Solar Eclipse in Capricorn :: Wolves & Bones

Yesterday we had a solar eclipse (new moon) in Capricorn. A south node eclipse, indicating a release or a closed door of sorts, even as the Moon was being rebirthed in the heart of the Sun. It was a thorny one, cornered between stern Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn, and an ever non-compliant, non-negotiable, powerful Pluto, the mythic god of the underworld.

The eclipse themes are serious, somber, heavy; offering a new beginning of a long-term endeavour, predicated on an ending of sorts.

In the last few days, I’ve seen some overwhelm, some frustration, some tragic losses, as well as some really promising opportunities materializing – an invitation for success if the necessary effort is invested and a commitment is fully embraced.

With Uranus stationing direct in Aries, the day after the eclipse, some unexpected jolts and surprising, uncanny synchronicities may dance on the zipper of your Capricornian travel pack.

The Moon is still traveling through Capricorn as I write this, disseminating the charged vibrations. The disorienting whir of eclipse season continues for several more weeks, culminating with the last eclipse on the Leo-Aquarius axis – a total lunar (full moon) eclipse in Leo on January 20th.

Therefore extend the relevance of all the Capricorn Solar Eclipse forecasts outward into the future until the end of January at least (with ramifications rippling out 6 months further to the corresponding full moon, especially if any natal planets are affected).

There is so much I’d like to share about Saturn and Capricorn, as I am quite fascinated by Saturn’s symbolism and the two signs that are aligned with this great planet of time and space. However, currently I’m feeling quite absorbent, soaking up the wisdom of Saturnian elders. Tonight I’d like to share a few of their insights with you, with more to come.

I think the images and words speak for themselves…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to write about Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ story of La Loba, the Wolf Woman, a few days ago. Then yesterday, the morning of the eclipse, I noticed Elizabeth Gilbert had recently been featured on the Moth podcast, telling her story of watching her wife die from cancer.

I listened to it. And I highly recommend it. It’s dryly funny, and heart-breakingly sweet, as much as it is raw.

It is also very resonant with the energy of this eclipse on many levels. Elizabeth has a Cancerian Sun and Mercury, with a Virgo Moon (the eclipse was opposite her Mercury and Sun). Her nurturing spirit comes through vividly in her depiction of these final days, while her description of her wife captures so much of this non-conformist Saturn-Pluto-South-Node-Cap vibe in full splendor.

The story itself – one of human vulnerability, life, death, time, commitment, facing our limits, letting go, dark humour, devoted love, determination and grit – is well aligned with this eclipse in a sign that rivals only Scorpio with its acute awareness of mortality and impermanence.

And the title of Elizabeth’s spoken story? Alpha Wolf.

Synchronicity.

The story of La Loba, who sings life back into the bones of wolves, struck me as a reflection of the nodal axis’ transit through Cancer and Capricorn (an 18-month journey which commenced on November 6th, 2018).  Capricorn as the dry bones, the life structures, and Cancer as the waters of life, the soul-song that fleshes the wolf out.

As Jessica Murray writes, with Saturn, we want to manifest this energy in the direction of inside-out, externalizing the sense of purpose birthed internally, gathering our bones and singing them back to life, rather than hiding beneath another animal’s skin.

Popular conceptions of Capricorn/ Saturn as a workaholic, materialistic, greedy, capitalistic, exploitative, patriarchal, power-hungry, conniving big boss CEO-type, trampling on everyone beneath them to get to the top of a socially-approved mountain while persistently holding up traditional hierarchies and systems to the world’s detriment… is a distortion of this energy.

This is Capricorn’s shadow. Not its Truth, not its positive potential.

With Saturn, Pluto, and the South Node transiting Capricorn over the next 2+ years, we will have many opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of this soulful sign, to integrate the nourishment of Cancer with the dry bones of Capricorn, and to live from the inside-out.

Of course Capricorn is also the sea-goat with the fishy tail, deeply connected with Source water even if it forgets this sometimes.

What Capricornian shadows are coming up for you already, so that you can address them? In what ways have you internalized the external? In what ways have you structured your identity narrative and life goals around someone else’s expectations, or to earn society’s approval? How might your psyche still be trying to prove your worth and value to a caregiver, mentor, or peer from childhood? How might your choices and actions be subconsciously influenced by a desire to avoid any risk of public judgement, rejection, or failure at all costs?

As a Saturnian person I’m sure I will forever be reflecting on these questions, but perhaps gathering bones is, after all, a lifelong pursuit.