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Eclipses in Astrology

In light of the new series of Cancer-Capricorn eclipses starting off this month, I thought I'd post a brief background information on eclipses and their significance in astrology.

Eclipses often fall prey to the misconception that they are harbingers of terrible things, disappointments, destruction, ruin, and the like. It's all about perception, though. Eclipses, in astrology, are accelerators. They speed up events, issues, situations in our personal lives and demand for them to be dealt with. The degree of difficulty, then, becomes dependent on:

  • the readiness of the individual to tackle these challenges
  • his/her willingness to do the work required
  • his/her commitment to the cause/s which is really the self and its growth. The level of influence an eclipse or set of eclipses have also depends on individual birth charts.

I think astrologer, Eric Francis, summed it best in "Understanding Eclipses," where he wrote:
Eclipses work on three levels, broadly speaking. The first is personal. The second is collective. The third is where the personal and the collective intersect.

In personal terms, modern astrologers have begun to see the light on eclipses, if you ask me. In newspaper horoscope columns, they are generally described as moments of opportunity, times of peak intensity and critical juncture points. All this is true, though one could argue it's a matter of perception. Do you congratulate someone when they lose their job, because they get to discover who they are, collecting unemployment for a year? What do you say when a horrid relationship 'suddenly' falls apart? What do you say to a tidal wave?

The perception of an astrologer can be a significant influence on the lives of people who encounter their interpretations. Even if it goes no further than self-fulfilling prophesy, astrologers owe it to the world to rise above fears and superstitions and allow faith and reason to carry their work.

And I see it happening. The more consciously eclipses are handled, the less they are inclined to do damage and the more they are inclined to give us a push in the right direction. Eclipses visiting one's own sign would certainly have been regarded as a curse, and still is in some astrological systems.


Eclipses trigger necessary changes to one's journey in life. Because these changes are triggered outside of one's own volition, they are often harsh, sudden, and undeniable. The initial shock evoke sadness, confusion, frustration, anger, worry, and possibly depression. However, it is our reaction past the initial shock that defines how we will allow these eclipses to influence us.


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