The upcoming Total Solar Eclipse in the sign of Leo occurs on Monday, 21st August 2017 from approximately 9:04a to 11:48a PDT, with maximum totality at approximately 10:16a PDT. A Solar Eclipse means that this is also a Leo New Moon – the second of this 2017 Leo Sun period – which is at maximum phase at 11:30a PDT (28.88°).
This total solar eclipse marks a moment that many of us have been waiting for. Of course, most of us have been looking forward to the physical show in the sky. However, for those of us who are astrologically and metaphysically inclined, we’ve been awaiting this moment for things to finally open up and encourage our progress as individuals and as a human race.
The doorway is now open…and we are being called to walk through to embark upon new beginnings. Yet what we find on the other side of the threshold may not come in a form we expected.
The Zodiac sign of Leo represents individual creative self-expression. It encourages individuals to make themselves known in the world by putting their uniqueness and creativity on display in some way. However, Leo also seeks acknowledgment for unique self-expression, and if a person doesn’t feel seen or heard, they may end up saying or doing anything for attention.
This 2017 Leo Total Solar Eclipse-New Moon will find us facing the brilliance of our individual, personal selves through how we choose to express ourselves to others. As the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, its shadow is symbolic of our fears and emotional turmoil bringing darkness, getting in the way of our ability to see ourselves clearly. Of course, the light emerging from this darkness serves as a reminder that the Sun is always shining its light, and as the post-shadow light shines, it may reveal not only the factual truth about ourselves, but also just how much we may take ourselves for granted.
As many of us have recently grown accustomed to saying that we aren’t sure how to express ourselves or that we aren’t sure where or how to move forward in our lives, this eclipse will be a classic case of not knowing what we’ve got until it’s gone (for a moment). Once the Sun’s light is restored post-shadow, we are likely to recognize that we had and knew the truth all along, even if we didn’t want to admit it. In fact, we may find that we’ve really been more afraid of expressing our true selves than we ever were uncertain about what they were or are.
This 2017 Leo Total Solar Eclipse-New Moon is calling upon us to now face and own up to the truths of who we truly are individually and collectively, and to be fully aware of how and why we are expressing ourselves the way we do, and to begin moving in a direction which supports that self-expression…
..which may require us to make significant changes in our lives if we don’t like what we see or feel about ourselves and our lives.
The astrological transits and numerological energies of the day give more insight as to how these revelations and choices come about.
Let’s first look at the numerology.
The 2017 Leo Total Solar Eclipse-New Moon is happening on a numerological 3 universal day – a day of learning, exchanging ideas, growth, and expansion. This affirms all indications of little things becoming large-scale problems in the coming days, weeks, and months – even possibly years. This is also occurring during a 9 universal month – a month of fulfillments, completions, and endings which are necessary in order to move on to new experiences; and a 1 universal year – a year of new beginnings, fresh starts, and setting intentions for the future. Both 9 and 1 energies are leadership energies, yet 9 leads by completion while 1 leads by initiative. You could even say that those in leadership roles (or those of us who choose to be leaders for ourselves in our lives) are taking the initiative to bring old and outdated things to an end in order to make way for new things to emerge. What is brought forth during this time will grow and expand in the consciousness and activities of their communities, their societies, and the world over the days, weeks, months, and years to come.
Now let’s look at the astrology.
Specifically involving the 2017 Leo Total Solar Eclipse-New Moon (a.k.a. – the Leo Sun+Moon conjunction):
- Leo 9 Sun conjunct Moon trine Aries Uranus Retrograde (28.39-28.88°) – The conjunction makes trine aspect with Aries Uranus Retrograde, and revelations and endings trigger emotional reactions, inspiring individuals to act upon what they believe to be the “greater good” of all… or at least their community(s). This could be as rather combustible combination as the actions will depend upon an individual’s perceptions. Are they taking action to create or to destroy… or possibly, to destroy or clear in order to make space to create something new?
- Leo 9 Sun conjunct Moon quincunx Pisces Chiron Retrograde (27.79-28.88°) – The Leo New Moon conjunction also makes quincunx transit with Pisces Chiron Retrograde. This transit brings revelations which will likely do more emotional damage before any emotional healing can begin. Think of it as a damaged building which is beyond repair and needs to be completely demolished before something new can be built in its place. Some emotionally and intuitively painful endings will likely occur, but whatever ends is not only bringing light to imbalance – it also creates space for something better aligned with Truth and peace to emerge and grow.
The eclipse will be the undeniable star of the show on this day. However, there is one planet which will be a prominent supporting actor: Jupiter in Libra. It is important because it plays a role in two prominent configurations at the time of the Leo New Moon’s maximum phase.
On its own merits, Jupiter in Libra reveals an expanding awareness of the balance of equity, fairness, and justice in the world. As peace is sought after, the imbalances of these principles become increasingly apparent, forcing each and all of us to contemplate our relationships with others and with ourselves. Through these contemplations, you’ll realize that YOU have choices to make. You’ll realize that the things are happening in the world around you are putting you in a position where you need to declare who you are and what you stand for now and forward.
The questions you’re likely to face as result of Jupiter in Libra’s presence under the influence of this Leo 9 Sun are…
- Who are you being in your relationships with others, with society, with the world…and with yourself?
- What is your unique and individual role in the (im)balances in relationships and society at this time? What are your actions creating or destroying?
- Who do you want to be? How do you want to be known or seen by others as you put your unique and creative self-expression on display?
- Who are you choosing to be? Do your beliefs, words, and actions reflect your desired self-image?
