Solar Eclipse in Scorpio: Blasting the Past

The solar eclipse in 0 degrees of Scorpio on October 23, 2014 was packed with emotional intensity, passions, fears and unmet needs. A Scorpio eclipse is about metaphysical endings, rebirth with a potent theme of letting the past remain in the past. The last time we had a solar eclipse in 0 degrees of Scorpio was on October 23, 1995- 19 years ago to the day! That's the way eclipses work; they repeat every 19 years.

This eclipse had  quite a build-up at the beginning of the week with the last days of the Sun and Venus in Libra conjunct the north node of the moon. Michael Lutin commented on his site that it triggered a lot of memories of the Sun Venus transit of 2012 and observed that while some relationships don't end, they may very well go to another level. All of that Libra energy naturally put the focus on relationships for this eclipse. The moon entered Libra on October 21st and the tone was so raw and palpable that I tweeted:

"Moon enters harmony seeking sign of Libra today but there is still an edgy feel with upcoming eclipse."

On October 23rd, the Sun, Moon and Venus entered the sign of Scorpio for this powerful solar eclipse that also trined Neptune in Pisces. This really put the emphasis on dreams, potential and spirituality. The Neptunian fog involved distinguishing between dreams and reality and then making them happen. A solar eclipse also provides energy, motivation and focus to initiate new endeavors.

Pallas Athena, the asteroid goddess of wisdom, also featured in this mix in 2 degrees of Scorpio, conjuncting the Sun, Moon and Venus. In her classic book Asteroid Goddesses, Demetra George describes Pallas Athena in Scorpio as bringing the unconscious into conscious awareness through healing techniques like hypnosis or past life regression. She also said that "Pallas Athena in Scorpio is the wisdom of insight - penetrating to the core and grasping the essence."

Pallas Athena conjunct the Sun increases our access to divine intelligence and the strength of will. Its connection to the moon strengthens intuition and psychic ability and joining Venus supports advancement in the arts, aesthetics and women's rights. And Pallas Athena trining Neptune specifically enhanced telepathic abilities and the capacity for healing. Venus, the Sun and Pallas Athena will all trine Neptune in Pisces on October 27th, 28th and 30th respectively.

I'd like to share with you something Molly Hall wrote in her About. com newsletter this week about Venus in Scorpio that I found very meaningful because I have my natal Venus in Scorpio.

"Scorpio is a sign of power - it engages the instinct to understanding its subtle dimensions. At the doorway to Scorpio (0 degrees) we're taking the plunge to seeing the energetic forces at work in any situation. We might catch a glimpse of power patterns in a relationship, or how we're giving our power over to something."

She continues with:

"What binds us to another even long after we parted ways? This eclipse potentially reveals the energetic binds, what's in need of scything off or transmuting."

Let's not forget that Saturn is still in Scorpio and Saturn in Scorpio is all about scything off and transmuting.

Molly Hall's final words on this eclipse are:

"It's a New Moon to draw back all your power and vitality, from anything or anyone that's sucking the soul. Scorpio rules toxins of all kinds - physical, spiritual, mental."

As for me, I have a vested interest in this eclipse. It is exactly conjunct my Mercury in Scorpio in my 1st house and I have my natal Pallas Athena in 9 degrees of Scorpio conjunct my Saturn in the 1st house. This is an intensely personal, highly emotional time for me, yet I look forward to reclaiming my personal power and I am relying on that Pallas Athena Saturn conjunction in Scorpio to provide me with the insight and patience to move forward.

I have been reflecting back on my life during that last solar eclipse in 0 degrees of Scorpio in 1995. It heralded in a new period in my life that changed the way I communicated (how could it not when it conjuncted my Mercury), made me feel more empowered with new responsibilities and ushered in a generally happier, more emotionally fulfilling time in my life. I can only hope that this eclipse, coupled with surviving my recent second Saturn Return, can bring me more of the same if I apply myself.

Enjoy Scorpio season and its rich potential for transformation, everyone!

If you are feeling confused during these challenging times and curious as to how you can facilitate the process of transformation and healing for yourself during the Season of Scorpio, please consider getting an astrological reading to obtain more insight and assistance. I have also added a one question astrology reading to my list of services for $40 that is an even more intuitive approach based on your natal and progressed charts with transits to both.

