AUGUST 2008 SOLAR ECLIPSE

An overview of the last eclipse series for 2008...

A Closer Look at the Solar Eclipse...

Here is a brief astrological outline of this month's Solar Eclipse and the areas of life most likely affected…

For more information on the Lunar Eclipse, follow the link to the relevant page or go to the August 2008 Eclipse overview page.

Total Solar eclipse

Solar eclipses emphasise the masculine or yang aspect and are therefore associated with males, father-figures, authority, self-awareness and self-expression, the ego. The focus in energy is generally extraverted and outward and therefore more likely to manifest in the form of external events.

Date:     1 August 2008

Sign:      Leo

Given that this eclipse falls in the sign of Leo, which is ruled by the Sun, the solar energies at this time will be amplified. Those of you whose charts are ruled by the sun or have Leo/Aquarius prominent, are likely to experience this eclipse much more intensely than other signs. Leo is a fixed fire sign and is associated with leadership, standing up for the weak, loyalty, self-expression, performance & the arts, wealth, self-confidence & bravery. Negative Leo characteristics include: arrogance, a taste for the melodramatic, childishness, pride, bossiness, dogmatism and excess.

Moon phase:      New Moon

Because an eclipse happens between the sun and the moon, there will always be a moon phase involved! Solar eclipses always occur at New Moon because this is when both luminaries are on the same side of the earth. New Moons are linked to that start of a new cycle or a change in direction.

A Date with Destiny

As a sort of closing of the circle, the solar eclipse in Leo this August will now reverse the themes of the last 6 months and ask you to move your focus away from relationships and onto nurturing yourself.

Whilst the February solar eclipse in Aquarius was all about your relationships to others and to society, now the spotlight will shift to your life plans and goals, your sense of identity and your need for growth and self-actualisation. You may also begin to ask what you are getting out of being a member of a particular group, nationality or association and whether belonging to this social context still reflects who you are and still serves your personal needs. If not, it may be time to move on to pastures new...

This might mean that you suddenly find yourself being made redundant at work, or are offered a plum new job out of the blue. Or you could find yourself tiring of trying to fit in with a certain group of people and decide to go it alone for a bit until you find more like-minded people that you gel with. At base, I think that events around the solar eclipse on the 1st will transpire to wake you up to the realisation that it is time to stop apologising for being who you are and inspire you to find new situations where things flow a bit better - where you feel less self-conscious, defensive or uncomfortable. Inside, this is probably making you angry or unhappy anyhow and not helping the relationship, job or work situation at all. The eclipses are saying that it's time to stop hiding your light under a bushel or apologising for having needs and desires that could be fulfilled, given the right circumstances.

Also in the mix are Chiron, Mercury and Mars. Let's look at each planet and how it might add another layer of meaning to what unfolds in the coming months:

• Chiron, the asteroid associated with healing, vulnerability and mentoring is in opposition to the Sun & Moon but conjunct the Moon's North Node, ushering in a meeting with Fate and a chance to heal old wounds and discover your life's purpose.

• Mars, the planet of drive, energy and self-assertion, will be rather active around both eclipses, first opposing Uranus around the 6th of August (within 5 days of the solar eclipse) and then squaring Pluto from critical and sharp-tongued Virgo on the 17th of August (within a day of the lunar eclipse) before racing into the Athenian sign of Libra on the 19th of August (3 days after the lunar eclipse.)

• Mercury - the planet of communication, self expression, commerce and the intellect, forms a conjunction with the Sun & Moon on the 1st, indicating that heart, mind and soul are on one page and ready to take you forward to a new level of being, experience or stage of personal growth. Despite the underlying tension created by Mars,  you will at least have your wits about you at the solar eclipse, and be able to talk your way out of trouble! Symbolically, this could be seen as a rare moment of harmony - bringing together mind, heart and emotions into one perspective or goal. Alchemically, such an event might be interpreted as a coniunctio or marriage of archetypal male and female energies, which brings forth the divine child, Mercury/Hermes - the third thing, the messenger or angel, the quicksilver substance of soul that begins and ends the Great Work. So this really could be an excellent time to establish what is really important to you and how you can make inroads into making progress towards it.

