While it is a complex story its worthwhile visualising a large square energy pattern, representing the grand cross, with the earth a tiny dot in the centre. This square is then intersected by a singular shaft of energy appearing out of the sun piercing the earth and then through the moon. This shaft continues in both directions one end into the sign of Pisces, the other out to Virgo.
So we on the earth are locked into this enormous, intense and life changing square, while being pierced by this initiating shaft of healing power. (I am reminded of the 9 Jyoti-Lingam temples in India, where a shaft from the heavens is said to pierce nine ancient Shiva temples, through the entire earth and out into the ether on the other side. The Lingam is the symbol for the fertilising phallic power of Shiva the sacred masculine, while the earth is the Mother’s yoni.)
No wonder the depth and the pace of our evolution has stepped up a few notches!
As I’ve written in Nova, these two intersecting patterns have some very significant crossovers. The eclipsing Sun and Moon in Pisces, accompanied by Chiron and Ceres around on the South Node send great sextiles to the Pluto/Lilith conjunction in Capricorn and equally supportive trines to Kali in Cancer. The latter three then trine and sextile the North Node and Jupiter in Virgo.
In traditional karmic astrology, sextiles and trines to the Nodes of the Moon are enormously supportive in our ongoing soul evolution, as they draw out the very best from our past life history from the South node so that this energy can flow on more powerfully towards the realisation of our North Node soul purposes.
Both the Pluto/Lilith conjunction and the Kali position describe the transformative and Tantric forces that stem from the lower chakras, in the deepest layers of the sacred masculine and feminine within each of us. So we can say that the degree of success in our ongoing evolution is deeply influenced by how much we can tap into these primal layers of self. And there is no doubt these are pretty scary energies to the average mortal but with the benevolence support of the great healers Chiron and Hygeia, amply assisted by the gracious Jupiter, we can access these energies like never before.
What I’ve described here, I have just realised, mirrors what Andrew Harvey has to say about becoming a sacred activist; that the fuel needed to take our inner spiritual practices into passionate engagement in the world stems from two sources: the reclamation of the sacred feminine and, the conscious use of authentic tantric practices.
The Second Eclipse March 23
The themes of the first eclipse flow obviously into the second one, with a significant difference; the eclipsing Sun and Moon in Aries and Libra respectively activate the elements of fire and air, alongside the continuing multiple planets in Pisces. If you have anything in your personal chart at 3° of either sign, then that part of self is up for some big awakenings.
The ongoing themes include Chiron, Ceres and South node are exactly together at 21° of Pisces, while Jupiter and Hygeia stay conjunct the North node, an obvious continuation of the healing themes and opportunities of this time. The portals into both past life territory and future soul visions also remain open and available.
And, if you can imagine it, the second eclipse is even more witchy*, with the Sun conjunct the Witch Queen/medicine woman Hekate while sextiling her equally fierce cousin Medusa in Aquarius. And each of these potent sorceresses have is interesting male companions with them, with Mercury in Aries and Eros in Aquarius. There’s some serious magic in all of this, including sexual magic and even an element of playful, mischievous energy.
And since the Moon is in exactly the opposite position, she also has aspects to each of them. As she does with Mars in Sagittarius, who also trines the Sun/Mercury/Hekate conjunction, while sextiling Medusa and Eros. Again, more fire and passion giving rise to the need for some energetic physical expression as well as lighting up the urge to act decisively on the basis of whatever insights and spiritual awakenings arise within during this eclipse season.
So it is a particularly good eclipse for shamanic and women’s work, the sacred dance and other more energetic spiritual practice. It also highlights the masculine feminine balances or imbalances, highlighted by the Mars driven Aries Sun and the Venusian Libran Moon, with Mars in good aspects to the medicine women and, an opposition between Shiva in Taurus and Juno the goddess of marriage in Scorpio.
There is enough polarisation in this mix to challenge old relationship patterning but with enough energetic support to make some life enhancing changes. These more expressive dynamics will be a good balance to Venus in Pisces getting entangled with a wide Neptune/Saturn square, which can produce a confusing mix of openings and closings around our relationship experiences.
All in all, the second eclipse has a greater expressive charge to it, one that will have some refreshing qualities to it, given the preponderance of energy moving through Pisces in the last months as well as the initial eclipse. The urge to act will be significantly stronger and there is a sense of relief moving out of a swampier time into the clear energies of fire and air.
Go well with all of it,
Love and Blessings
*I use the word witchy in both a tongue in cheek manner, considering that in olden times all eclipses were considered to be dark, evil and witchy, in that negative use of the word. And, with great respect mixed with love and humour.