As I trust you understand, even though they were feared in antiquity, we now know that an eclipse isn’t necessarily "bad." While traditionally eclipses are associated with things leaving our life and the world, it’s a fact that we cannot lose what truly belongs to us.

Eclipses are recurring celestial phenomena which lead us into life periods where we get to end old ways, making space for a new way of living our lives. While this Solar eclipse will lead to endings wherever we have 13 Sagittarius, those voids will be filled with new Sagittarius things, people, and activities! We now begin a period of “picking up and delivering spiritual power” as we allow inspired teachings and truths to transform our everyday lives.

Eclipses Are Never A Bad Thing

Eclipses are times to face facts about what needs to end. Most people want to hold on to what is familiar, even a past that’s already faded or needs to end. It still intrigues me that so many are afraid of the endings accompanying eclipses, even though life is about cleaning out obsolete behaviors, feelings, and ideas from time to time so we can get a fresh view of life.

As I offered in the recent run up to the Total Lunar Eclipse of 28 Taurus/Scorpio, there is a lot of superstition about Eclipses, mostly focusing on "dreadful" or difficult elements that often seem to follow eclipses. However, I’ve found that while all eclipses take something away and/or shut something down based in what house of our chart they happen, all eclipses have beneficial effects if we just know "when to hold 'em, when to fold 'em, when to walk away, and when to run."

Eclipses are a natural part of how the Moon, Sun, and Earth relate to each other as they move through space and time. They are certain not anything to be feared, and by understanding this recurring phenomena we can cooperate with our own “pulse of life,” letting go of what we no longer want or need to create space to attract new potential.

In the article Why Is A Solar Eclipse Such A Big Deal? I noted Solar eclipse effects usually last for several years, while Lunar eclipse effects last for a few months, and that eclipses all vary in strength or duration, making some stronger and longer than others. I have found it’s a great exercise to take a look back at what ended in the various life areas where eclipses fell in our charts to see what’s ended and the new that has come forth. We’ll discuss more about this downstream, but for now….

When and Where is this Solar Eclipse Visible?

The coming Total Solar Eclipse falls at 13 Sagittarius at 11:43 pm PST on December 3, 7:43 am GMT December 4. The total penumbral phase is 4 hours 8 minutes, indicating an influence lasting about 4 years. The umbral phase, where the eclipse will be most intense, lasts 1 hour 6.5 minutes, showing the heart of the eclipse effects lasting 13 months. This intense phase begins about a year and 6 months after December 5.

So this eclipse is very long, and with a magnitude of 1.03, it’s fairly strong and bright. It will be intense for those who can see it, with the region of the greatest eclipse being Antarctica, and to a lesser degree South Africa and the south Atlantic. Of course it will also profoundly impact those with planets or points around 11-15 Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini, and Virgo, as well as 26-30 Capricorn, Aries, Cancer, and Libra.

As I mentioned in a previous article, 2019 was a year where we had three Solar eclipses. The one in January was Partial, the one in July was Total, and the December one was Annular. Like the July and December 2019 Solar Eclipses, the December 2020 and June 2020 eclipses were long and strong, indicating we continue our run of very powerful Eclipses!

Today we'll continue our discussion about eclipses in general and a little about this one. In following articles I'll elaborate on who is most affected by this eclipse, symbols, aspects, patterns, and what we can expect from this Total Solar eclipse at 13 Sagittarius.

I've composed quite a few articles on past eclipses in the archives that bear re-visiting, since the Solar Eclipses of 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 were or are still manifesting effects since then, if traditional Eclipse lore is to be believed. Those which are still active fell at 1 and 11 Cancer, 5 and 16 Capricorn, 19 and 29 Leo, 9 Pisces, 10 Virgo, 24 Sagittarius, and 20 Gemini. All of us have had various parts of our inner and outer lives “recycled” during this time. We’re still experiencing effects from all Solar Eclipses since 2016. You can find out more about the lengths of each of these through the links to past Solar Eclipses at the bottom of this article.

How Do Eclipses Work?

In previous centuries, people freaked out about eclipses because they were believed to foretell the fall of empires, dynasties, and powerful people anywhere the Eclipse shadow fell. The doom and gloom associated with eclipses which happened centuries ago often marked major changes in governments and nations. Of course, it could also have been a situation where the changes were in motion, and the eclipse just happened to come at a “perfect time” for those changes.

As I gave you at the Lunar eclipse, no Astrological event is “bad” in and of itself. Thought some configurations might seem to portend “bad omens” for the future, we always have the power to respond as positively as we are able, generating momentum toward beneficent possibilities. No matter where an eclipse falls, we can turn it to good. It all depends on our point of view.

