The 01 Virgo-Pisces Lunar eclipse of February 20, 2008

From the February issue of Tools of the Trade

 

The Lunar Eclipse: 01 Virgo‑Pisces 53

Although this eclipse doesn't occur until the 20th of February, if it's touching your chart in important ways, you're already feeling it (and have been, probably since the transiting Sun squared it by approach.)  Run the chart for your location, plug in those angles, and then pencil in radix and directed points that fall within the axis of the eclipse.  Note that sometimes an eclipse to a directed point is shown to you through others.  Give some thought too to the Virgo‑Pisces polarity—and how these Virgo‑Pisces eclipses are working to perfect your ability to appropriately be analytical or accepting and trusting.  The eclipse asks (among other things,) what in yourself and your life should you be working to improve...and what is it that you should accept (with grace, compassion and charity)?  You'll find that the midpoints spotlight a number of the themes you'd expect from these signs.  

An eclipse is like an intense transit to the natal factors in its path; it demands review and change.  Attention needs to go to the natal houses in which this Full Moon Lunar Eclipse falls too.  What's been goin' on in your life that's typical of the matters or people represented by the natal houses?

To repeat a reminder from the last issue (on the solar Eclipse in early February:) often the tests of eclipses are more obvious around the times of other lunations. 

Transits in aspect to the eclipse degree also set it off.  For example, on March 3, 1783 (the year of the Laki volcano shown on page 1,) there was a solar eclipse in 12 Pisces 40; on March 18, 1783, the lunar eclipse was in 28 Virgo, and on April 1st of that year, there was again a solar eclipse; this time in 12 Aries 00.   Enter those eclipse degrees on the chart for the eruption to get a taste of how an eclipse creates a charged degree (that can await and react when a transit comes along to spur it into action.)  For the volcano, Mars was in 12 Pisces!  The eminent Uranian astrologer, Charles Emerson, believed that an eclipse degree stayed sensitive for up to two years.

 

 

Please exercise your Saturn for the patience to wait for the graphic to load....We start with seeing both Odysseus and Vesta conjunct the Moon, so we're thinking that the eclipse is asking for a review of issues around travelling to or for work—as well as the way that distance or estrangement allows (or causes) emotional detachment.  (So much for Absence makes the Heart Grow Stronger!)  For some, “getting away for a while” (and having emotional distance also,) will be crucial to the changes requested by the eclipse.  Since Hippokrates (a medical asteroid) is in the eclipse axis, likely there are medical issues associated with travel, with estrangement or with distance (in that one is far away from someone who's ill— or that one is ill when they're away from home,) and with learning the balance between fulfillment through work and in more personal relationships.

 

So let's do our usual technique of grabbing a bunch of  the midpoints to the eclipse to see if we can fill in some of the details of the type of events it will use to impact our natal and directed factors (and push them to change.) 

 

I've indicated the  eclipse axis degrees on the chart (not shown above, but those degrees are: 01 M 53, 24 M 23, 16 C 53, and 09 F 23) so you can evaluate the differences in the ways the midpoints (to any axis degree) manifest, and I'll list the midpoints that are clustered around each point in the axis.    As you review each, remember that some eclipse events will use the plot of several of the midpoints, and consider whether those conjunct the Moon in Virgo are part of the past and whether those in Pisces present steps to the future.

 

00 Vi 37  Tantalus/Pluto: There may be “tests”—to see if you can or will “stand tall” and Be yourSelf without being dragged into a struggle; some teasing is apt to feel like an attempt to “get one's goat” (and push those sensitive buttons!)  There may also be psych kinds of tests or instances where ingratitude is an attempt to get more from/out of another.  The presence of a sense that this is or was almost final, almost irrevocable, can also come through these factors.

 

01 Vi 16  Pluto/Panacea:  Improve that debt load (or find that a “cure”/improvement throws you into debt!)  Taking control of what you can affect and surrendering to what you can't will be an improvement.  Pay attention when an improvement is more than you can afford or gives control to another.

 

01 Vi 27  Asclepius/Urania:  There can be interest in medical astrology, but it's a time to realize the extent to which an illness affects a person's thinking.   Someone may question a doctor's smarts, but you'll find that the presence of a medical condition really changes the perspective.

