Solar Eclipse in Pisces: Developing Compassion and Surrendering to the Divine
This Sunday, February the 26th, the New Moon comes to conjunct the Sun and the South Node, forming a solar eclipse in Pisces. While lunar eclipses occur on the Full Moon and thus usually coincide with the culmination or breaking point of a certain theme or area of awareness, solar eclipses coincide with the New Moon and carry with them much potential for energized new beginnings. This particular eclipse will be the final phase in the family of eclipses that have occurred on the axis of Virgo-Pisces throughout the last two years.
These two mutable signs are concerned with service and purity. Virgo reflects purity of the mind-body connection, concerned with good physical health, proper lifestyle practices and purity of thought (being a Mercury-ruled sign), while Pisces reflects purity of one's intentions in spiritual service, whether it be through healing, counselling, or nurturing a spiritual practice in order to build a stronger connection to the Divine. One is concerned with the practical world and the other is concerned with the conceptual realm. This series has asked us to establish the balance between pragmatism and mysticism.
At the time of the eclipse, Neptune, the ruler of Pisces, will come to conjunct the Sun-Moon configuration. The emphasis here is evidently on the Piscean end of the spectrum, where we cultivate compassion and allow ourselves to develop sensitivity and greater empathy in our manner of relating to the world. Pisces is a sign that is extremely tolerant of differences, bringing to mind the attitude and teachings of Christ, who in his final manifestation as saviour of the people carried the Piscean archetype strongly (this is why, among other reasons, the fish is the symbol of Christ). A finely developed Piscean energy informs us that there is no essential difference between individuals; we are all divine souls incarnate on the earth plane, doing our best in the swing of life's endless polarities and allowing our experiences to bring us closer to our centre and thus to an empowered state of freedom. This sign's placement at the end of the zodiac wheel signals the potential it houses in relation the final point in the cycle of consciousness: enlightenment.
Pisces is the sign of mercy, self-sacrifice and martyrdom. In the Kabbalistic view of reality, life hangs in the balance of mercy and severity. This sign energy urges us to look at situations from a holistic perspective, considering all angles and expanding our ego-centric perception. Our ability to embody and express greater empathy allows us to understand more people and strengthens our powers of connection and communication, making it easier for us to recognize our role and purpose towards our fellow human beings. See yourself as one small but essential part of the interconnected whole and recognize your responsibility to allow and accept others through their hardships and struggles. Allow others the freedom to be in distress without judging them and allow yourself to be where you are at also, understanding that whatever the circumstance, it serves as a lesson your soul was brought here to learn.
Accepting that we are not in control of everything that happens in life entails the practice of surrender, something which we have forgotten the strength of in modern times. The essential quality of the enlightened state is the ability to surrender our attachments to material life. This allows us the freedom to express and commune with our divinity inside the landscape of manifest reality without being burdened by the fear of outcome. There is nothing to fear, for the Divine is within and among us always. The key to developing the Piscean strength of acceptance and compassion is to have faith in any and all situations we may find ourselves in. As the sign of the healer, this eclipse gives us the opportunity to tune into the hidden strength of our vulnerabilities and to nurse the potential in our wounds; the potential of acceptance and of genuine healing.
In the days to come, we are being asked to acknowledge the role that spirituality plays in our lives as a vehicle to give meaning and message to the subtleties of life's events. The Piscean energy naturally resonates to the spiritual landscape which runs through and upholds our material world, and this cosmic event extends an invitation to develop the psychic sensitivities of Pisces as well as to foster the seeds of our intuition. We can accomplish this by trusting the divine guidance that comes to us through non-rational messages that are communicated via the feeling nature. The way of the empath who is in control of his destiny is through the implementation of these intuitive hunches and the proper balance of the non-material and material realms with which he interacts daily.
For those among us who are uncomfortable with their spirituality, the urge may come up to fall into a colder, more detached state that forsakes the natural divine essence of being and turns to materialism and atheistic tendencies to empower the ego, which naturally feels threatened by the idea of losing control and identity at the mercy of a higher power. Be compassionate towards your resistance to accepting spirituality but recognize the consequences of this more isolative and disconnected approach to life.
During this period, we should avoid falling into self-delusion and escapist tendencies. The rich imagination of this sign energy leaves it vulnerable to fatalistic or victimized patterns of thinking. For those of us who seek the feeling of connection and bliss consciousness through the use of drugs and alcohol it is important to honestly question your motives in interacting with these substances. Recognize this need is a reflection of the spiritual restlessness you feel and develop a more grounded way of accessing this freeing state such as through meditation, yoga or healing. A spiritual practice is key to maintaining your inner groundedness and sense of unity with the rest of life.