Inner Re-Structuring
This NM eclipse is the second in a serie of 4 eclipses this year that will collectively amount to an opening, a portal. Being a solar eclipse, the energy is one of rebirth and regeneration. Numerologically connected to the number 12 (= 3, house of Gemini), taking place in Gemini, with Mercury (ruler of Gemini) in retrograde motion conjunct the eclipsing Sun and Moon (of course, in Gemini), this renewal is very focused on communication, curiosity and discovery. Accompanied by the North Node, it invites us to ask the question; “what is the path with heart for me?” Clarity will not come fast or easy, so patience and forebearance will be required.
This eclipse has a kind of ominous character to it, and it is well-deserved, especially for those of us who are more or less dependent on modern communication technologies. Mercury R is known to mess around with these, as well as traffic, punctuality and – never forget – our minds. This is a particularly tricky Mercury R as it is very strongly placed in the chart, so one can expect a shock to the system and the resulting discomfort depending on our level of dependence on it.
However Mercury R holds within itself a subtle and powerful opportunity: That of the inward turn. Less mind, more quiet. In the article for the previous eclipse Kalen procured the 'blueprint' for the portal he informed us about earlier on. Mercury R and this particular super-lunation, is an opportunity to return, recover, restore, re-connect to something that waits deep within us. It is subtle, feminine, and very beautiful. It is the silence, the void out of which all that is new is born. And in its womb we can be re-born. A new Moon / eclipse is a perfect time for rebirth.
Astrologically speaking, leaning towards the feminine means listening to the message of the asteroids, as well as the more accepted planets. Two major asteroids that are strongly aspected in this chart are Ceres and Pallas. Before going into them however, a quick note on Chiron's placement within the persistent square between Uranus and Saturn. Chiron, the healer, is in a sextile aspect to Saturn and in a semi-sextile to Uranus. What this means is that the impulsive and risky tendency of Uranus has an agenda that does not seek to align with a healing intent, while the careful, disciplined and organized Saturn does. In other words this is a time to seek and find ways to be grounded and avoid excess. With Saturn also in retrograde motion it is abundantly clear that the rebirth we are speaking of is one of an inner re-structuring. A soft opposition to Hygeia, goddess of cleanliness and health, is worth a mention here as it gives us a clue with regard to what this restructuring is all about.
Ceres, the mother goddess, patient and nurturing, comforting in loss and grief, counterpart of Saturn, is conjunct with Uranus. Finding herself, therefore, caught up in the Uranus vs. Saturn tie (square aspect), injecting a bit of subtle 'feminine-Saturn' into Uranus, she is the peacemaker, softening the tension, rounding up the corners, as it were. This is good for us. Restructuring our inner life also means dissolving past structures, and we must do this with the due level of respect and gentleness. To add to this, it sometimes gets difficult to see a clear picture of what is being asked of us by the spirit. So the delicate and gentle ways of the mother goddess Ceres, her influence on how we find a natural independence and internal consistency, can turn out to be invaluable assets during this time.
This also reminds us of the great diplomat, Pallas. The counterpart of Mars, she never shies away from a fight, but will first explore gentler options. She is strongly linked to the energy of the number 2, which is very consistent with an eclipse in Gemini, the sign of duality. Pallas' designation is 2, and was discovered in 1802 (numerologically making 2 out of 11). Being the diplomat, and feminine, however, this does not only spell 'conflict', but also balance through connection with our intuition, the inner guide.
The matter at hand is whether we are going to be trapped by the mind, or be the ones to trap the mind.
Pallas is in conjunction to Neptune in Pisces, both forming a soft square to the eclipse and, of course, to Mercury R.
So
i. the duality of Pallas,
ii. the cloudiness and tendency for illusion and wandering that characterises Neptune and Pisces, and
iii. the tendency of Mercury R to screw around with our mental strongholds,
points us quite clearly toward a strategy of what to avoid and what to nurture during this eclipse.
The mind will be agitated, and will fire up whirlwinds of regrets, ambitions and whatever hits you hardest. It will demand anxiety and mental tensions, leading us into rash decisions and actions that will complicate things. Believing our thoughts is the trap.
This is the time to take refuge in our inner womb, that inner, quiet place of regeneration. Under the auspices of Ceres we are called to nurture ourselves and each other as one would a child, through the art of careful and caring communication. She is in the fifth house and this shows us that this nurturing and inner re-structuring is not going to be boring. It will not happen through shutting the door to the world, but of communicating with it from a deeper, truer place, through creativity, self-expression and pure, light-hearted fun. The mother goddess is inviting the inner child to come to the fore. So play.
Inner restructuring requires discipline, and this side of the job is aided by asteroid Vesta in Virgo, where it belongs. It is one of the mind's tricks, however, to oppose discipline and fun. It is surprising to discover that being grounded and disciplined is not really contrary to fun and a light-hearted attitude toward the art of living, but actually a condition for its possibility.
Have fun