Working Knowledgeably with Eclipses–Part IIby Jill Amery
Jill Amery is our guest essayist this month and next, dealing with the phenomena of eclipses. Jill is a highest honors graduate of the Noel Tyl Master’s Degree Correspondence Course. She is a professional astrologer in Magill, South Australia: Jilamery@senet.com.au
Robert Carl Jansky and Bernadette Brady, in their independent work on the Saros Series cycles of eclipses, suggest looking to the core eclipse (“birth” horoscope) of a series for symbolic meaning. (The entire Saros Series are listed in their books (Interpreting the Eclipses – Jansky; The Eagle and the Lark – Brady), but by casting your own horoscopes you can see the planetary aspect dynamics which are the essential factor.
Use the given data with co-ordinates 90 degrees North (North Pole) or 90 degrees South (South Pole), and set for 0 degrees East or West longitude. Because angle/cusp distortion at such high latitude occurs, the angles and house cusps derived by astrological software will default to 0 degrees and are therefore irrelevant to our ecliptic-based astrology. In analysis of the Saros Series, it’s just the Sun-Moon eclipse itself, the planetary and Lunar Nodal Axis aspects, and any strong midpoints (by 4th harmonic) that are important).
Ancient astrologer-priests used these cycles in their predictions. Jansky explains: “The first eclipse in the series commences as a tiny solar eclipse at either the North or South Pole…. Subsequent solar eclipses occur farther from this pole as the series progresses. Toward the middle of the series the eclipses commence becoming total as their route over the Earth’s surface takes them farther from the pole where they started and closer to the equatorial latitudes. Later after a series of annular and total solar eclipses, the eclipses begin to get progressively more partial again, the last in the series occurring at the opposite pole from which it started”.
An entire cycle, or “family”, of eclipses can last for 1,000+ years, with each number in the series repeating every 18+ years and leapfrogging one sign and 11 degrees forward with each repeat. Saros cycles with their long-term life can seem more significant in mundane than in personal astrology, but in both, there does seem to be a much more significant impact when:
1. The birth of the eclipse itself (at the North or South Pole) contains strong 4th harmonic configurations involving outer planets and midpoints
2. a current eclipse also contains dynamic related 4th harmonic patterns
3. and they both contain strong correlation with a relevant horoscope
Examples:
Saros Series 1 North (January 4 1639, 5:12:37am GMT, North Pole) was the original predecessor of the August 11 1999 Grand Cross eclipse, the major eclipse marking the turn of the millennium. In the horoscope for SS1N, there are many challenges to the USA chart and links with current times: the solar eclipse itself, at 13 Capricorn, opposes the USA Sun and squares its Saturn; its Saturn at 6 Aquarius = the USA Nodal Axis, and its Uranus at 27 Libra = the USA Pluto, and conjoins the seed cycle 1982 Saturn-Pluto conjunction. Saturn and Uranus are peregrine (i.e., without Ptolemaic aspect); implying that their symbolism will resonate in extremes, especially perhaps that of profound shakeup of the societal status quo into new development. Saturn is dispositor of the eclipse, but is in turn disposited by Uranus.
This is the same Saros series under which President JF Kennedy was assassinated: in July 1963, a lunar eclipse at 13 Cancer-Capricorn (= USA Sun-Saturn) was followed by a solar eclipse at 27 Cancer (= USA Pluto). The links between SS1N, the USA’s and JFK’s horoscopes, and the 1963 eclipses are very clear, indeed startling: including JFK’s Moon (ruler of his MC) opposite SSN1’s Mars within minutes!
Another Saros series-eclipse significant to the USA horoscope is SS3 North (October 10, 991 (OS), 2:11:40pm GMT, North Pole) which was the original “parent” of the eclipse which occurred on June 21 2001, prior to the WTC Attack. Its Pluto = the US Sun-Saturn, its Uranus conjoins the US Pluto, and Neptune, prime signature for terrorism, both conjoin the US Descendant and = Uranus/Pluto! There is a Saturn-Uranus conjunction, and like SS1N’s focus on the latter two planets, there is the suggestion of major changes in society, of being compelled through enforced circumstances to break away from old to new conditions.
The recent SS3 North eclipse (prior to the WTC Attack) occurred on June 21 2001, when (set for Washington, DC, at 7:57am EDT) a total solar eclipse at 0 Cancer fell in the 12th house, quindecile (upset, upheaval) Pluto, which was conjunct Mars, ruler of the MC. The historical and astrological symbolism of the USA is as a strongly Cancerian nation, so this Aries Point eclipse could have suggested attention to be focussed on upcoming critical national concerns of security on the home front. The Ascendant of this eclipse at Washington, 27 Cancer, was precisely opposite the 9th-house USA Pluto. The MC at 13 Aries precisely aspects the USA Sun-Saturn square. Saturn at 7 Gemini conjoined the USA (2:13am) Ascendant and conjoined the Sun’s position at the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction (this era’s geopolitical seed cycle) of May, 2000!
