How Does An Eclipse Affect Me Personally If It Conjuncts A Planet in My Chart?

Eclipses, being “cosmic recyclers,” mark points when we begin to eliminate, voluntarily and involuntarily, things from our life. When something has run its course, we have to let go so we can turn our intention to something more fulfilling in the future.

Eclipses have length and strength. The former is based on the length of time an eclipse is in effect. The strength is in their magnitude. The length of time an eclipse is in play is different for Lunar and Solar eclipses. Lunar eclipse effects are active for the number of months that the eclipse is long in hours; Solar eclipse effects are active for the number of years that the eclipse is long in hours.

For example, the recent “Shaman’s Moon” Lunar eclipse at 16 Pisces/Virgo had a total Penumbral length of 5 hours and 27 minutes, showing a general eclipse effect for 5 and a half months! The Umbral phase began 59 minutes into the eclipse, and lasted for 3 hours and 29 minutes, showing the most intense effects will begin about a month after the Eclipse and last for about 105 days. Effects will taper off for about 29 days after that.

This Solar eclipse at 30 Virgo has a total Penumbral phase of 4 hours and 24 minutes, indicating an influence lasting 4 years and 5 months.

All eclipses indicate coming endings, obscurations, and the passing of people and things out of our lives, and maybe even deaths, both literal and metaphoric. We always are under the influence of several Solar eclipses from recent years, and there’s always a Lunar eclipse two weeks before or after a Solar eclipse. It’s like the Lunar eclipse shows us what is immediately passing, while Solar eclipses show us what is passing over many months and years.

Eclipses Affect Our Planets and Houses

By looking at the placement of eclipses in our charts and the aspects they make to our planets, we can get a sense of the life area where things will leave which will make space for us to grow in our planetary personality response. If an eclipse conjuncts a planet, we can expect an old way that planet expressed itself will end, as well as some activity in the house (life area) the Eclipse falls in. It also will lead to endings in the houses ruled by any planet the eclipse touches.

For example, if an eclipse conjuncts your Venus, assume that during the time the eclipse effects are active, you’ll end something related to your Venus, whether old ways of enjoying life, old values, or old relationships. You will see this work out in the house where the eclipse falls, as well as houses ruled by Taurus and Libra as well as planets in those signs.

If it conjuncts Mercury, an old mindset, perception, attitude, or way of interpreting or communicating will pass away through the life areas ruled by Gemini and Virgo, and if you have a planet in Gemini or Virgo then that part of the personality will be affected as well. It may accompany an end to an old way of doing things, or the end of a relationship with a Mercurial person.

If an eclipse conjuncts your Saturn, an old important responsibility, limitation, obligation, hindrance, or fear will leave the life. Old ways of looking at the areas of life (houses) ruled by Capricorn and Aquarius will end, as will how planets in those signs express themselves. You may see the end of a relationship with someone who has a prominent Saturn.

If the eclipse affects the Moon, expect the ending of an old habit or way of experiencing life. Usually there are major personality shifts and endings associated with parts of the life represented by the houses where you have Cancer and Leo, and any planets you have in those signs will experience a loss of old ways of expression.

If Mars is affected, it could mean that an old hassle, aggravation, or quarrel will end, or there will be a hassle or aggravation as a result of an ending in the houses ruled by Aries and Scorpio. It could also accompany the end of an old way of “attacking the problems of life,” or an old way of responding to a call for immediate action. If there are planets in Aries or Scorpio, It would shut down some parts of the ways those planets express themselves. As with the other examples, you could lose an Aries, Scorpio, or someone with a prominent Mars.

If a Solar Eclipse impacts our Jupiter, an old vision, philosophical view, or an obsolete moral stance will end, or there will be something taken away that affects the houses with Sagittarius and Pisces on the cusp and any planets we have in those signs. This contacts show an end to a spiritual focus or aspiration, or a line of opportunity ceases and another one opens wherever the Eclipse falls in the chart.

