This article is partly technical astrological interpretation, partly an opinion piece.
2020 is gifting us with two eclipse seasons. Each eclipse season is made up of three eclipses. The first season started with a lunar eclipse at 15° Sagittarius on the 5th June, followed by a solar eclipse at 0° Cancer on the 21st June. We have reached the end of our first eclipse season with a lunar eclipse at 13° Capricorn on the 5th July. The next eclipse season will start on 30th November.
During a lunar eclipse, the light of the full Moon is temporarily cut off as the Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow. Depending on how much of the Moon passes through this shadow, we get a partial or total lunar eclipse.
Lunar eclipses always take place during a full Moon. When the Moon is fully illuminated, we can see situations and people clearly for what they are – unlike at a new Moon, when there is no light and we are left in the dark. Astrologically, the full Moon brings a swelling of situations and culminating events. We gain insights into the results of past actions and attitudes and can evaluate and discern more objectively.
A lunar eclipse amplifies the effects of a full Moon greatly. Here, we may experience either a power surge or a power outage. Unlike a solar eclipse, where the Sun and the Moon are occupying the same sign, a lunar eclipse brings together the two opposite signs the Sun and Moon are occupying. This lunar eclipse is in Capricorn – a cardinal, action-oriented sign – and includes its counterpart Cancer, the current position of the Sun.
On a personal level, a pull might now come to a head between our need to achieve and express ourselves in the material world through our work and career endeavours and our need to care for our home, family and loved ones and cater to what we think society and our peers expect of us. We can now see clearly how we may favour one over the other and may well be motivated to find a more balanced approach.
This lunar eclipse also brings to a head events and situations associated with all things Capricorn: big corporations and governments, heads of state and authority figures in our lives (e.g. father, landlord, boss, doctor, etc.). These people may now experience sudden changes, restructuring and shifts in power. Bans, verdicts and decisions can occur suddenly and be life-altering.
Small businesses are ruled by Cancer and are therefore also affected. The potential for floods, droughts, mudslides and seismic activity increases (e.g. earthquakes in the Los Angeles area during the lunar eclipse in July 2020). Buildings, construction, and the control of countries and boundaries can be impacted. Cancer also rules women, family matters, our home, our emotions and the public mood.
The effects of a lunar eclipse in Capricorn are strong and fast, occurring up to two weeks before the eclipse day and lasting from between three months to a year after. Eclipses come in cycles and are repeated approximately every 18 years (Saros cycle). If this eclipse has a strong effect on you, you may wish to reflect on what happened in your life during the previous cycle, in 2002.
This lunar eclipse is also at the South Node, which generally has a more challenging impact than a North Node eclipse. Having said that, a South Node eclipse can also bring fortunate circumstances: a time for relaxing, releasing, cleansing, renunciation, welcome returns from the past, soul connections, second chances, opportunities to pay off debts, psychological understanding, relief and spiritual awakening.
To determine if this eclipse will have an impact on you or not depends on the following:
- An accurate birth time for your natal chart.
- If the degree of the lunar eclipse is within 3° of a natal planet, angle or other point of interest (midpoints etc.) in your natal chart.
For example, if a planet is conjunct, square or opposite the eclipse by 3°, the planet’s sign and house placement will be emphasised and there are opportunities for old patterns to change in this area. Astrologers use different orbs; I use a 3° orb. Having said that, if the eclipse falls within 1° of a planet or angle, making a conjunction, opposition or square to it, it will have a dramatic effect on all matters the planet symbolises. This means, if you have any planets or angles (Ascendant, Descendant, Midheavan or Imum Coeli) at 10° to 16° of Capricorn, Aries, Libra or Cancer, this eclipse will effect you.
Chart of lunar eclipse on 5 July 2020 in the UK
In addition to the important Cancer-Capricorn themes, this eclipse is influenced by a wide square to transiting Chiron. The Asteroid Chiron, the wounded healer – but also the maverick and great teacher – is currently traversing the sign of Aries. Chiron in Aries experiences wounding, but also healing, when expressing its desires, assertiveness and anger. With Chiron in Aries, many may feel impotent in expressing what they want, feel and desire at this moment in time, somehow sensing that they are fundamentally not allowed to BE – the ultimate mojo of Aries, which is I am.
One of the expressions of Chiron in Aries in our current climate is people, and even children, wearing masks. In the UK, wearing a mask is not mandatory. Besides this, no study has ever shown that masks are actually effective in protecting against viruses. A virus particle is infinitely smaller than the pore of any mask. Masks also inhibit one’s oxygen intake, making it difficult to breathe (https://web.archive.org/web/20200509053953/https:/www.oralhealthgroup.com/features/face-masks-dont-work-revealing-review/). Hence many people only cover their mouths, but not their nose, with their mask. “I can’t breathe!” is not only a dark reminder of the Floyd incident.
A mask also increases the re-inhalation of one´s owns germs and bacteria and our CO2 intake, which may create a fertile ground for the development of gum and other diseases (https://londonreal.tv/unmasking-the-lies-around-covid-19-facts-vs-fiction-of-the-coronavirus-pandemic/). Masks also dehumanise us, for we cannot hear what the other person is saying and cannot see each other´s facial expressions.
Many young people have accessorised flower patterned and thick black masks made of not very breathable material. Here, it seems, looks and following fashion trends is the primary concern, not health issues – unaware of that the mask actually makes its wearer look muzzled and disempowered. In some cases, wearing a mask may also be accompanied by a dose of virtue-signalling.
More and more people, however, are deciding that they do not wish to wear a mask and are empowering themselves – be it on public transport or in any other area of life, freeing themselves from associated guilt that is propagated by signs peppered in the streets of London that play on our emotions to save lives. Not many people know that if you suffer from breathing problems, a health condition or are prone to anxiety that can be triggered by wearing a mask, you are exempt from wearing one.
“THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH”- C.G. Jung
So, with this eclipse, perhaps it is a time to discern and think critically for ourselves, which government guidelines are actually sensible (for some interesting links, please see my article www.thehighgateastrologer.com/2020/04/28/current-events-food-thought/).
The most advantageous signature of Chrion in Aries is not becoming the victim of circumstances, but overcoming all fears: the fear of becoming ill, the fear of listening to our own inner guidance of what is good for us and our loved ones, the fear of not acquiescing and challenging the new abnormal). In this process, we become sovereign mature human beings, and our own authority, teacher and healer. We have the incredible opportunity to gain great leadership qualities, helping others overcome their fears, and receiving the integrity that comes with stepping into our own true strength.
Chiron in Aries also reminds me of social distancing and all the so-called precautions set in place these days. Chiron in its highest potential is to emphasise the healing aspect and TRUTH of all situations. Chiron will not operate in any other way, for the truth of any situation will always come to light. It is just a question of who is ready to face it, for the truth can be ugly and painful, and propel us out of passivity and in-action.
On a practical level, we may cease to focus on hazmats suits and the constant regurgitating of numbers of CV deaths, the highly negative and hugely distorted information output of the mainstream media, and instead hear the countless of doctors and health workers that have shown evidence of the vast manipulations of statistics and so-called facts the media reports on CV (https://swprs.org/a-swiss-doctor-on-covid-19/).
As a reminder, the sick and death numbers of CV are similar to the annual flu. 80% of the people who get CV get mild or no symptoms at all. The death rate is at 0,26% (not even half a percent!), of which all cases so far have been suffering from one or more core morbidities, i.e. very severe illnesses. These numbers are similar to any annual flu season. Yet in all of history, we have never had any of the current extreme measures put in place for the flu, nor any media attention focussing on it. Why now? And who benefits?
Some may argue that the spread of CV would have been much worse if there had been no lockdown. That begs the question why there was no outbreak of CV in Sweden and Japan, that had no lockdowns (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJNXlbSpOy0). And perhaps it is also possible that having had no lockdown would have actually saved more lives, as many doctors argue with their theory of herd immunity and pointing out the devastating effects on the economy and people’s physical, mental and emotional well being (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=ccs9AjbCm5A&feature=emb_logo).
Indeed, locking down nearly 7 billion people of our world population, and with it wiping out the livelihoods of many small and medium size UK business owners, creating mass unemployment and food shortages around the globe, turning away countless of patients from hospitals due to a pandemic, that isn´t one, denying them critical treatment for their longterm illnesses (e.g. for cancer), neglecting care home residents (https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/dying-of-neglect-the-other-covid-care-home-scandal), creating an enormous rise in domestic violence, mental illness and suicides, may very well have created many more sick and death than CV .
“ALL TRUTH PASSES THROUGH THREE STAGES:
FIRST, IT IS RIDICULED.
SECOND, IT IS VIOLENTLY OPPOSED.
THIRD, IT IS ACCEPTED AS SELF-EVIDENT.”
— Arthur Schopenhauer
Humanity has been given the unique opportunity to rise above the current crisis: by UNITING, and not by letting us be led astray by distractions of division regarding race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Having said that, this will not happen without critical thinking, positive and peaceful action to not lose all hard-won human rights and freedoms fought for by our forefathers of the past centuries. The quest for truth about what is really happening, and the fight for equal opportunities, includes looking into who is really in power – and not fight amongst each other, while the powers-that-be manipulate both sides: right and left, black and white, men and women, and all shades in between.
May this eclipse bring forth the understanding and appreciation of our human connection; that communication and sharing ideas, hugging and showing our love to family, friends and even strangers is our human right – and that which makes us human; that human touch is healing, and that we become aware of which messages of fear are currently taught to our children; and may we stay alert, critical and discerning in these times, where rules and regulations are being made entirely undemocratically, all in the name of safety, without the consent of the people, but for the interests of non-elected, powerful world players.
As in the war against terror, we may wish to watch closely the current implementation of extreme restrictions and ask ourselves `How much freedom is it worth to give up for safety?´Now we have a new enemy: invisible and deemed so lethal, when CV in actuality is not that dangerous at all. For what is so incredibly devastating about having the flu for a few weeks? Any flu sadly has the potential to end a very sick person´s life, this has always been the case. Yet we have never locked away the vast majority of heathy people for the very, very few vulnerable. 1,35 million people die in traffic accidents each year. Yet these deaths of young and old neither make the headlines, nor do we stop all traffic to avoid them. And what about loosing a limb, or the ability to walk, or hear, or see? Is that not a much more grave scenario than a heavy case of the flu?
Old age, sickness and death are part of the human experience, and they hold within them a huge potential for growth. If experienced fully with equanimity and compassion, they are the quickest way to develop on the spiritual path. No need to root these experiences out through extreme control of the population. Better yet, let us communicate and implement the things that really make humans healthy and thrive and boost our immune system: clean water, clean air, clean plant-based foods, clean and free energy (that already exists and is in use by several big corporations, yet remains undisclosed), certain supplements and holistic treatments, exercise, meditation, spending time in nature and being close to loved ones, building community, finding work that is meaningful to us – and avoid all the things that cause dis-ease. But that is a vast topic and the stuff for another blog.
“THE ONLY MEANS TO FIGHT THE PLAGUE IS HONESTY.” – Albert Camus, The Plague (1947)
To find out more about how eclipses and the current transiting planets affect your life, explore your natal (birth) chart in an astrological reading with The Highgate Astrologer. Find out more about astrology consultations or book an astrology reading today.