By looking at the aspects in eclipse charts, as well as aspects those charts make with our natal and progressed planets, we can turn negatives to positives. Because time is an unbroken continuum, we can anticipate what is ending and let it go with grace and a sense of surrendering to a greater life in the becoming. The voids arising after an eclipse opens the door to countless other opportunities.

The choices we make at crucial astrological junctures bring pleasurable or painful circumstances, depending on what we need to learn. These choices are directly related to how evolved our planetary responses are. As I explain in my book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend each planet has a duality of function. It is up to us to determine whether our Moon, Sun, Mercury or any other natal planet involved in eclipses, "bad" aspects, and configurations manifests productively or non-productively.

For example, this Eclipse falls in a close sextile to my Moon, biseptile to my Jupiter, trine my Sun, quincunx my Venus, and trine my Ascendant and Pluto. That implies whatever happens is harmonious with my generational spiritual orientation (Pluto), as is the Grand Fire Trine created by this eclipse. The biseptile to Jupiter indicates I’m at a fulfilling “fork in the road of destiny” related to the ruler of my 5th and 8th houses in my 8th house. (I’m already confronting the imminent end of something which has been a crucial part of my life for 31 years!) As the eclipse falls in my 5th house, I infer that something of an old 5th house nature will leave for good to be replaced with something indicative of the aspects just listed which will play out through the houses those planets rule.

I believe this will be a beneficial eclipse which will give us new love, new futures, new identities, and greater spiritual power. Because the eclipse is quintile Jupiter, it creates high specialization for those with planets or points near, 11-16 Sagittarius, 23-28 Aquarius, 5-10 Taurus, 17-22 Cancer, and 29 Virgo-4 Libra. There are other important factors we’ll discuss in future articles. Expect eclipse effects to manifest when Mars transits the eclipse degree between December 31 and January 2, 2022. Seems New Year’s Eve will be quite an event this year, so be careful as you demonstrate your spiritual power!

Different eclipses have different timing. Some things are removed quickly, others are removed gradually over time. Some eclipses are VERY beneficial because they bring an end to something we really don’t need to be involved with, and leave a void we can fill appropriately, according to our evolved awareness and intention. As I just offered, we can see favorable ways to use eclipse energies by noting the aspects in eclipse charts as they impact our natal and progressed planets.

Key Factors in This Sagittarius Eclipse

This Total Solar eclipse in Sagittarius over time will lead us through a rebirth of forms of love, and give us opportunities to withdraw from old projections, plan anew in some Aquarian area of life, check up on the spiritual power at our disposal, and lead us to long term revelations and “rewards for discharging our duty under unusual conditions.” This one will be productive, with “rolling revelations” promised by our willingness to purify our Capricorn area in our chart.

Old truths, old beliefs, old potentials will end as new ones open. This continues the chain of eclipses along the Gemini-Sagittarius axis. During this run, old truths and philosophical standards are being removed through the South Node, and new directions and understanding are opening wherever we have Gemini. This eclipse promises new developmental directions wherever we have 13 Sagittarius in our chart.

We’re now done with the heavy Capricorn and Cancer focus of 2019 and early 2020, even though those Solar eclipses are still very much in play for years to come. When the Nodes entered Gemini and Sag in May 2020, we opened the gateway to a more balanced social happiness during 2021, even though the Solar eclipse was at 1 Cancer. I explain more about that below. The December 2020 Lunar and Solar eclipses in Sagittarius/Gemini was the first in this run of Lunations in the same sign as the Nodes. This was an important phase shift in our eclipse experience.

In 2019-2020, when the Eclipse focus was on the Cancer/Capricorn axis, we were in an extraordinarily transformational period of active organization or reorganization, “gathered what we need” to move forward, and removed life responses related to the July 2019 Solar Eclipse at 11 Cancer, the Christmas 2019 Solar Eclipse at 5 Capricorn, and the Solstice 2020 Solar Eclipse at 1 Cancer. Of course these continue to recycle various elements of our lives.

2019 and 2020 began a period of shutting down parts of our Cancer sector, creating space for new forms of individual self-expression. With the Solar eclipses in Sagittarius and Gemini, we’re now in a long period of removing old ideas, perceptions, and truths which no longer serve our higher purpose.

This eclipse will have an individual, mental, and spiritual focus indicating karmic returns for some and a new identity for others. Whether the past comes back to bite or brings rewards and blessings will be determined by how well we’ve trained to fulfill our higher purpose up to this point. Interestingly, this eclipse Mars leads the Bowl Jones pattern, and occupies the same degree as Saturn’s RX station in 2014, Mars’ SD station in 2016, and Jupiter’s RX station in 2018. That means this eclipse is directly related to that long term influence of “allowing inspired teachings to transform our everyday lives.” You can find out more at the link.

