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April 8, 2005
Eclipse
By Norma Jean Ream
Eclipses of the Sun have always
been an ominous event. They seem to portend major events that affect the
world. This particular eclipse happens at the degree of the Sun’s
exaltation. This means it is at a point where the Sun is most honored
and has great power and influence. The Sun represents Kings, Presidents
and world leaders. The death of the Pope on April 2 occurred with the
Sun and Venus conjunct (together) in opposition to Jupiter. Jupiter
represents religious leaders. The Sun/Venus combination shows the
beloved quality of the leader. It also highlights issues of values. The
Terri Shiavo death was another event that is related to this eclipse.
The case has stimulated great debate over religious issues of “right to
life”. Both events will ultimately bring about changes that affect our
lives in both subtle and dramatic ways.
The eclipse itself includes the
conjunction with Venus, highlighting love, values, and economic issues.
The planet Saturn is in a square aspect, which will push authority
issues to the limits. Eclipses occur when both the Sun and Moon line up
with the ecliptic (the Sun’s path), which is represented by invisible
points called the north and south nodes. Ancients viewed this as the
head and tail of a dragon. The north node is the head, which wants to be
fed. There is desire for acquisition. This point adds a drive for
increase. With Venus involved, we will see love, beauty and indulgence
or luxury being the spotlight. Venus with Sun allows things to be over
done; it allows too much, excess.
For common people this might result
in increased cost of living, higher taxes, continued increase in
property prices, and more commercialism calling to the consumer for
products we just can’t seem to live without. There is even a new show on
TV called “I want it.” The sign of the eclipse is Aries, representing
the “me first” attitude, along with pioneering drives and independent
self-oriented attitudes. This prompts people to act from their own
desires and may not show us much of the concept of working together for
the good of all.
The eclipse falls on Chiron in the
USA horoscope. Chiron is known as the “wounded healer”. This focuses on
health care and alternative modes of healing. It is in the fourth house
of the USA chart, the territory of home, family, and roots. Many times
events related to Chiron first come through the wounding that brings
about down time for healing. Chiron brings about “multi-dimensional
re-alignment”. This eclipse is likely to bring some wounding event on US
soil. In the eclipse chart set for Hawaii, Pluto, god of the underworld
in on the sunset angle. This is the place of others and relationships.
Pluto is associated with death-rebirth and transformation. It is also a
symbol of big money, and epidemics. Pluto is trine to the north node of
the eclipse, so that may soften down the influence and perhaps
emphasizes economic issues of tourism and global events, such as world
banking.
Other important points of this
eclipse season include Chiron just entering the sign Aquarius.
Historically, the USA has made large strides in expansion of its
territories while Chiron transited Aquarius, the sign containing the USA
Moon. Transiting Jupiter is retrograding over the USA Saturn in the 10th
house and square the Sun in the 8th of the US chart. At this tax time,
the IRS is focusing on corrupt corporate tax avoidance. As eclipses
often bring out what has been hidden or unseen, we may be quite
surprised by what gets uncovered over the next several months relating
to this issue. In addition, foreign policies and relations with allies
will be another area of dramatic activity.
Finally, the planet Mars, ruler of
the sign Aries, where the eclipse is happening is in Aquarius and
conjuncting Neptune. Aquarius is the sign of individualism versus
collectivism and brotherhood. These planets can suggest some negative
influences that harm groups of people. Neptune rules drugs, oceans,
shipping, and oil. Mars is associated with violence, willful actions,
and discontent. Neptune rules narcotic drugs, alcohol, and things that
are self-destroying. Violent actions from drug poisoned men or the use
of chemicals against the people are other ideas that come to mind with
this combination. Diseases and infections from unknown agents make us
vulnerable. This pattern affects the USA 3rd house of local
transportation. This is probably going to mean raising gas prices, and
more of what we call “road rage”.
This eclipse time is potent energy.
Many events occur around the time of eclipses that have lasting
influence on our lives. Eclipses are hard to predict, because they are
associated with series of eclipses that range over hundreds of years.
This particular eclipse is from a family that started in the year 1248.
The nature of this eclipse family is quite dramatic and is likely to
bring about some extreme changes in coming months. There is power and
speed associated with this group and so changes are going to happen
quickly and suddenly.
Previous eclipses of this group
occurred in 1913, 1933, 1951, 1969, and 1987. These years all had
dramatic public issues boiling to the top. In 1913 the common person was
struggling to survive in the industrial era set up to make the few rich
and take advantage of the poor. Mine workers were totally owned by the
company store. Textile mills took advantage of children and women
forcing them to work excessive hours in extremely poor conditions for
very little pay. These issues brought about the movement of labor
unions, which came with a violent cost of lives. In 1933, the depression
had already forced families into despair and ruin; the struggle to
survive consumed people’s lives. In 1951, the US was involved in the
Korean War and McCarthy was trampling free speech rights. In 1969, we
saw mass protests of the Vietnam War and the civil rights riots in many
large cities across the country. In 1987, the Reagans started the “war
on drugs”, and the Savings and Loan scandals brought our attention to
corrupt corporate dealings.
With no end in sight for the war in
Iraq and the US threatening force in Taiwan, our ideals for peace
continue to be threatened by a President who seems to want to rule the
world. One of the controversial architects of the Iraq war, Paul
Wolfowitz, who has no previous bank or economic experience, is nominated
to head the World Bank. This eclipse season seems to hold many topics of
national concern. As individuals, we must stay informed and become more
active in working to retain our rights to freedom. We shall pray for
peace, but we must be vocal to our elected representatives if we are to
retain the quality of life we have come to expect in our technological
age. |
