The upcoming Sagittarius Full Moon will be exact here in Australia on Saturday 6 June, at 5:12am AEST. This is also a Lunar Eclipse, specifically a South Node Lunar Eclipse, the first of the eclipses in the Sagittarius-Gemini polarity that will tale place over the next couple of years. I feel compelled to write about the energy of these eclipses, given I have a Sun in Sagittarius opposing Moon in Gemini, so these upcoming eclipses will have a particular relevance and powerful influence on my life.
First, I would like to introduce the flavour of this eclipse by looking at the eclipse type, the sign the Moon is in, and the relevant transits impacting it.
Eclipse type: South Node Lunar Eclipse
A Solar Eclipse takes place when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun: this occurs at the New Moon. A Lunar Eclipse takes place at the Full Moon, when the Moon moves into the shadow of the Earth. These two types of eclipses are shown in the diagram below, sourced from Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Source: britannica.com
The two categories above can be further divided depending on which of the Moon’s nodes they fall on, so there are in fact four types of astrological eclipses, depending on whether they occur at the North Node, or the South Node of the Moon. This is a crucial detail that is often neglected in many eclipse interpretations. Briefly, the Moon’s nodes are “two ends of a great celestial pump. Energies forcibly enter at the Head (the North Node) and exit or drain at the Tail (South Node).” (Judith Hill, The Lunar Nodes). In Western astrology in particular, the South Node is seen in a negative light, associated with losses, death, painful endings, things leaving or going out of your life. Conversely the North Node has positive associations of energy or thing coming into your life (money, relationships etc). Note that this is the Western viewpoint, and it is by no means set in stone, and there are exceptions to the rule, however my experience generally agrees with it.
So an eclipse can be either a:
North Node Solar Eclipse
North Node Lunar Eclipse
South Node Solar Eclipse
South Node Lunar Eclipse
The upcoming eclipse is a South Node Lunar Eclipse. So it is a Full Moon eclipse on the Moon’s South Node, the point of losses, renunciation, things leaving or being lost, death, mourning, and sorrow. To understand which aspects of life this applies to, we have to look at the sign it falls in, Sagittarius.
Eclipse Sign: Sagittarius
Female centaurs flanking Venus, Mosaic from Roman Tunisia 2nd century AD source: wikipedia
Sagittarius is a fire sign, its symbol being the Centaur, a half man-half beast mythical being, giving us one clue about its need to roam free, and its struggle to balance the animal instincts with its human mind. Its glyph is the arrow, giving us another clue to its tendency to aim high and far: as a fire sign, Sagittarius needs to have that big vision of humanity, and it is paramount that it is given the freedom to explore, wonder and seek where its arrow has landed (well, often it gets lost altogether in the quest, but that’s beside the point). The point I am trying to make is that if I had to choose but one word for this sign, it would be freedom.
Centauress by John la Large, 1887 (Brooklyn Museum)
Freedom to think – be it philosophy, religion, or spirituality – all which are close to the Sagittarian heart and mind.
Freedom to explore – be it literal travel to far corners of the world, or exploration of ideas, concepts and adventures from books and the internet.
Freedom to experience – be it via the senses and the earthly realm it trods on, or via the sublime spiritual immersion in the cosmic universe.
Nothing aggravates the jovial Sagittarian disposition like having its freedom suppressed by life’s mundane obligations.
Big Daddy of all Gods: marble sculpture of Jupiter circa 100AD
Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter (Greek, Zeus), the biggest of the planets and the king of Gods, known as the great benefic in astrology: it is no secret Sagittarians and those with an emphasis in Sagittarius in their charts are often known to be lucky, have lucky breaks, a sense of optimism, generosity and generally zest for life. Jupiter is also associated with parties and infidelity (as any mythological texts on Zeus detail his numerous conquests, infidelities, penchant for parties and so on).
To summarise, under Sagittarius we have the following keywords and spheres of life:
freedom, fire, visionaries, the big picture
restlessness, hyperactivity, impatience, roaming
lack of refinement and “foot in mouth” moments
heads of state, religious or political organisations
religious organisations (churches)
philanthropic organisations
publishing and media
gambling
travel industry and associated businesses e.g. flights, aeroplanes, trains, shipping etc.
educational institutions and places of higher learning such as universities
sports (this last one I am not completely convinced of, but it is often seen associated with Sagittarius)
horses owing to its symbol (the Centaur), and wild animals
wildfires
Putting the eclipse type and sign together, you can now see that a South Node Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius may well bring more limitations, losses and strife (South Node) to the activities and places listed above. The effects of an eclipse can last for a long time, and it is not uncommon to be felt a couple of weeks prior, and a couple of weeks (or even months) after, the exact eclipse date.
As I write this in June 2020, our freedom to travel has already been severely limited due to the pandemic regulations, and while some of these are being relaxed, it is nowhere near what it used to be. Further south node eclipses in Sagittarius/Gemini will test the travel industry on all fronts, well into 2021. Further to this, we are seeing social unrest taking place in the United States at a level not experienced for quite some time – and I don’t see the upcoming eclipse diminishing this at all – if anything, it is the perfect platform for amplification of mass riots. Sagittarius is impatient and does not like to have its freedom limited.
Closer to home, regional areas all over the Queensland Coast have last week found out their local newspapers will no longer be printed as of the end of this month. Where I live, this includes no less than 3 local newspapers, and while truly independent and unbiased journalism has been missing for a long time, nonetheless they provided a source of information regarding local news, events and so on. As noted above, publishing falls under Sagittarius, and I expect more changes, both good and bad, over the next 2 years in this arena: there are in total 6 eclipses on the Sagittarius-Gemini axis within this timeframe.
