Born on an Eclipse
A few days ago (on October 18) there was a lunar eclipse, at 26 degrees of Libra / Aries. A friend birthed her daughter just a couple of hours earlier, just as I birthed my son a couple of hours before the solar eclipse at 19 degrees of Taurus on May 10. So what does it mean to be born so close to an eclipse?
Essentially, an eclipse is a supercharged lunation - a solar eclipse occurs at the new moon as the moon aligns itself between the earth and the sun, and a lunar eclipse at the full moon, as the earth is aligned between the sun and moon. Whilst the eclipse influence will be powerful for both of them, these babies will experience these energies very differently. My son has the Moon and Sun very close, so it's unlikely that he will experience a division between his inner and outer selves, between where he is coming from (symbolised by the Moon) and where his life quest takes him (symbolised by the Sun). My friend's daughter, on the other hand, is likely to see herself, and life in general more objectively, as if seeing herself from the outside. Her quest in life may take her far from her beginnings, indeed far from her comfort zone, as she learns to negotiate the continuum of Sun (where she wants to be to grow and be fulfilled) opposing the Moon (where she needs to be to feel emotionally secure). Those born under a lunar eclipse are likely to be focussed on relationships, on their connection to others, and may need to beware of projecting essential parts of themselves onto others. A solar eclipse, on the other hand, suggests are more subjective vision, a sense of being self-contained, but perhaps an inability to see the self as others do.
More generally, solar eclipses are seen as seed points for a new beginning, whereas at a lunar eclipse something reaches its peak or comes to an end. Taurus is a fertile sign of growth, the establishing of something tangible and the beauty of nature. It suggests that value systems, and the need to let go of outdated values and come to an understanding of his self worth and inner resources and talents will be a key journey for my son in this lifetime, especially as the South Node is also in Taurus. His solar quest, as well as his lunar comfort zone, may be around sowing the seeds of a new system of values which can lead us away from excessive consumerism and towards a more sustainable way of living. The Sabian symbol for 20* Taurus is "wisps of winglike clouds streaming across the sky" - perhaps these are spiritual or "higher" values as well as the material values more usually associated with Taurus.
It's also interesting to look at how this solar eclipse connects to my own chart, as birthing my son was clearly a significant event for me. The sun is connected to male energy and the moon to female energy, so it makes sense that I would have a son on a solar eclipse, and that my friend birthed a daughter on a lunar eclipse. The nodal axis in the solar eclipse chart forms a t square focussing through my Sun in Aquarius. The Sabian symbol for North Node at 17* Scorpio is "a woman, fecundated by her own spirit, is "great with child"" - pretty accurate for the night I gave birth! Literal interpretations aside, of course we always give birth to a new mother self when we birth a child, and this has been especially powerful for me this time around.
The recent lunar eclipse on the Libra Aries axis suggests that my friend's daughter will need to find a balance between her own needs (Moon in Aries) and her relationships with others (Sun in Libra). The Sabian symbol for Sun at 26 Libra is "an eagle and a large white dove change into each other". The eagle symbolises clear vision and the dove compassion, so perhaps there is also a balance to be found here between intellect and intuition, the airy approach of Libra and the fiery inspiration of Aries. The Moon at 26* Aries has the Sabian symbol "a man possessed of more gifts than he can hold", suggesting lots of Aries ideas and plans, which need to be balanced with the needs of both self and other. Perhaps my friend's daughter will find herself using both compassion and clear vision to know which gifts to hold on to, and which she needs to let go.
Essentially, an eclipse is a supercharged lunation - a solar eclipse occurs at the new moon as the moon aligns itself between the earth and the sun, and a lunar eclipse at the full moon, as the earth is aligned between the sun and moon. Whilst the eclipse influence will be powerful for both of them, these babies will experience these energies very differently. My son has the Moon and Sun very close, so it's unlikely that he will experience a division between his inner and outer selves, between where he is coming from (symbolised by the Moon) and where his life quest takes him (symbolised by the Sun). My friend's daughter, on the other hand, is likely to see herself, and life in general more objectively, as if seeing herself from the outside. Her quest in life may take her far from her beginnings, indeed far from her comfort zone, as she learns to negotiate the continuum of Sun (where she wants to be to grow and be fulfilled) opposing the Moon (where she needs to be to feel emotionally secure). Those born under a lunar eclipse are likely to be focussed on relationships, on their connection to others, and may need to beware of projecting essential parts of themselves onto others. A solar eclipse, on the other hand, suggests are more subjective vision, a sense of being self-contained, but perhaps an inability to see the self as others do.
More generally, solar eclipses are seen as seed points for a new beginning, whereas at a lunar eclipse something reaches its peak or comes to an end. Taurus is a fertile sign of growth, the establishing of something tangible and the beauty of nature. It suggests that value systems, and the need to let go of outdated values and come to an understanding of his self worth and inner resources and talents will be a key journey for my son in this lifetime, especially as the South Node is also in Taurus. His solar quest, as well as his lunar comfort zone, may be around sowing the seeds of a new system of values which can lead us away from excessive consumerism and towards a more sustainable way of living. The Sabian symbol for 20* Taurus is "wisps of winglike clouds streaming across the sky" - perhaps these are spiritual or "higher" values as well as the material values more usually associated with Taurus.
It's also interesting to look at how this solar eclipse connects to my own chart, as birthing my son was clearly a significant event for me. The sun is connected to male energy and the moon to female energy, so it makes sense that I would have a son on a solar eclipse, and that my friend birthed a daughter on a lunar eclipse. The nodal axis in the solar eclipse chart forms a t square focussing through my Sun in Aquarius. The Sabian symbol for North Node at 17* Scorpio is "a woman, fecundated by her own spirit, is "great with child"" - pretty accurate for the night I gave birth! Literal interpretations aside, of course we always give birth to a new mother self when we birth a child, and this has been especially powerful for me this time around.
The recent lunar eclipse on the Libra Aries axis suggests that my friend's daughter will need to find a balance between her own needs (Moon in Aries) and her relationships with others (Sun in Libra). The Sabian symbol for Sun at 26 Libra is "an eagle and a large white dove change into each other". The eagle symbolises clear vision and the dove compassion, so perhaps there is also a balance to be found here between intellect and intuition, the airy approach of Libra and the fiery inspiration of Aries. The Moon at 26* Aries has the Sabian symbol "a man possessed of more gifts than he can hold", suggesting lots of Aries ideas and plans, which need to be balanced with the needs of both self and other. Perhaps my friend's daughter will find herself using both compassion and clear vision to know which gifts to hold on to, and which she needs to let go.