The Eclipses of Spring 2023
Photo by Steven Coffey on Unsplash
Eclipses occur in pairs, two weeks apart, about every six months. They move through each polarity of signs over the course of approximately two years. One polarity will start to phase out while the next polarity starts to weave into the cycle. Throughout the period that the eclipses are riding through any polarity, we are invited to discover where we are in the balance between the shadow and light expressions of the two signs involved.
The current eclipse series in the Taurus/Scorpio polarity has just two more eclipses. There is always a point where the new cycle begins its overlap with the one that’s ending, and that is exactly what we have occurring with this upcoming eclipse season in April and May. The solar eclipse on April 19th will be in Aries, marking the beginning of the Libra/Aries eclipses that will last through 2025 (see eclipse dates at bottom of post). The following lunar eclipse on May 5th will be in Scorpio, and the penultimate of this Taurus/Scorpio cycle. (The final Taurus/Scorpio cycle eclipse will be on October 28th.)
The Aries Eclipse of April 19th features the sun and moon next to (conjunct) Jupiter in Aries. Jupiter magnifies what it touches, and so this solar eclipse / new moon in Aries is especially potent. It’s also notable that this is the second new moon in Aries in a row. Two new moons in the same sign, back to back, is not frequent. So, we are getting an extra dose of Aries energy.
The Aries themes are:
Starting something new
Facing fears
Taking action
Owning desires
Because this is a solar eclipse, we are able to see into the shadow in ways that we have not been able to in the past. In the two weeks before and after this eclipse, the above themes are magnified. Here is one very straightforward Aries-style question for us all:
What fear is holding me back from pursuing what I want?
Follow that up with:
What do I need to do to break through the fear?
Is there something you have been thinking about, dreaming about, wanting to do, for a long time? And you’re not doing it? Why not?
Now is the time to own what is in your power to do. Take a step (yes, even one small step!) in the direction of your desire. That’s Aries medicine.
The themes of this Aries eclipse are most potent for two weeks before and after April 19th.
Then on May 5th, we have the second to last eclipse in the Taurus/Scorpio polarity. It will be a Scorpio full moon / lunar eclipse. The moon in Scorpio will oppose both Uranus and Mercury Retrograde in Taurus. (Yes, Mercury stations retrograde in Taurus just after the Aries eclipse! More on that in a later post).
The Scorpio themes are:
Facing fears (sound familiar?)
Confronting difficult truths
Intimacy
Connecting with our passions
Because Scorpio and Aries are both ruled by Mars, they share a theme of “facing fears.” So, we’re not going to get away from that one for a while, apparently. You will also notice a kinship between the words “desire” with Aries and “passion” with Scorpio. Both eclipses of this spring invite us to look into what’s keeping us from being fully engaged.
While the moon at the lunar eclipse is in Scorpio, the sun is in Taurus. Taurus is about stability, security, and being grounded. I mentioned that the moon in Scorpio is opposing both Mercury and Uranus at the time of the eclipse, highlighting our understanding of our habits. With the sun, Uranus and Mercury involved in this eclipse from Taurus, we are able to get clarity at this time about the ways in which we cling to security, and why. The Scorpio moon is highlighting the tension between the opposites. We do need to feel safe, secure, and comfortable. And yet we are subject to continual change, which prompts discomfort.
The light and the shadow of both signs will be available during this period. The work is to become aware of the Taurus and Scorpio traits within us. How is the balance of security vs. change in our lives? Where might we let go of comfort in favor of transformation? But also, where do we really need to nail down some stability so that we are not completely unmoored? It’s not either/or situation, it is both/and. But it’s time to refine the balance.
The Mars-ruled eclipses of Spring 2023 are intense, no doubt. But the reward of doing Mars work is that we can come out of the other side of it more deeply connected to our inner fire.
Related Post:
Read more about the Taurus/Scorpio eclipses HERE
Eclipse Dates through 2025 (end of the current Aries/Libra polarity cycle):
SOLAR Eclipse April 19, 2023 - 29 degrees Aries
LUNAR Eclipse May 5, 2023 - 15 degrees Scorpio
SOLAR Eclipse October 14, 2023 - 21 degrees Libra
LUNAR Eclipse October 28, 2023 - 5 degrees Taurus
LUNAR Eclipse March 25, 2024 - 5 degrees Libra
SOLAR Eclipse April 8, 2024 - 19 degrees Aries
LUNAR Eclipse September 18, 2024 - 25 degrees Pisces
SOLAR Eclipse October 2, 2024 - 10 degrees Libra
LUNAR Eclipse March 14, 2025 - 24 degrees Virgo
SOLAR Eclipse March 29, 2025 - 9 degrees Aries
