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ELOVution: January 2019's Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Leo

On January 20th, just two weeks after the Solar Eclipse in Capricorn, there will be another eclipse. This time, a Lunar Eclipse in the sign of Leo, helping us to reawaken our passions and discover our true purpose.

By Kaitlyn MauraPublished 5 years ago 11 min read
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On January 20th, there will be a total Lunar Eclipse at 00'51 degrees Leo. The Full Moon itself will be exact at approximately 12:16 AM EST but the eclipse, which will be visible from the Americas, can be seen between the hours of 10:36 PM on January 20th and 3:48 AM the next day. Get ready, because this eclipse is expected to be a powerful one!

What Is a Lunar Eclipse?

A Lunar Eclipse happens when the Earth stands between the Moon and the Sun, blocking off sunlight from the Moon. Since the Moon has no light of its own, a Lunar Eclipse will look to us as if the Moon has disappeared. While a Solar Eclipse coincides with the New Moon, a Lunar Eclipse always coincides with the Full Moon.

A Full Moon occurs when the Sun and the Moon are in opposition to one another. A Full Moon represents the peak or climax of the lunar cycle. A Lunar Eclipse, then, is like a SUPER Full Moon. It has the same energy of a typical Full Moon, but even stronger. While the effects of a regular Full Moon last from about two to four weeks, the effects of a Lunar Eclipse last up to six months.

Since the Moon rules emotions, there is a heavy emotional aspect to a Lunar Eclipse. Lunar Eclipses tend to bring out our darkest, most heavy, emotions. Feelings we've kept buried will come rising out to the surface, often in ways we weren't expecting. Lunar Eclipses are said to draw out the shadow side—of both ourselves and of others. If we're willing to be honest with ourselves and accept ourselves for who we are—both the good and the bad—a Lunar Eclipse can be a wonderful time for healing and transformation, helping us yield insights and revelations about both ourselves and the people around us.

It's always important to note that eclipses always occur when the Sun is near the orbit of one of the two nodes. The North Node and South Node are lunar points representing our karma. They are always in opposite signs from one another. The North Node represents where we are going, our purpose, what we came here to master. The South Node represents our karma and past lives, what we're familiar with and need to let go of. This is what makes an eclipse such a crucial time for evolution and spiritual growth.

Lunar Eclipse in Leo

With this eclipse at the first degree of Leo, it is expected to be a very powerful one. The first degree of a zodiac sign is considered to be a "critical degree," and represents the energy of the sign in it's purest form. It also represents new beginnings. The Moon opposing the Sun at the first degree of Aquarius leads me to believe that this eclipse will be like a preview or a precursor to the New Age, the Age of Aquarius.

Aquarius, represented by a man carrying a jug of water, is first and foremost a sign of evolution and human progress. The waters he carries are said to be the waters of enlightenment and technology. Individuals born under this sign are thus said to be revolutionaries and innovators, as well as humanitarians.

Many interpret these ideas of technology and progress in a mere materialistic light, owing our fancy space-age electric gadgets to the dawning of this new age. Most notably, of course, there's the internet, which allows us to communicate with people from all over the globe, people who are thousands of miles away from us, within seconds as if no distance existed. Even allowing us to speak face to face with each other through apps such as Skype and FaceTime. This makes sense for a humanitarian air sign. There's a darker side to all this invention too, however: along with the technology built to help us get things done faster and bring the world closer together, there's also the technology of weapons that allow us to destroy the world within seconds. Even seemingly positive technologies like the internet have their darker side: Facebook and other social media networks are really nothing more than government/corporate surveillance devices. Some also envision this as an age of transhumanism and artificial intelligence. Think Elon Musk and his invention of Neuralink, a computer chip he wants to place in our brain to give us robotic superpowers (the mark of the beast if you ask me.... creepy).

But Aquarius also has a more spiritual significance. It was originally seen as a sign of baptism, with the waters representing purification, healing and the cleansing of sin. In ancient times, the sign of Aquarius marked the season of rain, when the waters pouring down from the sky cleansed the land and it was born anew. The month of February, in fact, was named after the Sun's passage through the sign of Aquarius, with the word "Februa" being Latin for "purge," or "purify." Thus, I see this as a purification period, a time for cleansing ourselves of our flaws, healing from our traumas, and finding our higher purpose. I see this as a preparation period for an enlightened age, not one of robotic superpowers or space-age technology, but an age of love, peace, and harmony with the earth, an age of truth, equality, liberty, and justice for all.

Aquarius is a first and foremost a sign of evolution and human advancement. Like all air signs (the others being Libra and Gemini), it has its duality. It is neither good nor bad. It is both the Age of the Antichrist and the Second Coming of Christ all at once. It is both the age of the apocalypse and the age of utopia. The answer lies in humanity's hands. Is it going to be the age of material advancement or the age of spiritual advancement? This Lunar Eclipse, I see, is about picking a side. It is up to us to choose. We can not choose both.

The opposition between the Moon in Leo and the Sun in Aquarius also reflects the balance between individuality and society at large, the balance between sovereignty and egalitarianism. This is very significant, for I envision that to succeed in this New Age, we will have to be more aware of the role we play in society while also having to be more true to ourselves. We are all individuals, yes, each of us is different and that is a beautiful thing, but that does not mean we're separate from the world around us. It does not mean we're separate from each other. No. We are all parts of a greater whole, and we all possess our own unique skills and qualities to contribute to society. Thus, I believe this Lunar Eclipse is first and foremost about finding and fulfilling your own unique God-given purpose, what you came here to do.

