The solar eclipse on the 3rd lights up
the natal tenth and eleventh houses of the London chart,
pointing to challenges to one’s reputation, status or
the right to be in power as well as issues surrounding
the collective – groups, societies, charities,
friendships and ideals. No doubt this will reflected in
what comes out of the political party conferences and
the meetings of the TUC.
Also the Tories,
in the middle of a leadership race, may find one or two
candidates trying to sully the reputations of their
competitors – standard political stuff but always
entertaining! I expect Libran candidates or those with
Libra rising might be under the magnifying glass even
more than the rest, since this eclipse falls in the sign
of Libra. (David Cameron is a Libran and Dr Liam Fox is
born on the cusp of Libra and Virgo so my money is on
one of them…)
Eclipses in the twelfth house often point to
secrets being revealed, so I suspect the newspapers may
be full of some new scandal about a well-known figure or
a focus on secret organizations or intelligence obtained
from undercover work, such as that done by agencies like
MI5. Perhaps important new intelligence could come to
light regarding criminal activity such as terrorism or
the London bombings.
The twelfth house also rules confinement and by
extension, hospitals & infectious diseases, mental
institutions and prisons – issues around these bodies
may dominate the headlines in the next six months.
As I mentioned earlier, the lunar eclipse has a
special meaning for London because it occurs in the sign
of Aries, and London has the Sun, Mercury and Venus all
in this sign. These planets are found in the fourth
house of the natal chart which rules domestic affairs,
the home and family as well as all things maternal.
No doubt Londoners will find that, with summer
ending, their focus is shifting from socializing
outdoors to more home-based, indoors activities. Autumn
is traditionally a time for getting your house in order
before the coming of winter, so Londoners may find
themselves behaving like animals about to hibernate –
consolidating projects started in spring, tidying and
sorting household things, packing away summer clothes,
getting out winter bedding and stockpiling flu remedies,
vitamins and warming foods like red wine and soups. No
doubt the supermarkets will enjoy this!
However, Mars, Aries’ ruler, is currently
in retrograde, i.e. moving backwards, which tends to
slow down the effects of that planet, making its
influence weaker. The effects of this eclipse may
therefore be delayed or watered down somewhat.
At the time that the moon is eclipsed by the
sun on the 17th, it will also be making a
harsh aspect to transiting Jupiter, London’s ruling
planet. Emotions will be heightened and people may
overreact, especially with regard to situations
concerning religious, intellectual or cultural
differences. However, this influence will only last for
four days or so, and shouldn’t cause any lasting
long-term damage.
During this brief time though, it may be wise
for city types to hold back temporarily on expanding
financial assets or portfolios too much - you may find
that over-optimism about future growth prospects could
cause you to over-extend yourself! This applies
especially to shares or deals relating to food, farming,
real estate and domestic products & services.
A few days later, on the 22nd,
Jupiter will conjunct the sun as it prepares to change
signs from Libra, where it has been for the last year,
into Scorpio on the 25th, where it will
remain for the next twelve months. This will hopefully
signal the start of a period of much-needed luck and
expansion for the city, especially with regards to
infrastructure for the Olympics (Jupiter rules sport).
Given the lunar eclipse in the fourth house, it would
seem that the foundations for this are being laid now
(see north node below).
There is also a lot of mixed astrological
activity involving the North Node at the time of the
lunar eclipse. The north node of the Moon is
traditionally associated with an individual’s attitude
and reactions to social trends and popular beliefs. It
will tell an astrologer how well positioned a client is
to make the most of these trends for the purposes of
self-advancement and expansion. Thus, it is where
fortune and free will often meet and could be said to
indicate how lucky someone tends to be.
The lunar eclipse on the 17th will
occur within 3 degrees of a transiting north node in the
fourth house of home and family whilst simultaneously
making a positive aspect to London’s natal north node in
Gemini. This means that public relations and diplomatic
endeavours should hit the mark and be in keeping with
the times, especially if they are to do with
partnerships and co-operative agreements in the areas of
property and construction or housing, families and
mothers. The emphasis on matters involving children or
conception may also mean that we will hear about a
London celebrity pregnancy in the papers around about
now.
Aspects with Mercury will increase the
likelihood of conversations with or about siblings,
neighbours and co-workers. Educational initiatives and
activities are also well-starred here as are practical
ideas for stream-lining or improving everyday tasks.
The emotional quality of the moon may also mean
heightened sensitivity regarding family matters,
especially family loyalty. Again I can see this
translating into questions of party loyalty with regard
to the various political conferences wrapping up now.
We may also see an increase in concerns over
homeland security as well as a keen sense of patriotism
– no doubt the World Cup qualifying matches will be
sufficient to induce such an effect! On a more serious
note, this could relate back to the 12th
house issues of the first eclipse, including
intelligence operations, hospitals and prisons. The
influence of the Moon’s conjunction with London’s natal
Venus may mean that core values are re-examined and
evaluated as a result.
The lunar eclipse occurs in the same sign as
the eclipse of 8 April, during which we saw the death of
the Pope and the marriage of Charles and Camilla. Being
a full moon, it does make me wonder if we will see an
ending or conclusion of matters that were started then.
In current affairs terms, this might mean a return to
issues surrounding the marriage of Camilla and Charles
or the death and succession of the Pope. I am aware that
there was a lot of controversy surrounding both events
so perhaps these will be revisited, examined and
arguments finally laid to rest.
