artist unknown – if you know who created this please let me know. The first eclipse of the summer (there are two this month) occurs July 2nd at the New Moon in Cancer.  In a solar eclipse, which is always at a New Moon, the light of the Sun is obscured by the Moon.  The Sun’s light is typically stronger than that of the Moon; the Sun represents consciousness and the awakened Self, whereas the Moon is connected with our inner light – our emotions and instincts which tend to be more hidden.  So when the Moon obscures the Sun, the abundant energies of our inner world are unleashed.

An eclipse occurs when the Sun and Moon are near the lunar nodes – the points where the lunar and solar orbits intersect.  There is a sense of fate with these points, which gives eclipses a somewhat fated quality.  Your destiny is calling, and we must pay attention.

This eclipse is in Cancer, the sign of the Moon which amplifies that lunar effect of revealing our innermost longings and feelings.  There is a sense at this eclipse that our old emotional wounds – feelings of abandonment, of unworthiness – will be triggered due to a challenging square from Chiron, the planet whose job it is to expose these old wounds so that they can be healed, just as a wound to the skin is healed when exposed to the air rather than covered in a bandage.

Cancer’s focus is on family, in all its forms.  A sense of tribal belonging.  Perhaps that has nothing to do with our family of origin, but takes place in our communities or are friendship groups.  Or perhaps we live alone with five cats and THAT becomes our tribe.  It is in that space of tribal belonging that we are able to relax and let those innermost feelings and childhood memories emerge, where we can really be ourselves.

The eclipse is widely opposite a difficult conjunction of Saturn to Pluto that I’ve been writing about all this year.  This is not a happy alignment, and virtually ensures that there will be psychological and emotional work to do under the influence of this eclipse.  This doesn’t always take the form of emotions and thoughts – I woke up this morning feeling my energy all in a twist and then my back went out in a spasm which I knew is an emotional misalignment.

This eclipse will mainly be visible in South America and in the Pacific island.

Ways to honor this solar eclipse:

  • Perform a little ritual reconnecting with your inner child: Visualize her/him in your heart and provide a comfortable place of beauty and peace in which to rest.
  • Prepare a lovely meal for someone you love.
  • Remember this is a New Moon, and an auspicious time to begin something new.  Yes I know, Mercury is about to turn retrograde and you may need to re-do whatever you start now, but that’s no reason not to begin!
  • Turn your attention inwards.  Is there a wound in your heart that causes you to catch your breath?  Invite this wound to emerge and make itself known, to be surrounded with love and a sense of peace and be healed.

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