Vision Of The Eclipse - Astrology Software

Vision of the Eclipse1

Vision of the EclipseVision of the EclipseThe Astrology of LunationsbyMichael Erlewine2

Vision of the EclipseAn e-book fromStartypes.com315 Marion AvenueBig Rapids, Michigan 49307First published 2012 Michael Erlewine 2012ISBN 978-0-9794970-3-2All rights reserved. No part of the publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,without the prior permission of the publisher.Cover and Graphics by Michael ErlewineMichael@Erlewine.net3

Vision of the EclipseThis book is dedicatedtoVen. Khenpo Karthar RinpocheMay any merit this book mayaccrue, however small, bededicated to all the Buddhas andBodhisattvas that they maybenefit all sentient beings andhelp to bring all to the realizationof the true nature of the mind.4

Vision of the EclipseTable of ContentsIntroduction: Vision of the Eclipse .6The Vision of the Eclipse .8June 15, 2011 Full-Moon Eclipse .9At Last: The New Moon and a New Time .21Eclipse of the Moon: Monday, June 4, 2012 .24Cycles in Our Life .26The Current Eclipses: A Vision .42Eclipse Visions: Continued .45The Dark Days of the Moon .49The Dark of the Moon: Dharma Protectors.52Double Eclipse Coming: A Time of Vision .55Total Eclipse of the Moon Tomorrow .65VENUS TRANSITS THE FACE OF THE SUN .675

Vision of the EclipseIntroduction: Vision of the EclipseThe Sun and Moon are called “The Lights,” and they,along with Earth, make up the key triad of traditionaland modern astrological factors. Only the intensesolar discharges at the time of flares and relatedphenomenon supersede ‘The Lights’ in importance.Here we will be looking at the two primary monthlylunar events, the New and Full Moon in themselves,and their relation to eclipses.For more general information on the Moon and theactive Sun, please see my books:Sun Storms: The Astrology of Solar ActivityMother Moon: The Astrology of “The Lights”They are free e-books that can be downloaded orig The LunationsTime is perceived as a continuum, articulated bycycles such as the monthly solunar cycle.The monthly alignment of the Earth, Moon, and Sunat New and Full Moon are recognized by mostcultures as key articulation points. The TibetanBuddhists are very clear that these two days eachmonth should be set aside for observation. We shouldobserve our mindstream at these times. Just as thesethree bodies fall into alignment at the key lunations,our inner qualities, what are called the “winds and thechannels,” also come into alignment at these times.More important, if the New or Full Moon happens alsoto be an eclipse, the spiritual alignment is very muchgreater and deserves even more consideration.6

Vision of the EclipseThese are special times. New and Full Moons andeclipses are times when information is circulated,when alignment occurs.This volume is a collection or articles and blogs,mostly on the lunations and eclipses. There is a fairamount of repetition, but I have always found this kindof rephrasing helpful in my own work. May it benefitthose who read it.EclipsesEclipses are simply New or Full Moons withextraordinary alignment or focus. They have beenconsidered for centuries to be astrological events ofthe first magnitude. If we consider New and FullMoons to be important, then eclipses represent thekeys to the lunar cycle for any year.We mentioned earlier about the New Moon containingan impulse or insight that grows to fruition at the FullMoon. Eclipses, then, provide moments whenextraordinary insight or vision are available to us. It ispossible for some of us, at least at certain times in ourlives, to experience what has been called the "visionof the eclipse," and to remember or keep that vision inmind. There appears to be a theme or principal insightconnected with major eclipses. Let me make clear justwhat we mean here by the word vision."Vision" does not mean the fairytale dream picture wemight conjure up – but it is related. A vision is amoment of extreme clarity or understanding, when “ina flash” we know or experience something in itsentirety. We take it in. There are times in each of ourlives when we have vision or see some intrinsic truthabout our lives – about life itself.7

Vision of the EclipseThe Vision of the EclipseAs mentioned above, there appears to be a commonor communal vision that occurs around the time ofmajor eclipses. While each of us interprets the insightor vision in a personal way, the theme or essence ofthe vision is a common experience. And it is possibleto share that vision. Although we all experience it atonce, only some of us are capable of rememberingthe experience in a conscious fashion. It seems thatwe are privileged to be consciously aware of thevision of an eclipse at special or crucial moments inour lifetimes – times when we are particularly aware.The message or vision or any given eclipse will tendto dominate our deeper or subconscious minds formonths surrounding that eclipse. It is a peculiarity ofthese eclipse moments that they can happen days oreven weeks before or after the actual moment of aneclipse. That is: the eclipse theme pervades the timeprior to and after the actual physical event.Sometimes eclipses happen in pairs, two weeksapart. These are particularly powerful, and the wholetime between these events can be a kind of wakingdream – a vision.Learning to recognize a moment of vision and takingadvantage of these enhanced moments of visionsurrounding and eclipse can be important. If the pointin the zodiac where an eclipse occurs is in high focusin your natal chart, then the particular eclipse mayhave special importance for you.In general, eclipses of the Sun (New Moons)represent vision into the nature of our life (ideas aboutlife), while eclipses of the Moon (Full Moons)represent a waking experience or sensational event –living in our own dream.8

