It's the second-to-last eclipse in our Leo-Aquarius eclipse cycle. The last one will be a total lunar eclipse in Leo on January 21, 2019. Normally, I would say that the new moon is a time for setting intentions that you can act on once the moon begins waxing. This one is a little different, though, because the solar eclipse happens to be next to Mercury retrograde in Leo at a time when nearly everything else is retrograde, too. The moon and Mercury Rx are also squaring Jupiter in Scorpio.
Since October 2017, Jupiter in Scorpio has been solving mysteries and uncovering long-buried secrets. We've all been in a collective process of recovery: uncovering "open secrets" about patterns of sexual harassment and abuse, recovering from abuses of power, and resisting the secrecy of those who want to bury the truth. In your own private life you may be recovering hidden memories and truths, or undergoing a kind of initiation by Jupiter into knowledge of the mysterious. This solar eclipse is very much about this kind of recovery: a recovery of self.
The Leo-Aquarius eclipse cycle has been about allowing yourself and others to shine individually while creating a collective vision for the future. All of the axes of signs are described with a set of balanced or paradoxical archetypes. The two signs complement each other. Leo and Aquarius are along the axis of individual and community. When an individual dares to be different, shining brightly, he or she will almost always create a community of people who appreciate that individuality, and together they develop a shared vision. Having the courage to stand alone, paradoxically, brings us together.
With Mercury retrograde in Leo squaring Jupiter right now, you are uncovering something important about yourself. It may be some special weirdness that you've hidden from the rest of the world in an act of self-preservation, or a latent talent you almost forgot that you had. You might decide to free yourself from a secret that you're tired of keeping to protect someone else's reputation. You might remember something that was once repressed, or find something you once lost. This eclipse has an element of memoir to it. You are declaring ownership of your story and re-telling it in your own words.
I find it metaphorically resonant that this eclipse happened at dawn, just as the sun was coming up over the horizon. Discovery can happen like daybreak: a shadow passes over and the light returns, and nothing is ever the same again. Internally, you are reflecting on the changes that have occurred throughout this eclipse cycle since February 2017. You have recovered something about yourself, and you're getting ready to share that with the people who recognize your true belonging.
Jupiter in Scorpio trine Neptune in Pisces is the biggest outer planet aspect of 2018. This has been in effect since November 2017, and will remain in effect through September 2018. We are in the middle of a three-part cycle of enchantment. The aspect was exact on December 2, 2017. It will be exact again on May 25th and August 19th.
Jupiter is the planet of expansion, generosity, luck, optimism, learning and knowledge. Neptune is the planet of spirituality, religion, dreams, higher ideals, and all that is ethereal. When Jupiter in the rather witchy sign of Scorpio aspects Neptune in sensitive, psychic Pisces, they create the potential for big magic.
What kind of spell will you cast with this kind of magic in the air? It could be a time to commune with the spirits through a seance or a create an artistic work of great depth and beauty. This aspect brings to mind fairy tale films, mermaid queens, fairy godmothers, castles in the clouds and kingdoms under the sea. There is an element of fantastical illusion to Jupiter trine Neptune that can work in your favor as you enchant your own life. Water spells, divination, creative visualization, and dream boarding are all perfect for this aspect.
Trines are lovely and often make things feel easy, but the luck doesn’t always just fall in your lap. You have to do a little fishing with this one. Take some time on Friday to cast your magic net and see if you can pull in your dream.
To find out what you should cast for, look at the themes of the Jupiter-Neptune trine for your rising sign and sun sign in the horoscopes.
This Full Moon is at 11.38 Cancer on Monday, January 1, 2018 at at 9:24 PM (EST).
We know the moon controls the tides. A supermoon like this one (a new or full moon at perigee, close to Earth) has an increased gravitational pull, creating tides that are higher than usual. Imagine a beach at high tide. The ocean swells to overflowing. The water washes away sand castles and footprints that were created at low tide. Sand, rocks, and shells are all buried under water. In the ebb and flow of things, we’re starting 2018 at high tide. The full moon is the highest point in the lunar cycle. It’s the climax of the month’s storyline, and sometimes the climax of an even longer storyline if it happens to aspect something in your chart exactly.
This full moon is important for several reasons, not just because it’s on January 1st. One is that it’s a supermoon. Two, it’s a supermoon in Cancer, the sign of the moon’s rulership, which always makes it especially potent, and it’s on Monday, the moon’s day. Three, it makes a grand trine with Neptune in Pisces and Jupiter and Mars in Scorpio, and it’s opposing Venus and Pluto in Capricorn. Four, Uranus stations direct within 12 hours of the moon’s peak fullness, at 9:11 AM EST on January 2nd. That means every outer planet is somehow involved in this full moon.
This moon’s aspects almost make a kite formation, but the orbs are too wide to make it a true kite. However, with a grand water trine involving two outer planets, and an opposition to both Venus and Pluto in Capricorn, this is significant. The grand water trine is an expansion of Jupiter’s trine to Neptune. Add the moon in Cancer, and this already nice aspect becomes especially supportive. This is beneficial for intuition, creativity, emotional connections, nurturing, and purification.
A grand trine by itself can be too soft though, signifying luck, but without any catalyst to take advantage of that luck. The oppositions to Venus and Pluto in Capricorn add more tension to the full moon chart. The tides of your life could begin to shift with this moon in an active aspect to Pluto. Venus in Capricorn is a nice indication of prosperity, while Pluto always indicates a transformation.
I don’t consider an opposition to be a bad thing. Like a square, it’s an aspect of tension that indicates challenge and activity. An opposition requires you to integrate two complementary energies so you can put them to use. In this case, you’re integrating the energies of the moon in Cancer (emotional, nurturing, creative) and Venus in Capricorn (wealth, quality, stable relationships), and the energies of the moon with Pluto (transformation, rebirth). This is a nice full moon for performing some money magic. The “high tide” energy makes for potent timing. It can be as simple as setting an intention for your prosperity this year, keeping the money flowing by making a donation to a cause of your choice, or taking a moment to say thanks for what you have. It can also be a good full moon for strengthening emotional connections and transforming relationships.
We have started the new year according to the Gregorian calendar, and many use this time to make resolutions for the next 365 days. Astrologically, though, this is not the best time to start something new. The full moon is better for letting go of something: a bad money habit, a relationship that doesn’t have a strong connection. It is a powerful time for magic, just not necessarily for resolving to dive into all of those typically mundane things like starting your gym membership and eating salad. Go with the grand water trine’s flow. A Cancer full moon makes people who are sensitive to it want to eat chocolate and curl up on the couch. If you want to make resolutions this January, you will have better luck at the new moon in Capricorn on January 16th.
And now that it’s 2018, you can read more about how the moon affects your specific sign in the horoscopes! Happy New Year!