Autumn Equinox is about the mid-life phase of a woman's life, and also about the poignant seasonal turning toward winter and inward time. We encounter opportunity for personal assessment, asking ourselves pointed questions as we explore the psychology of harvest-time. We can name, ground and ritualized our harvests for the year: things that have come into being, that have gone well, things for which we are grateful.
Traditional astrological lore holds that the influence of an eclipse is strongest on those who are in its path. The Leo solar (New Moon) eclipse of August 21, 2017 has been given the tag “The Great American Eclipse” because the path of totality for this eclipse runs from the west coast to the east coast through 14 contiguous states.
Additionally, the chart of the eclipse itself is remarkably tied in a variety of ways to the chart of Donald Trump. Given that traditional astrological lore also states that Leo eclipses portend the “fall of kings”, it seems that our country is in for some drama (a notable characteristic of Leo). Personally, I believe that Donald Trump, just like any other human being, can take the energy of the eclipse and use it for positive, helpful change, should he intend that. But someone who is so quick to blame others is unlikely to even attempt to work with the energy consciously, and so is more likely to be vulnerable to external events. The eclipse itself is also in opposition to the USA’s natal Moon, representing the people. Conflict is going to be hard to avoid.
The most important aspect we have this month is the total eclipse of the Sun on August 21, with the New Moon and Sun in Leo, and as it happens also conjunct Mars in Leo. An eclipse is a powerful signal of change. One astrologer friend described it thus: The curtain comes down on one stage setting and when it rises there is a different setting on the stage. We can look for change depending on which house or section of our charts it takes place. Here are some hints.
“Some people see things as they are and say ‘Why?’ I dream of things that never were and say ‘Why not?’” ~ George Bernard Shaw
In the Tarot, The Star is the card of hope, healing, wholeness, and inspiration. In this card from the Gaian Tarot, the stars reflecting in the water show us how far we can dream, show us what’s possible in the vast expanse of the universe if we will only look. Cupped in our hands, dreams become light and manifest in the world. But we must actively seek them first. We must go to the sacred spring, connect with a larger reality, with possibility, with joy, with recognition of and gratitude for the extraordinary adventure that is life. Then we can tuck the light of our visions into our hearts, and carry them back to a world much in need. This is the essential message of this month’s Gemini New Moon.
The news these days can be depressing and even horrifying — bombs, environmental disasters, corruption, extraordinary cruelty, sheer stupidity, and blind greed. There’s no doubt that we are in the throes of major changes in our civilization, and as a whole, we seem to be having some difficulty handling our most pressing problems. If we’re going to be part of the solution, it’s important to remember and acknowledge our accomplishments and honor the gifts that life offers.
Erin Lale
Fellow faculty at Harvard Divinity School posted an open letter to Wolpe in response to his article. It's available on this page, below the call for p...
Erin Lale
Here's another response. The Wild Hunt has a roundup of numerous responses on its site, but it carried this one as a separate article. It is an accoun...
Erin Lale
Here's another response. This one is by a scholar of paganism. It's unfortunately a Facebook post so this link goes to Facebook. She posted the text o...
Erin Lale
Here's another link to a pagan response to the Atlantic article. I would have included this one in my story too if I had seen it before I published it...
Janet Boyer
I love the idea of green burials! I first heard of Recompose right before it launched. I wish there were more here on the East Coast; that's how I'd l...