How to Prepare for an Eclipse Season

Some practical advice from a just-cazimi-ed Jupiter

Last Tuesday afternoon, Jupiter had its cazimi moment in Aries, and the sky god planet of generosity and expansion renewed itself in the heart of the sun. Astrologically it was an interesting week, charged with both sweetness and warning. Jupiter is all about giving the blessings, teaching us secrets about gratitude and mercy and abundance. But it also knows no boundaries. So if there is any way we have not had the limits we needed, it’s likely been highlighted: where we’ve gone too far, where our optimism has been untempered and misguided, where we’ve had too much or taken on too much or given too much.

Jupiter has been in Aries for a year now, pushing us in this part of our life to explore and grow and go beyond our old limits. I’ve been receiving this push in my 3rd house, the house of communication and learning (among others things), so Jupiter has overseen the creation and realization of this newsletter, as well as the start of some books—a new poetry collection, a book on trauma healing and the voice, a book on using astrology to heal from religious trauma. It’s a lot. It’s too much. The last time Jupiter transited Aries (2010-2011) I finished writing Rise of the Trust Fall and started on Glitter in the Blood and The Courage Anthology. This is the kind of thing that happens when Jupiter activates its energy and generosity and optimism in a house, and specifically when it’s joining forces with the commencement power of Aries. I can see that I’m stretched beyond what it seems possible to do, that to sustain this work, I need to reset some boundaries. And yet, high on these Jupiter fumes, I continue to do more and give more than I think I can.

This coming week on Wednesday night we have a total solar eclipse at 29° of Aries - a dramatic close to Aries season and a herald of the eclipses coming to the Aries/Libra axis over the next two years. So whatever expansion we have received in Aries, it’s only the beginning. The north node eclipses there will open up a hunger in us that overrides our current personal sense of desire or timing. It’s all very Fate. And since wherever Aries is in our charts it has something to do with how we enter the world, how we experience our instincts and self-boundaries and act accordingly, this could be like a mass awakening/re-awakening of agency and personal power.

I’ll write more about the solar eclipse as it draws nearer, (that’s just how I work, in the now river and all that), but we are very much in its tractor beams, and the next month will bring a lot of activity and drama. Today and tomorrow are days to be especially intentional in our preparation.