June 4th ~ 11th
The World is but a long dream. Days and nights are passing away; The senses and mind are deceiving. I have slain the mind With the sword of discrimination, I have found out the Atmic Pearl. ~ Sri Swami Sivananda
The New Moon on Thursday, June 10th, will be nearly exact as it covers the face of the Sun, for the year’s first Solar Eclipse. But because the Moon will be far enough away from us, it will not entirely cover the whole sun, leaving a bright Ring of Fire, or Annulus, around it. These Annular Solar Eclipses are perfectt, and yet not quite perfect enough to cover the whole Sun. The best seats in the house for this Eclipse will be seen in northern Greenland at 12 noon, as the Eclipse makes its trek across our most northern climes, beginning in Ontario, Canada and finishing up in Siberia, and at least a bit of a shadow will be seen in most of Europe and Asia, and the more northern reaches of North America.
The Eclipse occurs on Thursday, June 10th at 10:42 am Universal Time (6:42 AM EDT); at 19º Gemini 42’. The Sabian Symbol for this degree of Gemini is: A Modern Cafeteria displays an abundance of food, with products from various regions. Gemini is a sign of information, news, and words, and it can often feel during these eclipse seasons that we are just awash with almost too much busyness, too much information, so that it we are at our wits ends just trying to process it all and make sense of it. Ironically, with all of this abundance of information, we still may not have the actual information we need in order to have a totally clear path moving forward. And faced with what could feel like a limitless number of paths unfolding before us, we are being tasked with having to narrow down the choices.
By trying to process too much at once, we are at risk of causing ourselves a great deal of mental indigestion, confusion, consternation and an inability to be able to discriminate between the false and the true. In the Bhagavad-Gita we are told The truth is obscured by that which is not true, and therefore all creatures are led astray. It is obscured by our desires: what we want to be true, what we assume to be true, what we want to believe to be true, as well as what we are afraid of being true. And it is only with the critical sword of Discrimination, that we can eventually figure out the true nature of reality, and our own situation.
Mercury, the ruling planet of Gemini and the upcoming Eclipse, has been stumbling about on its retrograde course in the throes of confounding and bewildering Neptune. In this weather, communications break down, our messages are cut off, we lose our way, and lose our patience in the process. Unmoored as we are under the aegis of Mercury and the Solar Eclipse, it could feel like we are being set adrift upon the sea, with nary a compass to guide us, nor a paddle to steer us. The fog has settled about us, and we cannot see our way forward, even as we are being taunted by visions and mirages in the swirling mists. So we may lose faith, begin to doubt ourselves, our purpose, our choices.
But in this time when all the planets are either already, or preparing for their retrograde phases, we are being asked not to look without, at least not right now, but to look within. For it is within that we will find our way, find our own inner navigational system, our own intrinsic truth. To look outside of us will just increase the confusion, confounding and distracting us with too much busyness, too much to do about nothing.
The same day as the Solar Eclipse is the Inferior Conjunction of Mercury, which is like the New Moon of Mercury. And as the Solar Eclipse is also a New Moon, you get the sense of a New Beginning, based on a New Awareness, or a Deeper Understanding of that which is at the very heart of the equation: What is most meaningful to you; What is the truth of your Heart.
Eclipses are like turning points. And when afflicted by Neptune in this way, we often will not be able to see the circumstances, the emerging causes and conditions that will allow our destiny to unfold as it will. Nor can we necessarily see the whole story surrounding that destiny. We are being asked to trust, sometimes even against our own better judgment, to trust that we are being led to be exactly where we need to, in order to meet the causes and conditions that are meant for us. And the only navigational tools available to us are our own inner guides: Our intuition, Our inner senses, Our Conscience, and our Faith.
For those who have sensitive points in their charts around the degrees of the eclipses, you may experience this year as a significant turning point in your life, that must and will unfold as it may. Therefore go with caution with new beginnings at this time, as they can carry the unpredictable nature of the eclipse with these new beginnings going forward. It might be best to wait for clarity, narrowing down your choices, and checking in with yourself before moving forward, which may not come until Mercury is direct again later this month. The nature of the retrograde Mercury in Gemini, is asking us to be flexible, and willing to go with the flow, and even change our minds and perspective if need be.
What this Eclipse is good for is processing, reflecting, meditating, praying and connecting with that self within. Turn down the noise. Retreat from the commotion and the busyness of your life. This is about making that important connection with your inner gps system, with your Higher Self, your inner guides, your heart center, in order to make sure that you do not get distracted, get lost or go off course. Write, journal, pray, have a date with your inner guides, and commune with your higher gods. You might want to ask yourself:
What are those things, people and experiences that resonate most strongly with my heart center?
What would it mean for me to live a more meaningful life? What would that actually look like for me?
How can I best use my voice, my words and my skills in order to fulfill my highest intentions?
May I listen for the still small voice of intuition/conscience/soul to guide me along my path…
For this week’s horoscopes, click below: