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This is a solar eclipse that is overhead in middle Europe on August 11, 1999. A solar eclipse is a new Moon, a conjunction of the Sun and Moon. In this case, the conjunct is at 18 degrees and 21 minutes of Leo.
Leo dramatizes everything. The ruler of Leo is the Sun -- Leo acts like the Sun. They love to be the center of attention, the boss, the King/Queen. Leos dramatize life. Often, if they are not actors, they act like actors.
Leo is also the "life of the party", and they love to throw parties. This is the sign of games, gambling, and gamboling. Both men and women Leos often have harems.
An eclipse in Leo means the focus will be on people in positions of leadership, people central to entertainment, the "stars".
A grand cross is formed to the eclipse. A grand cross consists of four planets which are all square to each other with two oppositions crossing at right angles. This grand cross is made up of the Sun/Moon in Leo which opposes Uranus in Aquarius and is in square to the opposition of Mars in Scorpio and Saturn in Taurus. Let me explain...
Uranus represents the "crazy" energy of inventors, revolutionaries, zannies, and bohemians. People with a mad gleam in the eye whose gaze flashes from side to side are Uranian. In mundane astrology, Uranus rules the drive for change. The focus of everyone's vision, particularly the avant garde, is Uranus.
Uranus rules Aquarius, the sign of revolution and change. When the planet of change in the sign of change opposes the planet of leadership in an eclipse we can make predictions!! People will, at least, feel a strong need to change their leadership. This change may not occur, but there will be a tremendous need for something new and different. For more information, see Uranus in Aquarius.
This need for change will apply to entertainment (the other side of Leo) as well. Because Uranus in Aquarius represents the electrical media, this eclipse may well signal a need for change in the way people entertain themselves, electronically.
Shifting to the Mars in Scorpio/Saturn in Taurus opposition, we see that nearly the whole grand cross is in planets that rule the signs they are placed within, or are at least compatible (Saturn in Taurus). Mars sub-rules Scorpio, Sun rules Leo, and Uranus rules Aquarius.
Mars is the planet of desires, anger, drive, and aggression. When you will something to happen with all the force at your command, that's Mars. People who march like soldiers when they walk, who bark commands, who force their way into situations, and who have strong desires are all Martian. Although it's a masculine planet, women need desire, drive, and physical energy just like men do.
Mars in Scorpio turns the drive and energy of Mars towards grievances, hidden desires, passion, and transformative healing. People get angry about perceived slights, although they have a real drive to find out what is really happening. Mars in Scorpio is like the drive of a detective or surgeon, the drive to find out where the illness in society or a person lies, and to remove it.
Saturn represents old age. The slow, steady, one-step-at-a-time approach. This planet is tied to past accomplishments, to hard work, to the school of hard knocks, to experience, to commitment, and to seriousness. Saturn in Taurus tries to bring finances to a more solid foundation, to limit pleasure, and to be very serious about material matters. For more information, see Saturn in Taurus.
When Mars in Scorpio opposes Saturn in Taurus there is a tension between the drive to have tumultuous passion and solid, financial backing. It is like a surgeon saying, "we must operate now" and the hospital's financial wing saying, "don't do it, we don't have the money". It is like a passion between two people which is unsupported by their financial and physical practicalities. Where Mars in Scorpio recognizes an urgent need for something to be done, Saturn in Taurus emits a stubborn "no" based on solid, practical reasons. Mars in Scorpio pushes on the gas while Saturn in Taurus puts on the brakes.
Now imagine these two dualities in square to each other. There will be an incredible tension between the status quo (Sun conjunct Moon in Leo, Saturn in Taurus) and the need to address urgent problems with the way things are being run (Mars in Scorpio) and to change who is running them (Sun and Moon in Leo).
During the Summer and Fall of 1999, any planet crossing (or, at times, making an aspect to) 18 degrees of Leo will activate the eclipse energy. This need to change leadership, to break out of the status quo will work its way down into daily life, not just the leaderships of countries.
With the current problems in Yugoslavia, this eclipse will exacerbate the tensions
there. However, with this eclipse occurring in Europe and the entire NATO alliance
being from Europe, this eclipse can foretell problems within Europe if the pressing
issues are not addressed. What is pressing will come up quickly under this aspect.
O B S E R V A T I O N S
Wendy and I have observed the following, on a more personal level, leading up to the eclipse (which is also fallout from the current grand cross in the sky). While the Uranus in Aquarius was squaring Saturn in Taurus, people were intensely focused on getting things together physically (Saturn in Taurus) but they were too scattered and hyper to do it (Uranus in Aquarius). People were tired (Saturn) and hyper (Uranus) at the same time. This has been happening the last few weeks.
There has been a loss of focus and energy on activities people have been doing for years, there is no "drive" (Mars). At the same time, people are re-assessing what they have been doing for the last few years (Mars in Scorpio opposed to Saturn in Taurus with Uranus in Aquarius forming a T-square). The Mars in Scorpio digs deeply into what is your (and others) motivations and it is opposed to Saturn in Taurus (why am I doing this same, old, rigid thing?). Uranus wants excitement and Uranus in Aquarius square this asks, "why aren't I doing something more exciting?"
Also with Jupiter and Saturn both in Taurus, heading for the conjunction in 2000, people are finishing up a 20-year cycle of growth and asking what is the next growth spurt, see Jupiter-Saturn conjunct for more information.
copyright 1999 by Ed Rose