Coming in the midst of the five day festival of Diwali is a partial solar eclipse on Tuesday 25 October commencing at Greenland, and covering all of Northern Europe, parts of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and taking in parts of Kazakstan, Pakistan, China and India. The eclipse is centred over the North Pole.
As this is a partial solar eclipse, not visible in our nation, we take the reading from Uluru, the heart chakra of our planet. This eclipse presents affliction to all: The eclipsed Sun is in the Rahu-Ketu axis. Rahu, in 1st house – Aries – is in Bharani nakshatra. The Sun is in Libra – 7th house – debilitated, in Swati nakshatra, owned by Rahu. A definite Rahu shadow cast by this eclipse, and as the 7th house is involved, this will affect all our relationships. (7th house is the house of interaction with other persons – everybody you encounter, be it at home, at work, at worship, at recreation.) This affects everyone, whether or not the eclipse touches overshadows your nation.
As this is a partial solar eclipse, this affects the entire world. In the months and weeks before and after a Ketu solar eclipse, we are releasing something old to allow room for new beginnings. Saturn is involved here as well; Saturn has stationed from being retrograde, and is preparing to move forward. Saturn aspects the 7th house, so a slowing down of matters – in the extreme – detachment, dispossession, frustration all due Saturn’s aspect. Ketu’s participation can indicate a great deal of loss and stress, or a crisis. As Ketu is inwardly focussed and plumbs the depths, new information or materials may rise to the surface of consciousness, which can feel devastating, surprising, or shocking.
At this time of eclipse, the Sun, Moon, Venus and Ketu are all present in Libra / Tula. All planets are occupying Swati nakshatra, ruled by the God of Wind, Vayu. If we recall that Libra is an air sign, and the Moon is the presiding deity of the mind, then the possibility of poor health caused by a flighty, unsteady mind may arise. Steadiness is what we are called to: we are asked to be above blame and praise, and continue on path to moksha/liberation in face of whatever explosive matters Ketu raises, in face of this time of debilitation of the Sun, weakened personality and weakened strength of mind. This is the reason a long-practised spiritual discipline and acesis helps in the stead of the world of illusion and its ups and downs.
The 7th is the house of relationships. Keep in mind that Venus is Lord of Libra, and is combust the Sun, so deprived of strength. There may be tension caused by suppressing one’s own opinion in order to maintain harmony in relationships. Other areas of concern indicated are over-indulgence in some matters as balance is lost with combustion of the planet. The strong Rahu influence (Swati nakshatra) can cause craving for the perfect partner, the perfect illicit relationship, the perfect opportunity for promotion. One may be blamed for moral incompetence, lack of leadership capability, and pursuing sensuality when ethical integrity is needed.
Looking to the Navamsha, the path of this eclipse has the Sun and Moon in Mula nakshatra, ruled by Ketu and pointing to the Central Sun of all Universes, the Source of the All. Mula is ruled by the god Nritti, the god of destruction. There is the opportunity to take up destruction of our attachments to material objects, persons, attitudes, needs, keepsakes, and recognise the nature of maya, illusion. All you need is Love. And the love that never fails is Divine Love, it is ever present in your hearts.
Once again we have Venus in the mix, and Venus is combust the Sun. However, Venus is in his own nakshatra, Purva Ashada, ruled by Apas, the water god. The role of Venus here is to allow our inner strengths to shine and find our own light. Instead of hiding your light under a bushel, it may shine on top of the hill, once we attain the detachment offered by Sun and Moon in Mula.
The two largest heavenly bodies, Jupiter and Saturn, are in the 9th house, in Leo. The 9th house is the house of Dharma, and Jupiter is the karaka – the actor or agent of dharma, and expansion of sacred matters. Saturn in the house of dharma would have us stringent with orthodoxy, orthopraxis and ortho-elphis: correct doctrine or belief; correct undertaking of sacred activities, and correct hope for better things – light, happiness and peace in Swarga, Heaven, Paradise. Both planets aspect Sun and Moon at this particular time. As eclipses are times of some mental weakness, or weakness of personality, it is meet and fitting – good and proper – that both Jupiter and Saturn send energy-frequency-vibration to the natives in their senior years so that they may be repositories of light and wisdom and not weakness.
At this time, Mercury is strong, vargottama and is exalted in both the birth chart and the navamsha charts. In this time of some trepidation about world events, the El Nino weather, the Indian Ocean dipole, conflict raging in Ukraine and unsettled leadership in one nation and the forthcoming climate change conference in Egypt, it is important that we give out the correct messaging and not gossip, multiply fears and apprehension on social media, and we must not mislead others by our attitudes. Divine Love prevails in this world of light and dark, right and wrong, good and bad. Reach out to the Divine who is antarayami, the inner resident of your heart, and take your comforts there – not the world of maya, illusion.
The partial solar eclipse of October 25 is followed two weeks later by a total lunar eclipse on November 8.
Image Credits: Aman Chokshi, Marcella and Paolo