If the eclipse falls on your Sun, you can expect the end of some form of expressing and experiencing your Light or Life in some way. This shows the passing of an old life order, but of course since Nature abhors a vacuum it also shows that a new life and light will begin. It will most affect the houses with Leo and Cancer on the cusp, any planets we have in those signs, and transform the part of the life represented by the house the Eclipse falls in.

So it primarily shows as three things: a) an ending in the life area represented by the house in which it falls; b) an ending of a psychological function if it conjuncts a planet; and c) these endings work out through the houses and any other planets ruled by the planet an eclipse touches. If it does conjunct a planet which rules other planets as their dispositor (the ruler of any planet’s sign), then those planetary functions will have some parts shut down, to be replaced with new expressions of that planetary “department of labor” or internal function.

Endings Allow Us To Begin Anew

Since each planet represents many people in our lives, if an eclipse conjuncts one of your planets, you can expect that someone with that planet or one of the signs it rules will likely leave your life, or change dramatically in some way. For example, if an eclipse conjuncts your natal Jupiter, expect a relationship with a Jupiterian, or someone with strong Sagittarius or Pisces in their charts, to end or go through such a radical change that it will seem like you're relating to an entirely different person.

If it impacts your Sun, expect the passage of someone of power, authority, or significance to your life or who illuminated you in some way. It may be someone with a “sunny disposition,” or someone who behaves like the ruler of a realm. If the Moon, someone from your past, someone who you cared for or cared for you, or someone who you were intimately familiar with will leave or change.

The same with Saturn and the rest of the planets. When an eclipse conjuncts your Saturn, it usually signifies the passing of an elder, someone in a position of power in your life, or someone who kept you under an obligation or restricted you in some way. An eclipse on our Saturn may indicate the end of an old duty, responsibility, or purpose in our lives so we can redirect the energy of Self-mastery to other ends.

If Saturn is our “Ring Pass Not,” or that part of our Higher Self which binds our lower self to certain limits until we are ready to grow into a greater awareness, then an eclipse affecting our Saturn, whether directly or indirectly, could indicate a time when old limits begin to fall away, and we can open our mature spiritual Self to a greater field of service and realization. I speak a lot about how to use our inner Saturn to become our Higher Self in an organized way in chapter 5 of Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend. By releasing the lesser, we can become the greater.

Endings are beneficial because they remove things, attitudes, and responses we no longer need, as well as people who no longer are in synch with who we are or have become. Once we’ve fulfilled a potential, then either we find new potential, or leave what’s done to find another potential.

In any case, we cannot put new wine into old wineskins, since they will burst open. Every time we leave old life chapters and enter new ones we have to find new ways to “do our Being,” and eclipses help clear out what is no longer necessary or even useful.

As we grow we try on new things while setting aside others. Our old ways of interacting and being naturally who we are give way to new expressions, and old illusions give way to greater realizations. When we fulfill all we need to about a planetary expression, as we let go we free ourselves to create a better, more perfect way of expressing that planet in our life. Lesser understanding gives way to greater Understanding, lesser wisdom gives way to greater Wisdom, and lesser forms of love give way to greater Love.

How we navigate the endings conditions what will fill that void in the future. We’re all in a time of seeing new horizons; Saturn is bringing us the news to see things objectively and find a new direction or new initiative as we finish cleaning out our psychological closets and attics.

As we release old air, we can breathe in new air. As we release old attitudes and perspectives, we make way for an expanded awareness in the future which will be more enjoyable and fulfilling than whatever we’ve left behind.

Accepting, then releasing, then accepting, then releasing is all part of the play of life. We just need to remember to have a sense of humor and perspective about the passages as we dance through the intersections of Fate Street and Freewill Street moving and grooving down Eternity Boulevard.

See you soon with my take on the Equinox!

© Copyright 2025 Robert Wilkinson