The Leo Solar Eclipse, August 21, 2017

The Cosmic Story: Leo Solar Eclipse, August 21, 2017

The Great American Eclipse at

29* Leo: The Heart of the Lion

The Day Sky gives us Life. The Night Sky gives us meaning.

The Milky Way~Womb of our Galaxy

This ‘Great American’ total solar eclipse has turned into an event, as only America can throw one. Millions of Americans are journeying to see this celestial show that stretches from Oregon to South Carolina. The Earth, Moon and Sun line up so well at totality that we’ll get a chance to see the Sun’s corona, it’s outer atmosphere. It will look like a black hole surrounded by iridescent, scintillating, delicate colors. And ‘day will become night’ as we see the winter constellations, usually hidden by our summer Sun as well as Regulus at the ‘heart of the Lion’, Mercury, Venus, Mars and perhaps Jupiter in the dark sky.

There’s a 70 mile area stretching across the US where the eclipse will be total for around 2+ minutes. Everywhere else in the US will experience it as a partial eclipse. The entire length of the eclipse will be about 6 hours. For more information about the eclipse and where to see it, go to GreatAmericanEclipse.com.

The United States is the only country this total eclipse crosses. And it’s the first total solar eclipse to pass over only the continental US since the country’s founding in 1776. It’s also the first time in 99 years that an eclipse is visible across the continental US. 

There are many articles about how this solar eclipse will affect the US and Donald Trump’s chart specifically. (See: Eclipse impact) But more important, this eclipse opposes America’s Sibly 4^th of July chart’s Moon at 28* Aquarius. The Moon symbolizes We the People (We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity...) This is a chance for all of us to wake up to our unity, and our responsibilities to each other, to Mother Earth and to the future.

 

So we can’t mistake the heavenly advice: America, wake up and pay attention.

It is the American People, not the government or the power structures, that this Leo Solar Eclipse calls to. It is our wake-up call to create that more perfect Union. Not only in America, but with the whole world. But first we have to be at one with ourselves. Only then will we stop living in fear and start moving toward hope. To do that, we have to listen to our heart’s truest desires. And then follow our heart’s hope into the future.

This eclipse occurs on one of the four ancient ‘royal’ stars – Regulus, the King. It is the star at the heart of the constellation of Leo. For thousands of years, this bright star was in tropical Leo but in 2012, it moved by precession into Virgo, the Virgin. So while it still represents the King, the underlying energy is the Goddess’ love. So now The Queen takes center stage. With Mars and the North Node so close to this eclipse, perhaps the true King will awaken and return in this time of need. And women will call him forth.

Queen of Wands~ Thoth Deck

Eclipses signify shifts, completions, endings, and releasing along with new beginnings, new directions and openings. Because the Full Moon in Aquarius this month was sandwiched between two Leo New Moons, our cosmic instructions want us to bring our sovereignty, power, leadership, gifts and visions into the world. We need to learn the right way to use personal power. We old hippies learned from Carlos Castaneda and don Juan and don Genaro. This is Queenship and Kingship. We all have personal power, and so we can no longer make believe we don’t have access to power, or reject, misuse or neglect our innate power – to create, to imagine, to help, to love. Learn to let Love guide your use of power.

How do we use our power? To control or to contribute? Do we access our power from a place of Love or fear? When we give our power away, how do we reclaim it? How do we ‘stand in our power’? How do we become channels for power?

Leo rules the Heart and this eclipse opens the heart of the lion. My hope is that our collective masculine energy (especially in men) will focus on being warriors of Love and Light, releasing the Leo shadow characteristics of arrogance, self-importance, overweening pride and the need to be right.

The eclipse will affect Donald Trump’s natal chart in a big way—it sits on his Leo Mars and Ascendant, so it might change the way he deals with people and issues. Or it will keep him stuck in his own old story while his karma comes due. So far it seems to be making him more angry and volatile. (the eclipse is on his Leo Mars and Ascendant). As with all of us, it’s all about opportunities and choices. Opportunities and Choices.

The eclipse’s effect might last from 6 months to over 2 years, so don’t expect a miracle on August 21^st. Take the energy in and let it move around you and settle in. The results will come. Especially watch what happens on September 3^rd, when Mars reaches the eclipse degree. Also, Mercury retrograde will station on the degree of this eclipse, 28* Leo, on September 5^th. You might get a hint of what new thing you’ve birthed then. Pay attention to your dreams for these next few weeks. I’ll be hosting a free on-line dream discussion of eclipse dreams in early September. Watch for it.

This Leo total Solar Eclipse occurs on Monday, August 21^st at 11:30 am PDT/ 2:30pm EDT/ 6:30pm GMT. Wherever you are, if you look up to the Sun during the eclipse, you need special glasses to protect your eyes.

This total solar eclipse occurs at 29* Leo, right on the royal star Regulus, the heart of the Lion. Sabian symbol for the Sun and Moon at 29* Leo is: A Mermaid Emerges From The Ocean Waves Ready For Rebirth In Human Form. Mermaids are magical beings who can navigate the great realm of the Collective Unconscious. Psychologically, they represent a new feeling and energy that arises out of our collective longing for a different life. For a mermaid to be reborn in a human form symbolizes the incarnation of that new feeling attuned to the World Soul. A new beginning for the Divine Feminine. It is the heart’s desire for a unified experience of life, one in which the head and the heart work together. It is a shared longing for a deeper, richer, more conscious, collective life.

Linda Olsen

In ancient times, eclipses were viewed with fear, but we now understand them in totally different ways. An eclipse is like a vortex that can take you out of your ‘normal’ perceptions of life and leave you with a different view. Just think what happens during a total solar eclipse.

When the Sun goes DARK, we see not only its crown of light (its corona) but also the Universe. We could say that the Sun, our sense of ‘reality’ and even of Spirit, is shut out and we see the wonder of the Cosmos. At the solar eclipse, our ego light (Sun) withdraws so that we can see the mystery behind it – the universal Mind.

We humans hold the universal Heart. Chiron in Pisces forms an inconjunct to this solar eclipse, asking us to include the longings of the heart of humanity. The Heart develops what Mind conceives. When we get that glimpse of eternity before the light of the Sun returns, our reality is changed forever.

On a psychological level, the Sun symbolizes our identity, our sense of self, our ego consciousness. When the unconscious blocks out that ego-consciousness, we can see two things about ourselves. We can see our Shadows, those parts of ourselves we might be ashamed of, so we project them onto others. But we also get to see our souls—the part of us that is Eternal, and so we see the big picture of the cosmos, which gives us a different perspective on who we are and what we think we’re here on Earth for.

Let go of all the old patriarchal categories we’ve lived under: how much money you need to make, who and what you should love, the things that define you. Let them go and let a new story, a new vision, a new category slip into place. This is the gift of this eclipse – finding your true ‘heart’ which has been eclipsed by patriarchal rules.

As it has been for the past 5 years, the Uranus in Aries square to Pluto in Capricorn molds and shelters this eclipse. But now we can add to it Venus and Ceres in Cancer and Jupiter in Libra, bringing in new hope, love and the Goddess of Light to help us on our way. The grand cardinal square of Uranus, Eris, Venus, Ceres, Jupiter and Pluto is the energy that will move this eclipse energy into the future. When we own ourselves and stay true to our hearts (Uranus/Eris in Aries) we search our souls to feed our emotional bodies (Venus/Ceres in Cancer) with the connection, beauty and balance (Jupiter in Libra) that rebuilds our society along partnership lines (Juno/Pluto in Capricorn).

We are still within the fiery triangle of Uranus and Eris in Aries, Sun, Moon, Mars & North Node in Leo and Saturn in Sagittarius, adding passion, inspiration and creativity to our journey. Just don’t let the fire get out of hand and turn destructive.

Mercury retrograde and Vesta in Virgo is opposite Neptune retrograde in Pisces, offering us a direct pipeline to the Unconscious. It’s important to open up to the messages of the Unconscious, while at the same time being aware of what is real and what is illusion.  That’s where Saturn retrograde in Sagittarius comes in. It forms a T-square with this opposition, asking us to be responsible for the images that inform us.

Fake news isn’t just a ploy by Trump and his gang to confuse us. The Unconscious is vast and untamed, and it can overwhelm us as well as heal us. You have to be able to discern what is coming from your heart from what your left brain rationality will want. When in doubt, bring your images and understanding to a guide to help you decipher the mystery that unfolds in you during this eclipse.

I want to tell you a story, since I believe that stories speak to our souls and organize our energies into wholeness. This story spoke to me about the meaning of this heart-centered eclipse. Let it open your hearts to the mystery. This tale is by Anne Bishop in her series Ephemera.

Long ago, beyond my memory and yours, spirits who were the voice of the world walked among us. And they knew things no ordinary human could know. Like the secret to using the Door of Locks.

Now the Door of Locks was hidden in a garden that lived in the heart of a magic hill, and that hill was the country home of the spirits who resided in this part of the land. When a person had a powerful need for something that was just beyond his grasp, he would set his feet on the road and follow his heart—and if the spirits decided he was worthy, he would find that garden.

And when he reached the garden, which was protected by high walls and a barred gate, a spirit would appear and ask, “What do you seek?”

Now, a foolish man might say he was seeking gold or jewels or some other kind of treasure. He might be allowed to enter the garden after giving such an answer—but he might not. Because the correct answer to the question—and this is most important to remember—the correct answer is “I seek the hope that lives within my heart.” Give the spirit that answer, and the garden’s gate will always open.

And then, once you’re inside . . . It’s a lovely place, as beautiful as a dream, and you’re allowed to wander and look and sit for as long as you please. When you’re ready, the spirit takes you to the Door of Locks.

There are one hundred identical locks on the door, and while you’re standing there, trying to fathom it all, the spirit reaches into your heart and takes out a key, and says, “Every lock leads to a different place that lives within you. Some are dark places, some are light places, some are full of struggle and sorrow while others will shower your days with joy. Choose a lock. The key will fit any one of them. Choose where your heart needs to go. Choose.”

And that is what you must do—choose. Now, some people are hasty, ignoring the spirit’s warning about the nature of the locks and thinking that since the locks all look the same they’ll all be the same. And some people don’t ask for the lock they truly want because it’s high up in a corner of the door or too low to the ground and they don’t want to be inconveniencing the spirit and they figure a lock that’s easy to reach will do just as well.

But it won’t do as well. I’ll tell you that now. It won’t do, and if you settle for what is easy instead of what you truly want, you may never discover the hope that lives in your heart.

So you choose wisely, and you choose well, and you pick the lock that matters the most to you at that moment. Then the spirit takes the key that was plucked from your heart and slips it into that lock.

It changes you. It doesn’t matter if you end up in a place you didn’t know existed or in the village where you’ve lived your whole life. It changes you—and you will never again see the world in quite the same way.

Except we’ve lost the way of it, you see.

A dark and terrible Evil swept through the land in that long-ago time, and the spirits disappeared. Some say they were all destroyed in a great battle against that Evil. Others say that those who survived went into hiding and still tend the magic garden. No one knows the answer, just as no one knows how to find the magic hill or a spirit who can pluck a key out of a person’s heart and open the Door of Locks.

But I can tell you this. That magical place still exists. And someday someone will remember how to find it—and how to open the door that leads to all the hope that lives in the heart. ~Elandar story

(Belladonna by Anne Bishop, ROC Books, New York, NY. pg. 211-212).

May you find your Heart’s Hope.

Cathy

SELF-PORTRAIT

It doesn't interest me if there is one God
or many gods.
I want to know if you belong or feel
abandoned,
if you can know despair or see it in others.
I want to know
if you are prepared to live in the world
with its harsh need
to change you. If you can look back
with firm eye,
saying this is where I stand. I want to know
if you know
how to melt into that fierce heat of living,
falling toward
the center of your longing. I want to know
if you are willing
to live, day by day, with the consequence of love
and the bitter
unwanted passion of your sure defeat.

I have heard, in that fierce embrace, even
the gods speak of God.

