The 2022 Eclipse no one is talking about

Twice per year, we on Earth experience “Eclipse Seasons”. As the Sun and Moon arrive at their celestial crossroads, a pair (or sometimes triad) of Eclipses occur: A Solar Eclipse when the New Moon passes in front of the Sun, and a Lunar Eclipse when the Full Moon passes through the Earth’s Shadow.

In 2022, the first eclipse season has already occurred in the Spring, with a Solar Eclipse on April 30th, and a Lunar Eclipse on May 15th. The next season begins now, a partial Solar Eclipse taking place just an hours ago, and a Lunar Eclipse in a fortnight, on November 8th. This pair of Eclipses are especially fascinating, with other planets forming tight alignments with the Luminaries. Much has already been written and said about them, with more articles and videos popping up constantly.

Total Lunar Eclipse, or “Blood Moon”, November 8, 2022

However, one more awesome, and extremely rare Eclipse will occur before 2022 ends, and so far it’s passing much more deeply under the radar. On December 7th, around 7:00pm PST, the Moon will pass directly in front of the red planet, Mars, causing it to disappear in the sky over the United States, Canada, and Greenland, for nearly an hour!

The Occultation

This kind of event, when one celestial body blocks the light of another, can be called an Eclipse. But another equally as useful term is Occultation. To Occult means to obscure, to hide, to cover up, to make secret. We usually use this word to describe when the Moon passes over and hides a fixed star or planet, or if one planet passes over point of light in the sky.

This isn’t itself an infrequent occurrence, with multiple occultations taking place every year. With the Moon being the closest object to Earth, making it both large and fast, it occults various stars on a regular basis. But they are less consistent, and can take place anywhere in the sky, in many different kinds of configurations. To observe one, you must not only be on the night-side of Earth, but the correct part of that side.

Moon Occults Mars before Dawn, February 18, 2020

The previous occultation of Mars by the Moon that was visible from the United States occurred the early-morning of February 18th, 2020. Being 20° behind the Sun at that point, the Moon was in it’s Waning-Crescent phase as it passed over Mars, just North of the Stinger of the Scorpion, Shaula. If it took place during your local midnight, they’d have been invisible below the horizon. If at local Noon, you could see the silver sliver of the Moon in the West, but Mars would have already disappeared in the opaque blue sky. To see it with your eyes, we needed it to occur while Moon and Mars were rising up, but before Dawn, around 5:00AM, which was true for the west-half of North America.

The Opposition

In December, the Moon will next occult Mars while opposite the Sun, exactly 180° away. The Moon reaches Fullness at opposition to the Sun, 100% Luminosity. Like we discussed in the previous article, and had the opportunity to enjoy observing recently, Superior planets like Jupiter and Mars also reach their brightest phase when opposite the Sun. With Mars’ highest Magnitude being -2.94, it’ll shine greater than Jupiter has been! This position is also the center of their Retrograde process, where they are moving their fastest speed backward.

So, in light of both the Moon and Mars being tightly opposite Sun on December 7th we can elaborate on the event this way:

During the night Mars shines at its brightest fiery redness, the Perfectly-Full Moon will rise beside it, pass directly across in front of it (eliminating it’s light for about an hour), and then Mars will re-emerge brilliantly as they continue across the night sky together.

The Full Moon occulting bright Mars on December 7, 2022

In my research, I have not been able to find another time when this occultation occurred so precisely opposite the Sun. That this one features this aspect while also being visible over the North American continent makes it a once-in-a-lifetime event, truly.

The Bounds

There are a few other interesting qualities about the Chart that will add some more nuance to our understanding of what is going on in the heavens in this moment.

Now, using the Longitudinal degrees, we can clearly see the the tight opposition between Sun and Moon, just 0°09 from exact, and the Moon applying to conjunction with Mars at just 0°01. The other major aspects being made to this Lunation are by Saturn, who sees Moon/Mars by Trine, and Neptune, who sees them by square, both from their own respective homes (Aquarius & Pisces).

However, it’s not just Longitude that forms an eclipse, but Latitude & Declination (distance from the Equator) must be the same as well. We see Moon and Mars just 0°04 apart for both. The Moon itself appears 0°30 degrees wide, so be within 0°15 of another planet by each of these measurements to occult. However, the Declinations here also tell us another interesting detail about the situation.

Moon conjunct Mars, Square Neptune, Trine Saturn, Opposite Sun on December 7, 2022

The Sun only ever ventures to 23°27 North or South of the Equator, reaching these degrees on the Solstices. You can visualize this feature of it’s path by the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn often displayed on Globes or Maps of the Earth. Below is a composite image of the Sun on various dates, creating a figure-8 called an Analemma, with it’s peaks occurring on the Solstices. This makes 23°27 N or S Declination the “Boundary” of the Sun, and Planets who make their way further than these Solar Extremes are called “Out of Bounds”.

