Upcoming Eclipse on January 20th – 21st
Wait - What’s Going On?
I know, I know. This article is about the upcoming eclipse on January 20th and 21st (depending upon where you are in the world), yet this is the article for what is going on in the sky for the period of January 13th to January 19th. Shouldn’t I be talking about the Jupiter and Venus conjunction in Sagittarius? Or the conjunction of Sun and Mercury with Ketu in Capricorn? Great questions, thanks for asking, but I’m the type to shoot for the biggest fish in the barrel and at this time it is this upcoming full solar eclipse. Besides, this article will drop on a Sunday which happens to be the day of the eclipse. I figure it best to talk about as it’s coming rather than as it’s happening. Without further ado, let’s get into what to expect and the players involved.
First off, I would like to talk about some details of eclipses that is pertinent to this article. During an eclipse we have the masculine (the Sun) and feminine (the Moon) energies engaging in a process of one obscuring the other. When we get femininity obscuring masculinity, this is about what one wants to become and things that have not yet happened outweighing and overshadowing one’s sense of direction or more so what one has already accomplished. It’s like having a deep need or desire that will break up the structure that one already has created. With Capricorn and Cancer being involved, this specific idea of breaking up structure is the perfect basis of understanding of this eclipse.
Cancer, Capricorn, and the Eclipse Constituent Parts
Capricorn is related to creating an everlasting form that can weather whatever environmental changes take place. Cancer, being opposite Capricorn in the zodiac, brings about the opposite polarity of this theme. Cancer is about adapting one’s form to meet the needs of the environment. We can therefore see that change of some kind, or more so the desire for it, will be a giant theme. What really brings the energy of these signs to the forefront is that the planets that rule these signs are placed in their respective signs with Moon in Cancer and Saturn in Capricorn. This really shows that the dynamic of the signs and their ruling planets’ natures will weigh heavily in the energy of this eclipse.
In Cancer we also have the Moon being conjunct the shadowy planet Rahu (the north node of the Moon). These are the two necessary factors relating to the Moon for creating an eclipse that we would expect to see together. In general, whenever we have the conjunction of Rahu added to the Moon, there is a strong impulsive desire to break down borders and take ideas to the next level. It is also very commonly related to strong desires, intense changes of emotions, or any type of sudden shifts of the mind. With this energy in the sign of Cancer, its about wanting to make a drastic leap away from an established norm. It’s like wanting to break out of the box. Now, let’s look at Capricorn and what that box could contain.
Firstly, in Capricorn we have the Sun conjunct Ketu (aka the south node of the Moon). These are the other necessary components for an eclipse that are related to the Sun. The placement of these components alone are about sacrificing the identification of something old and existing. It represents an old structured paradigm that was based upon what has worked for the individual before but its usefulness has come to an end. However, there is just a bit more depth to this to be discussed because there are a couple of other players in Capricorn that I discussed in last week’s article (insert link here to article from Jan 6 – 12) that are conjunct the Sun and Ketu.
The Other Players
One of the other planets involved is that of Saturn, as I brought up earlier, who rules the sign of Capricorn. What this shows us with this idea of breaking out of the box is that this particular way of living or thinking was one that was well established and functioned well. It suited the individual’s needs and has been in place probably for a long time. However, with Saturn there is a tendency to want to just stick with what works regardless of its actual efficiency. Saturn wants to do what’s practical and content in just finding anything that works. This shows us that this dynamic of being established in a particular methodology, while it worked, it probably wasn’t the best way to go about it.
Mercury’s presence in Capricorn adds further credence to the idea of functionality. Mercury is the planet of constant refinement and typically its presence brings efficiency as is all about finding better options. However, Mercury also adds another dimension here. Sun, Saturn, and Ketu who are all conjunct Mercury, are all known in Vedic Astrology to be cruel planets. This means that they typically put stress on Mercury to perform its agenda. The way this can look is by making the person feel overwhelmed by all the affairs of their life that they have to manage. Part of this need for change can derive from the person feeling constantly overwhelmed or incapable of handling things as is anymore; like they can’t go on in this direction.
Out of the Closet
Whereas earlier I mentioned the idea of breaking out of the box, what I actually feel encompasses this energy better is the idea of coming out of the closet. There is a somewhat repressive feel to this energy going on in Capricorn. It can stem from pressure from what one thinks they need to be like whether that be from friends, society in general, or some authority or institution. The fact is that one adapted to what they thought they needed to be like but really isn’t who they want to be seen as in the world. It’s like they’ve been wearing a mask that they thought they needed to wear and closeted their true inner needs to fit into a picture that they thought they had to conform to. The key here with everything I stated earlier, is that they were able to play that role and make it work. However, now is the time when the yearn to express one’s true nature is coming to a head. It is a time for a change.
While sexuality is typically what is thought of when talking about coming out of the closet, this is not necessarily what I’m referring to here. It can literally be anything that was confining involving conformity to outside pressures where one subverted their needs and happiness for. This can be like a student being pressured into going to college by their parents and now finally explaining to his parents that they are going to drop out and become an entrepreneur.
The key with the idea about coming out of the closet is that it’s not an easy choice to make. It brings about a whole new set of perils. Like with the previous example of the student dropping out of college, now they would have to deal with potentially the wrath of the their parents or perhaps their parents cutting off financial assistance to them. It’s not like it’s just as simple as making the change and everything working out. In fact, with this eclipse it encompasses the idea that the closeted, suppressed place actually had benefit to it. It was working out, it just wasn’t the way that one really wants it to be. It can be hard to step away from either because of repercussions afterwards or from fear of leaving what already is working.
How to Handle this Energy
The key here is to take it one step at a time. I would actually recommend to not necessarily just completely throw everything away and instantly start off in a new direction, but to start from an internal or mental standpoint first. Change the perspective and the self perception first. Think about it, write about it, and create a coherent vision. Then, and only then, look to the practical steps to implement it. Remember, the desire for change may be overwhelming and there may be a tendency to just want to jump ship. However, just think first and make sure you have your life jacket on.
