We have officially entered into eclipse season, and of course what do I see? A bunch of social media posts saying to “brace yourself” and “prepare for the worst” as we embark on the next month or so. I despise seeing these types of posts because it plays into the fear-mongering that our society loves to do. Eclipse seasons are not something to fear. Nothing “bad” is going to happen to you, nor are you all “doomed” for the next month because of this time. In fact, eclipse seasons are more of a time to be open to the possibilities and opportunities more than anything. So I wanted to come on and say something different to help qualm any fears, worries, or anxieties that may have cropped up in your own feed the past few days. Let’s discuss what an eclipse season is, what you can really expect, and how you can navigate this one and the future ones to come.
What is an eclipse season?
All of us have most likely heard of what an eclipse is scientifically. The first thing that probably comes to mind is the event that happened in April 2024 where we had a rather impressive eclipse that we could go watch (if you were in the path of totality that is). Though impressive to see, we do actually witness at least two eclipse seasons a year. We just don’t always see an eclipse like that one every time.
In astrological terms, eclipse seasons occur when the Sun and Moon are within 17 degrees of the lunar nodes – what we call the North Node and the South Node. Lunar nodes are not planets or asteroids, but just energetic points where the Moon’s orbit meets the Sun’s path. When this happens, the energy is supercharged in a way that speeds us forward both individually and collectively on our evolutionary path. Depending on what zodiac signs the nodes are in will affect the energies that we are experiencing.
Currently, the North Node is in Aries and the South Node is in Libra. Though the Sun is still in Virgo, it is still within that 17 degree orb, marking the start of eclipse season. Eclipse season will technically end around October 15, however other astrologers will say there is a shadow period that lasts several weeks after. To keep things simple, I normally just plan for eclipse season to end around the end of Libra Season (October 23, 2024).
Energetically speaking, eclipses do tend to push the fast-forward button on our evolution. They can bring about periods of change and transformation, however it isn’t always all at once. Usually it’s a gradual shift that begins at the start of one eclipse season and continues into the next. That’s why to understand this eclipse season, I would encourage you to look back at what was occurring for you during Aries Season in April 2024. Do you remember any themes or patterns occurring then? What emotions were coming up? Any challenges that you had to face? That will help you start to navigate this one.
Regardless, this is where you might see the warning labels start to pop up. Eclipses CAN rattle up your life. They CAN make some major shifts. And no, they may not always be comfortable or what we want in the moment. I’ve had many an eclipse season where major shifts occurred that I wasn’t happy about. But looking back, I realized I needed those moments to occur to wake me up.
That’s the thing with eclipses – they bring you information from out of the blue, which is what tends to throw a lot of people off-guard. However, this information is needed for us to grow and either return, or stay, on our paths.
Please know that not all the information you may receive during an eclipse season is negative. This is where the fear-mongering drives me crazy. Eclipse seasons do not mean bad things will happen. In fact, there are some eclipse seasons that can be whole-heartedly positive! Is it possible that the information being given to you can seem negative or shocking in the moment? Sure. But that doesn’t mean that is written in stone. It may not happen.
So, with that, let’s talk about the energies of this particular eclipse season and what you may expect:
The Aries-Libra Eclipse Season
So as mentioned before, we usually have at least two eclipse seasons a year. The timing of them changes depending on the positions of the nodes. This year, we are having them in Aries Season and Libra Season since the North Node is in Aries and the South Node is in Libra. During those seasons, we will experience both a Solar Eclipse (during the New Moon) and a Lunar Eclipse (during the Full Moon). Both a Solar and Lunar Eclipse function very similar to our traditional New and Full Moons, they’re just supercharged a bit more and can sometimes feel more emotional. Again, this is nothing to fear. Emotions can be information!
(Technically with this eclipse season, we have a Lunar Eclipse in Pisces due to its close proximity to the nodes. I’ll talk more about this particular Lunar Eclipse in a different post!)
Where the North Node is currently, is where we are headed collectively. The South Node, on the other hand, indicates what we are leaving behind. The South Node in Libra is asking us to see where in our life we have swallowed our truth to keep the peace. Where have you been indecisive because you fear how a decision might affect others? Where have you squashed down your own needs to keep the peace, but then have become passive-aggressive towards others because you don’t communicate what you need or even want? These are the themes to be aware of, and are also the themes to leave behind. How does one leave these behind?
By embracing the North Node in Aries. This placement is encouraging us as a collective to learn to stand up for ourselves and our truth. Aries helps us make decisions that protect our own sense of peace, our soul, and our own authentic path we are meant to follow this lifetime. We have to learn how to put our needs and wants first even if it means disappointing others.
This does NOT mean to just do whatever you want without thinking of how it might impact those around you, nor does it mean that we can be selfish assholes and hurt other people. No…this nodal placement is encouraging us to align with our authentic selves so that we can attract that which belongs to us, while also showing us how to honor our needs and still be in relationship with others. It is a balance between the two. Ultimately, this eclipse season asks us all to determine what we need to do to prioritize our soul’s purpose and happiness, while also finding a balance between your own needs and the needs of others.
