The full moon on February 10th marks the beginning of the end for the Virgo-Pisces eclipse cycle that began in 2015. An eclipse occurs when there is a special alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Earth, so that the visible face of either the Sun or the Moon is obscured by shadow. During a solar eclipse, the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. During a lunar eclipse, the Earth’s shadow darkens the Moon. Eclipses always come in pairs, one on a new moon (solar) and one on a full moon (lunar).
We can see that one key to understanding eclipses is the concept of the “shadow.” The Sun represents the primary essence of the outwardly evolving self. The Moon represents the natural and human heritage that has formed the incarnating soul. The dynamic interplay of Sun and Moon energies best describe the individual, and eclipses explicitly cast a shadow across how we know these energies to be--how we identify and understand ourselves. Eclipses, therefore, can indicate times of crisis. It is generally recommended to avoid making any major decisions in the weeks surrounding an eclipse as new information can emerge quite spontaneously from the depths of the shadow.
This lunar eclipse falls as the Sun in Aquarius opposes the Moon in Leo. Sun in Aquarius is dually ruled by Saturn (consolidator of form) and Uranus (disrupter of form). The energy of Aquarius serves to identify, dismantle, and change systems and structures that govern our lives. It is not only the sign of the genius, but also the humanitarian. Aquarius utilizes mental ingenuity for the benefit of their larger human family. But despite this attribute, the intellectual Aquarius is often perceived as aloof and cool in personal interaction, not at all like its polar sign--warm, fiery Leo. The Moon in Leo is ruled by the Sun. The sign of creative self expression, Leo governs the concept of the individual self and the willpower sustaining creation. Leo is lovable and loyal with a dramatic flair. As an added energetic bonus, while the Moon in Leo is opposing its ruler (the Sun), it is also in harmonious aspect to the Sun in Aquarius’s rulers (Saturn and Uranus). Moon, Saturn, and Uranus will form a Grand Fire Trine! This is a torch of willpower to help guide us through a time of darkened light.
Since full moons always occur during the opposition of Sun and Moon, it is an excellent time to investigate how the polarity of two signs work together to create a complementary whole. With the Sun, center of our entire solar system, in Aquarius, we are asked to examine our place within our human family, and how we are contributing to the society that helped to nurture and sustain our growth. The Moon in Leo taps us into our inner child, and lends us insight into our primary joy--employing our willpower to consciously co-create our lives. Thus, along the Leo-Aquarius axis, we discover how the unique expression of the individual’s divine consciousness (Leo) is the gift each of us has to share with the world (Aquarius). This axis illustrates how the individual will sustains the evolution of humanity. This sustaining quality is evident in the fixed modality of this axis, a keyword for which is LOVE.
Use this full moon to tap into your Leonine sense of joy. Use its eclipse to identify what is shadowing your joy, and dimming its light. Employ the Aquarian perspective to find clarity around what adjustments you can make to better shine your light in the world. We will have one final eclipse in Virgo-Pisces on February 26th, highlighting the axis of spiritual and earthly service. Consider what lessons you have learned in this regard the last two years. This eclipse will uncover the unique gift you possess that will best be of service to the highest evolution of yourself and humanity!