By now you must be inundated with information about the August eclipses. How and where to watch. Even astrological tidbits and interpretations.

Now that eclipse season is here again, let’s boil it down to the 5 eclipse essentials any astrologer needs to know.

Lunar and solar eclipses are as different as night and day.

Astrology’s logic works by analogy – a Greek word that means “that which flows from the pattern or design.” In other words, what something “looks like” in the sky is often related to its astrological interpretation.

For example, the Sun represents the “day” side of ourselves. Our conscious awareness, vitality, the decisions we make. What psychologists have called our “Apollonian” nature, after the Greek Sun god.

On the other hand, the Moon represents the “night” side. Our feelings, instincts, emotional reactions. Also our habits and belief systems we’ve internalized. And our wild, Dionysian selves.

Eclipses are like the cosmic equivalent of “we interrupt your regularly scheduled program…”  They provide an opportunity to tune in, take stock, and make a change.

Lunar eclipses – like the one on Aug. 7 — provide a gateway to break up our subconscious, internalized beliefs and habits.

Solar eclipses – like the one on Aug. 21 — shake up our conscious, choice-making side. We have an opportunity to consciously choose something new.

The bi-annual eclipse season provides two excellent opportunities each year to get out of your rut, one way or another. Plan accordingly, and you’ll never feel stuck again.

The more total the eclipse, the more intense the astrological effect.

Now, all solar eclipses are New Moons, and all lunar eclipses are Full Moons. But what makes us talk about eclipses differently than the typical New or Full Moons is that the alignment between Moon, Earth and Sun is much more precise than a normal lunation.

But all eclipses are not created equal.

Rather than a simple eclipse-no eclipse dichotomy, think of them more as a sliding scale of “eclipsiness.”  Some eclipses rock the world, others are so minor, they aren’t much different than a plain-ol’ lunation.

So before you predict major shifts for yourself or others, make sure the eclipse is total, or at least a very respectable partial. Otherwise just pretend it’s a new or full Moon and use those rules.

In the case of the eclipses this August, the Aug. 7 lunar eclipse is barely partial. Sure, it’s a part of the story unfolding, but it’s not being talked about as much because it’s not the main attraction. More like the opening act. It scores a 3 out of 10 on the eclipsiness scale.

On the other hand, the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse is a much bigger deal. It is a total eclipse, meaning Earth, Moon and Sun are in perfect alignment. Plus, the Moon is near its perigee, which means it’s larger than average. On the eclipsiness scale, this one is a 9 out of 10.

An eclipse still creates astrological effects even if you cannot see it from where you are.

For millennia, eclipses have heralded change. And, if the eclipse interacts with your personal birth chart change will find you! There’s nowhere to run. Hiding under the bed won’t help either.

That’s because the astrological effect of an eclipse works through the mathematical relationship of the eclipse with your own birth chart.

Think about it: if eclipses only affected those who witness them, astrologers would rarely talk about them.

Of course, lunar eclipses are relatively common, visible from one whole side of the Earth at a time (obviously the night side facing the Full Moon).

But Solar eclipses, on the other hand, are only visible from a narrow corridor. Consider – 95 percent of humans live clustered in just 3 percent of the Earth’s surface area. Solar eclipses over densely populated areas are relatively rare — one of the reasons the Aug. 21 eclipse is such headline news!

An astrological encounter with an eclipse is far more common. They happen every six months, usually in pairs across opposing astrological signs. These two August eclipses fall in Leo-Aquarius; next they will happen along the Cancer-Capricorn axis.

Over 18 years or so, the eclipse dyads move through all the Zodiac signs, creating 72 eclipse sensitive degrees. There’s an extremely high likelihood that at some point in that cycle, something in your chart will be struck with “eclipse fever.”

It’s tough avoiding a date with destiny.

To make it personal, you need your birth chart

To know specifically how an eclipse will affect you personally, you need to see how it impacts your own birth chart.

Ideally, no astrologer would answer your question “but how will it affect me?” until they have examined your birth chart as a whole, and how the eclipse will impact it.

But, sometimes that’s just not feasible. You still want to know – and who can blame you?

So, we’ve made another post to help you figure it out for yourself. At least a little.

(Of course, it’s always good to learn some astrology for yourself. Astrology is cool! You can learn about yourself. And you can entertain your friends at parties too.)

Eclipses have “energetic” effects in addition to the astrological ones

And last – but not least – eclipses can pack an energetic punch beyond the astrological.

Even for those who petulantly refuse to believe in any astro-woo, eclipses produce profound psychological effects – even energetic ones.

Especially total solar eclipses. When the sky turns black in the middle of the day, the natural cosmic order is interrupted. Day turns to night. The stars appear. The temperature drops. All the animals quiet.

No matter how attached you are to your rational intellect, witnessing an eclipse will move you in a deep, bodily way. Some would even say on the level of soul.

You tap into the eclipse’s power for positive change no matter where you are

Because eclipses bring such a profound opportunity for change…

Because the Aug. 21 Total Solar Eclipse will be one of the most-watched events in human history…

And because at Astrology Hub, we know that world needs all the help it can get right now to navigate change gracefully…

We are launching a very special, 14-day free, online, Global Eclipse Meditation series. Featuring 14 spiritual leaders, meditation guides and astrologers who can help you learn to navigate change gracefully by learning to anchor yourself in love and compassion.

Meditation guides include George Mumford, Dawa Tarchin Phillips, Hawaiian Kahuna Aunty Mahealani Kuamo’o-Henry, Hank Wesselman, Divine Harmony, Kim Wilborn, Adam Gainsburg, Anita Briggs and Achintya Devi. (And me!)

Whether you believe in astrology or not is irrelevant. The world will only change if we envision the future we want to create.

Come join us for the Global Eclipse Meditation. All faiths are welcome.

Go to AnchoringLoveMeditation.com to reserve your space.