Check out my services page on this site at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/services-offered.html

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for my daily astrological insights at:

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix

Libra Lovefest: Prelude to Scorpio Solar Eclipse

This past week has been a relatively calm one, a sort of reprieve between the lunar eclipse in Aries on October 8th and the upcoming solar eclipse in Scorpio on October 23rd. Astrologer Kristin Fontana has astutely described this period between eclipses as "bookends of energy." This can be attributed to the fact that the Sun, Mercury, Venus and the north node of the moon are all in the sign of Libra. And Mars in Sagittarius and Jupiter in Leo are playing nicely in the cosmic sandbox by forming harmonious sextiles with them. The bottom line with this loaded planetary Libra lineup is that this period between eclipses is a time of reassessment. It is no accident that Venus will enter the sign of Scorpio on October 23rd, the same day when the Sun and the Moon enter Scorpio for the solar eclipse.

OK, we have experienced a few blips on the horizon this week. On October 14th, we had the moon in Cancer squaring Uranus in Aries and opposing Pluto in Capricorn. Many of us have felt the pangs of uneasiness and anxiety that the infamous Pluto Uranus is renowned for. Those aspects definitely created a conflict between the past and the future. On that day I posted these two tweets:

"Cancer moon trining Neptune in Pisces triggered sentimental dreams of past with feeling of being invisible."

"Venus in Libra sextiling Jupiter in Leo today lends an expansive joyous tone to the day. Enjoy the arts and shopping."

The Libra Sun and Mars in Sagittarius were also making nice on October 15th, prompting me to tweet:

"Libra Sun sextiling Mars in Sagittarius today promotes acting on desires."

And on October 16^th, the Sun in Libra conjuncted Mercury in Libra, inspiring me to tweet:

“Sun conjunct Mercury in Libra today bodes well for relationship communication.”

That particular aspect on the 16^th conjuncted my Neptune in the 1^st house and I did something that I had been afraid to do for awhile, but I knew on a spiritual level that I had to do.  I called a Reiki client that I hadn’t seen in some time because I feared his liver cancer had worsened.  His wife answered the phone and she informed me that he had died in August.  I was devastated because I had been so touched by his positive attitude and great spirit.  I expressed my condolences to her as best I could and she told me how grateful she was that my Reiki treatments had eliminated his back pain during the end of life and that his acupuncture treatments at the clinic had also been a godsend when traditional medicine had runs its course in alleviating his pain.

The themes of healing, letting go and clearing the air in relationships are rampant. These themes will be even more pronounced on October 17th when Mercury conjuncts Venus in 21 degrees Libra. This will be a time to address unfinished business, unfairness and inequalities in relationships. I sense that this will be hitting me big time because this aspect conjuncts my natal Juno Neptune conjunction in Libra in my 1st house. I have been experiencing a lot of dreams which feature the theme of victimhood and it is high time to let that one go. Recently I have become increasingly aware of some major unfairness in my personal life and the time of reckoning with these issues is fast approaching.

On Oct 20th Venus in Libra will be sextiling Mars in Sagittarius in 25 degrees of their respective signs and Saturn will be in 23 degrees of Scorpio conjunct my natal Venus. I sense this day will be a major reality check for me because Venus will be hitting my Neptune Juno conjunction. Saturn Venus aspects aren't exact known for their joviality and frivolity either. That is more of a Venus Jupiter theme. Saturn in Scorpio is much more likely to manifest in terms of delays, frustrations and miscommunications. And Mercury is still retrograde in Libra, further emphasizing the relationship theme. But next week's solar eclipse is exactly conjunct my Mercury in Scorpio in the 1st house, so this should be very interesting...

Mercury retrograde in Scorpio and Libra serves to make the unconscious conscious by triggering feelings associated with being a victim and imbalance in relationships through giving too much. Relationships will undergo profound changes and transformation this month as a result of these eclipses because more will be revealed.

If you are feeling confused during these challenging times and curious as to how the October eclipses, Saturn, Mars, Uranus, Chiron or the Black Moon Lilith are affecting you, please consider getting an astrological reading to obtain more insight and assistance in the healing process. I have also added a one question astrology reading to my list of services for $40 that is an even more intuitive approach based on your natal and progressed charts with transits to both.

Check out my services page on this site at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/services-offered.html

To celebrate the spirit of Mars in Sagittarius, I am offering a special on my tarot readings.  Recently some of my clients have been requesting shorter, one or two question tarot readings over my general astrological spread which covers all the issues pertaining to the 12 houses of the horoscope. They want answers to specific answers, so I am offering one or two question telephone readings for $15 and $25. You can check out the details at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/special-tarot-offer.html

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for my daily astrological insights at:

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix

Fly the Kite

As we all sit back and process the effects of the recent lunar eclipse in Aries on October 8th, I am finding myself deeply inspired by Pam Younghans' NorthPoint Journal. I know that many of us have dreaded and feared this eclipse (myself included), but Pam Younghans’ weekly journal managed to inject a ray of hope by pointing out that in addition to the eclipse, we also experienced a rare astrological configuration called a Kite.

