Welcome back, folks, to the upside-down portion of the year, aka eclipse season. It’s been about six months since our last eclipses, in October-November 2022.
This spring we have two eclipses:
a hybrid solar eclipse (new moon) at 29° Aires on April 19th/20th, and
a penumbral lunar eclipse (full moon) at 14° Scorpio on May 5th.
Overlapping Storylines
The April eclipse offers a preview of the coming eclipse series in Aires and Libra, which will dominate the eclipse narrative next year. Meanwhile, the May eclipse begins to wrap up the current series, which has been active since late 2021 along the Taurus-Scorpio axis.
This year, then, marks a transition between eclipses in one set of signs and the next, hence my “mixed bag” description. We’ll likely find ourselves straddling storylines this year, sort of like watching different long-form tv shows simultaneously.
For now the emphasis is still on the Taurus and Scorpio houses of our charts, where the nodes of the moon have been since January 2022.
The North Node, with its connotations of increase and growth, has been in Taurus, while the South Node, with significations of loss and release, has been in Scorpio.
It’s likely that the topics associated with these two houses in your chart have experienced some changes since then. (See my eclipse guides to that series in Part 1 and Part 2.)
[As always, a personal consultation is a great way to see how the eclipses may affect someone individually.]
On July 17th, the nodes shift into Aires (North Node) and Libra (South Node) for the next 18 months, tilting the eclipse narrative decisively towards the topics of the Aires and Libra houses in our charts.
This October features another mixed bag eclipse duo, with one in Libra and one in Taurus, which will be the final eclipse in the Taurus-Scorpio series. By then, the opening themes of the Aires-Libra eclipses should be evident, even as the Taurus-Scorpio series comes to its conclusion.
A Very Mercury Retrograde Complication
One complication of this eclipse season is that Mercury stations retrograde, in Taurus, one day after the first eclipse, on April 21st.
Eclipses, which change things up and shake up the parts of our lives corresponding to the houses in which they occur, can correspond with times that feel chaotic, even if the changes they bring about turn out to be for the best.
That Mercury turns retrograde very near disruptor Uranus, also in Taurus, adds an element of surprise to the time around the spring eclipses.
The Taurus-Scorpio eclipses since last year tended to activate Uranus, which added to the sense of sudden change. While this element is lessened this year, as the nodes move away from Uranus, we’re getting the same signature this spring, but from a different place — Mercury’s very uranian retrograde.
So: be prepared for surprises but also for the difficulties of a very slow, not-at-its-best Mercury, retrograde in Taurus, which may hamper communication, business, financial matters, and travel, all mercurial significations, as well as food (Taurus is the breadbasket of the zodiac), art, comfort, and relationships.
My eclipse season advice is generally to try to keep your schedule chill and undemanding. . . which I realize isn’t always possible.
Eclipses have a way of ushering “fated” feeling elements into our lives, bringing events and people into (or eclipsing them out of) our lives in a way that can feel unavoidable. Yet, we still usually have some control over what we choose to do.
Keep in mind that the narratives of eclipse season can develop anytime around the eclipse, not just on the exact date (though that definitely happens). Furthermore, expect this storyline to continue in six months as the eclipses heat up again.
Eclipse Season Horoscopes
Aires & Libra Rising: the April eclipse in Aires acts as a musical overture, all military trumpets blazing, announcing that you’re up for a season of great beginnings and endings related to self vs. partnerships, whether romantic or business. Meanwhile, the May eclipse in Scorpio continues an ongoing storyline about money — yours vs. shared resources.
Taurus & Scorpio Rising: you’re likely tired of being in the eye of the storm of recent eclipses in these signs; eclipses in the angular houses, in this case the first house of self and the seventh house of partnerships, can be powerfully felt and also quite visible in our lives. You’re now coming out of a time of change involving themes of self vs. partnership. What’s up next: shake-ups involving physical and mental health. It could be a good time to take care of any health issues and plan for some retreat time.
Gemini & Sagittarius Rising: you’ve been experiencing changes to your physical and mental health this past year, as well as issues related to daily work, jobs, and things that keep us up at night, as eclipses occurred in your sixth and twelfth houses. The April eclipse ushers in some changes that may be welcome, happening along the fifth and eleventh houses of "good fortune" and "good spirit." Look for great beginnings and ending in your friends and communities as well as children, romance, and creative endeavors in the upcoming year plus. Keep in mind that both of these houses relate to children and fertility, thus eclipses along these houses can be part of a pregnancy or family expansion signature.
Cancer & Capricorn Rising: you’ve been experiencing changes in your friends and groups, as well as children, creativity, romance, and hobbies for the past year or so. These shifts are now starting to wrap up and great beginnings and endings in the all-important spheres of career and home and family will start to happen over the next year plus. Eclipses in your tenth house of career and public reputation and fourth house of home, family, parents, and roots tend to be experienced more strongly and visibly than in some of the other houses.
Leo & Aquarius Rising: like Taurus and Scorpio risings, you’re coming out of a rather intense period of eclipses along angular houses, in your cases the tenth of career and the fourth of home and family. These changes are wrapping up this year. The April eclipse introduces a new theme shaking up your third house of siblings, local communities, early education, and feminine spiritual practices and your ninth house of religion, politics, international places and people, and higher education. Look for these areas to change in the next year plus.
Virgo & Pisces Rising: you’re coming out of a period that has been activating great beginnings and endings involving philosophies, religion, international people and places, and politics as well as siblings, local communities, feminine spiritual practice, and early education. Now, a new phase is beginning focused on your finances, both your personal income and resources, as well as shared pots of gold. Look for changes in these areas over the next year plus.
Wishing everyone safe passage during eclipses season! I’ll be back with Part 2 of this year’s Eclipse Guide this fall.