Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius – article

by Sonja Francis | Dec 8, 2020 | Astrology Articles, Solar Eclipse

On Dec. 14th at 11:17am EST, a powerful New Moon and Solar Eclipse in 23 degrees of Sagittarius becomes exact.

Solar Eclipses are extra-powerful New Moons that take place approximately every 6 months. During a Solar Eclipse, the Moon momentarily interrupts the normal flow of solar radiation, destabilizing existing configurations of energy and reorganizing consciousness to a higher level. Solar Eclipses indicate the beginning of a new experience, project, or cycle.

This is the last of six Eclipses in 2020. While there is a New Moon each month, Eclipses occur only 4-7 times a year, when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are precisely enough aligned. You may also want to watch my Solar Eclipse video.

Eclipses usually come in pairs (Solar and Lunar), and Eclipse season starts 10 days before the first Eclipse (in this case, the Lunar Eclipse in Gemini), and continues through the time of the second Eclipse (for this eclipse season, that would be the Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius ). This Eclipse Season thus started back on Nov. 20th and will last until Dec. 24th, 2020.

While eclipse season is underway, allow for new templates to download; stay centered and do your best to ground from within — try using conscious breathing and conscious flexibility — and best of all, see if you can move to the “observer position” when it comes to the emotional and mental body. And remember, this won’t last forever: on Dec. 24th, the downloads are complete 😉

Eclipses are a time for clarifying and affirming our highest path. We are bound to experience a release of some sort, and a recalibration — “old” codes will get deleted and new ones downloaded, especially in connection with belief systems, social and cultural conditioning, and assumptions we carry around with us. This helps us see from a wider perspective.

The Sun and Moon are connected to one of the Moon Nodes during an Eclipse, switching between the North and South Node Eclipses, emphasizing the evolutionary upgrades that are available to us during such times. This is the first South Node Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius since the Moon Nodes moved into the Gemini-Sagittarius polarity in early May 2020.

South Node Eclipses ask us to release or redefine energies or attachments that no longer serve our Soul’s evolution. They highlight past issues that need our attention, so we can grow beyond our conditioning, individually and collectively.

Eclipses are crossroads or turning points along our Soul’s Journey. They are often marked by events or situations that signify a critical shift in our lives, nudging us to either change and grow, or face greater difficulties at the next turning point.

Solar Eclipses, in particular, often correspond with major endings and beginnings. They occur close to the same degree every 19 years and the last time we had a South Node Solar Eclipse in that same degree was in Dec. 2001.

We are likely to experience a resonance between now and that time — “resonant”, rather than identical — so think back to the Winter of 2001/2002, and ask yourself: Were there any major endings and beginnings? What was important to me back then? If I were to take those priorities to the next level, where would that next level find me?

If you’re looking for more guidance on those questions, I would suggest taking a look at your Natal Chart — the House placement of the Eclipse will indicate which area of life is most ready to release outdated beliefs and social conditioning and go to a new level of consciousness. If that idea appeals, check out my free 30-minute class, “How to Read My Birth Chart”.

Solar Eclipses are a good time to go within, to seed anything we would like to redefine or release over the next 6 months — we’ll dig into this in more detail towards the end of this article, when we talk about setting Solar Eclipse Intentions.

With the Solar Eclipse in optimistic, adventurous, truth-seeking Sagittarius, we seek to expand our day-to-day knowledge and look for a larger perspective. For the next six months, ask yourself…

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For the next six months, ask yourself: What philosophies most resonate with me? What life perspectives are no longer serving me? What stories have I been telling myself about life? What universal truths feel immediately in alignment with my direct experience of life right now? Where is my understanding of life different from where it was 3 years ago? Do I see the glass as half-full or half-empty? Do I shy away from life’s challenges or thrive on exploring new ways to deal with adversity?

Within the first six days of the Solar Eclipse, there are some major planetary shifts:

Venus changes signs only 24 hours after the Eclipse becomes exact. Chiron in Aries comes to a halt the following day, ending its 5-months Retrograde phase, making this energy immensely exalted at the time of the Eclipse. Saturn changes signs 2.5 days after the Eclipse becomes exact (on Dec. 17th) — starting it’s 2.5 year journey through Aquarius; Jupiter follows suit on Dec. 19th. More on some of these shifts in a moment….

Jupiter, the ruler of Sagittarius, is still in Capricorn until Dec. 19th. This is our last chance to make use of this sobering, practical, accomplishment-oriented Capricorn-energy for our own gain, before Jupiter moves into freedom-loving, forward-thinking, and objective Aquarius.

