The final eclipse of this rare triple eclipse season occurs this week. As a new moon, this is a partial solar eclipse in Leo, about ten degrees away from where the Sun and Moon conjoined for total solar eclipse of August 2017. It is one of the final installments of the Leo-Aquarius eclipse cycle.* The lessons that have been stirred up over the last couple years are now re-settling. Some things will need to be released, others will need to find root. We complete the eclipse cycle within ourselves by finding our personal dynamic balance of the archetypes, not only within the context of Leo-Aquarius, but more fundamentally within the meeting of Sun and Shadow. The former refers to our intentional awareness, while the latter refers to our subconscious sentiments.
The polarity of light and dark is a fundamental metaphorical motif within our culture. Contemporary Western civilization is strongly solar-oriented. This is reflected in its mythology, which consistently uses “light” to represent that which is “good,” thus defaulting “dark” to symbolize that which is “bad.” Hence, when we peruse our history, we find eclipses, times when either the Sun or Moon “goes dark,” are written of with fear and foreboding. The simplicity of such binary thinking met a major disruption in the work of Carl Jung, whose work dove deep into the psychological nature of the “shadow.” He wrote, “Filling the conscious mind with ideal conceptions is a characteristic of Western theosophy, but not the confrontation with the shadow and the world of darkness. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”** Carl Jung delved into the realms of repression, and revealed that our self-sabotaging behaviors result from this “shadow”--the bits of our selves that we have consciously disowned. Without our care and attention, these bits begin to take on a life of their own, finding expression despite our best attempts to silence them. “Shadow work” involves re-integrating these bits in a healthy way. Doing so requires that we humble ourselves to our own internal darkness and discover our self-compassion.
The astrological axis of the eclipses indicates the themes emerging from the shadow. The Leo-Aquarius axis represents the polarity of Self and Collective, Creative Self Expression and Radical Social Justice, Youthful Determination and Aged Wisdom. While these archetypes exist as opposites, that does not mean they are enemies. Rather, polar signs are best expressed as complements. When in healthy balance, the youthful exuberance of Leo is guided by the social experience of Aquarius. The Leonine drive towards self-expression is given purpose in the context of the Aquarian concept of the collective good. The subject matter of the shadow material arising from the eclipses of the last couple years has included finding balance between one’s pride and one’s knowledge, the centering of the heart-felt amidst increasing technological diffusion, and the celebration of the creative individual within a stratified social structure.
There will be one final eclipse in Leo before the eclipse axis fully realigns itself to the Cancer-Capricorn polarity at the start of 2019. The celestial movements are sometimes haunting in their poetry. As the Sun and Moon meet in Leo this week, Mars will be at zero degrees Aquarius, on the precipice of Capricorn. In this same degree the total lunar eclipse on Jan 21, 2019. All lunar eclipses are full moons, and all full moons are phases of completion. All solar eclipses are new moons, and all new moons are the still-points preceding initiation. This is the start of the final chapter, the beginning of the end of the Leo-Aquarius eclipse cycle, which will not be revisited until 2026.
How fitting then, to have so many planets in retrograde motion! A planet in retrograde appears to reverse its movement across our sky. Likewise, its energetic movement “reverses,” focusing inward instead of outward, much akin to the shadow nature of the eclipse period, which draws our focus from the conscious drive to the subconscious desires. This is the time to internally integrate the experiences gained through the Leo-Aquarius eclipse cycle that began in February 2017. This phase of integration brings the lessons from mind to body, to prepare our intentions to move from vision towards manifestation.
Earlier in the week, Uranus moves retrograde, bringing the total number of retrograde planets to six. As there are only ten astrological “planets,” of which only eight move retrograde, the scales are heavily tipped towards this inward flow. All told, Mercury (mind, commerce, and communication), Mars (energy, assertion, conflict), Saturn (structure, boundaries, discipline), Uranus (unpredictability), Neptune (spirituality), and Pluto (power) are retrograde. Stamina may be low (Mars), communications interrupted (Mercury), and progress may dwindle (Saturn). Take a celestial perspective to recognize these movements outside of your own personal context. These stutters in the plan are not signs of individual failure. Success in shadow work is not measure by height, but by depth. If you feel you have plateaued, look more closely at what is already here with you. Oftentimes when we are unable to move forward it is a signal to look within and recognize what internal resources we possess, but have not yet learned to harness (Pluto). Have faith that you are enough (Neptune). If you feel you are lacking, dig deeper into what unexpected treasures (Uranus) remain hidden in your shadow. Apart from the retrogrades, this week Venus moves from Virgo into Libra, helping to alleviate the anxious heart. Jupiter, the planet of luck and vision, meanwhile sits in Scorpio, the sign most associated with the “shadow.” Here, Jupiter provides a torch to help us navigate these hidden realms.
If everything feels it is falling apart, take comfort in the knowledge that this is a false perception. You control the narrative of your own life. The more awareness we bring to our shadow, the less we trip over our own feet as we walk our path, but never will we be free from obstacle or injury. Although we are exiting this eclipse period, remember the Shadow remains as long as the Sun is shining--the two are inextricable parts of a unified whole. “Light” and “dark” exist independent of our morality, yet how we choose to consciously engage, integrate, and balance the two, determines what is “good” or “bad.” Take the lesson from the Lion that is Leo--move forward with the confidence that comes with knowing one’s own heart. Take the lesson from the Star that is Aquarius--plant the seed of your intention, but let the light overhead, not the ego within, signal when it is time to sprout. Leo-Aquarius inspires the radical reinvention of self. Integrate the shadow to show up more fully as you are--the world needs your light!
*For further reading on the Leo-Aquarius eclipse cycle, see:
Full Moon: Lunar Eclipse in Leo
Leo New Moon: Light of Liberation
Leo Solar Eclipse: Forging a New Way of Being
**From Carl Jung's essay, The Philosophical Tree
