Preamble:
Eclipse cycles form part of the astrological clock of unfoldment, initiating energy every six months more or less, and they have long been known since ancient times to herald personal and global developments and sometimes significant change. Total eclipses mark changes in the evolutionary cycle for humanity, and for lunar eclipses there is always a more personal emotional dynamic involved.
The Moon is typically associated with the emotions and thus with the irrational side of human nature and in mundane astrology represents the common people. This makes sense because the rise and fall of emotional energy affects everyone.
The Lunar Eclipse is also a full moon, and it works in a complimentary way with the Solar Eclipse energy wave. While the Solar Eclipse infuses us with creative impulses from the Higher-Self, the preceding or following full moon represents a potential for objective insight and understanding at the ego-personality level. It’s a time when we are more able to take the impulses from the solar eclipse and make them personal through greater awareness.
Grounding, stability and personal values
This lunar eclipse in Libra kicks off the eclipse season for 2024, with a solar eclipse occurring a few weeks later in Aries.
The current cycle of lunar eclipses (using total eclipses as initiatory markers) is ruled by Taurus, emphasising a general over-lighting growth theme associated with the development of emotional self reliance, dealing with reality as it is, and slowing down to take life step by step. The Taurus personal growth theme dovetails with all the lunar eclipses from 2022-2025; whatever personal lessons that may culminate or initiate through this eclipse, they will also contribute to a wider Taurus growth theme as well.
Balance, equity and justice
This eclipse wave in Libra highlights growth themes connected with finding greater balance in our personal lives, and striving for justice and fairness in our dealings. This eclipse occurs close to the Lunar South Node, emphasising a period where emotional process is linked directly to relationship dynamics routed in the past, as well as the balancing of karma. For some, this eclipse may initiate karmic balancing; what we sow, so shall we reap.
With the upcoming solar eclipse in Aries, we are tasked with making sure we have made peace with the past, in order to optimise the new collective evolutionary impulse toward new paths of development.
While we may feel more drawn to self-inquiry, and pushing out in new directions toward what we most desire, the lunar eclipse wave behoves us to put some attention on how our actions will affect those around us, and to make sure that we are listening to others, and taking them into account with regard to any life changes we might be making or aiming for. The lunar teaching at this time is “All things in balance!” This is for our own benefit, since unrestrained Aries energy can be volatile, impulsive and out of touch with unforeseen consequences. Through Libra we are being asked to carefully weigh and measure our options before we take action, and route any decisions we may want to make through our core essential needs and values.
If we are lacking in emotional awareness, the few days around the lunar eclipse can manifest situations that bring needed awareness to the fore. In particular we can expect new emotional insight to pertain to relationship dynamics and energy exchange, perhaps showing us more clearly if we tend to take too much, or give too much in ways that lead to undesirable consequences.
Given that the North Node is in Aries, indicating that the whole world is gearing toward breaking existing patterns and forging new possibilities, it is very much a time when we need to give due diligence to the potential consequences of our actions. This can be said for both the personal and collective level over the next few years. If we lack sufficient wisdom, we may regret what we manifest.
This year, with the upcoming US presidential elections, the weighing and measuring principle will be of crucial significance; US voters must choose wisely or else accept the consequences.
Lets take a closer look at the chart cast for the Libra lunar eclipse to track some of the new growth themes coming in...
Chart cast for the lunar eclipse on March 25th 2024 at 07.00 GMT/03.00 EDT
For a guide to the astrological symbols click here
Astro Technicals:
Conjunctions:
Salacia and Manwë conjunct the Sun in Aries
Hygeia conjunct Neptune in Pisces
Venus conjunct Saturn in Pisces
Chiron conjunct the Lunar North Node in Aries
Albion conjunct Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus
Makemake conjunct the Lunar South Node in Libra
Oppositions:
Manwë and Salacia opposing the eclipsed Moon
Venus and Saturn opposing Orcus
Squares:
Ixion at the apex of a T-Square featuring the eclipsed Moon, the Sun, Manwë and Salacia
Chariklo sqaure Jupiter, Albion and Uranus
Yods:
A yod featuring Saturn and Venus sextile Albion and Jupiter with the South Node at the apex
A yod featuring Chariklo sextile to Chiron and the North Node with Orcus at the apex
Key relationship lessons now culminate and complete
Eclipses typically both culminate and initiate, and with the lunar eclipse close to the South Node, we can expect some pathways of development to reach completion as we are moved to make peace with the past, let go and move on. The primary area for completion will most probably be in connection to relationship contracts or legal issues. For some of us we may finally let go of relationships that are no longer relevant to personal growth; for others it may mark a 6 month window of time when we can pick up on new evolutionary threads and kindle new meaningful connections.
In some situations we may not release relationships, but instead initiate a new era within them, and in essence enter into new contracts of exchange after the old ones have expired. These contract changes will pivot on the issue of dominance versus passivity, where there is an unacceptable imbalance in the giving and receiving of energy or the power ratio, often connected with one person being overly compliant, in order to avoid rocking the boat.
