Solar Eclipse 1st June 2011 – Self Knowledge

A Solar Eclipse occurs on the 1st June 2011 at 21:02 UT beginning a triple whammy of eclipses in the next month.

This eclipse takes place at 11Gem01 trine Saturn and square Juno and Chiron.

The trine to Saturn is the closest of these aspects. Whilst Saturn has been a bit of a taskmaster for the past few months, here his energy positively flows helping us to feel more mentally stable and grounded. Saturn is gradually slowing to a stop as he prepares to station direct in mid June. From the eclipse until that point, Saturn will remain on the Sabian

A Professor Peering Over His Glasses At His Students

How very Saturn! Saturn’s function is to drill into us the knowledge we need to become masters of our own world. Gemini is inquisitive. It wants to learn and is curious of everything. Gemini intellectualises, sifts through information quickly, adapts and changes if necessary. Gemini is restless because there are just so many interesting people to talk to! One of the negatives traits of Gemini however is a tendency to just scan the surface of things. Saturn (the professor) is giving the opportunity to really learn, to master the subject at hand so that further advancement can be made.

The eclipse sits on the Sabian

A black slave-girl demands her rights of her mistress

The eclipse ties together the themes of oppression and education. Education can lead to freedom as the oppressed can finally speak the language of the oppressor and beat them at their own game. On a personal level, our minds need to be open to change and to be flexible in the face of change. When we close our minds to new possibilities, we become slaves to our own limiting belief system, falling short of our true potential.

It’s interesting that the ruler of the eclipse (Mercury) sits on the fixed star Misam in the eclipse chart: the exact conjunction taking place just a few hours earlier. Misam is located in the constellation Perseus and the word comes from the Arabic for ‘wrist’.

Curious, I looked up a medical definition of the wrist and found the following
“The wrist functions by positioning the hand in relation to the forearm, providing a mechanical advantage, and also acts as a stabilizer for effective functioning of the hand.”

So here we see the wrist is about stabilising, flexible positioning and mechanical advantage. Mercury conjunct this star emphasises the need for a stable mindset. Through challenging our own mental boundaries we find ourselves in a better position to deal with change. In the long run this gives us the advantage.

Mercury is also however square to Neptune suggesting we must seek higher understanding and create a more spiritual outlook. Neptune also cautions against false belief systems.

Ptolemy linked the constellation of Perseus to the nature of Jupiter and Saturn “an intelligent, strong, bold and adventurous nature, but a tendency to lying“.  Stressful Mercury-Neptune aspects can indicate the ability to lie oneself out of a corner or simply to lie to oneself.

As I write, the news in the UK is still concerned with freedom of speech issues – with truth and lies. Injunction orders are being sought, legal action brought against Twitter users who post slanderous tweets or break former injunctions. Whilst I am all for justice (Saturn in Libra) against false accusations which damage the private and public lives of people, there is also a more insidious element at work here.  When our freedom of speech is compromised, we are walking a very dangerous path. Sometimes whistle-blowers are necessary. Sometimes, the truth is hidden away by those who seek to profit from lies.

With Saturn in Libra, it’s also important to look at the element of justice in the eclipse Sabian. The black slave girl is demanding her rights – no more no less. What of course comes to mind here is equality for all, the balance of power. This eclipse is about revealing inequalities between black and white, rich and poor, male and female, east and west – the polarities/dualities which humankind so easily errs towards.

With the eclipse square to both Juno and Chiron, it may stir up old wounds in order to challenge preconceived ideas about the concept of commitment. How well do you commit to a course of action, a partner, a friend? Can you make a promise to yourself and keep it?

The house in which the eclipse occurs in your own chart will most likely bring hidden issues to light. The house of transiting Saturn will show where you can draw strength and perhaps where you need to learn more in order to manifest greater stability.

The house in which Mercury is transiting will give you a hint as to where you may be mentally blocked. What are your beliefs about this area of life? What do you really think?

The house of transiting Neptune may indicate where you are blind-sided, where you may need to create a more spiritual outlook. Neptune can simply show where you may be lying to yourself.

There was a time when those who were enslaved could not imagine life any other way. Perhaps it is better to say they could only imagine a better life. But that’s just the thing; if we educate ourselves we too can overcome our own internal blocks and self delusions. Self knowledge can become a rock upon which we can stand strong and build our dreams.

References
Constellation of Words