The July New Moon Solar Eclipse: What Feels Like Home to You?

I've had the opportunity to do a little traveling over the past month, visiting Provincetown, Pittsburgh, and Copenhagen, Denmark. While in Provincetown we stay at our condo there, so it feels very much like our home. In Pittsburgh, I stayed in my parent's home, and the house I grew up in. And in Denmark we stayed at a friend's home, one he usually rents out in the beach community where its located. If you ever get the opportunity to travel- take it! The world is such a big and beautiful place. It goes without saying that each of those three homes are very different from each other. Our condo in Provincetown is casual, light, efficient. My parent's home has a lot of silk flowers, Victorian-style accents, and fringed runners over the carpeting. Denmark, of course, felt very European. Small sized appliances and different kinds of building material (we stayed in a Norwegian pine cabin). I bring up the theme of home because the new moon solar eclipse falls in the sign of Cancer.

The Astrology of The New Moon

The new moon solar eclipse occurs on Saturday, July 11, 2010, at 3:40 PM at 19° Cancer. A solar eclipse is when the sun, moon, and earth are in an alignment and this causes the moon to block out the light from the sun, as seen from earth. A solar eclipse is like a powerful new moon, and as you know from reading my column, a new moon is a time of new beginnings. It's the start of a new cycle. In astrology the sign of Cancer is represented by the crab, a vulnerable creature that protects itself with its shell and claws. And just as the real crab walks sideways, the astrological Cancer can skirt issues, approach challenges indirectly, and get snippy if it feels threatened. When expressed in more healthy ways we find Cancer, which is ruled by the moon, to be nurturing, emotionally available, and protective. As a stage of human development, we find that Cancer relates to the time in a child's life when he or she feels emotionally secure. It's this foundation that allows the child to them move into more unique and personal modes of self-expression, as found with the next sign, Leo. Cancer, and the moon, also represent our home- whether we envision that as the people that make up our family, a physical house, or any spot where we hang out hat. Home is a place that ideally offers us safety, companionship, comfort, and a level of emotional security that's not found anywhere else. My traveling was enjoyable because, while the physical space in each of the homes was very different, I felt safe. I felt a kinship. And each has its own way of providing comfort. The only aspect to the new moon is a sextile to Mars (meaning the moon and Mars are 60° apart in the sky). The sextile is important because it creates kinship between two planets. They share polarity (yin/yang, male/female, positive/negative) and in this case they are both in feminine/negative/yin signs, which means the energy is very receptive. Mars is at 19° of Virgo- precisely 60° apart from the new moon at 19° of Caner (and don't Virgo's love precision?). Mars in Virgo will also help us develop a plan of action that will infuse whatever new endeavors we begin now with a sense of clear direction. With Mars in Virgo so nicely aligned to the new moon it also a favorable time for actively (Mars) healing (Virgo) any emotional hurts we may be hanging onto if we find them to be blocking our progress. For fellow water signs Pisces and Scorpio this eclipse expedite the changes that are pulling you into a new direction. Flow with it. For the other cardinal signs of Aries, Libra, and Caprico , you may feel challenged with a situation that makes you step out of your comfort zone. Pay attention to what happens- it's a lesson. The rest of the signs, in general, may not be as affected by this eclipse as others. And of course the only way to tell if you'll be personally affected by it is to examine your chart. Is 19° of Cancer a sensitive degree in your natal chart? If you're experiencing a sense of transition or a feeling that things are shifting then it may be time to check in and see what the universe is opening for you. Namaste'