Life is always guiding us on our journey. Whether it's through a series of synchronicities, or our personal intuition, life is always pointing us in the direction of growth and evolution, if we know how to listen. Sometimes life speaks to us individually, and sometimes she speaks to us collectively, as in the case of an eclipse.

Eclipses get our attention. Astrologer Eric Francis refers to them as 'astrology we can see'. We might not be able to see Saturn trining Uranus, but (if are in a specific location) we can see an eclipse. The importance of 'seeing' something, is that it gets our attention. It brings something into our conscious awareness that we may otherwise have been unaware of. It brings our journey of spiritual awakening to our attention.

The eclipses this month involve the signs of Leo and Aquarius, which are two of the most important signs for our age. On August 7th, at the Full Moon, we have a partial lunar eclipse, visible from parts of Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia (eclipse map). The Sun is in Leo, the Moon is directly opposite in Aquarius, and it is the time of the Leo-Aquarius Sun-Full Moon meditation.

On August 21st at the time of the New Moon, we have the most spectacular of all eclipses: a Total Solar Eclipse, visible from parts of North and South America, the northern Pacific, the United States and the South Atlantic (eclipse map). Both Sun and Moon will be in Leo.

When an eclipse happens we lose sight of the Sun or Moon for a short period, partially or fully, followed by it's reappearance. This symbolises the dynamics of death and re-birth, degeneration and regeneration. Following an eclipse we can expect a change in shape and/or form in some area of our lives. In the case of the Leo-Aquarius polarity, we are always dealing on some level with the individual (Leo) vs the collective (Aquarius). 

Through this Leo-Aquarius eclipse series we are changing the form our society takes: consciously choosing our collective ideals and values (Aquarius) and figuring how they must honor, respect, and align with, our individual values, rights and personal experience (Leo). A Lunar Eclipse brings a change in form, a Solar Eclipse brings a release, letting go of something that no longer supports our growth.

On a personal level your own ego might well feel 'eclipsed' as you are asked to embody the highest expression of you that you can be: your Soul. If you have been caught in ego lately, believing your ego-personality beliefs rather than aligning with your highest Soul vibration, this eclipse could bring experiences into your life that bring those tendencies to your attention, thus re-connecting you with your conscious awareness.

The Nodal Axis

On May 9th this year, the lunar nodes also shifted from the Virgo-Pisces axis, to the Leo-Aquarius axis where they will remain for the next 18 months or so. The lunar nodes tell us about our spiritual journey. On a personal level they indicate a well worn path, patterns of behaviour that we need to change if we are to set ourselves free of karmic conditioning, and move towards spiritual liberation and enlightenment.

The Nodal Axis signifies a collective 'point of focus'. So this year we experienced a collective shift in our attention towards Leo-Aquarius. We are all seeing our priorities a little bit differently. Collectively they are like a barometer, indicating the current condition of humanity on a collective level, and what we are working on balancing in our society so that we collectively shift to the next level, the next turn on the evolutionary spiral.

When the Nodal Axis Shifts, Humanity Shifts. By the time of the UK General Election on June 8th 2017, the lunar nodes had been in Leo-Aquarius for just under one month. UK Prime Minister Theresa May called an election to show public support for the Government, and to weaken her opponent Jeremy Corbyn by showing no public support for his proposals. 

The reverse happened. Rather than ousting the opposition, this election unexpectedly birthed a new form of politics for the Aquarian Age.  The people were inspired by Corbyn's message of hope and justice for the many (Aquarius), through individual empowerment (Leo). While he did not win the election, his support grew exponentially. He refused to play conflict politics, or to attack his opponent based on personality (low vibration Leo ego-personality), and rather he stayed focused on the higher ideals and values of his campaign (higher vibration Aquarius). His ranks of supporters swelled by the thousands, and he became the new voice of the people. Interestingly, during his campaign there was often reference to Lions (Leo)! He galvanized thousands of people into action with the rally cry, of Percy Shelley's poem:

In unvanquishable number!

