Lunar Nodes and Eclipse Cycles in Aries/Libra: July 18, 2023 to January 11, 2025

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” — Martin Luther King Jr.

Eclipses can be disruptive, bringing new awareness, as well as beginnings and endings. They change signs every 18 to 24 months, introducing new topics in your life based on the houses of your chart they fall within.

The most recent Libra/Aries series has brought up themes of harmony versus assertion. It prompts consideration of what is worth fighting for versus where we can better compromise and find middle ground, as well as how we stand up for our position and get our point across. It’s worth thinking about on an individual level: when do we put our needs first, and when do we yield to others’ needs for the sake of getting along? Perhaps you had to end a situation or cut someone or something out of your life to create more harmony.

The North and South Nodes entered the Aries/Libra axis in July 2023 and will depart in January 2025. The most significant weeks of this period are those that contain eclipses within these signs:

• October 14, 2023: Solar Eclipse at 21° Libra

• March 24, 2024: Lunar Eclipse at 5° Libra

• April 8, 2024: Solar Eclipse at 19° Aries

• October 2, 2024: Solar Eclipse at 10° Libra (the last eclipse before the nodes shift into Virgo/Pisces).

If you have planets, your Rising/Ascendant, or Midheaven in Libra or Aries, you may have experienced a cathartic release around Libra placements and a tendency to overdo things around Aries placements. The Aries house in your chart might have been characterized by action, assertiveness, and bravery, while the Libra house is focused on finding fairness, balance, and enjoyment.

Now that the last eclipse on October 2, 2024, has passed, and before the nodes move into Virgo/Pisces, it’s an ideal time to reflect on any disruptions you’ve faced. Consider arguments or feelings around fairness and disharmony that peaked in October 2023, April 2024, and October 2024, and how you managed them. Where did you compromise, and where did you stand your ground?

Reflect on when it’s important to assert yourself versus when maintaining harmony is more beneficial, and consider the personal cost of keeping that balance. Eclipses can bring shadowy things into consciousness and mark beginnings and endings—sometimes ones you won’t recognize until you look back and reflect much later.

On a personal note, these eclipses illuminated the transactional and sometimes competitive nature of some of my relationships. Without getting political, I feel capitalism has encouraged competitiveness in areas of life where it doesn’t belong, such as friendships and family dynamics.

Life isn’t a competition. Healthy competition belongs in sports and games, but not in friendships. We shouldn’t try to one-up our friends or family in terms of material possessions or feel jealous when they achieve something. We need to celebrate each other’s happiness and share each other’s sadness in our closest connections.

Sure, we all need to survive and contribute what we can; however, the value of a person cannot be found in what they own or in some fixed idea of a life achievement checklist. There are many different ways to live, and the beauty is that we each get to decide how.