New Moon Solar Eclipse in Aries: 8 Apr 2024
On Monday 8th April (7.20pm UK time) we have a solar eclipse on the Aries new moon. This has to be one of the most media-hyped solar eclipses in history. It has generated a furore of aniticipation and apprehension in the USA especially where tens of thousands of eclipse chasers are expected to line the path of its totality.
It is certainly a very powerful astrological moment, the themes of which will reverberate powerfully for several months to come, and hark back to whatever themes were present exactly 19 years ago (8 Apr 2005), the last time we had a solar eclipse in this degree of Aries. It also connects to the solar eclipse of 29 March 2006, which is part of the same Saros cycle - more on that later.
The main astrological feature of the eclipse chart is the sun and moon, conjunct at 19˚ Aries, making an exact conjunction to Chiron, the wounded healer, in the same degree, and an applying conjunction to Mercury (5˚ orb). Aries brings a fiery initiative to spur us into action and catalyse new initiatives but with Chiron conjunct, we are painfully aware of our vulnerability, and we may be compromised in our boldness and courage to initiate. And being a solar eclipse we need to be especially mindful of those aspects of our unconscious which might overshadow our best intentions at such a time, and really connect inwardly with our true motivation and calling.
The Power of this Solar Eclipse
Eclipses carry a more potent charge than an ordinary new or full moon, and their energy reverberates longer - for six months, to the next eclipse season. It is also part of much longer cycle that develops slowly over many years. Solar eclipses happen on a new moon, and so they carry a powerful seed energy that can grab hold of us, with an especially strong force. And particularly with this occurring in Aries, it seems to insist that we initiate something or stride forth in a particular direction. With Sun and Moon applying to a conjunction with Mercury, there is an urgency to our thinking, which is charged with an impulse for action. It is certainly important that something moves in us over this time, that some shift is enacted, but over an eclipse like this, all kinds of unconscious forces can gather around our intention and can obscure the truth of what is happening. It can be difficult to see the whole picture, and perhaps we are not meant to.
There is a fine line here, though, because we don’t want to act out of urgency and shoot for something that is not properly aligned with our purpose. What is motivating us to act right now? Could there be something that we are not seeing? The shadow of Aries is a kind of blindness or blinkeredness. We can become overly self-absorbed and lose perspective if we act in isolation and without consideration for the consequences. So it is important that we take wise counsel, to keep our impulses in check. And yet at the same time, the will forces are strong and charged with energy to do something to instigate change. Venus is also in Aries, so the impulse to love and express our heart’s desire is also charged with energy and impetus.
Mars Conjunct Saturn in Pisces
Mars, the ruler of Aries, plays a special role in this eclipse chart, and it is in Pisces in a very tight applying conjunction to Saturn. Being in gushing, watery Pisces that exhuberant Mars energy is full of the soul’s longing, and wants to disperse like an overflowing river, reaching out in all directions, crossing boundaries and surrendering to the force. But with the Saturn conjunction, this energy is reigned in, controlled, restrained, like a dam holding back the intense energies of that soul force. This is one of the challenges of this eclipse: how to hold and contain such a powerful force that we can feel coming through us, without it overwhelming us.
The Chiron Effect
As we are confronted with the potency of this Chiron conjunction over this eclipse, I would like to focus on this and share some insights into the wound that this carries. In my new book, The Twelve Sacred Wounds, due for release in the next year, I take a Chironian perspective on the zodiac, exploring the wound signature of each sign and how it is the key to access what is most sacred about our existence. Chiron’s story is one of tragedy and humility. The kindly centaur, wise mentor of the heroes, is accidentally wounded by his student Hercules, through a tragic turn of events, where blame cannot be adequately ascribed. The wound is fatal, but because Chiron is immortal he cannot die. Through his efforts to find a cure for his own, he gains the knowledge and insight to be able to heal others, the only way to alleviate his own suffering is to surrender his immortality and die as a mortal.
There is a shame that attaches itself to those places of deepest vulnerability, where we feel weak and helpless to do anything about our situation. On account of this shame, we spend most of our time turning away from the wound, and building a life based on the denial of it. Indeed, I think that’s how most people survive. But it’s also why people suffer so much unnecessary pain and isolation, because in turning away from it, they are turning away from the sacred opening to their Soul. It is how we become truly authentic. In my book, I show how these wounds are inextriacably tied to centuries-old distortions of the twelve archetypes, based on the false premise that we are atomised individuals, separate from one another and from the divine.
Aries carries the innocence, and head-first exhuberance of a new born child, the passion of a young lover, and the enthusiasm of a budding hero setting out on the great quest of life. However, the distorted image of Aries, and its ruling planet Mars, is a patriarchal bully who dominates through agression and violence, manifesting as a rage that is blind to anything but the searing heat of the moment. The shadow Aries impulse that exists within all of us, has the potential to ignite in us an energy that can consume our will and drive us headlong into conflict.
The Sacred Wound of Aries
The sacred wound of Aries is connected to the birth trauma, that wipes our memory of where we come and instils in us the idea that we are alone, and have to fight for our existence. Having no memory of anything that might provide a context for our lives, we lives as if we have to make it all up from scratch. When this wound is present, there is a tendency to thrust the head and body forward. Being continually pulled into the forward space, there is a lack of peripheral vision, and we can tend to blinkered to what’s around us, and highly reactive when things do not immediately appear to be going our way. This is accompanied by a zealous urge to wake up, and to wake others up to the urgency of our own self-righteous cause. When we are gripped by the force of this Arien energy, and turned away from the wound, we are out front, leading the way, but with no awareness of what is behind. There is no time, everything is happening now, yet we cannot shake the aching presence of the wound which cries out: I cannot see myself in the world around me. Do I even exist? Do I have the right to be here?
We all carry somewhere this deeply painful wound somewhere in our soul, and those of us born under this sign, or with Chiron in this sign feel especially sensitised to it. Healing on the Aries path comes through the dawning of self-consciousness and an awakening of self-awareness that comes through the realisation that you are not alone. Those who carry strong Aries medicine must come to recognise the impact that their actions and behaviours have on others and develop a quality of self-reflection and a approach to leadership that allows them to remain connected to those they are leading, without shooting ahead or alienating them. It requires the courage to act, combined with the humility to listen, to pay attention to what is around us.
Chiron Conjunct the New Moon
The fact that that Chiron is conjunct both Sun and Moon also brings forth the wound of authentic being, of being seen and recognised, both for who we are, and for where we come from. Through its conjunction with the Sun, it is a wound of recognition ‘I am not seen’ and through its connection with the moon, a wound of belonging ‘I have no connection to me roots.’ The only way forward with this in a personal sense is through the path of humility, and the bearing of our vulnerability; recognising vulnerability as a strength rather than a weakness. If we can be honest enough with ourselves, and take ownership of our own faults and failings in our dealings with others, then that sacred opening of true connection is possible. This is tender territory. It feels like a big risk to open ourselves fully to another and acknowledge where we are hurt and wounded, because of the fear what we discolse will be used against us, to devalue or discredit us. This is one of the main reasons why we build our defences against it. Yet, when we can open to it, we find that it is in that most wounded place where lies the primary information necessary for the healing of the soul.
The Jupiter-Uranus Conjunction in Taurus
The approaching conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus stands out as a feature in the eclipse chart. This conjunction only occurs every 14 years, and it has to with an accelerated leap of human consciousness, what might be called a paradigm shift in our ability to comprehend the nature of our being, and to see ahead at the possibility of who we might become in the future. People born with this conjunction tend to be innovative, free thinkers, with big ideas and radical vision. This conjunction (exact on 21 April) occurs in Taurus, and so we might expect it to coincide with radical innovation the acceleration of new thinking around Taurean themes, such money and resources, food and the soil, the way we nourish ourselves and feel secure in our bodies. This could feel unsettling for many of us, of course, as much as it might feel exciting for others.
The Saros Cycle of this Eclipse
It is interesting to consider the presence of Uranus in this eclipse chart, making its conjunction to Jupiter, in the wider context of the Saros cycle or family of eclipses to which this eclipse belongs. Every 18 years and 11 days, we have eclipses that occur with the same repeating geometry, that sees a very similar-shaped moon shadow projected onto Earth. These cycles or family of eclipses are called Saros cycles, and were first disocvered by the Babylonians in ancient times. Each Saros cycle begins with a partial eclipse at the north or south pole, with the Sun and moon typically at 18˚ orb to the nodal axis, and then every 18 years that orb gets gradually smaller, until the middle of the cycle you get a series of annular and total eclipses. We are in the middle of what is known as the 8 North Saros cycle at the moment. Astrologer Bernadette Brady has ascribed significance to the birth chart of the first eclipse of each Saros cycle as being indicative of its character. The first eclipse of the Saros cycle to which the April 8th eclipse belongs is from 17 May 1501 (3.39 GMT, North Pole). In the chart of this Saros series there is an exact square to Uranus, aligned to the Mercury/Venus midpoint. Brady describes “inventiveness and flashes of genius” of hallmarks of this eclipse series; whereby an individual might experience '“ intuitive leaps, insights, good ideas, visions or vivid dreams”…“This new found inspiration will pull a person away from his or her social life or relationship. causing strain in the private life. This is a time when the person needs to be free.” (Brady, Predictive Astrology, 1992).
Where Does the Eclipse Fall in Your Own Chart?
Taking all of the above into account, where does the new moon eclipse fall in your own natal chart? So work out which house of your chart 19˚ Aries is in. These are the areas of life that the energy will impact you
1st House: self-image, your sense of self, your identity.
2nd House: money and resources, self-worth, your gifts and talents
3rd House: brothers and sisters, your local environment, learning situations
4th House: home, property, ancestral connections, relationship to father
5th House: children, creativity, play, romance
6th House: work, health & wellbeing, daily rhythms and routines
7th House: marriage, partnerships, agreements, legal matters
8th House: death, debts, taxes, other people’s money, occult activities
9th House: travel, metaphysics, higher learning, global perspectives, in-laws
10th House: career, vocation, public standing/reputation, relationship to mother
11th House: friends, community, hopes and wishes, relationship to society
12th House: dreams, mental health, karmic relationships, places of incarceration, spiritual retreat
The Hype Around This Eclipse
I mentioned at the beginning of this article, how much hype there is around this eclipse. Much is being made of the way its path of totality intersects with that of the 2017 eclipse. When the two paths are overlaid, they form an X, which intersects over New Madrid, Missouri, where a famous series of earthquakes occurred in 1811-12 at the time when a comet was passing close to the Sun. And the most devastating of the four earthquakes occurred just a few days before a solar eclipse in Feb 1812. Well, it just so happens that there is a comet passing close to the Sun over this eclipse! The Pons-Brooks comet, known rather ominously (who knows why?) as the ‘Devil comet’ is close to its perihelion, and will be clearly visible right next to Jupiter and near the solar eclipse itself, during the period of solar occlusion. Being that solar eclipses are often associated with earthquake activity, one is left to wonder what might happen in this regard, whether there is a meaningful sign here or not, or whether it will manifest in other earth-shattering ways.
In the line of totality of the eclipse, which will occur in the early-mid afternoon in the US, the sky will go dark for a brief period, during which time, assuming no cloud cover, all five of the traditional planets (those that can potentially be seen with the naked eye) will be visible in a line close to where the Moon is occluding the Sun. And the comet as well, of course. It will be quite a sight!
The Solar Eclipse HUM
The Humans Unite Movement have networked a global ‘HUM’ to coincide with the solar eclipse today. They have said the following on their website:
“During the 4 minutes and 28 seconds of the eclipse we will, for the first time in generations, have the opportunity to connect to one another and to the Gaia’s natural energy matrix.
In order to achieve this connection we are building a network across the globe of individuals and groups who are arranging gatherings at the time of the eclipse.
How are we going to achieve our aim?
We are going to HUM, recreating the primordial sound of creation, with our intention and focus on LOVE we the creators will take back our Gaia, and our power.”
It looks like a powerful initiative and something to join in with over this potent time. More details here: https://hum2024.com/
Seize The Moment
Is there a project that requires your urgent focus and attention? Is there a start button you have been hesitiant to press, fearful of the consequences perhaps, or maybe you just haven’t got around to it? With all the warnings cited above not to act in haste or from blind passion, it is precisely because this new moon eclipse falls Aries, that we need to connect with what is most aligned to our authentic self, and seize the moment, even if we afraid to do so, and take a necessary action before the opportunity is gone.
As Wolfgang Goethe said: “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it now. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” (Wolfgang von Goethe)
Many blessings for this solar eclipse xx
Diploma Course in Astrological Studies: 5th Oct 2024 -10 Sep 2025
I am delighted to be offering another diploma programme, which takes us on from foundation level and really works with how to apply astrological understanding in practice, with friends, family and clients. The course is delivered in seven modules. Each module will focus on the questions that clients typically come with to a consultation. Each module carries a different theme. These are vocation, relationships, family dynamics, money, health, and karma. The final module of the course is dedicated to the art of astrological practice, which deals with the ethics of practice, and counselling skills.
Taking the diploma course will significantly increase your ability to interpret a chart in depth and give you the confidence to apply your interpretive understanding in real life situations with friends and clients. The course will really help you to ground your existing knowledge of astrological technique, develop your language, use of metaphor, and intuitive skills in the way your connect to the astrological signatures of a birth chart. The course is rooted in its ethical approach to offering astrological guidance and giving consultations.
Planets Alive: Embodied Astrology & Astrodrama Retreat: 24 - 29 Sep 2024
Meet the planetary archetypes and experience how they come alive and animate your life! Experience the healing theatre of your own astrological chart in a beautiful retreat centre in the heart of the Glastonbury Zodiac landscape. Five days of embodied, experiential astrology play, dance, song and ceremony.
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Glastonbury Zodiac Milky Way Pilgrimage: 6 - 8 Sep 2024
I still have a few places available on my Glastonbury Zodiac Milky Way Pilgrimage, a 26-mile walk over 2 days, following the Milky Way path as it arches its way across Glastonbury's landscape 'temple of the stars'.
This is a unique two-day pilgrimage following the Milky Way path across the Glastonbury Zodiac. This pilgrimage route, which runs from Lamyatt Beacon (near Bruton) to High Ham (near Langport). It follows the Milky Way path as it maps from the night sky onto the landscape of the Glastonbury Zodiac, and was originally discovered by Anthony Thorley & Celia Gunn. John has been leading the pilgrimage since 2014.
The pilgrimage involves two days of walking, and we will have a 2-night camp set up at Avalon Permaculture Gardens in Butleigh, gathering there on Fri 1st Sept where we will prepare ourselves for the walk and share delicious food together before taking transport to the start of the walk on Saturday morning. Our camp is at the halfway point of the route, so we will arrive early evening on Saturday to be met with dinner and will share stories around the campfire!
More details about the Milky Way Pilgrimage…
Confessions of an Astrologer Podcast with John Wadsworth & Charly McCreary
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Episode 1: How Astrology Changed My Life
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1-2-1 Consultations / Mentoring & Supervision
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