The Lunar Eclipse on October 18/19 2013 is at 25º Aries on Kurdah in the head of King Cepheus. This is Aries decan 3 territory. Everything with these rams is played at epic proportions. They really need to make love not war, but if they can’t make love then the war can get very monstrous indeed.
The fixed star Kurdah falls in the neck of the stern King Cepheus. “ It gives authority and a sober mind, sometimes making its natives judges or arbitrators, but exposes to cruel and severe trials.” Manilus gives an interesting interpretation of Cepheus. He regards the King as a tragic actor, whose pen is drenched in blood and the paper, his audience, “no less will revel in the spectacle of crime and catastrophe in human affairs.” So this moon is the voyeur at the road crash site. It is attracted to disasters. Dis-aster actually means “ill-starred”. We do have Comet Ison on its way and comets tend to be feared. Cepheus could represent some of the doom sayers.
Lunar Eclipse October 2013
Since the earth is going to be intercepting the Sun’s rays in the Lunar eclipse we should also consider the quality of the solar influence. This is big since the sun aligns with Arcturus and Spica. Both these stars are huge and influential. For this eclipse the earth will block the Sun’s brilliance, and boy is Spica brilliant. This eclipse will strip things down and allow you to see the bare facts without the frills of poetry or any of the other abundant talents Spica can throw at you. Arcturus is red hot lucky and the 4th brightest star in the sky. Together this pair packs a punch. So the brazenly lucky and talented, the person who always seems to find a benefactor, has a tug of war with the sensible King who carries the weight of the world upon his sombre shoulders.
Kurdah might be a tad envious of the carefree, bohemian lifestyle of Spica/Arcturus since he has to maintain his sobriety with the many serious responsibilities he has to tend to. Maybe the reason this King is morbidly attracted to blood and gore is because of having to appear so stoic and impassionate when the world around him is in chaos. The visual “blood letting” is therapeutic, helping to release trapped internal rage from experiencing the worlds horrors. In this chart Mars is close enough to the bloodthirsty stars of Phecda and Regulus to make this theme even stronger while a passionate Venus is on Antares in the heart of the scorpion.
Lunar Eclipse Conjunct Eris
When I first wrote this post about three weeks ago, I completely overlooked this eclipse was conjunct with Eris! How could I? Our Red Queen was very nearly exiled from the eclipse just as she tends to be exiled from important spiritual matters in general. But not any more! A series of synchronicities brought her back into my consciousness with a vengeance. It was easy to miss her as there was so much going on with the fixed stars, plus Uranus square Pluto is almost exact and we have Mars opposite Neptune, the Joan Of Arc aspect as it happens too. I will address Eris later, but back to the fixed stars first.
As well as Kurdah opposite Spica/Arcturus we have another fixed star duel going on with Mars on Regulus opposite Neptune on Fomalhaut. The polarity of the archetypes couldn’t be more extreme. Its similar to the eclipse Sun opposite Moon itself, the regal is opposing the artist. Here we have the physically robust, all conquering warrior of Mars on Regulus. Robson gives this position “Honor, fame, strong character public prominence, high military command.” While opposite in the blue corner we find the fey and dreamy Neptune on Fomalhaut. It’s rather like pitting a rotweiller against Alice’s Cheshire cat. Imagine poor Regulus attempting to take a chunk out of Fomalhaut’s leg when “puff” its gone. Disconcerting huh?
It’s that kind of eclipse. The opposites have got so extreme that its as if the other is an alien. Finding the middle ground now is extremely hard, but it must be done if we are to survive. Is Neptune in Fomalhaut the internet? It could be a cyber archangel from another dimension, a trans human with electric currents running through its veins. Mars on Regulus on the other hand is the good old- fashioned, knight of old.. It has blood. A little archaic and crude perhaps, but never the less, it’s easier to trust something tangible.
Nailing Cobwebs
The North node is moving towards Aprils Lunar eclipse point and Saturn is on the November Solar Eclipse point. Both of these are in the crucifix, so spirituality and religion are still on the agenda. This is a very dramatic eclipse of opposites. It’s all about finding a balance and a much less extreme third way. Is a compromise possible or have the players becomes so distant that neither of them can even see a midpoint between them? It’s really asking for a massive stretch here.