So this eclipse was a powerful one indeed, picking up, as did its original Saros parent, so strongly on the USA horoscope. Neptune (terrorism) in the 7th (open enemies) house, trining Saturn at 7 Gemini (degree of the USA Ascendant), reflects the ease of the WTC attack, Neptune’s rulership of the 9th house reflecting the involvement of international terrorism. This eclipse’s lunar twin, occurring two weeks later on July 5, 2001, also occurred over important degrees – 14 Capricorn-Cancer, = the USA Sun-Saturn square.
These Saros Series 3 North and 3 South eclipses repeated in 1983, when President Ronald Reagan declared “Star Wars”, and their eclipse degrees were repeated in 2002, when they became Saros series 4 North and South, which also linked dramatically the original Saros eclipses, current transits, and the USA horoscope (SS4S’s Saturn-Uranus conjunction falls on the USA IC square a Mars-Pluto conjunction!). And in the early 1960’s, these same Saros series were repeated during the escalation of the USA’s involvement in war in Vietnam, with relevant current transits and the USA horoscope activated by eclipse.
In mundane astrology, a search of any event that had worldwide repercussions will always feature a symbolically appropriate eclipse or series of eclipses occurring before or during that period, which feature the Aries Point configured with the eclipse and/or an outer planet, and links with the original Saros. An eclipse can occur well in advance of a major event, as lead-up events unfold and escalate:
World War 1, September 1914: In September 1912 and March 1913, lunar eclipses occurred at 2 Aries-1 Libra, with Pluto stationed at 0 Cancer = AP. In those years, the Balkans (trouble spot triggering the war) were defined as “the powder keg of Europe”. Finally in 1914, transit Saturn and Pluto closed in to conjunction at 0 Cancer, squaring and triggering the degree of the previous lunar eclipses. SS4 South (Sun-Moon = AP = Saturn-Uranus-Pluto) and SS5 North (Sun-Moon = Neptune; AP = peregrine Mars = Node = Pluto): these are the same Saros eclipses experienced in December 2002 and May 2003.
Wall St. Stock Market Crash leading to Great Depression, October 29 1929: The solar eclipse in May 1929 at 18 Taurus conjoined Jupiter-Node (reflecting a sense of excess in the stock markets) and squared the USA 10th-house Moon. Saturn had recently stationed = AP at 0 Capricorn, so triggering an earlier solar eclipse of December 1927 at 1 Capricorn = AP = Uranus. SS1 South and SS3 North – both with strong links to the USA horoscope (SS3 North as above, was repeated prior to the WTC Attack).
World War 2, September 1939: A solar eclipse on April 19, 1939 at 29 Aries squared Pluto, with Uranus = AP; and in September, the outbreak of war saw transit Mars, Saturn, and the Nodal Axis (by 4th harmonic) trigger the degree of this Pluto-squared eclipse. SS13 South: the strong links of this Saros eclipse with the USA horoscope (its Sun-Moon conjunct the US Ascendant, its Mars conjunct the US 9th-house Pluto, its Pluto conjunct the US MC) suggest the USA’s involvement in WW2 was inevitable).
Pearl Harbor: December 7 1941: A solar eclipse on September 21 1941 at 28 Virgo = AP conjoined Neptune, with Jupiter-Node = the US Mars-Neptune square. (SS16 North: its Mars-Node conjoins the USA 10th-house Moon; its Uranus-Pluto squares the USA Mercury, and its Saturn conjoins the USA Saturn.)
Second Wall St. Crash, precipitating Global Stock Market Crisis – October 19 1987: Solar eclipse at 29 Virgo = AP closely conjunct Nodal Axis, with Pluto = US Nodal Axis; followed by a lunar eclipse at 13 Libra = the US Sun-Saturn; and Mars = AP. (SS7 South: Sun-Moon conjunct the US 2nd-house Sun-Jupiter, and a Saturn-Pluto conjunction square Mars = the US Nodal Axis).
Personal astrology and the Metonic cycle: Saros cycles should not be confused with Metonic cycles, in which solar and lunar eclipses repeat the same degree in a sign every 19+ years through a series of three or (maximum) four eclipses, synchronizing closely with the Nodal Axis cycle mid-series. In a person’s lifetime, there might never be an eclipse on certain degrees in the horoscope, whereas other degrees will experience 3 to 4 eclipses, before this eclipse degree leapfrogs to a Full Moon eclipse two signs previous at the next (due) repeat.
Solar eclipses (the New Moon suggesting a “new start”) conjunct a horoscope significator can signify major opportunity, a push forward, in matters of that planet/point and house; whereas the opposition and square can pose opportunity but challenge too, through confrontation (opposition) and effort (square). Lunar eclipses can signify an awareness brought to light, a co-operative effort perhaps, recognition of and by others. Prevailing major transits are of greatest importance in forecasting the potential outcome of an eclipse.
When a person has been thrust into sudden prominence, a series of eclipses on relevant significators in the horoscope will often occur prior to and during their most public successes, failures, (and “exits” also, if these have occurred). Clear examples are J.F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Elvis Presley, Bill Gates, G.W. Bush; and Margaret Thatcher, whose departure as British Prime Minister coincided with eclipses to her Nodal Axis, her 9th-house Neptune, and finally her Saturn-Ascendant, accompanied by Saturn and Pluto transits.
In working with eclipses, it’s important to keep orbs tight – a maximum of no more than 2-3 degrees is effective! And for the Saros series, even less – no more than 1-2 degrees.