Life Changes, Upgrades, & Lessons: Reflections On The Aries Eclipse ☌ Chiron

*Warning | This is a longer post than usual, but it's jam-packed with really important content, advice, journaling prompts, and insights to ruminate on post-eclipse season.

Post Eclipse Ramblings & Guidance:

What a whirlwind of a week it's been, especially for those of us with Cardinal placements! In the wake of the Aries eclipse, many of us are feeling fundamentally altered, having taken a long, hard look at the driving forces that steer our actions, whether positive or negative. Our passions and even our fears have come under scrutiny in this period of introspection. Above all, this time has opened up avenues for transformative conversations. We're delving deep into how we show up for others and, perhaps more crucially, how we show up for ourselves. Simultaneously, It's a period of navigating life when our usual clarity and rational judgment seem momentarily obscured. Fear not, this fogginess will lift with time, and in its place revelations and 'aha' moments emerge from a place of deep intuitive knowing. Even if the path ahead is still somewhat unclear, within the collective, there's a sense of peace with the changes taking place in our lives every day.

For me, this solar eclipse, characterized by its Martian vigor (Aries' planetary ruler is Mars), has triggered a reevaluation of my identity, how I work toward the development of my best self, and the evolving nature of my role as a burgeoning thought leader across uncharted territories. Aries' boundless cardinal energy, synonymous with novelty and risk-taking, has propelled me into unexplored realms, challenging me to redefine my impact and purpose in a myriad of different ways, professionally and personally. Simultaneously, It's been a profound journey of learning to establish healthy boundaries within communities I adore, removing myself from environments that no longer serve the person I’m growing into, rediscovering the depth of Hellenistic Astrology, and my spiritual practices with the assistance of my savvy, intelligent, and always resourceful ancestral team.

Through this introspection, three crucial questions have emerged in the past week that I feel called to reflect on publicly, as a means of helping my community maximize and grow from this suspended, liminal, "any outcome is possible" period in time: 

• How can I contribute to advancing the collective consciousness in a meaningful way without sacrificing my own well-being?
  

• How can I communicate messages that empower others, and myself, without inducing undue anxiety?
  

• How is my environment either advancing or hindering the realization of my best self?

The Power Of Newfound Clarity:

With this eclipse cycle, many of us first had our first round of 'aha' moments concerning relationships and partnerships of all kinds on March 25th, during the Libra (ruled by Venus, naturally relationship-focused) lunar eclipse conjunct the South Node (representing the comfortable traits, habits, experiences we fall back on from time to time that might undermine our true purpose because of its opposition to the North node, a destiny point). This eclipse forced us to take a closer look at the communities and relationships we maintain, prematurely grieving the loss of some of these partnerships as we navigate and forge new paths without the support of familiar spaces, friends, and family. The second eclipse in this axis, the solar eclipse in Aries (April 8th), invited us to take action (martian/aries theme) to be in better alignment with our new personal truth by seeking out new connections who can help us reach our true goals in this lifetime, even if the act of separation from old relationships/groups/environments is painful (blame that on the exact conjunction to Chiron -- ouch!)

Simultaneously, with STILL Mercury RX, our mind is fixated on diving deep into the root of old arguments, behaviors, words, and actions, and truthfully, what has been uncovered (for some) is a shocking amount of self-sabotage, leading to a lack of connection, and consideration for ourselves and others.

What Happens Next?

So, with the resonance of eclipse energy extending for at least six months after the event, this offers Cardinal placements, Scorpio Placements, and Leo Placements (and truly everyone) an excellent window for reflection and action on the themes that have been present most this eclipse season. The questions above serve as a north star for essentially anyone to begin the process of re-evaluating if your skills, contributions, and essence are valued in the spaces you're currently committed to showing up in, while also holding yourself accountable for the role you play(ed) in curating the image others see of you. If your mind immediately draws a blank on how to effectively ruminate on the guiding questions above, challenge yourself by answering authentically these additional questions first to provide yourself with clarity. Challenge yourself to only take 2 minutes or less to respond, and write down what first comes to mind for accuracy:

• Are you projecting an aura people want to be around? 

