Total Solar Eclipse/New Moon in Leo: The Rebirth of a Nation

Total Solar Eclipse/New Moon in Leo:  Rebirth of a Nation

Moon conjunct Sun @ 1:30pm CDT on 8-21-17

(time of eclipse, and duration, varies depending on location)

Born in the capital city of Iowa in 1982 and raised in the Midwest for most of my life, I love our nation…especially what it is becoming.  This land is beautiful, but it has its shadows.  In order to become what this country is meant to be, something truly great and awe-inspiring has to bring us all together in an undeniable way (and I’m not talking about a sea of red hats that have a skewed message of making our country “great again”). 

Enter the "Great American Eclipse" of 2017…the first total solar eclipse to pass over the U.S. in the 21^st century.  There is no denying the draw to this event, as swarms of people already have their plans in place for viewing this eclipse along its path of totality through 14 of our states (though Montana and Iowa have only a small patch of viewing area, they are still in the path). 

Eclipses come in pairs, and this solar eclipse is the finale that follows the August 7^th partial lunar eclipse that was visible on all continents but the Americas. From an astrological point of view, the total solar eclipse on August 21^st reverses the energies brought forth by the shadows of the lunar eclipse and the eclipse window between the two. 

Interestingly, our current president was born during a lunar eclipse and this solar eclipse is conjunct his Ascendant (the point of the zodiac that was rising on the eastern horizon when he was born…in astrology, this is significant as not only how you are seen by others, but also what your soul is here to learn).  Essentially, the pressure is on Donald Trump and it’s incredibly uncomfortable for him (with good reason…his abysmal approval rating mirrors an inward division between his insecure ego and his soul’s calling).  It is possible that, because he refuses to operate on a soul level and instead supports ideals that further divide this country, his influence may become eclipsed, reversed, and left behind as the rest of us push forward into a new timeline.  How that will manifest, we’ll just have to see for ourselves.  It is not our responsibility to focus on him and his journey…but to focus on what we DO want for our future.


Within that eclipse window, we had Mercury’s retrograde station on August 12^th…a weekend when the shadows of our country came out full force to be reckoned with.  Emotions were high…and overwhelmingly were soaked with unshakable anger.  White Supremacy came out to be finally addressed, after a long history of those shadows being pervasive but largely ignored and allowed to continue to various degrees.  We were fighting it from the beginning, really…but not well enough.  Thomas Jefferson planned to denounce slavery in the Declaration of Independence, but removed those references to ensure South Carolina (the final state graced by this year’s total eclipse) joined the union.  Slavery was such a part of South Carolina in the late 1600s, that in less than fifty years, the people of South Carolina exported almost fifty-thousand captured American Indians and sold them as slaves, so they could buy more African slaves, who were deemed more knowledgeable and skilled. Despite the gift of allowing slavery to exist to ensure South Carolina join the Union, South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union. Had our Founding Fathers held their plans to denounce slavery, the entire industry of slavery and the civil war might not have existed.  Instead, our country was not only founded with that open wound not addressed…it was founded by white males who knew better, but allowed it for what they thought was more important (momentary gain).  That’s part of our history, painful as that wound is.  While we have to accept that there are deep shadows in our history, we are now at a point where we must choose to not accept allowing that wound to fester any longer.  It’s infected the whole country and it’s all coming to a head in this eclipse window so that we can finally heal it in the light of consciousness.


It isn’t a pretty process.  It’s downright ugly to begin with, for sure, as we are seeing.  These shadows hurt everyone, even those with the privilege to disregard them or mistake them for something less than they are for so long.  Even those who feed those shadows with their worldview, their communication, their mentality, their actions…those ancestral wounds run deepest as they only learn from their history and their environment how to alienate themselves and others with hate and division.  It’s not that they don’t know any better…I believe, deep down, they do know better…but many of them have yet to come across or absorb any lesson that changes their hearts and minds and makes them finally care.

Those of us who do care…make no mistake, we far outnumber those who don’t…we have a responsibility to peer into these shadows and see the truth within them.  The truth is, our power is not in having power over others.  Our power is in unity.  Our country is not the “Great States of White America” it is the United States of America…our focus is not to “Make America Great Again”, it is to make America UNITED finally. 

With foundations built upon genocide, displacement, and suppression of the rights of Native Americans as well as slavery and gender inequality, but also liberation of colonists from oppressors…our nation is a confusing mix of both freedom and oppression. The initial idea of liberty, which has evolved over time, was first only for white men.  Women and non-anglo people had to fight for the same rights, over time and with great effort, that white men had privilege to from the start…including the right to vote. We have come a long way, thanks to the determination of many social justice warriors and movements throughout our history. 

