ASTROLOGICAL FORECAST: FALL ECLIPSE SEASON 2024
It’s been a while since I’ve written your standard astrological forecast. For those of you who have been around for the nine years since my astrology practice started, you know my writing format has seen at least that many lives. There were a few years in which I wrote a weekly overview; one of the most rewarding (albeit most time-consuming) pieces to the puzzle of my professional development. Lately I’ve been less online and more in life than ever and the questions I keep getting from folks as an astrologer are the same questions I’ve always received: “What is happening in the sky?” and “Why is my life like this?”
The why is tied into your personal beliefs on the notions of pre-determination and fate vs. free will. That is a question I will not attempt to answer because it is yours alone to wrestle with. If you’re even a little bit team fate, it’s also evidenced by where in your chart the current astrology is showing up, which planets are activated for you by various timing techniques, and is a better subject for a 1:1 astrological consultation. You can get a session with me next month if you want to go there.
But the former question is one that demanded enormous presence to notice just how much it abounds. So in the name of giving the people what they want, I have, at least for this newsletter, abandoned my niche techno-historical-intellectual interests to write you a classic astrological forecast, just in time for eclipse season. Good luck out there folks!
My October books will open to my newsletter list on Thursday, September 19th.
Remember, the level of resonance in the descriptions of current transits below can vary depending on where and how they interact with your natal chart. Some aspects might feel very influential while others sweep by like an unnoticed breeze.
If you have the know-how, note in which houses the following transits happen in your natal chart. Map the house with the part of your life affected. As an example, the difference between Mars in your fifth house vs. your sixth house can be a break-up or a broken bone. Or, depending on your chart and the other planets involved, initiating a creative project with quite a bit of vigor vs. enthusiastically quitting your job. As a general guideline, transits to the angular houses (1, 4, 7, and 10) tend to be the most impactful.
One last thing: real-time astrological aspects tend to have a stronger influence when they are applying. This means that sometimes we experience the aspect in the lead-up to the moment it occurs (listed with aspect each below), usually a day or two before, depending on the aspect and the planets involved. The exception to this is planetary ingresses which are not aspects; ingress means ‘entrance’ - in this case - the moment when a planet enters a new sign.
All aspects are listed in Pacific Standard Time.
September 14th 10:34pm: Venus in Libra trine Jupiter in Gemini, 20°23’
Venus Jupiter aspects are known for their indulgence. This particular trine between air signs makes for a socially decadent day. Conversations flow easily. Bids for affection are more seamlessly received and responded to. Behaviors, which at other times, we might consider over the top or dare-I-say “too much” (see: fawning, people pleasing, sycophantic behavior), are somehow permissible. This is a new connective high we can reach. We can regret some of the things we opened ourselves to so beware the low low hangover the next day. Still, flattery is an art, flirting is a game, and those who open themselves to a good time will come to create and play.
To reiterate an introductory point: depending on where in your chart this occurs, you might find this experience of connecting the dots occurs in your social life or in your work life or in the realms of healing old traumas, or in creative pursuits, or in familial affairs, etc.
September 17th 7:34pm: Lunar Eclipse in Pisces, 25°40’’ / Full Moon in Pisces, 25°40’’
In client sessions I’ve been talking about this fall season set of eclipses as a “set up” for the eclipses that will happen in spring 2025. The spring eclipses* are happening at almost the same degrees and the North and South nodes of the Moon will have transitioned from Aries/Libra to Pisces/Virgo respectively. So keep in mind that this first Lunar eclipses especially is more of a precursor than a main event.
Technical intro first, TLDR below.
This first Lunar Eclipse in Pisces is not far from Neptune and co-present with Saturn, who sits just at the limit (as Saturn likes it) of a ten degree orb from dear Luna. Meanwhile, the Sun in the late degrees of Virgo, anticipates a conjunction from his current ruler Mercury, a meetup which will not occur until the next eclipse in Libra on October 2nd.
Just before the Moon leaves Pisces, Mercury confronts Saturn with what would otherwise be skillful conversations about long-term plans, if not for the eclipse (see below). Mercury and Saturn are quite the combo, preferring clear channels through which they can slip cunningly designed agendas. But Neptune’s presence makes this eclipse more like a prologue to a novel with many red herrings. Think a walk around a marshy lagoon, blanketed in pre-dawn fog.