Shake loose your chains like morning dew

Which in sleep were placed on you:

Ye are many—they are few!

Shelley himself had Sun in Leo, and it is interesting to note that during this Leo-Aquarius nodal axis, his words returned to inspire a political movement, almost 200 years after his death! During Corbyn's campaign hundreds of people, who had previously been uninterested or disillusioned with politics, were inspired to register and vote. There is a new wave of interest in politics as individuals feel that they finally have a voice, and can make a difference. 

We don't know Jeremy Corbyn's birth time, which means we don't know his Soul Sign, however he does have a stellium in Aquarius formed by Jupiter and the asteroids Proserpina, Psyche and Minerva. (Click HERE for an interpretation of Jeremy Corbyn's chart by astrologer Jessica Adams) Corbyn's campaign is an example of balanced Leo-Aquarius, whereby he successfully married humanitarian ideals (Aquarius) with individual empowerment (Leo). His emphasis was on a new politics, the politics of care.

The South Node indicates where we are coming from, the road we have travelled (been there, done that) and the North node indicates where we must turn our attention if we are to avoid stagnation and collectively evolve to the next level.

The North Node is currently in Leo. The Solar eclipse also happens in Leo. We are clearly being called to put our attention on the Leo end of this polarity, and to take our consciousness to the highest possible vibration of Leo.

We are in the early stages of the Age of Aquarius (as a foundation on the Age of Aquarius I highly recommend you read "The Age of Aquarius: Evolving Consciousness") and if we are to transcend the lower ego-personality expressions of Aquarius and access the higher Soul-Centered vibration of Aquarius, we will all need to understand, and access, the 'antidote' of Aquarius's opposite sign Leo.

The Aquarius Ego-Personality (the downside of the Aquarian Age)

As we move into the Aquarian Age we are already beginning to see the 'lower' ego-personality expressions of Aquarius, affecting humanity. Aquarius rules science and technology, and we are seeing the rapidly accelerating advance and dissemination of technology on a global scale. People thought Bill Gates was crazy when he suggested there would be a computer in every home, yet now there is a computer (smartphone) in every pocket and purse! 

Aquarius also rules humanity, humanitarianism, human societies and human networks. On a positive note, this makes Aquarians great networkers and anyone with personal planets in Aquarius often have a small army as their circle of friends. On a negative note, this can be a rather impersonal kind of 'friendship'. We can already clearly see how our love of technology is separating us. While we might have a huge social network (Aquarius rules social networks) the quality of those friendships can be distant, shallow, and superficial. This is because, as an air sign, Aquarius is associated with the mind: with ideas, concepts, and ideals, so our social networks are based on mental connections, not heart connections. Interacting with our social networks can leave us feeling tired (mental exhaustion) and yet lacking any real, deep, heartfelt connection.

Aquarius also rules science, and the main thrust of 20th century 'science', was striving to be as 'objective' as possible. This can lead Aquarians to speak objectively and in general terms, sometimes to the extreme. "People in general..." "one has to consider that" and so on and so forth. The Aquarian love of scientific classification can lead to a tendency to put people into boxes, and their devotion to pure (or absolute) objectivity can lead to a distancing of themselves that borders on ruthless indifference. It is easy to ignore an issue if it is happening to someone else.

Objectivity taken to extremes (Aquarius), without the balance of personal subjectivity (Leo), leads to denial and spiritual by-passing on a personal level. Being excessively objective toward oneself, can be a form of self-violence in the refusal to acknowledge and embrace one's own personal (subjective) experience. Collectively, excessive objectivity and idealism can lead to unrealistic standards being imposed, to which citizens must strive for. When ideals are forced on people, no matter how altruistic they may seem, in practice they can become tyrannical and dictatorial.