Maybe Eris is the third way. It may be ironic that the Goddess of discord can somehow bring a balance to all this. But that is precisely how I think Eris works. She shows us very dramatically, how off balance we have become. Through this manic swinging we can find an equilibrium. If Eris is ignored then she makes a BIG noise. Another phenomenon happening between this and the next eclipse is that Comet Ison is said to become visible late October. Jamie of Astrology King wrote in his Lunar Eclipse post:
“The idea of Cephean leader coming to power during this eclipse cycle is also supported by the arrival of comet ISON, “Comets were also seen as heralding the rise to power of an ‘agent’, a military or religious leader, or a reformer.” [6]. Jamie see’s Cepheus is the King-maker and somewhat of a druid, rather than an almighty king himself. This is very different from traditional interpretation of Cepheus having a certain bloodlust. Or maybe not, who says they can’t be both? If this eclipse is also heralding a religious leader, Comet Ison on bloodthirsty star Phecda paints a picture of a very earthy and bloodstained druid, and not some meek little monk.
Spiritual Warriors
This is where it gets weirdly paradoxical. Christian celebrate the body and blood of Christ… by eating and drinking it!! The Mars/Regulus/Ison arm of the opposition is RED. Blood red. Blood is life. It’s raw. Red is sex, the root chakra. Menstrual blood is seen as dirty, vile. We squirm at the sight of red, yet it thrills us too. Why are horror movies so popular? We see the lower chakras as BAD. The higher as good. But the over emphasis of the Neptune/Fomalhaut arm of the opposition is just as bad. These are the perfect robots, smooth clean apple macs and iphones.
Eris comes in and throws that Apple ipad mini into the middle of the wedding party. Who is the fairest face on facebook? Is apple the forbidden fruit? Hmmmm. I think this eclipse may show us how reliant we have become on technology, the cob-WEB. Maybe there needs to be a shift back to real life and meeting people face to face. That way, Neptune cannot Photoshop out the blemishes and you are forced to confront the project, person or situation, warts and all.
Back to the arrival of the spiritual leader. If Cepheus is a King maker, then maybe this religious/spiritual leader is a woman since Eris is conjunct the eclipse itself? The first lady is ofter seen as the power behind the throne. The Queen in chess does all the fancy manoeuvres and is hold most power overall. The fact that me of all people almost left Eris out of this eclipse shows how Eris does work in mysterious ways. Maybe she is not supposed to be seen until the very last minute. She has to work behind the scenes, since she works with the occult after all. Eris is simply too frightening to take in the blazing sunlight, if people saw her coming she would probably be destroyed in an instant.
Red, Hot & Holy
At the lunar eclipse when the earth crosses the moon and will often turn it a blood red. I love this! This makes the Lunar Eclipse very special with it being conjunct fiery red Eris in Aries as well. How magical is that symbolism? Anyone having this Eclipse aspect their chart should find their red, hot holiness start to boil within during the next 3-6 months. The house it which it falls in will show the areas where you may have been exiled for so long, but where you are now getting noticed. Don’t forget to holler very loudly, according to the gospel of Eris. Altogether now hhhhhhoooooaaaawwwwwllllll.
Lunar Eclipse October 2013 Keywords
Bohemians V Military, polarities, the great divide, balancing, gulfs, martyrs, getting real, trans-humans, trans-sexuals, Transylvanians, trying to nail down a cobweb, meeting half way, the third way, air-brushing, drama, epics, making love not war, trails, judgements, tragic actors, blood letting, catharsis, cyber archangels, sombre leaders, sobriety, equilibrium, order out of chaos, king-makers, power behind the throne, unseen heroines, the exiled female, body as sacred, Apple macs, forbidden fruit, trapped in the web, howling at the red, RED Moon, drinking the Pinot Nior of Christ our Lord, Amen.
Lunar Eclipse October 2013 Times
Los Angeles 4.35pm October 18
New York 7.35pm October 18
London 0.35am October 19
Delhi 5.05am October 19
Sydney 10.35am October 19
1. Jonathan Flanery.