• What do the people attracted to your current aura reflect about you? (good and bad)

• Are you able to show up as your authentic self in spaces that rely on you for services or labor?  

• How does my “not self” speak to others? (part of you that frequently appears when your nervous system is dysregulated or you’re emotionally off balance) How is the message usually received?

• How does my true self speak to others? How is the message usually received?

• What are my innate gifts and talents? How do I use these tools to serve myself, and others when/if needed?

As I contemplate these questions myself, I'm reminded of two things:

1. The importance of self-check-ins and personal accountability (when was the last time you kept it real with YOU?)

2. The delicate balance between serving others and preserving personal energy reserves.

In this time of massive societal changes, relationship shifts, and political turbulence, what essentially emerges is an era of redefinition and redirection. We are all in a trial-and-error process navigating what it means to be a functioning member of society after an unexpected global pandemic thrust us all into some form of physical or social seclusion for years, and currently, multiple global genocides take place unchallenged by many, while distractions of all forms dominate our screens. What occurs next is what I like to refer to as "The Great Split", a fracturing of the collective consciousness into varied realities, some good, some bad, and some downright unfathomable for many of us. This ideological shift becomes more palpable every day, it's in our headlines, our community events, these shifts even seep into our view of food, worship, and commerce. Many of us born at the intersection of the past and the present wake up wondering often, how things will change next. Truthfully, while I love providing predictions, I can only be certain of one thing, as our individual concepts of ourselves undergo deep changes, these mental shifts will naturally inspire changes in groups of all kinds, for better and worse.

For those reasons alone, It's crucial to ruminate on your core belief system, identity, actions, and even behavior of the communities around you to determine if there’s still alignment. This introspection is necessary and serves as a key first step to finding a community that prioritizes mutual satisfaction and acknowledges and supports your contributions, versus those that only seek your presence as a way to elevate themselves without reciprocity. Imagine how life-changing it could be to exist in a communal setting fully designed to support you. Work on creating it intentionally, but allow yourself the time to encounter individuals who will love you but haven’t experienced you yet.

Working With & Not Against Chiron

As I touched on in my last blog post and above, this eclipse cycle conjunct Chiron (The wounded healer asteroid) likely exposed some deep-seated fears, emotional challenges, mental health-focused concerns, and lingering baggage from childhood and early life experiences (among other things). Now is the prime time to confront how these memories may still exert influence over your present-day experiences. These emotional feelings might have manifested as feelings of unrest and turmoil over being left out or abandoned, feelings of financial insecurity, reckoning with your mortality and the mortality of the elders around you, generally not feeling good enough, and diving into the deep turbulent waters of reckoning with the implications of not being heard or properly acknowledged, understood, taken care of, or loved by the people around you.

These are themes that individuals with Cardinal placements will likely contemplate over the next six months, as they strive to release the burdens of experiences they were never meant to carry. It's crucial not to let these previous challenges become a source of resentment or bitterness. Instead, use these experiences as a compass, guiding you toward the connections, experiences, and aspirations that align best with your true desires, intentions, and values. Let the pain from the past transform you!

My Advice?

Your story doesn't have to start and end with pain, abandonment, or rejection. You are more than those experiences, and they don't deserve to be a central focus of the new story you're developing for your life path. Place the ownership of those burdens on the place they originated from, and force them/it to carry the pain now. You’ve carried that weight(s) as far as they can go with you on this journey, and now it’s time to let go and release with grace, and for some of us, with a bang if necessary. While it’s important to be cognizant of limitations you might have faced in the past, Recognize that you possess all the tools necessary to navigate the challenges ahead. Be bold and courageous enough to address the impact of those experiences (on yourself and others) with grace, care, and the swift ability to regulate your emotional response as a means of moving on with your life with ease.

Important Emotional Reminders For This Time:

• Being triggered shouldn’t stop you from doing the internal work that needs to be done. Take a break, and continue when ready.
  

