Solar Eclipse (Sūryagrahaṇa) is Here.

South Node-Ketu conjunct Solar Eclipse. July 10, 2024.

Solar Annular Eclipse. October 2, 2024. 6:49:01 PM GMT

Tropical. 10° Libra 3’. Sidereal. 15° Virgo 57’

This is adapted from past newsletters about eclipse season in general followed by more specific information about the present solar eclipse on October 2, 2024. More information about the Lunar Eclipse, which occurred on September 18 (GMT) and will still be in effect, please read the last News and Views here conta.cc/4d9eDtl.

As stated many times, eclipses occur every six months in pairs that are two weeks apart. Sometimes there is a third eclipse but mostly there are two. Sometimes the lunar eclipse appears and two weeks later the solar eclipse appears. At other times, the solar eclipse appears, and the lunar eclipse follows two weeks later. Having said that, eclipse season is upon us once again, which means that there are two eclipses, two weeks apart. On September 17 (EDT)-September 18 (GMT), we experienced a partial lunar eclipse, which is a full moon, meaning that the Sun and Moon are 180 degrees apart. On October 2, there will be an annular solar eclipse, which is a new moon, meaning that the Sun and Moon are conjunct. In this article, we address the general mood of eclipse season and then this particular solar eclipse. Even though eclipse season can be seen as the two weeks in between eclipses, I look at it as beginning and ending the week before and after the eclipse, which means from about September 10 through about October 9th. However, as we will see due to planets coming to the eclipse degree, the effects of each eclipse often begin months prior or continue for months after.

A Solar Eclipse (eclipse of the Sun) (Sūryagrahaṇa) can only occur on the New Moon (Sun Moon conjunction) when the Moon comes between the Sun and the Earth, blocking the light of the Sun. If the Moon's shadow falls upon Earth's surface at that time, part or all of the Sun’s disk is covered

or 'eclipsed' by the Moon. When the Moon's umbral or inner shadow strikes Earth we see a total eclipse. If the Moon’s penumbral, or outer shadow, strikes Earth, we see a partial eclipse of the Sun from that region. This October 2nd eclipse is an annular solar eclipse, which means that it occurs while the Moon is on the far side of its orbit, and appears smaller than the Sun and can't completely cover it. This eclipse also produces what is known as the ring of fire.

From www.space.com. "During a solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and Earth, casting a shadow upon our planet. The moon's orbit around Earth is slightly elliptical: Sometimes it's farther from Earth, and sometimes it's closer. During an annular or "ring of fire" eclipse, the moon is relatively far from Earth and does not fully cover the sun's disk like we see during a total solar eclipse. Instead, it leaves a distinct ring of light in the sky — the "ring of fire."  Read more about this eclipse at www.space.com/annular-solar-eclipse-2024-today-ring-of-fire-what-you-need-to-know

Message for Eclipse Season. This is what I wrote in my last newsletter before the Lunar Eclipse of September 18, but this eclipse season has been more intense than usual, with events occurring that are unprecedented like Hurricane Helene, which I will list below. "In general, eclipse season, is always intense, dramatic, and revealing, for better or worse. Secrets come out of the woodwork and things are suddenly revealed and mysteries are solved. The effects of the eclipse begin at least a week before the eclipses begin, which means that from about September 10th moving forward explosive things are bound to happen. This will start to ebb around October 9th, a week after the October 2nd solar eclipse.

Watch for revelations in the media but also in government and in your personal lives. Be honest if you are holding something back from a friend, family member, partner or colleague since you will probably find out anyway. Go with the intense energy that an eclipse brings, or it will occur anyway and you will be unprepared. But remember to meditate, propitiate the Sun and Moon, and reflect on everything that is occurring in your life especially when it comes to the area that the eclipse is hitting in your chart. Reflect on the world around you, send positive energy and prayers to everyone, and enjoy inner peace. When you gain strength to stay calm amidst the storm ahead then you will be able to provide strength to yourself and others. Mostly it is a time to go inward, meditate, and reflect.

So many things happen in the world these days on a day-to-day level, but that is why it is important to take notice about what is happening in the world. While there are things happening every day, we should be on the alert, for explosive events. Literally it could mean actual explosions like earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, floods, actual explosions either due to terrorism or due to accidents. These types of occurrences happen often around eclipses, which could mean any time between September 9th and October 9th which is a week prior to the lunar eclipse through a week after the solar eclipse." This was from the last newsletter, which was sent out on September 16. The list of events in this eclipse season are unprecedented in terms of the actual events, and how they occurred so close to each other. Usually events that occur in relation to the eclipse usually take on a world-wide proportion.