 

01 Vi 28  Kronos, Rx/Atlantis, Rx: As well as the surfacing of private details about famous people, there can be negative expectations connected to a  legal case, a father or leader (and concern about prior instances of government snooping.)  And this is a reminder that a number of famous individuals will be showing us the meaning of this eclipse... and we do thank them for that!  So expect some Admissions or Confessions from the infamous and reaction to governmental attitude towards the environment.

 

01 Vi 28  Mars/Sisyphus, Rx:  Often when Sisyphus is retrograde, a person doesn't want to try again; maybe here they're angry because they're expected to (so there's an anger that refuses to “try again.”)

 

01 Sa 47  Jupiter/House, Rx:  If you can't enlarge your house or do home improvements, notice of large or fancy houses may strike your fancy.  There can be attention to places such as college dormitories or to where one stays during travels.  The asteroid, House, also refers to Location, so would things be better if you went There  (where the grass is probably greener)?

 

01 Ge 50:  What is learned about not depending on friends (or not finding them dependable)?  What do you need to review about an unexpected change in a friendship?

 

01Pi 53  Icarus/Askalaphus: Attention to health or treatment risks and dangers; need for rapid medical attention; life flights possible.

 

01 Vi 53  Ceres/Cupido:  If not attention to your kitchen or greenhouse, there can be stuff about your Mother's or kids' home or housing.  There's a suggestion here of “caring for family” and interest in the family dynamic as it affected how “nurtured” people felt.

 

01 Vi 56 Sphinx/Sappho:  Not only can there be questions about friends, but enigmas can exist if things seem “the same” or “like” something else. “Is this (situation) JUST LIKE the one in the past?”

 

01 Pi 58  Orpheus/Ophelia: In reacting to a loss, a person can go so far overboard that they actually hurt themselves.  There can be extended depression.  Some tears may seem excessive.

 

01 Vi 59 Hippokrates/Pythia, Rx: The reminder here is that symptoms and prognoses may not be correctly interpreted.  Remember, it’s okay to accept the diagnosis but reject an externally imposed prognosis.

 

02 Pi 01 Lilith/Child: Decisions concern a child; there can be interest in the choices a child (of any age) makes, or instances of rejection or favoritism with a child.  (Thus, for instance, a favorite child can bring the eclipse agenda into sharp focus.)

 

02 Vi 02  Hybris/Juno: It'd be good to articulate expectations one has of a partner or partnership (and to have a firm grasp on the expected costs of any undertaking or purchase.  What do/did you expect to pay for that?)  It’s a time to acknowledge the ways in which one’s “Fate” is shaped by their relationships and partners.

 

02 Sa 07  Sphinx/Requiem: It can be really tough to come to a place of peace about something when you still feel you don't have full understanding, and unanswered questions remain.  The statement will be, “Why can't I accept that?”  Or, “If I understood or had the answers, THEN I’d be able to quit struggling about this.”

 

02 Pi 08  Icarus/Phaaethon: This gentle reminder: Thy car is not intended to hurtle through space at speeds far beyond the limit!  If it seems dangerous to drive, don't!  Slow down.  You'll get there when you do, and life is about the Journey not the destination.

 

02 Pi 08  Eros/Venus: Love and sex make a great combination; there is some mention here of estrogen and feminine sexuality, but also of veins.  The image? A loving heart.

 

02 Pi 10  Eros/Siva: Implied is something about the effect of rage on the cardiac system, but there is the potential here for a form of destruction (with, hopefully, subsequent epiphanies) through the sexuality, reproductive system or heart.

 

02 Vi 10  Hades, Rx/Poseidon :  As well as hearing of fundamentalist religions (or those that disdain modern life,) you may react to vulgarity on television; watch crime investigation programs, notice problems with education, or see how religion can be twisted to evil.  There's mention here of media or film by the common man, so YouTube videos and cell phone cameras come into play.

 

02 Pi 22  Uranus/Chiron: If exceptions (to rules or standards) are allowed, of course things can get squirrely and unpredictable...and there can be more stress.  Note that someone may act “wild” or erratic in the attempt to subvert the system or not be held to expectations.  You may be in touch with one who maintains tension by always being outside the rules or insisting on their unique view.

 

02 Pi 26  Eros/(asteroid) Poseidon: As well as noticing the use of sex in advertising and in film and television, you can have a passion for metaphysics and ideas or hear stuff about morality or religion and sex.  (I'm too much of a lady to even  mention the Poseidon‑A as “a mirror” here....)

