 | |
|
We are about to experience the longest, most powerful solar eclipse of the 21st Century. It happens on July 21 (7:35 p.m. Pacific time) at the final degree of Cancer. Clocking in at six minutes, 39 seconds, it will be visible throughout Asia (though felt everywhere). Lynda Hill's book, The Sabian Symbols as Oracle, describes the degree of this portentous event as, A Daughter of the American Revolution. "Being bound by social conditioning or leading the charge to break down the barriers of tradition." "A Daughter of the American Revolution" is an appropriate image for a New Moon eclipse in Cancer, sign of tradition and old familial structures. The final degree of a sign is a "last gasp" of that energy, a death knell for the old ways. Eclipses represent a profound shift in direction; a total eclipse of the Sun (masculine) by the Moon (feminine) symbolically indicates that outdated, patriarchal structures are falling away, to be replaced by more intuitive ways of being. The life-giving flow of motherly love is nourishing the hearts of both women and men, if we only open ourselves to it. The revolutionary Sabian image reminds me of my ancestor, Joseph Hewes, who signed the Declaration of Independence. Hewes was a crucial, if largely unknown, instigator of the American Revolution. According to Wikipedia, "a Moses of his day who led his people to freedom." A Congressman from North Carolina, Hewes campaigned for a break from English rule, despite ongoing scorn and ridicule from his peers. The girl he loved died a few days before their wedding, and he never married (he is my great-great-great uncle; my grandfather bore his name). Hewes channeled his grief into the fight for independence, breaking with his family and Quaker roots in the process. I am deeply inspired by this courageous Aquarian man, who "broke down the barriers of tradition" to achieve a greater goal. Freedom is imminent at this eclipse. If you're clinging to old emotional, familial or societal patterns, it's time to let them go. The New Moon trine freedom-loving Uranus supports a break with the past, as we gather our courage to birth something new. Jupiter joins with "Wounded Healer" Chiron in progressive Aquarius within 12 hours of the eclipse, offering an opportunity to heal old wounds. It's a potent time to honor the deep feminine within yourself, as well as to recalibrate relationships between men and women. Because Venus (the feminine) squares Saturn (limits) at the eclipse, we're also setting boundaries in relationships, especially with family members and partners. The planetary energies support you in saying a decisive "No" to what's no longer working for you, and nurturing and respecting yourself at a deeper level. Even if you must break with others or their expectations to claim your freedom, remember Joseph Hewes' message: There comes a time when we have to act based on what we know is right. The day after the solar eclipse, the Sun slides into sunny Leo for a much-needed period of self-expression, creativity and play. We've been in an intense phase of change since the unsettling July 7th lunar eclipse in Capricorn/Cancer. Another lunar eclipse on August 5th in Aquarius/Leo challenges us to balance our egoic impulses with the needs of the group. After that, things should settle down for a bit. A larger revolution is coming in 2010-2011 as rebellious Uranus enters fiery Aries to square volcanic Pluto. The July 21 solar eclipse should alter the landscape in some fundamental way, shaking us free of the past and laying the groundwork for what is to come.
If you'd like to receive an email notification when each month's new
essay is posted join my mailing list. Archive of Past Monthly Essays | |
| Home :: Biography
:: This Month :: Articles :: |
AUGUST
THEME: A CALL TO FREEDOM