Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio: May 5th 2023

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The lunar eclipse in Scorpio reminds us that the eclipse season is upon us. We have already experienced a solar eclipse in Aries only a couple of weeks ago and, as these things come in pairs, the inevitability of the lunar eclipse reminds us of the eternal lunar cycle – and the cycle of life itself: seeding, germination, growth, culmination, wither and die. And at the moment of apparent waste and desolation, the seeds of the next cycle have been sown. I can see that Scorpio energy is already building up nicely…

A lunar eclipse is an extra powerful full moon, so it represents the culmination part of the lunar cycle. However, the culmination doesn’t relate to the solar eclipse we had most recently; we have to go back to the solar eclipse that took place in Scorpio on October 25th 2022, to see what was being seeded at that time. This lunar eclipse is the culmination of that cycle, so it will be a useful exercise (on both a personal and wider level) to remind yourself of events that happened around that time – and see if they relate to anything that’s happening around now. The results may surprise you…

Or maybe they won’t be a surprise at all. Here in the UK, the solar eclipse marked the end of the premiership of Liz Truss – the shortest in history at 49 days. She became prime minister only two days before the death of Queen Elizabeth II and her premiership saw the UK plunged into economic disaster. The day before this lunar eclipse sees a major cycle of local elections in England, with the results being due of the day of the lunar eclipse itself; that will certainly be a moment of culmination. And the coronation of the new King follows the day after the eclipse… What goes around, comes around.

Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio: Overview

The lunar eclipse occurs at 14˚ 57″ Scorpio, at 17:33(UT) on Friday May 5th. Those of you with the eclipse close to important planets and points will notice it most of all at a personal level – but eclipses have a way of inviting an audience and impacting on the rest of us too. And Scorpio is a sign renowned for impact. The way I often think about its energy is in geophysical terms – which is appropriate as Scorpio is ruled by Pluto – the God of the Underworld.

Mythology puts Pluto in charge of stuff that’s going on underground, and symbolically you can see Pluto’s influence in cataclysmic events like volcanic eruptions or earthquakes. They’re very different geophysical events, but the pressures that build up out of sight take many years to become powerful enough to cause an explosion or ground shaking disaster. It’s a great metaphor for Scorpio energy – because that’s how it works. A Scorpio lunar eclipse is the perfect time for eruptions and explosions of things that have been building up – often undetected or ignored – until there is nowhere for those feelings or actions to go but ‘out there’.

So, the things that were seeded in October last year may reach some kind of fruition now. They will explode in characteristically Scorpio fashion – and that may appear to be extreme or disproportionate. Things that carry the Scorpio signature are often powerful and power related, such as accusations of subterfuge and betrayal; extreme partisanship; extremes of wealth or criminal acts. As most of you reading this don’t run countries or large corporations, you may wonder how such potentially big issues affect you – especially during the eclipse period.

The truth is, you can be affected even in a ‘relatively’ small way; ignoring a broken lock may lead to you being a victim of crime at a later date. The lunar eclipse may bring things to your attention in a way that’s big to you – and it may do so in a manner that seems unjust, unfair or even makes you feel guilty or inadequate in some way – especially if you’ve been complicit in the mini disaster that’s now appeared on your doorstep. Lessons may be hard under a Scorpio lunar eclipse, but they’re the lessons you retain for life – and they may shape your future in a big way.

Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio: The Chart

Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio: The Aspects

Looking at the eclipse chart shows us what kind of a lunar eclipse it’s going to be. Trends and themes are revealed by the ‘shape’ of the chart and the aspects and aspect patterns it contains. As you can see from the chart, the planets are mostly gathered in the eastern hemisphere of the chart, and this lends a highly motivated, assertive and self-centred base to the chart. It’s almost an Aries or Mars type of energy as it’s direct and powered by ‘will’ – and that’s the kind of energy release that the events that occur around the time of the eclipse will display.

Other than the lunar eclipse itself, there is one major or dominant aspect pattern – and it’s a big stellium, stretching from Jupiter in late Aries to Uranus conjunct the eclipse itself. The remaining aspects are an interconnected series of trines, squares and sextiles – with an inconjunct and a semi-sextile thrown in for good measure. It’s a complex tangle – and that in itself is significant; nothing occurs in isolation, even if it appears to be so.

The background noise to this eclipse shows ongoing arguments (aspects from Mars), financial excess and restriction (aspects from Venus) and a hint of something both major and awkward – either relationally or financially – with the Venus – Pluto inconjunct aspect. However, the focus of this chart is the lunar eclipse – and with the Sun in conjunction with both Mercury and Uranus, whatever culminates is likely to be surprising, and is likely to involve the Mercury – Uranus dynamic of ‘unexpected news’ or ‘surprising information’ in some form. New ideas are likely to feature too.

Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio Opposite Sun – Mercury – Uranus Conjunction

I’ve headed this aspect as an ‘opposition to the Sun – Mercury – Uranus conjunction’, but in reality, it’s way more than that. The Sun, Mercury and Uranus are part of the stellium that falls across Aries and Taurus – and even if Jupiter and the moon’s nodes aren’t technically in orb, they have an influence because of the nature of a stellium; everything sparks off something else.

Jupiter’s involvement always amplifies whatever message is being sent. It’s the loudhailer of the universe, and it’s also the signifier of religion, wealth and the judicial system. Jupiter makes things big – or signifies big things – but it also suggests things that are out of proportion. If that’s so, there may be a great need to keep things in perspective at the time of the lunar eclipse.

Let’s look at the south node. The Moon’s nodes are always nearby during an eclipse, and the presence of either the north or south node casts each eclipse in a certain light. North node eclipses (where the north node is close to the Moon) are forward looking, propelling us towards the future with a sense of adventure and receptivity to whatever is out there. This is, however a south node eclipse – and that’s rather different in tone.

A south node eclipse suggests there’s a lot of unfinished business that needs to be signed off before you even think about moving on to another phase in your life. As this eclipse is in Scorpio, that inevitably means that there is a lot of trash that needs to be dealt with. If that’s so, then there’s only one thing to do – and that’s roll up your sleeves and get down to work. That’s the essence of the Taurus – Scorpio axis; you don’t find buried treasure without digging for it. Getting your hands dirty is an essential part of the process.

So, there’s a huge amount of high octane energy (Jupiter in Aries) and more than a few piles of rubbish that need to be cleared – that much will become evident around the time of the lunar eclipse. It may prove to be one of those rock bottom moments when you simply need to believe that things can only get better. This is a time for clearing out, clearing up, and processing everything involved in that, so you can move on unhindered by the past.

One thing we often forget, is how easy it is for us to be impacted by external events. There’s the direct impact (felt in your bank account or daily life) but there is an internalised impact too. During this lunar eclipse, the presence of Mercury and Uranus in this stellium suggests a flash of insight or awareness – perhaps suggesting that there is a different way of being or of doing things – as long as you let go of any baggage or preconceived notions first. In a less personal sense, speaking truth (Mercury-Uranus) to power (Scorpio – Taurus) is a possible interpretation of this eclipse.

You may not be in a position to initiate a new situation (yet) but you’ve seen the future – and you sense which way you need to travel in order to get there. Mercury and Uranus together are forward looking and often brilliantly inventive. The way forward may be unlike anything you’ve been prepared to consider previously. That’s fine – you’re going to have to make some fast decisions, strike out on your own and challenge a few orthodoxies – but now that you know the truth about something fairly major and uncomfortable, that may be the only way to go.

They are, of course, the general dynamics of this lunar eclipse. How they manifest in real life will be different for all of us – particularly at a personal level. On that note, if there’s a common factor that will affect us all during this eclipse, it’s this: some bolt out of the blue is likely to open our eyes to something that someone has been trying to hide. Uranus is the planet of revelation – at the time of the lunar eclipse something may be revealed – and it may not be the news that some people want to hear.

Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio Trine Mars in Cancer

The lunar eclipse also makes a trine aspect to Mars (and Mars is also sextile Uranus in Cancer). There is a lot of dynamic emotional energy in this lunar eclipse – and very little to prevent it from bursting out in a big -and maybe uncontrolled – way. Mars adds action, courage and drive, as well as anger, assertiveness and a competitive nature to this lunar eclipse. All of the dynamism, willpower and initiative we associate with the red planet is present – and the trine aspect suggests that it will have an easy outlet.

In predictive astrology, trines often suggest something that is unstoppable. One way of looking at this is to suggest that the events around the time of the lunar eclipse have their own momentum. In addition, Mars is also a ‘trigger’ planet, so when it’s connected to a celestial event – like an eclipse – it kicks off the action in its own rather less than subtle way. Mars and Uranus also indicate speed, so whatever is signified by the lunar eclipse is likely to gather speed as it unfolds – in ways that many of us (including this astrologer) would hesitate to predict.

So, expect the unexpected, expect it to happen fast (or arrive early) and don’t place bets on the outcome; that would be my advice for this lunar eclipse. On the other hand, if it helps you to get to the heart of the matter – and provides you with the missing piece from a puzzle that you’ve been longing to complete – then the discomfort may be worth it in the end. Whatever happens, all of us are going to be looking at something in a different light from now on.

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© Sara Shipman 2023

Picture Credit: Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay