Reboots & New Roots
By Araxe Hajian
Spring’s starry nights are a twinkling runway leading us to a new moon and partial solar eclipse landing in the sign of Taurus on April 30. This wavy and wonderful ride of stardust and celestial resets obscures two sources of light with one beguiling wink.
Eclipses & Ellipsis
An eclipse occurs when one celestial body (in this case, the moon) passes in front of another (the sun) and obstructs its light. Solar eclipses coincide with new moons, and lunar eclipses with full moons—so they can feel like ramped-up versions of these lunations.
And guess what? They arrive in back-to-back pairs, so this upcoming new moon is a solar eclipse, which means next month’s full moon is a lunar eclipse. April has been a month of cosmic mysteries, and these lunar events can bookend our flights of fancy in the night sky.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the word ellipse sounds so similar to eclipse.
If ellipse is a word for omitted text, then ellipsis is a word for the three dots that replace that text—or could also be used simply to signify a pause. Both new moons and eclipses can give us that same pause of omission. They can help us figure out what we can leave out for a minute…how we can momentarily suspend the doing of things.
Partial eclipses are less noticeable and don’t pack the visual punch of a total eclipse, but they are astrologically significant because they make our spiritual switches glimmer.
They can shake us up and make us blink; they nudge us to think about how things go on and off, begin and end. This is a time to expect the unexpected and lean into twists of fate.
“Eclipse energy,” explains Miraval Austin Astrologer Lynn Carroll-Rivera, “while not something to fear, can be unstable.”
It’s that feeling we get when the lights flicker. It makes us look up and wonder if the power will go out. When will it come back on? We pause what we’re doing and venture down into basements to open fuse boxes and fiddle with knobs; we reset broken circuits or tripped wires and wish for the best.
Preparing with Presence
Keep in mind that Pluto turns retrograde just days before the eclipse. As we get closer to June, more and more planets will follow suit. “Pluto spends about half the year retrograde, so it’s not an unusual thing,” says Lynn, “but it means we need to integrate some of the transformational experiences of April and May internally before we can do things externally.”
Mercury, which is how we think and communicate, goes into its own sign of Gemini on the 29th, so “being curious and having an open mind is a great communication position,” Lynn suggests. “Look around and see what is in this moment. This is the specialty of Mercury in Gemini— gathering information and being very active mentally.”
On April 30, Venus comes into exact conjunction with Jupiter in Pisces. Both Venus and Jupiter are benevolent planets that bring us love, opportunity, and good fortune. It’s a good omen indeed when they line up, and it’s a trust-the-universe kind of energy unfurling here. As Lynn puts it, “Those good planetary angels in Venus and Jupiter help us figure it all out with the energetic expression of Taurus.”
Tethering with Taurus
This April 30 eclipse is astrologically significant because it’s in the sign of Taurus.
Even though it’s Aries season, we are still vibrating to the thrum and thrall of a once-in-lifetime Jupiter-Neptune convergence in Pisces earlier this month. Additionally, Venus, that lovely planet of sensuality and pleasure, is also in Pisces through April and was joined by Mars entering Pisces mid-month. That’s a pretty significant number of planets in Pisces amplifying all that Jupiter-Neptune energy.
Why is this a big deal? Because when Aries’ fiery flames meet Pisces’ watery waves, we turn to Taurus to tether us to earth and keep us grounded, even as we grow and flow.
Let’s unwrap this gift of solid lunation, of new moon and solar eclipse in Taurus, the most embodied of all the signs, the most connected to our fixed earth.
It helps us balance this decadent excess of magical dreams, soft states, and unsolid shapes. We can keep our feet planted in the physical world while stirring that Piscean, primordial soup— the pot that simmers things yet unborn. Our dreams of cosmic realms can stoke the fire that will soon send us running with the bulls on solid ground.
But first, we take a moment for reverie and respite that comes before any race.
Venus rules sensible Taurus, and they remind us that being in your body is a good place to be. The physical and natural world can keep us grounded so that even as we receive all this magical inspiration, we are communing with nature and communicating with our physical self.
“Taurus energy,” Lynn explains, “is where magic and manifestation converge, where new roots take hold and help us reboot.”
Dreamers & Doers
For a lot of people, this may feel uncomfortable. Our go-go-go Aries energy might feel like it’s getting drenched in a cresting wave of fantasy, imagination, and Piscean emotion.
Even Mars, our energy planet, is tempered in this realm. “Here,” Lynn muses, “Mars is a lover, not a fighter; a dreamer, not a doer. Doing is not the thing right now—it’s more about being. Because when we open up the axis of being, we can amplify the doing and give it meaning.”
We often talk about the purpose behind our actions, about balance in mind and body, work and life. “This lunation brings a more subtle categorization of our energy,” notes Lynn. “It’s about bringing consciousness to our doing, about everything occurring in the now. If you can pay attention and connect with the present, you can create anything.”
Sometimes we need a brief absence of light to acclimate to the unknown.
This new moon’s relationship with Mars has the potential to clear the way to do things we can’t see right now. There are surprising opportunities ahead for synchronistic events lining up. That’s where Pisces excels (and Mars will be fully in Pisces): in the magical things that come about when we can’t make the logical connection but trust the mystical bond. “It can feel like divine intervention or forces from other realms rearranging things,” says Lynn.
- For creative people, this is a bonanza. Make things, pull ideas together, and create new characters in your stories.
- This is a great time for people who want to embrace more spirituality in their lives. Ask the questions, follow the soul’s compass, and open all the channels.
- For all you doers out there, get ready. This solar eclipse in grounded Taurus is all about manifesting practical, tangible results.
This eclipse and new moon are conjunct Uranus, which is the planet of change. It brings about surprises and changes our consciousness of the world around us. It’s wise to not totally engage in doing until after that eclipse happens so we can see what the lightning bolt that comes down and lights up the environment reveals.
“We are part of a universal energy,” Lynn affirms, “and we can own it and shape it by cooperating in it. If people start finding that kind of calm and peaceful feelings, they might see the value in finding out more.”
Sometimes, the stars remind us that illumination can come from indirect light, partial eclipses, and oblique dances in the dark.
Upcoming Event at Miraval Austin | April 30, 2022 at 2:30 – 3:30 PM
If you need a physical, mental, or emotional reset, join Miraval Astrologer Lynn Carroll-Rivera and Outdoor Adventure leader Colin Remick for a special Leap of Faith ceremony, meshing Astrological wisdom with a magical leap from the mundane into the numinous.
To book the Solar Eclipse Leap of Faith, contact an Experience Planner at (855)335-8999.
Miraval’s Content & Brand Manager recently embraced this astrological vibe by bravely jumping into the unknown in our new Leap of Faith on the Blue Heron Challenge Course.
“I was preparing myself to leap into the unknown,” says Syrena. “I knew it was possible and that I would be safe. I faced my fears, leaped off the platform, and descended gracefully to the earth which provided me a soft landing.”
