On 15th of February 2018 we have a powerful Solar Eclipse in Aquarius.
The Solar Eclipse completes the Eclipse window that began with the Lunar Eclipse on January 31st, bringing to culmination whatever you put into motion two weeks ago.
A Solar Eclipse sees the light of the Sun obscured by the Moon. We are used to seeing the Sun rise and set every day, in an uninterrupted pattern. When its light is obscured, the usual pattern is interrupted. In this way, an Eclipse acts as an interruption of ‘business as usual’, of the regular routine in your life.
There are four types of eclipses: Lunar North Node Eclipses (like the one we had on January 31st 2018), Lunar South Node Eclipses, Solar North Node Eclipses (like the one we had on August 21st 2017 – the great American Eclipse) and Solar South Node Eclipses. The Eclipse on February 15th is a Solar South Node Eclipse.
If Lunar Eclipses bring our emotions forward, Solar Eclipses are about our consciousness, about what we accept as true, how we define ourselves. The Sun represents our deep self, the essence of our personality, the unique expression of our being.
If North Node Eclipses are about welcoming new experiences, South Node Eclipses are about releasing or letting go of whatever does not serve our higher purpose.
Therefore, the Solar Eclipse on February 15th is about letting go of some old identifications of the Self, which feed on our energy and pull us down.
The Eclipse takes place at 27° Aquarius and is conjunct Mercury (information, communication) and Juno (devotion), is sextile Uranus (surprises, freedom) and square Jupiter (growth, long-term plans).
The theme of the Solar Eclipse is re-assessment of commitments. If you want to achieve your long-term plans (Jupiter) you may need to make some changes (Uranus) in your commitments (Juno).
Now is a good time to have truthful discussions (Mercury) with full disclosure of your expectations. Because this is a South Node Eclipse, be open to let go of some of your own beliefs, of what you accept as true. Change starts with you!
The traditional ruler of the Eclipse, Saturn, is in domicile in Capricorn and is applying a sextile to Venus, which is now in exaltation in Pisces. This is a highly supportive aspect bringing common sense and clarity. If you want to fix something, no need to overdo-it and complicate things. Sometimes, the biggest transformations come from changing one small thing.
The Solar Eclipse takes place in Aquarius, but as with every eclipse, the opposite sign, Leo, is activated as well. Leo is the self, the individual. Aquarius, on the other hand, is the group.
The Leo–Aquarius axis highlights the relationship between the individual and the collective, self-interest vs. shared purpose, making it on your own versus getting help from others.
The Solar eclipse on February 15th will ask you to examine where you get lost in the group (South Node in Aquarius) and where you hold back from being your true self (North Node in Leo).
“Me, We”
Muhammad Ali is known as one of the greatest boxers ever. But not many people know that Muhammad Ali has invented the shortest poem in the English language. When talking to 2000 Harvard seniors at a commencement ceremony in 1975, Ali came up with what is thought to be the shortest poem:
“Me
We”
Sometimes, the poem is asserted as:
“Me
Whee”
The first version expresses a sense of community, of support and togetherness (Aquarius).
The other expresses a carefree attitude, of enjoyment for one’s achievements and abilities and gratitude for the opportunity of existence (Leo).
This is a South Node Eclipse, so the Aquarius principle of defining ourselves though others is challenged by the need of authentic self-expression.
The Solar Eclipse is an invitation to honor yourself for who you are. Other people’s expectations, societal norms are indeed necessary, as we don’t live alone in this world, but in the same time, they do not define us.
You are who you are and you are perfect that way.
The Solar Eclipse in Aquarius will ask you to let go of the need to fit in. And the paradox and beauty of it, is that by not fitting in, you stand out.
“People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within” – Elisabeth Kubler Ross
How the Eclipse is going to affect you?
The Solar Eclipse takes place at 27° Aquarius, opposite the August 21st 2017 Solar eclipse at 28° Leo. Thus, this eclipse can bring to completion themes and projects from last summer / early fall.
If nothing specific happened in your life last summer, go back in time. Eclipses are cyclical, triggering the same degrees every 18 years. What was your experience of the Aquarius Solar Eclipses in February 1999, 1980 and 1961?
If you have natal planets or angles (Ascendant, Descendant, Midheaven and IC) around 25°-29° in Leo or Aquarius you are going to feel the energy of this Eclipse more intensely. Planets in late degrees of the other fixed signs (Taurus, and Scorpio) are also vulnerable.
Even if the Eclipse doesn’t trigger sensitive points in your chart, you are still going to experience the energy of the Eclipse in a certain sector of your life. This is the house where you have Aquarius in your natal chart.
If for example you have Capricorn ascendant, the Eclipse will fall in your 2nd house (Aquarius is the 2nd sign from Capricorn) which means that your finances and possessions will come into focus. If you don’t know in which house you have Aquarius, here is a guide on how to calculate it yourself https://astrobutterfly.com/2017/09/25/how-to-read-transits-in-your-natal-chart-step-by-step-instructions/
You may not experience the effect of the Eclipse immediately. An Eclipse has a time span of 6 months, so certain themes can start to unfold at a later stage. After the 6-month window passes, you will be able to have a deeper sense of awareness and have more control of the affairs of the house where you have Aquarius.
You can make the best out of this Eclipse by consciously letting go of your attachments to an expected outcome. Instead, surrender to what is real within you, to your own natural rhythm. You may discover you’ve been out of touch with it for a very long time.
Ritual for the Solar Eclipse
After you have identified in which house in your natal chart the Eclipse falls, write down on a piece of paper all the blockages, outdated beliefs, self-sabotaging behaviors that undermine you in these specific area of your life.
After you have finished writing, burn the piece of paper. Make sure you perform the ritual in a ventilated place, preferably outside, where you can easily put down the fire if needed.
You can find other 2018 full moon blog pages on the New and Full Moons 2018 page.
Thank you so much for this! I LOVE your interpretations. They are so intuitive and spot on. I just had a chance to read this, even though I’ve had it up on my desktop for days. Mostly because for days I’ve been moving through exactly what you describe here! Word for word. “Therefore, the Solar Eclipse on February 15th is about letting go of some old identifications of the Self, which feed on our energy and pull us down.” It’s been a beautiful, albeit uncomfortable, unfolding of old self-concepts that I had not yet released. Thank you for describing this in a way that gave me better words to articulate this recent experience!