So, on this date, we see that the Sun is getting very near to it’s bound (just 2 weeks from the Southern Solstice), while Moon & Mars are significantly Out of Bounds to the North, and Mercury & Venus are OOB to the South. All 4 of these celestial bodies will have ventured beyond the realm of the Sun at this time.

Solar Analemma, peaking at the Solstices. Out of Bounds planets travel outside this figure-8.

Also of note in regards to this table, the Moon is moving extremely slowly, at less than 11°/Day as it nears it’s Apogee, or furthest point from the Earth. This lethargic approach will make the Eclipse last a bit longer, though it also makes the Moon appear smaller.

The Stories

The Stellar Context adds even higher stakes to this drama. The Eclipse will take place Out of Bounds at 16 Tropical Gemini, which in Sidereal Space lands them directly upon the Northern Horn of the Celestial Bull, Taurus. Mars is presently between the two Horns’ tips, represented by stars called Beta & Zeta Tauri. The Red planet will soon station Retrograde, on Halloween, and move backward until the Occultation, getting brighter nightly as it goes. It will spend more than 6 whole months in this zone, with the main event right in the middle of its process.

What images does this conjure within your own mind?

The Bull-fighter, Cowboy, or Matador

I think it seems very natural and organic to contemplate the archetype of the Bull-fighter here. Mars’ enflamed redness certainly calls to adrenaline coursing through a Masculine figure, alert and sweating, putting on a show. The Full Moon might then be the embodiment of a bright white Bull. In the moment of Eclipse, we as an Earthly audience sit in the stands, waiting with bated breath to see whether the Bull found its mark, or if our champion escaped unscathed.

Here in the Southwest US, the figure of the Cowboy springs readily to mind, with a belt-buckle on his jeans, leather hat and boots in the dirt of a Rodeo. However, on a more collective scale, it’s probably the more iconic Matadors of Spain who you might envision, in the glittering, embroidered Suit of Lights, waving their capes below a coliseum of cheering spectators.

In this scene, the Sun at opposition might represent a King or other Authority, sitting in a special seat and watching from the stands. Saturn at Trine could instead be a kind of mentor or supportive figure, older or wiser and helping our Hero how they can. And unseen, Neptune’s square adds a more subtle tension to the scene, giving it a dream-like vibe, time moving in slow motion, the audience sharing a collective gasp, perhaps rain makes the arena muddy.

The Minotaur

One ancient story that might spring up in your mind is that of the Minotaur, with its bull’s head and man’s body. Watch this short video by one of my favorite channels, Overly Sarcastic Productions, to refresh your memory on the details.

What stuck out to me in watching the video was actually the Minotaur’s origin story; Minos, a son of Zeus, becomes the King of Crete (Sun) by appealing to Poseidon (Neptune) who sends him a White Bull (Full Moon). But after failing to sacrifice the Bull, Poseidon is enraged (square aspect) and causes Minos wife to become lustful (Mars) toward the Bull, obviously taboo (Out of Bounds). The inventor Daedalus (Saturn) makes her a bull suit to mate with the bull (Occultation), and also architects the labyrinth in which the Minotaur produced by the unholy union later lives.

However, you can certainly see the more iconic story of Theseus in the event. He’s a brave athlete (Mars) who volunteers to slay the Minotaur (Full Moon) and uses the gift of a clew/thread from Minos’ daughter Ariadne (Saturn) to later retrace his steps out of the Labyrinth (retrograde motion). In this plot line, we might see the aspects as King Minos (Sun) and Theseus’ voyage from Athens (Neptune). Or instead perhaps, it’s Theseus’ father Aegeus (Sun), and the square from Neptune show the false black-sail that causes him to take his life, thinking he lost his son to the beast.

the Old Duke

As a massive fan of Dune, my first thoughts actually went to the modern sci-fi tale. The “Old Duke Atreides”, Grandfather of Paul, is referenced a few times in regard to his death while fighting a Salusan Bull. The beast’s head is one of the first objects to be unpacked in the Atreides new home upon arriving in Arrakis, the Old Duke’s blood persevered upon its horns. It’s said the Bull was drugged (slow) but managed to catch the Duke (Mars) while his back was turned (Retrograde).

For the Old Duke, the Bull represented a very physical, material danger, while for Duke Leto (Sun), it serves as a symbolic representation of the more political dangers he faces in the story. On a deeper level, it forshadows the inter-stellar Jihad which Paul worries for, but inevitably causes in his transformation into the Kwisatz Haderach (Neptune). A great exploration of this motif can be read here, by Scott Pineau.

