Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7:51 pm British Summer time and 2:51 pm Eastern Daylight Time, there is a partial eclipse of the Moon at 15 degrees of Pisces. Note that some ephemerides and chart services will list this time as being about 10 minutes earlier -- the time of the Full Moon and that of the eclipse differing by about that much. The eclipse is concurrent with the Pisces Full Moon, but the moment of exactitude of the eclipse and the associated lunation often differ by a few minutes. [We are currently researching why that is, please feel free to write in if you know.]

This lunation is remarkable for at least three reasons: one is that it squares the Great Attractor in mid-Sagittarius to one degree of exactitude. The Great Attractor is different than the Galactic Core, though located about 12 degrees away (see link for explanation of the Great Attractor). Anything involving the Great Attractor tends to have a polarizing effect, where two sides of a situation are seen; where people tend to choose sides; and where dualism is strongly emphasized. This is a distinct characteristic of the mutable signs, beginning with Gemini and with the dualistic property being just as strong in Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. The mutables are signs where you can petty much count on an "equal and opposite reaction" at any time.

Next, the eclipse sets off the core 1960s astrology, in particular, the Uranus/Pluto in Virgo, opposite Chiron and/or Saturn in Pisces. This configuration lasted in many forms from around 1963 through 1968, and a much wider range of years (about 1960 through 1970) is being activated by unusual activity in both Virgo and Pisces. For example at the time of the eclipse, there are three points in Pisces (Uranus, North Node and the Moon) and five in Virgo. Eclipses tend to peel back layers, and I think this will reveal some true colors of how people relate with their 1960s astrology.

The Sixties configurations are a rather diverse mix of Abbey Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, John Lennon and Hitler Youth. Or, as you wish, Kennedy and Nixon. In other words, there are qualities that are genuinely liberating and refreshing, and others that are the very essence of conservatism, fear and contracted awareness. All together, it's an interesting mix, and I've been learning about it in Rick Tarnas's book Cosmos and Psyche; he devotes about a third of the book to this one setup, tracing it back in different forms through the long cycles of history.

I have covered this astrology -- with a bias that I now can see, since I did not really understand the potential impact of the Saturn-Pluto opposition that occurred in the mid-Sixties -- in a series of articles called Born in the Sixties.

Last, this is the lunar eclipse just prior to the annular (not "annual") solar eclipse at 30 degrees of Virgo on Sept. 22 -- just hours before Equinox and the Libra ingress of the Sun. Among the many parallels between 2001 and today, we have an eclipse of the Sun on the Aries Point. Now, if it's at 30 Virgo, how is that the Aries Point? Because it's less than one degree from Libra, and that is opposite Aries. The entire cardinal cross -- made of the four cardinal points or first degrees of the cardinal signs -- acts with equal intensity as the Aries Point.

It's worth mentioning that in this chart, the Lunar Nodes have worked their way into a square with Pluto, and Mars occupies the degree of the solar eclipse that happens in two weeks. So the two eclipses are intimately related by these facts. I think the Pisces lunar eclipse will give a good indication of what is up with the solar eclipse two weeks later.We are also experiencing the exact opposition of an outer planet (Neptune) with Saturn for the first time since the Saturn-Pluto opposition of 2001-2002. While Saturn-Neptune does not have the friendliest reputation in the world, I think it's something of a breather compared to the hellfire and brimstone of Saturn-Pluto. But as we've seen, this configuration is associated with flooding and levees breaking, and a flood is just a very slow kind of fire.

Still, the astrology of summer 2006 is considerably mellower than that of summer 2001. For one thing, the June 21, 2001 total solar eclipse, just four hours into summer, was more exact and focused, even a menacing eclipse: a total eclipse on the longest day. Here we have a partial eclipse on the day of balancing. In the current astrology, we get two "almosts" -- one being the eclipse in the last degree of Virgo and the other being the fact that this is an annular eclipse, distinguished from total by the Moon being too distant from the Earth to fully cover the Sun. However, we have all lived through annular eclipses and they do move energy, only a bit more gently and in ways sometimes unexpected. Or so we can pray.

Still, we do have an echo to 2001, only in a time when a much larger segment of the population is both enlightened and literate, and hip to the bullshit that's been dished out for five years. I'll have more on Friday's Planet Waves Weekly, which will cover the Sept. 11, 2001 chart and look ahead at the Sept 22 annular eclipse. More discussion in the Astrology Secrets Revealed Forum and the Planet Waves Community Forum.




As this edition of Inner Space goes to press, we are under the influence of what can truly be called a world transit: the opposition of Saturn and Neptune. But this is also one of the most vital personal transits that most people have experienced in a very long time. An opposition is the full expression of what began at the conjunction; Saturn and Neptune have a 35-year cycle overall, so the conjunction was 17 years ago, in 1989. The Saturn-Neptune cycle is about accessing and developing the strength of character to manifest your dreams. It's about respecting the paradox of this world as both spiritual and physical -- not about denying or obsessing over the relationship, but rather, working with it consciously every day.
 
