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.
Thank you so so much for this wonderful, helpful piece, dear Eric (and horoscopes, and photo). xxx
Yes, I would say the pressure, and the urge to blow that pressure off, is palpable. Funny, I’m not sure I feel like Jupiter in Libra is doing much to mitigate that sensation. But if it is, then I guess I’m glad that I’m not experiencing this Full Moon/eclipse buildup + Merc Rx without it!
And I’d definitely say it has some of the same feeling as the mutable grand cross from this past spring. Not a pleasant sensation. The question, of course (as always), is what to do about it.
People around me are poised to grow, in that organic, balanced way that allows for creative mistakes aka fun, to happen.
creative mistakes aka “happy accidents”
Isn’t the eclipse on Friday? Although…I’ll be very happy if it’s Thursday instead.
Oops — Yes, Amanda M, it *is* on Friday, not on Thursday. We proofread the Monday Diary rather late Sunday night and I was pretty sleepy, and I totally failed to check that. I’ll make the correction now. Thank you for noticing it!