New Moon / Solar Eclipse in Gemini ~ May 20, 2012
Annular solar eclipse creates a “ring of fire” over China in 2010. ©ChinaFotoPress, Getty Images via National Geographic
Another eclipse is upon us. This time it’s a solar eclipse in Gemini. Eclipses intensify new and full moons, giving them an extra kick, a bigger dose of potency, and greater reach/influence. A typical new and full moon have about two weeks of influence, while eclipses can have an impact for as long as six months.
In astrology, eclipses trigger necessary changes to one’s journey in life. Because these changes are triggered outside of one’s own volition, they are often harsh, sudden, and undeniable. The initial shock evoke sadness, confusion, frustration, anger, worry, and possibly depression. However, it is our reaction past the initial shock that defines how we will allow these eclipses to influence us.
This new moon highlights Gemini qualities (cerebral, social, connections) and 3rd house themes (information, thought, ideas, communication). Gemini is governed by the planet Mercury, who is currently transiting Taurus, where our thoughts lean towards permanence and stability.
In Gemini, the Moon is energetic, excitable, gregarious, an extrovert often opting for logic over emotions. It may not be the most comfortable sign for the Moon to be in since she seems happiest when swimming in a world of emotions :) But Gemini encourages the Moon to get out more and express itself freely.
This Eclipsed New Moon in Gemini (blending of heart & soul) opposes (needs balance with) the North Node (life path) and squares (conflicts with) Neptune (spiritual truth), encouraging us to “see” through a different set of lenses. Elsewhere in the sky, Venus (relationships/finance) is retrograde (from May 15 to June 26) while Mars (aggression/motivation) link up Chiron (brokenness/healing) and Pluto (endings/transformation), just as Uranus’ square with Pluto gets within orb.
The combination of all these celestial movements and alignments adds tension to the opposition and square the new moon has with North Node and Neptune. We can be so “set” in the how, who and what where our immediate world is concerned that it’s hard to form a new way of looking at the same situation or an existing, continuing event/relationship. Allow this eclipsed new moon to show you the other side of the same coin, so to speak. Listen to your inner voice (Neptune) and let it guide you toward the path (North Node) that is right for you and your situation/s.
“Seeing differently” may be a little difficult to achieve with Gemini’s ruler, Mercury, currently under the influence of Taurean energy which is practical and prefers tried and true over hypothetical or experimental. No worries though. Mercury comes home to Gemini a few days after the new moon on May 25th.
So if there’s a stubborn streak you recognize within yourself or those around you that you can’t quite explain or get past, hopefully, you are able to exercise patience. Revisiting the issue a week later may just give you the edge you need to break through whatever obstacle may be keeping you from achieving that result you are hoping for.
The new moon/solar eclipse occur at 0° of Gemini. Those born within 3 days of May 20th or November 23rd; or have planets/house angles around 0° of mutable signs may experience this new moon solar eclipse more profoundly than most, especially within during May-July.
For me, this New Moon falls in my natal 9th house (higher consciousness), as a Virgo-rising and my solar 12th house (subconscious), as a Cancer-Sun. With Venus-rx also conjunct (blending energies) my natal Mercury in my natal 9th house, redefining all types relationships (my friends/family, myself, my money) may also be a focus of this new moon/solar eclipse.
How might this new moon manifest in your life? Look to the natal house this new moon will occupy in your birth chart. Match the sign and degree to the sign on the house cusp. Then, click here to read about the new moon transiting natal houses.
Here are the symbols associated with the zodiac signs.
Aries ♈ • Taurus ♉ • Gemini ♊ • Cancer ♋ • Leo ♌ • Virgo ♍
Libra ♎ • Scorpio ♏ • Sagittarius ♐ • Capricorn ♑ • Aquarius ♒ • Pisces ♓
If you don’t have your birth chart, you may use your Sun sign and/or your Rising/Ascendant sign, if you know it. Look for your Sun and Rising Signs below then click here for a brief explanation of the New Moon transit in those houses.
- Aries-Sun or Aries-Rising ~ 3rd House
- Taurus-Sun or Taurus-Rising ~ 2nd House
- Gemini-Sun or Gemini-Rising ~ 1st House
- Cancer-Sun or Cancer-Rising ~ 12th House
- Leo-Sun or Leo-Rising ~ 11th House
- Virgo-Sun or Virgo-Rising ~ 10th House
- Libra-Sun or Libra-Rising ~ 9th House
- Scorpio-Sun or Scorpio-Rising ~ 8th House
- Sagittarius-Sun or Sagittarius-Rising ~ 7th House
- Capricorn-Sun or Capricorn-Rising ~ 6th House
- Aquarius-Sun or Aquarius-Rising ~ 5th House
- Pisces-Sun or Pisces-Rising ~ 4th House
Unsure if you have natal planets/house angles on or around 0° of mutable signs? Cast your own birth chart at alabe.com — birth date, time, and place required.
For those doing the new moon wishes ritual, the moon will be new on May 20th at 4:47 p.m. Pacific / 7:47 p.m. Eastern and will be void of course on May 22nd at 3:50 p.m. Pacific / 6:50 p.m. Eastern. Click here for Jan Spiller’s DailyOm.com article, briefly explaining new moon wishes.
Related articles:
- The New Moon in Natal Houses
- Eclipses in Astrology
- Venus Retrograde ~ May 15 to June 26, 2012
- Uranus Square Pluto ~ 2011 to 2015
- Saturn in Libra ~ 2009 to 2012
- Chiron in Pisces ~ 2010 to 2019
- Neptune in Pisces ~ 2012 to 2025
Eclipses in Astrology
“New Moon” ©National Geographic
With a pair of eclipses occurring next week (May 20, solar eclipse in Gemini) and early next month (June 4, lunar eclipse in Sagittarius), I thought I’d repost an old article I posted on my original astrology blog site with blogger.
Eclipses often fall prey to the misconception that they are harbingers of terrible things, disappointments, destruction, ruin, and the like. It’s all about perception, though. Eclipses, in astrology, are accelerators. They speed up events, issues, situations in our personal lives and demand for them to be dealt with. The degree of difficulty, then, becomes dependent on:
- the readiness of the individual to tackle these challenges
- his/her willingness to do the work required
- his/her commitment to the cause/s which is really the self and its growth. The level of influence an eclipse or set of eclipses have also depends on individual birth charts.
I think astrologer, Eric Francis, summed it best in “Understanding Eclipses,” where he wrote:
Eclipses work on three levels, broadly speaking. The first is personal. The second is collective. The third is where the personal and the collective intersect.
In personal terms, modern astrologers have begun to see the light on eclipses, if you ask me. In newspaper horoscope columns, they are generally described as moments of opportunity, times of peak intensity and critical juncture points. All this is true, though one could argue it’s a matter of perception. Do you congratulate someone when they lose their job, because they get to discover who they are, collecting unemployment for a year? What do you say when a horrid relationship ‘suddenly’ falls apart? What do you say to a tidal wave?
The perception of an astrologer can be a significant influence on the lives of people who encounter their interpretations. Even if it goes no further than self-fulfilling prophesy, astrologers owe it to the world to rise above fears and superstitions and allow faith and reason to carry their work.
And I see it happening. The more consciously eclipses are handled, the less they are inclined to do damage and the more they are inclined to give us a push in the right direction. Eclipses visiting one’s own sign would certainly have been regarded as a curse, and still is in some astrological systems.
Eclipses trigger necessary changes to one’s journey in life. Because these changes are triggered outside of one’s own volition, they are often harsh, sudden, and undeniable. The initial shock evoke sadness, confusion, frustration, anger, worry, and possibly depression. However, it is our reaction past the initial shock that defines how we will allow these eclipses to influence us.
Related article: New Moon/Solar Eclipse in Gemini ~ May 20, 2012
Originally posted on my astrogrrl blogger site, July 6, 2009.
Retrogrades in Astrology
Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars ©JPL/NASA
Retrograde periods are typically a time for the prefix “re” — reflect, rethink, re-plan, review, retool, reorganize, redefine, re-examine, rewrite, reread, repair.
This period does not need to be daunting, be feared or to cause any of us to suspend living our lives in any way. Making allowances and/or taking preemptive actions to minimize the unavoidable retrograde effects will help with keeping retrograde cycles bearable. So, be especially aware of when faster moving planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars) are retrograde and plan accordingly.
Retrograde cycles, especially of faster moving planets, may pose more challenges to those with natal personal planets or house angles within the sign and degrees the retrograde planet is visiting.
To get an idea of how a planet’s retrograde motion might play out in your immediate world, consider: the planet (its function), the sign it’s transiting (its personality), and where (which astrological house) in your natal (with birth time & place) and/or solar (birth date only) charts the retrograde period (degrees visited/revisited).
Each astrological house represents a different aspect of our lives/of the self.
- 1st house ~ self, ego, potential
- 2nd house ~ possessions, income, material worth
- 3rd house ~ thought, communication, siblings, commerce, writing
- 4th house ~ private life, family, home, the past
- 5th house ~ creative projects, fun, pleasure, children, love
- 6th house ~ physical health/wellbeing, work/routine, servicing others
- 7th house ~ the shared self, partnerships, marriage
- 8th house ~ shared resources, investments, debt, regeneration, transformation, sex
- 9th house ~ higher consciousness/education, travel, experiential learning, publishing
- 10th house ~ public life, professional pursuits, goals, the future
- 11th house ~ friendships, associations, society
- 12th house ~ hidden world, spirituality, subconscious, mental health
For reference, here are the symbols associated with the zodiac signs.
Aries ♈ • Taurus ♉ • Gemini ♊ • Cancer ♋ • Leo ♌ • Virgo ♍
Libra ♎ • Scorpio ♏ • Sagittarius ♐ • Capricorn ♑ • Aquarius ♒ • Pisces ♓
If you don’t already have your birth chart, cast one at alabe.com ~ birth date, time and place required.
~ • ~
Here’s a bit more about retrogrades in:
Mercury | Venus | Mars
Mercury retrogrades about every 4 months for about 3 weeks. Mercury governs mental processes, communication, commerce, trade and affects all of these plus travel and electronics. Allow for delays, especially on the station days (the day when retrograde cycle begins and ends). Anticipate miscommunication so, ensure that all details are understood. Ask detailed questions to prevent misunderstandings.
If possible, until the retrograde period is over before buying a new computer, cell phone, or any other electronic items. If this is unavoidable, make sure the return/exchange/refund policy coverage is extensive enough that the purchased item can be returned/exchanged should it requires repair or replacement later. Consider buying the extra warranty offered, if the item is a costly one.
Reassess, as necessary and as much as you want, but avoid starting new projects, signing any contracts, or entering into any major agreements or commitments. It’s easy to overlook details or neglect to include information pertinent to the terms. A change of mind is also common. If you must enter into an agreement during the retrograde period, it is important to re-read all fine print, have another set of eyes go over it, and get all your questions answered before completing the transaction.
Do not underestimate the frustration, inconvenience and havoc a Mercury retrograde can produce, however.
2012 Mercury retrograde dates:
- March 12, 2012 (from 6° 48’ of Aries) until April 3, 2012 (back to 23° 56’ of Pisces)
- July 15, 2012 (from 12° 32’ of Leo until August 7, 2012 (back to 1° 30’ of Leo)
- November 6, 2012 (from 4° 14’ of Sagittarius) until November 25, 2012 (18° 31’ Scorpio)
Venus retrogrades about every 18 months for 40 days. Venus represents our relationships (all types — intimate, platonic, family and that with the self), our material wealth, our value system/s, our self-worth, our capacity to see beauty in the world and our desires.
When Venus is retrograde, this is usually a period ideal for — reflection, reconnecting, reviewing relationships, redefining worth, and re-examining value system/s. So reassess, as necessary and as much as you want, but avoid making any major financial, relationship or other life-changing decisions during this period. You might just have a change of heart later.
Venus retrogrades from May 15, 2012 to June 26, 2012, stations at 23° 59’ and retraces her steps all the way back to 7° 32’ the sign of Gemini. Station days (May 15 and June 26) can prove to be extra challenging days as the planet gets adjusted to the speed and direction change.
Gemini governs all manners of communication, interaction, thought processes, and relationships with siblings. This retrograde period might be a time to take a look at how we communicate, especially within our significant relationships. Is he/she listening? Am I listening? Am I saying what I need to say or are my words reacting to events surrounding the situation? With Saturn still in Libra, this Venus retrograde period could be an extra challenging time for those who have not been working out the lessons transiting Saturn may have for them.
In money matters, careful not to be overly optimistic or depend on what’s expected vs. waiting for actual results. If you are entitled to payment or receiving money/inheritance, there might be a delay in getting what’s owed to you so, have a Plan B in case you need it.
Try not to make any significant or major purchases. You might realize later that you have no need of it after all or that you didn’t need to buy this particular item/model/color/design, etc.
Mars retrograde occurs approximately every other year for about two and a half months. Mars is the planet of action. He represents our drives, motivation, aggression, and assertiveness.
When Mars is retrograde, our energy level may be lower as our focus turn inward. Projects are stalled from initiating or newly begun projects may suffer delays from completion. Aggressions may initially be suppressed only for them to finally be impulsively expressed and with much greater intensity than if they were never held back to begin with.
Those with natal Mars in a water sign may internalize anger or frustration more so than usual, which is not healthy as raw emotions unexpressed leads to stress levels increasing.
Mars’ retrograde period is best spent reviewing certain aspects of our lives, reflecting upon how we normally handle anger or frustrations — do we blow up and move on? do we hold it in and let it fester?; re-examining what the motivations are behind our actions or decisions — do we act because we’re in control? or do we act because we need to react? do we typically initiate and are self-motivated? or do we take steps when we’ve had reassurance or feel supported?; and perhaps re-evaluating how we do things, how we make things happen — do we plan then act? do we rush to act?
It is, however, not ideal to start a brand, new project during a Mars retrograde. Two steps forward, one step back is something you might have to deal with.
Mars will retrograde on March 1, 2014 to May 20, 2014 in the sign of Libra. Mars stations for about two days; station days can prove to be extra challenging days as the planet gets adjusted to the speed and direction change.