But it was pretty apparent during the Mercury Station on the 12^th, what we’re really up against.  While angry, hateful, violent, and armed white supremacists rallied in a planned race riot to promote division and inspired one of their ranks to run over a crowd of counter-protestors (killing Heather Heyer and injuring many others)…the police presence was minimal and largely unresponsive (in fact, they were more focused on the counter-protestors).  But at Standing Rock, when our First Nations banded together as water protectors with solidarity and support from all races in this country in peaceful protest against the desecration of our sacred land and water…they were met with rubber bullets, water cannons in freezing temperatures, attack dogs, tear gas, hired thugs, police in riot gear and other examples of brutality and oppression they didn’t deserve.  Water Protectors at Standing Rock had sage and prayers, while white supremacists were armed and shouting hate speech.  Clearly, priorities are completely skewed when peace and protection of our land, water, and people are met with violent opposition while violent domestic terrorism is met with relative allowance.  The difference in mainstream media coverage of both events is telling as well.  This un-response by police in Charlottesville also stands in stark contrast to their presence in Ferguson, BLM North Carolina, and other instances where non-white people were standing up against oppression of their people…many of them grieving losses more important than mere statues.


I mentioned, in my previous post about Mercury Retrograde, that we as a nation are undergoing a collective soul retrieval.  From a shamanic viewpoint, this is when a shaman (represented by Mercury, in the mythic sense) journeys to retrieve lost soul parts that have broken off after trauma to our collective soul.  The deeper the trauma, and the more frequent the trauma, the greater the journey to track down these soul fragments.  It is obvious, in light of the events that transpired during Mercury’s station, that the soul pieces calling for retrieval and re-integration are those that were separated through the history of white supremacy in this nation.  From the obvious to the subtle…from supremacy over race, religion, gender, orientation, and anything else deemed ‘other’ to the violence, oppression, suppression, and gaslighting that the wounded male has inflicted upon others...there is a lot of soul loss to heal. It's not a quick, or easy, process.


There is a period after those lost or stolen soul parts are brought home that is known as the integration.  Especially after such intense trauma, we can’t expect everything to just suddenly clear up and be okay.  Those soul parts carry memory of these traumas…they carry heavy emotion and fear.  Being reintroduced to a place that has been wounded and scarred by these traumas, and more, is a shaky process.  It is important to both have support from others and to understand the importance of each individual carrying out personal responsibility for making the world around them a safe and welcoming environment during the integration process and beyond.  Things can surface in this time that are difficult to deal with…painful to feel.  But we can’t ignore them…no, ignorance is what got us to this place to begin with.  We have to nurture what comes forth with love for our healing collective soul and forgiveness for past traumas it has endured.  For example, when someone has a soul retrieval and reintegrates soul pieces that broke away after childhood traumas…that person must treat the integration of those soul parts as a loving parent who must protect and nurture that scared child self to stay and heal.  Essentially, we must create the same nurturing and loving environment in order to heal the collective soul of our land into wholeness. To do this, it is especially important that the Sacred Masculine within us all experiences a rebirth as is happening with the Sacred Feminine. 

The shadows that have surfaced since the lunar eclipse earlier this month are all part of the brew within this eclipse cauldron.  Within the cauldron, the medicine within these shadows is extracted for widespread use as a healing tincture for our collective wounds.  The rebirth of the Sacred Masculine highlighted with this second new moon in Leo is being midwifed by the Sacred Feminine within us all, especially those who are consciously co-creating this shift of timelines.  This total eclipse is the portal through which that rebirth is possible.  While there will be a vast number of observers peering into that portal, there will also be those among us who are helping to bring this new life in through that birth canal, in a moment of celebration and participatory engagement.

While the distinct beauty of this eclipse can be seen by the naked eye, what you can’t see is the whole cosmic dance that is providing it with such power.  During the eclipse, the Sun and Moon are conjunct Regulus (the heart of the lion) at the end of the sign of Leo, Uranus and Eris are conjunct at the end of Aries, and Saturn is conjunct Galactic Center at the end of Sagittarius…all of which are fire signs.  This is known as a Grand Fire Trine, an aspect pattern which is incredibly beneficial and, with the Galactic Center represented, is a cosmic creative portal itself. 

The Galactic Center of our Milky Way galaxy is, in astrological terms, a portal through which we connect to multi-universes.  It is a powerful source of energy, motivation, and aspiration where its activation allows for downloads of important information from which we Astro-Shamans often refer to as “The Star Nations”.  If you can imagine that an activation of the Galactic Center is like opening a channel, or a line of communication exchange, between our solar system to the rest of the Star Nations…you may understand how the eclipse’s 120 degree connection to it provides a direct channel from our luminaries to our planet.  I could probably write a whole post just about the significance of Galactic Center and its many activations this year, but this is one I want to leave open for personal interpretation.  In my observations, there is an accelerated influx of energetic downloads to those of us living on Earth this year and each of us has access to our own piece of that wisdom coming through.  So our experiences of this wisdom can both be very different from each other’s and creates links in the greater message we’re receiving when we connect with each other on the soul level.  Even in the confusion cast by the illusion of separation we’re all facing now…there is a greater story happening of our coming together as a species and accessing the larger story of conscious existence by each heart-and-soul connection we make.