Simply put, the lower expressions of Aquarius would be excessive objectivity, aloofness, rigidly imposed mental ideals and a sense of separation, exaggerated by the use and mis-use of science and technology. In striving for a mental ideal of 'equality' Aquarius can be 'reductionist', where individual experience is negated and/or dismissed in pursuit of a higher ideal.


The Leo Ego-Personality

In contrast Leo is the sign of self. If Aquarius takes objectivity to the extreme, then Leo can take subjectivity to the extreme. At the opposite end of the Leo-Aquarius see-saw, Leo says, "hey, what about ME?" Aquarian idealism might be a thought like "Wouldn't the world be a better place if everyone just..." Upon hearing that, Leo thinks "How will that affect me?" Leo values individuality, creativity, and personal experience, yet also has the reputation of being the most egocentric and bombastic of all the zodiac signs.

The downside of this is that subjective experience can be mistaken for truth. Leo can become identified with the ego, identified with his actions, believing that he IS what he DOES. Leo is the sign of the heart and creative self-expression. When taken to extremes this can become a passionate, hot-headed pursuit for selfish gain. Extreme individualism can become dominion over others, to serve ones own agenda and to advance 'me and mine'.

Loyalty is one of the highest values for Leo, he will be loyal to his family and friends and expect loyalty in return. This can lead to the separatist polarity of 'us and them'. You're with me or against me. Are you friend or foe? Leo will have no hesitation to wage war on his enemies, to protect his own. It also leads to 'elitism' and the belief that people are not equal: some are better and more deserving than others. There can be an attitude of, "Loyalty deserves reward, disloyalty deserves punishment".

Simply put, the lower expressions of Leo can lead to egocentrism, extreme individualism, and elitism. I striving for individuality, Leo can become elitist, denying others in the pursuit of self-gain.

The Balance Point: Integrated Leo-Aquarius

It's not a case of one sign being 'better' than another, they are just different expressions of the same energy, which is striving to evolve human consciousness through a deepening heart connection.

When we move to the higher, conscious, expressions of Leo-Aquarius we get the best of both worlds: humanitarian idealism (Aquarius) is transformed into human consciousness through the creative expression of heart-centered individuals (Leo). With balanced Leo-Aquarius energy we can create a conscious and heart-centered society, where awareness of the human condition and sincere, warm, heartfelt compassion for each other becomes the driving impetus, rather than a distant 'mental ideal'.

The warmth and heart-centeredness of Leo is needed as the antidote to the cold, indifference of Aquarius, and the equanimity of Aquarius is needed as the antidote to the elitism of Leo. When balanced, we evolve.

The time of the Leo-Aquarius Sun-Full Moon meditation on August 7th, with the lunar eclipse (18:21 UTC), is a powerful time to meditate on balancing the Leo-Aquarius polarity so that we shift from lower Leo and Aquarian expressions into the higher consciousness of integrated balanced Leo-Aquarius, and re-shape our society around genuine heart-centered humanitarianism.

15º Leo - Portal To Higher Consciousness

The Lunar Eclipse on August 7th occurs when the Sun is at 15º Leo and the Moon is at 15º Aquarius.

The points at 15º of the fixed signs are known as "Avatar Points" and they correspond with the ‘cross-quarter’ celtic festivals of:

• Beltane (Sun at 15º Taurus)
  
• Lammas (Sun at 15º Leo)
  
• Samhain (Sun at 15º Scorpio)
  
• Imbolc (Sun at 15ºAquarius)
  

The cross-quarter festivals mark the half-way points between the solstices and equinoxes. These sacred points not only marked calendar days for the celtic people but are considered important energetic points where we may be more conscious of subtle spiritual energies, and spiritual influences are more able to support us in the evolution of human consciousness. They are gateways, or portals, through which we can access higher realms of consciousness. We have retained some diluted idea of this notion around Halloween, but we seem to have forgotten that the other Avatar points are equally powerful.

Why Avatar?

