“This immortal silver dish of wonder, cruising among the beautiful stars and racing clouds, turning waking life itself into a sort of dream, has been a force and presence even more powerful in the shaping of mythology than the sun, by which its light and its world of stars, night sounds, erotic moods, and the magic of dream, are daily quenched." (Joseph Campbell)
What a beautiful, poetic interpretation of our moon, and this month we have two new moons, one on the first and one on the final day of August plus two eclipses. Of course if we reverted to the lunar calendar used by our ancestors, there would be thirteen months (moon cycles) in a year – each 28 days long - but that’s a topic for another article!
Of all the celestial events visible from the Earth, Eclipses are by far the most impressive. On August 1st there will be a total eclipse of the sun at the new moon at 10° Leo. The exact time of the eclipse is 8.15 pm Australian East Coast Time, so as this is after sunset, the eclipse will not be visible in Australia. Each eclipse has a symbolic meaning. The keyword for this solar eclipse is transfiguration. We have the image of early morning dew sparkling as sunlight floods the fields symbolising the feelings of joy experienced by those who have emerged from the dark night of the soul. Astrologer Bernadette Brady offers a similar interpretation. “Breaking out of a very negative situation where no hope can be seen, to a more positive space containing many options. A worry that may have been affecting a person will suddenly clear.” People with planets in mid Leo will feel the effects of the eclipse, most strongly, especially those born a few days either side of the 1st August.
The Beijing Olympics begin just after this eclipse. China has a Mars Pluto conjunction in Leo close to the eclipse degree, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Usually an eclipse brings things to the surface that need to be dealt with and China’s Mars Pluto combination offers tremendous and often ruthless power that can be harnessed for either good or bad. China also has its Saturn return in September, indicating a maturing process, so the Olympics could be a turning point, allowing the country to emerge from the dark night of the soul and play a new role on the world stage. On the other hand, China could be forced to deal with its human rights abuses as the country comes under international scrutiny. The transiting North Node (collective karmic destiny) is conjunct the healing asteroid Chiron for the whole of August, so this will surely play a part in the story too.
On 17th August there is a second eclipse – this time a partial eclipse of the moon at 7.19 am AEST at 25° Aquarius. The Word 'eclipse' comes from a Greek word meaning 'abandonment' or 'failure'. A lunar eclipse only ever happens at full moon and occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's shadow. The colour actually changes from one eclipse to another, ranging from a bright coppery orange to a reddy-brown hue.