The astral veil was drawn back everywhere Wednesday, while our friends across Europe and Asia witnessed a lunar eclipse conjunct the Galactic Core. The photo of that event below was taken in Athens by Anthony Ayiomamitis. The one above is a more symbolic representation of the event. The Astrodice that turned up (bearing no direct resemblance to the eclipse, but making an interesting comment) were Uranus in Virgo in the 12th house — plus a pair of sixes on conventional gaming dice.
Besides being amazing to look at when visible, the beauty of the Galactic Core, located in late Sagittarius, partly involves how elusive its ‘meaning’ is. It speaks in whispers and its message seems to enter consciousness as if through a dream, easily forgotten. In this sense it parallels how we relate to the idea — or the experience — of meaning in our own lives.
We keep finding it and then wonder where it went as we go in search of it again. Moving the veil of ego consciousness out of the way, represented by the dimming of the Moon into the Earth’s shadow, offered a moment for that subtle meaning to enter awareness on a deeper level. Looked at another way, it may also reveal something about our inner condition, how we react to existing within a seeming void of meaning within our lives and on Earth at this time, and discovering what we fear lurks below the surface. This relates to what potential exists if we would only allow ourselves to be open to the subtler influences that are continually available if we want to participate in what they have to offer. In the simplest sense, this lunation seems designed to help us accept or understand something that we’ve been resisting.
Astronomically, the eclipse was unusually precise and long, aligned closely with the lunar nodes, and with totality lasting 100 minutes. Eclipses are tracked by a number of different methods, including something called the Saros cycle. Tracy Delaney in Wales, editor of Serennu.com, said that this eclipse was part of the Saros cycle that started in 1416. “The total eclipses, like this one, occur exactly in the middle of the cycle, by definition they’re at the climax of the cycle,” she wrote. Here is the full list of Saros 130, the sequence of which this lunar eclipse is part.
This eclipse also has some historical significance. Mike Williams said that on June 15 in 763 BC, the Eclipse of Bur-Sagale was observed in Assyria, the earliest eclipse in historical sources that has been identified. Stated another way, this was an eclipse on the anniversary of the first recorded eclipse, something that will only happen once every few centuries.
The Moon has just entered Capricorn. It is sextile Neptune, a planet associated with Pisces that is currently in Pisces. The Moon will trine Jupiter in Taurus at 6:04 am EDT, square Uranus at 9:35 am EDT, and will sextile Chiron at 11:33 am EDT. It will align in a conjunction to Pluto at 1:23 pm EDT. Finally, the Moon will square Saturn at 8:24 pm EDT. That is a busy day for the Moon, and it evokes something about the partial eclipse of the Sun that will take place on July 1 — both the Sun and Moon will be on the cardinal cross, aspecting all of these planets as well. So the changes that this eclipse is initiating or hinting at will likely begin to percolate into awareness through the next 24 hours as the Moon makes all these aspects. And with Mercury ingressing Cancer at 3:09 pm EDT, that in many ways looks like an awakening of the intuition — a little something to help us absorb all this new information, and cooperate as it does its work.
Once again to see many stunning images of astronomical events taking place around Greek antiquities, visit the website of Anthony Ayiomamitis.
Shebear and Robbi – I am Taurus Sun, Sag rising also conjunct GC and also moon in Aquarius. Similar to both of you. What does the GC connection mean to you? How do you experience it? I am just exploring this question for the first time over the past few months. It would be fun to compare notes. My home email is katjlyons@gmail.com, if you would like to discuss off line. Kat
Carrie,
That’s why I thought to tell it like a story, because he would resist. Maybe next time.
be
Robbi: nice of you to drop in to mention that your natal sun and rising sign are similar to mine. I’m sure we’d enjoy poring over each others charts and comparing notes.
😉
bk,
I could, but he is so entrenched in the Pentecostal Christian programming that it is unlikely that he would want to go there. Just talking with him is difficult now because he has a hard time hearing and understanding people. It takes a lot of explaining, like talking to a small child, to make him understand his situation and then he forgets pretty fast what I just told him. Going into complicated concepts is hard for him now. He has been diagnosed as “failure to thrive” and his liver is not doing well.
::::sigh:::: I am fighting to get him placed where he can get the care he needs but it has been a real cluster-fuck dealing with places, insurance companies, and the social worker (who was really nasty to me yesterday so I got the assistant director on the phone and now she is being a lot more cooperative). The time for that kind of discussion has passed; if there ever was a time. He always reverts to his religious programming so I get nowhere with him on deep subjects like that. He is from the Silent generation and from what I have heard from others, they don’t much like discussing deep stuff.
Carrie,
I’m thinking that the Universe is giving you this opportunity to clear the air. With your Moon and Pallas Athene so close it could be this is the lifetime to acknowledge your feelings regarding your father as legitimate and deserving of his recognition. If you are up to it and/or if the opportunity presents itself, tell him the story of how the goddess Pallas sprang from her fathers head as a warrior in armor. Then tell him that there is an earlier version of Pallas in which the mother gave her birth. If he shows interest you could tell him more details of her history. I’m thinking that with your father in the military he might be amused by the concept of birthing a daughter who was ready to go into battle. The reason this might be a healing “strategy” is that he may have unexpressed feelings about you going back to babyhood. If you can coax him into discussing any of that, even a little bit at a time, you might open up the way – through the heart – to healing old old wounds. Personally, I would expect this issue to last as long as the Cardinal Grand Square is effective. I believe the squares between Uranus and Pluto are through 2015, but I would have to double check that. It’s worth a try don’t you think? Show him your “softer side”!
be
For me, this eclipse activity is happening in my fourth and tenth houses. Transiting Pluto and the current moon are conjunct my Natal Pallas and Moon in Cap in the fourth. :::scratching head::::
“Pallas or Pallas Athena or Pallas Athene, also known as Minerva, is associated with wisdom and intuition. Brought in with these attributes are those of logic and applied strategy. It is also creative of original thought, showing artistic ability. Pallas also rules the relationship between father and daughter” (taken from http://www.aquamoonlight.co.uk/pallas.html).
There ya go. My issues with Dad…. and Pluto is squeaking back and forth (it is Rx now and will touch Pallas again soon) right on Pallas. Is there a way to know when this particular issue will be finished so we both can move on? I want to get him settled so he can be safe and cared for; the stress of dealing with his issues is driving me (and my family) crazy. Come fall, I won’t have as much time as I have now to deal with these things and I don’t want him still in limbo about his care. ::::sigh:::
Thanks Eric,
I enjoyed this article. The line that especially resonated was “. .how we react to existing in a seeming void of meaning. . ” as it forced me to focus during a seemingly Neptunian moment. As that “moment” had lasted for several hours, oh hell, since last night, it was a relief to be able to latch onto something that bridged the void between consciousness and the just-out-of-reach ‘sub’ or ‘super’ or ‘un’ conscious. I do believe those words or just the act of reading them is probably Mercury’s last gasp of Gemini as he makes contact with my Saturn, after having just grazed past the contact with the GC. Frankly, there are times when I don’t understand anything, particularly myself, but a dig into the astrology of the moment will produce a logic that is acceptable to me and give me enough gusto to move forward.
However, it was that Mercury grazing, with the help of your info on the Moon’s present location that made me finally realize that the sextile between transiting Pluto and Chiron is forming a yod with my natal Mercury (which is conjunct natal Pluto) and that, dear Eric, threw a spotlight into my darkness. Well good grief, no wonder I’ve been in outer space. What (on earth) would we do without our Saturns, I ask you?
be
It’s been a disconcerting week for me. I learned a bit about people I’ve known for years and I realized how far apart in ideas and outlook we really are, so I’m a bit down about that. I also feel like a fool for being so optimistic about these friendships. So my response to that, so far, has been to focus on the things I DO like and I CAN do and be optimistic about. I feel like going into the shadows myself for a while to regroup and make myself happy in my own weird way without dealing with people right now, so maybe I’ll do that. Maybe I’m doing that already. July is usually a rough month for me emotionally, so it’s early this year. I did order some astrodice online, they look pretty cool. And I think I read that there’s supposed to be a water sign trine around early July or something, so maybe that will help me, being a water person. Every time I go through this kind of disillusionment it winds up helping me in some weird way. I’m getting lots of practice in plowing through disillusionment, that’s for sure. And making the effort to get through it without becoming a total bitch is an extra challenge for me lately.
Hello PlanetWavers!
Ok, my query this morning is not related to this post. I am wondering if Eric or anyone else can help me understand the relationship between sun signs and ascendants. Eric always encourages readers and listeners to pay attention to both of these when reading or listening to one’s horoscope.
Now, beyond the technical explanation (ascendant being the sign that was rising in the sky at the exact time of one’s birth), which I get, can someone offer a metaphorical or symbolic description of how these two things effect one’s personality? Or how these might impact one’s relationships with others and the world at large?
Thanks a bunches*
@ shebear…just read your comment…fwiw…I’m also a Virgo sun, Sag rising conjunct the galactic core…Aquarian moon…
@ eric…thanks, again…hoping we can cross paths in a month…will keep you posted…
“Uranus in Virgo in the 12th house — plus a pair of sixes?”
Woweeee.
Well this Virgo girl………she could resist no more. She opened her mind and choose to surf the subtle energies of the cosmos, zooming through to the other side. Alls I can say is, thank the Goddess I have my beautiful earthy natal sun to ground my “let’s go party at the kuiper belt” Sadge rising and moon, lol.
It feels great to finally have this longed for sense of coming home and being at peace with the real me.
I checked the list – the dates corrresponding with this cycle for 1975 and 1993 were the happiest (blissfull) times of my life! Tuesday evening through last evening were reminders of why I married the man I married (sag) and how happy we’ve been. He watched Good Will Hunting with me for the first time Tuesday night and we saw ourselves in the movie. I’ve been disabled for a long time but seeing myself through the eyes of the one who really loves me has been a heart opener. This one was a Total eclipse of the heart that I’m glad i got to experience.