The Unsettling, Liminal Space of Eclipse Season
Hang on to your pants as the axis of the universe cranks its rusty gears and we pivot, messily, from bittersweet endings to electric beginnings.
What is happening?!
This week, and for most of April, the planets and stars are in massive transition, so we oblivious little meat sacks on the terrestrial plane have no choice but to transition with them. Our big, arrogant sun has basically said, “Sorry not sorry.”
Eclipse season is in full force, the personal planets are sliding out of Aries into Pisces, and Earth’s geopolitical and social structures are working actively against everyone who isn’t a trillionaire, which is most of us. Even people who think astrology is a big pile of crappy placebo can attest to a modern sense of instability running like a shadowy undercurrent through daily life. We are all unsettled, a bit on edge, and waiting for…something to change. So many people I speak with in readings and consultations express the same sentiment when assessing their present situation, asking the cards, “It can’t stay like this much longer, can it? Will we ever just break through to something else, something better?” As above, so below, indeed.
Where to begin on the astrological scale of gnarliness?
Mercury is in retrograde, so communication channels are spotty and any problematic messages or information from our past will resurface to teach us a lesson between now and the end of April. It will likely involve things we were struggling with over this past Pisces season, i.e late February into most of March. Back up all tech and electronics, triple proof-read emails, and minimize improvisation during important moments, but be aware that snafus are unavoidable. Cultivate radical acceptance, because there will be something that doesn’t go the way we want it to go.
We are still in the shadow of the lunar eclipse from March 25th, and we are fast approaching a total solar eclipse in Aries, a sign that is NOT KNOWN for its chill. Aries ruler, Mars, will also be meeting up with our disciplined dark lord Saturn for a conjunction riiiiiiiiight after the chaos of his eclipse, indicating that a moment of restriction and assessment will follow whatever craziness this occultation has in store for us. It might even be some sort of rubber-band effect that causes a militant, martial response to the instability caused by eclipse-adjacent events.
The solar eclipse will occur in conjunction with Chiron, an asteroid that represents our deepest, most formative, unhealed psychic injury. This will not be a lighthearted romp, but it will be an opportunity to acknowledge an old wound and maybe do some healing.
Venus moves into Aries from Pisces this week, which means issues of art, beauty, prosperity, and all things femme will take on an explosive, combative quality after weeks in meek, generous Pisces. Women are pretty pissed right now, and this transition will create space that eschews talk for action.
We are approaching an intense, transformative aspect between Jupiter and Uranus that could turn everything on its head, and because Jupiter does nothing in half-measures, the change could be massive and far-reaching. Actions and projects begun in April will have beneficial effects in the long-term, but could feel quite frightening initially. Uranus doesn’t care about anyone’s feelings or plans, he just wants to upend paradigms and change shit! Jupiter, with his big stormy eyeball and oversized influence, is more than willing to up the voltage on Uranus’ mayhem, which means April could bring huge changes to our earthly experience.
If any cursed humans exist out there who simply delight in eclipse season - who are in fact having a joyous, mellow, and confident time, then I suspect just as many of us would be willing to trade with you to escape the hell this moment is unleashing to various degrees. This is down to the variables in every natal chart, and it means that some of us will be laid out and weeping due to eclipse madness, while plenty of other people experience zero difference in their physical lives. Both reactions are understandable. I know that I personally have to refrain from throttling acquaintances who try to appear as though they have moved beyond the effects of difficult astrology, like they possess some sort of spirituality superior to the masses. Or, perhaps when the study of ancient star maps is your chosen profession, it can feel embarrassing to be blindsided by your own study - I certainly failed to brace for the impact this eclipse season would have on my psyche (Aries Rising, Chiron in the 1st house. Pray for me.)
The best advice I can offer is to remain nimble, flexible, and as unbothered as we can for the next month; expect the unexpected! Mercury’s backwards jig will undoubtedly screw things up, but it will also teach us something important about ourselves.
The issues that cause pain right now can catalyze better habits, better goals, and new ideas for the future. Mistakes from our past might come back for review. Questionable communication might get called out, and we are going to have to refrain from taking things personally, which will be very difficult for anyone with a fraught Chiron placement. We are at a pivot point, and if we keep hold of the lessons of Pisces season (wisdom, expansive imagination and intellect, and a graceful approach to opposition) while simultaneously embracing an Aries mindset (courage in the face of adversity, self-confidence, and zesty motivation) then we can reap the benefits of all this dynamic astrology.
The gears of the universe are going to grind and turn, regardless of our wishes. The best any of us can do is hang on.
Why would this affect me?
Without a doubt, the signs most affected by the upcoming eclipse are Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn, i.e. the cardinal signs upon which our seasonal axis turns. This is because of the current placement of the lunar nodes along the Aries/Libra axis, which correspond with the 1st and 7th houses of the zodiacal wheel. Those are the houses that hold tension between individuality and collectivism, something that has been spilling out into the public sphere and creating friction since the 2020 pandemic.
There are still so many examples of the war between “I” and “Us” dominating public discourse right now that it can be difficult to isolate any one point of contention. We are arguing about money, security, and resource distribution more and more as inequality soars, volleying insults across the internet like Molotov cocktails. Should billionaires be taxed? Should they even exist? Are corporations people? And if corporations are people, how is it that women and minorities are not? What do we owe our fellow human beings when it comes to their dignity versus our convenience? Are we owed liberation? Do we owe anyone anything?