Let’s bring the focus in, now, to the specific degree of this New Moon Eclipse in Leo 29.  The Sabian Symbol for this degree is “A Mermaid emerges from the ocean waves ready for rebirth into human form”.  This Mermaid energy not only mirrors our own evolution, out of the ocean, of our species…but it also mirrors how the total eclipsed sun will rise from the Pacific Ocean, travel across U.S. soil for just over an hour and a half and then travel across the Atlantic Ocean before lifting over that body of water.  It’s quite mythic under the influence of the Mermaid ascension story.  I think it’s quite fitting that the eclipse begins in the ocean told to be the home of the ancient civilization of Lemuria, and ends over the ocean told to be the home of the ancient civilization of Atlantis…two “lost” civilizations that were once “great” but were dispersed and sunk by the great earth changes of their time.  That’s all part of the download we’re getting from this total eclipse…and pieces of this mythic storyline will be re-integrated after the eclipse.  As the story goes, so far as we understand it today from various sources (including Plato), both civilizations existed within the same time period, and both were very different…especially in their awareness and response to the earth changes of that time. The wisdom-keepers of Lemuria were well prepared and ensured that their wisdom would survive (our First Nations are said to be descendants of Lemurians, and some Asian cultures are as well).  The Atlanteans, however, were ruled by royal descendants and, overtime, had lost their connection to their spiritual roots and strayed from the sacred laws of their land.  Both were highly advanced civilizations, but Atlantis fell prey to the destruction and greed that has been plaguing our own nation since its conception.  The eclipse is bringing us valuable insights from both of these ancient civilizations in order to show us how to save ourselves from self-destruction.  This is the rebirth that is called for.  And this is a call to our people, all of us, that it isn’t too late…but the time is now to reverse what damage has been done.


So now let’s bring the focus in even closer to our Earth and make note of the eclipse path.  Here are some of the details that I found interesting:

The shadow touches down in the North Pacific Ocean at 11:48am CDT…where the sun will rise totally eclipsed.

At 12:15pm CDT, the shadow first touches ground. First point of landfall of the eclipse is Government Point, a cape in Lincoln County, Oregon…where the shadow passes through Lincoln Beach. (Note the significance of the names)

Throughout this Mermaid Eclipse journey on land, it hits 5 state capitals:  Casper, WY, Lincoln, NE (1m 25.5s of totality at 1:02pm CDT, where I will be facilitating an intention ceremony), Jefferson City, MO, Nashville, TN, and Columbia, SC

It will only take 19 minutes for the eclipse to cross Nebraska (a swift trip across my current home state).

Not only does Illinois have the most area of overlap for both of the great eclipses of 2017 and 2024, but it also has the point of greatest duration for viewing this eclipse (Shawnee National Forest will see 2m 44s of totality).

At 1:49pm CDT, the eclipse will leave land on a long, isolated beach on a barrier island at the tip of Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge, east of McClellanville, SC.

The total eclipse will travel over U.S. soil for a total of 1hr 33m 16.8s before moving into the Atlantic Ocean.  The shadow won’t touch any more land before lifting off near Africa about 75 minutes after it left the U.S.

In closing, I’d just like to reiterate that I believe there is a reason this path is travelling from Government Point in Lincoln county, across multiple state capitals (including Lincoln, NE…where my focus will be) and into the state of South Carolina as its final destination in our country…a state which clings to its confederate history, flies the confederate battle flag at its capitol building, is home to many racial wounds (including the 2015 murder of multiple black people at a church bible study by a white man), practices voter suppression, and continues to be adamant about keeping their confederate monuments proudly displayed.  I’m sorry, South Carolina.  I don’t mean to harsh on your state specifically.  We all have our contributions to this national wound.  But can you imagine the powerful message of rebirth and unity that this one state could send just by shifting its allegiance from a past of separation to a future of unity?  It may seem impossible, both to South Carolinians as well as to the rest of us in this country…but there’s no time like the present to take this opportunity for rebirth. 

We all have the opportunity to be supportive of such changes as we step into various levels of the unknown in the years between this eclipse and the one in 2024.  This is what I mean by midwifing the rebirth.  Our Mother Earth is asking us all to be those calm, supportive caretakers as these changes are taking place.  It would be disrespectful of the birth process unfolding if we invited shaming, vitriol, or fighting into the birthing room.  We’ve recognized the shadows, we’ve called them out and dispersed them from the room…what remains is the medicine we’ve extracted from them.  And that medicine is the very rebirth of a nation that is beginning this Monday.

I hope you’ll join me and my family and friends, in Spirit, where ever you may be viewing/feeling this eclipse…as we peer into that energetic portal and set our intentions for love, gratitude, and healing all across this land.  May we all welcome, in our unified consciousness, the rebirth of a nation for the best possible outcome of our future generations.

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

Mercury Retrograde in Virgo/Leo: A Collective Soul Retrieval

Retrograde Pre-shadow begins: 7-24-17 @ 10:13am CDT

Mercury Stations Retrograde: 8-12-17 @ 8pm CDT

Mercury Stations Direct: 9-5-17 @ 6:29am CDT

Retrograde Post-shadow ends:  9-19-17 @ 10:59am CDT

Though I don’t cover every Mercury Retrograde here (since they happen 3 to 4 times a year…this year we began toward the end of one and will have another in December, so this is the third of four this year), I do bring them up if it is part of significant events happening.  This one leading us into Autumn is significant because Mercury stations retrograde in between the two eclipses this August.  In my previous post, I shared some key elements of what is initially brewing in this eclipse cauldron.  Here, I will focus upon Mercury, specifically (as Mercury is one of the starring roles in the story unfolding on the eclipse stage this month).