Perhaps the most intense part of this eclipse is Mars squaring the nodes at the bendings in Cancer. Planets at the bends are like a windstorm sweeping through a weather vane. Mars in Cancer is not the most skillful warrior, often being overcome by emotions which tend to thwart more strategic thinking. Mars also rules the North Node right now, by sign, triplicity and face, indicating that the head of the proverbial dragon might lack its normal fire, or at least its aim. Mars in this degree of Cancer is under the purview of the Moon who is equally, if not more afflicted by the eclipse, and Venus who sits enthroned in her own sign of Libra, well past the terrifying sinkhole of the South Node.
The TLDR: The overall effect of this eclipse is an accord of peace placed over a bubbling cauldron of sharp and pointy emotions. Potential violence justified in the name of protection. And agreements drawn up that we’d actually rather not be obliged to sign. This is a good moment to experience the flood of feels but not try to do anything about them. We need at least twice as much time as we think to clean up the damage caused by a deluge. So if you are asked to take action, hold a boundary with yourself that you will wait. You will request a pause. You will take time in action’s stead.
Long term solutions tend to emerge in moments of extreme clarity and this moment has confusion written all over it. Eclipses can sometimes feel like a moment of awakening, a dawning of lucid thought. Remember they are the exact opposite. To be “lucid” is to be literally filled with light. To be brilliant or luminous. Eclipses are shadow times, when the most trustworthy, consistent lights we know (the Sun and the Moon) are blotted out. Heed their message.
*To note: the spring eclipses are quite a bit busier, confounding and gravity provoking because they are tied in with Mercury and Venus retrogrades, with both the messenger and the goddess of love stationing direct within 3° of the North Node who sits tightly conjunct Saturn. Of course, the effects of eclipses in personal situations varies depending on how close they sit to placements in one’s natal chart.
September 18th 1:50am: Mercury in Virgo opposite Saturn in Pisces, 15°15’
Apart from being inclined to clarifying structures and pragmatic action, this aspect speaks to a generous combination of youthful energy and age old wisdom. Dreams are confronted with the dynamic plans required to actualize them. This can be a testy intergenerational quarrel or an animated and unlikely collaboration, ripe with the tensions and rewards of harnessing opposing perspectives. Remember, Mercury and Saturn are both a bit stuck in the eclipse mud so best to move slow and methodical. Experiment before you set anything in stone.
September 19th 7:04am: Sun in Virgo trine Uranus in Taurus, 27°07’
This aspect lends some innovative fervor to healing whatever was revealed or concealed during the eclipse window. Taking place in earth signs, this is more of a tangibly active recovery than a deep rest. Think walking or writing meditations, jogs between sprints, dynamic stretching and collaborative brainstorming, emphasis on the storm. Trines are sometimes less obvious because they have an effect of ease so carve out some spaciousness on this day to do some creative thinking and planning.
September 20th 05:16pm: Sun in Virgo opposite Neptune in Pisces, 28°30’
The gap between dream and reality is one part labor and one part project management. The Sun here is like rays breaking through the water’s surface, spotlighting pockets of the ocean floor. This opposition has the potential to mesmerize and magnetize us into focusing on the actual things that get us from dream to manifest. It can help to reckon with parts of the vision that just aren’t possible. Any aspect with Neptune tends to involve getting swept away. Careful that in critique, you don’t slice up the dream until it’s unrecognizable. On the flip side, make sure what you’re planning is actually within reach. Perfection and ideal are not the same thing. Detail plans that are are both manageable and motivating.
September 21st at 1:49am: Mercury in Virgo square Jupiter in Gemini, 20°48’
As a rule, Mercury and Jupiter don’t always get along. Luckily for Mercury, they have the upper hand here because Jupiter is in the messenger’s other sign of rulership. The mind and the plans change near simultaneously. Rather than getting the plan to match the point, change your perspective to embrace the shift. Who says you can’t be in two places at once? Actually you can be in four - you just have to think meta and big enough to make it so.
September 21st at 11:11pm: Sun in Virgo trine Pluto in Capricorn, 29°44’
The Sun chimes in to throw some kind and quick rays on Pluto who is back for one last tiny dip in Capricorn. The god of wealth, the underworld, and all things pressure obsessed has been traveling along the sea-goat’s hills since 2008. Pluto might be tired of these slopes but he knows them well now. With the Sun bringing a keen kind of radiance from Virgo, this is more of a sweet and poignant farewell than a painful goodbye. A hand raised and waving generously at the parts of ourselves that can never go back to the unknown. Take a moment to acknowledge yourself for the excavation journey you’ve taken these past sixteen years, in whatever part of your chart contains Capricorn. Hard work deserves recognition and this is no exception.