What is a Kite? A Kite aspect occurs when one planet sextiles two other planets that form a grand trine with the planet that opposes the first one. This particular kite featured a grand fire trine involving Mars in Sagittarius, Jupiter in Leo and Uranus in Aries. A grand fire trine provides support for creativity, inspiration and impulsivity. The Sun in Libra directly opposed Uranus in Aries as well as the moon during this recent eclipse. A Kite represents a lot of energy stirring that is quite restless. The opposing planet is actually the backbone of the pattern because it feeds into all of the planets involved in the grand trine and the kite literally couldn't fly without it. On October 8th, Michael Lutin posted on his site:

www.michaellutin.com/next week in review.html

"Thank God for Libra because right now the only thing to do is..."

He has a box on his site called EMBRACE THE EMPTINESS. When you click on it he describes the message of this lunar eclipse as finding balance when you don't want any. The bottom line is to find a balance between serving yourself and serving others. No easy feat, let me tell you!

What were the issues and themes of this Kite?  Uranus and the Moon in Aries provided us with the courage, insight and self-focus to break free of restraints and limitations while Jupiter in Leo served to expand our self-confidence and optimism. Mars in Sagittarius fueled the fires of conviction and belief in our worth while providing energy to take on new challenges. The Sun in Libra, as the only air sign in this configuration, provided us with a level of objectivity and a foundation for balance and harmony.

It's really important to look at where 15 degrees of Aries and Libra fall in your chart to fully comprehend how this eclipse has impacted your life. And don't forget that its effects will probably continue to manifest for another six months.

Personally, on the day of the lunar eclipse the Aries moon fell in the last degree of my sixth house. I have been getting an increase in my healing practice, so these skills can be embraced.  The Sun fell in my 12th house and I am trying to believe that can represent a completion of a karmic cycle and a letting go of all that I have outgrown. I am thrilled to report that the Sun entered my 1st house on October 9th, which was like an adrenaline rush with its infusion of energy. I have just survived the transits of the Sun in my 12th house and Saturn in Scorpio on my Sun. Neither one of these transits is particularly energizing. I am definitely ready to fly that kite!

Let's not forget the other two players in that Kite configuration.  Mars in 15 degrees of Sagittarius fell in my 3rd house of communication and I am literally bursting at the seams to spread the word about this Kite and the lunar eclipse. Jupiter in 15 degrees of Leo fell in my 10th house imbuing me with renewed optimism about the value of my work.

I think that relationships will continue to play out as the major theme of this eclipse. Venus in Libra was squaring Pluto in Capricorn on the eclipse, underscoring the issues of financial matters and evoking feelings of situations beyond our control. Saturn in Scorpio also conjuncted Ceres in 21 degrees of Scorpio, requiring us to be honest with ourselves about how we project our emotional energy and take responsibility for transforming it. This is especially relevant for me because I have my natal Ceres at 27 degrees of Scorpio conjunct my natal retrograde Venus in Scorpio in the 2nd house.

I hope that everyone found some hope and inspiration from this Kite during the recent lunar eclipse.

The emphasis on relationships continues as retrograde Mercury slips back into Libra on October 10th. Mercury stays in Libra until Libra until November 1st, digging up even more relationship stuff from the past.

If you are feeling confused during these challenging times and curious as to how the October eclipses (yes, folks we have a solar eclipse coming up on October 23^rd in Scorpio), Saturn, Mars, Uranus, Chiron or the Black Moon Lilith are affecting you, please consider getting an astrological reading to obtain more insight and assistance in the healing process. I have also added a one question astrology reading to my list of services for $40 that is an even more intuitive approach based on your natal and progressed charts with transits to both.