The Opening of the Retrograde Shadow

Mercury’s retrograde shadow period began on the morning of July 24^th, when Mercury was moving forward through the 29^th degree of Leo (where it will station direct in September, as well as where the total solar eclipse will be focused).  This time period, before the retrograde, is often when we are moving along full-speed ahead, flying through green traffic lights, and missing a few important details in our journey.  The details we may have missed likely happened right away, as Mercury exacted a trine with Uranus and an inconjunct with Chiron Retrograde that same day.  On that day, our minds were receiving an influx of bold, new energy downloads and innovative flashes of genius (preparing us for the Mayan “Day of No Time” on the 25^th and the beginning of the Mayan New Year on the 26^th) from a harmonious link to Uranus in Aries.  But it may have been overshadowed with a focus on wounds that are difficult to heal because of the inconjunct to Chiron Retrograde.

My experience, as the shadow period opened, was quite literally that.  I had a tension headache all day (which are happening more frequently lately, in fact I had headaches while writing this all week leading up to this retrograde station too) and my husband got stitches removed from a deep wound in his shin that he got at work the week before (two days after our 8^th anniversary).  We didn’t know it at the time, but the stitches should have been left in a bit longer.  He was following doctor’s orders though.  He returned to work that day, and then two days of work later, the wound reopened.  It hasn’t healed up since.  He tried to go back to work again this week, but aggravated the wound again.  This is a very direct experience of us moving too quickly, mirroring Mercury, and coming to the necessity of slowing down (and eventually repairing any damage done). 

Mercury was conjunct the Moon the next morning (7-25) after the shadow period opened, and then moved into Virgo that evening.  Because these shifts were occurring on the “Day of No Time”, they are significant to note.  Similar themes of that day may be revisited on the day after the solar eclipse (Moon conjunct Mercury) and the last two days of August (Mercury in the 1^st degree of Virgo).  Mercury’s shift back into Virgo happens again on September 9^th, to complete the lessons brought up by that particular shift.

Many other multi-pass Mercury alignments followed (all of which are harmonious or neutral aspects), and many of them are revisited during, or completely within, the eclipse cauldron.  Here’s the rest of the pre-shadow list:

July 28- Mercury trine Hygeia Retrograde (1^st pass)

July 30- Mercury trine Astraea Retrograde and Juno Retrograde (1^st passes)

August 2- Mercury conjunct Vesta (1^st pass)

August 7- Mercury trine Pallas (1^st pass, detailed in my full moon post as the first Mercury-related “ingredient” added to the eclipse cauldron)

August 10- Mercury sextile Venus (single pass, eclipse cauldron)

August 11- Mercury conjunct Vesta (2^nd direct pass, eclipse cauldron)

A quick rundown on what these alignments deal with:  Hygeia is the asteroid of health and her trine with Mercury is a beneficial focus on mental health, in particular.  Astraea is the asteroid of “the savior/martyr” and her trine with Mercury focuses on the beneficial side of those archetypes being communicated.  Juno is the asteroid of marriage and midwifery and her trine with Mercury brings a focus to the understanding of the role of partnership in order to keep things together or bring things to birth.  Vesta is the asteroid of the priestess of hearth and home, and I’ll go into more detail on their connection in the next section since Mercury is in conjunction with Vesta during the retrograde station.  Pallas, the asteroid of the wise warrioress, was mentioned in my full moon post:  The Wheel of Fortune.  Venus is well known as the planet of love and is also the astrological archetype of the Divine Feminine, and her sextile with Mercury brought us an opportunity to focus on our communication of love.

Again, these are greatly beneficial aspects Mercury made in this pre-shadow period.  But did we take advantage of them?  Did we notice the opportunity as it arose the first time around?  Aside from the sextile with Venus, which many of us were asleep for anyway, each of these aspects will be revisited again so that we can gain more insight to that valuable information that we may have missed at first.

Yellow Light…Red Light!

The three days prior to the Retrograde Station is a significant slow-down period (August 9-11).  In this time, things tend to come up that make a change of plans necessary for any major commitments you had scheduled during the station, especially if it involved travel or multiple people.  After a few weeks of overstimulation and mental congestion, Mercury in Virgo detects an underlying issue:  we’ve been ignoring key facets of our own health and well-being…focusing too much outwardly, and not enough inwardly.  So, Mercury slows down momentarily (on the morning of the 11^th) and contacts his spiritual advisor Vesta, the Priestess.  Vesta advises, “Sit here in my temple and focus upon this sacred flame.  Meditate.  Breathe.  Soon, you will go back and look at things from a different perspective.  There are signs you missed that are key to what you need to understand in the near future.  These keys will be of great benefit later, as they are what unlocks the doors to what all life on Earth needs now.  For now, though, you must align yourself to prepare for this inward journey.”

And ethereal as Vesta often sounds, Mercury already senses the need for this shift.  Accordingly, he calms his mind before he begins an inward journey through what already was and dares to find some hidden truths previously overlooked.  The day this shift occurs (the exact shift is at 8 pm CDT on August 12^th), the global mindset is a bit shaky.  We were just in the middle of things that needed some focus and logical communication to accomplish…and now what’s happening?  Delays, confusion, transportation issues, scheduling snafus, and Murphy’s Law in full effect?  Sure, that can happen as Mercury stations retrograde, but is that what it’s all about?  Absolutely not.  And, does irritation in the daily grind have to be your experience of this time?  Not even close.  It’s all about perspective.

