The
Astronomy
A
Solar Eclipse is a special type of New Moon when the Moon is directly
between the Sun and Earth. The closer the Moon is to the center
of the line between the Sun and Earth, the more total the eclipse.
During
a total solar eclipse, the Moon completely obscures the Sun over
a relatively narrow band across the Earth's surface, its shadow
racing generally eastward.
Non-total
eclipses include the annular, when the Moon is farther from the
Earth and appears smaller, so the Moon does not completely block
the Sun but leaves a ring around the rim; and the partial, when
the Moon is slightly off center, blocking only a portion of the
Sun.
The solar eclipse on May 30-31 is a total
eclipse, visible from within a narrow corridor through the Southern Hemisphere. A partial eclipse will be
seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes most of Australia and New Zealand,
southernmost South America and all of Antarctica.
For more information, including links to live
web coverage, check out Fred
Espenak's Eclipse Home Page for this eclipse, hosted by NASA.
The Astrology
A
solar eclipse is a New Moon with tremendous impact. The Sun that
gives us life and lights our path is joined briefly with the dark
and mysterious qualities of the Moon. The light of the Sun is blocked
by the Moon. In this moment of perceived darkness, spirituality
and the psyche combine anew, beginning another cycle in the spiral
of our personal development. All eclipses indicate change; solar
eclipses signify beginnings and manifest as events in the outer
world.
At
solar eclipses we: begin something new, make promises to ourselves,
commit, announce, present ourselves, show up, make plans, select
events, make decisions, rise to the challenge, make an effort, change,
mature, take on greater challenges, travel at a faster pace, feel
restless, feel pressured by deadlines and a buildup of emotions,
experience a crisis and feel excited.
There
are two kinds of solar eclipses. North nodal eclipses have a personal
orientation and symbolize personal identity, ego and the physical
body. South nodal eclipses are other-oriented and symbolize a spouse
or significant other, relationships and new perspectives based on
interaction with others. This is a north nodal eclipse, suggesting
that we are being called to develop new skills and talents through
independent effort.
This solar eclipse takes place with the Sun and Moon in Sagittarius.
The tarot card associated with the sign of Sagittarius is Key
#14 -- Temperance. The Archangel
Michael, holding a water vessel in one hand and a torch in the other, stands with one foot in the water and
the other on dry land, depicting a middle path between two extreme courses of action. This card, an example of
the testing through which an aspirant must pass before reaching the heights of initiation, teaches the laws of
verification, order and harmony. It communicates the action and reaction of opposites.
The emotions are stirred into action and there
is an air of great potential accompanying this eclipse. The Sabian symbol for its degree of is "The ocean
covered with whitecaps", indicating situations marked by excitement. Restlessness and irritability, byproducts
of undirected energy, are best avoided by maintaining an awareness of the deeper realities of life. Find peace,
along with a more stable perspective, by looking beneath the surface.
The heightened impact of eclipse energy can be
felt by everyone as much as 3 months in advance and has subtle reverberations for as long as 3 years afterwards.
Although the energies are most prominent for a week on either side of the eclipse, the influence on events continues.
Eclipse periods are extremely active, often associated with meaningful events and public exposure.
If your birthday falls around Jan 6 or 21, Feb
20, Mar 21, Apr 5 or 20, May 21, June 21, Jul 7 or 23, Aug 23, Sep 23, Oct 8 or 23, Nov 23, Dec 23, your experiences
now will have impact lasting three years. Expect to see current themes begin to develop ambitiously on their own
late next February. A full understanding of this period will take until late November 2004 to unfold. The last
time there was a solar eclipse at this degree was November 1984.
When an eclipse falls on your birthday, you can
definitely count on an eventful year ahead. However, it does not have to be in your sun sign for you to feel its
effects. If it makes any contacts to a planet or personal point in your chart, your experience of the eclipse
will be intensified. Consult with an astrologer to determine the placement of the eclipse in your chart and how
to make the most of the potential offered.
