Wendy Cicchetti

Aries Solar Eclipse

The complete darkness of the Aries total solar eclipse may be seen in some of the US, Canada, and Mexico, with partial eclipsing in North America and Western Europe. Eclipses reveal something significant or keep it hidden; which one depends on the current state of play. The motives for any cover-up, whether inadvertent or on purpose, are typically at the heart of the matter.

With an Aries focus, swift action is also an issue at stake. We may have operated without the necessary scope to consider alternatives. A cover-up may also take the guise of turning a blind eye, whether to external situations or internal affairs. If our thoughts have been closed off to a particular idea or potential, we might suddenly see a fuller picture beyond the eclipse rays.

The Moon closely conjuncts Chiron points powerfully to healing something neglected. Aries-style anger issues may mean we left a trail of smoke from flare-ups in the past, or even failed to take needed action. The New Moon embedded in the eclipse indicates making a new start — even as simple as deciding to act differently in the future.

A focus on rebirthing, or being reborn, recalls the Fool card in tarot: an opportunity to jump into a new scenario. The card’s number zero can be seen as a pool of water in which we are cleansed and blessed, like in a baptism ritual; or as the wheel of life with its karmic experiences, suggesting a special moment where we symbolically cast off our old life and emerge anew, releasing past patterns and forging a path that changes our personal storyline. Chiron’s healing may help balance the karmic books, whether we owe it to ourselves or others to act differently, or simply keep the best of our old ways.

This can relate to both physical and emotional conditions and encouragement to seek better ways forward, assisting in managing a health challenge or healing a carried trauma. Aries spotlights trying new options, helping us seek out exciting and appealing therapies. If invited to be a practice client for a friend’s healing apprenticeship or training course, then the desire to assist, alongside the carrot of free therapy, gives courage to say yes to the unknown! It is a win-win, as their novice status progresses while we experience fresh potential solutions.

The conjunction of Moon–Chiron to Eris–Mercury hints that emotional and mental healing could incorporate embracing darker material from the deeper reaches of the psyche — which Henry Seltzer points to in his Eris-focussed book The Tenth Planet, referencing Chiron and the Tree of Life. Harnessing our natural survival instincts while applying our spiritual nature offers a key to peace.

The Moon squares dwarf planet Ceres, linked to fertility, agriculture, and in Greek and Egyptian mythology, the great mother figures Demeter and Isis. In her protection of daughter Persephone from the hands of Hades, Demeter’s distress led to famine while she neglected the harvest. We may look to heal issues around food availability and digestion, especially where psychological or ancestral traumas underpin; we make the best adjustments we can, down the line, to counter historic lack or suffering.

The Moon’s dispositor, Mars in Pisces, emphasizes the power of fire in water. Steam therapies could help to dislodge trapped energy in key body areas, or we find a way to safely “let off steam” over an issue that’s affecting our functioning; ritual cleansing assists in an energy shift.

This article is from the Mountain Astrologer by Diana McMahon Collis