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This Aries season, we have two new Moons. The second new Moon, on April 19, is coupled with a hybrid solar eclipse, which is a combination of a total eclipse and an annular eclipse (sometimes known as a “ring of fire”). Although its beauty will be seen only from parts of Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific, the solar eclipse and its effects will be felt throughout the world.
The solar eclipse will begin April 19, at 6:37 p.m. PT, and end at 9:56 p.m. PT. It will happen at the same moment everywhere. The new Moon, when the Sun and Moon are at the same degree in the sky, will occur at 9:12 p.m. PT, within the eclipse window and just hours before the Sun enters Taurus on April 20 at 1:13 a.m.
Eclipses are times of revelations. They shake up our world and show us things we’d rather not see but need to become aware of to evolve. The current solar eclipse occurs at the final degrees of Aries and marks a time of closure and endings. It is still a new Moon and carries with it all the potential for new beginnings. Consider it a preview of the future.
What the Solar Eclipse and New Moon in Aries Means for You
This solar eclipse in Aries is full of fire and dynamic vibrations. Aries carries the warrior energy and teaches us to overcome our fears with courage and confidence. This energy, coupled with the eclipse, helps us see the truth around us and face it, no matter how much we want to run away from it.
Due to their revealing nature, eclipses can feel unsettling to the nervous system. As this eclipse stirs some chaos in and around you, know that it is ultimately for the better. This will be an intense time, and it may, at moments, feel unbearable. Stay present with yourself and be open to receiving all that is revealed to you.
There is a healing nature to this eclipse. Remember this as you are shown pieces of information that may feel shocking. It’s all to help you heal, forgive, move forward, and begin a new pathway. The eclipse opens the door to a new journey for you and the collective. First, though, it needs to help you see all that is limiting you.
This eclipse shows you what has already ended in your life but you haven’t accepted yet. It places situations that are over or going nowhere front and center so you can understand them. It shows you old patterns and habits that you know are not serving you and reinforces their release.
It ultimately helps you consciously acknowledge the ending and finality of things you may still be attached to in some way. Often, we intuitively know when something is over, be it a job, a relationship, or a behavior. We know on many levels when something isn’t serving us anymore. Detaching from this energy, though, can be challenging. We cling to the familiar and will do many things to hold on, including sacrificing our own growth. This is human nature. It’s simply how we are wired.
This eclipse shines a light on what you already know. In doing this, it gives you no choice but to accept what is and detach from what you already know isn’t for you.
The Influence of the North and South Nodes on the Solar Eclipse
What makes eclipses possible is the Moon’s and Sun’s proximity to the lunar nodes. The lunar nodes exist where the Sun’s path, or the ecliptic, and the Moon’s orbit intersect. They are energetic vortices full of magic and potential.
When the Moon and Sun are both positioned within 17 degrees of either node, an eclipse becomes possible. This positioning also designates an eclipse season. It is only during this time an eclipse can occur. The current eclipse season lasts from April 8 until May 10, 2023.
Solar eclipses occur on new Moons while lunar eclipses occur on full Moons. Just like the Moon and Sun, the North and South Nodes are located within a zodiac constellation. Currently, the North Node is located in the sign of Taurus, while the South Node sits in opposition in Scorpio. This new Moon in Aries occurs close enough to the North Node in Taurus for a solar eclipse to take place, bringing together the energies of the Sun, Moon, and North Node to direct our evolution.
The North Node pulls the energy of society in one direction. It, in many ways, is where we are headed as a collective. The North Node holds the lessons humanity is learning and integrating during a specific period.
The North Node’s position in Taurus is helping heal the collective by bringing us to stillness after a chaotic few years. It’s also encouraging us to connect more deeply with nature to nourish ourselves and, in turn, focus on protecting her. As the North Node moves toward Aries, there will be more emphasis on the self. This position helps us focus on how we can help the collective by prioritizing our soul’s purpose.
The South Node is what we are leaving behind as a society, particularly the lower vibrations of the sign involved. It is what the collective is evolving away from and often represents vibrations we have already mastered as a society.
The South Node in Scorpio is asking us to step away from chaos and trauma. It illuminates places where we are attached to drama and mistrust. It has been showing us the underbelly of society as a way of creating change and fostering growth.
