Solar Eclipse

What it is

A solar eclipse is a special form of the New Moon — the Moon passes between Sun and Earth, partially or fully covering the Sun. Happens only on New Moons, and only on the New Moons near the lunar nodes. There are 2-5 solar eclipses per year on average, but most are partial; total eclipses are visible from a specific corridor and occur on average every 2-3 years. The 2024 June total eclipse was photographed from 700 km by NASA, becoming iconic.

Astrological reading

In astrology a solar eclipse is the "demolish-and-restart New Moon." A regular New Moon emphasizes 1 month; an eclipsed New Moon can carry impact across 6 months to 2 years. Whichever house it falls in, that house's theme "closes and restarts." Decisions made at an eclipsed New Moon (large or small) tend to be unusually durable — either the person commits, or life carries them forward by natural flow. The 2024-2025 series sits on the Leo-Aquarius axis; the tension between being-on-stage and belonging-to-community is the theme.

Practice

Making intuitive decisions on eclipse day is risky — emotion is dense, sight blurred. Postpone the decision 3 days. But writing the question "what wants to close / what wants to begin" that day is powerful; the eclipse's energy lands in writing.

Themes

• new beginning
• hidden illumination
• collective leap
• identity transformation