I also expect that universities (another Sagittarian arena) are in for a major shake up, and long overdue in my opinion. It is not just the loss of international students that is causing them strife: a great many people have come to realise that over the past couple of decades, universities have swallowed the neoliberal kool-aid, severely jeopardising the longstanding status of impartial, objective research by selling it to the highest bidder that can fund research projects at postgraduate level; not to mention their traditional role of teaching people how to think, rather than what to think. Administrative bloating, indiscriminate admissions, irrelevant degrees and selling themselves to corporate interests have – in my opinion – severely – and tragically – undermined their credibility. Science, and scientific experts, are increasingly not trusted not because science is itself an obsolete or inadequate endeavour (it’s by far the greatest addition to modern civilisation, in my opinion), but rather because of corrupt interference within scientific research that breeds public mistrust like nothing else.
The changes in these industries are triggered by the upcoming 6 eclipses along the Sagittarius-Gemini axis, starting on 6 June 2020 and ending on 4 December 2021. The first one, on 6 June 2020, arrives as mass unrest and riots amplify in the United States: Sagittarius is a restless, excitable sign, and the Full Moon eclipses in Sagittarius are associated with protest movements that can “flare up”: an apt description for this fire sign. Further to this, it falls on the President’s own natal Moon: Donald Trump has Sun in Gemini opposing Moon in Sagittarius, the exact axis highlighted by this eclipse. I do not see this as a good sign for him given it is a South Node Lunar Eclipse, and it spells the loss of public trust, falls from grace or worse – however I don’t see this eclipse anywhere near as significant for him as the one on 14 December 2020.
I need to further note that when the Moon transits through Sagittarius, and even more so at a Full Moon eclipse, those with mental health issues such as anxiety, ADHD, mania and suicidal tendencies are particularly susceptible and need to be carefully monitored. This is even more so if the person has the Sun or Moon in either Sagittarius or Gemini, or planets placed at the particular sign degrees of the eclipse.
Here is what astrologer Judith Hill has to say specific to Sagittarius eclipses (I highly recommend her book, Eclipses and You, for anyone who wishes to explore this topic further):
Eclipses in this sign are subtler than some, but create ongoing ripples in the travel industry, flights, postal system, educational system, international relations, and religious groups. Power surges and/or power outages in all matters related to church edicts, educational changes, immigration, emigration, intercultural affairs, the media, TV, radio and sports. People crave excitement.Horses, wild animal herds, wildfires, large ships, roadways, planes and trains may be impacted. There is potential for riots during this eclipse. Eclipses bring out what is already present within humanity. This eclipse can stimulate crowds to great enthusiasm. This eclipse excites and impacts the group mind and all things that pertain to it: cultural values, religious views, mass movements, incursions, invasions, movements of armies, mass hysteria, libraries, media, news, public and private education, flights of large groups of people across boundaries, war and invasions. Religious leaders come and go…CAUTIONSAvoid long journeys within 48 hours of the eclipse, or between the eclipses. Be prepared for unpredictable effects for travel and all communication devices. Make sure your important data is backed up, your phone charged, your car functional. If you are in school, or belong to a church, expect any issues to come to a head. Some drivers will behave more erratically, so be alert. Sagittarian eclipses produce more wild parties and drinking than normal, and incite crowd hysteria. People seem more excitable, athletic and restless. Avoid religious and political arguments… Judith Hill, Eclipses and You: How to Align with Life’s Hidden Tides
Eclipse Transits
Finally, I would like to draw attention to what I consider the predominant transits applicable to this eclipse: the conjunction of Mars and Neptune in Pisces, forming a square (90 degree aspect) to the Full Moon. In the horoscope below, charted for the exact time of the eclipse and based in Brisbane, you can see the Full Moon as indicated by the Sun – Moon opposition with the blue line, and in orange I have circled Mars and Neptune.
You will notice Mars in particular is at 15 degrees and 52 minutes Pisces, so within one degree of forming an exact 90 degree aspect to the Moon’s position of 15 degrees and 34 minutes Sagittarius.
Squares (90 degree aspects) are stressful, challenging aspects; Mars is the planet of competition, war, drive, challenges, force, violence. It is in the sign of Pisces, which stands for, among other things, martyrs, saviours, self-sacrifice, compassion, spirituality, peace, lack of boundaries and being easily influenced. It shares with Sagittarius idealism, as well as being ruled by the same planet, Jupiter. Yet Mars forms a stressful aspect with the Moon, symbolic of our emotions and, in mundane astrology, the common people.
On one hand, its placement in Pisces diminishes the aggressiveness inherent in Mars, for Pisces is more known for its peace seeking attributes, its compassion and spirituality. On the other hand, its energy is amplified by the presence of Neptune, God of the sea, which stands for dissolution, illusions, fantasies, and blurring of the boundaries. Neptune amplifies people’s idealism, especially in Pisces, and coupled with Mars also in Pisces, the warrior-saviour-martyr archetype. It is potent fuel for peaceful protests, not just in the States, but in any country that has critical points or planets along the eclipse axis. Unfortunately the peaceful protests symbolised by Mars in Pisces are challenged by the Full Moon eclipse in Sagittarius, which as noted by Judith Hill above, incites crowds and is not ideal for political arguments.
It remains to be seen what the full effects of this eclipse are – given it is in a mutable sign, it is not expected to last as long as other eclipses. However, as noted it is only the first out of 6 eclipses in the Sagittarius – Gemini polarity, so the issues surfacing now will be further highlighted later in 2020 and 2021.
Wishing everyone a safe and peaceful Full Moon,
Monica