We’re hurtling into Eclipse Season, babes, and you know what that means? The portal is open. Time is speeding up! Sudden beginnings and endings at every turn. We won’t come out of this the same as we went in.
To celebrate the absolute CHAOS that is here, I’m doing a 48 Hour Flash Sale on all 1-on-1 consultations AND gift cards!!! (I never do sales on gift cards so that’s how you know this is serious).
USE CODE ECLIPSE when booking a reading or ECLIPSE33 when buying a gift card for 33% OFF (my biggest sale ever!) WHEN YOU BOOK through the end of the day on 4/20 (everything but the Bundle of 4 Sessions because listen that is already a major deal) Books are open through the end of May, but if you want to save this deal for the future - buy yourself a gift card!
Why? Well, I know we are living in tumultuous times (culturally, politically and especially economically) and I also know that this is the time of year we could all use a little extra support. I’d love to sit together and talk about what you’re going through!
ALSO, if you’ve been wanting to tip your astrologer, now’s the time when that act of kindness could make a huge difference for me. Do it here or @Jaime-Wright on Venmo. You can also show that same support through getting a monthly or annual subscription to moon missives.
NOW BEFORE WE GET TO THE ECLIPSE, FIRST A NOTE ON BREAKING UP WITH HOROSCOPES:
The first time I ever shared horoscopes was during Eclipse Season, for a Solar Eclipse in Aquarius (conjunct my natal Mercury) in February 2018. So much about my writing and astrology practice has changed since then. (When I shared those first horoscopes, I could count the natal chart readings I’d done on one hand!) I went from thinking it was impossible to write a horoscope to then sharing dailies on Instagram to a regular gig writing Weeklies and Monthlies for PureWow (if you didn’t know, I’ve been doing that for almost four years now!). Friends know that I sometimes call my life living in Horoscopelandia or being a horoscope factory. I get a Matcha Latte and call it my horoscope juice. Truly, for the last five years, my life has been ALL ABOUT HOROSCOPES.
I think that horoscopes are songs. I also think that anyone can write them, just like anyone who knows their way around a guitar can play a little melody. Knowing the technicalities of astrology helps just like knowing how to read music helps, but when a song slaps, it slaps and when a horoscope resonates, it resonates. It doesn’t matter who wrote it. To test this hypothesis, I did a performance back in 2018 called “How to Write a Horoscope” in which I made everyone in the audience pen me a quick piece for the day of my exact Saturn Return. They were all brilliant, gorgeous, show-stopping. I still think about some of them to this day—no one who wrote the ones that floored me the most knew any of the technicalities of astrology, but they figured out how to play the song. One of my core beliefs about astrology is that it should be less about what the astrologer SAYS and more about YOUR experience. I’m not here to tell you how to feel.
This is all a very long-winded way of saying that as far as moon missives is concerned: I’m breaking up with writing horoscopes. Maybe you saw this coming. You noticed that I’ve been slowly pulling away since last spring’s eclipses: putting them behind a paywall or skipping them all together. For whatever reason, I felt obligated to write them here. For you! Because it’s what I’d “always done.” I felt like no one was interested in anything else I had to say. Even though, tbh, I also felt they weren’t hitting like they used to, and they weren’t hitting like they used to because my heart just wasn’t in them anymore.
A few weeks ago, I considered announcing this breakup by sending you horoscopes written in “my voice” by ChatGPT. But no matter how specific I got with my prompt, the results were unimpressive and honestly, dull. I can tell ChatGPT to invoke salt or an obscure line from a Shins song or the Hudson River, but ChatGPT doesn’t know what any of those things are; it’s just guessing what word to put next, not having a lived experience. But the desperation of asking the bot for a sign was the final nudge I needed to know it was time for this to end.
So what can you expect here on moon missives? Well, A LOT! I’m shifting my focus away from the ephemeral and toward the evergreen.
