lunar eclipse

It seems these days that all the self help authors, new thought teachers, and TED talk speakers are using this term, “lean into it.” It’s replaced Nike’s “Just do it.” Don’t get me wrong, as a licensed psychotherapist for 30 years and executive coach for the past 10, I do advocate going toward your feelings as a means of moving forward. However, I have also been a consultant to addiction treatment facilities for fifteen years and every addict will tell you, it aint so easy to lean in first!

Recently, my 88 year old Italian father  gave me some great advice that he was applying to my relationships with men: he told me to lean back. Now, he meant: “lean back in your chair and listen, don’t audition. Observe who they are. ” However, I started to contemplate this as it applies to life. Perhaps the ultimate leaning back is to lean back into God or your Higher Self when life gets difficult. By surrendering into a wisdom bigger than our wounded brains, we are braver to move into our most terrifying emotions, especially those being triggered by the fear of loss.

So, what does this have to do with the lunar eclipse you might ask? Lunar eclipses are about endings: what needs to change or end in ourselves. Because my training originally was in Jungian analysis, I do look at life through archetypes. For example, we all have within us a king, a queen, a child, a sage, etc.

Astrology also sees the human blueprint through archetypes. On Sunday, we have a lunar eclipse in Aries. he last time we had a lunar eclipse in Aries at the same degree as the one on Sunday was in Sept of 1996. A dear friend of mine (a businessman) who is a Virgo with an Aries moon always poo pooed my astrological advice. In Sept of 1996, right after his birthday, his girlfriend announced she was leaving him. The moon in the chart rules our emotional style and unconscious mind. In a man’s chart, it is his anima (his feminine self) and gets reflected by the women in his life. He was heart broken by this break up but it did break open his heart to deeper levels of connection with his emotions.

The archetype of Aries shows where we are independent, willing to be brave or pioneering, but also where we are self centered. Everyone has this archetype operating in their chart somewhere. Wherever this is in your chart is where going it alone or being independent is no longer working. For example, I have Aries in the career sector of my chart. I am now being called out of private practice so much and into giving more organizational trainings again. On this lunar eclipse, I am focusing on attracting companies and facilities who are in the midst of transition and need tools for developing greater change mastery and resilience.

I recommend taking some meditation time on Sunday to contemplate what is being called forth for you to let go of. Where do you need to lean back more into God or the universe for guidance and support.

We have two more weeks of Mercury in retrograde. This is a great time to reflect on what, like the leaves of Autumn needs to be released so something new can emerge from your dreams. Until we decide to release the old, we can’t be ready for the call that is beckoning us. To paraphrase Joseph Campbell, ” to follow your bliss means to go through the door that is just for us and no other.”
Here’s to the glorious changes of Autumn!