Details About This Eclipse
Date: July 21, 2009
Time of eclipse: 7:35 PM PST
Type: total
Visible in: northern India, eastern Nepal, southern China, in cities like Delhi, Calcutta, Kathmandu and Shanghai.
At: 29 degrees Cancer
Shadow Agent: Uranus
This eclipse falls in the sign of Cancer, which means it shows us our shadow in the area of emotions, feelings and our inner life. The funny thing is, this is a solar eclipse, so it’s marked by an external, real-world event (unlike a lunar eclipse, which is mostly experienced internally). So during this eclipse our inner life may be symbolized in the outside world by a physical event. The eclipse may also stimulate events in Cancerian arenas, such as family (meaning both the family you grow up with and the family you create as an adult), the home or private sphere and one’s emotional life. The eclipse is total, so it is likely to have a stronger effect on those it touches than the other 5 eclipses this year. The Shadow Agent for this eclipse is Uranus, acting gently by a harmonious trine.
Remember, not every eclipse touches everyone, but when it does, it’s usually noticeable. The following script is just one possible way it could go.
You hear a knock at the door. You answer it. Uranus is standing there. He’s a funny-looking guy, a little cross-eyed, wearing a beanie cap.
You: I’ve seen you before.
Uranus: I tend to bring the unexpected.
You: Uh, yeah, I’ve noticed that.
Uranus: Don’t worry, I’m acting by trine today, so this won’t be so bad.
He sweeps past you into the house and starts rearranging your furniture. You’re amazed and more than a little taken aback. When he moves the sofa to a totally different spot, you interrupt.
You: Hey—I liked that there!
Uranus: You’d gotten too stuck in your ways. This will be better. Trust me.
You fall silent and watch. In a few swift moves, suddenly he has made everything different. You sit on the newly-placed sofa and notice that things look very different from this new angle. They feel different too. There’s a freshness and you don’t really know what it all means.
Uranus: You have more space now.
You: More of something, but I’m not sure what.
Uranus: That should come clear within a few days.
You: I’m going to have to get used to this.
Uranus: Yep. Sometimes people don’t know what they need until it happens.
You (still in shock): I can’t tell if this is bad or not.
Uranus: Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. You decide.
He tips his silly hat and goes.
Art by Kristin Plescow.
For more about this year’s eclipses, see this:
2009 Eclipses and their Shadow Agents
