On April 19th/20th, depending on your time zone, a solar eclipse, which is also a new moon, will occur at 29 degrees of Aries. It will be exact at 12:12 am EDT. It’s the second new moon in Aries this year, which is really rare; usually there is only one new moon in each zodiac sign annually. So themes of this new moon are going to be in keeping with the same themes of the first new moon in Aries that occurred 4 weeks ago. 

There’s a lot of talk online and in the astrology world about eclipses, and I think the way the discussion is framed can inspire a lot of anxiety. But eclipses occur between 4 and 7 times per year, meaning that you’ve already lived through many. Yes, a lot of times eclipses can be accompanied by events that seem out of left field or that may knock us off balance. But this is usually felt more in the world and in current events than personally, and each individual eclipse is one part of an ongoing story. 

This week may generally feel a little nutty. People may seem weird, your interactions may seem especially charged, and you and others may be feeling angry and irritable. This would be normal with a solar eclipse in Aries, a fire sign ruled by Mars and associated with aggression. Those feelings may be exacerbated this time because this particular eclipse is also at the last (or, in astrology speak, “anaretic”) degree of the sign, which means it’s extra, extra Aries. An example: when Mars, the planet of action, aggression, and war, was at 29 degrees of Aries in 2021, it was Jan 6th, and people were literally ramming (Aries is symbolized by the ram) the barricades of the Capitol building. That was Mars in the last degree of Aries, not the sun and moon, though, so I wouldn’t expect that again; it’s just an example of how extreme a sign’s influence can be when a planet is at the last degree of that sign.

So, with the placement of this eclipse, we and others may be feeling extra punchy. But Aries also represents forthrightness, so we may be speaking our minds with no filter, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Mars is currently in Cancer, so it’s not as warlike and ready to pounce as it could be. It’s a bit emotional. So this may be a crying-tears-of-rage-into-your-pillow kind of week. 

In the world, we may see people acting out from a place of extreme defensiveness. This eclipse is also squaring Pluto, currently at the very beginning of Aquarius. Given the nature of Pluto in Aquarius, this may be a time when people collectively band together and fight against something. I am loath to date myself and quote Twisted Sister, but it’s a very we’re-not-gonna-take-it vibe. This eclipse could herald the beginning of some major movements. 

An eclipse cycle in a specific axis (so, in this case, Aries-Libra) unfolds over a year or more, so events that occur now will likely be one piece of a puzzle. Usually, for most of us, the changes that come with eclipses aren’t totally jarring, they play out over a period of time. This is the first eclipse of this new eclipse cycle in Aries and Libra, meaning that you will probably see some changes and evolution in the realms of your life that these signs rule, but while the first seeds may be planted this week, you likely won’t know the full story until you look back later, after this eclipse cycle wraps up in the spring of 2025. 

More pronounced changes may occur for you now if you have planets in your natal chart that get activated by this eclipse. You can investigate that by using a tool to look up your birth chart (there are many) and checking to see if you have any planets around 29 degrees of Aries, Libra, Cancer, or Capricorn. (I also offer readings, so if you’re interested, hit me up!) 

Astrologers that I follow and trust recommend not manifesting or doing ritual work during an eclipse the way you may during other moon cycles, and because they know more than me, I heed that advice. Just let the events unfold.