Total Lunar Eclipse: Full Moon in Capricorn

Tomorrow brings the Cancer season lunar cycle to a close- the Sun in Cancer opposing and eclipsing the Moon in Capricorn. However, the effects of eclipses can be felt for months. Full moons are polarizing, and lunar eclipses bring potent energy and clarity: we are able to see what was once in the shadow. Eclipses occur on the nodal axis- the intersection points between the Earth’s orbit around the sun, and the moon’s orbit around Earth. Node is Latin for ‘knot’- and it is at these knots where two energetic pathways cross one another.

These mathematical points cannot be seen, but in some forms of astrology the nodes of the moon are considered to be shadow planets. The north node of the moon in Cancer is a symbol of the energy we are moving towards: inclusivity, compassion, and belonging. The south node of the moon in Capricorn is a symbol of the energy we are releasing: the need to control, our attachment to status, and the idea that things have to be difficult in order to be important.

The twelve zodiacal signs can be best understood as 6 polarities. We gain understanding through duality: night and dark, you and me, yin and yang. The axis of Cancer and Capricorn is an energy of belonging: Cancer representing our home and familial belonging, and Capricorn representing our worldly and outward belonging. The Sun in Cancer brings our awareness to our attachments, our sensitivity and our reactivity. The Moon in Capricorn brings our emotional awareness into our need for discipline, tough love, and the ways in which we try to restrict or control our feelings.

Choosing to remain in what is familiar stunts personal growth. Where we are moving will always be rooted in where we came from, but our past does not have to dictate our identity. Taking responsibility for our lives requires us to let go of impulse to blame others, to blame the past, and to blame our circumstances. Letting go is a choice- to rewrite the stories that limit our greatest potential and to fully participate and stay present in the unfolding of our lives.

Have the courage to change the narrative of your life- the one that makes you feel restrained, limited and unworthy.

Remember that we are all much more alike than we are different, and it is in this remembering that we open up to the possibility of greater connection and inclusion.

May this full moon bring you clarity, empowerment, and the remembrance that you belong..

Eclipse Season

Twice a year, the lunar cycles take a detour from the usual new and full moons during each zodiacal season and we experience eclipses. A solar eclipse is a new moon- and in certain parts of the world, if you witness a solar eclipse, the light of the sun is eclipsed and there is darkness. Eclipses were thought to be ominous in ancient times, as they disrupted the natural cycle of life. Lunar eclipses occur at full moons- when the moon passes behind the Earth and into its shadow. The sun, earth, and moon all align, and if you watched the lunar eclipse in January- the moon appeared to turn orange.

While the sun moves through Cancer we will experience two eclipses: first, a solar eclipse on Tuesday, July 2 and second, a total lunar eclipse on Tuesday, July 16. Eclipses are thought to be karmic events. While the wheel of the zodiac moves clockwise, the nodal axis- the axis where eclipses occur, moves counterclockwise. In order to move forward, we must also look to the past.

Beginning last year, the eclipse axis shifted from Leo and Aquarius into Cancer and Capricorn. Eclipses stay in a set of signs for about 1.5 years, and therefore it takes about 18 years to move through the entire zodiac.

Eclipses heighten energy and stimulate the areas of life symbolized by the astrological signs they occur in. In the Cancer-Capricorn axis, our focus on our home, family, roots, as well as our career, ambitions, and public life increases. The path of the sun and moon intersect, they eclipse one another. They give us a glimpse of something that was in the shadow- something we may not have been fully aware of before.

On the nodal axis, there is a north node- the direction the moon is ascending towards, and a south node- the place the moon is moving away from. The north node is symbolic of the energy we are needing more of, while the south node is a release of energy. With the north node in Cancer, our need for inclusivity, emotional sensitivity and compassion is highlighted.

The sun and moon will align on Tuesday, July 2- a new moon solar eclipse. New moons bring an inward focus, and in the sign of Cancer, that focus is on our emotional bonds, our family, and where we came from. The ideas or projects that begin at the solar eclipse may take 6 months to come to fruition, but the effects are powerful. This solar eclipse is a time to ask yourself where you feel a sense of belonging. What relationships in your life put you at ease, make you feel comfortable, and give you permission to be yourself? If the place you call home and the people you consider family are not in alignment with a sense of belonging and love, this is an opportunity to shift into a new way of being.

Eclipses can stir up energy and bring unexpected, but sometimes necessary, changes. During the days leading up to the solar eclipse, and through the end of the month, it is important to stay open-minded, flexible, and aware of your emotional reactivity. Cancer can be incredibly defensive and will shut down if it feels threatened. It is not a time to overreact, but instead to clarify and pause before speaking or acting impulsively

In the meantime, Mercury has been in its shadow for a week, and moved into the sign of Leo yesterday. Mercury will continue to slow down for the next week until it stations retrograde and begins to move backwards. Mercury retrograde is an apparent movement backward from our vantage point on Earth, and from July 7-31, it will appear to move from the early degrees of Leo back into the sign of Cancer.

June has been an intense month and has brought up a lot of challenge, frustration and difficulty. July will be a time to review and reprocess what has surfaced the last few weeks.

As we move into the weekend and the moon continues to wane, slow down, practice patience, and avoid engaging in any drama.

More on Mercury retrograde and the rest of eclipse season soon.