If you want to know how this one-year Jupiter transit through Aquarius, and its alignment with Saturn in Aquarius might impact you personally, I invite you to get my 100 minute webinar on the Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction in Aquarius, here.

To stay in alignment with the universal energies in 2021, I recommend you take a look at the Star Membership on my website — this will give you access to my monthly Forecasting Forums for free, in addition to many other amazing Membership benefits.

Back to the Solar Eclipse chart:
Anything that expands our perspective around our collective feeling of safety is of interest to us, especially until Dec. 19th; this could involve things like our potential for overcoming adversity in the real world, or our faith (or lack thereof) in our physical and cultural structures.

Ask yourself: Might stepping outside of my social and cultural conditioning bring me to a place where I can see myself (and perhaps even life itself) from a new perspective?

With the ruler of this Eclipse in Capricorn and so closely aligned with Saturn and Pluto, we may also be prone to a heavy heart, depression, or negativity. As best as you can, channel all that sobering Capricorn energy into something worthwhile — after all, we do feel quite persistent and diligent — and that helps us manifest something sustainable, something lasting.

Ask yourself: What can I do with all this sobering energy coming through? How might I use it to my advantage? Could I go beyond what I’ve known myself to be? What might be one courageous act, one leap of faith, that might shift things for me for the long-term?

Mercury aligns with the Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius, allowing our mind to think bigger and go beyond our emotional experience, towards a larger perspective on what the meaning of it all might be.

This also invites us to be open to shifting your perceptions. You might therefore want to ask: What are my attitudes towards life? Towards “that situation”? (You know the one 🙂 Where do I insist on “being right”? How do I usually feel afterwards?

Here it’s wise to distinguish between three truths: my truth, your truth, and “the truth” — what we need to watch out for is when “my truth” morphs into “the truth”.

Seeing through the illusion of separation from the divine is perhaps the greatest perspective shift of all — and not always an easy one to make, especially with this many planets still in Capricorn.

As I mentioned before, Chiron is stationing, and therefore exalted, in Aries, and it ends its 5-month Retrograde phase only 30 hours after the Solar Eclipse becomes exact.

Chiron is considered the bridge between the limitation-bound physical world and the unlimited non-physical (or spiritual); often referred to as the “Wounded Healer”, it reminds us of our humanity — and guides us to see it as a gift.

When we take responsibility for our human limitations and move past seeing them as “wrong” or “bad”, our inner gifts and uniqueness can emerge more completely and powerfully.

Ask yourself: What has come up since early December concerning my ancestor’s wounding around “the masculine”? How about my own wounding there? How clearly do I see the next step on my healing path? What might be possible if I allowed myself to shift from resisting my limitations around anger to acknowledging and embracing them?

Where am I responding or “reacting” to my circumstances? Could I bring an open and compassionate awareness to this? Might a holistic approach — seeing myself as a spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical being — support my personal growth at this time?

Neptune is still stationing, and therefore exalted, in Pisces (its own sign) until Dec. 18th.

Not only does Neptune square the Moon Nodes in Gemini-Sagittarius, it also makes a Square to Mercury and the Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius. This invites us to make adjustments and find creative solutions. We are pulled in two quite different directions:

On the one hand, we experience a desire for inner silence, emotional oneness, and the flow of creativity through us. On the other hand, we also want to explore our belief structures and share our discoveries. The “tension” between these two desires may leave us feeling anxious or restless; as best as you can, slow down, acknowledge what is, and know that all is well in each “now moment”.

Ask yourself: What challenges am I facing at this time around resting, trusting, and allowing? How closely am I in touch with my intuition? What might be possible if I allowed myself to shift from my social-cultural conditioning to feeling into the truth of who I am?

Feel free to also watch my Additional Support video on “Neptune Squaring the Moon Nodes”, here.

Mars in Aries trines the Solar Eclipse and Mercury in Sagittarius but also squares Pluto in Capricorn. Let’s unpack that:

Mars’s Trine to the Eclipse/Mercury alignment shows us that when we bring conscious awareness to our actions, and create enthusiasm and passion for a project, we might create something unique and brand-new.

Ask yourself: If I were to start something I feel passionate or enthusiastic about, what might that be — what pops into awareness? What would be a fantastic use for any and all physical energy that I have currently access to?

The Square to Pluto in Capricorn indicates that we are at a turning point: We really want to follow our inner compass toward our own passions or at least a new project, but we also have a deep urge for a sense of authentic connection to what we have been building long-term. We may have to make some changes or adjustments to some long-term goals — and perhaps also to some personal projects.

This Square will last for a while; it will become exact on Dec. 23rd, and we will feel it until Jan. 6th, 2021. A Square always relates back to the conjunctions between two planets — in this case we need to look at when Mars aligned with Pluto earlier this year — which was on March 23rd, 2020 at 24.5º of Capricorn.