Vision of the EclipseJune 15, 2011 Full-Moon EclipseThe Vision of This EclipseI have written here before about eclipses and theirmeaning spiritually. Here in the west we don’t havesuch a strong tradition in this, but in Tibet, India,China, and many other parts of the world eclipses areconsidered very, very potent and personallymeaningful. In Tibet, for example, they are consideredas extreme opportunities for the observation of ourmindstream, something we usually pay little or noattention to or, if so, only fleetingly.The Buddhists in particular have focused on eclipsesas rare opportunities when our more subtle internal orspiritual energies naturally come into alignment orattunement, when things that otherwise we wouldseldom notice line up and can be more easilyexperienced by us, that is if we know when and howto look for them.Eclipses are, above all, times of vision or insight. Wegrow up with the idea that “visions” are little scenes orpageants that appear in the mind to us like movies.Actually the reality is quite different. Visions are timesof intense experience when information perhaps vitalto us is streamed and imprints itself deeply in ourconsciousness, more like a brand. Some traditionsactually explain it as if a sacred scroll of some kindwere placed deep within us (imprinted) and only overtime will it unroll and reveal itself, literally speak orreveal itself to us. We read it out from deep within outmind over time.I don’t want to get all other-worldly or Twilight-zonelike about this, as the Tibetan Buddhists are verymatter of fact about eclipses and their value. As9

Vision of the Eclipsementioned earlier, eclipses in their view are rare timesof inner alignment, times not to be ignored by us, buttimes when we should pay attention and observe. Infact Tibetans traditionally set these eclipse timesaside as days of observation, just as Christians haveholy days that they observe. And by “observation,”they mean just that: to observe our mindstream, ourstream of consciousness carefully. Take time to dothis as opposed to ignoring this opportunity withbusiness-as-usual.And although every eclipse (or New or Full Moon forthat matter) has a vision or insight available to us,most of us have minds that are too noisy to receivethat vision. We effectively manage to ignore them.Perhaps they are too subtle and we are not yet awareenough to grasp them. This is also what the Tibetanscall “self-secret” in that these opportunities hidethemselves not because they are some hidden secretbut because we lack the faculties to perceive thephenomenon. Our awareness is not subtle enough.However, I believe that at the time of an eclipsecertain individuals either are naturally sensitive to thisinformation or are rubbed awake by life eventsenough to consciously experience these eclipsevisions. At any given time some of us are awake andexperience this consciously. And of course, trainedmeditators develop awareness of these visions. I willnot dwell on this here, but it is worth understanding.What I do want to point out is that we have an Eclipseof the Moon on Wednesday June 15, 2011 at 4:14 PMEDT. And while the exact moment of the eclipsemarks the precise center of the eclipse time, the effectof an eclipse is not so simple as the moment when itis at its maximum. The whole lunar cycle around an10

Vision of the Eclipseeclipse, in particular the week before and after aneclipse, is when the so-called eclipse vision arisesand imprints, so don’t get too specific about a day anda time. The vision of an eclipse fills the whole timearound it.Be aware at these times of intense experiences thatrivet you and involve you totally. They can sneak upon you. A “vision” is not an idea that you will simplygrasp or that comes to you, but a total experience thatis beyond your understanding, that envelops andabsorbs your complete attention, and will only revealits meaning to you over time. This is where theconcept of the sacred scroll and its unrolling comesin. Eclipse visions are always totally absorbing andrequire time to absorb. In other words, they have afuture for you to work through and thus the idea thatthese visions are somehow prophetic comes into play.It is not that they tell the future but that they will onlyreveal themselves over time. They have a future forus. It takes time to assimilate their meaning ormessage. You get the idea. I have told you enoughabout eclipse visions for now. I want to say somethingabout this particular eclipse.As it turns out this particular eclipse is at or near thevery center of our galaxy at 27 degrees of Sagittarius.The eclipse is at 24 degrees of Sagittarius and thecenter is several degrees wide. This blog is gettingkind of long, but I have more to tell you, so I may haveto continue this tomorrow or when I have time. Let mejust say a few words here and explain the encloseddiagram a bit.All of the matter (and meaning depends on matter) inthe universe is not evenly distributed. In fact it ishighly clustered and most of the matter in the whole11

Vision of the Eclipsesky surrounding us is in one direction and that is thecenter of our Milky Way Galaxy at 27 degrees of thezodiac sign Sagittarius. And that is the area in whichthis eclipse is taking place, so it is by that definition asignificant eclipse.The above diagram illustrates two views (upper andlower) of the entire 360-degrees of the sky. You haveto see each of these are a wrap-around view laid outflat. In the bottom panel is the total sky as we see itwith our eyes. There are familiar stars and so on. Theupper panel is the same sky if we could see beyondthe visual spectrum into the infrared spectrum atlower than visual frequencies. In this upper panel, asyou can see there are not only stars but also a hugestructure that dominates the entire sky. That is thestructure of our local galaxy the Milky Way. The night12