The background energy during August, thanks to Mars, is likely to be one of defiance or power struggles  - a clash of wills seems very possible at this time. You may also feel unusually tense, aggressive, amped up or highly motivated, especially if you are ruled by Mars (Aries), Uranus (Aquarius) or Pluto (Scorpio). Try to use this energy positively to overcome obstacles or to have constructive but forthright conversations with authority figures that resolve stalemates, rather than get involved in fisticuffs or quibbling about some minor detail that really isn't important in the scheme of things.

On the positive side, you will probably feel more energetic and motivated than you have ain a while, which is great for getting you out of a stagnant phase and moving closer to achieving your goals.

It might also be a good idea to do some extra physical activity at this time because it will drain off any excess competitive energy or tension you may carry in your body right now. Health may be another issue that gets red flagged. This is because Mars and Uranus are in Virgo and Pisces - the axis that governs the body-mind connection. Some of you could experience inner tension and stress and find it difficult to sleep, especially around the 6th when Mars and Uranus clash, or at the Full Moon. Electrical equipment or communications systems, such as satellites or telephones, could also start playing up. Be careful of accidents too - Mars makes people move quickly whilst Uranus energy is erratic and unpredictable - two ingredients that can have dangerous consequences. Others of you might be told you need a medical procedure around the 17th  - I would hold off any surgery until after the Full Moon as people tend to bleed more during this time than they might normally.

And now for a more breakdown of what the eclipse might mean for you sign by sign...

Areas of life affected
Below is a list of the likely areas of life highlighted or influenced at this time by the solar eclipse, classified according to sign. You can also cross-reference this by looking at the entry for your rising sign or Ascendant.

Aries
Ninth house of expansion, long-distance travel & adventure, higher learning, lecturing, personal, philosophical or religious beliefs, contact with foreign cultures, people or organisations, publishing, the search for meaning, cultural values and trends, the law

Taurus
Tenth house of ambition, fame, honours and public life, career or profession, reputation, obligations & responsibilities, desire for power or status, gaining or falling from positions of power, relationships with authority, bosses or government, parents, especially father, political life

Gemini
Eleventh house of friendships, groups, clubs, personal objectives & aspirations, invention & unique insights, detached observation, scientific study, the need for independence or to belong, humanitarian endeavours, taking a stand against misuse of power, the study of alternative or esoteric systems such as astrology, mass communication including the media.

Cancer
Twelfth house of the unconscious, hidden activities or things done in seclusion, confinement (and therefore also hospitals, prisons and mental institutions), secrets or private matters, spiritual activities (including meditation, mystical experiences), intuition & dreams, empathy towards others and therefore the caring professions, the creative imagination & escapist tendencies, drugs, self-delusion, neurotic tendencies, the cinema and the acting profession

Leo
First house of self-esteem, self-expression, personal decisions or actions, physical appearance, physical vitality, new areas of personal experience

Virgo
Second house of money & finances, personal wealth, personal resources (including skills) real estate, values, desire for material status or security, food and domestic habits

Libra
Third house of communication, speech, thinking, ideas, study (especially early education or school), teaching, siblings and relationships with brothers & sisters, neighbours and one's local community, logic, day-to-day decisions, the intellect and thought processes

Scorpio
Fourth house of home and domestic life, family members, activities and influences, motherhood and relationships to mothers or primary care-givers, food & nourishment, conditioned responses and ingrained emotional attitudes

Sagittarius
Fifth house of creativity, natural talents, pursuit of pleasure, hobbies, sports, romance, new relationships & sexual involvements, children, pregnancy & childbirth, gambling, the entertainment industry, social popularity (or lack of it)

Capricorn
Sixth house of health, personal habits & hygiene, job, work environment, colleagues, employees, trouble-shooting, dealings with the medical profession, occupational health & safety, detailed work or responsibilities  

Aquarius
Seventh house of personal relationships, marriage, enemies, business partnerships, diplomacy and compromise, justice, fairness, balance, desire for social interaction and cooperation, need for peace, harmony and moderation, the reactions of others to personal action

Pisces
Eighth house of sex, power, death, inheritance, taxes, shared resources (including taxes, insurance, alimony), large financial institutions e.g. banks & big business, dramatic personal transformations, antiques, reincarnation, regeneration, psychic abilities, the occult, parapsychology, extremes

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