These are the themes that the solar eclipse will shroud in darkness on April 8th, allowing for action, unexpected change, and a bit of mess. Additionally, Chiron, a.k.a. the wounded healer and teacher, will be conjunct the sun to an exact degree when this chaotic eclipse occurs, deepening personal attachments and old injuries involving our ego and relationships. And before you ask, yes, all the therapists in the world are probably booked solid through April. I know because I checked.
Since knowledge is power, consider the baseline characteristics of the major players this week, then plan accordingly; we tend to inhabit some of the inclinations and traits of the prominent celestial bodies/deities during astrological transitions.
Mars/Ares - Rules the upcoming solar eclipse, likes combat, knives, and starting shit
Moon/Luna - Passing in front of the sun while in Aries, reflects our earthly experience back at us, which means we will all be tempted to start some shit
Sun/Helios/Apollo - Our idealized self, our brightest idea, a celestial body/god who is normally 'above’ our gross, human fallibility - he will be obscured by the moon while he, too, is in Aries, making space for everyone to start some shit
Chiron - Sad, wise centaur with a painful, unhealed wound, he spends his life helping others despite not being able to help himself and the pain makes it impossible to NOT start shit
Mercury/Hermes - Zesty traveler and annoying question-asker who decides to fuck with us 3x a year by driving backwards, giving us a tour of everything we’ve previously screwed up, which often leads to starting shit
Venus/Aphrodite - Sexy lady goddess who was strolling through dreamy, generous Pisces before moving into angry, kinetic Aries…she is pissed off and will definitely, 100% start some shit
Above all, remain flexible. Someone, somewhere, is going to start some shit.
When do I have to deal with this?
Eclipse effects - indeed, the effects of all major astrological transits and aspects tend to be expansive and exponential, so while occultation perfects on April 8th, the chaos could extend up to 3 weeks out. The month of April itself is a doozy, but some of us (looking at you, Cardinal sign suckers!) will be dealing with eclipse elements in one form or another until the lunar nodes change signs in about a year. Venus moves into Aries on April 4th, and I would place a sizable bit of money on femme issues coming into painful, stark clarity this month. Mercury retrograde will be brutal until about April 15th, when the trickster planet re-sets his synodic cycle and conjoins with Chiron. After April 15th, we can expect the retrograde effects to be less disruptive and a little more healing. After April 15th, a bunch of crazy shit with Uranus, Jupiter, Mercury, and Venus will descend upon us, but we’ll get into that later. This week, just do your best to hang on.
Cool, what does the Tarot say about this?
I often find that parallels become clear between these frenzied astrological machinations and the mellow flip-flapping of shuffled tarot cards, which is extra weird considering I do my astro projections months, sometimes years out, but I film my weekly pulls only 7-10 days ahead.
Page of Coins reversed and Justice reversed popped in on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, indicating frustration and delays in resource gathering and moral accountability. It’s hilarious when an oracle tells us things we already know in our tired bones; yes, the ruling class is morally bankrupt, and petulant irritability regarding resource hoarding is only going to grow. Color this astrologer shocked.
On Wednesday, The Magician brings a bit of revelatory common sense to our experience, and we realize we can be passionate and initiatory while maintaining common sense and grace. In other words, let wisdom and lived-experience inform new projects and ideas; confidence in oneself allows for generosity with people who have yet to find their own confidence.
The Two of Cups emphasizes harmony and partnership for Thursday, but we would benefit from remembering the message throughout April, which is as follows: Emotional connections cushion the blow of so much - money trouble, job trouble, irritating people, and a world on fire. Recognize and nurture the ride-or-dies in your life, especially during uncertain times. They will save you. (This is also the day that Venus leaves Pisces and moves into Aries, underpinning the need for more athletic displays of love and affection. Make sure your sexy time outfit is clean for Thursday.)
On Friday, the 7 of Cups reversed indicates new, startling clarity, perhaps born from all the emotional partnership on Thursday. Whatever the case, we can expect to feel released from some delusion or fantasy, or a truth from which we have purposely hidden ourselves. This day has the feeling of a seasonal window cleaning; after months of obscured vision, vague and cloudy notions will come into sharp focus.
The weekend butting up against the eclipse is odd indeed; we are assaulted by the Knight of Swords, reversed on Saturday and upright on Sunday. Saturday, then, could see aggressive, rude, and hurtful messaging swirling about on the socials and major communication arteries, but Sunday transforms the same messaging into something a bit more thoughtful and productive. This is the perfect example of tarot echoing astrology - just as we are pulled taut between the recklessness of Aries and the circumspection of Pisces, or the ego of Aries and the diplomacy of Libra, so too is a reversed knight struggling to turn himself upright. It takes struggle to remain balanced, but it can be done.
Visit @alectochaos on IG for the full, wordy breakdown and video of each card pull. If you are into that sort of thing.
Thank you for all of your healing energy!
I was in the middle of flipping my pancake 🥞 when my ex decided to reach out to me after 8 months…I closed that chapter gracefully. 😎