The Retrograde Station (in effect from 8pm CDT on August 11^th to 8pm CDT on August 13^th)  is the big screeching halt, when the ordinary activity of the mind—as well as the ordinary conduct of business and commerce—sometimes seems to have stopped in its tracks, unwilling to continue its course.  Once Mercury begins moving in retrograde, though, our minds begin to turn toward vistas of knowledge and wisdom that call us from a distant past beyond our present lifetime.  And since Mercury retrograde periods often have topsy-turvy inclinations on our minds and communications…rational intellect may be replaced with gut instinct as logic gives way to intuition.  However, during a Mercury retrograde, our actual ability to think and communicate doesn’t slip into reverse—it is our perceptions, assumptions, and projections that turn things around.  After all, the trickster planet in its orbit stays on a steady course; it never actually goes backward.  It is only from our perspective on Earth that we see Mercury (or any planet in retrograde) appearing to reverse its course. 

So, during the retrograde station, Mercury stays put where he met with Vesta, while she continues to move forward…tending the sacred fire and sweeping out the unnecessary remnants of the past from her temple, along with her Vestal Virgins.  But Mercury and Vesta are still in close conjunction in this station.  She stays where she can keep a close eye on him, making sure he is taking the time away from everything that he needs for a couple days to regain some focus.  She reminds him with her presence, as Goddess of Hearth and Home, that the Latin word ‘focus’ means ‘hearth or fireplace’ and, figuratively, means ‘home or family’.

In this stationary time, Mercury and Vesta are in the 12^th degree of Virgo, illuminating the symbol of “a bride with her veil snatched away”.  Visions of ‘unveiling’ come to the collective mind at this time.  Mysteries are revealed.  And all things that seek the security of secrecy may have the veil lifted upon them as more things come to light for the sake of transparency in this next stage of our becoming.

On the morning of the 13^th, while Mercury is still stationary, Pallas appears in his thoughts (Pallas trine Mercury, for the second pass, at 10:03 am CDT).  The wise warrioress is adept at noticing the patterns of things and arming herself with clear strategies on how to move forward for the best possible outcome, so she sends some of her creative genius Mercury’s way.  Their first encounter was on the night of the full moon (August 7^th), so she reconnects with him in his meditative state by showing him what patterns were forming then that the collective mind may have missed.  In this vision, from her vantage point in Taurus 12, Pallas connects Mercury to the “window shoppers” symbol of her degree by sending him an image of the initial ingredients placed into the eclipse cauldron the day the eclipse window first opened.  Again, if you’d like to revisit these symbols as well to refresh your memory, you can read about them here:  The Wheel of Fortune.

Depending on how hard you’ve pushed yourself during the pre-shadow period, the weekend may feel like one where your mind just checks out for a while…where either the exhaustion catches up with you, or you just take a weekend retreat to reconnect with your spiritual side.  If you have other plans, don’t worry.  What does come up or is already scheduled (providing plans aren’t canceled last minute), is likely a necessary starting point to this retrograde process.  Embrace it and make the best of it, as it could prove to be exactly the thing that will open your mind to other perspectives.

Mercury’s Retrograde, a Journey of Retrieval

If you are familiar with astrological symbols, you may have already noticed that the Rx symbol for a retrograde is very similar to the symbol we use for a prescription.  It seems appropriate, considering that the initial shadow of the Mercury retrograde often presents us with the root of whatever ailment arises during its retrograde station.  Throughout the duration of the retrograde then, Mercury (who has often been seen as somewhat of a shape-shifter for his associations with the gray area between polarities) becomes the shaman travelling through non-ordinary reality, retrieving scattered pieces of what we left behind in our recent past, in order to provide some holistic healing.  

The biggest opportunity comes during the total solar eclipse on the 21^st, where the sun and moon meet in Leo 29, the same degree Mercury will station in on September 5^th before moving direct again.  The symbol for this degree is “a mermaid” which, after the Mercury links to Vesta and Pallas, is the final ingredient within the eclipse cauldron.  I will write more in depth about the mermaid degree as we get closer to the total eclipse, and again as we approach Mercury’s direct station, but for now I will say this about it.  The full expression of the symbol is “a mermaid emerges from the ocean waves, ready for rebirth in human form”.  There is a rebirth on the horizon for all of humanity…and those of us within or migrating within the eclipse path across the U.S. have the opportunity to be the midwives to this rebirth, this great change, that is coming.  An intense feeling or intuition is rising from the collective unconscious, soon to take form as a conscious thought.  The eclipse is our opportunity to bring it to being, elevating the collective consciousness of the whole planet.  However, it won’t be easy.  There will be shadows to contend with.  Eclipses like this are historically linked to major crises or natural disasters, both within months of the eclipse as well as within miles of its path of totality.  For more information on such phenomena, here is an excellent video full of historical research on eclipse effects…specifically focused on those that crossed the U.S.