September 22nd at 5:43am: Sun enters Libra, 00°00’
Party time! …Sort of. While eclipse season brings scary silhouettes and a fair bit of shade, Libra season is still and forever a social event. While the Sun’s confidence can sometimes be a bit dimmed in Libra, there is less riding the line between self-assurance and arrogance. Potential hubris is cooled by focus on the crowd. Etiquette is unparalleled but not overly precise. As the Sun leaves Virgo we let go of perfection. As it enters Libra, we welcome the ease of not needing things to be “just so”. Charm abounds. Intention and effort are applied towards a well-balanced seating chart that leaves plenty of space for effortless sweet stories to emerge.
September 22nd at 2:14pm: Venus in Libra square Pluto in Capricorn, 29°43’
Just as the Sun enters Venus’s domain, the queen supreme gets into a bit of a tiff with Pluto. Call to mind the things you recognized during the Sun’s trine to Pluto. Now is the moment to apply whatever it is you learned. Pluto can be a bit obsessed and has a tendency to spiral energy downwards into an initiatory trip. With Venus involved, the voyage is relational. The good news is we’ve probably taken done this trip a bunch of times. The other good news is, with Venus in her own sign, she’s less likely to get dragged. Whatever relational issues arise under this aspect are probably dilemmas, not problems. This means there isn’t really a solution. The work is acceptance and detachment. Remember, Pluto is god of the underworld. If you’ve already worked the dilemma to death, you can’t kill it again. Take some space and learn to be okay with disappointment. It’s not the end of the world but it can be the end of an era if you let it be.
September 22nd at 7:36pm: Venus enters Scorpio, 00°00’
Welp! The party just got a little spicier. Admittedly, Venus much prefers the lightness of superficiality to the intensity of deep connection but the the latter is the promise and threat of Venus in Scorpio. Venus would prefer not to risk deep hurt and perils abound in Mars’ watery domain. Benefic planets bring good things and while Scorpio might not be Venus’s preferred home away from home, she still brings a basket of sweets to the parts of our charts which contain it. The more profound or poignant the relationship, the event, the gathering, the more profound the possible victory…and vulnerability. Trust-building is of pristine importance. This Martian territory tends to shift strategically and strike fast so make sure your mergers are accompanied by careful due diligence and happen at a pace that calms a furiously beating heart.
September 24th at 10:27am: Mercury in Virgo trine Uranus in Taurus, 27°02’
Ideas are electrified. Actions are inspired causing sparks to fly from our willingness to make tangible moves. Solutions emerge like synchronicities when we offer our thoughts to the proverbial fire. With the mind body connection forged under lightning speed, be cautious not to move too quick under this aspect. Uranus is close to Algol, the fixed star which represents Medusa’s eye, the head of the gorgon. Thus, this has the slight vibe of mad scientist losing one’s head in an innovative frenzy. Utilize technology to take care of something less important while you focus on your creative progress.
September 25th at 4:06am: Mercury in Virgo opposite Neptune in Pisces, 28°23’
Mercury and Neptune in opposition is like a passenger trying to read a ripped map while the driver is plodding through a thick fog. The map is probably more reliable than the road but that’s not a good thing and neither are seeing clearly. Whatever tensions arise under this aspect are products of one, some or all parties navigating confusion disguised as legibility. If the facts seem flawed they probably are. Arguments are supported if you wait to solve them until after this is over.
September 25th at 9:13pm: Mercury in Virgo trine Pluto in Capricorn, 29°42’
The gods of commerce and wealth are shoring up their accounts. Check your bank and your budget. Take a moment to plan for possible futures. Be stealthy. Mercury is the only god that regularly reports to the underworld and comes out very alive. This is a strictly confidential but very important meeting. Make whatever cuts and investments necessary. If you pick up on something, trust your intuition but stay undercover in your questions.
September 26th at 1:08am: Mercury enters Libra, 00°00’
The letters just got laced with with lightness. The plan is diverted to a new party. In Libra, Mercury has to let go of crossed t’s and dotted i’s for a more eloquent cursive that is perhaps difficult to read but definitely evokes elegance. Charm makes good friends with wit. Comedy begets a laugh. Enjoy the delicate turn of phrases and the tasteful attention to detail. The god of commerce and trade can definitely enjoy the finer things and in Libra, this masquerader is best dressed and most mischevious at the ball.
