The Midnight Sun, August 1, 2008 Solar Eclipse

In the comments section someone asked me to look at the Chart of the August 1, 2008 eclipse and say something. I'm without SolarFire right now which means that my wings have been severely clipped. I'm having trouble looking up the chart in pretty much every way. My introduction to Eclipses was that 1999 thang which froze a Grand Square on my Mercury. I had been going to astrology groups for months and hearing everyone talk about it in California Speak. Which means that nobody said much but let me know that the vibe was bad. So, Eclipses aren't really my thing I guess. Here goes with some weird stuff. It looks like the basic thing to notice is that the Eclipse is a New Moon at 10 Leo and if you have anything prominent in your chart at 10 Fixed the vibe is bad (not really, only if you have a natal Grand Square, almost always these things are mixed bags). So, go ahead, freak yourself out. I suspect that on a Personal Level Solar Eclipses work at a person's Heart Strings and Lunar Eclipses pluck away at their Subconsciousnesses. Whatever planet this thing lands on in your chart is going to get stirred up. If you were cooking a pot of soup, you wouldn't mind the stirring, so maybe you should think of life in that way. I'm a willful person who likes to evolve from the inside out so change from the outside in is unbelievably unpleasant for me. You might enjoy the ride, though. Look for trines and poo to ease the load.

I'm having trouble finding a chart set to UTC time already so I was going to look at the Eclipse according to Greenwich Time but I suspect that there's an hour difference. Geez, I better find my SolarFire program this week-end or else. For some reason people look at Eclipse charts according to where they are. But Eclipses don't come to you. You either go to them or you don't even know they're happening because you don't ever look up at the sky. I have 3 planets in Leo and even I know I'm not the Center of everyone else's universe. What's the matter with the astrologers. This particular Eclipse begins over Canada and rides up over the Arctic and down into Russia and then ends in China. It culminates over a point just as it hits mainland Russia at 10:21:08 UT. The Path begins in Canada at 8:04:06, UTC, then an umbra (whatever the hell that is) begins at 9:21:07 UT, passes over the North, across to Russia and ends in China 11:21:28 UT. How's that for some Torch Passing for the Olympics? Pretty interesting that this Eclipse is becoming known as "The China Olympic Total Solar Eclipse." So, there's a space of a few hours on August 1 when the Eclipse will be viewable at its peak from these locations.

Sorry to steal the Chinese People's Thunder but I immediately thought of something negative: How interesting that this is said to probably be the Summer that the Polar Ice cap completely melts during the Summer. And Lo-Behold, a Firey Leo Solar Eclipse is here to make it all possible. The Sun rules Leo and the Sun melts things. Interesting metaphor here I guess regarding Man's ability to create through the use of Fire. Somebody should have told Prometheus to tell Man how to control the Flames a little bit better.

Here's a link to a NASA Map which shows the Eclipse's passage over what's left of the Glaciers: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2008/TSE2008iau/TSE2008-fig02.GIF. The Eclipse is sort of a little bit like George Bush viewing the Hurricane Katrina victims from Air Force One. One last pass of Pluto in Sagittarius, the sign which most Polar Bears are born under, and they're done for. So unbelievably sad.

I looked at the Chart. At least I hope I looked at the right chart. This one has 10 Leo Sun and Moon. Try as I might I can't say what is the correct time for the Ascendant. 10:21 UT is the time of Culmination. It is interesting to look at astrolocality charts to see where tensions in this chart may show up in the World. With Neptune conjunct the North Node in this chart it seems that Water, WAter all around might be a theme. The Lunar Eclipse on Aguust 16 (only partial) that's coming up will be conjunct this. Don't shoot any Albatrosses during the next couple of years (read Coleridge's Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner for info on what happens). This might be the peak of the weather flooding hell or it might just be when the flood gates break. Sorry to the Chinese and NBC who just want to have a good Olympics.

Here's the Date for the Time of Culmination over Russia.

