This month’s solar eclipse in Aries is known as the Great American Eclipse because it’s going to be visible across the Unites States and Canada. The eclipse is a total solar eclipse and that means for a period of just over four minutes, the light of the Sun will be obscured by the Moon. As the solar eclipse tracks across the earth’s surface, the ‘path of totality’ will move across Mexico, and move across the US from Texas (US) to Maine and then progress into Canada, crossing from eastern Ontario to Nova Scotia.
It’s a major astronomical event, but it’s a major astrological one too – the Great American Eclipse is the second total solar eclipse to cross North America in the past seven years – so maybe we should call this one the Great American Eclipse 2. But is it really a sequel? This solar eclipse in Aries is coming at a time when the heavens are already in a state of astrological overload – the eclipse takes place in the middle of a planetary ‘bundle’ that contains Mercury retrograde in Aries and a few heavy conjunctions with Mars and Saturn and Jupiter – Uranus.
This could be a big one – but what does it mean? In this post, I’m going to take a close look at this amazingly powerful New Moon – and I will be wearing my solar eclipse spectacles. Any of you who are going to be fortunate enough to witness this event personally, would be advised to do the same. Never look directly at the Sun.
The Great American Eclipse: The Basics
At 18:18 (UT) on April 8th 2024, the Great American Eclipse occurs at 19˚ 24″ of Aries and it’s a total solar eclipse. Total solar eclipses occur around every 18 months. For a total solar eclipse to occur, the Sun, Moon and Earth need to be in perfect alignment along the ecliptic – the orbital path the Earth takes around the Sun. The ecliptic is ‘the great circle’, and its plane extends outwards to infinity. In astrological terms, the great circle forms the basis of every astrological chart. For a total solar eclipse to occur, the Sun and Moon must be in alignment and thus conjunct a lunar node – one of the points where the Moon passes through the plane of the ecliptic.
In astrology, a solar eclipse carries all of the implications you would expect from a New Moon – and then some. This is an incredibly powerful moment, because a solar eclipse is more than just a ‘seeding’ time; it’s a transitional moment that brings a major re-set. Forget whatever is happening now, because the solar eclipse represents the beginning of something new in a dramatic sense – often marking the beginning of something that is a complete change in direction from whatever passed before. Solar eclipses remind me of the scenes in a play: the curtains close (darkness) and, when they reopen, the stage is completely different.
It’s a moment to break from the past – and that message is reinforced by everything that accompanies the Great American Eclipse – especially its sign. The solar eclipse is in Aries – and that is the sign that represents new beginnings. Aries symbolises the beginning of a new cycle in a very real sense: the coming of spring and the birth of new life signal that we are entering a new place, new experiences and new ways of being. It is an inevitable stage of the process of life and death, and it reminds us that it is time to look forwards – not back.
As you will see on the chart below, the Great American Eclipse is conjunct the north node – so it’s a north node solar eclipse – and that is also astrologically significant, as north node eclipses look to the future. The north node is associated with destiny, so events and decisions that alter the course of a person’s life – or the course of history – can often be traced back to the time of a north node solar eclipse. North node eclipses are not easy, as they push you into the unknown – but that’s the direction you need to travel.
The Great American Eclipse: The Chart
The Great American Eclipse: The Astrology
Every solar eclipse has a particular flavour – and the chart for the Great American Eclipse gives us a hint of what that flavour may be. There is so much power is currently concentrated in just one part of the zodiac, with a pile-up of planets in just three signs – Pisces, Aries and Taurus. The major concentration of planets in those signs speaks of a transition form old conditions to new, as the planets transit out of Pisces and into the sign of Aries over the coming weeks and months.
I have written about this before, but I’ll repeat it here: the bundle of planets is ‘led’ by the approaching Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in Taurus – and that also represents a rapid and major shift in conditions as we head into a new 14 year Jupiter-Uranus cycle that begins on April 20th – just a couple of weeks after the Solar Eclipse in Aries. I’ll be posting on that soon, but its message of radical major change resonates with the message carried by the total solar eclipse: it marks a departure from what is ‘current’ in no uncertain terms. The direction of travel may be uncertain and unknown – but it’s where we – and you – are headed.
Mars and Saturn are found in conjunction at the rear of the bundle – and they too represent something that resonates with this eclipse. A Mars-Saturn conjunction is often a watchword for frustrated energy, but it also indicates a need to get real. It’s challenging, as it can show situations where you feel like hitting your head (Mars) against a brick wall (Saturn) – and that’s exactly the kind of situation that reminds you that things cannot continue in the same way. If you’re running up against serious obstacles that mean you’re getting nowhere – it’s time to change direction.