The Last Unicorn

My Mom’s favorite movie growing up, and subsequently one of my favorite movies growing up, was the adaptation of Peter Beagle’s book The Last Unicorn (1982). The plot follows a Unicorn and Magician as they search for the rest of her kind, who have been trapped in the Ocean by a fiery “Red Bull” who herds them there, under the direction of King Haggard.

Spoilers: In the climactic scene of the film, Lady Amalthea (interestingly, the name of the single-horned goat the constellation of Capricorn is fashioned after) is transformed by Shmendrick the Magician (Saturn) back into her Unicorn form (Full Moon). She fights back against the Red Bull (Mars) upon the beach, and at the point of her horn, the Red Bull slowly retreats backward into the Sea (retrograde), her family galloping out of their watery prison (Neptune) and out to freedom. The old King Haggard (Sun) watches from above, but the stampede causes his entire castle to fall into the ocean.

This is another great analogy for the Occultation, with the slow but bright white Moon meeting horn to horn with the bright red, retrograde Mars, causing it to disappear. I’d also consider the beach setting appropriate for the “Out of Bounds” declination of these planets, with the water creating a boundary to the land.

The Interpretation

How then is it that we make use for this information?

For the Stargazer, it is simple and clear; we mark on calendars for the night of December 7th, and pray for skies free of clouds.

But for the Astrologer, one who ponders how the movements in the heavens might correlate to the events on Earth, we must put in a bit more effort to come away with the valuable or practical insights about this particular transit.

Mars between the points of the horns of Taurus, October 25, 2022

The first step is to determine relevance. That is, is this particular alignment impacting or activating another chart in a conspicuous manner? The most straightforward sign is that chart you're considering has a prominent planet or angle at 15-16° Tropical Gemini. 15-16° of other signs might also be influenced, but in a more indirect way through aspect. You might also find relevance to an Aries- or Scorpio-Rising chart, with Mars always representing the subject of that chart quite thoroughly. In a more broad, and generally applicable sense, you can always use the house 16° Gemini falls in to bring in the related topics. There are other creative methods in the Astrologer’s Toolbox for finding relevance, however, the more you have to stretch to find a connection, the less you should expect or predict a real effect from the eclipse.

Upon finding relevance, you may then use story to help personify the planets into characters, their aspects showing relationships. I’ve described many possible options, the Bull-fighter archetype, the myth of the Minotaur, the novel of Dune, or The Last Unicorn. But any other storylines that bubbled up from your own subconscious in reading about the transit’s components will work best for yourself. You might even craft your own original plot line. After choosing your story, think about the Subject of your comparative chart, and ponder which planet they might represent, and who in their life might represent the other characters.

One you have both relevance & story, the final important step is to predict, or even better, to plan. The plot of your story should give you a series of events, which (when read into the context of the subject’s actual existence) you may populate with real details, in place of the fictional ones. Remember that like the multiple layers of the Salurian Bull, such a transit could be immediate and material, social and political, or spiritual in nature. It also helps to go back and review what what going on with the subject that last time Mars was at 16 Gemini (around the recent Autumn Equinox), or the last Mars Occultation (February 18, 2022). It is my view that the most empowering course of action is to create a plan of action of what you’d like to see happen, the very best and beneficial version of events that match the themes of the eclipse, and try to help facilitate that chosen storyline to come true with what you do around December 7th. This is the fundamental basis of Magic.

The Conclusion

Through most of human history, the phenomenon of eclipses has been viewed as an inauspicious omen, and have been interpreted through a predominantly negative lens. This isn’t without reason; we are naturally prone to view positivity in the brightening of things, and negativity in their darkening. And it is also true that dangerous and damaging situations befall us as people, as communities, as a planet. I’m not here to fear-monger, and hope the stories showed how varied a single planetary alignment could manifest.

However, I’m also not here to sugarcoat. This transit is certainly one filled with a sense of violence, the planet of War glowing bright red before suddenly disappearing altogether between the horns of the Bull? This could very well correlate with many hardships around the world. We all remember with great clarity the events that occurred after the previous Mars Occulation, in February 2020. It is never a bad idea to prepare yourself for the worse possibilities, as you can dull the edges of tragedy, or end up pleasantly surprised when things play out better than you expect. A healthy amount of caution might be what’s right for you during this time. But so too might be a healthy amount of courage and valor, in the face of an obstacle or threat.

Astrology is a tool best utilized by steady hands. Do your best not let yourself swirl in the anxiety and worries of “what it all might mean”. Ignorance is said to be bliss, but awareness mustn’t be a curse. Knowledge is power, and I hope you’ll use this knowledge to empower yourself, gird up your loins… and yeehaw!