Facing our Fears—New Moon Solar Eclipse—April 8th.
Courage is found in unlikely places—J.R. R Tolkien.
On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse moves across North America, passing over Mexico, United States, and Canada. This is the day that a new moon in Aries slips between the familiar body of the Earth and the fierce light of the Sun.
Eclipses act like wild cards. They drop into our birth charts and catapult us from our place of comfort. They alter the march of world events. They dispatch a charge of volatility through the atmosphere. On Monday, April 8th, as millions of people gather in a darkening world to witness the quiver-touch of the moon as she slides over the vanishing sun, we may sense a collective effervescence that lifts our hearts even for just a brief moment.
The first eclipse of the spring falls at 19° Aries, and carries with it an initiatory quality, forged by the heat of fire. This solar eclipse also conjoins Chiron, (that tender place in our psyche where we are wounded) as well as Eris, (mythological goddess of strife and discord) and winged messenger, Mercury (now moving Retrograde), as they all move through the sign of the Ram.
This eclipse marks a decisive moment where we must be bravely honest with ourselves. It belongs to a family of eclipses in the Saros Series 8 North which astrologer Bernadette Brady interprets as “this newfound inspiration will pull the person away from his or her social life or relationship, thereby causing strain in the private life. This is a time when the person needs to be free, if only for a few weeks.”
Astrological Aries carries the heat of fire that ignites an ancient urge to battle and survive. There are five celestial bodies in Aries (plus the North Node) prompting us to engage with the archetype of the heroine/hero. As we feel the firepower, we may be inspired by those who challenged patriarchy, dared to risk, to speak out. As we imagine the fierce courage and commitment of trailblazers like Cornish-born Emily Hobhouse who exposed the horror of the British concentration camps in South Africa and was an avid opponent of the first world war, or Jane Goodall who has worked tirelessly for the welfare and survival of primates, and writer and sage, Maya Angelou, (all born as the Sun moved through the flames of Aries,) we will sense the potency of this astrological archetype.
The Sabian Symbol for this new moon solar eclipse translates as “being innocent and fearless in love” which describes so beautifully the sky story of this moment as we look out into a world that seems so dark, a world where we so often feel anxious and so helpless.
Venus enters Aries on April 5th, kindling a spark of creativity, nourishing the flame of love that burns through the heavy weight of fear and resistance. Venus is our is our sensory detector, sensual barometer of our pleasure and our joy—a new hair style or bold new choice in clothing aligns with a change in our inner selves. In Aries, Venus trail-blazes new possibilities, new ways of empowering ourselves.
As Venus enters Aries, Netflix releases “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande,” which celebrates Venusian themes of sensual self-discovery, the joy and pleasure of sex, and the yearning for human connection.The sensitively portrayed connection between Nancy Stokes, sublimely embodied by Emma Thompson, and Leo Grande, captured with gentleness and complexity by Daryl McCormack so poignantly depict the daunting challenge of overcoming cultural conditioning and those judgemental voices in our heads. Psychologist Harriet Lerner writes, “when we think of fear, we think of a “fear of” something. Far more daunting is the challenge of how to conduct ourselves when anxiety is high and shame silences our authentic voices, closes our hearts to the different voices of others, or stops us from acting with clarity or compassion and courage. In today’s world, no challenge is more important than that.”
Mercury (the lens through which we view the world, how we communicate, and how we transport ourselves) moved Retrograde (April 1st―April 25th) and conjoins Eris (goddess of strife and discord who takes a stand for what she believes in) on the day of this eclipse. As we collectively experience the first Mercury Retrograde of this year, (at 27° Aries) we may automatically think that travel plans will go awry, or our technology will be uncooperative. Yet, Mercury Retrograde in Aries demands much more that the superficial or mechanical. When Mercury moves Retrograde through the element of fire, it is vital to seek passion and meaning in our lives. Psychosomatic illnesses or a creative “block” may be the symptom that indicates the need for deeper change in our life, or a new way of embracing life’s many pleasures. Fire symbolism carries the momentum for creative re-imagining, for aligning ourselves with all possibilities and probabilities, focusing on the higher ground, and using the force of our will to get there. As Mercury moves Retrograde, we may shift our perspective, make significant life choices, respond with spontaneity and courage to a crisis, or start moving our bodies in a way that releases stuck energy.
Mercury turns direct on April 25th emerging once more from “shadow” (reaching 27 ° Aries again) on May 13th and races into Taurus on May 15th.
If we imagine the moon’s pale body briefly obscuring the light of the sun, we may sense, in the darkness, the soft presence of a deeper knowing, the urgent thrust of life force that compels us to move beyond our fear. Harriet Lerner writes, “It’s not fear that stops you from doing the brave and true thing in your daily life. Rather, the problem is avoidance. Avoidance will make you feel less vulnerable in the short run, but it will never make you less afraid.”
This new Moon invites us to stand expectantly at the edge of something new and to face our fears. Anne Lamott who was born under the sign of the Aries Ram asks “how do you begin? The answer is simple. You decide to.”
To book a private astrology consultation, please get in touch: ingrid@trueheartwork.com
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