Solar Eclipses occur when the moon moves between the earth and the sun, blocking the sun. They pack a punch as they’re known to carry three times the weight of a new moon and often herald new beginnings. We may, for example, hear unexpected news or be offered an opportunity during a solar eclipse. Not everyone will be deeply affected by an eclipse, though. It’s really a matter of mathematics and where this particular lunation falls in your chart, but if your birthday is within a few days of September 1st, December 1st, March 1st, or June 1st, or you have planets or points around 10 degrees mutable (Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces, or Gemini) then this one is sure to affect you.

Regardless of whether it’s hitting your natal chart directly, what are we looking at here exactly, with this eclipse? What’s at play? Well, it’s slippery, despite it being in organized, detail-oriented Virgo. Go with the flow has never been more apt. Virgo likes things ordered. It excels at efficiency and multitasking. But we may find ourselves unsure of the facts, and of what is real, as information is obscured or fuzzy. 

Think of the media. Culturally, we tend to accept things shouted on TV or printed in the newspaper as fact, but they’re not. They’re often simply a matter of opinion or spin. It’s one lens or perspective, but it’s not the whole picture. We’re swimming in a sea of subjectivity and calling it the truth.

We also see this in relationships all the time. One person has one recollection, while the other recalls something radically different. We have one memory and our friends, partners, or relatives have another. Is anyone really wrong? Likely not. It’s just that we filter things through our own conditioning, our own view.

So what do we do? Well, magical thinking isn’t the play here. But neither is gas-lighting those you disagree with, denying their reality. The key is discernment, rooting in our own self-trust, owning our feelings and thoughts, while being open to hearing another’s, no matter how different or radical it sounds. Life isn’t meant to be easy, but it also doesn’t have to be hard. We can choose our perspective. We can choose how to respond and react to what comes our way. We can adapt and re-direct our energy. And we can allow others the dignity of their experience.

Virgo is ruled by Mercury, the winged messenger. Mercury will be retrograde at the time of this eclipse. So we may feel the need to revisit conversations or negotiations. We may go over and over these things in our head (Virgo is associated with anxiety). But this same energy can be funneled into action. The more direct our communications, the more relief we feel. Because, at least in Virgo’s case, knowledge is empowering—to a point. So ask questions. Get the information needed, take any necessary inspired steps and then let go. Because as much as we like to think it’s all up to us, it never really is. 

Art: Savannah King
Astrology: Danielle Beinstein

artwork by Savannah King

Leo is warm and generous, shining its light for all to see. Entertaining and enterprising, it’s fueled by creative fire. It’s not surprising then that Leo is ruled by the Sun, the very source of life. Leos rarely shy away from the spotlight, craving attention and praise.

This New Moon, which forms a supportive trine to grounded, structured Saturn in belief-oriented Sagittarius, offers us an opportunity to anchor in our creativity and spunk. If we believe we can, we can.

Courage is the theme here. After all, it requires a certain level gumption to put oneself out there creatively, and to express one’s true self. The root of the word courage can be found in the French wordcoeur, which means heart. It’s in our hearts that we find our fortitude and determination. What makes your heart sing? What fans your flame? Where can you call yourself forward?

Creativity is not limited to painting, writing, or design. It’s a way of life. When we engage with our heart, opening to the possibilities before us, we are living a creative life. When we set heartfelt intentions and take actions to support those intentions, we are living a creative life. The world reflects our beliefs back to us. This New Moon, why not tune into your inner light and show it what you’re made of?

For more on Danielle’s work, visit: www.daniellebeinstein.com

Art by Savannah Lauren King: www.shopthirdeye.com

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Artwork by Savannah King from The New Moon Circle Journal

If June is the month when you get to celebrate the arrival of summer, July is the time to really sink into its beauty. I love this time of year more than anything because it means spending lots of quality time with my family, and being in nature more than ever. Interestingly enough, this month’s new moon in Cancer is all about nurturing “home”—whoever and whatever that may mean to you—as well as being good to yourself in the process. It couldn’t be a more appropriate prescription for this time of year. Here, Danielle Beinstein, Los Angeles astrologer and meditation guide, shares a bit more about this new cycle and what kinds of questions it brings on. XXJKE

It’s a bit ironic that this new moon should fall on Independence Day, as Cancer is not exactly independent in nature. Relational to its core, Cancer finds meaning and purpose in emotional connection. Yet the day itself, and the national pride ascribed to it, speaks to the Cancer’s love of tradition.

Cancer is the nurturer and caretaker and tends to protect itself from any perceived slights or hurts. Being a water sign, it’s feeling-centered, seeking comfort and security to tide its ever-shifting moods. This new moon joins with Venus (relationships, values and money) and Mercury (communication and thought) to offer us an opportunity to reevaluate our relationship to family, home, and the ways in which we may neglect ourselves. Home is the place at we dwell but it’s also our inner resting place. Asking ourselves what home means to us personally, and where we can find that feeling, is important this month.

The truth is that Cancer is often so busy tending to everyone else’s needs that it rarely stops to think about its own. This new moon asks us to consider the following: How can we create space for our own feelings in our hyper-connected, goal-oriented world? Are we carving time out for those we cherish most? And can we add ourselves that list? Nurturing and caring for our own inner children, as we tend to the very adult tasks of our lives, is crucial.

This is the first official new moon of summer. Long sun-filled days and dinners under the night sky with loved ones. Let’s use this time to tune back into what and who really matters most, including, but not limited to, ourselves.

For more on Danielle’s work, visit: www.daniellebeinstein.com

Art by Savannah Lauren King: www.shopthirdeye.com

The first official month of the summer season, June is usually filled with all kinds of fun opportunities. Interestingly enough, this year it also coincides with a new moon in Gemini, which Danielle Beinstein, Los Angeles astrologer and meditation guide, told us is also about new experiences and discoveries. Here she explains a little bit more about about this adventurous new cycle. If you live in the Los Angeles area or are planning a visit, be sure to check out one of Danielle’s New Moon Circle events in Venice. XXJKE

Danielle Beinstein:  Gemini is the curious networker, full of wit, charm, and ideas as it moves from one scene to the next. It’s known as The Twins, able to play both sides with equal aplomb. This New Moon involves all four mutable signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. These signs adapt, acclimating to whatever circumstances they’re in. With Gemini’s ruler, Mercury (planet of communication), now direct in fixed, earthy Taurus, we should be careful not to overcommit. Our words continue to have weight, so let’s pause before committing, choosing heartfelt inspired action over fear and insecurity.

Options, this New Moon is all about options. We may feel scattered, pulled in various directions and overwhelmed. It may be challenging to pin down what is next or what is real. Things may feel surreal or unstable. We may feel disillusioned, disoriented, or confused. But herein lies the opportunity, the gift. How can we adapt, juggling all that’s in front of us, while committing to what has value and weight? What interests us, peaks our curiosity? Can we follow it without attachment to outcome, rooting ourselves in the moment of discovery itself? Can we ground in the here and now and trust our inner knowing, embracing uncertainty as a teacher? And can we maintain our faith, knowing that everything that happens to us, ultimately happens for us?

Gemini is a joy-filled, delightful sign. Play, learn, socialize, move about, have fun. Be in the moment—it’s always where the magic is.

For more on Danielle’s work, visit daniellebeinstein.com

Art by Savannah King, shopthirdeye.com