August 1, 2008 4:21 pm local time (10:21 UT) Nadym, Russia

Sun 10 Leo; Moon 10 Leo; ASC 18 Scorpio; MC 29 Virgo; NN 19 Aquarius

This chart is specific to the town of Nadym, Russia so don't if it applies to the rest of the World. I'm sure that the Eclipse could not give one hoot about what is Universal Time though.

I'm going to point out some specifics of this chart and if it applies to you and yours, Blessed Be.

First of all, what an awesome chart for Entertainment and the Arts. This is going to be the Best Olympics Ever. Leo rules Games after all. Here we have Venus 25 Leo opposing Neptune 23 Aquarius. The U.S. is gonna whip everyone's Ass, that's all I'm saying here. Go Bears!!! Wait, I didn't go to that school. There's an interesting twist to the Uranus-Neptune mutual reception in this chart as both planets are Singletons. Neptune is Singleton Air and Uranus is Singleton Water. In terms of the Arts that pretty nice. In terms of the planet it looks kind of like a good time to get on a rocket ship and get the Hell out of here.

Jupiter is also a Singleton in this Chart as it's the only planet in Cardinal Signs. It is trining Mars 19 Virgo and is also trining Saturn 8 Virgo. Mars-Jupiter is great for competition and athletics. This might be a good signature overall for Politics as Jupiter and Saturn working together are great political forces on the social level. Interesting situation for a Presidential Election. Trines are awesome, Trines are Great but man they can cause problems if they make people lax or unrealistic. At any rate, we won't have many outer planet trines coming up for the next few years so this Eclipse is going to have to hold us all on its lonesome for quite a while.

So, then there's one last aspect in this chart I'll look at. That's Mars 19 Virgo opposite Uranus 23 Pisces. Every chart I've looked at has had this opposition passing over an angle during the time of Eclipse. At the time of culmination it has just passed over the IC/MC axis. Uranus is in the 3d House and Mars in the 9th. That's great for Scientific Innovations, for exciting experiences. It could also show earthquakes and Volcanos, especially with Uranus making its first widely orbed square to Pluto. Socially it might indicate Rebellion. Will be interesting to see what happens to the media, newspapers, internet. Would be interesting to follow the News to see if events of this Summer experience follow up events first when Mars transits forward and hits whatever angle it has just past. And then if Uranus follows later. I've noticed that both planets tend to hit suddenly and within a week of exact orb. Astrologers should check to see if this applies to their local are (Mars-Uranus opposition just past an angle in the Eclipse chart set for their area). Then check an ephemeris for dates when Mars and Uranus will hit the angles.

Cool map from NASA showing path of the Eclipse with Local Times:
http://www.worldtimezone.com/time-solar-eclipse24.php

I own Bernadette Brady's book The Eagle and the Lark and have read parts of her Chapter on using Eclipses for Prediction. She uses them to watch cycles through time. Each Eclipse belongs to a 19 year Saros Cycle which Brady gives an interpretation for. Unfortunately the book is in storage so I can't look at it. Brady has a website and forum. Maybe cool place to check out right about now.

This Eclipse belongs to Saros Cycle 126 which began on Mar. 10, 1179 and will end on May 3, 2459. The last Eclipse of this cycle was on July 22, 1990 so if one is old one can think back to that time and try to compare to this time. NASA lists all the Eclipses for this Cycle here: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2008/TSE2008tab/TSE2008-Table17.pdf.

Good article about the Eclipse here: http://www.astrologycom.com/eclipse.html.

I checked Wikipedia for information about Nadym, Russia. Nadym is in Northern Russia close to the beautiful Gulf of Ob (I'm not kidding, that's its name) which is maybe in or near Mongolia. It's an Oil Town (Pisces Sun Town, I'm not kidding, only a Pisces would look at the shores of the Gulf of Ob and say "how beautiful") that's probably getting a little boost in its Tourist industry right now. And it's going through its Jupiter Return and will soon celebrate a Nodal Return that is in a Grand Trine with Saturn and Pluto in its chart. Saturn and Pluto are trining its natal Venus-Jupiter trine. Nadym has been around for a really long time but was incorporated (or whatever you call it in Russian) on:

Nadym, Russia
March 9, 1972 Nadym,Russia

Sorry I erased the chart and can't provide more info.