September 29th at 9:06pm: Mars in Cancer trine Saturn in Pisces, 14°24’
Generally Mars and Saturn agree to disagree, except in Capricorn where both have more than a little dignity. Unfortunately, Mars in Cancer can be a bit of a baby while Saturn is consciously dedicated to teaching a lesson. Saturn might be equipped to help Mars in this scenario to get ahold of emotions. Passive aggressiveness leads to a talking-to and eventually, some healthy containment. Not everything needs to be said, right now, or by you. If you’re feeling any kind of overwhelm, ask your elder self, or any literal elder for advice. And be prepared to listen if they tell you to get it together and suck it up.
September 30th at 2:09pm: Sun conjunct Mercury in Libra, 08°11’
A Mercury cazimi is usually a welcome dose of clarity but unfortunately this cleansing dip into the heart of the Sun is quite literally eclipsed. Mercury and the Sun here are still well within a 2° orb of the South Node of the Moon. Cazimis are moments of ceremonial decontamination, in which the healing properties of the Sun’s radiance pierce, douse, and purify the cazimied planet. Due to their closeness with the South Node and the forthcoming eclipse, this cazimi has more of a draining effect than usual. It is both revelation and over-extraction and might lead to exhaustion. Factor in rest. Thank you, next.
October 2nd at 11:49am: Solar Eclipse in Libra, 10°02’ / New Moon in Libra, 10°03’
This eclipse, while still afflicted by a square from Mars, is a bit more self explanatory than the one we had on September 17th. A solar eclipse on the South Node is a quiet death of sorts. The South Node tends to have a dampening effect, a quality of pushing away vitality. A solar eclipse is an extraordinary New Moon. Things can be seeded under New Moons but a seed, just like an egg, even if fertilized, is not yet blossoming life.
When the Moon is new, it is dark - this is normal and it happens once a month. Because it is dark, it is also a tired time, a moment for deep rest, a liminal space that is not quite dead nor alive.
What is not normal under a New Moon is for the Sun to darken as well. Under a solar eclipse, the Moon blots out the spirit of life for a moment. The Moon, ruling the tides, bears the primal waters and the Sun brings light. These are the two primary ingredients for life to grow on earth. Under this eclipse on the South Node, both are apparently absent. This does not mean that life cannot be seeded but it is something akin to necromancy.
Steer clear of trying to manifest on this New Moon. Instead, take up the role of death withness. This eclipse takes place in Libra, a sign devoted to justice and peace. What must die in order for peace to return? What deaths prevent her possibility? What must be sacrificed for true justice to occur? What must you release to make way for serenity? What peace is actually pretense and how does acknowledging it inform and change your actions to come?
This eclipse takes place in the second face of Libra, which is ruled by Saturn. The image associated, according to Austin Coppock (our living lead scholar of decanic knowledge) is “links of a chain”. Here, contracts, agreements and laws are broken, but also forged and rebound. Thus, this eclipse is more than anything, a reckoning of trusts which have been instilled and shattered. Trust is an ingredient to betrayal and often broken trust brings us into questions about the ways we have abandoned, rejected or betrayed ourselves in our relational choices.
Remember, the chains of our connections are formed by many links. We have the right and the responsibility to tend our trust in ourselves and to be intentional in what and whom and where we place it. Broken trust is an invitation to repair the chain and this thick metal is not easily reforged and reconnected. Because this decan is ruled by Saturn, time is part of its medicine. Do not expect yourself to mend losses in a day.
Important reminders for eclipses:
Rest. rest. rest.
During an eclipse, the light goes out. Things we can see under normal circumstances become invisible. Don’t underestimate what you can’t see.
The effects of eclipses are powerful and lasting. You don’t have to DO all that much and dramatic changes will still occur, whether you like them or not.
The nodes of the moon are activated during eclipses, sort of like portals. These portals let some things in and other things go rather rapidly. This can happen for both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ things but it’s hard to anticipate which is which when you can’t see.
Avoid magic, trying to manifest or other activities that further open those portals. You are more likely at this time than at other moments to manifest something you don’t want.
Not everything that happens on eclipses is bad.
Did I mention rest? Rest. Lay low. Take some time off the screen. Chill out. Give yourself a much needed break.
If you resonate with these descriptions and you want to talk about how they tie into the astrology of your personal natal chart, you can book a reading with me. My books for October will open to my newsletter list on September 19th.