Aries (March 20-April 19)
Your activity level is astonishing these days, but the time is right for a breakthrough on a health situation that has been a concern for some time. The issue involves the way you use your energy. Aries are endowed with a high coefficient of push power, which needs to be used in greater moderation than you're accustomed to. You need to know when you reach the point of energetic strain, and stay well away from that line. Obviously, you cannot accomplish less, but you can accomplish it differently, and in a healthier way. Ideas for how to do that will be abundant this month.
 
Taurus (April 19-May 20)
To what extent does your current living space resemble that of your parents, or your childhood home? I speak in terms of the décor, but more particularly, the psychic environment. You can judge by how you feel. Your inner sensation may go from a subtle sense of unease to the stark awareness that you need to make changes. While many people find comfort in replicating environments from their past, you seem to have reached a point of limit, which may in fact involve a personal boundary that has been crossed a few too many times.
 
Gemini (May 20-June 21)
Whether you clear the deck and begin working with your space in total, or take things one step at a time, start with an idea of what you want to accomplish and why. The beauty of this moment is your ability to feel your presence in the world strongly enough to feel you can actually make a difference in your own life. This seems to start with some development or event in your home, but the feeling ripples out into your whole world. This is your planet. Living here changes you plenty, and you can also change it.
 
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Do you ever wish you could live in a big empty room? Perhaps just for a month or two, find, borrow or rent someplace that has no personal markings, no individual identity, and as little hint of your own past as possible. This will help free your mind to allow a rather potent thought process to unfold. You are maturing in rather large measure right now, and you may be feeling the need for a completely new attitude. Have faith that such is developing beautifully, and think of your entire life as that empty space wherein you can create anything you want.
 
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
Economics is the theme of the month, and it's about time you turned a corner. You have, at once, the power to let go of an old debt of some kind, which may also translate into an emotional debt; as well as a definite financial breakthrough coming that is based on nothing but your intelligence and creativity. This is not about luck, but it is about perception. In short, you need to recognize just how brilliant this idea or solution is, or you may not be inclined to act upon it. Success is distinctly coupled with letting go of whatever old and annoying past factor seems to be involved.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
What, exactly, has been your security base for the past 10 or so years? It would appear, on one level, that you have built your safety on your power to adapt, and to withstand a condition of constant emotional growth or pressure even to the point of turmoil. Yet something is distinctly shifting in your reality. For you, it has come to the point where safe must mean safe, where home must mean home, and where your inner experience of existence must be expressed directly in the outer experience of living. Certain compromises are no longer possible.
 
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
Treat your front door like a shrine. Understand it is a boundary; as a threshold; as a way of escape; as the symbol having access to all of the options that now exist in your life. Think of your door as the portal to your extraordinarily rich interior life. For the time being, you probably need to be one person on one side of the door, and another person on the other. This works, as long as you remember the existence of the threshold yourself; as long as you choose on which side you stand.
 
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
This month we continue with the metaphor of a strong home life being the foundation for an eminently successful business life. Your emotional security is the basis of your creative success. The flexibility of your family life is the means by which you can focus yourself into the leadership role that life is demanding of you on a consistent basis. These relationships have come in and out of focus at various times, but never has the image been as clear as it is today.
 
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)
Your ability to tolerate and even enjoy a degree of domestic anarchy enables you to work miracles as a professional. If you were to put all your energy into controlling your environment and the people in it, you would have very little left to express your spirit. Keep this factor in mind. Your home is an organic entity, and it functions with you and without you. But at the moment, your life is not about functionality -- it's about celebrating success, personal expression and a true measure of freedom from all the bullshit to which the world is so addicted.
 
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
You are a truly private person; there are some things you would even prefer not to discuss with yourself. Now is not the time for that. I suggest you live like they live in the Netherlands: with the window and curtains open, willing to discuss anything, and committed to the freedom of your neighbors. Contrary to common perception, the Netherlands is a deeply traditional country. But one thing about genuine tradition is that it's alive, it grows, and is thus subject to change. This is the discussion you have the power to keep alive.
 
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
There are times when a place is home, and there are times when a person is home. These days, where you are matters not, and who you are with matters entirely. The fact that nothing in this world is certain is only adding to the effect. That you're capable of these feelings now represents an awesome step in your awareness and the journey to the core of yourself. But more to the point, as Kurt Vonnegut said, make love while you can. It's good for you.
 
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Home need not be a physical place and a family need not be related by blood. What binds you to the people around you, and what is serving beautifully as a home-space, community space and as a container for your family, is an idea or a project. Whatever you've got happening, you're definitely moving energy, and you have some awesome power of focus going, and by all indications, you're using this to create an entirely new environment for yourself. Keep going.