A Look Back at Recent Eclipses Still Active

The January 2019 Solar Eclipse, though weak, helped us sprout seeds of power that were fulfilled in 2019. The July 2019 Solar Eclipse has been helping us find a sense of humor by seeing the illusion of the ego with its “pomposities.” As the “Tension of Opposites” involved the Cancer/Capricorn axis with forming oppositions to Saturn and then Pluto, those years allowed us to purify our intention, service, what we are and are not responsible for, and accept new forms of emotional or social rebirth which feed our feelings.

The June 2020 Solstice Eclipse at 1 Cancer has been showing us our willingness to adapt to new needs, new relationships, and new life habits. We have found stability and security by moving in new directions, with cooperative collective pioneering group endeavors front and center since then. That powerful Solstice eclipse promised us all a new life allegiances, new relationships, new concerns, and new ways of living our daily existence these next few years, letting go of old attachments to people and things. It has especially favored those who cultivated spiritual intuition, as it led to a very favorable period of social rebirth, with new standards to be admired and old truths to be left behind.

The December 2020 Solar Eclipse has been helping us to see our good fortune from a wider angle, and gives us the power to “read the tea leaves,” seeing the deeper and wider truth of people and situations from material patterns which arise. This is leading to forms of “executive power,” setting future patterns of social power into motion which will lead to greater building endeavors.

The June 2021 eclipse at 20 Gemini has begun to bring unique and serendipitous returns, as well as signs and signals of a future still in the making. We’ve seen “the indestructible elements of our spiritual nature” as we’ve mobilized and shared information during a time of being “large diamonds in the cutting process” learning to manifest our Higher Self.

This eclipse will give us glimpses of the future, more enjoyable roles to play, the stirring up of a new love, and rewards for doing what we had to do these past two years. This is a “threshold” eclipse, promising a transfigured life after a time of purification.

For now, enjoy the happiness, freedom, and wider possibilities which have opened in 2021, anticipating new views about our inner and outer wealth, and/or supply. This eclipse will provide vision, humor, freedom, and truths which can help us regenerate as it presages change. Don’t fall into distress if you don’t know what’s coming, and be alertly ready to act in a door to the future opens up!

See you soon with more on this 2021 Total Solar eclipse in Sagittarius!

If you want my take on how much is fate and how much is free will when it comes to eclipse effects, please check out The Solar and Lunar Eclipse - Is Any Eclipse Destined to Have Bad Effects? (It’s part 1 of a two part series, so make sure you read part 2, as it describes how past eclipses conjunct my Sun and Ascendant were very beneficial for me!)

Past Solar Eclipses

These were all active for 2 to 5 years.

For more about the November 2011 Sagittarius Solar Eclipse with links to the 2011 Gemini Solar Eclipse, please check out The Solar Eclipse at 3 Sagittarius November 24-25, 2011 Pt. 3 - Signs, Sabian Symbols, and What It All Means. (You can follow the internal links in this article to the previous articles about this specific Eclipse.)

For more about the May 2012 Gemini Annular Solar Eclipse, here’s The Solar Eclipse at 1 Gemini May 20-21 2012 Pt. 3 (You can follow the internal links in this article to the previous articles about this specific Eclipse.)

For more about the 2012 Scorpio Total Solar Eclipse, here’s The Total Solar Eclipse at 22 Scorpio Nov 13-14, 2012 Pt. 3 - Signs, Sabian Symbols, and What It All Means. (You can follow the internal links in this article to the previous articles about this specific Eclipse.)

For more about the 2013 Taurus Solar Eclipse, here’s The May 2013 Solar Eclipse in Taurus Pt. 3 – How Will This Lunation Affect Us? (As with the previous links, follow the internal links in this one to the previous articles about this Eclipse)

For more about the 2013 Scorpio Solar Eclipse, here’s A Hybrid Solar Eclipse New Moon in Scorpio Pt. 2 – What’s Happening in November 2013 as well as 2014-2015-2016. (link to pt. 1 at the bottom of that article. Pt. 3 has the Sabian Symbols.)

For more about the 2014 Taurus Solar Eclipse, here's The New Moon Solar Eclipse in Taurus Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in May 2014 (Part 3 elaborates on the Sabian Symbols and other factors.)

For more about the 2014 Scorpio Solar Eclipse, here's The October 2014 Solar Eclipse in Scorpio Pt. 3 – Signs, Sabian Symbols, and What It all Means (Links to other articles on the Eclipse at the bottom of this post.).

