Everything You Need To Know About The Lunar Eclipse

Welcome to the first eclipse of 2017, Earthlings! On Friday, February 10 at roughly 7:35 p.m. EST, a full moon in proud Leo will transform into the Mother Monster, hand-in-hand with her heavenly partner, the forward-thinking Aquarius Sun. Consider this inaugural eclipse a sampling of what a precious strand of future eclipses hold throughout the year—in particular, the next Lunar Eclipse falling in August. Eclipses are known as stressful turning points when the Universe forces us off a cliff we’re not always comfortable taking a swan-dive off of. Yet the Leo Lunar Eclipse is of an unusually gentle breed, ushering a fresh hope greater than anything we saw in 2016. If you experienced a crucible of stress or unexplainable crying spells earlier in the week, don’t worry—that’s very normal with these aspects. And if you’re not bouncing around like a Laker’s Girl yet, just wait: The Leo Lunar Eclipse is by far the most golden aspect of February and one of the most positive astrological happenings of 2017. You have permission to get excited!

Lunar Eclipses are intrinsically linked to relationships, highlighting an urgent and sudden awareness of what our lives might be lacking. Sometimes, this immediate need forces a breakup, unexpectedly or unceremoniously. Issues that have been coming to a steady boil underneath the surface—whether or not you’re aware of them—will become very apparent. Conversely, Lunar Eclipses can also bring together people and form new alliances, friendships, and relationships based on a psychic realization of the soul’s need for each other—especially this one. The Leo Lunar Eclipse also has the potential to trigger new knowledge of our relationship to ourselves, our work, bodies (health), family, and home. It’s all about community right now, in the most spiritual sense as well as in a literal, interpersonal sense. The Leo Moon is in an unlikely balance to the strong Aquarius Sun, forcing us inhabitants of Earth to face reality and question the balances of our lives, zeroing out anything nonessential or detrimental to our holistic physical, mental, and spiritual health. This week is an ideal time to take a hard look at our deepest needs and wants, what we’re lacking, and how we can further balance our personal and public lives. 

Formidable new leaders will be born at this Lunar Eclipse, even within ourselves privately. Perhaps you’ve heard a bold, new “voice” inside yourself that seems to have all the inspirational advice you could ever hope for in your circumstances. Leo’s sense of command will bless many signs with a gift for quick decisiveness, especially in very serious life-or-death situations. The Leo Moon is focused on winning, but because of Leo’s trademark egocentrism. The Leo Eclipse is—shockingly—not at all concerned with popularity, for once. The fiery, maternal moon is a force to be reckoned with (think: momma bear—fittingly, since the moon is also influenced by the constellation Ursa Minor, the celestial bear), undeniably nurturing but not without a double-dose of tough love. This Eclipse is the best coach any athlete, dancer, or cheerleader could hope for: She will push you to your limit, but absolutely not out of masochism or cruelty. Quite the opposite—she will come out swinging for you when refs and judges start wielding their force unjustly. The signs most affected by this Lunar Eclipse—Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, and Aquarius—will have sharp skill for taking calculated risks, particularly when it comes to austerity and living (happily!) through fierce limitations, all for the sake of long-term abundance throughout the year. 

Still, those who are less spiritually evolved might be tipped over the edge into tyranny and unfairness. It’s essential that we all “watch our backs” for the ego-weak during the next two weeks. Trolls under bridges are nothing to be frightened of—just be aware that Leo’s fire and Aquarius’ rebellious nature could inspire negative ruthlessness in people who are more wounded. Remember: When these ghouls lash out, they’re operating from deep, painful ego wounds. Essentially, the most compassionate move is to imagine this projected energy as a color—go with whatever you intuitively “see” with your heart—and lovingly send it back to them without absorbing any of the toxicity. It seems passive, but this is something of an “energy hug.” Yes, it’s a bit tasty in its shadiness, but never petty: Just think how bad you feel for them and their fear- and pain-driven actions. 