How this eclipse season affects you personally
If you want to dive deeper into what’s coming up for you personally, you can first look to the house the nodes are hitting in your personal natal chart. For example, though I’m an Aries Rising, the North Node in Aries is actually in my 12th house right now, with the South Node in Libra in my 6th house. My 6th and 12th houses are areas of my life that I may look to for clues as to what is coming up for me during this eclipse season. This may look like seeing how my people-pleasing behaviors have affected my daily habits and routines, and even my health and well-being. It then may encourage me to dig into my own healing and spiritual practices for help in finding the balance between the two, or tuning into my own intuition to determine what my soul is truly needing.
The second thing you can do is look to your own natal nodes to see what themes are coming up for you. The key with your natal nodes is finding the balance between the two. We are leaving behind the lower energies of our natal South Node by moving towards the higher energies of our natal North Node.
Our South Node feels familiar to us. That’s because we came into this life understanding the energies of that sign fairly well, usually because we were that sign or embodied the energies of that sign in a previous life. However, we now have to unlearn the lower-vibe energies of our South Node and move towards a different direction (our North Node). It doesn’t mean leave behind our South Node entirely, but instead find the balance between the two. At the end of the day, we have to embody the higher energies of both our North and South Node….which isn’t easy. Our North Node feels highly uncomfortable, so it’s very much a growth point throughout our lives.
Using myself as an example again, my natal South Node is in Leo with my natal North Node in Aquarius. There’s a good chance in a past life I was royalty, a performer, or some highly-regarded individual. I’ve never done a past-life reading, so I’m not sure what I was. Regardless, I came into this life understanding Leo energy pretty well. So well, that I have learned both the good and the bad that comes with Leo energy. I most likely had to learn to stay within the rules and responsibilities to maintain some level of respect and adoration. I learned the fine art of winning people over and feeling the need for praise and applause. I have a desire to be noticed and will follow the rules set by society in order to keep the spotlight so as to not be rejected or cancelled.
However, my Aquarius North Node is telling me that this lifetime, I need to embrace my own authenticity despite the possibility of being rejected, not mold myself into what society tells me. In fact, I will gain the spotlight more by being my own authentic self. I am being asked to let go of my deep-seated fear of rejection (this is Leo’s biggest fear) because it is holding me back from pursuing my own purpose. I’m being asked to not only honor my truth, but the individual truth of everyone. Similar to the South Node in Libra, it means releasing the people-pleasing, releasing the rules and the boxes I’ve placed myself in (and likely others), and instead start things that align with who I truly am, even if it goes against the norm.
So how is that showing up for me during this eclipse season? Well, it’s still early, but so far I’ve noticed a lot of my own personal fears of rejection start cropping up again, especially since the last eclipse season back in April. I’ve held back from putting myself out there or following my ideas because of my fear of rejection. I fear that people won’t like what I have to say, or even wonder whether anyone would care about what I have to say. I’ve also been trying to “stay within the lines” by trying to follow what other people have done instead of just following my own intuition, or following what other people expect of me instead of doing what I know is right for me.
The antidote? Lean into Aquarius for help. Really following my intuition instead of listening to the noises outside of myself. It means taking the scary steps to put myself out there and follow my ideas no matter if they work or fail. And it means not necessarily following the “rules” of society or others. It means being my weird, authentic self despite what other people might say or think, and learning it’s ok if not everyone likes it.
A lot easier said than done. Our nodal journey is not easy, but it’s so important as part of our own personal growth. If you aren’t sure of your own natal nodal placements, you can check out Cafe Astrology’s tool in determining it.
How to Navigate Eclipse Season
We now understand what eclipse season is all about and what to expect, so now it’s time to talk about how to actually navigate it. There are a few things to keep in mind for any eclipse season:
- Be open: First and foremost, allow yourself to be open to information the Universe is sending your way during any eclipse season. This means being highly observant of what’s happening within and around you. Notice the emotions you’re feeling and the thoughts that come across your mind. If anything does shift or change, or you face any challenges, be open to try to understand the bigger picture. Know that it’s the Universe’s way of getting you to your highest path. It’s happening FOR you, not against you, even if it doesn’t feel like it in the moment.
- Don’t manifest: You can if you want. But here’s the thing – eclipse seasons are meant for us to lean back and watch what unfolds instead of trying to force something to happen. If you have a routine manifestation practice, I would suggest putting that aside for the time being and just work on meditating.
- Don’t cleanse your crystals under the full moon: Eclipse seasons can be very chaotic energy. If you have crystals at home and you usually cleanse them under the full moon, I would cleanse them another way until eclipse season is over. The reason is that you don’t want to put that chaotic energy into your crystals. Cleanse them in water, by a selenite crystal, or by smudging if you need to, or just wait until eclipse season is over to cleanse under the full moon again.
- Meditate and Journal: Take time to connect with yourself through meditation and journaling. This will help you notice what’s coming up for you during this time, plus it’ll help as a reference point during the next eclipse season!
- Know Your Natal Nodal Placements: I definitely suggest finding your natal nodal placement and looking up what it means just for the sake of awareness. No matter what eclipse season it is, I guarantee themes around your natal nodal placements will creep up, so being aware of yours will help you be more observant of the themes that come up for you. Plus, it really helps in your own personal growth even beyond eclipse seasons.
Lastly, please don’t freak out and fear eclipse seasons. There is nothing to be afraid of. Be prepared for shifts to occur, but know that anything challenging that might come up is for your highest good. If it does, lean into any emotions and give yourself space to process. Don’t try to rush anything and just remain as an observer of your life for the next few weeks. See and be open to what the Universe is conspiring in your favor.