Friday’s Full Moon begins eclipse season in a new pair of signs, Taurus and Scorpio, which will accelerate the topics of those houses until October of 2023. Eclipses normally travel in pairs and occur every six months, when the Sun is within 18° of the nodes. They’re important as they signal change. As accelerators, they confront us with choices. We’re no longer able to sweep certain issues under the rug or look past behavior that we once turned a blind eye towards. In addition, surprising events or people can enter our life now or behave in unexpected ways that dramatically change our course direction.
Some astrologers call eclipses a “New Moon or a Full Moon on steroids”. Eclipses carry an extra punch. They’re the exclamation points of the Zodiac. With Mars in Scorpio opposing Uranus in Taurus, this Lunar Eclipse is an eclipse on steroids! Mars oppose Uranus has jail-break energy. It’s explosive, like a simmering soup that finally roils over the sides of the pot to zap the flame that’s brought the boil. This energy aims to release pressure, but the mechanism in doing so can be heated, rash and reckless. Even though the Mars-Uranus opposition is exact today, its co-sign presence with the Sun and Moon import its energy into this Eclipse.
In addition, the Moon at 27° of Taurus is conjunct the powerful fixed star Algol. Associated with Medusa and the word “alcohol”, Algol carries a warning to keep your head and self awareness. Algol energy can usher in a feeling to be proactive even if the action is more disruptive than helpful. In the process, the twins sisters of anxiety and worry gnaw at the perimeters of the mind. The best advice here is to wait to act from a place of grounded stillness.
Finally, Vesta, Keeper of the Sacred Flame, is conjunct the South Node. Vesta connects us to our path of service. In our charts, Vesta points to our commitment style (sign) and suggests the area (house) where we are often compelled toward focusing much of our energy, time and resources. Here we revitalize ourselves through work, devotion and even sacrifice. With the breaking-away signature of Mars-Uranus, this Eclipse carries the courage to boldly disengage from commitments that we’ve outgrown. We can remember where we come from, but if we don’t strive for who we are becoming, we’ll eventually roil over the sides and put out our own flame.