Today we enter the heart of an eclipse. Do we tremble? Should we be afraid? No. But just remember the most basic rule of eclipse season, i.e. things planned in weird season, seldom pan out as expected. At their heart, eclipses symbolize an interruption in the natural flow of the cosmos, a tear in the lining, a distortion, and always a play of light and shadow.
North Node in Aries/ South Node in Libra – the Axis of War and Peace
The solar eclipse that accompanies the upcoming North Node eclipse, took place on October 14th last year on the South Node in Libra, and so directly related to the Hamas attack in Gaza, which took place on October 7th. Remember, eclipses are like black holes, they warp our normal perception of time, so events happening weeks before and after the eclipse, still have a direct bearing on it. The Libra South Node, relates to past relationships, past actions, and represents a tipping point or a place of precarious balance. Since October 7th and the Israel reaction to the Hamas attack, the always delicate, precarious balance in the entire Middle East has been literally shot to pieces.
So now we have the Aries, North Node eclipse. Where Libra is reconciliatory, Aries is forceful, its charge ahead and ill thought out action, oft times leaves a heap of debris in its wake. Aries has the reputation for acting first and thinking after. We live in dangerous times and the ability to show patience, and a willingness to think ahead, are important prerequisite to solving problems. In the warm up to the eclipse on April 8th, we see a number of aspects coming into play. Firstly the Moon must pass through a phase of besiegement, moving as she does, between eclipse ruler Mars and Saturn in Pisces (on Saturday 6th April). The conjunction of Mars and Saturn, is a problematic coming together of the two malefics. Mars quickens and Saturn shapes or at least, tries to. Here in mysterious Pisces, I sense a tendency for actions to morph into something else. Shapeshifting. Nothing is quite what it seems. Somewhat elusive or possibly even deceptive action. Saturn in Pisces, has no solid ground under under his feet –and Mars not reigned in – has no borders (or very fluid ones at best) – so Mars has freedom to move. Mars rules this eclipse and this conjunction takes is right through to the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in Taurus on April 21st.
Though much is made – rightly so – of the upcoming Jupiter/Uranus conjunction, the great French mundane astrologer Andre Barbault reminded us that in situations where there is already great tension, the conjunction of Jupiter/Uranus can act like a powder keg. Jupiter and Uranus were conjunct at the start of WW1, the conjunction in 1941 saw an escalation in WW2, between the US, Russia and Japan. A series of triple Ju/Ur conjunctions beginning in December 1968 led to a worldwide increase in social conflicts, which were predominantly characterized by the rise of left-wing politics, anti-war sentiment, civil rights urgency, and in youth counterculture. The upcoming conjunction is in Taurus, makes me think, things will stay radically the same. (source: Barbault article in an old Astrological Association Journal)
I started work on this text a few days ago, this is today’s paragraph. Yesterday, news broke of the Israel Defence Force withdrawing from Khan Younis. Arab sources prefer to talk of redeployment, the movement of troops from A to B. I think we need to be alert to the movement of Mars towards Saturn, even though it is a relatively short planetary cycle (2 year cycle), it is tuned into eclipse season and Jupiter/Uranus. Traditionally Mars rules the king’s allies but also those who rebel against the king. With support for Israel waning and growing calls within Israel for Benjamin Netanyahu to stand down, tension is ever present in the Middle East. What happens next ?
The Mars/Saturn conjunction falls exactly opposite Benjamin Netanyahu’s own natal Saturn in Virgo, in the ninth house, foreign intervention. The growing opposition in the United States to Joe Biden’s policy in the Middle East, could be starting to bear fruit now. All eyes on Netanyahu. Light or shadow?
