The past couple of years have been quite an intense ride, what with the eclipse cycles that have been hitting on the Sagittarius-Gemini axis. Get ready for more, as the last Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius for this cycle is going to be another crucible of change. We’ve been feeling this one brewing and now that it’s here, the games begin.
The Solar Eclipse Itself
The Solar Eclipse goes exact at 12 Sag 22’02” on December 3rd, 2021 23:43:00 PDT (December 4th, 2021 07:43:00 UTC). This lunar cycle takes place in the sign of Sagittarius. This highlights our optimism, our philosophy, long-distance or foreign travel. The primary aspect of Sun conjunct Moon denotes a time of fresh starts, new beginnings, and an opportunity to start again. As this is a Solar Eclipse, which functions as a super-powered New Moon, these themes will be ever-present for the following several months rather than the usual four-week lunar period.
As this eclipse takes place in a mutable sign, there can be some pretty rapid changes that will test us. Anyone with planets or major points (Ascendant/Descendant, Midheaven/IC, North/South Nodes) between 7 degrees to 17 degrees Sagittarius, Gemini, Virgo, or Pisces will be feeling this Solar Eclipse more acutely than others who don’t have anything significant in that degree range. The wider the orb, the lesser the impact, but it will still be felt in some manner.
Other Aspects to the Solar Eclipse
One of the principal aspects that’s immediately apparent is Solar Eclipse Sagittarius quincunx Uranus retrograde in Taurus. This colors the events connected to this eclipse cycle with an uncertainty concerning our notions of stability, money, and comfort. We’ve got this new beginning, but we could be doubting whether we can follow through and fulfill the promises that we’re hoping to fulfill.
Another aspect of note is the Solar Eclipse’s conjunction to Mercury, highlighting messages, communications, and travel. Given that both the Eclipse and Mercury are in Sagittarius, I’d say both long-distance and local travel will factor into events for the next several months.
The messages we’re likely to be experiencing during this time should also be some messages of hope and good news. At the very least, some lucky breaks should be possible now. If there’s any ill news, its impact should be somewhat reduced or at least not as shocking.
There is also a Sextile to Saturn in Aquarius that also helps smooth things over. New projects begun or in progress now are more likely to be successful now. This is because Saturn is direct in a sign it shares rulership with Uranus in for one thing. The harmonious sextile aspect present here allows for a little more ease in accomplishing the tasks we need to take on, unlike the heaviness that a square or opposition would entail.
Think of it this way: you could be setting up a business, and you get a message that you need to set up a new bank account for business expenses. While the bureaucracy and procedures will take up time, it’s likely to go more smoothly and get that business up and running faster than if there were some serious problems, like an untimely audit.
Other Noteworthy Aspects During the Solar Eclipse
Mercury’s Impacts
Mercury in Sagittarius making a tight opposition to Black Moon Lilith in Gemini can open up some interesting cans of worms. Black Moon Lilith here in Gemini can bring up some hidden feelings to the surface. Words unsaid being said, this can weigh heavily, such as a confession of love or endearment between two friends. There can be matters that need to be discussed come to light, and the overarching feel could be “yes, but…” or “no, but that’s not a ‘never…'” Something like that.
Mercury is also making a very wide (but applying, or strengthening) square to Neptune in Pisces, which itself just turned direct a few days prior. There can be some uncertainty in our communications with others. We may have had a message sent to someone important, and there’s the feel that maybe there’s lingering questions, or something else needs to be said. Perhaps the meaning isn’t clear and we either need to clarify. Perhaps we don’t know how to effectively communicate what we’re trying to say. Faulty assumptions are likely now. Be clear as you can, or ask for clarification if you need it.
Venus – The Love Factor
This is another spot where things get interesting. Venus is in Capricorn, colored by Saturn’s energy, and our focus is on reputation, career matters, and status. We also have Venus conjunct Pluto here, which indicates some major shakeups in status, in our relationships, and of course, career. Also keep in mind that Venus is in its pre-retrograde shadow phase, so we’re already seeing themes of what to expect during the Venus retrograde period starting on December 19th.