For more about the March 2015 Total Solar Eclipse at 30 Pisces, here’s The Total Solar Eclipse at 30 Pisces Pt. 3 (You can follow the internal links in this article to the previous articles about this specific Eclipse.)

For more about the September 2015 Partial Solar Eclipse at 21 Virgo, here’s The Partial Solar Eclipse at 21 Virgo Pt. 3 (though there are no links to previous articles in that Eclipse series, you can find them in the articles posted in the week before this link).

This just ended.

For more about the March 2016 Total Solar Eclipse at 19 Pisces, here’s The Total Solar Eclipse at 19 Pisces Pt. 2 (though there are no links to any other articles in that series, you can find them just before and just after this one.)

These are still active at this time.

The next two are active through mid-2022

For more about the September 2016 Annular Solar Eclipse at 10 Virgo, here’s The Annular Solar Eclipse at 10 Virgo Pt. 2 (though there are links to previous articles in that series, you will have to go to part 3 to find the Sabian symbols, Jones pattern, aspects and more.)

For more about the February 2017 Annular Solar Eclipse at 9 Pisces, here’s The Annular Solar Eclipse on February 26, 2017 at 9 Pisces Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in February-March 2017 (and through 2022!) (You’ll have to go to parts 1 and 3 to find out the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).

This one has brought America to its knees! This Eclipse penumbral phase was 5 hours and 18 minutes, showing those effects are in play for 5 years and 3.5 months. The umbral phase, which is the most intense part, lasted 3 hours and 14 minutes, showing that would be in play for 3 years and 3 months. As the Eclipse fell on August 21, the most intense part of the Eclipse would last from then through (surprise!) November 2020! It’s safe to say America has been “eclipsed” between August 2017 and November 2020. The after effects will last through November 2022, the next national election.

For more about the August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse at 29 Leo, here’s The Total Solar Eclipse of August 2017 at 29 Leo Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in August-September 2017 (and through 2022!) (You’ll have to go to parts 1 and 3 to find out the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).

This is active through December 2021

For more about the February 2018 Partial Solar Eclipse at 28 Aquarius, here’s The Partial Solar Eclipse of February 2018 at 28 Aquarius Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in February-March 2018 (and through 2022!) (You’ll have to go to parts 1 and 3 to find out the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).

This was active through December 2020

For more about the July 2018 Partial Solar Eclipse at 21 Cancer, here’s The Partial Solar Eclipse of July 2018 at 21 Cancer Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in July-August 2018 (and through 2020!) (Again, go to parts 1 and 3 to find out the Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).

This is active through February 2022

For more about the August 2018 Partial Solar Eclipse at 19 Leo, here’s The Partial Solar Eclipse of August 2018 at 19 Leo Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in August-September 2018 (and through February 2022!) (Parts 1 and 3 have Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).

For more about the January 2019 Partial Solar Eclipse at 16 Capricorn, here’s The Partial Solar Eclipse of January 2019 at 16 Capricorn Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in January 2019 (and into 2023!) (Parts 1 and 3 have Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).

For more about the July 2019 Total Solar Eclipse at 11 Cancer, here’s The Total Solar Eclipse of July 2019 at 11 Cancer Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in July 2019 (and through Spring 2024!) (Parts 1 and 3 have Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).

For more about the December 2019 Annular Solar Eclipse at 5 Capricorn, here’s The Annular Solar Eclipse of December 2019 at 5 Capricorn Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in January 2020 (and through 2025!) (Parts 1 and 3 have Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).

For more about the July 2020 Annular Solar Eclipse at 1 Cancer, here’s The Solstice New Moon Solar Eclipse of June 2020 at 1 Cancer Pt. 2 - What’s Happening in June-July (and through 2025!) (Parts 1 and 3 have Sabian Symbols, aspects, Jones pattern, and all the other details about its qualities).

For more about the December 2020 Total Solar Eclipse at 24 Sagittarius, here's The December 2020 New Moon Total Solar Eclipse at 24 Sagittarius Pt. 3 - Signs, Sabian Symbols, and What It All Means (Links to other articles in the series at the bottom of this one)

In answer to questions about why I don’t include the Lunar Eclipses from years past in this section, it’s because their effects are usually only for a few months, and so they’ve completed their work long before many long lasting Solar Eclipses. If you’re interested, you will always find what I wrote a couple of weeks before or after the Solar Eclipses, depending on when the Lunar Eclipses fell in those years. They’re all in the archives.

See you soon with part 1 of the 3 part series on this Total Solar eclipse New Moon!

Reprinted on crystalwind.ca with written permission from Robert Wilkinson. Copying this article to other blogs is strictly prohibited. It is copyright protected. 

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