The planetary bundle sets the context for the Great American Eclipse, and the aspects made by the eclipse provide us with more detail. The solar eclipse makes two conjunct aspects in addition to its conjunction to the north node – an approaching conjunction to Mercury retrograde in Aries and an exact conjunction to Chiron, the wounded healer. And it’s this exact conjunction I’m going to look at first.
The Great American Eclipse Conjunct Chiron
The wounded healer. Chiron has been described a ‘the therapist of the cosmos’ and anyone who has ever been through therapy will tell you, you need to embrace the darkness at the core of your soul before you can begin to see the light. This dynamic is at the heart of the solar eclipse – and it calls for a process of introspection. of all the signs, Aries does introspection least of all – but what Aries does bring to this process, is the courage to face up to issues and ‘tell it as it is’ – no matter how painful that process may be.
You cannot repair anything unless you know the full extent of the damage. This is not a moment to avoid the truth, to shift blame or liability, or to pretend that all will be well if you carry on just as you are. Chiron in Aries shows a need to heal your (and our) rage and to channel that rage into something far more creative and empowering than ego-driven isolationism, or constant aggression and demonising of ‘the other’. Embracing difference is more constructive than building walls. Chiron’s presence in this solar eclipse reminds us that you (and we) need to accept and learn from our past mistakes in order to heal our wounds.
The Great American Eclipse Conjunct Mercury Retrograde
Mercury retrograde in Aries focuses your attention – and it may be fast and/or brutal. We associate Mercury retrograde with mishaps, like my son’s broken finger (Mercury is associated with the hands and Aries with accidents) or the ‘honeytrap’ political sexting scandal that has just erupted in the UK (Mercury rules communications, and Aries is associated with sexual impulsivity). Those kinds of events make you stop and think about how you (and we as a society) are meant to function properly if something is clearly not working well.
Having your attention focused on something that is broken, makes you wonder how you can fix it. Mercury in retrograde motion takes on the attributes we associate with Introspective, careful, improvement-oriented Virgo, rather than busy, communicative, scattered Gemini. You focus in a particular issue – especially if it has been brought to your attention by something unexpected. In conjunction with a total solar eclipse, the eclipse signifies that something emerges that is going to change how you think about a particular situation, or a particular person – and you will realise that in an immediate or direct manner
As Mercury moves backwards through Aries, it will land on the eclipse degree on April 16th. Solar eclipse degrees remain sensitive and active for many weeks after the eclipse takes place, so when Mercury in retrograde motion makes contact, that signals a moment when a particular issue comes under close scrutiny. At a personal level, this will accord with whatever was activated by the eclipse as it made contact with your natal chart – however this dynamic will play out in the wider world – and the result will be the same: this will represent a departure point from what have been previous assumptions or practice.
Mercury stations and moves direct on April 26th – and, in forward motion, reconnects with the eclipse degree on May 5th. Mercury in forward motion marks the point at which the need for a new situation is acknowledged. Mercury in Aries tells it as it is: blunt, uncompromising and direct. It’s also a moment where rapid responses and quick thinking will be required: it may be tempting to revisit old arguments or re-open old wounds, but it’s going to be more productive to say what you have to say – and move on.
The Great American Eclipse: The Mars Trigger
Mars is a ‘trigger’ planet – whatever is signified by the eclipse will explode into your consciousness when Mars connects with the eclipse degree – and that occurs on May 26th. Mars ‘activates’ – so what is going to be activated at that time? Any event that is going to put those of you who are impacted by the solar eclipse into a new situation. It represents a turning point – and bear in mind, transiting Mars will also activate the degrees of the Mercury retrograde and direct stations on May 21st and June 6th. All changes have to start somewhere – and between now and early June 2024 seems the most likely time.
The Great American Eclipse: The US Analysis
As this solar eclipse has been named, ‘the Great American Eclipse’ it seems appropriate to look at its potential to change things in the US – especially as this is the second total solar eclipse to track across the United States since August 2017. Before I begin, my apologies to the Canadians and Mexicans: most of this solar eclipse spends its time in the US – but as you both border the United States, I appreciate you have skin in the game. And as this is likely to be a momentous year for the United States (one way or another) it seems appropriate that that’s where the eclipse effects are going to be observed – and felt – most.
So far its going well, with the Statue of Liberty struck by lightning, and an earthquake shaking New York. It’s dramatic stuff – but how much of it is related to the astrology of the moment? Natural phenomena aside, it’s certain that this year is going to be a ‘shake-up call’ for the USA. The turning point is going to be seeded around the time of the solar eclipse on April 8th – and it will become evident what that change is going to be by late May and early June. Whether internal or external events will change the country’s direction is hard to say – however, it seems likely that the change may be unexpected. or surprising in some way.