Ask yourself: What was happening then in connection with my personal goals? How about the desire to feel empowered out there in the world? What is calling for change now? What were my motivations then? What are they now?

If you feel pressured into doing something, or feel a power-struggle building, get as centered and grounded as you’re able, then use your creativity to move forward.

Ask yourself: What if this were a major growth opportunity in a clever disguise? Could I then let go of wanting to control another person’s experience so I can feel better myself? What if “FEAR” was simply absent — just mysteriously left in the night and didn’t come back in the morning? How would I proceed then?

Venus in a late degree of Scorpio sextiles Jupiter & Saturn in a late degree of Capricorn. This is an opportunity to see more clearly when and how we might want to make long-term investments in other people’s resources. There’s no need to rush anything.

Ask yourself: What if I excelled at thinking opportunities through carefully, responsibly, and performed a thorough “due diligence”? How would I proceed? What might be a good long-term investment at this time? Who (or what) feels empowering to me?

We also need to mention here that Saturn lies in an exalted degree (29º) and therefore can be felt quite strongly. Something is coming to completion that we started in Dec. 2017 or in 2018. This is Saturn’s last hurrah before switching into Aquarius for the next 2.5 years!

Here is a quote from Michael Meade (an American author, mythologist, & storyteller) you might find helpful:

“We are in the midst of a collective rite of passage that requires not simply that we change, but that we truly transform our way of being in the world. The process of unfolding a greater world view is already underway, and in mythic terms, the seeds of renewal wait to be found precisely within the conditions of chaos and disorder that trouble the world… Finding and living our soul’s purpose is the way we best can serve the world at this time…”

We will talk in more detail about what’s to come in 2021 in our webinar: “2021 – A Look Ahead”  Click here to join us live on Jan. 8th; or click here after Jan. 8th to purchase an mp4-video recording of this webinar.

To Sum it all up for this powerful New Moon:
While flexibility and open-mindedness are always helpful, they are especially important now, so notice when you are digging your heels in about something — it’s usually a sign that you have some underlying anxiety about something else. Take a deep breath, get centered in your body, close your eyes and focus on your third eye.

From this centered place, ask yourself: What am I afraid of happening? How might I channel this restless energy into projects that are asking for progress? How might I channel, or just burn off, all this erratic energy? What kind of exercise might be an energetic match? Where am I stagnating?

As best as you can, provide yourself with compassion and understanding — embrace your inner divinity in all its infinite wonder and capacity to simply know. Ask yourself: If there was a reason for me to be here, what might that reason be? Where am I headed? Where do I need to take a leap of faith… or simply trust?

Keep looking at what needs to heal, what needs to be communicated, and for the completion of “larger” issues in your life. Again, feel free to watch my Solar Eclipse video on the subject
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Do you have your Ascendant (or any personal planets) in 18-28 degrees of Sagittarius, Gemini, Virgo, or Pisces? If so, you may feel the effects of this extra powerful New Moon more strongly. This is also true for those of us who have our Ascendant or Sun-sign in Leo or Cancer (the Sun rules Leo; the Moon rules Cancer).

Setting Intentions for a Solar Eclipse is a little different from the regular monthly New Moon process — after all, we are setting them for the whole 6-month Eclipse cycle, rather than just the next 28 days.

Solar Eclipse Intentions are best done 48 hours after the Eclipse becomes exact. We are downloading new templates at the time of an Eclipse, and the energies are quite intense, so we want to wait until it all settles down a little before setting our intentions… We also definitely do not want to do this during a Moon void of course.

There are therefore two best and most potent times to set your Intentions for this Solar Eclipse: the first lasts a little over 13 hours, between 11:17am (on Dec. 16th) and 12:34am (on Dec. 17th) — and the second for almost 34 hours, between 1:27am (Dec. 17th) and 11:17am Friday (Dec. 18th) — (in US Eastern Time — i.e. the New York time zone).

Set powerful intentions — again, they cover the next six months — and if possible, align them with the Sagittarian energy! If you live in a timezone other than EST (US East Coast-time), and converting time zones isn’t your thing, I suggest joining my Facebook Fan-page and/or following me on Twitter, as I post reminders when it’s time to set your intentions 😉

For more details on how to set Intentions, click here.

Sonja Francis

Sonja’s passion is for connecting with people and helping them transform their lives. This led her to train as a life coach, in addition to her lifelong study of Astrology. With her Readings, her coaching and her Soul-Based Astrology Courses she aims to empower and support people in fulfilling their life’s potential and aligning with Soul Purpose.

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