Astrological Energies July 11, 2010

NorthPoint
Astrology Journal
Written by Pam Younghans

Photo: A Total Solar Eclipse

The Solar Eclipse has yet to occur as I begin to write the Journal this morning. All seems in stillness awaiting the shift in energies this event represents. Even the weather here in the Pacific Northwest is in a wait-and-see mode, a layer of fog hovering around the tops of the fir trees outside my window -- almost as Mother Nature herself hasn't yet decided what exactly to do with this day.

This eclipse is a Total Eclipse -- which means all of the sun's direct light will be blocked from our view by the transit of the moon across its face. The visual effect is eerie, to say the least -- a dark circle with a halo of light. It's no wonder humans have always associated a total eclipse with magic and mystery and the unknown.

Every day, through clear and cloudy skies, energy impulses from the Sun travel to Earth, nurturing and supporting us, shedding light where it is needed and, on subtle levels, reminding us of our connection to and reliance on Source Energy. Sometimes we can see those solar energies, as when the aurora borealis put on a show. Mostly, however, we don't stop to think about what it all means, and just how life on Earth is sustained by those cosmic rays.

When there is a Total Solar Eclipse, we are briefly cut off from that direct energy flow -- set adrift, so to speak. In terms of physical reality, the effect doesn't seem to be that momentous. A few minutes after totality is reached, the light begins to grow again, and all gradually seems to return to normal.

Symbolically and astrologically, however, an eclipse of this nature is very important. What does it mean to be free of that solar energy stream, even if only momentarily?

We might consider a Total Solar Eclipse as an opportunity for a "reboot." We usually associate that word with times when, in frustration, we finally turn the computer off, wait a few minutes, and then turn it on again in an effort to clear the memory paths that are causing problems.

This is the perfect analogy for the effects of this type of eclipse on our psyches. With this event, we are briefly shutting down our connection to our energetic source so that we might begin again, having disassociated from the current long enough for our brains to release some of the mental patterns that have been seemingly locked into place.

It is very symbolic that this is the weekend BP has chosen to do a "reboot" on the efforts to contain the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. They have removed the old cap and over the next few days will virtually be starting over with a new, more effective version.

This is also what we each are doing in our own lives, in our own ways. This Total Solar Eclipse provides important opportunities to leave the past behind, to begin anew, with greater effectiveness and sensitivity. This eclipse occurs while the Sun and the Moon align in Cancer, and so it is providing the space for us to disconnect from ways in which we've misused the energies of that sign.

In highest manifestation, Cancer represents the qualities we usually associate with the perfect mother: the ability to nurture, to be sensitive, intuitive and empathetic, and to protect and sustain others and ourselves emotionally and physically. When we're in alignment with our Soul's intentions and light, the flow of these energies through us are clear and clean.

Most -- if not all -- of us, however, have at least moments when we're not all that clear and clean. It is those times when our sensitivity slips into taking things too personally, when we feel so needy and overwhelmed by our emotions that we become immobilized, when we see ourselves as victims and shout betrayal, when our nurturing becomes smothering, or when we harden our shells to become walls of defensiveness instead of boundaries of strength.

Imagine, then, that we have the chance to interrupt those less-evolved patterns in our lives, when the slate is cleared and we can start over. This Total Eclipse gives us that opportunity, not only to clear this lifetime, but also multiple lifetimes in which we may have chosen the lower-vibrational ways of expressing Cancer's energies.

This opportunity is also a test for humankind, one that will play out over the next several weeks through the T-square between Pluto in Capricorn, Uranus/Jupiter in Aries and Saturn in Libra. A T-square is an astrological configuration that is created when planets are positioned at three points in the zodiac, such that lines drawn between them form the letter "T".

In this summer's T-square, all cardinal signs except Cancer are represented. It is considered that the missing sign provides important clues for how to manage the tensions that are created in a T-square. With Cancer as the missing sign, we are moving beyond patterns of isolationism, insecurity, fearfulness and dependency. In their place, we are learning to handle emotional issues with greater maturity, to appreciate more fully our connection with others in our human family, and to deepen our compassion and sensitivity.

This makes it all the more vital that each of us uses the energies of today's eclipse to do a personal "reboot," clearing the static and confusion from our emotional fields and starting anew with a cleaner connection to source energy. Forgiveness is an important step in this emotional clearing -- both forgiving ourselves for any ways in which we haven't lived up to our potential, and forgiving others for not living up to our expectations of them. The more energy we expend in blame or guilt, the less we have to apply toward finding the solutions we need.

Blessings,

Pam

NorthPoint Astrology Blog: I'll be posting additional perspectives during the coming week at http://northpointastrology.blogspot.com/ -- please visit and add your comments!

To request a personal astrology reading, please e-mail pam@northpointastrology.com. Or, see the "Readings" page at www.northpointastrology.com for more information.
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