~ David Whyte ~

(River Flow)

Aquarius/Leo Lunar Full Moon Eclipse, August 7. 2017

The Cosmic Story: Aquarius/Leo Lunar Full Moon Eclipse, August 7, 2017

Lammas & The Power Gate of Leo

With this Monday’s Aquarius Full Moon, which is a partial lunar eclipse, we are half-way through the Sun’s journey in Leo. A lunar eclipse is a potent Full Moon which offers us a chance to release old emotional patterns we’re still holding onto. On the Aquarius/Leo axis, those patterns relate to how we hold ourselves back to ‘fit in’, how we hold onto ideals and judgments that no longer serve us, and most especially, how we let our heads overrule our hearts. How we dim our light.

All eclipses help us shift our reality. The light and energy of the Sun is blocked out from the Moon by the Earth, disrupting and then re-aligning energies. This eclipse asks, how can we let our Leo leadership abilities, our creativity and our bravery shine out to add to, not take away from, the Aquarius group Mind? I like to think of Aquarius as The Round Table where we all sit as equals, and this eclipse tells us to stop being afraid to let ourselves shine out, especially when we’re with our group. So let your Lioness roar and call out to your group. The roars from your pride will come back to you. And then let your group—your pride—support you.

  

In Leo, we look to the characteristics of the lion to understand why Leo is associated with the Sun as well as the Heart. While male lions are often solitary, groups of lionesses live together with their cubs and a few lions, forming a pride. Male lions protect the pride, and it is in this role of defender that we see Leo’s leadership ability. Both male and females hunt for the entire pride and perhaps that’s where Leo’s well-known generosity is rooted. Lions are also playful – one of the ways lionesses teach their young. Just as humans play with their kittens! Don’t forget, fun is definitely a Leo word! And passion! Another good Leo word, for passion ignites consciousness!

We are most creative and ourselves when we’re having fun!

Lions and lionesses are featured in most ancient mythologies and depicted in cave paintings and temple carvings from over 40,000 years ago. From Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia to the Americas, lions have been connected with royalty. Lions came to represent kingship and bravery, while lionesses were seen as fierce hunters and warriors. Many ancient goddesses have lionesses supporting and upholding them. The fierceness of a mama Lioness protecting her cubs is well known and these ancient lioness goddesses were invoked to protect their people. 

 

Sekhmet ~ Katlyn Breene

 

Perhaps that’s what we are being called upon to do now as the Sun and Mars dance in Leo. The divine Feminine warrior has been resurrected (have you seen Wonder Woman?—definitely in tune with the new Venus in Aries cycle) so we look to Sekhmet, the Lion-headed Goddess of Egypt to show us what a feminine solar warrior does. She shows us how to protect our people, our world, our Mother Earth from the savagery of patriarchal beliefs, especially from the cancerous religion of capitalism. She fights and will destroy, she heals and protects, she loves and rejoices. She has 10,000 names.

Did you know that we have fossil remains of lions from over 500,000 years ago? 10,000 years ago, during the Age of Leo, the lion was the most widespread large land mammal after humans. No wonder the ancient Egyptians honored the mysterious Sphinx, which might have come down to us from that long-ago age, along with Sekhmet, whom you met in my 1^st Leo New Moon newsletter. (if you didn’t already know her!) The strength, power and beauty of these lady warriors is returning to our collective consciousness; not as pale imitations of male heroes but as uniquely powerful women warriors who also know the power of love.

The Queen has returned!

The Lionsgate

This year, the opening of the Lionsgate is especially potent, since astrologically, the Leo Power Gate is at 15* Leo (just as there is a powergate at 15* Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius). With the Full Moon occurring at 15*25’ Aquarius/Leo, we are truly in this energetic vortex. This is the degree in these four power signs that is a doorway to the riches of each of these archetypal journeys. In Leo, the riches we discover are self-confidence, power, leadership, pride, creativity, self-awareness and light, our light. In Aquarius, we discover our visions for the future, our connection with society and our archetypal Mind. This Aquarius Moon will shape and embody these Leo gifts, will take Leo’s offerings and shift out what is useful for our collective well-being.

1st Harvest

This is the season of Lammas, the Celtic festival of first harvest, when the King sacrifices himself for the good of the land. It is the festival of first fruits, which are always offered to the gods. For each of us, it is a time to celebrate the beauty and wonder of life as well as to release/sacrifice those aspects of our character—you can call it the Shadow—that interfere with us shining our light into the world. You can read my Lammas story at The Bard’s Grove. It’s also interesting that after Lammas, the light begins to decrease rapidly as the Sun descends toward the equator at Autumn Equinox (for the Northern Hemisphere—Down South, Happy Imbolc!).

