Shadows And Light: Healing With The Half-Blood Thunder Lunar Eclipse In Capricorn

Artwork by Robin Isley “Crying Moon"

Astrology by Lisa Stardust

The second and last eclipse of the summer is upon us, unleashing and unlocking the past. The lunar eclipse, which occurs July 16th, serves to reconcile the intense Capricorn New Moon from January of 2018. We are wrapping up the story that started in 2018 now. In 2018, the focus of our journey was to implement practicality in matters relating to self-love, finances, and relationships. Now, we are learning to let go of monetary and emotionally constraints that hold us back from living our best lives—without guilt and fear.

Evocative and transformational Pluto, who is retrograde in Capricorn, will align with the Moon and heat up the celestial energy. Neptune, who is also retrograde in tender Pisces, will add confusion and illusions to our sentiments. These two planets will make us question our own thoughts, as they aim to push our fears to the surface of our consciousness. The fixed star Terebellum will be activated, bringing deceptions we’ve felt about ourselves to light, making us come to terms with our former insecurities. The cosmic Hell Point (the midpoint between Saturn and Pluto) is in orb for this luminary, which means that our darkest sentiments will come to light. Embracing the shadow self will be a core theme during the lunar eclipse, as we are celestially tasked to accept the sides of ourselves that we may not understand and that we have kept under wraps for some time. This means we are exposing our own bad habits and exploring our irrational impulses. Learning to expel the mind of shame and judgement we may feel will prove challenging. But, by accessing our repressed subconscious feelings and thoughts, we will be able to let go of shame and fear to move forward into our most evolved state of mind, which is self acceptance. 

This eclipse is all about forgiveness. Not to others—but, to ourselves. We all have a shadow self that we hide from the outside world, where we place our inner insecurities. We have to face off and let go of the outdated views we have for ourselves. This is the optimal cosmic time to heal, if we embrace our wounds and live our truth. What we will come to find through Pluto’s close connection with the Moon, is that we can change our own story. We can mend the wounds felt deep within our subconscious. Our repressed memories can see the light of day and shine—if we desire to grow. We need to put more self-love in our hearts. Loving all parts of ourselves, including our shadow selves, will transform our lives. Reconciling the past will start the process of healing, which will serve as a catalyst for growth. 

Under this eclipse, the only ritual is to honor our shadow selves. Writing down our fears and insecurities on paper and deep journaling will help us reconcile our subconscious fears. Looking at ourselves in a mirror and honoring ALL parts of ourselves—the good, the bad, and the ugly—is necessary. Mediating on healing the heart will also be beneficial during this luminary. All of these techniques will help us evolve and grow into the person of our dreams with a heart full of unconditional love for ourselves. 

*The lunar eclipse occurs July 16th at 2:38PM PST and 5:38PM EST.