Check out my services page on this site at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/services-offered.html

To celebrate the spirit of Mars in Sagittarius, I am offering a special on my tarot readings.  Recently some of my clients have been requesting shorter, one or two question tarot readings over my general astrological spread which covers all the issues pertaining to the 12 houses of the horoscope. They want answers to specific answers, so I am offering one or two question telephone readings for $15 and $25. You can check out the details at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/special-tarot-offer.html

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for my daily astrological insights at:

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix

Lunar Eclipse in Aries and Its Transformation of Relationships

Fasten your seat belts, folks, we are headed for one bumpy ride with the upcoming lunar eclipse in 15 degrees of Aries on October 8th.  Relationships will definitely be feeling the heat from this eclipse and the prelude to this transformative eclipse actually begins on October 4, 2014. On that day, Mercury stations retrograde in 2 degrees of Scorpio. Prepare to hear from past loves, friends and acquaintances.

The Sun in Libra also squares Pluto in Capricorn on October 4th, which can lead to power struggles and run-ins with authority. Chiron in Pisces also squares Mars in Sagittarius on that day, which can have the effect of compassionate acts being met with rejection and fueling the flames of anger. It brings to mind the old saying that no good deed goes unpunished! However, our ace in the hole that day is that Mars in Sagittarius trines in Uranus in Aries, providing us with energy for new beginnings and liberation.

This eclipse activates the ongoing Uranus Pluto square. There really is no escape from Pluto's dogged quest for transformation or the unpredictability and volatility of Uranus because this full moon in Aries conjuncts Uranus in Aries. How will this play out?  Issues of personal power will emerge in relationships. We can anticipate power struggles, relationship breakups and relationship breakthroughs. The nodes of the moon are also getting into the act, especially with the Aries moon forming a wide conjunction to the south node of the moon. It is inevitable that issues from the past will come up for review.

I am trying to rely on the sage advice of fellow astrologers Stephanie Austin and Michael Lutin who literally look forward to the guidance of the north node in Libra during this transitional, transformative period. Stephanie Austin said:

"We are ready to take another step toward shifting from the love of power to the power of love."

And Michael Lutin's interpretation on having both Venus and the north node in Libra simultaneously is that we should use gentleness rather than confrontation as our best approach to dealing with relationships. Work that Libra energy!

As difficult as this eclipse may prove to be for so many of us, I don't think we should discount the power of the Grand Fire Trine involving Uranus in Aries, Mars in Sagittarius and Jupiter in Leo.  It has the ability to ignite inspiration and motivation.

The effects of this eclipse could very well be felt for up to six months. Events will occur that deliver great intensity but it is also important to remember that it may take awhile before all is completely revealed. Remember that if you have any planets between 11 and 16 degrees in the cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, you will be impacted by this eclipse. Eclipses have a tendency to help us make important life changes by breaking down outworn patterns so that we can build new ones that serve our highest good.

This eclipse occurs at the end of my 6th house opposing my Libra ascendant, sextiling my Gemini moon in the 8th house and widely squaring my Cancer midheaven. I am literally right in the crossfire, but for the past 3 1/2 years my life has been dominated by the energies of Uranus and Pluto. As challenging as this has been, a part of me is still clinging to the belief that healing will come as a result of these disruptions. As an astrologer, I am also aware of the Metonic cycle of eclipses that repeat every 19 years. The last time we had a lunar eclipse in Aries was on October 8, 1995 in 14 degrees of Aries. When I cover eclipses in consultations for my clients, I frequently urge them to think back 19 years to see if a similar theme is playing out again. I can see the relevance in my own life with this eclipse. In October 1995 I was job hunting after having gone back to school to earn a paralegal certificate in June 1995. I did secure a new position by the end of 1995, which I began in January 1996 and resigned from in August 2013. Currently I am seeking to build my new business as an astrologer, Reiki healer and tarot reader. I am definitely breaking down old outworn patterns and trying to create multiple streams of income with mixed results so far. But eclipses are indeed game changers, so it will be interesting to see what new opportunities arise as I continue to put myself out there.

If you are feeling confused during these challenging times and curious as to how the October eclipses (yes, folks we have a solar eclipse coming up on October 23^rd in Scorpio), Saturn, Mars, Uranus, Chiron or the Black Moon Lilith are affecting you, please consider getting an astrological reading to obtain more insight and assistance in the healing process. I have also added a one question astrology reading to my list of services for $40 that is an even more intuitive approach based on your natal and progressed charts with transits to both.

Check out my services page on this site at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/services-offered.html

To celebrate the spirit of Mars in Sagittarius, I am offering a special on my tarot readings.  Recently some of my clients have been requesting shorter, one or two question tarot readings over my general astrological spread which covers all the issues pertaining to the 12 houses of the horoscope. They want answers to specific answers, so I am offering one or two question telephone readings for $15 and $25. You can check out the details at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/special-tarot-offer.html

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for my daily astrological insights at:

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix