Eclipses are dramatic astronomical events that have been celebrated and feared throughout history. In antiquity, eclipses were viewed with awe, reverence and terror. There are notable eclipses in history that were timed to major historical events, especially the death of the king and the fall of leaders. Eclipses marked a major turning point and often a good dose of chaos and instability.
In modern times, eclipses have become a tourist attraction. Especially in the case of solar eclipses, thousands of people around the world flock to the area of totality to experience daytime darkness firsthand.
Those of us who practice astrology tend to remain suspicious of eclipses, however. I certainly am. Once you’ve had some calamitous, life changing events timed to eclipses, you understand why the ancients viewed them apprehensively.
For a primer on how eclipses work in astronomy and astrology, read this article.
2026’s first eclipse is a solar eclipse on February 17 at 28 Aquarius. This is the first eclipse in a new cycle, as the Lunar Nodes shift from Virgo/Pisces to Leo/Aquarius on July 27.
Eclipses always come in pairs, and the second eclipse of this set is a lunar eclipse at 12 Virgo on March 3, 2026. That’s the second-last eclipse in the Virgo/Pisces cycle that began in September 2024. The set of events that started under these eclipses are thus concluding, and will fully end with 2026’s second set of eclipses in August.
So, this is the opening salvo of a new eclipse story that is starting for the world as well as for each person individually. At the same time, it marks a conclusion of another story that has been ongoing for the last two years.
The solar eclipse on February 17 occurs among some truly momentous astrological transits events. It’s part of why February is one of the most impactful, chaotic months of 2026. The eclipse is sandwiched among several major astrological transits:
- Neptune entering Aries (January 26), kicking off a new 14-year Neptune cycle.
- Saturn entering Aries (February 13), triggering a new two-year Saturn cycle.
- Saturn-Neptune conjunction at 0 Aries (February 20), activating a new 35-year Saturn-Neptune cycle.
This eclipse is in the midst of a confluence of astrological events that are very rare. These are transits that will only occur a handful of times in your lifetime. History is literally being written right now. I can’t overstate just how big these transits are.
In other words, shit is wild and we ain’t done yet.
And that should be reassuring! If you’re feeling like things are moving at breakneck speed, it’s not just you. The astrology is bonkers and the world is responding accordingly.
Looking at it optimistically, we are at a peak in the cycle of chaos and disorder and it won’t be like this forever. Saturn-Neptune governs the dissolution of structures and boundaries of all kinds, on the level of empires/nations as well as individuals. We are all caught up in these massive geopolitical currents, and all we can do is try to get by. Eventually things will settle.
Also, while the astrology is crazy right now, it’s not *as* crazy as the astrology was in 2020. I just spent some time looking back at the chart of the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in January 2020 and comparing it to the current transits in 2026. I also compared it to the two previous Saturn-Pluto conjunctions (in 1982 and 1947). 2020 stands out as just So. Fucking. Bad. The good news is we did that, we got through it, it fucking sucked, things are still a mess, but life goes on.
Going back to the current eclipse cycle: all of these huge astrological events are why this eclipse season is particularly hard to parse. And eclipses aren’t easy, obvious things to figure out anyway.
By their very nature, eclipses are enigmatic. Think about what an eclipse is: an obscuration, something being hidden from sight.
In the case of a solar eclipse, the Moon moves in front of the sun and blocks the Sun’s light. In the case of a lunar eclipse, the Full Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow, which darkens its silvery surface to a dull orange-red.
Accordingly, eclipses signify something being hidden, things that are unknown, unclear or otherwise opaque. Events that occur under eclipses are usually confusing and their true meaning is veiled.
The solar eclipse on February 17 has even more factors that amp up the “WTF” factor. It is conjunct Mars and Pluto by sign, which suggests it will involve conflict, violence and power struggles. It’s also square Uranus, which cranks up the unpredictability. Eclipses are already associated with sudden shocking events. So is Uranus, so when you combine the two it almost guarantees we’ll experience events that boggle the mind.
As the February 17 solar eclipse is in Aquarius, it is ruled by Saturn – which has freshly ingressed Aries and is only three days away from perfecting a conjunction with Neptune that has been brewing for two years. Saturn signifies work, boundaries, structures, limitations, restrictions, illness and hardships, indicating that this new eclipse cycle may bring challenges of this nature related to the areas of life governed by the Aquarius house in your chart, and/or the house where your natal Saturn is located.
Meanwhile, the March 3 lunar eclipse in Virgo is ruled by Mercury. At that time, Mercury will be in Pisces (the sign of its fall), retrograde, and combust (within 8 degrees of the Sun). That’s basically the worst condition that Mercury can be in. So, while this eclipse is nearing the conclusion of the two-year story related to the Virgo-Pisces sector of your chart, Mercury’s horrible condition suggests that any conclusions remain elusive. There’s still one more eclipse in this cycle (the lunar eclipse in Pisces on August 27) before it fully concludes, so you’ll have to be OK with postponing any insights or resolution for a few more months.
Mercury signifies communication, media, travel, commerce and intellect. Therefore, this eclipse may bring up ongoing developments of this nature, related to the areas of life governed by the Virgo house in your chart, and/or where your natal Mercury is located.
On the world stage, the eclipses moving into Leo/Aquarius highlights the tension between individual sovereignty (Leo) and the dictates of the collective (Aquarius). It suggests a peak period in the ongoing leadership crisis occurring around the world. Trust in world leaders and governments seems to be at an all-time low. The people in positions of power seem to be working against the good of the general population.
The eclipses are going to emphasize and exacerbate this tension. Things will get worse before they get better.
The February 17 solar eclipse will bring up violence, conflict and power struggles related to individuals and social structures. Saturn will attempt to bring order and stability in the face of ever-increasing disorder and chaos. This cycle is just beginning and will continue for the next 18 months.
The March 3 lunar eclipse will bring further developments, changes or endings related to commerce, trade and exchanges between nations – exchanges of goods and resources as well as ideas and information. Unfortunately, due to Mercury’s aforementioned terrible condition, the communications around these exchanges are not likely to be productive, welcome or well understood by either side. Let’s hope things can get cleared up with the final Virgo-Pisces eclipse in August.
So what do you do about all of this? Aside from just trying to stay sane and get through the day, read this post for some tips on how to mitigate eclipses. Read this post for a guide on how eclipses might make you feel and what symptoms to watch out for.