Astronomy | Eclipse season is here again, with a partial lunar eclipse during the overnight hours of Nov. 18 and 19, and its counterpart — a total solar eclipse— happening on Dec. 4. Very few places on Earth will be able to view the solar eclipse. Although we will not witness this solar eclipse, we are lucky to once again be in the path of the lunar eclipse! The eclipse begins at 10 p.m. on Nov. 18, although the prime viewing time isn’t until 11:18 p.m., when the moon moves into the darkest portion of the Earth’s shadow. This is known as the umbra, and it is here when the moon begins to take on an ominous reddish hue. Although it is a partial eclipse, only the slightest sliver of the moon will not pass through Earth’s shadow at the eclipse’s maximum, which will be at 1:02 a.m. on Nov. 19. The most dramatic portion of the eclipse will wrap at 2:47 a.m., when the moon moves out of the umbra, with the eclipse fully finishing at 4:07 a.m. As lunar eclipses happen during full moon phases, the moon will be opposite the sun during the eclipse. For this reason, the moon will be relatively high in the southern sky during the peak viewing hours, an excellent position for observation. If you’re keen, layer up and get outside the night before the eclipse to locate a clear vantage point for what will surely be a stunning sight!
Astrology | Nov. 19 brings us the first eclipse of the next two-year cycle, aligned to the axis of Taurus-Scorpio, with the final eclipse of the Gemini-Sagittarius polarity occurring on Dec. 4. The past two years have emphasized lessons involving intellectual exploration and how we parse information to reveal truth. As we shift from the elements of air (mind) and fire (spirit) to those of earth (materiality) and water (emotion), we move from intangible to more corporeal concerns. Resources and relationships are the focus in the Taurus-Scorpio dynamic. In this shadow season we can trace the path from how our needs were met in childhood through to how we relate to others in adulthood. The distinctions between what we need and what we want, what we hide and what we share, what we give and what we take emerge in starker contrast. Having spent these last two years surveying the mind, the nature of our attachments comes to the fore now — the old fixations that anchor us to the past and the secret longings that steer us onward.
~ Dawn Andreoni is a yoga teacher and astrologer living on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. You can find more about her offerings at celestialdawnastrology.com or follow her at facebook.com/astronotions.
