NEW MOON IN PISCES AND ANNULARE SOLAR ECLIPSE ON 26TH FEBRUARY 2017

It’s all about seeing things as they really are.

There will be a New Moon and an annular Solar Eclipse on the 26th of February at 8°12’ Pisces, a mutable, Water sign ruled by Neptune (modern) and Jupiter (traditional).

New Moons are notoriously the best moment to set fresh intentions for the month ahead. This one falls on the 12th-6th house axis (Pisces-Virgo) in traditional astrology so themes such as chaos vs order, compassion vs criticism and wholeness vs perfection come to mind.

Raven Kaldera in his book “Moon Phase Astrology” calls this new Moon

the “Dreamer’s Moon”.

He goes on to describe this Moon as “a reflection of Neptune’s influence on the Moon resulting in people who never quite know where all their edges are, barely able to figure out what is real from what is imaginary.” On this Moon he suggests that we use the time for (day)-dreaming since our strength at this moment is now in believing that our wishes can come true.

So much for the New Moon, since it is greatly “over-shadowed” so as to say, by the importance of the

Annular Solar Eclipse

This is the second of four Eclipses this year. Eclipses take place when the Sun, Moon and Earth find themselves closely aligned.

The effects of eclipses can be quite unpredictable (a “what-the-heck effect”), sometimes stressing emotions or bringing unexpected events into our lives, at other times they can go seemingly unnoticed. Some astrologers say that the effects of the eclipses manifest for as long as the duration of the eclipse itself, transmuting the minutes of the duration into days. Although of different Saros series,  eclipses occur at similar degrees of the same sign in 19-year cycles as they move in a retrograde motion through the zodiac. Thus they have effect on the same house polarity in your natal chart (or on any personal planets or angles in Pisces and/or Virgo that fall in a 2°30’ orb for conjunctions, 2° for oppositions, allowing 5° if Sun or Moon is involved).

The last Solar Eclipse at 8° Pisces took place on the 26^th of February 1998 (but of a different Saros series)  – what was going on in your life then? You may also want to think back to the 1^st of September 2016 when a Solar Eclipse took place at 9° Virgo…again on the same house axis as the present one and in almost exact opposition to it. Also relevant was the New Moon which took place on 29^th November 2016 at 7° Sagittarius almost exactly square the September eclipse and squared itself by this upcoming February one. Did anything relevant occur in your life at those times?

Since my last articles raised a lot of curiosity about the eclipses here’s a tiny bit of history about them and the Saros cycle:

The Babylonians (747 BC) were able to predict the cyclic nature of the eclipses and by the 4th century BC had recognized that they occurred in series, later denominated the Saros Series by the Greek lexicographer Suidas in the 10th century AD.

Bernadette Brady, an Australian astrologer, in her book “The Eagle and the Lark”, dedicates a whole chapter to the Saros Series. She explains that the Saros Series of the present Solar Eclipse is known as “19 South” and, due to the nature and aspects of the planets involved, is directly concerned with an element of pleasant surprise. The last eclipses of this series took place in August 1998 but on the Aquarius/Leo axis.

Esoteric astrologer Alan Oken writes that a solar eclipse represents “liberations from previous circumstances” while acknowledging that this may not always be to one’s liking. In other words, a solar eclipse can free you from something which could be a blessing in disguise.

Whilst, Tracy Marks, in her book “The Astrology of Self-Discovery” quotes American astrologer Doris Hebel who suggests: “that we fast on the day of the eclipse, that the week of a solar eclipse we eat citrus foods or other foods grown in the sun in order to increase our “solar energy” and that the week of a lunar eclipse we eat root vegetables or foods which are grown beneath the earth in order to increase our “lunar energy”.”

Events connected to an eclipse can manifest up to two months before or after the event or when a following New Moon squares the eclipse degree. This will happen on 25^th May, 2017, when the New Moon will be at 4° Gemini 47’ squaring the 8° Pisces eclipse degree. Occurrences related to the eclipse can occur around then as well as manifesting when a planet transits 7-9° of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces). In fact, Mars will be at 8° Gemini during the first week in March. A date to watch perhaps!

The Sun and Moon in Pisces will be closely conjunct Neptune, the modern ruler of Pisces, with Mercury and South Node also close by, this could make sensitivity and imagination top-rank allowing the veil between worlds to be lifted, giving a possibility to see the past and the future as we gain major receptivity to subliminal messages from our own soul. Jupiter, the traditional ruler of Pisces, is still bound up in a tight opposition to Mars-Uranus-Eris in Aries and all are in a wide square to Pluto in Capricorn. Some truths (Jupiter) about relationships, kindness and equality (Libra) could burst open in a very surprising and revengeful way (Mars-Uranus-Eris) causing a radical change (Pluto) in life-style but with a golden opportunity to evolve on a more responsible and constructive path (Saturn trine the Aries planets and sextile Libra). I believe it’s all about seeing things as they really are.

The Sabian Symbol for 9° Pisces is: “A jockey spurs his horse, intent on outdistancing his rivals.” Indicating the intense mobilization of energy and skill in the drive for success in any social performance affected by the competitive spirit.

Let’s remember: “When you reach the end of what you should know, you will be at the beginning of what you should sense.”  Kahlil Gibran, Sand and Foam

Does this Annular Solar Eclipse touch any of your personal planets or angles? Care to share?

Bibliography

Brady B (1999) “Predictive Astrology, The Eagle and The Lark”, chapter 5 Eclipses and Saros Cycle, pp 207-236 and pp 307-352, Red Wheel/Weiser LLC, San Francisco CA USA

Marks T. (2008) “The Astrology of Self-Discovery”, Chapter 3, page 66, Ibis Press, Lake Worth FL, USA

Kaldera R. (2011) “Moon Phase Astrology” pp. 58-61, Destiny Books, Rochester, Vermont. USA

Rudhyar D. (1974) “An Astrological Mandala: the cycles of transformations and its 360 symbolic phases”. pp 273-4, Vintage Books Edition, Random House Inc., New York, USA

http://www.alanoken.com/index.php?page=newsletter, March 9th Solar Eclipse accessed 27th February 2016

Image: Luar Zorrillo, Between Two Worlds

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