After the eclipse, many energetic shifts bring an atmosphere of new perspectives during the rest of the retrograde:  on the 22^nd, the sun moves into Virgo (and our seasonal fuel focuses on the energy of the priestess), on the 25^th, Saturn stations direct in Sagittarius (and our lessons of commitment shift from the inward journey began on April 6^th, to an outward expression of all we have learned from this teacher of social structure and karmic lessons in the sign of the archer), later on the 25^th, Venus moves into Leo (and the Divine Feminine dons the cloak of the sovereign queen), then on the 26^th, Juno stations direct in Virgo while nearing the second pass of her exact conjunction with Mercury (and the Queen of the Gods, the Bona Dea, shifts the collective consciousness back from an inward journey began on May 9^th, to an outward expression of all we have learned about tending the sacred flame of healthy relationships with our significant others).  Each of these shifts following the eclipse put in motion the medicine that was brewed within the eclipse cauldron, giving its first forms within our earthly experience.

Then, at 3:31pm CDT on Saturday, August 26^th, Mercury Retrograde enters into combustion with the Sun.  On a chart, that means they are conjunct.  In the sky, that means Mercury seems completely swallowed by the sun’s light and appears invisible.  And symbolically, the combustion indicates that Mercury’s worldly significations are eclipsed, but its spiritual significations become even stronger.  So there may be some awkwardness in the areas of your life that Mercury rules in your natal chart (as well as whatever house Virgo 4 falls into on your chart), but your spiritual intellect will be heightened during this time.  The symbol for Virgo 4 is ‘black and white children play together happily’.  This symbol alludes to the overcoming of socio-cultural prejudices…illuminating the ideal of universal brotherhood that underlies all great spiritual teachings.  Essentially, we are different…but we are One. 

On the 27^th, Mercury makes three consecutive trines to asteroids that he previously connected with during the pre-shadow, each for a second pass.  First he revisits the trine with Astraea, the Star Maiden, who is known for her dedication to helping the imperfect, fallible underdog that is the human race prove that they are redeemable and worthy to even be on this Earth.  It is an uphill battle trying to keep us humans from destroying ourselves…but Astraea is like the Boddhisattva archetype who decides to stay with us and help us level up.  She connects with him in that ‘brotherhood’ degree while she encourages it through Capricorn 4 (symbol:  ‘a party entering a large canoe’…alluding to group-activity and group-purpose).  Then Mercury revisits the trine to Juno, the Queen of the Gods, who has just recently shifted into direct motion.  In this meeting, he becomes privy to the insights she has learned from her inward journey…mentioned above.  Soon after, Mercury revisits the trine to Hygeia, the Holistic Healer, who provides him with the eclipse elixir he came for in this journey…to aid the healing of the collective consciousness on our planet through the elevated mental clarity of humanity.  These two beneficial links to Juno and Hygeia happen while Mercury is in Virgo 3 (symbol:  ‘two guardian angels bringing protection’).  Juno and Hygeia, the two guardian angels, are in Capricorn 3 (symbol:  ‘the human soul, in its eagerness for new experiences, seeks embodiment’).  The midwife and the naturopath are acting as guardians of the eclipse elixir here…providing Mercury with all the ingredients necessary to distribute the medicine to all who seek a rebirth of consciousness.

To reach humanity, he must continue to journey backwards through non-ordinary reality and shift back into Leo (trading in his monk-like Virgo cloak for the more kingly variety befitting the sign of the leader), which happens on August 31^st.

In one last test of strength and will upon this retrograde journey, Mercury exacts a conjunction to Mars (both now in the ‘mermaid’ degree of Leo 29).  There may be a battle with some monster from the deep ocean of our collective unconscious that threatens to thwart Mercury’s efforts to bring that necessary elixir back to ordinary reality.  However, with the mental strength and agility of Mars teaming up with Mercury, they will overcome this final test (as any good Hero’s Journey has shown us).  

Mercury Returns with the Medicine

Mercury stations direct at 6:29am CDT on September 5^th (though the station goes on for 24 hours before and after that exact shift), still conjunct his ally, Mars (who shifts into Virgo a couple hours before Mercury shifts into direct motion) to keep up his willpower to finish this final stretch of his quest. The main goal now is to take some time out during this weekend, reflect on where your spiritual compass has directed you throughout this journey, and chart a new course through familiar, though newly understood, territory. 

After an eye-opening sojourn through non-ordinary reality, Mercury returns to a calmer state of being.  In this station, the mental state is gradually restored and Mercury (along with those channeling him) can pass the knowledge and experiences (as well as that eclipse elixir) of that retrograde on to others, helping them to successfully navigate life. Stability as well as the benefits associated with Mercury’s usual course are restored as the planet of communication moves forward again from our perspective.

In this ‘mermaid’ degree, which has been the most prevalent symbol throughout these past months, Mercury pauses again to reflect on all that has brought us to this point of rebirth of humanity.  He’s nearly ashore now…ready to rejoin the people and bring them the medicine they need.  Like the mermaid resting on the rock, overlooking her dreams of becoming a fully formed human…Mercury takes the final leap and moves forward once again.

