What is an eclipse? There are two types of eclipses - solar and lunar. A solar eclipse occurs during a New Moon and a lunar eclipse occurs during a Full Moon. Having said that, a New Moon and Full Moon occur every month but eclipses only occur a couple of time each year. So what else do we need? We need alignment! A New Moon occurs when the Sun and Moon are sitting in the sky together. A New Moon Eclipse (or Solar Eclipse) occurs when the Sun, Moon and Earth are lined up together in such a way that the Moon blocks the light of the Sun to the Earth. The Sun is said to be eclipsed at this time.
A Full Moon occurs when the Sun and Moon are opposite each other in the sky. A Full Moon Eclipse (or Lunar Eclipse) occurs when the Sun, Moon and Earth are in alignment but this time it's the Earth that sits between the two luminaries are blocks the Sun from the Moon, so it has no light to reflect. The Moon is said to be eclipsed at this time.
How can you tell if someone was born under an eclipse just from looking at their birth chart? If their Sun is sitting within 18 degrees of one of the Nodes and they were born under a New Moon or Full Moon phase, an eclipse was occurring around the time of their birth. There can be something fated about being born under an eclipse. Prince William, future King of England was born under a Solar Eclipse in Cancer.
The Saros cycles are how eclipses are measured and categorised. Each eclipse series starts at either the North Pole or South Pole. It starts as a small, partial eclipse and gradually decreases its orb until it becomes total at the equator, then starts to wane once more. It's cycle will end at the opposite pole from where it started some 1300 years later. Astrologer Bernadette Brady has done a lot of research on this subject and has produced some interesting content on the matter.
The signs that the eclipses fall in depend on the signs that the nodes are found in. Currently, the North Node is in the sign of Gemini and the South Node is in Sagittarius. Therefore, any eclipses will fall in these signs. Mid year brought the Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius and Solar Eclipse in Gemini. At the end of 2021, we will see a Lunar Eclipse in Gemini and a Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius.
Eclipses have always held a strong fascination for us, as they reflect visible events in the sky that we believe may have some impact on us. However, what many people fail to realise is that the stars are always having an impact on us as we go about our daily life. It's important to stop and look up with an appreciation for the guidance that they can bring.