April has been a difficult month for everyone!
We are wondering if today's Solar Eclipse will add to our difficulties? Typically Solar Eclipses signify both endings and beginnings. Obviously we have a lot of stuff that should end or be resolved now. Besides a crazy weather pattern treking across the USA, the War in Iraq and Fallujah has dominated the news lately. With US troops dying and hostage card being played, there are thousands of reasons to leave Iraq after June 30th. The violence in Palestine has escalated to the point of Israeli assassinations and Hammas retribution plans. We are still experiencing fallout from the Madrid bombing on March 11th. Also the threat of the Fed Reserve raising interest rates before the Presidential Election has made Wall Street nervous. Topping this off for us Californians is the spectre of the the 98th Anniversary of The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. So at 6:22 AM today the West Coast of America experienced a partial Solar Eclipse at 29° Aries 49' the last degree - this partial eclipse will only be visible in Antarctica and parts of Africa. A partial solar eclipse is when the Moon covers only part of the Sun, taking a "bite" out of it. reminiscent of an Ancient Chinese Myth which tells of a Dragon eating the Sun as it disappeared behind the moon. This Ancient Dragon of Chinese tradition needed the vitality and radiant nutrients of the Sun to grow and shed his skin. Perhaps we all need to capture the power of the Aries pioneer and risk taker to really grow in this repressive atmosphere?

The Anaretic Degree and Collisions with Authority - a Background

Two Major Variables intersect with today's eclipse First: the Anaretic Degree, AKA the Karmic Degree, referred to as the 29th degree. The full wheel of the Zodiac contains 360 degrees and is composed of 12 houses (marked by 12 Signs). Individual degrees within a house is labeled 0-29; therefore, the 29th degree is the last degree that a planet travels through in any house. A planet positioned at the 29th degree in any of the houses of the Zodiac is stationed at the Anaretic Degree. For example the Sun at the 29th Degree of any sign indicates a need to focus more on your identity and your sense of self. Father figure issues will arise at this time and paired with Chiron at 26° Capricorn 02' which has been working to heal corp. scandals, dominated by Negative Father/Authority figures. I suggest you read my article Chiron in Capricorn- Healing The Parental and Corporate Wounds We are inundated with negative father/authority figures like Dennis Kozlowski of Tyco or John Rigas of Adelphia to the Donald Trump with his over-used phrase You Are Fired!

Never fear,Chiron the wounded Centaur is on a mission and has been passing back and forth over the US Pluto's natal 27° Capricorn ala the Silbey July 4th 1776 chart to both heal our illusions and destroy our old age view of authority. Also the winged messenger, Mercury has been retrograde since April 6th, adding gasoline to the fire - now at 25° Aries 34. Our other Cardinal player is the Goddess of Companionship, Juno which is now direct at 22° Cap. 43 moving towards US Pluto and an Anaretic degree later this year.

Iraq Republic Chart for Aug. 23rd, 1921 has Sun and Mercury at 29° Leo! Leo always needs an audience. No wonder old Mesopotamia gets plenty of Media attention.
One particular Arian journalist who has that Anaretic degree with 29° Virgo 26' ascendant, blew the lid off Watergate 30 years ago! Now Robert Upshur Woodward (born 3/26/43) has a new book 30 years later: Plan of Attacktelling how the Saudis Informed About Iraq War Decision Before Secretary of State Powell.(4/5/1937). Also Colin has Juno positioned at 29° Virgo 50' right in Woodward's radar - more revelations are due as to why Colin played the WMD Card.
One particular Arian journalist who has that Anaretic degree with 29° Virgo 26' ascendant, blew the lid off Watergate 30 years ago! Now Robert Upshur Woodward (born 3/26/43) has a new book 30 years later: Plan of Attack telling how the Saudis Informed About Iraq War Decision Before Secretary of State Powell.(4/5/1937). Also Colin has Juno positioned at 29° Virgo 50' right in Woodward's radar - more revelations are due as to why Colin played the WMD Card.

Once again, today's historic eclipse has the Moon at Anaretic Degree 29° Aries 49! Our solar lens will place a major focus on Women's Rights aand Mother issues that need to resolved. In fact on April 25th the largest march for Abortion Rights will be held in Washington DC. That old Devil Saturn transiting in Cancer, will push the envelope as we examine the destruction of the American family. TThis eclipse will also mean from the Maternal/Goddess side more emphasis on our collective nutrition, security and sustenance whether with $, food, water, all that is needed for fullfillment. Onto the Saros Cycle

Past Eclipses and Events for Saros Series 6 North

A Saros cycles or series is a family of eclipses first recognized by the Babylonians circa 747 BCE. Each Saros Cycles or "Series" has an orbital period of 1,280 years with different cycles of maturity. Per example the first 360 years produces partial eclipses. The Partial Solar Eclipse in this Series: also includes 2004 Oct 13 at 21 Libra 06. These ancient families of Eclipes many times.have a leapfrog motion so that not every degree s touched.