 

02 Vi 35 Mars/Poseidon: Strong advocacy of an idea or belief; awareness, then, of zealots; the need to act on principle; to argue about ideas or beliefs.

 

Axis Midpoints:

 

16 Aries 27  Kassandra/Panacea: Can what is said to be “a cure” be trusted?  Is there any point in advising others on how to improve?

 

16 Ar 37  Amor/Hephaistos: How far does “love” go when partners have important differences?  What are you learning about Acceptance through people who are so unlike you?  Are boundaries held in incompatible interactions?

 

16 Cp 47 Jupiter/Nemesis: The nemesis can be encountered when trying to do a good thing or when one tries to do too much.  There can be problems with grandparents, grandchildren, travel, and the desire to excel.

 

16 Li 49 Apollo/Nemesis, Rx: The problem (and possible undoing) is that one allows themselves to be provoked or is slow to figure out a dynamic that is all too familiar.  Some are apt to realize now that the source of a difficulty is that they had (again) acted or reacted from their own particular blind spot (and now the eclipse is graciously pointing that out.)

 

17 Cancer 01 Isis, Rx/Hephaistos: Do partners have very different ideas about their sibling relationships?  Are you seeing that siblings are quite different as people?  There may be relationships in which some harmonies exist, but there are still those fairly significant sticking points.

 

17 Li 02  Astraea/Requeim: Although someone hasn't gotten over something or just hasn't fully recovered, they hide the fact that they aren't at peace.   In some cases, it's the memory of what one has seen that continues to disturb.

 

17 Cp 05  Child/Pandora:  If not crises that involve a child, you may see examples of a young person dealing with surprising consequences.  Use this midpoint to consider all the unexpected things that happened to you as a child (and what memories and defenses you formed to deal with them.  Have some of those defenses outlived their usefulness?  Can you release them now?)

 

17 Cp 07  Neptune/Persephone: Not only can dreams, illness, ideals, a great loneliness, or meditation set you apart from family and others, the longing for The Other World can magnify your discontent in this one. 

 

17 Li 08  Industria, Rx/Demeter, Rx:  There may be a review of “working mothers,” interest in the food‑service industry, or reluctance to deal with all the work of food shopping and meal preparation.  Who might be working too hard to eat or take care of themselves properly?  How much work is encountered in trying to take care of someone else?

 

17 Li 08  Daedalus, Rx/Apollon, Rx:  There is some lingering effect about businesses that deal in design or metals.  When people are busy, they can feel like slaves or try to pass on consequences that belong to them. 

 

17 Li 11  Hades, Rx/Mercury: Thinking about the past is natural with an eclipse, but watch negative thoughts or the tendency to keep important thoughts to yourself.  It is possible for someone to be “talking behind your back”!

 

17 Ca 12  Mars/Hera, Rx: If you don't stand up for yourself, won't the relationship be knocked off balance?  Is there already an imbalance in anger?  Is there anger at a past partner?  Might selfishness or independence be creating relationship strife?

 

17 Cp 20  Niobe/Psyche: It is something neurological or psychological that is the cause of sorrow in a parent‑child relationship or that is “humbling” for a person.  Good old fashioned hurt pride can be a source of anguish here; some emotional hurts point to insufficient ego strength.

 

17 Cp 29  Venus/Pluto:  We can hope that Witte's interpretation of this midpoint as “a pleasant change” will manifest so that there won't be civilities with complex motives.  I vote for Love to be seen as Power, and as the vehicle for transformation and honesty.  You may encounter envy or greed in terms of $$$ or issues with inherited money.  Certainly Relationships are a challenge to one's authenticity and have much to teach about respect for the values and fate of another.  There can be evidence of the fear that Love gives another power Over one.

 

17 Li 36  Mercury/Mars:  Definitely exercise your brain (okay—and mouth!) Watch for those who are verbally defensive and argumentative or tend to have navel or tunnel vision with their ideas and perceptions.  Do you have to fight to be heard?

 

17 Ca 57  Hybris/Hippokrates: There's focus on what can be expected given the medical problem, and there may be an acknowledgement of the limits of doctors or medical science.