We could be seeing some career changes occurring here. Perhaps transitioning from one job to another, or leaving a job to begin a new business for some. Investments are also highlighted, and with current events (such as the Omicron variant of Covid-19 starting to show up in multiple countries), we should expect some volatility here. Will it be catastrophic though?
Venus sextile Mars in Scorpio, and also sextile Neptune in Pisces, I’m going to have to say some of the volatility mentioned above could be mitigated with aggressive measures. Given that Mars also trines Neptune, we’ve got some clarity and perhaps some mitigation of the fear factor. We could find ourselves not giving in to the hysteria that gripped many with the rise of the previous variants as one example. We could also find ourselves more discerning and shedding off bad information or misgivings regarding a great many things here.
Another thing to consider is that, with the sextiles from Venus to Mars and Neptune, this is a wonderful time to embark on more creative projects if you haven’t been following through on those already. Perhaps there’s a screenplay or novel you started earlier that you’ve been itching to finish and get submitted to a publisher. If Mercury retrograde is a good time for review, perhaps this upcoming Venus retrograde following so soon after a Solar Eclipse could be the burst of inspiration needed to get things moving out the door.
There’s a great deal of counterintuitive potential here, and I’m feeling that some really good things are possible here. You need to make a choice as to whether you’re going to put yourself out there and make that dream happen, or if you want to play it safe and hold your heart close to your chest.
That said, it is Venus pre-retrograde shadow. There’s going to be a lot of work here and you might have to deal with something from the past to get this done. And some potential partners, if that’s what you’re looking at, might not have their minds made up yet. Or, perhaps their minds are made up, but something could develop that neither party expects. Don’t force anything, as it will likely detonate during the retrograde if you do.
Mars-Jupiter Square – Conflict in Ambitions
The Mars in Scorpio to Jupiter in Aquarius square warns us of some trouble ahead when it comes to our ambitions and our desire to change the world. Mars in Scorpio is in one of its domiciles in Scorpio (with Aries being the other). Hence, it is pretty well amplified here and gives a deeper drive to our ambitions.
Jupiter in Aquarius is colored by the energies of both Saturn and Uranus, so there’s a good deal of optimism and hope we would normally have here in terms of our hard work and effort paying off in changing the world in some way.
Mars square Jupiter, in this pattern, indicates some struggles as far as getting the drive together to make those changes to our world and in our own trendsetting ways. It could be the factor of someone else’s resources (or withholding thereof) getting in the way. Or, perhaps some trouble when it comes to more lusty or romantic passions getting in the way of our work. An example of this could be working to set up a business in hopes of the future, but your mind is continuously fixated on being with someone romantically. Such a scenario would be consuming brainpower that could be spent on building for the future constructively. There’s almost a Nessus/obsessive quality to this, when one thinks about it.
Another factor of this is, given Scorpio’s 8th house influences of the occult, sex, and possibly death, we could be facing the death of something. Forceful, unseen factors are also playing into this, so make sure you don’t overlook any critical fine print if setting up something legally.
Finally, we could be overestimating our abilities. There’s nothing wrong with keeping your eye on the prize. Ultimately we need to be realistic about our expectations, and this could manifest as crashing down to Earth when we invested so much hope in a cherished endeavor. Don’t take failures too much to heart now, but learn from them and build again to withstand the downfalls.
Jupiter-Pluto Semisextile – Changes Must Come
With the optimist of the cosmos in a triggering aspect to the bringer of death and rebirth, there’s both opportunity for gains and losses. For new life to bloom, old life tends to fade. With Jupiter in Aquarius semisextile Pluto in Capricorn, these changes are most likely to be felt in the realm of our reputation, career, links to friends, and plays on our hopes.
An example of this kind of energy could be leaving a stable job to begin a business of your own. Or, perhaps the job is ending already so you decide to try your hand at freelancing. This can also be influenced by wanting to embrace more freedom, and cast away the restrictive qualities of previous work. Things like setting your own hours, getting away from increasingly-oppressive workplace or remote work monitoring systems (some of which could be in a legal gray area!), and the desire to have a more open schedule so you can spend more time with family and loved ones.
Of course, the devil’s in the details with the semisextile. These changes during this Eclipse cycle can be pretty sudden, especially where Pluto is concerned. In the end, however, we may see that these changes are for the best.