The Solar Plexus Chakra, located between your ribs and right above your belly-button, rules the ego and is the color of the Sun—so, it’s also associated with Leo and can easily become imbalanced during the days immediately surrounding this Eclipse. Karma is going to be a fierce queen (and I do mean QU-ANE) now, so it’s essential to not be a troll who lashes out, lest it come back and pinch you right where it hurts, nearly immediately. Empathy and compassion are our greatest tools during these weeks, especially because some of us might be stung by harsh flashbacks from our childhood. Those of us who experienced serious bullying or situations where we had to really fight to honor our truth as kids will feel this the most intensely. Yet, just as those experiences tempered our soul’s skin, remembering them will remind us of our inherent strength, like a rebirth of sorts.  

These strange vapors and visions from the past illuminate our own protective tendencies, and we may take others under our wing in some bold, courageous ways. Loyalty is absolutely paramount to this Leo lunation, so haters, traitors, and trickers need to seriously watch themselves and check any dark tendencies—for their own good. Signs who might take on a parental vibe are fearless trailblazers, true warriors of the heart. Words are especially poisonous and powerful, so sarcasm and mocking tendencies are likely to come forth as weapons now, rather hilariously. Even if these folks do or say crazy, outlandish things to defend the greater good and those more prone to being “victims,” they’re likely to gain a level of popularity—celebrity, even!—for their brave choices, no matter how abrasive they might seem to others. 

The Leo Moon will be in trine to Uranus, Aquarius’ ruler, bringing forth fantastic innovation and radical energy. Naturally self-assured, confident people will feel even more emboldened by this aspect, bucking and rebelling righteously against the conformity. We may feel we can do anything at this time—and we’re not wrong! These astrological movements brings to fruition personal freedom, revolution and electric genius. The Aquarius Sun will simultaneously be in angle to Uranus, the Waterbearer’s home planet, creating brilliant visionaries forcing themselves through conventions. Those who have very “normal” or completely straight-laced, orthodox backgrounds will be at the helm of this rebellion—simply because their childhood foundation was so safe and stable, they’re in a perfect position to buck and leap into the wild unknown. 

Our imaginations will get a great kick from the Leo Moon being at an angle to expansive Jupiter, too, inspiring international moves and traveling to exotic locales, even within our own minds. Those most plugged into this Eclipse will easily attract new clients, supporters, fans, and benefactors. If you’ve been especially nurturing to an artist or creative in the past, expect that support to be reflected tenfold now. The Aquarius Sun is in Trine with Jupiter, too, which inspires and locks in our loftiest ideals as the roadmap we live by. Justice and fairness is a strong theme with this aspect, so fair laws of the land and legislation for human rights may be passed at this time. Similarly, we’ll use that sense of righteousness as our compass in deciding who we align ourselves with and give genuine support to—and who we reject wholly. Even better, this is an excellent time for spotting new talent, so if you’re looking to sign with an agent or close a publishing or recording deal, now’s the perfect time. Or, if you’re looking to take on an apprentice or need to hire someone fresh, you’ll be blessed by Jupiter’s luck. 

New technologies can be powerful tools of self-education during this lunation, allowing truth and genuine integrity to shine through. But don’t drink too much of the future’s elixir: Again, balance is key, and too much “screen time” or reliance on tech can put us to sleep rather than making us more woke, ironically. Our sense of imagination can glamour and fascinate the world with new, utopian visions, inspiring humanity to reform laws and illuminate the path to global enlightenment. Father of Fortune, Jupiter, will be opposite the great revolutionary Uranus, which could awaken strong Kundalini energy within our lower chakras—especially that ego and self-esteem-driven Solar Plexus meridian. Jupiter awakens sexual Kundalini energy, so this will be a weekend that’s, quite frankly, poised for bomb-ass, spiritual sex. Expect thunderbolts, but don’t forget: Earth energy is essential to our mental health during such a heady time, so be sure to get out in nature—barefoot, if you can—and ground yourself.