- Are you acting from a place of confidence in your self-expression, or insecurity and fear because you are uncertain of who you are and/or what you stand for?
- Are you choosing to create or disturb peace in your surroundings? Are your actions contributing to or distracting from your desired self-expressive role?
The two prominent configurations Jupiter in Libra plays a role in during this Leo Total Solar Eclipse-New Moon’s maximum phase are:
- A Wedge configuration in which Libra Jupiter is sextile both Leo Mars and a Sagittarius BM Lilith + Saturn Retrograde conjunction (20.19-21.19°). In this Wedge, bold creative actions intended to put one’s self-expression on display may support the expansion of balance, fairness, justice, and peace and increase the desire for parties to be held responsible for and accountable to factual truth. In other words, those in roles of authority and responsibility would be wise to make sure they are enacting their authority in a fair, just, and fact-based manner. Those who speak factual truth will likely experience increasing support and an expansion of their message. This also reveals a Mars trine with Lilith + Saturn Rx, showing that the actions taken at this time will empower and amplify passionate calls for accountability to truth.
- A T-Square configuration in which Libra Jupiter squares both Cancer Ceres and Capricorn Pluto Retrograde (17.16-20.19°). In the T-Square, we learn just how emotionally invested people are in their personal (lifestyle) values, and many people will seek the backing of their values from societal institutions and structures. Jupiter in Libra strives to bring balance, justice, and peace to the matters at hand, but it means that some people may experience great emotional discomfort while others may feel societally powerless in the process of bringing balance and peace to the circumstances. Some people may even feel both – the emotional discomfort and societal powerlessness, in which case they are likely to be questioning the validity of their own personally-held values as well as the values of and their value to their society and/or the world.
Two other transits of note involve the Leo North Node (and the Aquarius South Node), which makes wide aspects (slightly larger than 3°) in both cases:
- Leo North Node’s conjunction with Leo Mars (20.69-24.22°) confirms the actions taken during this eclipse period will have a significant and enduring effect, and may even be destined and/or fated to occur in order to advance the evolution of society and humanity.
- Leo North Node’s trine with the Sagittarius BM Lilith + Saturn Retrograde conjunction (21.12-24.22°) reveals that the collective evolution of humanity will be affected by an intense desire to hold people responsible for and accountable to factual truth during this time.
- Leo North Node’s conjunction with Mars amplifies the trine with Sagittarius Lilith+Saturn Rx (wide aspect 20.69-24.22°), so actions which occur during this eclipse period will not only be an amplification of calls for accountability to truth – they will also be setting the tone and direction for humanity’s evolutionary path. How are we creating our individual selves in these next few days will strongly affect if not determine our collective future steps.
And one other transit – Cancer Venus trine Pisces Chiron Retrograde (24.75-27.78°), through which we’ll become more aware of which partnerships are supportive and empowering, contributing to emotional and spiritual healing. We’ll also become aware of which partnerships are toxic and/or abusive, doing more harm than good to our emotional-spiritual well-being. In both cases, the actual conditions will be enhanced and empowered, for better or worse.
Keep in mind that we are also under the influence of 7 retrograde bodies – Mercury, Juno, Chiron, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Retrogrades bring feedback energy, so we are being asked to pause, look, and listen to what is happening around and within us before taking bold actions. Retrogrades also bring do-over energies, so pay attention to what may be showing up in your life for a second (or third) time as you may want to choose differently this time around. If you’re being given a second chance to take an opportunity, you may want to take it. And if you’re getting messages that you’ve gotten before, now may be a good time to finally pay attention to them and take them seriously.
The effects of an eclipse last for up to six months. Therefore, we may be experiencing the after-effects of both the Lunar Eclipse-Full Moon on the 7th August AND this 21st August Total Solar Eclipse-New Moon all the way through mid-February 2018!…
…and even then, what happens over these next six months and even these next few days (especially 18th-24th August) could change the course of many matters in our lives and around the world for the long haul.
Some of us are expecting some significant or major symbolic event in matters of society or politics or such as result of this Eclipse-New Moon, and one or more events are possible. But what we really need to look at is the “small stuff” which will likely become much bigger things later on. Again, this is occurring on a 3 universal day. Whatever ends and begins on this day is going to grow and expand…
…and that doesn’t only mean what happens around you. It could mean – and likely means – an increased awareness and acknowledgment of what happens within you and how your inner truths affect your creative self-expression.
This 2017 Leo Total Solar Eclipse-New Moon period is calling upon you (and all of us) to know thyself and to know and understand what you’re are creating in your life and why you’re creating it, which in turn, reflects who you truly are in the world. If you don’t like how you’re showing up in the world or how you’re being seen by others in the world, only you can change that. Yet changing externally is only a costume – a façade. People won’t respond well to pretentiousness or inauthenticity.
Therefore, if you’re really committed to changing and aligning yourself with factual truth and authentic self-expression, you’ll need to do it from within. The changes you make will need to shine from your heart – from your inside out. That’s the only way they’ll ring earnest and true, and that’s what this 2017 Leo Total Solar Eclipse-New Moon gives you access to – the doorway to your heart. The Light of Truth must shine within and through your heart.
So… how are you choosing to create yourself to be seen? And how will you express your authentic self-expression of Light to others?
The choices are up to you. Face the truth you hide in the shadows, and when ready, walk through the open doorway of your heart, shining brightly… and wisely.
Thanks for reading and sharing Signs and Numbers. Until next post…
~ Light, Love, and Blessings,
Grace
