A Scorpio Eclipse of Depth and Liberation

The Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio taking place on May 5th, at 10:34 am PT, will likely bring us the intensely transformational events that are the hallmark of eclipses, and thus open up a unique window into the hidden depths of our emotional and psychological landscape. This Full Moon arrives late Friday morning, afternoon on the east coast, to its exact position of 14º:58 of Scorpio, with the Sun opposite in Taurus, representing the culmination of a potent lunation cycle that began in mid-April. The activation of the Taurus-Scorpio axis beckons our awareness to the depths of mystical experience and our internal psychic landscapes, yet also into greater contact with the more tangible dimension of embodiment, material security, and physical environment. By the very nature of the sign of Scorpio, this intense eclipse energy can offer us insight into the intertwined and corollary nature of our inner and outer worlds. Because Trickster Uranus is heavily involved, as well as Mercury in retrograde, this time could be rife with unexpected twists and turns.

Most notable in this eclipse is the presence of Uranus in Taurus, just four degrees away from a conjunction with the Sun and opposite and closely parallel the Moon. Uranus’ disruptive presence through the fixed earth realms of Taurus has been for months now highlighting big changes in the Taurus themes of the environment, economy, food production/distribution, and innovations in material building and construction. Uranus in Taurus also shakes up our collective attitudes towards embodiment, and bodily freedom.

During a lunar eclipse, the shadow of the earth gets cast on the Moon by the light of the Sun. Symbolically we could interpret this as the shadow material of Uranus in Taurus being imaged and expressed in the internal psychological and emotional states of Scorpio. During this potent time, you may wish to ask yourself about how you good you feel in your own skin, perhaps wondering about the energetic and psychological relationship you have with your own material vessel. Perhaps there are ways you absolutely love and cherish the miracle that is your human body. Perhaps there are also false narratives and oppressive or painful cultural conditioning entangled into the feelings you have about your body. Whatever arises in this area, it’s recommended to hold everything lightly and gently as the stormy energetic weather churns. It may also be helpful to remember that one way to be with the chaotic energy of Uranian signatures is this: while they tend to be confronting and uncomfortable in the moment, the awakening they bring also offers us a key to our liberation, awareness, and freedom. We might ultimately wind up closer to embodying our True Selves.

While Pluto is less impactful in this eclipse configuration than in the prior Taurus Solar Eclipse New Moon of April 19th, this archetype of metamorphosis and evolution is still influential, and has additionally just stationed retrograde at the beginning of the current week at 0º Aquarius! The potency of Pluto from the recent New Moon was quite apparent, and the beat goes on through the final two weeks of this rather intense lunation cycle, and then, to some extent, throughout the summer. This planet of transformation and depth is therefore still quite active, turning up the volume on major change to continue to take place in all our lives. Pluto only just recently entered Aquarius, and will be doing a back-and-forth dance between the early degrees of Aquarius and late degrees of Capricorn all the way to November of 2024. We are still in the very beginning phase of understanding the way that Pluto’s presence in Aquarius, for the first time in almost two hundred and fifty years, will play out. It seems that the most notable theme so far is what could become the main hallmark of Pluto in our newfound Aquarian age, the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, now still in its infancy. This nascent technological development is already having massive impacts on the world, perhaps signaling a new philosophical era. Pluto in Aquarius also signals, as well as technological advances of all kinds, greater tribal awareness toward all, and potentially a more humanistic approach to societal and global power structures.

Another aspect of this lunar eclipse is a very strong square between Neptune at 27º Pisces and Venus at 27º Gemini. This aspect is excellent for floating off into the mystical realms of imagination, fantasy, and dreams. The downside of this pattern is that it can summon addictive behaviors, avoidance, and the ways we attempt to medicate, escape, or sooth discomfort. One way to work with this, rather than punishing ourselves or not allowing ourselves to catch a break from the harshness of reality, is instead to watch our tendencies to avoid pain, and choose to react with greater mindfulness and awareness. The energy of Venus-Neptune also provides an access point to make different choices around such things. Venus in Gemini is all about the creative and connective pathways that can arise out of a state of curiosity. Getting curious –- and even playful –- about your own and others’ quirks, foibles, and maladaptive habits can help let down defenses and open up pathways for new awareness and connection to be made.

This is certainly an intense passage we all find ourselves in, and, as usual, I encourage gentleness with yourself and others. This is especially true during eclipse time – to hold any difficulties with what is before you lightly, and to peacefully allow the Sacred Wisdom of life to shape, change, and re-form you. With a little extra tenderness, and a dash of trust, we may be enabled to navigate our inner and outer worlds with as much kindness, grace, and ease as possible.

A Scorpio Eclipse of Depth and Liberation

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Chart for the Full Moon on May 5, 2023

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April 2024