Wendy Cicchetti (wendy@twixtearthandsky.com)

A lunar eclipse is a precisely aligned, supercharged Full Moon. The Earth’s shadow falls between the Sun and Moon, and what is typically the brightest night of the month is veiled in darkness. As the light goes out, what’s hidden in the subconscious rises up — our shadows, secrets, feelings that seem too big or scary — demanding attention and expression. Changes that have been brewing behind the scenes are catalyzed into action, and we often see significant completions.

This total lunar eclipse in Aquarius is sandwiched between the South Node and retrograde Mars, bringing a strong focus to completing unfinished business and breaking free from the past. People from previous lifetimes, literally and figuratively, may reappear. With an emphasis on fixed signsand retrograde planets in this eclipse chart, we might feel like we’re going backwards, regressing into old patterns. But we can trust that there’s a deeper layer of healing ready to happen, as the eclipse opens a powerful portal for clearing stuck energy and emotions.

Aquarius is a fixed air sign; this eclipse supports awakening to and releasing beliefs that have crystallized over time and that block our forward progress. Our stories about alienation and not belonging are especially ripe for releasing. This eclipse can help us to feel, and clear, any underlying fears that society will reject us if we speak our truth, offer our unique gifts, and own our radical individuality. The Leo North Node affirms that our heart’s desires and passions will guide us to fulfillment. When we follow what lights us up and feels like fun, we activate our creative power.

The eclipsing of Mars (with the Moon) represents a significant turning point within its retrograde cycle (June 26 to August 27). Mars retrograde in Aquarius advises us to search within to uncover our true desires, rethink our contribution to the collective, and reclaim our individuality and freedom. As the Full Moon conjoins Mars on the South Node, we can get clear feedback about what no longer inspires or motivates us. Anger could also be triggered, especially anger that’s been repressed for a long time or is completely unconscious.

On a collective level, there’s a purging of old expressions of the masculine that are not in alignment with where humanity is heading. We may see (even more dramatic) reflections of the distorted, shadow masculine erupting on the world stage — war, violence, domination. And Mars is out of bounds from July 7 to September 24, which can correlate with extreme manifestations of masculine energy. What arises is ultimately in service to bringing awareness to core underlying patterns, thereby raising consciousness of what needs to shift. The higher potential of an out-of-bounds Mars is to access a version of the masculine beyond the rules and norms of social convention, a Mars that reflects the Aquarian Age ideals of equality and freedom for all.

Uranus, modern ruler of Aquarius, squares the Sun, the Moon, Mars, and the nodal axis, amplifying the revelatory and revolutionary power of this lunation. Unexpected events, erratic behavior, sudden changes, and radical breaks with the past are possible. We may feel like we’re spinning in a swirl of chaos, but this Uranian storm can shake us out of stagnant patterns. Uranus trinesSaturn — the traditional ruler of Aquarius — supporting us to integrate the radical changes triggered by this eclipse into tangible, lasting forms.

As we’re pulled into the darkness of the unknown, we’re called to trust the flow of change, to let go of our attachment to what we thought our future would be, and come into greater acceptance of what is. “Trust that whatever you are dealing with, whatever doorway to crisis you experience, it is leading you to a greater lesson in living where ideally the power of love is what you learn. Forgive, and broadcast your excitement to be alive.” (Barbara Marciniak)

Written by Emily Trinkaus for the Mountain Astrologer Magazine