The Nodes officially move into Aries and Libra on July 12, 2023, when we will really feel these energies starting to influence us. As the South Node moves into Libra, a more peaceful time will occur. We’ll see how certain relationships have held us back. It will also illuminate injustices in our system and how the collective has been attached to them.
Along with the collective nodal positions, we each have a personal North and South Node. (You can look yours up at astro-charts.com.) The placement of our North Node shows us where we are headed in our personal evolution and highlights the lessons we are here to learn in this lifetime. We often resist these energies early in life, but we soon find they are the key to understanding our life’s purpose and karmic path.
The position of our South Node shows the energies we’ve come into this world already knowing. It is our place of comfort, but also the place that can block our evolution if we become attached to its familiarity. Our job in this lifetime is to walk from South to North Node, leaving behind the known and mastering the unknown.
On this solar eclipse, we have the opportunity to make leaps both toward the collective North Node’s energies of Taurus and Aries, and toward our personal North Node. We can integrate these energies, harnessing the current North Node’s vibrations to help us understand our personal North Node on a deeper level.
Ask yourself how the highest vibrations of Taurus and Aries can help you integrate the energies of your personal North Node into your life. This may include healing through stillness or connecting with nature. It may be focusing on the abundance already in your life. Or it may be making your soul’s mission a priority while learning to say no without guilt.
This eclipse is the first in a series of eclipses that will take place on the Aries-Libra axis until January 12, 2025, opening a pathway to our evolution over the next few years.
Other Astrological Influences on the Next Solar Eclipse
This solar eclipse squares Pluto in Aquarius. Pluto rules the cycles of our life, including our trauma, healing, and rebirth. As the energy affects you on this eclipse, feel the next phase of your life developing in front of you, even if you’re not ready for it. Ask yourself what needs to heal for you to step into your next level of existence.
Also, honor any sadness within you as you say goodbye to old ways, people, or other energies. Allow the grieving process to occur. Aries has a tendency to cause us to feel angry, frustrated, or impatient. When we dig deeper, we often discover that the root of our anger is sadness and grief. When we do not allow our grief to be felt, we feel anger instead of suppressing it. On this eclipse, allow yourself to grieve. If you feel some anger, honor that, too, and ask what it is covering up with its presence. As you say goodbye to things that are ending, you heal from any trauma they may have caused you. This eclipse offers you closure. Take it if needed. Feel any sadness and release energies that have long expired in your life.
As the Moon and Sun sextile Saturn in Pisces, feel your responsibility to yourself to heal. Remember, this eclipse is all about you and your evolution. To grow into the person you’re meant to be and align with your soul’s mission, you may need to let go of some things. Feel your commitment to yourself over anything else in your life. Make your path and mission a priority, and know that when you do, everyone around you benefits—even the people you’ve had to say goodbye to.
As you commit to saying yes to yourself, you’ll more easily say no without guilt or fear. Feel your resounding yeses coming through on this eclipse and recognize what you need to walk away from to stay committed to them.
The Moon and Sun also fall conjunct, or next to, Jupiter in Aries. This aspect reminds us of our potential. It encourages us to say goodbye, heal, and accept what is ending so we can begin again brighter and more glorious. This eclipse is a rebirthing process. Some pieces of your energy will release, shift, and transform so you can be reborn in a new energy on the other side.
Align with the vibrations of Jupiter to help you see just how brilliant you can be this lifetime. You have unlimited potential in your energy. Yes, you may have to bravely traverse the unknown to get there, and you may have to shed some tears of grief, but your soul’s mission is waiting for you.
Your Invitation
Be open to learning things about yourself and others during eclipse season. Embrace a new version of yourself. You can have a life of fulfillment, ease, and soul alignment. You can feel like you are living the life designed for you. It is possible, and it can start on this solar eclipse. All you have to do is be open to the revelation, accept the healing, and be willing to be reborn as the person you always were and are in your heart.
Learn more about the full Moon, including additional astrological insights and journaling prompts, in the Aries Season, New Moon + Solar Eclipse Workbook, from which the above is excerpted.
About Our Contributor
Jill Wintersteen is the founder of Spirit Daughter, a lifestyle brand devoted to helping you live your best life through understanding the energy of the Universe. She also writes workbooks on each full Moon as well as other astrological events. Follow her on Instagram @spiritdaughter.