For the Free List:
Expect a newsletter most Fridays (Venus day!) with a quick check in about offerings and the astrological vibes of the week + what I’m seeing/reading/watching/eating through it + suggested art/film/tv/lit/food pairings for you! I expect this to get especially interesting when Jupiter enters Taurus on May 16!
good fortune! podcast on Sundays (for now) going through the weekly astro weather — hope to include transcriptions for these soon, but to be honest, I need more resources!!
occasional longer form essays, on the docket right now is: Artists with 6th House placements (the 6th House being the house of maintenance and labor, where the art actually gets made); MIKE WHITE’S PROGRESSED LUNATION CYCLE (going through all our favorite Survivor obsessed television auteurs peaks and valleys) and HOW TO FIND PERFORMANCE & PERSONA in the birth chart, starting with case studies on a few of my fave actors including Jeremy Strong, Zendaya and Laura Dern — the Jeremy Strong one will be here before the Finale of Succession! Mark my words!
For Paid Subscribers:
Here’s where you’ll get the breakdowns on major transits, etc. (Eclipses, Retrogrades, Big Aspects, etc.) and tips on how I build my own form of relational astrology—developing connections with the planets as well as with time itself. You’ll get behind the scenes looks on how I analyze the astro weather using cycles — some of this will potentially also be on Instagram Close Friends
bonus good fortune content and hot takes
occasional meetups on Zoom or IRL to discuss WTF is going on in the sky (lmk if you’d actually be interested in this because I want it to happen)
my undying love and affection —your monthly (or annual) contribution is what makes writing this newsletter possible. It also helps me work toward writing my first book!
& if a monthly subscription doesn’t make sense for you rn, remember the time is nigh to tip your astrologer if you’re feeling generous :)
AND NOW FOR THE LOWDOWN ON TODAY’S SOLAR ECLIPSE IN ARIES
The Solar Eclipse goes exact at 12:12 AM ET on April 20 at 29º Aries. This is the first Eclipse in Aries since September 27, 2015, and is the prelude for major transitions, beginnings and endings that will take place in the Aries and Libra part of our chart for the next 1.5 years. (also, check out this week’s forecast on the pod which goes into the Eclipse as well).
Every Solar Eclipse is a New Moon, but not every New Moon is a Solar Eclipse. Solar Eclipses make the usual “new moon, new me” fresh start null and void. When eclipses are here, it’s not up to us to set our intentions. Now’s when the universe takes the wheel.
This Eclipse is happening on the lunar North Node (or, Rahu), a place of increase, and brings an enormous tasting menu of new options into our life. It’s exciting and overwhelming. This Solar Eclipse represents a hunger for all things cardinal fire sign: self-confidence, satisfaction, ambition, motivation. Call her effusive, dynamic and determined to win!!!
Especially interesting is that this is our second New Moon in Aries of 2023. The first took place on March 21 at 0º Aries while this one takes place at 29º, bookending the season. While that first New Moon was a cute little sprout of an idea, this Solar Eclipse is a desire shouted at full volume on the way out the door. There’s much more to be revealed with this Eclipse and much of it won’t be clear until three or even six months from now. Nevertheless, a new chapter has firmly begun.
Aries III, the decan where this Eclipse falls, is the part of our cardinal fire sign where Venus sits in the driver’s seat. Austin Coppock calls this part of Aries “The Burning Rose,” and the Golden Dawn called its related Tarot Card the 4 of Wands, “Perfected Work.” This zodiacal geography is giving troubadour: people who charge the town square with a guitar (rather than a sword) in hand. We might be shouting and we might be going to battle, but the ultimate goal is to make art and to create a safe haven. Linda Perry of 4 Non Blondes has Venus in this part of the zodiac and one could say this is a very good time for us to take a deep breath, step outside and scream at the top of our lungs “WHAT’S GOING ON???”