So in this time of great Light, we are called to shine out at the approaching darkness. This is our time to do it, if there ever was a time in history. Chaos is breaking through, as the grip of patriarchy loses its strength. An old order is dying and if we want to create the ‘paradise’ that we actually have the potential to create, we have to step up. We have to stop wars, stop the degradation of our environment, have to stop poisoning our food, our people and our minds. Those in power won’t stop—these poisons give them power. We the people—especially Americans who will be singularly affected by the August 21^st total solar eclipse—are responsible for our future. That’s the whole promise of America, isn’t it? Self-determination. So as light-bringers, our work is to be creative and find ways to heal the minds and hearts of our fearful neighbors.

LOVE TRUMPS FEAR.

The Aquarius-Leo Full Moon partial Lunar Eclipses

The eclipse occurs on Monday, August 7, 2017 at 11:10am PDT/ 2:10pm EDT/ 6:10pm GMT. This lunar eclipse will be seen all around the world except for the Americas. Since we’re the only ones getting hit by the solar eclipse in two weeks, we can’t complain!

The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 16* Aquarius is: A big businessman at his desk. Oh, this symbol can be taken quite literally about you know who! Or we can see someone who understands how to organize large groups of people and things. As a sign of collective consciousness, Aquarius can be future-oriented (Uranus as ruler) or stuck in conventionality (Saturn as ruler). Let’s vote for an organizer who understands what people need and want. So use your imagination to figure out how to release the control and greed factors of being a ‘big businessman’ within your own psyche – that’s the Shadow to be released. Let life flow a bit and let it reorganize itself. The true patterns of life will emerge. Then you’ll know what to do.

The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 16* Leo is: The storm ended, all nature rejoices in brilliant sunshine. The potential of this degree is a release from ‘the dark night of the soul’, a rebirth of the light and a new beginning. Here comes the Sun! And life rises up in response.

As this new life arises, let it self-organize. Don’t be afraid to be weird or original if that’s what life demands. Who knows what we’re really here for?

Reading the story of the chart is interesting. All 4 elements are involved and therefore we have lots of trines, which create blessings for us. Creativity, opportunity, an open Mind and Heart are the gifts attending this eclipse. Earth—Pallas in Taurus, Mercury and Vesta in Virgo, Juno and Pluto in Capricorn; Water—Venus and Ceres in Cancer, Neptune and Chiron in Pisces; Fire—Eris and Uranus in Aries, Mars, Sun, Moon and North Node in Leo, Saturn in Sagittarius; Air—Jupiter in Libra, Moon and South Node in Aquarius.

As you can see, fire is definitely strong with air fanning the flames. This is a lot of masculine energy. We have lots of inspiration, passion, vitality. It wants to go into something or it will burn through your life. The feminine energies of earth and water use their magic to tame and channel those energies though. Understand that your emotions, when named, become feelings which can tell you what you value. Earth is your grounding, so you don’t fly away into the vortex. Remember, the feminine warrior! We have the ability to ground and nurture all that creativity, especially with the Moon tempering the wild winds of Jupiter into the solid, contained Leo bonfire.

The Leo Sun is once again aligned with Mars in Leo, just like at the 1^st Leo New Moon. The Aquarius Moon will be blocked from making her usual judgments by the eclipse, so see where your Martian energy wants to take you. Let it play—Mars is just an aspect of Eros—the god of desire! Listen to your heart—your head is anchored in the past (South Node in Aquarius conjunct Moon). Old friends, groups, communities, goals, ideals will tug at you. Stand your ground; let Pallas Athena help, because the wise strategist squares this Full Moon from Taurus. Let that peaceful energy shift through all the things we think we ‘need to do’ and find what we ‘want to do’.