Given that it’s an election year, it’s tempting to look forward to what may happen further down the line in November. A few months ago, I did an quick analysis of Joe Biden’s solar return chart for 2023 – 2024; with Uranus at the top of the chart, the potential for shocks, disruption and surprise appears built into his chart – just as it was in Donald Trump’s solar return chart in 2020. (I have yet to analyse Trump’s solar return chart for 2024, but will do so in due course). Is the US going to move into uncharted territory? There seems to be a significant potential for that – though how it will manifest may be a surprise to us all.
The surprise – perhaps in the form of unprecedented events – may start now and intensify as we move from spring into early summer. If I look at how the eclipse affects the two presidential candidates, there are a couple of things to note:
- The Great American Eclipse falls in Joe Biden’s fourth house, conjunct the cusp of the fifth house and it forms a quincunx (inconjunct) 150˚ aspect to Joe Biden’s Midheaven. This aspect shows challenges and a need to compromise: conflict and tension may provide an opportunity for growth and understanding. There is a need to be flexible and adaptable – and that involves personal security, homeland affairs – and given the proximity of the fifth house – creativity and self expression. The Midheaven represents Biden’s public status: how adaptable or flexible can he be?
- The Great American eclipse falls in Donald Trump’s eighth house – the house (it has to be said) of all kinds of crimes and complications – including sexual and financial. It opposes his retrograde Jupiter in the second house (the house of money and resources) and given the currency of what is happening in his life at present, it seems likely that the solar eclipse in Aries will have a significant impact on the outcome of any legal cases in particular. The solar eclipse also makes a sextile aspect to his tenth house Sun – Uranus conjunction in Gemini – and that may bring about a beneficial outcome for him in some form. It focuses on resolving conflict – though it does not specify how that may occur.
So, will both presidential candidates find their fortunes altered due to the influence of the Great American Eclipse? As I mentioned in an earlier post – there are a lot of ‘unknown unknowns’ that could appear between now and November 2024 – and the solar eclipse in Aries could signal the beginning of the ‘unknown unknowns’ becoming ‘known’. And whatever happens, the US will need to embrace the darkness at the core of its soul, and go through the painful process of self-examination in order to heal its divisions and wounds,
The Great American Eclipse: How it Affects You
At a personal level, if you have natal planets or angles on (or close to) the eclipse degree (17˚ – 21˚ of any zodiac sign) there may be some life-altering aftershocks that occur following this solar eclipse. This especially likely if the solar eclipse forms a dynamic aspect to a planet or point: a square aspect (planets in Cancer or Capricorn in orb to the eclipse) suggests an active response will be needed to move forwards the part of your life represented by the eclipsed planet or natal chart angle. The momentum is with you – it’s not a time to resist or cling to the past.
If the aspect affecting you is an opposition (planets or angles in Libra), dynamic changes may occur in (or through) your partnerships and close relationships – or even through legal action or due legal process. Something may upset your balance and you will need to re-calibrate. Fire signs take note: if you have planets in trine aspect to the solar eclipse (Leo and Sagittarius) whatever is going to occur in your life will do so – fast. And there won’t be a thing you can do about it. Things that are fated are heading your way – so embrace the change, whatever it may be, as this is a turning point in your life.
The other ‘easy’ aspect is the sextile, and if you have a personal planet or angle between 17˚ – 21˚ Gemini or Aquarius, the door may open to a significant opportunity. You are free to walk through or simply close the door – but do so and you may miss something that, once gone, will be gone forever. For Aries readers – especially if your birthday falls on or close to the solar eclipse day – the direction of your life is going to change so much during the next year. It really is time for you to put yourself in the driving seat. And that applies to all of you who have other planets or angles close to the solar eclipse.
All of us will experience the eclipse in some form – it will darken and then re-illuminate a house in your natal chart – and that part of your life is the place to implement some significant changes – especially of the solar eclipse falls on a house cusp. It’s the time for some long overdue personal ‘spring-cleaning’, so wipe the slate clean, get back to basics and rearrange that space in the way that suits you best. And if that space doesn’t suit you? Find a new one that does.
Further Reading
Sara Shipman | Astrology Books
April 2024 Horoscope: The Month Ahead
The Big 2024 Horoscope: The Year Ahead
Mercury Retrograde in Aries: Playing With Fire
Joe Biden: Solar Return Chart 2023
Donald Trump: Solar Return Chart 2024
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© Sara Shipman 2024
Main Picture Credit: Image by DWilliam from Pixabay
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