With the world’s eyes on the Total Eclipse on April 8/9, astrologically what does it mean for you?

Eclipses are random or unforeseen events triggered by forces beyond your control. They signal major life shifts, bringing about an event that seems “fated” somehow. Eclipses arrive in pairs, marking both endings (look to the South Node and the house it falls) and new beginnings in your life (look to the North Node and the house it falls). Eclipses deliver messages within a week of their occurrence. You may hear news one month before or after, plus or minus five days.

If an eclipse falls on your birthday or within five days before or after, prepare for a pivotal year ahead. Friendlier eclipses will share your birth or Sun Sign element (fire, air, water, or earth).  

When Solar eclipses signal new beginnings, they often involve prominent males in your life.  Full moon lunar eclipses frequently reveal the truth behind an important female figure you know that can cause discomfort.

Eclipses can also affect friends and family based on their chart and planets falling within a two-degree orb of the exact degree of the eclipse.  - the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars and also watch Jupiter and Saturn. 

Your judgment can be impaired, and pieces of information may be missing (but the Mercury Retrograde in 2024 coincides with the April 8 eclipse, so it could bring a vital piece of information to the fore). However, generally, give more credence to your decision or next action; try to wait seven days before making your next move.

You may not know that Eclipses work in a ‘retrograde cycle’’ going back through each sign and house systemically.  Every 19 years, Eclipses will offer another lesson from the past as they touch the exact day, mathematical degree and lesson it gave you in times gone by.  Astrology is based on repeating cycles and patterns, so it’s little wonder that they continue to build on your life story.   Each series of eclipses takes 18-24 months to pass through your life.  They remind you there is no going back.  Check the mathematical degree and the zodiacal house topics the Eclipse falls in (Aries and 1st house topics, or Libra and 7th house topics, for example).   Then, look at the planets in that house and any aspects they make to the North and South Nodes or planets to the same degree as the Eclipse.  

Ensure you guard against your health during any eclipse falling near your birthday, those in exact opposition—six months apart—and especially any falling in your 6th, 8th, and 12th houses, which may signify adversity or confinement.  

Whether you're a Leo feeling the power of new moon solar eclipses or a Cancer navigating the sensitivity of full moon eclipses, astrology offers invaluable guidance for embracing eclipse seasons with grace and resilience.

Photograph by Peter Jurik / Alamy