What The Partial Solar Eclipse And New Moon Mean For You

It might be a funny coincidence or it might be a magical social experiment conducted by the gods, but it’s definitely worth noting that this month’s partial solar eclipse in Aquarius comes to us the day after Valentine’s Day. While Valentine’s Day floods our screens and streets with images of couples, commercial romance, and a certain inescapable feeling of lack, the solar eclipse brings the sun and new moon together in Aquarius decan 3, which is ruled by Venus and extends it sweetness generously. Aquarius rules this sun and moon conjunction and inspires all of us toward a universally minded eros, a revolution of desire that privileges the pleasure of all bodies. It asks us to recognize the way we exist not against each other but in relation to. This partial solar eclipse is a moment of collective darkness, a darkness where new life begins, and this new moon asks us to navigate the night with the light of our intuitive knowing.

You'll need intuition as a guide, but first, you’ve got to trust your intuition, so get closer to yourself. Since we don’t live in a world that rewards us conventionally for our inner knowing, it’s on us to reward ourselves. Imagine that you are walking through a forest. Wait. Imagine that you’re walking through a forest, but that this walk is not about the danger of unknown terrain and it’s not about what waits for you in the dark. You’re walking through a forest where no man aims to harm you, and though there are wild animals, you have no reason to believe one will cross your path tonight. 

Your objective, your deepest wish, is to navigate the darkness. You would ask the moon for all her light, but she is just born and has little light to give. She can’t adjust for you, so you’ve got to adjust for her. This walk will teach you to listen closely, and you will learn the difference between a worn path and a thicket from the sound your shoes make. You will touch the trees you pass and feel for where the bark is smooth and where the moss is thick. Your eyes will train themselves to see what they could not see and, when the canopy opens, the North Star will reveal herself to you as if you’ve never been apart. So it will be with your knowing, with trusting your red flags, and sitting with your gut feelings. Someone taught you once that knowing is different from feeling and, in doing so, separated you from yourself. They needed you to feel weak, but you are very powerful.

If you know anything about moon rituals, you know the new moon is the perfect time to begin a new project, to plant a seed, or set an intention. It’s true that you can do those things. But, remember, this solar eclipse is not a lone incident. It is the closing of a cycle that began in August when the sun was in Leo. The total solar eclipse left us gasping at what we take for granted and all we have left to truly experience in the universe. 

Now our sun and moon gather in Aquarius. This solar eclipse asks us to reflect on all we’ve learned about ourselves in these past six months and how it can be used to serve the higher good. Have you turned inward and begun to heal yourself in new ways? Have you remembered what you’ve got to offer to this world? If you feel stronger, know that none of us gets stronger alone. Recognize the places within you that flourish because community has held you up. Power is not inherently corrupt, we know this because the ocean’s waves are powerful, like our will to survive is powerful, so turn toward the collective wave. Let the seeds you plant on this new moon be seeds for a community garden. Know that taking care does not mean dropping your boundaries. A garden is no less a garden when it has a gate, a garden needs divisions since not all plants are companions. Allow yourself to feed and be fed. Allow yourself to believe in abundance despite a world that would rather we fight over scraps. Understand that abundance is not the same thing as capital. Abundance allows us to thrive where capital fails.