Eclipses occur in a series. This upcoming series begins with the new moon and solar eclipse in Libra on Oct 25th around 4am PT and will be followed by the full moon lunar eclipse in Aries on Nov 4th. With the lunar nodes in Libra and Aries, our consciousness is focused on eliminating unhealthy relationships and co-dependent habits for a more dharmic, self focused path where we love others while allowing them to come and go without clinging or trying to possess.
The eclipses will exaggerate the lessons of Aries/Libra deep within us as well as collectively. They will unveil our unconscious desires around the themes of self exploration vs relating with others, personal fulfillment vs collaboration and reveals where we reject others in order to fulfill something personal we have yet to express.
We are transforming our ideas of "self" through how we relate to others in this worldly realm of money, exchange, transaction and trade. We are evaluating the sacrifice we are willing to make for this luxury, which is most often our spirituality (I'm too busy).
Most of our relationships are transactional where "I give you something and you give me something or this doesn't work". If you find yourself ending or releasing some of these transactions, or the people/patterns connected to them, know that it is ok and nothing to fight.
The key takeaway here is to witness the dissolution of these habits/patterns that are ancient in you and have wanted to release for many lifetimes. Just allow them to unravel as trying to fix them is pointless. Just let go with kindness, compassion and love. The suffering lies in too much effort, clinging and hanging onto what needs to go.
Ketu in Libra wants us to let go of it all.
Whatever you are attached to, can you release it right now?
Think of a lovely butterfly landing in your hand.
If you gracefully observe and allow the butterfly to come and go, your heart soars and the interaction is brief yet uplifting.
If you try to grasp the butterfly, pain, injury and suffering is inevitable for both of you.
Ketu is teaching us to love from a place of freedom with no strings attached. This requires us to know our mind, our tendencies, our emotional attachments and to sit in a place of maturity, and wisdom.
Here we realize that change is inevitable and that attachment is what collapses our expansive nature. We are scared to lose our loved ones and our comforts and so we cling, thinking this is how to love. But true love comes from celebrating our divine connection which is true spiritual liberation... and letting go....
Venus, the ruler of Libra joins this eclipse, within 1°, so it is exceptionally powerful and can cause disruption to relationships and transactions in general.
Be mindful this week in all of your interactions and bring kindness to others.
If you "lose" some money or anything material, just bless it and be grateful to address your karma in such a small way. Send gratitude to the Creator for having provided such a magical life for you because if you are reading this, you likely live a fairly comfortable life.
Remember all of those beings that do not have basic needs met, nor tools or practices to lean on right now, and send them love.
This is such a powerful time for your spiritual practises, especially meditation as Libra is ruled by air and governs the mind. Thoughts can be fast and furious right now, so meditation can help to calm and still any internal storms.
The Nakshatra of this New Moon Solar Eclipse is Swati and governed by the god Vayu (wind). Vayu/Air is the breath which animates us with life giving prana. If we stop the breath, our body falls to the floor and returns to the earth.
So Vayu rules the material realm and brings success and riches, yet we sense dissatisfaction as our consciousness realizes that these luxuries are pointless without spirituality. This is analogous to a billionaire leaving everything for an ascetic life as she realizes that there is no happiness without the divine.
The good news is, we do not need to reject the material world, and we can fully enjoy it if we have a heart full of gratitude by practising dispassion (detachment from the material).
It sounds counter intuitive, but it is true that if we do not care to have something, it will be ours!
Just remember that the eclipse energy is unsettling so, keep things simple for the next few weeks. Don’t make big decisions or start new projects right away.
Instead, focus on your spiritual work to ground you, raise your frequency and get in touch with your highest self, allowing this charged energy to realign you with the source.
On the days of the eclipse Oct 24/25:
Try not to plan any big travel or events
Stay close to home, do your spiritual practises and any kind of service (simple home duties like cleaning, caring for loved ones or neighbours)
Fast or eat simple, sattwic foods (clean, fresh fruits and herbal teas, nothing that needs to be prepped).
Try to stay away from take out, restaurants etc as food made around eclipses have very low prana.
Do not charge your crystals, gems, etc as the light of the sun is blocked and the shadows are out at play.
Make donations to a cause - there is financial loss associated with this eclipse as Venus the ruler of money is involved with Ketu who does not care about money and wants you to let it go - a conscious donation to a cause is a great way to be involved with this karma, especially something to do with women's needs (women's shelters, medical research for women, women's rights organizations etc)
This can be a beautiful, joyful and graceful eclipse for you if you have honour and reverence for something much bigger and greater than the small mind. Jai Gurudev! Victory to the big mind!