September 15, 2024. Assassination attempt on Donald Trump, caught in time by a secret service agent, two days before the September 17 eclipse in Eastern time, September 18 GMT. Ironically, the last assassination attempt, which was carried through and unfortunately killed someone at Trump's rally, occurred on July 13, three days after the true South Node-Ketu conjoined the October 2nd solar eclipse degree. Eclipse season, and the dates that planets, especially the Nodes, conjoin the eclipse degrees are especially intense and explosive times of the year, and define the nature of the eclipse. Here is just a partial list of the intensity of eclispe season, whcih as I wrote in the last newsletter, could mean explosioins both literally and figuratively. This is not even menioning everything that has occurred around the U.S. election. Here is that partial list.

September 17, 2024. The day before the lunar eclipse. Pagers exploding in Lebanon, that was followed by more explosions in Lebanon.

September 26-28, 2024. Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida but extended to unprecedented damage in Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, and especially North Carolina, whose damage has never been seen in that area, especially Asheville. As of today, October 2nd, they are still searching for people, and trying to restore power, fix bridges, etc. These damages and reparations will be long-lasting.

October 1, 2024. The day before the October 2, 2024 Solar Eclipse, Iran fired missiles on Israel, and obviously this will be a continuing process, probably becoming worse before it gets better, due to upcoming transits for one, which I will discuss in each upcoming newsletter.

Sometimes the Node conjoins the eclipse degree prior to the eclipse, like it did in relation to the October 2 eclipse, since the South Node-Ketu occurred on the eclipse degree on July 10, 2024. (Dates listed above.) At other times, the Node will conjoin the eclipse degree after the eclipse occurs, and in the case of the Lunar Eclipse of September 18th it is the North Node (Rahu) that conjoins the lunar eclipse degree on May 14, 2025, which is six months later. When an eclipse is partial it takes longer for the Node to reach the degree, as opposed to an eclipse that is annular or total, when the Node reaches the degree within a few months, sometimes even 6 weeks, if the eclipse is completely total.

The Metonic Cycle consists of lunations (New Moon and Full Moon) occurring every 19 years on the same date and degree, so think about what you may have experienced in 2005 and then 1986 especially if these present eclipses ignite something in your own chart (scroll down for how it affects you personally). When I presented my Sensitive Degrees 2024 webinar last December 2023, and my Six Months Ahead webinar in July 2024, I talked about the fact that due to this factor, 2024 could mirror 2005, and I specifically mentioned the major meteorological tragedies in 2005 that occurred between August and November 2005, namely Hurricane Katrina, which battered New Orleans and surrounding areas (8/29/05), Kashmir earthquake (10/8/05). Hurricane Wilma, which battered South Florida and surrounding areas (10/24/05). Of course, these corresponded with Mars retrograde, but they also corresponded with eclipse season and repeating lunations, namely, Full Moon on September 18, 2005, Annular Solar Eclipse on October 3, 2005, and a Partial Lunar Eclipse on October 17, 2005. This year we also had the New Moon and Full Moon on those dates, though the present Full Moon on September 18, was also a Lunar Eclipse, and the Full Moon on October 17 is just a Full Moon. The solar eclipses repeat as solar eclipses. (You can purchase my Next Six Months Webinar at ronniedreyer.com/schedule. You can register for my zoom lecture on Saros and Metonic Cycles for the Scottish Astrological Association on Wednesday October 9, 2024 at www.scottishastrology.co.uk/index.html)

In terms of the Solar Eclipse on October 2, the Sun conjoins South Node-Ketu, which was exactly on the eclipse degree on July 10. This means that the Node has already hit that degree, and as already stated, on July 13, there was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a rally, which killed one attendee, and injured several others, and slightly injured Trump. Since I always look at the eclipse period as between that date of the Node conjunction, and the actual eclipse, it is not completely unsurprising that Trump had another thwarted attempt occurring on September 15. There have probably been other events all over the world, but the ones I mention are the ones that have stood out in news reports in the United States, since that is where I live. There is still the ongoing war in the Ukraine, and famine and war in North Africa, which if I were to mention these this newsletter would be three times as long. But if you pay attention to news cycles, especially ones that cover international events, you stay informed and aware of the world we presently live in. Because this is a South Node-Ketu eclipse, it means that things are getting obliterated, and have to be thrown away in order to go through healing and move forward. The North Node-Rahu is something to move towards, and the South Node-Ketu is what we move away from, sometimes if we do not do it willingly, it will happen to us regardless. This means old habits and patterns that do not serve us well should be transformed into things that will serve us positively. Below see how this eclipse affects you personally.