Other touchy astrology around this eclipse:
Aries is ruled by Mars which is currently in sensitive Cancer. Mars in Cancer can be a protective emotional warrior but can also be a crabby jerk. For all the inspiration surrounding this Aries season, the energy to put ideas into action has been lacking. Mars enters Leo on May 20 and drive should increase from there.
The Sun and Moon are conjunct optimistic Jupiter which is theoretically a good thing. But since late March, Jupiter has been under the beams of the Sun—a process of renewal as the planet of hope and relief has his own fresh start. But besides April 11 (when Jupiter was cazimi in the exact heart of the Sun, being purified), Jupiter has basically been burnt up, unable to spread his wings and live up to his potential. Around May 1, Jupiter comes out from under the hot rays and we can access that feeling of joy and buoyancy again.
Hours after the Eclipse, the Sun moves into Taurus and the season of the bull begins! But this is not a normal Taurus season. Taurus likes steadiness and reliability but the eclipse are here, babe! So there’s no hope for anything (especially sacred things like food, money and the earth itself) to remain unchanged. The Sun immediately makes a square to Pluto in Aquarius—the first Sun-Pluto aspect since the lord of the underworld entered Aquarius on March 23. This is an aspect of ego challenges and transformations. Because this is all happening at once, the Eclipse also makes a near exact aspect to Pluto. Alchemy is inevitable. Things are getting torn down, but there will be many chances to rebuild.
On April 21 (so, Friday), Mercury stations retrograde in Taurus. Yes bb, it’s not only Eclipse season, it is that Mercury retrograde time again! Expect delays in communication! Back up your technology! This retrograde is particularly sticky because it’s in perfectionist Taurus where technical things are already quite slow. Mercury keeps moving backward until May 14 (with a brief a-ha! moment on May 1) — Mercury stations only a few degrees off from an exact conjunction with Uranus so again, expect the unexpected. Some of those delays might end in fireworks.
TL;DR: Mars is crabby, Jupiter is hidden, Mercury is retrograde and Pluto is making power plays. It might feel like everything has to happen all at once, but really: it needs to happen one thing at a time.
Eclipses always come in pairs and the second of this season, a Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio, falls on May 5. The Scorpio Lunar Eclipse will be the final one in Scorpio after previous eclipses on May 15 and October 25, 2022. What has been decreasing in the Scorpio part of your chart? Getting refined and spiritualized? How have your ideas around security and protection changed over the last year and a half? You will be contending with this more when this cycle peaks at the Full Moon.
For further reference points in the past, today’s Solar Eclipse also connects back to a New Moon in Aries on April 18, 2015 (29º Aries) and a Full Moon in Libra on April 19, 2019 (29º Libra). If you can remember back that far, there was also a Solar Eclipse at 29º Aries on April 19, 2004. What were you doing on or around these dates? How does it relate (or completely not relate) to where you’re at now?
You may also want to look back on the last times the Nodes were in Aries and Libra:
February 19, 2014 - November 11, 2015,
and also December 24, 2004 - June 22, 2006
These time periods will become more relevant once the nodes move into Aries and Libra in July and will become especially potent during the next Eclipse cycle in October. Still what comes up this week could be singing the same melody.
As you consider this and consider all the other crunchy astrology we’re currently side stepping through, I want you to make time to rest. Today especially will be very sleepy. The ancients would tell you to stay out of the eclipse light (“the baleful rays”) but luckily here on the East Coast the window of the eclipse (9:34 pm - 2:59 am) will be entirely in darkness. Ultimately, I don’t think we have to “hide” from the Eclipse - life must go on! But if you have the option of staying home, it might be wise to just chill rather than push yourself to go out. Take a salt bath and clear some of the charged energy. Pull some tarot cards, journal and notice what downloads are coming in.
Eclipses are topsy-turvy, meant to turn the world upside down. But I think ultimately these changes are leading us toward a more harmonious future. Pleasure and fine forms are on the way. Power is waiting in the wings. Our work is to let it come. Our work is to grab it.
xoxo
Jaime