The New Moon, on Tuesday, October 25th, is the start of eclipse season and the opening of a shadowy portal we must all unwillingly travel through. It will be uncomfortable, yes. So let’s unpack what we need to understand, in order to feel fully prepared. Remember, depending on where this is happening in your chart, some may feel aspects of this event more than others.
The Solar light, our Sun, our symbol of vitality and warmth, will be flickering out, partially blocked by the New Moon, causing us to question most everything we know. This is the nature of eclipses. Happening on the South Node, old unhealthy habits or tendencies may arise. The tendency to "punish" others for our own insecurities is a big one.
There is a connection to our collective past-life traumas that may feel triggered. If your own South Node is in Scorpio, you may be feeling particularly aware of this energy. Both the sign of Scorpio and the South Node are about releasing, composting, and letting go. With the co-presence of Venus, this is saying something in particular about our relationships.
This is understandably a time of confusion, contradiction, and conflict, both inner and outer. Inner psychological demons are surfacing. What can we do to remind ourselves that we are safe, going into this tumultuous time? Maybe your medicine is sleep, stocking up on nourishing food, having compassion and being generous, and/or hunkering down with loved ones. One thing is for sure: Go slow and let go of expectations.
Mars is the ruler of this eclipse, and will turn retrograde on Friday. Mars is the warrior who will fight and rage, in fits of passion, if provoked. Mars wants to address this important story that is happening in Gemini. It is the story of a “split” to something in our lives: our identities, our perceptions, our thought processes, our families, or perhaps something even more literal. Perhaps our life goals are taking us in two different directions. It is mixed-feelings about something very important. We are finding shadow and light in both directions. This split is pressing now and needs to be addressed.
How can we sit with this division and use it to initiate us into new territory? What has been causing you to not care for yourself or your loved ones fully? What is the root of this split? What has caused you to feel disconnected? And how can you reconnect in a new way? A way that is healthy, safe, and with appropriate boundaries and expectations.
Saying goodbye to the routines and habits we are used to is extremely hard, even when we know they aren’t healthy. This is a time of being vulnerable and checking in on what needs to be sacrificed, so that the split in your life can be healed. Mars’ retrograde on Friday, and this entire week, will pull up many of these themes. Take note of them. Stay grounded. Don’t try to change anything right away, just observe.
Eclipses and retrogrades are a time when things do not function the way they normally do. Moving forward with anything will feel extra challenging. Knowing you are up against deeper psychological dragons, what talismans can you arm yourself with to stay grounded? Remember the people and patterns in your life who protect you, and lean on them. Don’t try to take on extra responsibility or fulfill someone else’s expectation of success. You are your own judge of what success is in your life. And for now, really, it’s about just staying sane and healthy.
The sign of Scorpio is associated with the shedding of a skin; getting rid of what is no longer fitting or working, so that you can be reborn. Creatures that shed their skin often go into a very vulnerable place, as they change and shift. They go into hiding, their skin is tender, and they stay low to the ground. It is a state of trust. By losing their armor, they become more of a 'whole-body' sensory organ. Bellies to the earth, they can perceive feelings and vibrations that they would not be able to otherwise. Their vulnerability becomes a mechanism for survival. We must trust that, by becoming vulnerable, things can, and will work out.
Growth is inevitable in Eclipse season.
Tuesday the 25th is the second of three eclipses in Scorpio. It is the “initiation point” or the mid-point in the story that you embarked upon during the first Scorpio eclipse back in mid-May, 2022, and the story will close on the final Scorpio eclipse next May of 2023.
With Venus and the South Node as a part of this eclipse, our hearts are being tested so that we can purge something. What themes arose for you during that last Scorpio eclipse in May? For many of us, this was a time that brought to light some harsh realities and awoke a drastic change in the ways we need to start living…realities that shape our day-to-day.
Scorpio works it’s magic of transformation and letting go most fully in the darkness. Pay attention to your dreams and what messages they may provide. Lay flat with your belly on the earth. Don’t go to bed angry. Practice writing down a few things you are grateful for before you fall asleep. Forgive and stay true to your heart.
Image by @tailored.art