Eric Francis

Planet Waves began in 1998 as the home of the Eric Francis horoscope, a prominent feature in our premium service. Going far beyond what most Sun-sign astrologers even dream is possible, Eric brings in-depth interpretations to his work. He is a pioneer in the newly-discovered planets, including Chiron and the centaurs, and is able to translate their movements into accessible human terms, offering ideas for life, love and work. Discover a whole new world of literary journalism in Planet Waves. We offer free trial subscriptions, discounts for students and seniors, and gift subscriptions for veterans and those on active military duty.

Today is the 15th anniversary of one of the great astrological events of our lifetimes — the grand cross and total solar eclipse of Aug. 11, 1999. This was the event that years earlier, astrologer Ani Black said she planned to be out of the solar system for. She stuck around.

Yesterday’s Full Moon activated that degree. Eclipses can have an influence for many years after they happen (not merely the usual six months you will read about on most blogs). It is however unusual for an eclipse to have a 15-year or longer life, but it happens.

One reason this eclipse was so influential is that the grand cross and Moon-Sun occultation happened at the same time. In April we also had a grand cross and eclipse, but the events were separated by about a week. On 8/11/99, the grand cross included a Mars-Saturn opposition exact to two arc minutes, applying.