New Moon Solar Eclipse in Virgo - Shadows of the mind

An eclipse is a perfect line-up of

• Earth (the body)

• Moon (the mind)

• Sun (the soul)

—when light is briefly blocked and unconscious tendencies rise to the surface. We are so attuned to the rhythm of light and dark, that the interruption of light (eclipse) has a profound affect on our psyche.

Only during an eclipse do Rahu and Ketu—the smoky lunar nodes—reveal themselves. They expose what’s obscure, insatiable, or exiled in us. When Ketu, the headless tail of the celestial serpent, engulfs and then releases the Sun, something in our shadow is also ready to be shed. This stirring can feel unsettling, so stay centred, and resist knee-jerk reactions. Notice what’s loosening, even if painful, and allow yourself to let go.

The Rhythm of Light and Dark

There’s something profound in life’s cycles of light and dark . Our bodies are atuned to day and night. Over a year, the Sun waxes toward the summer solstice and wanes toward the winter solstice, with the equinoxes as equal-light midpoints. We live inside a choreography of brightness and shadow, motion and stillness, inhale and exhale. An eclipse disrupts that rhythm as a sudden dimming when it “should” be bright. That unconscious shock is an awakening, a reset button inside the nervous system, a chance to re-pattern an area of life. We feel the mystery, a flicker of fear, because we can sense the light shifting.

Virgo: Order Through Letting Go

This eclipse lands in Virgo, where we crave structure, clean lines, and a reliable system. Yet the message is paradoxical: something must be deconstructed in order to flow better. Can you soften your grip on control? Does it help to remember you never truly had control to begin with? Breathe. Let life move. Sit with the discomfort. Go inward. Embrace what is and the shift will come.

Mercury’s Portal: Your Words Build Your World

Mercury rules our curious, analytical mind and is strong in Virgo for this event, so the mental effects are potent. Thought becomes speech; speech shapes reality. Words cast spells (that’s why we call it “spelling”). Our lives are built on the foundation of our thoughts. With reverence and simplicity, practice mental hygiene (regular meditation & breath) —to cleanse the mental monkeys and ease suffering.

Did you notice the themes of cancel culture and freedom of speech  in the last 2 days?

Constructively, we can use this energy to rebuild and empower our language. We can track the phrases that keep us trapped in the desire/disappointment loop. Is it possible to speak less, observe more and use better quality words that build a beautiful life?

Saturn’s Exact Glance: 4° Pisces Opposes 4° Virgo

Earth will be sandwiched between Saturn at 4° Pisces, and the Sun and Moon at 4° Virgo, exactly opposite one another.  This adds a serious dynamic that can be experienced as heavy and stressful if we are gripping to control, yet it can also bring patience, stability, concentration and the grit to persist. Saturn can bring us the maturity to know when to put forth effort and when to surrender.

So the invitation is twofold:

1. Mercury in Virgo: Take ownership of your language. Clean it up. Make it true, simple, and kind.

2. Saturn in Pisces: Hold a long-term intention. Build patiently, steadily. Trust there’s a divine plan bigger than your immediate will, and trust it.

The Star of Patronage

This eclipse falls in Uttara Phalguni, the star of patronage. Isn’t it beautiful that there is a place in the sky where Aryaman, the deity of kindness, honour, and noble leadership presides and pours out grace? This Nakshatra is about the sincere love of humanity and the care and compassion that each of us can bring to society.

Under this star of charity and benevolence, we can ditch our mentality of “what can I get?” and begin to ask “what can I give?”  My wise teacher, James Stone (Meru Chikitsa) loves to ask… “What’s the best thing I can do today? What’s the best thing I can do right now?  What’s the best?  Something good is happening!”

Eclipses are for mantra, self inquiry, breath, and meditation. They are portals of transformation and evolution. When we stop ignoring the inner being and welcome every part of ourselves, we enter into life’s celebratory dance—grateful, generous, eager to share joy… our natural state.

So, what’s the best thing you can do right now? For yourself, your loved ones, your neighbourhood, your community, the world?…Sometimes it’s as simple as a smile.

Blessings

Elise