Kevin Burk has been helping people worldwide to improve their relationships since 1996, through his Relationship Coaching and Astrology consultation practice. A member of the International Association of Coaches, he holds a Level IV Certification in Astrological Counseling from the National Council for Geocosmic Research. His excellent web site, The Real Astrology has hosted over 1.8 million visitors since its launch in 1996.
Kevin's latest book, The Relationship Handbook: How to Understand and Improve Every Relationship in Your Life will be available in October 2004. The Universal Law of Relationships states that our partners are our mirrors: they reflect our own issues back to us. We meet the ego and learn how to master it (or at least keep it in check most of the time!) so we can eliminate fear from our lives and embrace the love that surrounds us.
Kevin has two books published by Llewellyn: Astrology: Understanding the Birth Chart (2001), and The Complete Node Book (2003). Astrology has received rave reviews, has been adopted as a textbook at Kepler University in Washington for the 2nd year Astrology Degree students.
Kevin holds a B.A. in Theatre with a minor in Psychology from Wesleyan University, in Middletown, CT.
Kevin Burk explains in this article, which was written in November 2004, that the astrological effects of the recent powerful eclipse season are by no means over, just because the actual eclipses have passed. He argues that the eclipses may be gone, but they're certainly not forgotten, as eclipses affect us from the date of the eclipse to the date of the next eclipses, five months later. This applies to eclipse cycles in any year, not just in 2004.
When is an eclipse really over?
Most of you probably know that we've just been through a pair of eclipses. The
solar eclipse occurred in 2004 on October 13/14 (depending in what part of the world you live in), and the lunar eclipse occurred on October 28. The eclipses may
be gone, but they're certainly not forgotten. Eclipses affect us from the date of
the eclipse to the date of the next eclipses, five months later!
Before we look at how (and where) eclipses affect us, lets take a moment to
explore what an eclipse actually is. Eclipses occur whenever there is a New
Moon or a Full Moon that occurs along the plane of the ecliptic (the apparent
path of the Sun around the Earth, but actually the path of the Earth around the
Sun). During a Solar Eclipse, the Moon gets between the Sun and the Earth,
and casts its shadow on the Earth, blocking out the Sun for a few minutes.
During a Lunar Eclipse, the Earth gets between the Sun and the Moon, casting
its shadow on the Moon. Solar eclipses occur during New Moons, and Lunar
Eclipses occur during Full Moons.
The Moon's Nodes are the transiting eclipse points. Whenever there is a lunation (a New or Full Moon) within 17 degrees of the Moon's Nodes, we
have an eclipse. Eclipses always occur in pairs (Solar-Lunar or Lunar-Solar)
and sometimes, there are three eclipses in a row (Solar-Lunar-Solar or
Lunar-Solar-Lunar).
So, how do eclipses impact our natal charts?
Eclipses always mean crisis. Now, crisis is not necessarily a bad thing; however,
wherever an eclipse falls in your chart is an area of life that is going to
undergo some change, or at least require more of your time and attention than usual
for the next five months or so.
Solar eclipses are far more important the Lunar Eclipses. The house where the
Solar Eclipse falls in your chart will be the main focus of crisis for the next
five months. The house where the Lunar Eclipse falls (usually the opposite house)
will be a secondary area of crisis. Since opposing houses are so closely related,
however, it's often easiest to consider the pair of houses as a unit.
The October 2004 eclipses occurred at 21 degrees 6 minutes of Libra (Solar
Eclipse) and 5 degrees 2 minutes of Taurus (Lunar Eclipse). Look at where the
eclipses fell in your chart, and read on!
1st House—7th House. If the eclipses occurred in your 1st/7th houses, the focus for the next five months will be on your relationships.
The 1st house is our sense of self; it is who we are as individuals. Eclipses in the 1st house usually signal a period of personal development and growth.
The 7th house is how we relate to other individuals. Naturally, when we ourselves change, this also changes how we relate to other individuals. Eclipses in the 7th house also signal a period of personal development and change; the main difference is that we experience the crises and the need to change as if it were coming from outside ourselves, because we project our 7th house on other people. No matter how it appears, it's never about the other person. It's always our own stuff.
2nd House—8th House. If the eclipses occurred in your 2nd/8th houses, the focus for the next five months will be on your resources.
The 2nd house is the house of our personal resources; our possessions, our skills, our talents, and our finances. An eclipse in the 2nd house will always make us more aware of our attachments: the things that we believe that we cannot survive without. Since most of us are very attached to money, this may be a time to reevaluate and explore your relationship with money.
The 8th house is the house of other people's resources, joint finances, taxes and inheritances. An eclipse in the 8th house makes us aware of our responsibilities to others: both physical and emotional. Its often an indication that it's time to explore what truly belongs to us, and what belongs to our partners.
3rd House—9th House. If the eclipses occurred in your 3rd/9th houses, the focus for the next five months will be on your relationship to the world.
The 3rd house relates to our personal domain: the places and things that we are the most familiar with. The 3rd house also relates to our communication and to our personal, individual spiritual practices. An eclipse in the 3rd house often forces us to reevaluate the things we take for granted, and become more aware of how we communicate with ourselves and with others.
The 9th house relates to unfamiliar environments: foreign countries, new ideas and philosophies, and organized religion. An eclipse in the 9th house causes us to consider the bigger picture of our lives. How do we want to grow and expand?
4th House—10th House. If the eclipses occurred in your 4th/10th houses, the focus on the next five months will be on balancing your private live with your public life.
The 4th house relates to our private lives: our home, our family,and our emotional and spiritual connections to our ancestors and heritage. An eclipse in the 4th house can often indicate a time of family crisis.
Of course, since an eclipse in the 4th house often means an eclipse in the 10th house as well, that crisis may have a lot to do with balancing the demands of your career or public life with the needs of your family and private life.
5th House—11th House. If the eclipses occurred in your 5th house/11th house, the focus on the next five months will be on issues of individual expression and group participation.
The 5th house relates to the things that make us feel special and worthy as individuals. It's the house of our creative expression, and includes children, gambling, and love affairs. Eclipses in the 5th house can stir up the creative urge, or represent changes in our relationships with our children or with our casual romantic partners.
The 11th house is the house of friendships; this is the house of group participation and shared creativity. Eclipses in the 11th house can often indicate changes in our relationships with our peers and our friends.
6th House—12th House. If the eclipses occurred in your 6th house/12th house, the focus on the next five months will be on your health, both physical and spiritual.
The 6th house contains all of the things we need to do on a daily basis to maintain a physical body: food, exercise, nutrition, and our daily routine, including our jobs. Eclipses in the 6th house often indicate changes in our routines, and it's important to be aware of your physical needs to avoid illness.
The 12th house contains all of the things we need to do on a daily basis to maintain a soul. The 12th house is where we meditate, and explore our unconscious. Eclipses in the 12th house often indicate that you will need to spend more time alone, in your personal spiritual practices.
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