Recent Past Eclipses
The last two eclipses in this family at Saros 6 N occured in 1968 and 1986. The events that we remember in 1968 include things like the Martin Luther King assasinated,1968 Apollo 8 journeys to the Moon, the Tet Offensive, the Musical Hair or end of the Summer of Love in SF In 1986, accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Chernobyl was the most serious in the history of nuclear power, worse even than that at the Three-Mile Island power station in the United States in 1979. Also the Swedish prime minister was assassinated and the US was guilty of backing Contras in Reagan Administration - both Rumsfield and Cheney were in the Reagan cabinet. Academy Award for Best Picture went to Platoon, Oliver Stone’s film. Regarding Platoon, our current nodes will change from Taurus/Scorpio to Aries/Libra on November 30th. Aries signifies the warrrior, decisive action plans, pioneers, military commanders along with metals and mining - watch precious metals continue to rise in price.

Authority, Commitments, Responsibility are the theme
Bernadette Brady, expert in eclipse cycles and predictive astrology says that this familiy of eclipses is "concerned wtih the individual's relaionship to father figures but also to accept commitments that are presented." We are seeing the theme of accountability recounted everyday in the news. Whether it be the security advisors, commander and chief, President of the NYSE or even the sudden death of Jim Cantalupo the CEO that has turned McDonald's Corp. around offering the semblance of a healthy menu. So with the moon obscuring the Sun right before the Taurus Moon ( a few hours later) Time to trust your instincts and reflexes.

Patriot Act and Cardinal Energy
Today GW Bush demonstrated an action plan based on fear. He asked to renew the anti-terrorist USA Patriot Act! "There's only one path to safety, and that's the path of action," Bush said. Those old authority figures like the Vampiric Richard Perle dubbed the Prince of Darkness and Dr. Paul Wolfowitz the Wolfman will meet the new Aries Identity. This Identity began to awake on the spring equinox when the moon squared Pluto and released dark, Satanic forces. Barbara Hand Clow describes this as "the release of dark forces at the Spring Equinox is challenged by structural innovations in our identities and emotional patterns." Within the last month, more and people are awakening to the World Management Team's media manipulation with their dirty wars. More and more people are starting to face their own responsibilities in this great cosmic drama. Aries energy will inspire us to take control of their rights. One thing is for sure we can't let Authority Figures use this cardinal energy to take away our inalienable rights: With the renewal of the Patriot Act there is the danger of provisions allowing administrative subpoenas to be issued without a judge's or a grand jury's approval in cases "where speed is of the essence."

So what will happen? Only the Nodes Know.
Will there be the next Loma Prieta? Is this the sign of the Big One? Sure there will be earthquakes in Northern California and Southern California and the entire Ring of Fire. The window between the new moon and full moon on May 4th is potentially hazardous for Earth Changes. Many geologists including Jim Berkland have been forecasting California Shakin' for 2004. My feeling is that it will be society's internal quakes that will drive us crazy. We have just completed one year of The Lunar North Node in Taurus starting on April 13th 2003. N Node in Taurus is about values and the financial sector including Mergers and Acquistions with the big whales eating the little fish. Primary examples are JPM buying Bank One and Bank of America and Fleet Boston. Ultimately there will be less businesses and only strong, stable will survive and be able to withstand recessions depressions. Shows like the Apprentice mirror our fascination with those who tend to either succeed or fail in business.perhaps there is a built-up resentment about everyone's else's success? The other side with the Dragon's Tail in Scorpio South Node has brought us retribution, revenge, CSI, UCLA Cadavers, sexualtiy and transformation. Make overs of all kinds are popular. This can mean destroying (Plutonic) or killing the old to bring about renewal or new skin. In the eclipse chart Pluto Rx at 22° Sag. 04 is waxing into an exact opposition with Mars at 18° Gemini 41 on April 24th intensify both war like feelings and the militancy of the US along with our enemies. We should also note that since that other malefic Saturn at 7° Cancer has been direct the element of homeland, personal and group security is being ramped up. With a close trine to Uranus at 5° Pisces 44, old Tom Ridge Homeland Security announced on Monday "an acceleration of plans to prepare for a terrorist attack because of several forthcoming high-profile events that could give terrorists a chance to strike." So the Bull Dawg Ridge is trying to time close us with fear. Trust your own instincts not Ridge's!

Aries/Libra Polarity and San Francisco

This Eclipse foreshadows the change in the Nodes from Taurus/Scorpio to Aries/Libra on November 30th 2004. So right after the presidential election, we will officially enter a new era based on both individual and couples rights. Already we have seen this in San Francisco with both Libra and liberal mayor Gavin Newsom's birth chart (10/10/67) marking the historic sanctioning of gay marriage. Gavin has N Node at 28° Aries along with Saturn at 9° Aries opposing Juno 7° Libra - Juno is the Goddess of partnerships and marriage! Gavin will be facing some repercussions from the rest of the country as the Nodes move into new territory. The Libra S Node will bring the past into focus and require us all to bring balance into our relationships with others and our inner light. This eclipse like all Aries events will start a new era of exploration and courage, if we are ready to accept the multitude of commitments on the table and move forward on our own soul's path.

Stay tuned for new articles by Arthur R Gianfermo - the Founder and Editor of AquaSoul.