Release from the Retrograde Shadow

Almost there!  One last leg of this journey that is often overlooked is the final shadow period and eventual release.  In this shadow period (from September 6^th through the 19^th), we are retracing steps our minds have already covered forward and backward…but this third time, we’re ready for what’s coming (whatever it may be). 

Just a few hours after the Full Harvest Moon (moon opposite sun at 2:03am on 9-6), Mercury gradually starts moving forward again and we make our way through the integration period of the post-shadow period of the retrograde.  That weekend, on 9-9, Mercury moves back into Virgo and re-focuses the collective mind onto all the details previously encountered in the past months. 

On 9-11, Pallas (the wise warrioress) stations retrograde in Taurus (sign of the gardener) to take her own inward journey to connect the patterns that have arisen out of this time spent in beneficial contact with Mercury.

On 9-13, Mercury reconnects the trine with Juno for a third and final pass, followed by Astraea conjunct Hygeia…both of whom reconnect their trine for a third and final pass the next day (9-14).

Then on 9-16, Mercury makes his direct pass to Mars in Virgo 8…which is the final aspect Mercury makes before releasing from this retrograde shadow period.  The symbol of this degree is ‘a child takes his first dancing lesson’, which highlights the activation of creative expression within an initiatory experience. 

Then a couple more shifts happen leading into the retrograde release.  On 9-18, Vesta moves into Libra (tending the fire of twin flames and turning her focus toward partnerships).  And on the day of the retrograde release (9-19), Venus moves into Virgo (which is almost the reverse of Vesta’s ingress…where the Goddess of Love dons the cloak of the Priestess).  These two shifts are integral in how we will initially move forward with Mercury out of the post-shadow.

The release is when Mercury makes it past the point of the zodiac where it first stationed retrograde (Virgo 12)…so at this point, we’re no longer re-tracing our steps and our minds can move on to new things.

Have an insightful journey this retrograde and an illuminating experience of the total solar eclipse!

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

Full Moon in Aquarius/Lunar Eclipse: The Wheel of Fortune

Full Moon in Aquarius/Lunar Eclipse: The Wheel of Fortune

Moon opposite Sun @ 1:10pm CDT, 8-7-2017

The Full Corn Moon happens to coincide with the cross-quarter day (when Sun reaches mid-Leo) of Lughnasadh/Lammas/First Harvest.  It also happens to be a partial lunar eclipse, visible on all continents but the Americas.  No matter whether you can view an eclipse or not, this is the opening of the “Lion’s Gate” Eclipse Portal, which concludes after the “Great American Eclipse” that is visible from coast to coast in the U.S.  The time within this portal period can be likened to an “eclipse cauldron”…where all of the ingredients are added to the particular ‘brew’ that we, as a collective, need for the next six months before the next eclipses. 

Significantly, Mercury stationing retrograde on August 12^th is an important ingredient that will be added to the mix.  Remembering, revision, and rebirth may all be part of the cauldron’s contents (and whatever other “re” words may apply to your own experience of the energy).  Mercury, the networker that he is, makes a few beneficial connections during the first week of this eclipse window…adding healing elements to the concoction.

Every full moon brings us the energy of an opposition, illuminated by our Sun and Moon.  An opposition can create tension, debate, or struggle (like a tug-o-war)…but its true purpose is to create balance between the opposing forces.  To understand this initial ingredient that will form the base of the cauldron’s medicine, let’s delve into the ‘wheel of fortune’ storyline that our two luminaries are bringing up.

Sun in the 16^th degree of Leo:  “After a storm, nature rejoices in brilliant sunshine”

The sun brings in the energy of clouds parting after crisis.  This Leo energy is warm and welcoming, joyful and rejuvenating. It is a sigh of relief, though it also illuminates more work to be done to repair whatever damage the storm may have caused.   After a collective ‘dark night of the soul’ (which can also reflect in many ways in our individual experiences), the sun breaks through to shine a light on our experience…providing a necessary rebirth of our consciousness. 

The energy of the “Wheel of Fortune” aspect of the Tarot’s Major Arcana is present in those natural forces that build up and create heavy storms for us to endure, and the turn of fortune that follows.  This is not a time to perpetuate those feelings of being victimized, oppressed, overshadowed, or feeling worthless, jaded, unstable, or ‘under the weather’.  We’ve all been there, we see a glimmer of hope after a rough patch in our lives and we discount it because we discount ourselves and our own worthiness, or even capability, of being happy.  And so we allow the storm to continue, we keep ourselves in the dark with all those heavy clouds shrouding us from renewal. We become addicted to our suffering…for fear that we can’t integrate the joy that comes from healing our wounds.  At least, in that world of addiction, we know how to navigate…we understand it; we’ve been there.  But this mindset is not what is opening up this ‘Lion’s Gate’ Portal.  It has no place within the Eclipse Cauldron.  It is one of the things we must leave behind in order to access the new timelines that are coming forth during the Total Solar Eclipse on the 21^st.  And not everyone will find the wherewithal to do it, but those that are ready to step into their own power will have a hand in stirring this cauldron…bringing a significant shift in consciousness to our world for the good of our next generations and all life on Earth.  The more that come out of the storm with a renewed sense of purpose, the more powerful the shift we can co-create together.