Well it's nothing to do with the movie of that name, although there is a loose association: the dictionary definition of avatar is “the embodiment of an archetype”. So what is an archetype? Usually an 'ideal' human, a template or blueprint for a future human. In this case a spiritual ideal. So the avatar points are points when we can reach our highest spiritual intention, possibly even enlightenment, if we focus our attention on our spiritual path.

Grand Fire Trine

The Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on August 7th, also takes place against the backdrop of a Grand Fire Trine formed by the lunar North Node in Leo, Saturn in Sagittarius, and Uranus in Aries. I've written much in earlier newsletters about Saturn in Sagittarius but briefly Saturn rules the structure of mind, our brain-wiring, and Sagittarius is about higher truth and wisdom. So at it's highest expression Saturn in Sagittarius is inviting us to re-structure our belief systems in alignment with the highest truth. Uranus rules intuition and intuitive flashes of insight, while Aries is the creative spark of life as it manifests into existence. So at it's highest expression Uranus in Aries invites us to simply be awake and aware in the truth of our own existence. We've already mentioned how the North node is indicating a direction for spiritual growth, while the nodal axis itself has implications for us on a societal level. So the North Node in Leo is our invitation as a society to align ourselves with the path of Self-realization.

Fire trines are always about beliefs on some level, bringing enthusiasm, passion, intuition and inspiration, while the positive energy of the trine allows the energy to flow more easily with few hindrances. So this trine is creating the conditions for us, to awaken to the truth of our existence (Uranus in Aries) and to restructure our belief systems (Saturn in Sagittarius) to create a society that supports awakening and Self-realization (Lunar North Node in Leo). However, for this to happen, it is important that every single one of us beings conscious awareness to our own fear-based lower ego-expressions, so we can avoid getting caught in the lower Leo-Aquarius dynamics, and shift to the higher expressions.

By the time of the New Moon Total Solar Eclipse on August 21st (18:26 UTC) the Sun, Moon and Mars have join the North Node to form a stellium in Leo, which becomes part of the Grand Fire Trine. This places the Solar Eclipse in the context of the Grand Fire Trine and places great emphasis on Leo as the point of change. My mentor Anya Sophia Mann would often say, "consciousness is the point of change within each individual." This Grand Trine Solar Eclipse is a powerful opportunity for us to individually release all that is not in alignment with higher consciousness, and to collectively shift our attention to creating a society where the conscious intention is to support each individual on his or her journey of self-realization.

Revolution is not the answer. The answer is consciousness, your own, individual, spiritual awakening. The collective evolution of human consciousness will naturally allow new societies to emerge based on individual freedom, empowerment, compassion, sustainable living and humanitarianism (Aquarius), as each individual awakens to their own path of self-realization (Leo). These won't be based on 'ideal concepts ' being imposed on people (fear-based Aquarius), or people revolting to gain personal wealth, status and power (fear-based Leo) but rather through a genuine awakening of the heart (high Leo) and a real, experienced, awareness of higher collective consciousness (high Aqaurius).

The Solar Eclipse on August 21st is a time to completely release lower Leo ego-personality and to shift our collective attention to the highest expression of Leo: self-realization. It is through the power of the human heart that we will heal the world, as 8 billion individuals awaken through heart-centered experience and their individual path of self-realization.

Leo is one of the most important signs for humanity, as we enter the Aquarian Age.

Esoterically, Leo is the path of self-realization: the shift from self-consciousness to self-awareness, to self-realization. It is only through our individual experience that we release the delusion of ego, and awaken to the reality of our true nature, as a spiritual being. This does not happen through some Aquarian idealistic society, nor does is happen through Leonine elitism. It happens through individual self-awareness.

Drawing upon Esoteric Astrology, the Greek myth of Hercules, and ancient principles from spiritual masters, the author describes the journey of your Soul through the twelve signs of the Zodiac. This book offers a way of using your birth chart to answer life's big questions by recognizing the energy that you were born with and how it is wanting to be expressed in this lifetime.