three days are excellent for getting things done, with few bumps in the road. Let’s see if Congress is paying attention, as it returns to work after a two-week waste of their taxpayer-funded salaries. One bump in the road is the potential power play or catharsis suggested by Moon’s square to Pluto at 10:35 AM ET. Moon travels through the rest of the day without interference, leaving you free to build your empire.
• WEDNESDAY: Make the most of it. The Taurus Moon receives support from Mars and Saturn at 6:48 AM ET and 7:16 AM ET. Rally the troops and you may have cause for celebration around 3:19 PM ET, when Moon meets up with Jupiter. At 4:36 PM ET, Mars and Saturn meet up in Pisces, perhaps coinciding with the announcement of a mission accomplished. Moon’s meet-up with Uranus at 6:17 PM ET suggests a disruption to the status quo, surprise, surprise.
• THURSDAY: Note your dreams, as the Moon’s sextile to Neptune at 6:03 AM ET may open intuitive channels. Take it slow in the morning, given the three-hour Moon void. At 8:58 AM ET, Moon zips into Gemini, now seeking to be the cleverest, most informed person in the room. Depth to the news of the hour is provided by a trine between the Moon and Pluto at 12:22 PM ET. Caveat: the Sun-Mercury conjunction at 7:02 PM ET may put an idealized spin on the evening buzz, even though it all seems to be going so well (reflected by the Moon’s sextile to Venus at 11:47 PM ET).
• FRIDAY: And now, a couple of bumps in the road. A square between Moon and Saturn at 10:39 AM ET suggests blocks, cuts and losses. A square between Moon and Mars at 12:50 PM ET suggests going to battle over  it, possibly in words.  Balance may be restored by late evening, as Moon sextiles Mercury at 10:42 PM ET, and sextiles the Sun at 2:34 AM ET on…
• SATURDAY. It’s another morning to note your dreams, as Moon squares Neptune at 10:45 AM. Chill during the three-hour Moon void. At 1:44 PM ET, Moon enters Cancer, now focused on building and maintaining emotional, home/homeland security. Staying close to home or indulging in what nourishes you is advised for the rest of the weekend. Feed the world, already — or invite friends and family over for a home-cooked meal.
• SUNDAY: Another productive day, driven by the Cancer Moon. A square between Moon and Venus is the only potential glitch, suggesting a clash of values and social expression. Moon trines Saturn and Mars at 5:47 PM ET and 11:17 PM ET, offering structure and disciplined action as you prepare to file your taxes (if you haven’t already) and prep your agenda for the following week.

There’s plenty of news to report, and it will be delivered in a separate forecast. Don’t despair if cloudy weather ruins your view of the eclipse. You can watch the eclipse’s guest appearance on the latest episode of Saturday Night Live. But seriously, it’s a New Moon, which is an apt time to sit quietly and set your intentions for this potent new cycle.

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