The Solar Eclipse occurs at 07.41 am BST, 0 degrees 21′ Cancer.
Taking place immediately after the Sun’s ingress into Cancer – Summer Solstice – the Solar Eclipse makes only one significant aspect – a quincunx to Saturn.
The Solar Eclipse is on the World Axis – 0 degrees of the 4 cardinal signs.
Chart
The eclipse takes place in Cancer, making the Moon strong in her own sign. The Moon and Cancer are entwined with family, children, home, nurture, memories – our emotional connections to people and places, how we feel safe and secure. The tie-in with lockdown restrictions starting to ease, and after months of isolating and avoiding contact with others, the joy, the delight, of being able to see loved ones again is clear.
Saturn is rules, restrictions, responsibilities, caution and care. The eclipse quincunx Saturn illustrates that while we are feeling nostalgic, emotional about the past, long for everything to return to normal – it may well be some time before we feel truly free, liberated from fear, anxiety, and the necessity to be careful.
This eclipse is a north node eclipse, it is future orientated – in Cancer it emphasises how we look after, nurture and care for each other, not only those close, it extends to all, each and every one of us. Saturn’s influence suggests that how we view our obligations to one another is encountering an adjustment, certain governmental policies and laws could also undergo changes and amendments.
At the time of the eclipse the Mars is also sextile Jupiter and Pluto, the exact aspects occurred on June 20th and 18th respectively. Notably, Mars will square the nodes of the Moon on June 26th – triggering the eclipse degree – and the second exact conjunction of Jupiter and Pluto takes place on June 30th.
Fixed Stars ~ Betelgeuse and Menkalinan
Betelgeuse ~ 29 degrees 02′ Gemini ~ Located in the Constellation Orion, Betelgeuse is a bright red star marking the right shoulder of the Hunter.
With Sun ~ “Interest in and ability for occult and mystical subjects, acute diseases, fevers, honour and preferment ending in final ruin.” ~ Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, Vivian E Robson
With Moon ~ “Active mind, strong will, turbulent, rebellious under restraint, military success but suffering through quarrels with superiors, likelihood of great power, honour and wealth.” ~ Robson
“War and Carnage are presaged by Betelgeuse. The star is indicative of great fortune, martial honours and ‘kingly’ attributes.” ~ Fixed Stars and Judicial Astrology, George Noonan
“Elsbeth Ebertin recorded that in June and July of 1927, when the Lunar Node was in conjunction with this fixed star, that groups of people died by lightening or were victims of explosions or assassination.” ~ Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin
Menkalinan ~ 0 degrees 11′ Cancer ~ is the closest fixed star to the eclipse. Located in the Constellation Auriga, Menkalinan is a lucid yellow star in the right shoulder of the Rein-holder.
“Auriga is one of the most fortunate constellations in the sky, but may still portend earthquakes if situated unfortunately as regard a solar eclipse.” ~ Noonan
Menkalinan ~ “Of the nature of Mars and Mercury. It causes ruin, disgrace, and frequently violent death.” ~ Robson
TAROT ~ 2 Of CUPS
The Solar Eclipse takes place in Cancer decan 1 ruled by Venus (The Moon by triplicity).
Cancer Decan I ~ “a man whose fingers and head are distorted and slanted, and his body is similar to a horse’s body; his feet are white, and he has fig leaves on his body. This is a face of instruction, knowledge, love, subtlety and mastery.” ~ PICATRIX
Book T calls this card “Love.”
The Rider Waite Smith Card depicts a young man and woman raising their golden cups to each other. Above them is a caduceus, two snakes entwining a winged staff with a lions head. The caduceus symbolises unity, harmony and balance between two halves of a whole – male and female, yin and yang. The cadeuceus is also a symbol of the Greek god Hermes – Mercury – symbolising communication, commerce, diplomacy and peace.
“I demonstrate the healing and nourishing power of cooperative and constructive unions. I represent the joining of abilities to produce something greater than one alone could create. I urge you to appreciate rather than compete with others.” ~ Spiritual Tarot, Echols, Mueller and Thomson, page 176
The Meaning of a Solar Eclipse
A Solar Eclipse occurs on what would already be a New Moon, the difference is the presence of the Moon’s nodes. The Moon’s nodes are the point where the motion of the Moon intersects the ecliptic – the apparent path of the Sun. Once the Sun is within 18 degrees of the nodes, which happens every six months, an eclipse can occur. This is because the Sun and Moon are aligned not only by longitude, the east/west measurement along the ecliptic shown by the zodiac sign and degree, but also by declination, which measures the distance north/south from the celestial equator.
At a New Moon, the Moon is positioned on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and astrologically conjunct. However, it is only when they are simultaneously at the same declination, the point up/down, known as a parallel, and the Earth, Sun and Moon are all level in the heavens that they line up and it is possible for the Moon to obscure part or all of the Sun – and an eclipse results.
A Solar Eclipse is an enhanced, souped up New Moon. A New Moon is the start of a new cycle, this means we could be initiating, starting something brand new or refreshing, spicing up a habitual routine. It’s a time to sow seeds – new ideas, goals or approaches in life.
At a Solar Eclipse the Moon dims and blocks the Sun, the lunar interrupts and suspends the solar, our inner world, our unconscious – instincts and intuition – takes precedence over our external world, our conscious thoughts and actions.
A Solar Eclipse is the darkness within which something is brewing, concocting, before emerging into the light. Whatever has been camouflaged, concealed, kept secret – will surface into conscious realisation, be exposed and acknowledged.
Eclipses are catalysts, they shake things up, instigating unpredictable outcomes. Eclipses can reveal what is over, what we need to move on from to make room for new possibilities and choices to arise – that ultimately lead us to personally develop and evolve.
Saros Series
Eclipses all belong to specific groups that repeat every 18 years and 9-11 days. This was discovered thousands of years ago by the Babylonians and is known as the Saros Series or Cycle. Eclipse expert Bernadette Brady informs us that eclipses from the same Saros Series share similar themes and expression. This eclipse is from Saros Series 4 North, in The Eagle and the Lark Brady says its main themes are restriction, inhibition, restraint, separation and illusions – a difficult Saros Series.
The last eclipse from this series was on June 10th 2002 at 20 degrees Gemini. The last eclipse on this degree was on June 21st 2001 at 0 degrees Cancer – identical to now, a Solar Eclipse on Summer Solstice and an Aries point – that preceded the horrific events of 9/11, which altered the world indelibly. The eclipse on June 21st 2001 is from the same Saros Series as last year’s July 2nd eclipse at 11 degrees Cancer – 3 North.
Recalling what was going on in your life around either of these dates may help decipher your personal message from the eclipse especially if 0 degrees Cancer or 20 degrees Gemini are very close (1-2 degree orb) to a planet or point in your chart.
Image by Jongsun Lee on Unsplash
2 of Cups from the Aquatic Tarot by Andreas Schroter
References
The Complete Picatrix ~ translated by John Michael Greer and Christopher Warnock
Predictive Astrology, The Eagle and the Lark ~ Bernadette Brady
Fixed Stars ~ constellationofwords.com