There's something else very interesting about this particular Lunar Eclipse. Eclipses come in cycles, with about 2-3 eclipses in the same pair of signs occurring every six months. These eclipses are almost always in the same sign as the North or South Node of the Moon, for an eclipse can never take place more than 18 degrees away from one of these nodes. But this eclipse, while only 4 degrees away from the North Node in Cancer, takes place in another set of signs. While the rest of this season's eclipses take place in the signs of Cancer and Capricorn, this Lunar Eclipse takes place in the signs of Leo and Aquarius, helping us wrap up any lessons we learned from when the Nodes were in the previous pair of signs. All four signs will be affected.

The combination of Leo/Cancer and Aquarius/Capricorn energy is all about living from the heart, listening to our intuition, being open with our feelings, and caring about what's truly important. Leo and Cancer are both ruled by the two luminaries, the Sun and the Moon respectively, representing our deepest selves, and Aquarius and Capricorn are ruled by Saturn, representing society and all its rules. This means that the Lunar Eclipse is most of all about finding our true authentic purpose, our illumination, if you will, and using that light to shine upon society. We all have something special to contribute to the planet. Because your purpose isn't what our materialistic society would have to lead you to believe. It is more than just a job. It's more than just something we do to make money. It might not even be something we make money from at all, but it's our passion. It is the work we do not because we have to but because it fuels us.

Other Aspects

While the Moon and Sun appear to be making very little aspects (aside from an "out-of-sign" square to Uranus in Aries, signifying revolution and spontaneous outbursts of emotion), there seem to be a number of significant aspects to the two benefics, Venus and Jupiter.

Venus will conjunct Jupiter in it's home sign of Sagittarius, going exactly just one day after the Lunar Eclipse. This makes the Lunar Eclipse an excellent night for romantic get-togethers. Maybe, you and your partner can even make a date out of watching the eclipse together! But it is also about values. It is a good time to figure out what our values are and also what we enjoy. This will likely be a rather pleasant time in general as positive qualities such as peace, faith, and generosity are emphasized at this time. It helps, as I said, with figuring out our passion and therefore, our purpose.

The two planets will also trine Mars in its home sign of Aries. Romance is always favored when the cosmic lovers (Mars and Venus) are trine one another and even more so when Jupiter is thrown into the mix. With these three planets in the fire signs, we approach our love lives with fun, enthusiasm, and adventure. The trine between Mars and Venus also helps us strike a balance between aggressiveness and passivity, assertiveness and cooperation. Any action we take at this time will be guided by a higher purpose.

There is also an almost exact square between Saturn and Mars. Saturn is also in its home sign of Capricorn. With both planets in their home signs, this aspect is particularly strong. Saturn square Mars points to delayed action, but the upside is, any action we do take will be well thought out.

Meanwhile, Venus makes an almost exact square to Neptune at 14 degrees Pisces. On the downside, this could indicate deception and disillusionment in love or with life in general. With Jupiter, the planet of philosophy, also square Neptune, we could be blinded by our own ideals. We may be so idealistic and rosy-eyed about a person, a situation or a cause that we wind up disappointed in the end. It is best to avoid putting anybody or anything on a pedestal. The upside is, Neptune is also a very spiritual planet, indicating paranormal experiences, vivid dreams, heightened intuition, the meeting of a soulmate and/or tantric union. It also may help us get in touch with our spiritual purpose by giving us a sense of trust and oneness with the universe.

Conclusion

Eclipses are known to affect everybody. They often influence events that happen at a mass scale. But check your natal chart to see if you have any points or planets within the early (0-5) degrees of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) or within the late degrees (25-29) degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) because people with these placements will be especially affected. Eclipses are often known to coincide with big events such as a marriage, a promotion or a baby being born. Since this is a Lunar Eclipse, it will especially bring about events of a personal and/or emotional nature. Don't necessarily expect the events brought on by the eclipse to happen right away, however. The energies surrounding an eclipse are generally effective for up to six months.

The themes of this eclipse are very much intertwined with the themes of the New Moon Solar Eclipse on January 5th (I even titled the article "ReLOVution"). With so many supporting aspects, especially Jupiter conjunct Venus in Sag, this eclipse is a wonderful time for magic and manifestation. I especially suggest focusing on what you want for society at large, as well as the type of person you want to be. This Lunar Eclipse is all about creating the society we want to create, a society based on love, grace, freedom, and equality for all.

astronomy
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About the Creator

Kaitlyn Maura

My name’s Kait. I would define myself mainly as a truth seeker. I write about a lot of things, primarily astrology, religion & spirituality, relationships and social issues.

Website: https://www.astrologybykait.com/

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  • Chrishabout a year ago

    The recent [Full Moon/New Moon] in [Zodiac Sign] has charged your intuition and unlocked your hidden gifts. But you need to learn how to use this to your advantage… and what crucial steps to take next. >> This wonderful complimentary Moon Reading will help guide you. The reading is 100% personalized to you and uses your birthdate to determine the zodiac sign and phase of the Moon on the day you were born. You will discover the Moon’s powerful influence on your life, personality and potential. This reading will light the way to your true path forward, even when it feels like you are unsure of your next steps. >> Get your free personalized video Moon Reading here: https://bit.ly/3w7fPut

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