This solar eclipse may have hit you with a bang, because it took less than three months from the time that the South Node-Ketu conjoined the eclipse degree through the eclipse itself on October 2. It is important if you have not already gone through a process of habits and patterns you want to transform, now is the time to do it, since this eclipse will reveal what you wanted to avoid and set aside. Remember that with change comes transformation. It means in order to gain something, you may have to lose something along the way, but you will be able to appreciate what it means to move on to the next level of your evolution. This eclipse season may indicate that you have to move on from certain things in your life. This can be wonderful as well as difficult. There may be an event, or simply an internal message to get you to move forward. Eclipses are also a great time to do community service, or volunteer for an organization or charity close to your heart. Donating items you do not need but might be beneficial to others, is also a great way to honor eclipse season. Mostly take deep breaths, meditate, go inward, and reflect on everything that is good in your life, and honor the people in your life whom you love and respect.

Scroll down for whichever system you use (tropical western or sidereal Indian) to learn about how this Solar Eclipse may affect you.

Read if you use tropical Western astrology. If you have a planet, point, or angle in your chart close to 10° Libra 3’ (I use a one-degree orb), which is the degree of the Solar Eclipse on October 2, 2024 and the degree of the South Node on July 10, 2024. This is an area that should have been over the last few months intensified, awakened, and started to be transformed, especially between October 2-9, 2024. This is a beginning and not an end, since changing habits, patterns, and getting rid of these things in addition to perhaps material possessions, employment, and relationships, is difficult, but you may have laid the groundwork and now will begin to become detached from the past, and attached to the present and future. This results in transforming yourself and taking you to a higher level in relation to whatever is represented in your chart. Below are some keywords for the meaning of the planets and angles.

Sun. vitality, individuality, ego; Moon. emotions, habits, conditioning; Mercury. communication, intelligence; Venus. love, beauty, creativity; Mars. physical energy, aggression, courage; Jupiter. expansion, abundance; Saturn. limitation, disciplined, fear; Uranus. originality, independent, rebellious; Neptune. spiritual, immaterial, imagination; Pluto. intensity, power; North Node. power, place where you must strive; South Node. place where it is easy, habits; Ascendant: personality, destiny; IC. home, family, mother; Descendant. partnerships, contracts; Midheaven. career, father.

The house where tropical Libra is located is also an area that will be intensified, awakened, and will have been transformed over the last few months, culminating with this eclipse on October 2, 2024. Right now, you might get a push regarding what you have started to do, and these changes will result in transforming yourself and taking you to a higher level in relation to whatever the house Libra occupies represents in your chart. If you do not know which house Libra occupies, look at your ascendant or Sun (if you do not know your ascendant), and just count from there. General descriptions for houses are as follows:  

1. personality, body, appearance; 2. finances, possessions, values. 3. communication, siblings, short journeys, learning; 4. family, mother, home; 5. children, recreation, entertainment; 6. health, service, pets; 7. marriage, contracts, partnership; 8. business transactions, sexuality, life and death matters; 9. higher education, travel abroad, publishing, law; 10. profession, status, father; 11. gains, friendships, hopes, dreams; 12. compassion, spirituality, limitations, solitude.

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Read if you use sidereal Indian astrology. If you have a planet, point, or angle in your chart close to 15° Virgo 57’ (I use a one-degree orb), which is the degree of the Solar Eclipse on October 2, 2024 and the degree of Ketu on July 10, 2024. This is an area that should have been over the last few months intensified, awakened, and starting to be transformed, especially between October 2-9, 2024. This is a beginning and not an end, since changing habits, patterns, and getting rid of these things in addition to perhaps material possessions, employment, and relationships, is difficult, but you may have laid the groundwork and now will begin to become detached from the past, and attached to the present and future. This results in transforming yourself and taking you to a higher level in relation to whatever is represented in your chart. Below are some keywords for the meaning of the planets and angles.

Sun.  power, vigor; Moon. maternal, mind; Mars. strength, courage; Mercury. speech, learning; Jupiter.  knowledge, wealth; Venus. love, happiness; Saturn. sorrow, fear; Rāhu (North Node). intensity, compulsion; Ketu (South Node). extremes, spirituality; Lagna (ascendant). destiny, vitality. If you use Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and the angles you can look above at tropical Western astrology for their keywords.

The house where sidereal Virgo is located is also an area that will be intensified, awakened, and will be transformed over the last few months, culminating with this eclipse on October 2, 2024. Right now, you might get a push regarding what you have started to do, and these changes will result in transforming yourself and taking you to a higher level in relation to whatever the house Virgo occupies represents in your chart. If you do not know which house Virgo occupies, look at your lagna (ascendant), or Moon, or even your Sun (if you do not know your ascendant or Moon), and just count from there.  General descriptions for bhavas (houses) are as follows:   

1. appearance, destiny, temperament, personality, constitution; 2. Money, family life, food, speech, early childhood; 3. Siblings, Fine arts, courage, desires; 4. Mother, happiness, real estate, vehicles; 5. Children, romance, investments, speculation; 6. Open enemies, work, competition, obstacles, illness; 7. Marriage, partners, contracts, passion; 8. Life and death cycle, research, accidents, other's money, inheritance; 9. Father, teacher (guru), religion, higher learning, opportunity; 10. Career, status, public recognition, reputation; 11. Profits, rewards, gains from work, awards, older siblings; 12. spiritual practice, secret enemies, foreign travel, debt, confinement.

Past Presentations for Purchase

Purchase Sanskrit for Astrologers. A two-part webinar with Martin Gansten (martingansten.com) presented on August 17 and 24, 2024. for a total of 5 hours. If you are a student of Jyotisa and wish to learn Sanskrit from a superb scholar, you can purchase this and will receive the link to the recording and presentations within 24 hours. This seminar will be a wonderful and thorough introduction to the history and usage of Sanskrit, in a way that is accessible to everyone. Fee: $175. Purchase at www.ronniedreyer.com/schedule.

. A historical overview of Sanskrit, its importance for Indian culture and relation to other

languages worldwide (including English), and the European ‘discovery’ of Sanskrit beginning in

the 18th century;

. A comprehensive introduction to the speech sounds of Sanskrit and the script systems used to

systems used to represent them, with a focus on teaching correct pronunciation;

. Sanskrit terms for common Jyotiṣa concepts such as planets, signs, houses, etc.;

. An outline of common meters, with practical demonstrations of traditional styles of

recitation/chanting of mantras such as the Navagraha-stotra (hymn to the nine planets

or grahas);

. An explanation of how Sanskrit forms compound words, which are frequently challenging to

challenging to beginning students;

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For Purchase: Webinar: The Next Six Months: What's New for July-December 2024.  

Presented on Sunday July 21, 2024. 2 1/2 hour recording plus 46 page presentation. 

Fee: $50. You will get the recording within 24 hours.  www.ronniedreyer.com/schedule

We begin with a quick review of January-June 2024 and will take an in-depth look at the sensitive degrees and astrological events of the next six months as follows: The new Venus as Evening Star cycle, Next Retrograde and Direct stations: Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto; New and Full Moons from July through December; Eclipses of September 18 and October 2 (including Saros and Metonic cycles); Pluto re-enters tropical Aquarius definitively; Uranus in sidereal Taurus and retrogrades into sidereal Aries; Important aspects: Mars conjunct Uranus, Mars conjunct. Jupiter, Mars square Saturn, Jupiter square Saturn, Mars opposite Pluto and more; According to both Sidereal and Tropical zodiac. Overview of world events based on the above. I will NOT make US Presidential Election predictions, but will talk about the planetary indications for that time. Additionally, we will look at current conflicts and elections, plus new activities that could take place. And much more...

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Retrograde Tales: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Presented on Sunday. July 14, 2024, ISAR Star Club Online Presentation..

In this lecture, we will talk about the good, bad and the ugly about retrograde periods. We will focus on these periods in general but will also zero in on the upcoming Mercury and Mars retrogrades. we will talk about personal anecdotes that have occurred during these periods, some of which are frustrating, and some of them humorous and unexpected.

Free for ISAR members at the Star Club at www.isarastrology.com.