• Allow yourself time to change as you incorporate new ways of living/being/thinking into your lifestyle
  

• It’s okay to grieve YOU. Especially if an ego, old personality, or old habits are being dissolved. Have a recovery plan in place for how to center yourself when these challenging feelings occur.

Eclipse Headline Updates:

Given the regular occurrence of four eclipses each year, it would be unethical and morally irresponsible for myself or any astrologer to exploit eclipse cycles, particularly the Aries eclipse cycle that recently concluded, to stoke fear within the collective consciousness. In my last blog post, I adhered to this principle, providing only a few genuine predictions or considerations for this cycle. I emphasized its potential impact on children, the impact on how anger is expended in the collective, and the impact on collective mental health and the workforce as captured my last article here.

Reflecting on the highlighted prediction above, I've compiled a brief overview of major headlines and stories from Monday (4/8) to today (4/16). These events seem to corroborate the energetic themes I initially discerned from the eclipse chart. Below are some notable examples to ponder (stories linked):

--

--

--

--

--

--

Concerning my predictions on eclipse layoffs, resignations, etc, see the below headlines.

--

--

As always, I can't include everything, but I do encourage you to do your own research on how the pieces of guidance in my last article, match with current global headlines to come to your own conclusions!

My Big Eclipse Takeaway As An Astrologer:

As I mentioned in my last post, the anger generated by the out-of-control external circumstances prompted by the Eclipse has ignited a heightened sense of passion and, unfortunately, a wave of rage among a significant portion of the population. This hidden undercurrent of fury is dangerously potent, potentially fueling a rise in violent acts, angry displays in public spaces, and on the positive side, passionate displays of love, raw power, and motivation to succeed despite the odds being stacked against them both domestically and on a global scale.

But overall, the most prescient message this past week revealed through so many interactions, online and in person, is that now more than ever is a powerful time to be very intentional with your words, how you deliver messages to other people (even businesses should note this), and the importance of, quite frankly, shutting the fuck up occasionally. Again, as I’ve mentioned in my last post, Mercury retrograding through Aries' third decan, governed by Jupiter, will naturally expand or increase the consequences of not choosing your words and battles wisely. Similarly, Jupiter is, as many of us know from elementary school, the biggest planet in our solar system with a healthy appetite for consumption. Don’t let your Mercury RX/Eclipse lesson come in the form of getting, for lack of better words,  “ate up” online or in-person during this period online; Jupiter loves a good gobble session, but I will say, he’s usually pretty dramatic about the whole thing so be careful!

Additionally, so many of us, inspired by the passion this season generates (as the sun is exalted in Aries, giving extra strength to the effects of the sun’s transit here) also have had to reckon with our compulsive need to be first, and have swiftly seen, in some cases, the harsh impact of how our impulsivity (especially with our words and actions) can create big consequences because we weren’t thinking clearly about the actions (mars) we took in the past (and present) and how they can impact others opinions (mercury) of us (blaming this TOTALLY on Mercury RX). Slow down, and PLEASE think before you speak.

In the spirit of full transparency, I’m even applying these necessary changes to my own practice of content creation to move forward with more intention and balance. In crafting messages for my community, it’s always been my aim to strike a balance between acknowledging societal shifts and inspiring empowerment to navigate them fearlessly, armed with the intellectual guidance to succeed. Rather than stoking fear, I strive to emphasize the shared nature of our experiences and the potential for positive change. By presenting information with clarity, empathy, and always a little humor my hope is always to empower individuals to align with their own values and take meaningful action toward fulfilling goals that elevate their lives in meaningful ways.

As we navigate the evolving landscape of the next six months together, I'm committed to fostering a dialogue that encourages growth, resilience, and collective action while ALWAYS keeping you looped into the latest Astro tea that could potentially change your life. We're all on a journey of self-discovery together, and I'm grateful to be walking it alongside my community! Stay tuned for more Astro blog posts, playlists, ruminations, and guides coming soon, and follow my Astro Instagram at @BrownBabeAstro or subscribe here for any relevant updates.

Until next time!

-Cydney