![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5fd2192c1b7a766ecb0b79d18eccf3bd06-soalr-eclipse-lunar-eclipse.rsquare.w400.jpg\")
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star material<\/a><\/p>\n \n Breaking down all the tools you need to use the universe to unpack your desires, fears, motivations, and more.\n <\/p>\n \n Photo-Illustration: by Preeti Kinha; Photos: Getty Images\n <\/p>\n Gird your loins: Eclipses are coming! Does this mean you should \u2026 run for the hills? Potentially! But first, you should at least know why.<\/p>\n Eclipses are a big deal from both an astrological and astronomical perspective. When the sun, moon, and Earth get into formation, the sky delivers some of its most striking visual phenomena \u2014 and this month, we get the full package. On August 12, a powerful total solar eclipse in Leo<\/a> arrives, followed two weeks later by a lunar eclipse in Pisces<\/a> on August 28. So who\u2019s going to be most impacted, and what should you know about these dramatic celestial events? Read on for the full rundown on eclipse season.<\/p>\n A typical lunar cycle lasts about 28 days, beginning with a new moon<\/a>, building toward a full moon at maximum illumination, and then gradually returning to darkness. This is our standard, ordinary flow \u2014 eclipses, though, are notoriously disruptive.<\/p>\n Eclipses occur when a new moon or full moon takes place close to the lunar nodes \u2014 the two points at which the moon\u2019s orbit intersects with the path of the sun. In astrology, these points are known as the North Node and South Node<\/a>, and they\u2019re directly associated with fate, destiny, karma, and purpose. This is a big deal because eclipses, by extension, activate these themes on both a personal and collective level.<\/p>\n And even from a visual perspective, eclipses certainly appear to be interruptions of normalcy. During a solar eclipse, the moon passes between Earth and the sun, temporarily obscuring the sun from our perspective. During a total eclipse, our standard, reliable daytime suddenly transforms into an eerie twilight as the moon completely covers the sun. It\u2019s jarring,to say the least.On the other hand, during a lunar eclipse, Earth passes between the sun and moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface. So instead of reflecting the sun\u2019s usual silvery light, the moon can take on a strange coppery-red color \u2014 hence the nickname \u201cBlood Moon.\u201d Spooky!<\/p>\n In astrology, eclipses are associated with sudden changes, unexpected developments, dramatic revelations, and major turning points. Eclipses accelerate timelines and move us into circumstances we never could have anticipated. Basically, eclipse season is when everything that may happen actually does. It\u2019s a lot, and this is why we always advise to \u201cexpect the unexpected\u201d during this time.<\/p>\n Solar eclipses occur during new moons, when the moon \u2014 representing our emotions, instincts, and internal world \u2014 temporarily blocks the Sun (associated with identity, vitality, and purpose). Astrologically, solar eclipses often correspond with major beginnings and unexpected events that alter the way we see ourselves and our trajectory. These changes tend to be extremely visible, pertaining to our identity, career, relationships, and other outward expressions of selfhood.<\/p>\n But eclipses are never singular, isolated events. They tell stories through time, unfolding across a series of lunations connected by the same pair of zodiac signs. This August 12 eclipse belongs to a much larger cycle of eclipses occurring across Leo and Aquarius<\/a> (Leo\u2019s opposite sign). In fact, the first eclipse in this series occurred six months ago \u2014 on February 17 \u2014 and after this second installment, four more eclipses will continue the story through 2028.<\/p>\n Leo and Aquarius represent two very different ways of understanding individuality. Leo is ruled by the sun, the only star in our solar system, and celebrates singularity. Aquarius, meanwhile, is associated with community, networks, movements, and the collective. Aquarius reminds us that even the brightest star exists within a much larger constellation.<\/p>\n Accordingly, this eclipse cycle asks us questions about leadership and community, personal expression and collective responsibility, and celebrity and society. What does it mean to stand out without separating yourself from everyone else? When does individuality inspire a community, and when does it become a bastardization of personal ego? Over the next two years, these questions will become increasingly apparent \u2014 both personally and culturally.<\/p>\n Because the lunar nodes take approximately 18.6 years to complete their orbit, eclipses return to similar areas of the zodiac in recurring cycles. The last time eclipses activated the Leo-Aquarius axis was from 2016 through 2019. In fact, this is our first total solar eclipse in Leo since August 21, 2017, when the \u201cGreat American Eclipse\u201d cut a path across the United States \u2014 and who could forget Donald Trump looking directly at the eclipse<\/a> without protective glasses? Not me!<\/p>\n Interestingly, from 2016 to 2019, while the zodiac signs were the same, the karmic orientation was reversed: The North Node, associated with forward movement, was traveling through Leo. Now, however, the North Node is in Aquarius, a sign it hasn\u2019t occupied since 2007 through 2009. And this astrologer cannot help but notice that both of those previous Leo-Aquarius eclipse eras coincided with dramatically different chapters of American political life and monumental, paradigm-shifting presidential elections. So what will this return to the axis yield? We\u2019re about to find out!<\/p>\n