On Eclipses

Eclipses have long been observed by humanity. The first documentation of such is speculated to have been represented in ancient pictographs in 3340 BCE, swirling spheres carved into stone. Curious and frightening, these phenomena stirred much thought and emotion in ancient people across the globe. Various cultures had their own rituals to maneuver these events, many reacting in fear. The word eclipse originates with the Greek word for 'abandonment'. The great life-supporting lights disappearing suddenly from the sky would be quite the shock, and many cultures believed them to be omens of endings or death. While places like India would immerse themselves in ritual water baths in support of the Sun through it's struggle, others like China and the MesoAmerican Mayans would bang on drums to scare off the Great Dragon who they thought swallowed the luminaries, contrastingly, those such as Mesopotamia would perform a ritual of swapping of Kings to satiate the gods' wrath in hopes that their ruler would not meet their demise.

With the belief that eclipses brought endings, superstition has existed and lingers around these mysterious events. Many astrologers who study older forms of astrology will carry on this tradition of recommending avoidance of encountering the 'baleful rays' of the weakened luminaries. I will often recommend more caution to be taken only should the luminaries or the house governed by the sign of the eclipse are activated for the individual.

Poppies i; Aspen, July 2022; 35mm film

Anaxagoras, an Ionian scholar and philosopher born in 500 BCE, is credited as one of the first to correctly deduce that the Moon did not host it's own light, but instead that the Sun shone it's light upon the Moon's surface. He would later assert that a solar eclipse happens when the Moon's shadow is cast upon the Earth, and that the Earth's shadow is cast upon the Moon during a lunar eclipse.

With modern understanding, it is known that eclipses occur when the Sun, Moon, and Earth align, causing one body to block light from another. A solar eclipse happens at the New Moon, when the Moon passes between the Earth and Sun, partially or fully blocking sunlight. A lunar eclipse occurs at the Full Moon, when the Earth comes between the Sun and Moon, casting a shadow that gives the Moon a reddish hue. Eclipses are classified into five types—total, partial, annular, penumbral, and hybrid—based on alignment and distance. Total eclipses fully obscure the luminary, while partial eclipses only do so partially. Annular eclipses happen when the Moon is too far from Earth to fully block the Sun, creating a halo effect. Penumbral lunar eclipses involve only Earth’s outer shadow, and hybrids shift between annular and total along their path. Astrologically, eclipses occur when the New or Full Moon is near the lunar nodes—within 9º55′ for solar and 3º45′ for lunar eclipses. The maximum distance for an eclipse to occur is 18º31′ for a New Moon and 12º15′ for a Full Moon.

Poppies ii; Aspen, July 2022; 35mm film

Looking back in time, the Babylonians are known to have kept vigorous record of various astrological phenomena including that on eclipses. In 2024 four cuneiform tablets were translated, dated to between 1894 and 1595 BCE, and were found to hold some of the oldest documentation of eclipses and corresponding omens, or predictions.

Because of the vigorous nature of their data collection, the Babylonians were able to track larger cycles within series of eclipses over the course of around 1300 years. These series of eclipses are called Saros Series and, in short, move from either the North Pole down or the South Pole up. You can read more on these cycles in Bernadette Brady’s book on predictive astrology, The Eagle and the Lark. Brady reflects that one of the reasons eclipses can be so unpredictable is because we may be experiencing eclipses from different Saros Series within any given eclipse cycle. She likens it to distinguishing between leaves upon the forest floor in the autumn months.

With the unpredictable nature of eclipses, some may be felt incredibly strong, whereas the next could be entirely forgettable. It can be challenging to offer any hard prediction around what they may bring up for the individual, though we can make educated guesses based on where these eclipses are taking place within the native’s chart, what planets are being activated, and what aspects are being made to any personal placements at the time. What is generally agreed upon, however, is that eclipses are crossroads, often bringing new information, choices, and redirection into our lives. We can also expect energy to wane before, during, or after these phenomena, some transits may show up like a breeze stirred up after a moving vehicle whizzes by, not feeling their effect until after the transit has already subsided. We can support our bodies during eclipse season through ensuring ample rest and hydration, and general care of our emotional body.

As always, wishing you well as we enter the portal that is eclipse season.