A total Solar Eclipse, where the Moon comes between the Sun and Earth and blocks the Sun, happened yesterday on July 2nd, 2019. While not visible from most of Northern America, we'll still be feeling the effects of the Sun and Moon forming a conjunction in sensitive Cancer. Total Solar Eclipses are rare phenomenas, and the last one that was visible in the United States happened on August 21st, 2017.

Eclipses are powerful manifestations of energy and can impact those of us who aren't deeply connected to the Moon's cycles. I don't know about what y'alls lives were like in August of 2017, but mine was an absolute mess! But it was also a deeply transformative time, as I had my first date with my current girlfriend on the 21st of that month. (I fell in love with a Leo during a Leo Sun/Moon Solar Eclipse -- it doesn't get more cosmic than that.)

When people say "Eclipse season," they're referring to how eclipses occur in pairs, both coinciding with the New and Full Moons. The Solar Eclipse on July 2nd, 2019 in Cancer will be followed by a Partial Lunar Eclipse in Capricorn around the 16th-17th of July 2019. A year later, there will be a a Total Lunar Eclipse on July 5th-6th, 2020 in Capricorn. This will be the final stage of this Eclipse cycle.

Notice how Eclipse pairs rest on axises in astrology. The Cancer-Capricorn axis reflects the tension between the public and private sphere, our interior image of ourselves vs. how we wish to be perceived. In a literal sense, our home lives and career pursuits will be magnified. These complimentary opposites correspond to the 4th and 10th houses in our natal charts; two out of the four pivotal angles called the Angular Houses.

Since the first Eclipse coincides with a New Moon, it's an excellent time to plan and initiate your goals, especially ones that relate to 4th house matters: the family, your home, your intimate relationships. Be prepared for drastic change; Eclipse season makes it impossible to ignore painful memories holding you back. All you can do is confront them, learn their lessons, and move forward.

New Moons never guarantee results, but represent pure intentional energy to help you pinpoint what you'd like to manifest. The Ace cards in the Tarot deck perfectly reflect this purpose. I think of them as elemental entry-ways, portals of potential. You must commit to making these changes in order for them to come to fruition.

When it comes to Eclipses, it's all about the numbers. If you have planets with similar degrees to the Eclipses, you're likely to feel its effects more than others. For the Total Solar Eclipse on July 2nd, the Sun and Moon will be in 10 degrees in Cancer. When the Partial Lunar Eclipse occurs later this month on July 16th-17th, it'll be at 24 degrees in Capricorn. Check your natal chart -- do you have any planets in these degrees? Where is Cancer and Capricorn located in your chart? Their position in your natal chart as well as the aspects they're forming with your natal planets will give you more insight on their impact.

Everyone's personal journey through Eclipse season is different; but there are common themes that we can all relate to. Eclipses trigger the Moon's North and South Nodes. These points on the Moon correspond to our karmic destiny - with our South Node reflecting what feels comfortable (but is complacent) while our North Node illuminates the path we must pursue for spiritual fulfillment.

This is why these astrological events always have a sense of spiritual urgency. I find dreamwork is especially helpful considering all this Cancer energy in the air; lots of people I know, including myself, have experienced mystic dreams that hint at the core of this Eclipse's theme. Simply being present with your body and feelings is really the best advice for anyone worried or anxious about what this event stirs up. Paying attention is a sacred practice within itself, so avoid distractions and delve into the feels. A Solar Eclipse and New Moon in Cancer makes it impossible not to.