Friday’s lunar eclipse in Pisces is driving plenty of tension, as is retrograde Mercury in Virgo. Combined they present an unusual species of pressure, with energy seeming to peak and surge ahead (the Full Moon eclipse) and draw backward (Mercury retrograde).

Photo by Eric Francis.

These qualities diverge on another level — the obsessive thought of Mercury in Virgo, and the feeling sensation of the Moon approaching its full phase in Pisces.

The eclipse is conjunct Chiron in Pisces, which is adding a depth of sensitivity and the potential for getting soaked in one’s emotions. That peak of energy may involve making contact with some past hurt or shock, and it may involve making contact with some deep creative impulse. The two are related; that’s how most art is made.

Saturn and Neptune are now in their second exact square. Uranus and Eris are approaching their second exact conjunction. And Chiron, a meticulous, thoughtful energy, is square Pholus, a point that has the impulse of releasing pressure. You may feel caught in the mix of all of these.

Among the more impressive qualities of Friday’s eclipse is that it aspects Chiron and Pholus simultaneously, so you may not know whether to hold on or let go; whether to let it out or let it in. We are clearly in one-day-at-a-time territory.

Jupiter ingressing Libra last week relieved some of the stress of our current planetary configuration, and it’s offering a source of optimism and some new resources to work with — such as from people. If what we’re struggling with overall is a sense of being disembodied (Uranus conjunct Eris — that ‘who, where and what am I?’ of the internet era) then Jupiter in Libra is recommending embodiment through direct relating with others.

The real benefits of Jupiter in Libra will be more obvious once the Sun ingresses Libra on Sept. 22, concurrently with Mercury stationing direct.