Archive for October, 2014

Full Moon in Aries / Total Lunar Eclipse — October 8, 2014, 10:51 UT

Wednesday, October 8th, 2014

The Full Moon of October in Aries is also a total lunar eclipse. It is best seen from the Pacific Ocean and bordering regions. The eclipse occurs two days after perigee, and although according to the original definition of a supermoon by astrologer Richard Nolle, this one does not quite count as a supermoon, the Moon will appear big. When a total lunar eclipse happens, the Moon is still visible but has a reddish color. That is why a total lunar eclipse is sometimes referred to as a blood moon.

Eclipses can feel shaky, and this one may seem a bit ominous. But I agree with astrologer Jonathan Cainer, who wrote: “This blood moon eclipse restores light to your heart.”

The Moon is in Aries. Mars, the ruler of Aries, is in conjunction with 174567 Varda, a trans-Neptunian minor planet named after a deity in J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium. The Mars-Varda conjunction is in flowing trine to the Moon and sextile (which is another “easy” aspect) to the Sun.

174567 Varda is highly likely to be a dwarf planet. It was discovered in 2003 by Jeffrey A. Larsen, but the precovery images go back to 1980. The name was announced in January 2014. 174567 Varda has a large moon, which is named after Varda’s handmaiden in Tolkien’s mythology, Ilmarë.

Varda is the Queen of the Stars, the Lady of Light. She made the stars and constellations, and she established the courses of the Moon and the Sun. “In light is her power and her joy,” wrote Tolkien. She is said to be too beautiful for words, and her face radiates light.

In the eclipse chart the Moon-Uranus conjunction in Aries, the Mars-Varda conjunction in Sagittarius, and Jupiter (“the greater benefic”) in Leo, are forming a grand trine in Fire. When we add the Sun in Libra (the sign associated with peace, love and harmony) to the configuration, we get an aspect pattern called a kite. The opposition of the Sun and the Moon forms the spine, and the Sun is the apex of the kite.

The kite flies towards the light.