Now is the time to heal from our past; to see the storm for what it is…a cleansing.  We have the opportunity to let that storm (however it manifested for you) wash away all that no longer serves us.  You are stronger for having travelled through your weaknesses in that dark night.  Honor that strength by letting go of your attachment to what has hurt you in the past, and allow yourself to embrace what the sun is bringing to you now.  After all, it’s not only for you…but for everyone.

Moon in the 16^th degree of Aquarius:  “A big businessman at his desk”

Such contrast in these two images!  Our own personal reaction to this ‘big businessman’ symbol also has the capacity to shine a light on our own wounded perspectives. For me, it’s hard not to immediately see the image of our current president in this symbol…bringing up all those things I disagree with that he stands for.  For others, it may even be a disconnect of class identification or a feeling of monetary oppression.  Still some might be able to relate to this symbol, or strive to embody it…hopefully in a healthy way.  Before we get to why this big businessman energy is a necessary part of our eclipse cauldron’s contents, we should entertain all aspects of this symbol.

The Wheel of Fortune is always in play in the world of business.  One minute you’re up, next minute you’re down.  Risk and reward is often assessed, sometimes terribly.  Lately, it seems some of the most influential industry executives give little (if any) consideration to the risks to our planet and the lives upon it, and are only focused on personal gain for the greedy few.  Powerful as the big businessman can appear behind his stately desk, in his suit and tie, commanding whatever large-scale production he is in charge of…he is nothing without the support of the people who both produce and buy what he is selling.  There is certainly a shadow piece inherent within this image right now, which the partial lunar eclipse is showing us.  Big business has not been serving the collective and the future of our planet as much as it has been serving the desires of the few who wield power in that realm.  Many of them are clinging to the accumulation of money and power, an unsustainable paradigm that is falling away, without acknowledging the affects this has on the rest of the world.  This is not to say that every businessperson falls into this category…so let’s look at it now from that perspective.

The moon illuminating this symbol shows the need to organize and manage a large-scale operation.  The Earth’s shadow upon the moon is a reminder that Mother Earth is the most important and influential organizer in our lives…but she needs the support of her people.  She is getting burnt out from everything that’s been working against her…working overtime to keep things running…and she needs to delegate her tasks.  One of the most difficult tasks she has ever faced is humanity’s disregard for all she has built.  She can show us the effects of that disregard with natural disasters, weather anomalies, and melting glaciers…but most people just go on as they have been doing.  More of us have woken up, of course, because many of us still listen to our Mother and look to her as a guide.  But there’s no one better suited to changing the minds of humans than humans themselves.  So many of us are feeling the call to step into those roles in which she needs us most…as communicators and networkers, way-showers and light-and-shadow workers, growers and healers, creators and heart-centered business people.  Because who must we ultimately work for?  Mother Earth, the one who will care for all those generations of life who will be born to her in the future.  So we keep encouraging each other out of isolation and into togetherness…out of separation and into harmony. 

I just watched ‘An Inconvenient Sequel’ and Al Gore showed the ‘Blue Marble’ image of the Earth as seen by Apollo 17 in 1972, reminding us that the Earth is our home.  That image stuck with me.  And the original image that annoyingly surfaced (when meditating on this ‘businessman’ symbol) of the current U.S. president signing things at his desk that are damaging to our Earth faded away and became replaced by that ‘Blue Marble’ image.  It is time for all of us to make that shift in consciousness.  It is, after all, up to us to take responsibility for how the future unfolds.  It is not for just a few, but for everybody. 

Mercury in the 11^th degree of Virgo:  “In her baby, a mother sees her deep longing for a son answered”

Mercury, just one degree away from where it will shift backwards (from our perspective) next weekend, exacts a trine (harmonious aspect of 120 degrees) with the asteroid of the Wise Warrioress, Pallas, on the night of the Full Moon.  This is an important next ingredient for the eclipse cauldron’s contents…as this same alignment happens again (after Mercury moves retrograde) within the window of the August eclipses.  Here, Mercury brings the energy of creative imagination and manifestation into play.  He asks us to visualize what we long for, set the intention, and bring it into this world with the love and care of a mother.

Pallas Athene in the 11^th degree of Taurus:  “A woman watering flowers in her garden”

Wise strategist that she is, Pallas’s position and harmonious connection to the planet of communication shows us the way to manifest our heart’s desire.  The mother in Mercury’s symbol becomes a gardener in Pallas’s symbol to show that the nurturance of giving time, attention, and life to what we’re co-creating with the Earth is essential to both the restoration of the Sun’s symbol and the abundance of the Moon’s symbol.  Both Mercury and Pallas bring up the necessity to give our focus to being caretakers of life on Earth. 

So these are the first four ingredients mixing together in this eclipse cauldron.  The first two have a lot to do with pervasive influences in our lives, and how things can change on a dime.  The last two have a lot to do with love, care, and growth.  Feel into these symbols to understand what they mean in your own experience of this time.  What do they mean to you, and what do they bring up?  Each of us tends to identify with these energies in different ways, and some energies are more prominent than others (depending on what's being aspected in our own natal charts).  In the following weeks, I will be sharing what we must add to the recipe.  Until then, have a happy full moon!

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi