Spring Eclipse Season 2024: Uncloaking the Invisible Hand.
Confronting the elusive forces that drive our (in)actions.
We are a few days away from the Great American Eclipse as I write this reflection on this spring’s eclipse season. I hope this turbulent time has been treating you well, even if it means navigating difficult change. This eclipse season marks an important watershed moment that sets the tone for changes that will reverberate for the rest of the year, both on a personal and global level. These eclipses also serve as a master-class in the role that dignity by face (decan) can play when interpreting the manifestation of major transits. Each luminary will be eclipsed in its own decan, suggesting that there may be some core skill or talent that is needed during the challenges presented by the corruption of the lights. I think it’s great that decans have become really popular again in astrology discourse, and I hope that you can check out Kira Ryberg’s new guidebook on them. It’s a great way to reflect on how these eclipses show up thematically in your own life.
The Tangled Net
As I alluded to in my year ahead post back in January, the most striking feature of this eclipse season is the fact that the dispositor of both eclipses lands in the middle decan of Pisces. As a decan with both lunar and jovial influences, there are lots of connotations of sustenance, capacity for sharing, and often serendipitous discovery. Often, “the invisible hand,” “Providence,” or the more constructive manifestations of fate conspire to reward us for our willingness to wander and become vessels for collective benefit. However, Saturn recently entered this decan, marking the second phase of its transit through Jupiter’s nocturnal domicile. When either malefic is here, there can be challenges to achieving this sense of sustenance. Since Saturn will be spending all of 2024 here, we may find ourselves getting comfortable with the expectation of scarcity or feeling that we are bound by forces or expectations beyond our control.
When the planets of peace (Venus) and strife (Mars) conjoin the great gatekeeper, you can expect that some of the hidden influence on the eclipses deal with gridlock of some kind. These eclipses will allow us to connect the dots in ways that allow us to see the origins of systemic blockages to peace but also blockages to our ability to take inspired and acute action. As I engage with astrological systems outside of traditional, Western sources, I have come to appreciate how Jyotish describes friendships between planets. Venus and Saturn are considered somewhat friendly towards one another, while Mars and Saturn are definitely not friends. While exalted Venus and Saturn may conspire to set a high bar for distributing resources and brokering peace deals, the malefic conjunction is a whole other ball game. Mars has a “freezing” effect on Saturn (sthambana), implying a dismantling of the arbitrary systems that Saturn enforces and keeps in place. It’s unsurprising that Mars-Saturn conjunctions define 2 year crises since it becomes necessary to erect new structures in the face of existential threats.
Act I: Justice Unblind
On March 24th (or 25th, depending on your location), we had our first lunar eclipse on the Aries-Libra axis. The decanic journey through Libra reminds us that maintaining equilibrium is both a struggle and a dynamic process. In Libra’s first face, we are made painfully aware of disparities between people or between ideals and reality. Since eclipses are corruptions of the lights, it was no surprise that the news was dominated by the exposure of corruption or scandal. Here we are faced with the different ways of restoring equilibrium: turning a blind eye to obvious wrongs to maintain the illusion of stability, or actively mitigating disparities with corrective action. I think this eclipse on a societal and personal level reminded us heavily of the things that we cannot look away from.
With the dispositor of this eclipse being an exalted Venus being maltreated by her buddy Saturn, themes of bribery, extortion, and temptation come to mind. Alternatively, delayed overcorrection in the form of seizing rights to precious resources. This was evident in the raids on P. Diddy’s properties in an investigation on his involvement in sex-trafficking and drug related crimes. While he was not captured and put in jail, this demonstrative display of “justice” comes to little to late, since countless people likely aided and abetted these crimes while they were being committed.
The other manifestation that was of note was the US’ abstention towards a UN Security Council motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, despite veto-ing nearly every other vote. The move reflecting a larger change in tone of Western powers trying to maintain their image and influence over “rules based international order.” Choosing to take on a more passive role to promote “peace” despite bankrolling the carnage with a blank check up until now feels very literal for an eclipse in this face ruled by Venus conjoined to Saturn. I think a lot of Saturn and Venus being allies of sorts, and Venus being the hand that feeds but also strikes. Here she hides behind the austerity of Saturn to absolve herself of guilt and responsibility for perpetuating the cycle of violence that she benefits from materially. There is an element of trying to save face to protect ones reputation and honors, which leaves a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth.
Act II: The No-Confidence Vote
On April 8th, we have the Great American Eclipse of 2024, which promises to be quite the visual spectacle! There is so much to unpack about the themes of this eclipse, that I do not think I can do it justice in a blog post (it actually deserves a dialogue, really). Furthermore, I think that other astrologers such as Dr. Ali Olomi and Blaze have provided very useful mundane perspectives on the consequences of this eclipse. However, due to the symbolism of this eclipse you cannot help but note that there will be obvious societal (especially political) implications to come from this one.
Most notably, the Sun is not only in its own face but is near maximum exaltation when it is eclipsed. As the Sun traditionally symbolizes leadership figures, it is obvious that this is not a good eclipse for those in power. This solar powered decan of the zodiac encourages us to fill important power vacuums by embodying and projecting an essence that people can coalesce around. With the Sun being blotted out, such an authority figure is missing or possibly needs to be removed in favor of someone who can fulfill this role. I think a lot of the guest-host relationship and the duty that a host has to uplift and protect its guests. For the Sun is not just about visibility and authority, but there is a sense of responsibility here. The Sun provides the energy that many organisms on this planet need to survive and provides the gravitational force that propels the planets into motion around it against their inert tendencies.
What happens when a ruler is not fit to lead? They get removed, one way or another. Whether the ruler abdicates due to unwillingness to be the authority that is required, or they are outright deposed by usurpers and rebels— the existing power structures cannot continue in their current iteration. To add insult to injury, the eclipse is coinciding with the beginnings of a Mars-Saturn conjunction. As the malefics are meeting in a Jupiter-ruled sign, in a decan with themes of sustenance, it is not surprising that people will lose faith in their leaders. When authorities cannot do their due diligence to ensure that everyone has the bare necessities and fails to prioritize the distribution of resources to help people who may be hurting, people will begin to dismantle these systems that do not carry out the functions they should. However, people may turn to charlatan leaders to provide that false sense of security.
This eclipse isn’t all bad! I think that on a personal level, some people may rise to the occasion when a hyper-visible person inevitably over-promises and under-delivers. There is a chance for people to rise up from the margins or the fringes due to their ability to capture the deeply emotional frustrations of people neglected by the people who are meant to protect or lead them. But if you are not ready to assume the responsibility that comes with a position of influence, be prepared to step aside.
The cardinal eclipses are thrusting us into uncharted territory in an attempt to recover some sense of equilibrium. I hope that exploring these themes on an archetypal level gives you something to reflect on deeply as you navigate the changes in the Aries and Libra-coded sectors of your lives! If you would like to learn more about how configurations like these intersect with your own timing cycles, please book a consult below. Due to major changes in my own life, my availability is super limited. Pisces Saturns, I am still offering a 30% discount on any session of your choice. Please contact me if you would like access to that discount code.