This lunar eclipse could generate breakdowns in the status quo within imbalanced relationship dynamics, through emotional outbursts, which if handled wisely can lead to heartfelt and productive communication and new ways of relating. In some situations, emotional realisations may lead to relationship endings.
These relationship culminations will be further energised by Jupiter conjunct Uranus, amplifying the need for expanded individualisation, freedom and equality. And with Venus in conjunction to Saturn, the issue of relationships is further activated, where any changes that occur will dovetail with a sober reevaluation of personal needs, and the rebirth or renewal of the way we relate to ourselves and how these new growth intentions impact on existing and future relationships.
All in all there will be a lot of re-thinking about what we want in relationships, and stringent assessment of relationship dynamics will certainly be a driver in a changing orientation toward connections. The moment awareness changes our inner reality, at some point our outer reality will alter to match.
The Yod featuring Venus sextile Jupiter with the South Node in Libra at the apex, highlights how a renewal in the way we each relate to ourselves internally, fuelled by a desire for more individual free expression, energises a deep need to learn from the past, make reparation if necessary, and move on from past patterns of relating, into more expanded and fertile relationship territory.
Don’t shy away from the Shadow
Last year and continuing this year, there has been a core theme connected with new beginnings and new directions. Many, if not all of us, are feeling or sensing a hunger to become more; to experience more and to discover more. Evolutionary pressure is on to break from the patterns of the past, in order to move into the unknown, and this of course is characterised by a push-pull factor; a natural inner conflict generated by a need to stay the same versus the need to become more.
The Libra Lunar Eclipse is in a close T-Square with Ixion in Capricorn, suggesting that there could be significant shadow elements that need to be acknowledged and integrated as new emotional awareness, triggered by the lunar eclipse, stimulates evolution through the balancing of karma, the paying of debts, and the release of obsolete relationship contracts of exchange. We are all moving on in some way; choosing at a deeper level to explore new ways of being with each other, and for this reason, the old pattern or strategy with regard to how we relate to others, will at the very least change, if not upgrade. Shadow issues may arise connected to control, or a clinging to the old way of doing things, and this can generate a great deal of tension until we become aware of these darker impulses.
Impetus to heal will go all the better when we trust the process
A second Yod featuring Chariklo sextile Chiron and the North Node with Orcus in Virgo at the apex, indicates an opportune moment to heal issues pertaining to the violation of boundaries, over-assertion of energy, and conflict arising from a lack of perspective. Eclipse energy can be volatile, and so out-pictured events (especially during the 48 hour window of the eclipse itself) could be directly linked to deep seated wounds that are now ready to be healed and worked on. The challenge might be that we don’t recognise key outer life events as an opportunity to unveil patterns of wounding; we might be tempted to avoid responsibility for whatever we are manifesting. We can best optimise the healing potential by making effort to track outer events and symbols to our own personal healing journey.
A collective overview
Collectively, this lunar eclipse will likely activate karmic forces connected with past misuse of energy and power. With Makemake in close conjunction to both the South Node and the eclipse Moon, collective issues on the world stage will arise in relation to ancestral trauma and dysfunction rooted in the ancient past, and the rise of the distortion that reflects today as patriarchy (yin/yang imbalance) and the Molochian false matrix. With Ixion at the apex of a T-Square, the unaddressed role of sociopaths in strong positions of power acting freely within society will continue to be a poignant emerging collective realisation.
Manwë and Salacia in conjunction to the Sun will be generating more energy for awakening, stimulating our higher nature and helping us recognise that this is far from ideal and should not be considered normal! There is some evolutionary pressure to reassess our current view of reality, to take stock of what is really going, recognise that much of the social disorder and malaise is connected to collective patterns of trauma in our forgotten past (collective amnesia), and through this expanded understanding, to realise that the way forward is through deep psycho-emotional healing and integration and a subsequent liberation from survival trauma.
With Hygeia conjunct Neptune in Pisces, and Chiron conjunct the North Node, this lunar eclipse wave will tend to trigger emotional growth and awareness in service to collective healing processes.
Finally…
Not everyone is going to be strongly stimulated by this lunar eclipse; it is after all not a total eclipse, and it really depends on how the eclipse falls in an individuals natal chart. And yet key themes can emerge over the next 6 months in subtle ways, which might take some time to track.
We might see changes in the relationship arena, especially in terms of letting redundant connections go, or in the nature of contracts of exchange.
We may see new key relationships manifest as we move forward
Emotional lessons might be stimulating more awareness over balance, justice and equality
Emotional challenges could correspond to a call to deeper healing
We may realise that making peace with the past, balancing debts and atonement for indiscretions is the only way to progress
Remember that the lunar eclipse energy wave highlighting personal emotional lessons and growth, is naturally paired with the Higher-Self impulses symbolised and transmitted by the solar eclipse wave in a few weeks time. Together they give us a more nuanced sense of the archetypal energies driving change.
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Aquila offers Self-realisation mentoring, Evolutionary Astrology, and Tarot sessions for those awakening to their true potential.