Full Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse July 2018 - Goat's Head Soup

This should be an exciting occurrence for our moon watchers - a Full Blood Moon and a total Lunar Eclipse all in one! This particular Moon is rising tomorrow in the astrological sign of Aquarius, but when viewed, is actually smack on the head of Capricorn the Goat. And just to shake things up a bit more, it has a conjunction (planets and points that form a conjunction are energies that are united - they are blended; therefore, they act together) to Mars; a T-square (aspect pattern is formed when points in opposition also form a square with another point. The pattern resembles the letter T when viewed in the chart) with Mars that's square Uranus (figure that one out!); and a trine (a term for when the powers involved are in harmony, so that they stimulate one another to increased activity and success) to Saturn.

What all this means is that there will be some crazy Mars energy flying around, with some help from the Uranus square that will be hard to rein in without the influence of steadying Saturn. We also have the influence of the stars in the head of the Goat - fixed star Gahib and the two stars in its horns, called Giedi. Ancient astrologers gave meaning to these stars. Gahib portends “success in business but retires under a cloud, favorable for wealth, influential position but scarcely realizes ambitions, trouble through opposite sex, deserved criticism and censure.” The Giedi portend “peculiar events, unexpected losses and gains, sometimes great good fortune.”*

It looks like a mixed bag this lunation, with heavy emphasis on the Mars/Uranus square. There may be some emotional fireworks for those susceptible to Mars energy (those born in the sign, and those whose moon, ascendant, or significant houses are in Mars). The lunar eclipse makes this stronger, and, because of the extraordinary length of this eclipse (1 hour 23 minutes), the effects will last longer than others. This will be an emotional time, with many feeling short of patience and prone to outbursts of anger. It will require Herculean feats of energy to calm down, and even when out of direct conflict. 

Keep in mind, however, that Mars is still in retrograde. So, while this Moon and eclipse brings upheaval and emotional stress, the palliative backwards motion of Mars, along with the help of Saturn, the promise of purging our unwanted negative energies and resolution of issues brought forward will be realized. As our friends at Darkstar Astrology explain, "trust, composure and persistence are needed and inner demons will have to be faced. As with all T-squares, once worked through, the rewards from this lunar eclipse July 2018 will be well worth the effort." As an added bonus, Mercury goes retrograde today, July 26. Go out, have fun, be cautious, guard your words, and be aware that impetuous actions might bring unintended consequences. We'll see you next month, and until then, blessed be.



*Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, Vivian E. Robson, 1923. p.168. and p.157





















 

Both Sides Now - New Moon And Partial Solar Eclipse In Cancer

In Southern California, the partial solar eclipse at 7:47 pm can't be seen, but it sure will be felt! Are you ready? Combined with a New Moon in the sign of Cancer, with an opposition to retrograde Pluto, and blessed with a grand earth trine, this New Moon is poised dispense a dose of good cop/bad cop, astrologically speaking.

The bad news, other than the New Moon's nickname of "Hades Moon", is that the Solar Eclipse falls in the decan that contains the twin stars of Castor and Pollux. This translates to volatile moods, extreme passion, and bi-polar energies that make it hard to make a decision. A Solar Eclipse can bring an awakening or a shocking revelation that upsets you. Castor is known for prominence in occult matters, government work in foreign affairs, serious accidents, blows, stabs, shooting, evil disposition, rape, murder committed or suffered, imprisonment, banishment, and decapitation. Wow!  With the Eclipse's proximity to these stars, and the fact that it's in opposition to retrograde Pluto, it's a wonder we don't just skip July altogether, right?

Retrograde Pluto is kind of a dark horse because it represents a time of reflection about power and control in your life. Are you being manipulated or abused in some way, or are you trying to control someone? If the former, now is the time to make a stand up for your rights. Let go of the people who are controlling you (read on for more encouraging advice). If you're the controller, it's time you let go of that behavior. Surrender your power and control to a higher force, and trust your instincts and spirit guides.

It'll be very interesting to see how these darker forces of this lunation affect what's happening in our country's already bi-polar political scene, and on the world stage. Just know that there's another aspect to the New Moon/Solar Eclipse today - we have two lovely Grand Trines to help save us all!

A Grand Trine is a planetary pattern composed of three or more planets in a chart located at the vertices of an imaginary equilateral triangle. Usually all three planets are in the same element, and this time we've actually got two - one dominated by water signs involving the Sun and Neptune, and a Grand Earth Trine, involving Venus, Saturn and Uranus. This is auspicious, because although you may feel like you're drowning in watery feelings and emotions, it can provide stable yet flexible containment that helps you shape your watery energy into something constructive, productive or useful. This is the time to transform whatever's holding you back from happiness and success. Hard work and determination will unleash the potential held with the Grand Trines to help prevent a personal crises.

Pictured above is our altar in the store, decorated with items helpful for this New Moon/Solar Eclipse. You may notice, elevated in the center of the floral wreath, an antique carved soapstone  horse, which is a nod to this Moon's affinity to horses. Surrounding the wreath are crystals of Moonstone, Labradorite, Mookaite Jasper, Citrine, Selenite, Sunstone, and Smokey Quartz. We also have locally sourced altar salts from Violet Maven, a red candle from Coventry Candles, a bottle of Divine Protection essential oil blend, and a Sage & Lavender smudge stick from Wolf Spirit. All these items are available in store, along with other various sage combinations, Palo Santo, incense, and essential oils.

Our best advice to getting through this tumultuous New Moon and Solar Eclipse is use this period to break any bad habitual behavior and use it as a cosmic "reboot". Until the Full Moon, blessed be!