Eclipses&astrology

Eclipses - A Basic Explanation
Eclipses are normally associated with periods of personal and social upheaval. With two happening every six months, I thought it a good idea to look a little closer at their astrological impact and provide tips on how to survive them!
An eclipse occurs when one celestial object passes into the shadow cast by another. Astrologically speaking, there are two kinds of eclipses – lunar and solar. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in front of the sun and obscures it totally or partially. This configuration can only exist at New Moon, when the sun, moon and earth are in a single line with the moon in the middle. A lunar eclipse occurs at full moon when the sun casts a shadow over the moon, partially or totally blocking out its light.
Some eclipses are partial and some, total, depending on the angle of the sun, moon and earth in relation to each other, which will therefore affect the angle of the shadow cast and how much of the heavenly body is ultimately obscured.
According to NASA, strange occurrences have been observed in nature during eclipses. The light filtering through leaves on trees casts crescent shadows, birds often prepare for sleep and animals behave confusedly at this time. Plant sap has been found to rise significantly and local temperatures have been known to drop 20 degrees or more near totality. The effect on humans is less noticeable but usually very powerful. People become more emotional and act erratically. Strange events also have a habit of occurring close to or on eclipse dates.
Eclipses & Saros Cycles
Eclipses occur in cycles of 18 years or so. This is based on the time it takes for the Moon to complete one entire circuit around its orbit plane. However, these eclipses also belong to a larger series or family which runs for over 1000 years (usually 1300 years) in what is known as a Saros Cycle. It was the Babylonians who first discovered this pattern and the Greeks who coined the term from “saros” which means “repetition”. Each Saros series starts at one of the poles and then slowly moves either North or South across the path of the sun (ecliptic) until it reaches the other pole where it slowly dies out, too far from the ecliptic to cast any shadows. Several eclipse series’ will run concurrently, each family ‘giving birth’ to approximately 72 eclipse events every 18 years.
In astrological terms, these Saros cycles have been linked by certain astrologers to different astrological and historical themes, based on the planetary configurations and mundane events happening at around the time during which the first eclipse in the series occurred.
Eclipses & History
Throughout history, eclipses have been associated with important and dramatic events – the start or end of wars, the birth or death of a leader and the founding of nations. The Babylonians, who were keen astronomer-priests, considered eclipses to be omens from the gods heralding significant events for the king.
Pope John Paul the II, died six days before the eclipse of April the 8th 2005. His funeral took place on the day itself, ironically ‘eclipsing’ the wedding of Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles which had to be put off until the following day. Strangely enough, Pope John Paul was also born on the day of a solar eclipse – May the 18th, 1920.
With regard to the Royal Family, some astrologers have asserted that the fate of the Windsors seems to be closely associated with eclipse events. With the ten year anniversary of Princess Diana's death occurring a few days before the August 2007 eclipses, it is worth looking at how intertwined her life appears to have been with eclipses. Nicholas Campion, in his analysis of the late Princess Diana’s chart, points out that she married Prince Charles two days after a solar eclipse (on July 29th 1981) and that their first born, William, was born on the day of a solar eclipse on the 21st of June 1982. Charles and Diana formally separated on the day of an eclipse (9 December 1992) and Princess Diana died on the 31st of August 1997, one day before the Solar Eclipse of the 1st of September. The Australian astrologer, Bernadette Brady, has pointed out that the previous eclipse in the same Saros cycle took place on 22 August 1979 and was followed by the assassination of Lord Mountbatten five days later. In her book, ‘The Eagle and the Lark’ she describes this eclipse series as indicating violent accidents.
Another interesting point to bear in mind is that the sun is traditionally associated with royalty, rulers and leaders. Prince William was born into the 2 Old North eclipse series, which is due to end in July 2036 - could this date herald the end of the monarchy as we know it? There has been a steady decline in interest and support for the monarchy in Britain so it will be interesting to see if this turns out to be the case.
Coincidentally, Nelson Mandela’s life was also sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island during an eclipse in this series in 1964. According to Marjorie Orr, his life seems strangely connected to eclipses – his inauguration as President of South Africa in May 1994 fell on the day of a solar eclipse and his release from prison happened two days after a lunar eclipse…
Lunar eclipses and the moon are traditionally associated with the feminine archetype and with emotions. Bernadette Brady has been working on a theory of Lunar Saros Cycles which consist of approximately 45-47 eclipses over a period of 800 years. At this time, she is still researching and testing this theory so the jury is still out.
Princess Diana was a sun sign Cancer which is ruled by the Moon…. One could speculate about Diana’s separation from Charles, which occurred on a lunar occultation, that she was ‘eclipsed’ out of Charles’ life by another woman - Camilla. Interestingly, Camilla, born on the 17th of July 1947, and is also a sun sign Cancer!