Solar Eclipse 03 November 2013

On 03 November 2013 at 12:59:48 UT, there will be an annular solar eclipse. The Sun and the Moon will be conjunct in 11:16 Scorpio. Astronomical information about this eclipse, according to Wikipedia:

[This eclipse] is a hybrid eclipse of the Sun with a magnitude of 1.0159. Totality will be visible from the northern Atlantic Ocean (east of Florida) to Africa (Gabon (landfall), R. Congo, DR Congo, Uganda), with the maximum of 1 minutes 39 seconds visible from the Atlantic Ocean south of Ivory Coast and Ghana.

It is a part of Saros cycle 143, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, containing 72 events. The series started with partial solar eclipse on March 7, 1617.

The map below shows visibility and timing of the eclipse (time = UT):

The astrological chart, cast for Washington, shows the event:

In his Annus Tenebrosus, or the Dark Year, the famous 17th century astrologer William Lilly presents a method of eclipse delineation, including an interpretation of the effects of solar and lunar eclipses, occurring in each decanate of the Zodiac. As this solar eclipse takes place in the second decanate of Scorpio, Lilly’s aphorism is as follows:

“it argues destruction to some certain king or person of worth and declares his mind averse to armies or wars”.

If we have a look at the eclipse’s path of angularity, we can see the following:

(click on map to enlarge)

The map above shows that the solar eclipse will be of quite immediate importance for the United States of America and for Mexico. The eclipse point will be in the second decanate of Scorpio, suggesting Mars and the Sun to be the eclipse rulers. Mars is strong in accidental dignity, being direct, swift, oriental and free of sunbeams. Looking at William Lilly’s prediction in Annus Tenebrosus, we find that the eclipse “argues destruction to some certain king or person of worth and declares his mind averse to armies or wars”. Mars is sextile the eclipse point and in the chart cast for Washington, displayed above, he is in the 10th house. Mundane astrology traditionally associates the 10th house with kings and rulers. In our times this obviously has to be adapted to signify the President of the United States.

In the chart, Mars is also conjunct the fixed star Zosma, ‘the girdle of the lion’, associated with selfishness, immorality and a tendency to calculatingly use other people. Lilly writes that Mars as eclipse ruler may “stir up wars, tumults and imprisonments”. He also causes kings and princes (the ruling elite) to commit acts of “tyranny, violence, injuries and injustice”. It may also cause violent storms at sea and “denote sudden and violent shipwrecks, by reason of inordinate blasts”. There is as well the possibility of the scarcity of grains and “all such things as produced out of the earth”.

We have already seen in the Libra ingress chart for the US, shown below,  (for more details, see my bog post about the possibility of US – lead airstrikes against Syria, here) that after 22 September, there is a heightened possibility of military action lead by the US. We also found though, that the public is strongly opposed to such a move, which may greatly influence the decisions made by the government. Looking at the information we gathered via the interpretation of the upcoming solar eclipse, it seems that the themes of conflict and warfare will still be very much at the forefront of the government’s agendas and plans.

We also notice that, in the eclipse chart, Mars is in mutual reception with Mercury by sign rulership. Mercury, located in the 12th house, is retrograde and combust. Mundanely speaking, the 12th house is associated with secret enemies of the country and spies. In the case of this solar eclipse, we are looking at potential problems with trade, commerce, but also ambassadors and secret enemies of the state.

For readers, interested in the personal implications of this eclipse, it might be of interest what William Lilly has to say:

“… Eclipse is more dangerous or pernitious which shall be in the Horoscope or Ascendant of the birth; or which shall be in the degree Ascending in an Annuall Revolution: it portends unto the Native some ominous and mischievous action as unto his body and also in his vital substance.”

And further on:

“… who had in the Radix of his Nativity either the Sun or the Moon in that degree, or in the degree opposite … or in the like degrees … which signs are in Quadrate aspects to the former, or if the degree Culminating in any man’s Nativity was either [the degree of the eclipse or its opposite or square] or within one degree thereof, the native did suffer more or less by the influence of this Eclips; according to the signification of the House of Heaven, wherein the Sun or the Moon was in at the Birth, and was either well fortified or aspected of the benevolent Planets, or ill aspected, or afflicted of the Malevolents.”

For this particular Solar eclipse that means that people with Scorpio rising, either in their birth chart or in their solar return chart for 2013/14, will feel the influence stronger than others. Furthermore it should be noted if Sun or Moon are closely conjunct the Ascendant, Descendant or Midheaven. Should it be the case that one or even more of these factors apply, an in-depth reading of the native’s charts may be necessary to find out which particular areas of life are likely to be affected the most.

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