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| Art by Rob Rey |
Aries New Moon/Hybrid Solar
Eclipse: Confronting the Shadows
Moon conjunct Sun - 4/19/23 @ 11:12pm CDT
(Eclipse visible in NW Australia, East Timor, and Indonesia, partial eclipse in Australia and SE Asia))
This eclipse season begins
with a call to clear out what is destructive in our lives. Such an imperative can bring up some
turbulent emotions, and some confusion about the origin of our most destructive
habits, attachments, or feelings.
In the final degree of Aries,
this New Moon begins at an ending. And,
with Astraea conjunct these luminaries, its likely an ending we’ve been prolonging
because we haven’t wanted to fully let go. Something in us is too tethered to a
timeline that has already run its course beyond our ability to change the
outcome. Only in releasing ourselves
from it can we occupy a space of choice again.
'Astraea' by Karolina Jedrzejak
Aries is the diurnal domicile
of Mars, who guides this eclipsed lunation.
Mars is currently in the water sign of Cancer…a sign where Mars has the
most trouble performing the actions he does best. In general, the nature of Mars is that of a Challenger
or a Warrior…and those confrontational, combative skills are not so easy to use
in Cancer, where emotional bonding and protective nurturing is key. In an emotionally sensitive sign like Cancer,
we often seek the comfort of what is familiar, nourishing, and safe. Mars often needs a mission…something to go
after. So Mars transiting through Cancer
can create a tendency to turn against those closest to us, sever emotional
bonds, or push away nurturance to deny the vulnerability of need.
This is not the only way of
Mars in Cancer…it is more of a triggered reaction to feeling vulnerable in the
shadows of this season. If we don’t feel
safe or cared for, defenses come up quickly.
Cancer is, after all, a very protective energy. And in this Aries New Moon, overshadowing the
Sun, feelings of inferiority or invisibility may quicken our self-defensiveness.
Mars is also a strong protector,
ever-ready to defend a cause. In those
who were born with Mars in Cancer, there is a natural impetus to protect the
vulnerable from harm. But by transit,
Mars in Cancer gives us less time to figure out how to best use the energies we’ve
been feeling. This can bring up a lot of
frustration for anyone, no matter what sign your natal Mars is in. Mars energy is often too restless to sit in
an inactive feeling like frustration until it passes. It needs somewhere to go, and something to
do. So anger often becomes the
activation. It can play out like an
emotionally volatile cycle, especially as Mars is in Moon’s sign (Cancer) and
Moon is in Mars’s sign (Aries). Mutual
Reception like this is often a mitigating influence…but with Moon and Mars in
mutual reception, it’s a tricky combination.
Pluto squaring off with Moon
and Sun during this eclipse brings up another uncomfortable necessity in all of
this emotional turbulence. We’re going
to have to go deeper…way deeper…into what is surfacing from this eclipse shadow
to uncover the real truth of what needs to be laid to rest.
We may not have the full story
of what we’re feeling the need to lash out about just yet. After all, Mercury is slowing down to station
retrograde this week. We’ll likely be
re-thinking soon what has been said in the past couple weeks. And in this emotional mix of energies, some
of us may have already said some things we’ll regret later. If you’ve managed to hold your tongue and
just sit with your frustrations lately, good on you. Either way, it hasn’t been easy to do so.
But whatever it is that’s
bubbling up in this Eclipse Cauldron for you personally…it’s not meant to be
ignored. There is something important to
extract from this concoction of energies.
Something that needs to be recognized within each of us so that we may
be more empowered to create the kind of magic we need for necessary changes in
our paths ahead. Confront the shadow you’ve
been avoiding. Let the feelings wash
over you, but not settle within you.
Clear out what has become destructive, and trust the process will lead
you toward a healthier way of being.
Love and Gratitude,
Felina Lune Kavi