Saturn – Further Destabilization of the Status Quo for the Better
Saturn in Aquarius is still working its authoritarian magic in its second home sign. One one hand, we’ve still got the Saturn to Uranus retrograde square. Things have not been very stable over the last several months for sure. The disciplinarian and the rebel continuing their square just won’t stop driving this home.
Uranus retrograde in Taurus is still tearing up our notions of stability and comfort, and we’re forced to make some hard choices to keep going, or build a new path (given the Pluto and Jupiter links mentioned earlier). Some leaner times are at hand for some of us. Others can make a key play via intelligent effort and perhaps come out much further ahead than before, which will take some serious sacrifices and leaps of faith.
This hard work and sacrifice is a key element of our healing, as Chiron in Aries is sextile Saturn at this point. We’ve had to look inward and see what we need to change to overcome a major wound in our core beings. We know what steps we need to do to better facilitate that healing now. Chiron will be ending its retrograde on the same day that Venus retrograde begins, which in itself is highly significant. Our relationships and our resources will be undergoing some major review as we know what we must do to move forward in other ways.
Given Saturn’s aspects here, we’ll be tested to determine if we’ve healed those holes in our hearts. I think many of us will have made some progress here, so if it seems slow going in this department, don’t despair. These shakeups may be just what we need to get us to where we need to go.
What do the Cards Say?
As far as what the cards say for this Solar Eclipse cycle? It’s actually fairly positive from what I’m seeing here.
First, the Five of Wands upright indicates conflicts and challenges facing us. We’re likely experiencing some struggle, some competition of sorts. Some of us are in the middle of disagreements, while others are grappling with a question that just doesn’t seem to have answers right away.
We follow this with the Fool upright. This certainly fits with the Eclipse energy as we’ve got new beginnings possible right now! How these new beginnings and adventures play out is anyone’s guess. If there’s a step you’ve been wanting to take, this is a time where it can happen.
Next, we have the Wheel of Fortune upright. Fated events are upon us. Whether we take advantage of the new beginnings possible or not, we’re going to find out where it all leads whether we like it or not. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
Fourth, we have the King of Cups reversed. This seems to be playing into the conflict we’re having, and quite a few of us could be facing off with an authority figure who isn’t stable or grounded in their emotions. Alternatively, there’s an authority figure or something of that quality that’s causing us a fair amount of emotional discord. We feel we can’t be certain of our feelings and we’re having to navigate this. Doubts are certain to plague us to an extent with this placement. At worst, this can indicate an emotionally abusive partner or situation.
The next card is another king, the King of Pentacles upright. This can represent another authority figure, likely a man, who will be bearing us offers of money, stability, and sound advice on what we hold dear and valuable now. This has an air of sound financial advice. Pay attention to what reputable economists are saying is what I’m getting here. This can also be a man or other partner, or potential partner, bearing gifts that can help bear some comfort or usefulness in making money.
Finally, we have the Hierophant reversed. Traditional means of getting ahead aren’t going to be as reliable during this eclipse cycle. We’ll be thinking outside the box for the next several months. The tried-and-true methods aren’t as reliable anymore. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
I’d say this is pretty congruent with the astrology of the Solar Eclipse. Some challenges, but some incredible new opportunities for growth and pursuing our hearts’ desires.
To Sum it Up
It’s an intense time, no doubt about it. Plenty of opportunities for change though, and we’d be fools to not take advantage of some of the chances to make some good changes now. Endings of all sorts are upon us, so why not plant that seed and nurture it, make it grow?
It’s possible we’re not getting the answers we want to hear quite yet, but don’t despair. This eclipse cycle, and the months ahead, they are an excellent opportunity to grow. Of course, we’ll have to be wise about this, and be on guard for those who would take what doesn’t belong to them. It’s possible the answer you want to hear is a “not yet,” not necessarily a “never.” You may get a better answer in the meantime from another source. Or perhaps, you just haven’t done the work yet to get the answer you want, but you get that work done during the next several months?
Whatever you do, don’t stagnate. Losing your momentum will drag you under very fast now. Keep your momentum going and keep creating, even in the face of utter destruction. Don’t let anyone take your spirit. Always be creating.
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