We're about a week out from the last of three eclipses—a lunar eclipse in Sagittarius. We're all feeling it; eclipse phases have a kind of relentless quality to them, even a tad more than the usual 21st-century sensation of existence.
I consider them manifestation zones. They are the times that patterns take hold, which is to say, times to make conscious adjustments to the patterns of your life. That might not be easy and it might indeed be messy. However, here at the dawn of the Age of Aquarius, we have a situation on our hands that's not really about peace and love—it's about patterns calcifying, hardening, and often becoming difficult to change.
As the eclipse approaches we have a series of events that will change patterns, though they might not seem helpful at first. Neptune in early Pisces is taking a series of squares from nearby planets. Venus in Gemini made a square to Neptune earlier in the week. Mercury is currently early in Gemini, in a square to Neptune that becomes exact Saturday, May 18. Then the Sun ingresses Gemini Monday, May 20, and will also make a square to Neptune. That becomes the May 25 lunar eclipse, which has both the Moon and the Sun square Neptune.
So what's with all these squares to Neptune? They represent questions of integrity. It's about what is true, what you believe, how you describe your experience. In other words, the integrity piece is about speaking the truth and discerning what is not true. This will work on every level—notice the scandal machinery going at full crank in Washington. The presence of personal planets in the mix describes intimate situations.
The May 25 eclipse looks like it bursts the bubble on illusions. That's to say, you probably don't want to be floating on one of those bubbles when the moment arises. The time to get gritty is now, though the sensation may be that "real" is the least convenient option of them all.
Remember, where there are eclipses in the neighborhood, we're in a manifestation zone, where patterns are noticed, erased and rewritten. If you're someone who claims to live for truth, now is the time to question and notice everything that is not necessarily true. Subject everything to the same basic line of questioning. Scrutinize your intent. Listen to what you say and what others say to you.
Notice when you're believing something that's not true, or saying something that's not true. This is a habit. So are the white lies that we tell and believe. All these squares to Neptune are a challenge to that pattern, though what comes next is some new expression of what is really true. It's like an exchange of what is not true for what is, and it lasts through the eclipse on May 25, which is like a release point and a moment of allowing a commitment to take hold.
You could say this is a game of truth or dare. Are you willing to speak your truth, and in particular, to speak the truth of your feelings? Would you dare yourself to take action on who or what really matters to you? That is a pattern I think many people would say they want—to let go of little deceptions, muster up some courage, and take an authentic emotional risk.
I cover this astrology in Tuesday's edition of Planet Waves FM, located on the program's new site with many excellent archived programs easily available. There's also a special offer with this program for a free issue of The Mountain Astrologer, a magazine I write for.