The fire of Eris in Aries will block any effort to go ‘against the heart’ by creating discord in your life—so listen for the signs. But if you resonant with the cosmic laws of life, Saturn will hone your desires and help build trust in the outcome. Both Uranus, which just turned retrograde on August 2^nd and the Leo North Node add a bit of color and celestial magic to the fires burning within and without. (2017 is the worst year for fires on record.) We need to contain our inner fires—as within so without! Let’s work some Earth magic and help stop those fires as we stop burning. What’s happening in the world is intense, but don’t get caught up in it. Be in the world but not of it. Listen to your own rhythm—your heart’s rhythm.

Jupiter in the air sign of Libra expands and accelerates our quest for wholeness and balance, and adds this beneficent energy to the Full Moon. If we want to heal the divide between us, we have to heal the divide within us. Balance your feminine imagination with your masculine rationality, your receptive side with your assertive side, your love with your will.

Know your desires, check in to see if your heart agrees and let Pallas in Taurus find ways to build it into your life. The universe will provide us with opportunities and choices. Pallas can help with the choices. She’s connected with the power and riches of Pluto in Capricorn and has the analytical awareness of both Mercury and Vesta in Virgo to shape it into a masterful form. Trust Pallas’ groundedness—she knows how to deal with things. Just don’t repress your Sun/Mars energy! You’ll probably end up hurting yourself.

Go outside and be in nature so you can hear Mother Earth’s wisdom.

Venus and Ceres, the nurturing Mother, swim together in Cancer. Our hearts need are our hearts need. Love what really nurtures your growth, not what nurtures your fears. This aspect is like the Tarot card, the Empress. She is life’s fertility, beauty, peace and abundance. Let her swim and imagine, because Neptune in Pisces will support her imaginings with the power of the Collective Unconscious. The World Soul needs us to acknowledge what we’ve rejected and vilified. Instead of power, ask for love. Instead of work, ask for creative expression. Instead of money, ask for vitality and fun. Instead of fear, ask for hope!

Uranus begins its yearly retrograde on August 2-3 at 29* Aries: The music of the spheres. It’s time to turn within and listen to the voice of your soul. The wisdom is there. Pay attention to your dreams – the best source of news about YOU!

Jupiter in Libra has its 3^rd and final square with Pluto in Capricorn on August 4^th. Jupiter expands and accelerates, while Pluto takes us deep into our evolutionary path. Watch for the signs – it’s time to deepen! The movie Detroit comes out today. It’s about social justice or injustice. Will we heed the message? Jupiter/Pluto evolution.

Mercury goes retrograde on August 12^th at 12* Virgo. The Sabian symbol for 12* Virgo is: After the wedding the groom lifts the veil from his bride. The feminine is the dream of love and connection, of safety and home. The masculine must unveil that dream and act on it.

The most fun part of this retrograde is that Mercury stops and turns direct on September 5^th at the degree of the Total Solar Eclipse at 29* Leo: A mermaid emerges from the ocean waves, ready for rebirth in human form. The longings of the heart cannot be ignored forever. Mercury wants us to name it, be it, and do it.

On August 15-16, Venus opposes Pluto and she squares Jupiter. When love comes up against power and expansion, it’s always wise to listen to your body, trust your intuition and know your values.

This lunar eclipse is speaking to us Baby Boomers born between 1946-1950, when Pluto traveled between 12*-16* Leo. Our evolutionary path is calling to us. Be The Fool and follow your dreams!

Until next time. See you at the Solar Eclipse!

Blessings,

Cathy

Red Bird Explains Himself

“Yes, I was the brilliance floating over the snow
and I was the song in the summer leaves, but this was
only the first trick
I had hold of among my other mythologies,
for I also knew obedience: bring sticks to the nest,
food to the young, kisses to my bride.

But don’t stop there, stay with me: listen.

If I was the song that entered your heart
then I was the music of your heart, that you wanted and needed,
and thus wilderness bloomed that, with all its
followers: gardeners, lovers, people who weep
for the death of rivers.

And this was my true task, to be the
music of the body. Do you understand? for truly the body needs
a song, a spirit, a soul. And no less, to make this work,
the soul has need of a body,
and I am both of the earth and I am of the inexplicable
beauty of heaven
where I fly so easily, so welcome, yes,
and this is why I have been sent, to teach this to your heart.”

~ Mary Oliver ~

(Red Bird)