 

09 Sc 06  Venus/Hebe, Rx: Even though you really care about someone, you don't have to be a doormat and put up with everything.  In what ways are finances connected to untoward support?

 

09 Aq 12  Uranus/Pluto: Important changes and events can be happening to friends or in a friendship; some things that happen quite suddenly have the aura of finality; it may take something extraordinary to get a person to see the light— it's the bomb that's an ultimatum.

 

09 Sc 16  Mercury/Pythia, Rx:  Expect that words have been misinterpreted and talk about the future proves wrong (but not entirely.)

 

09 Sc 29  Demeter, Rx/Pandora: Mothers and/or children are the source of surprise, crisis and unanticipated results.  Some will find that, in a crisis, they lose their appetite.  Some will find that there are sudden events that require caregiving.

 

09 Sc 32  Industria, Rx/Persephone: Because of how hard another is working, someone feels alone or abandoned; too, it may be one's work that illuminates more of the ways and reasons one doesn't fit, doesn't belong, and is left “on their own.”

 

09 Sc 32  Mars/Phaethon: Yeah, sure, kick your tires (but do not take a baseball bat to your windshield!)  Note the ways that someone “gets out of control” with anger or activities, and remember: when you're angry, do not do the “pedal to the metal” thing.

 

09 Sc 42  Jupiter/Saturn: The reminder to balance your Stop and your Go buttons is here; it's time for cautious optimism and taking time for joy even when buried by responsibilities.  Notice which responsibilities are really a joy and give you a good feeling about yourself.  Are there reminders about “Good Daddies”?

 

09Leo 53  Hades, Rx/Hippokrates:  You could hear of wasting or dreadful diseases; illness can cause melancholia; there can be attention to chronic ailments or those that cause decline, nausea, or bowel problems.

 

09Sc 56  Toro/Askalaphus: As well as medical issues that affect the muscles or strength, there may be times when an illness (your's or another's) requires you to be strong (emotionally or physically.)

 

 

24 Sag 11  Neptune/Apollon, Rx: Some will be unable to handle so many demands—they’ll feel overwhelmed; others will find that their sensitivities require that they have less on their plate; you can hear mention of chemicals or of people who aren't totally honest about their business or the demands on their time.

 

24 Sag 16  Demeter, Rx/Lilith: Who is choosing to eat foods that aren't good for them?  There may be decisions now about a mother or child or regarding another who requires Care.  Issues of rejection or favoritism can occur in the parent-child relationship.

 

24 Vi 23  Kassandra/Uranus: Get or give advice about astrology, computers, or technology; hope for astrological discussions and advice between friends; advice about changes that you or others should make are less likely to be well‑received.

 

24 Vi 24  Mars/Juno: Discord in relationship may be necessary to get people to make the changes the eclipse requests now; is there a current of anger that is affecting interaction with others (including the partner)?

 

24 Vi 25  Chiron/Panacea: The prompt here is to seek unusual or unconventional solutions or treatments.  Note though that there can be the perception that what would work (as an improvement) for others won't work here.  Still, perhaps you can make things better by not adhering to the party line.

 

24 Sa 29  Ophelia/Requiem: Even though a person seems okay, they are over‑reacting exactly because they can't accept what has happened (or is still happening on some level.)

 

24 Ge 32  Isis, Rx/Memoria, Rx: So, okay, you only remember part of the past; expect events to bring up memories of siblings.

 

24 Sa 49  Zeus, Rx/Ophelia: There can be strong anxiety so that a person is really acting against themselves; over‑reactions are, here, a sign of anger, anxiety and difficulty controlling strong emotions.

 

Okay, that's it.  Which of the midpoints do you find to be playing a role in important events (that push you and others to see yourself and to make changes?  Can you be satisfied with just the midpoints to 01 Virgo and Pisces, or do you need the others to detail what’s goin’ on in your life?  Oh, and just because you’re an astrologer and know that an eclipse is asking for Change, are you able to be kind to yourself and give time and compassion for how tough it is to actually change on a level that matters?

 

Click below to email me:

 

treehsemtn@tctwest.net

 

 

 

 

The US Chart

 

Shown below: the 12 Sag Rising Sibly chart for the United States with a selection of radix midpoints given around the inner rim of the 90 degree dial.

 

Please use your Admetus or Saturn for patience while the chart loads.

 

 

 

 

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