Eclipsed Venus in Leo – Not my hair!
My previous posting was a copy of the text from my August 2008 forecasts. You may want to drop down and read that as a guide to what this eclipse season may hold for you. In November there may be more activity related to the August eclipses as the sun squares the eclipse degree on Nov. 1 and Nov. 16. The days surrounding these dates may bring developments for those whose charts were influenced by an August eclipse.
I thought I would take the opportunity to share with you my own experience due to these recent eclipses to my own chart. I’ll keep it simple, then I’ll break it down a little further if I can manage to keep my thoughts in check. Yes, I have some difficulty with scattered thinking right now.
When looking for the expression of an eclipse in your own chart, the first thing you would do is look at the birth chart to see if the eclipse is conjunct or in opposition to planets in your chart. The orb, or distance between the eclipse and your natal planet should be kept tight, within 2 - 3 degrees for the most obvious influence.
Some astrologers take the analysis further and look for the eclipse forming other major aspects such as the square, or may look to progressed chart if the natal chart isn’t influenced. I have done this myself. While this may help to define what areas or issues will be impacted, it may or may not be an accurate measure of predictability.
All eclipses have the potential for bringing some sort of crisis whether lunar or solar. A solar eclipse is a high powered new moon that will bring something to light that can not be avoided or ignored.
The August solar eclipse at 10 Leo was conjunct my natal Venus (13 Leo) on my 14 Leo Ascendant and my 10 Leo north node. The eclipse conjunct my Ascendant/Venus/north node opposed my natal Saturn/south node conjunction in my 6th house of work methods and health.
A solar eclipse on the Ascendant can bring issues of the physical body, the ego, identity and spirit to light. An eclipsed Venus can bring issues up surrounding beauty, pleasure, the ability to attract finances or gifts and can also concern Venus ruled body parts or health matters related to the neck or throat.
The north and south node in our charts have to do with our soul lessons in this lifetime. The north node carries the energy of Jupiter and is regarded as being good and helpful, whereas the south node carries the energy of Saturn, which we all know as a more weighted or challenging planet. An eclipse to the north node or south nodes may seem fated.
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The ruler of that eclipse was transiting Mercury. If the solar eclipse had no planets within the allowable distance of the sun and moon, the eclipse would have been ruled by the sun, ruler of the sign the eclipse was in - Leo. Since transiting Mercury was also conjunct the solar eclipse, Mercury became ruler and Mercury’s influences would be felt.
When Mercury is prominent as it was having rulership of the eclipse, one can expect news, documents, agreements, thinking and communications to become part of the experience as these are Mercury related themes. One should also look to the birth chart for the sectors ruled by Mercury.
Mercury rules my 2nd house of income, values and self worth, as well as my 3rd house of communications, news, and thinking and my 11th house of friends, groups and aspirations. Each of these houses govern more than I’ve mentioned here. I have listed these issues specifically as they are more relevant to my experience.
The August 2008 eclipses carry similar energy threads as the last eclipses in the series. Both eclipses in August of 1990 impacted my chart in a big way so it’s not unusual to note some similarities now.
While discussing the eclipses with friends I had mentioned that I had some concerns about my current husband’s health because he works long hours, often under stressful conditions. I lost my first husband in September 1990; he was a victim of a random act of violence on his way home from work. We had relocated just six months before his death due to a career change for him so his new job was very important at the time.
I had no fear of something tragic happening this year, although I felt that my current husband’s career and health may be influenced. I was right about his health and the career influences are still unfolding.
Allen had recently changed jobs and while he’s still doing what he has always done, he’s in a new field so he’s spent this year learning a lot about this new industry. He put on some weight this year which was hard to comprehend given his activity level, especially at work, and he hasn’t really changed what he eats. He wasn’t recuperating as quickly as before, also having some muscles soreness and his knees started bothering him. He has his progressed moon in Capricorn so it’s not unusual to feel health issues related to the sign - Capricorn rules the knees. He had his annual check up in late August and found out his testosterone was low and he was hypothyroid. Hypothyroidism is a common under active thyroid condition which can influence weight gain, low energy and muscle soreness and a long list of other symptoms that many people experience. The doctor called after his test results were in and he was given medication for both issues and tells me he feels better now than he has in a long time.
In discussing the eclipse with a few people I also mentioned that it could influence my work and my health. That statement was based solely on the eclipse conjunction to Venus opposing Saturn in my 6th house of health and work methods.
My thoughts were that I may have some kind of disappointment with a female (Venus) related to work (Saturn). I had the disappointments as anticipated although it did come as a surprise. I set up my auto responder for the first time in two years and told the people that write frequently that I needed a break from email. It’s not just friends met through the website that write, but I get several questions everyday. I do free mini readings, full length consultations; I answer astrology questions, send free reports to people that are having financial difficulties and send free charts to those that have trouble determining their rising sign. There are hundreds of people from all over the world that I have assisted in some manner because they asked a question or had a pressing concern. And when a report order comes in, almost every order also gets a free report and a free birth chart. So when I set the auto responder several women took it personally as though I had singled them out even though I tried to assure them that the responder was for me and not about them. The responder was set after I was diagnosed hyperthyroid and in the first stages of feeling the symptoms. In order to answer the call to take care of my health it meant eliminating how much time I spend on the computer. My concerns didn’t seem to matter to these people, they took my email all wrong so I was left disappointed in some long time relationships that I had established through the website. It actually hurt my feelings as this was important to me and my circumstances which relate to my own health. And guess when I set the auto responder and upset so many people? Sept. 24, the day Mercury went retrograde, bringing misunderstandings and difficult communications. And what does Mercury rule in my chart? Friends, communications and my values.
I also thought finances (Venus) may be cut back with the opposition to Saturn and with Mercury ruling my second house and conjunct the eclipse so that also seemed likely. I think everyone is feeling the financial influences in some area, either because business has slowed or because costs of daily living expenses are rising. I feel it too, although it hasn’t become a concern at this point because I have more important things on my mind that money can’t buy.
I also had my annual check up with blood work in September.
While at the doctors office my blood pressure was elevated. Since the blood pressure cup squeezed my arm so tight, released the pressure and squeezed it again until my face turned red I figured no wonder it was so elevated! The doctor comes in and hands me blood pressure medicine to which I almost laughed telling her, “Uh, I don’t have high blood pressure.” It was such a surprise that I was in disbelief, especially since one reading would prompt her to put me on BP medicine. What the heck? She said, “Fine” and put the medicine back in her pocket. I walked out of the office that day and thought to myself that this is typical eclipse in Leo, ruling the heart. Next visit surely my blood pressure would be lower because this was merely one reading.
I’ve always had some concern about diabetes because my mother had it bad. I started a Low Carb diet in June as mentioned in the post about my son’s weight loss and lost quite a bit of weight myself. I have never had more willpower and determination in my life when it comes to eating healthy which I believe it is Saturn’s influence in my chart. My progressed moon is passing through Capricorn. I recently I started feeling better than I have in the last four years as I continue to eliminate sugars and starches from my diet and plan on eating this way the rest of my life. I started my low carb plan when my progressed moon moved into my 6th house of health. Did I plan that? No, it was the right time for me. June 1st was a magic number for me as every other time I tried to stay on a healthy eating plan I always failed early on, or I would cheat and have something I shouldn’t have. This always resulted in some weight loss and gaining it back or no success at all.
In August I started noticing hair loss, more than what was normal for me. At the time I related it to being normal shedding. There was a day I clearing remember standing in the bathroom brushing my hair and I thought, “Gosh, my hair hasn’t fallen out like this since Keith died.” Ta-Da! In the fall of 1990, after the last eclipse in this series when I lost a tremendous amount of hair after the stress of my first husbands death. I wasn’t under any particular stress recently, other than overwork which is typical with Saturn in the natal 6th house so I figure it would resolve itself.
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Over a week passed and I didn’t receive a letter on my blood work nor did anyone call. Mercury was retrograde now so I made the call and asked about my tests. My first question was about my cholesterol levels as my last check up showed borderline high cholesterol. The nurse told me that my levels were low and the doctor was really pleased. “Ahh, my diet, good deal.” Then she tells me that the doctor wants me to come back in, that they need to draw more blood because my tests show hyperthyroid. I thought that sounded crazy, if anything I had an under active thyroid although I knew very little about the difference between hyper and hypo at the time. I remember reading the symptoms of hypothyroid when I was feeling poorly in 2006 and asked my doctor in Illinois to check mine which she did and she told me it was fine. The entire time I wondered why I felt so bad, but as time went on I did seem to regain my energy.
The light goes off again! This wasn’t a blood sugar issue; it was another Venus ruled issue, the thyroid gland!
I really didn’t feel any different at the time, but I did go back to give more blood. While I was there my blood pressure was still elevated so she came back with the blood pressure medicine and I accepted it. She also told me that I needed to have thyroid scans to find out the cause of why my hormone levels were elevated. She set me up for thyroid scans the first week of October and said she would have the report back within a few days.
With Mercury still retrograde it was no big surprise that no-one called so again I made the call the next week. The doctor gets on the phone and tells me I have a nodule so she’s faxed my report to an endocrinologist. She said if they didn’t call me then I should give them a call and schedule an appointment. ”Surely they will call, I have a nodule on my thyroid.”
My hair started thinning rapidly by this time too which I discovered through Google searches is related to an under active or over active thyroid. Only now it was falling out in the shower, falling out twice as much when I brushed, there was hair on my clothes all the time, hanging from my sleeves when I washed the dishes, in my bra when I changed clothes and sometimes down in my underwear!
No-one called me during Mercury retrograde so I made the call and told the receptionist that I needed an appointment and that they have my scans and reports. She put me through to an answering service and they were supposed to call me back with an appointment. She told me that they would look at my scans and call, which I thought was rather strange, that’s the doctor’s job to look at my scans. This went on a few days and on Oct. 16, the day after Mercury stationed direct I got through to a different person. And it just so happened to be my lunar return, the day the transiting moon conjuncts my own natal moon. Emotions usually run high this day or you may feel under the weather or possibly run down. I told receptionist that I needed an appointment and I had been waiting for them to look at my scans and call. Guess what she said? She didn’t know who I spoke with but they didn’t have to look at my scans, then she went on to schedule me for 2009! I told her I wouldn’t have any bangs left in 2009 and couldn’t they please fit me in? She found one opening for late December with a different doctor…I was devastated! I told her I would call back. I got on the phone and called my doctor, I told the nurse I was losing my hair fast and needed to see someone else and the receptionist said, “We don’t know anyone else.” I hung up the phone and put my head in my hands and cried…
By now the hair loss was my greatest concern and no matter how much I tried not to think about my hair as it was all so consuming. I was having other symptoms of hyperthyroid. My thinking was scattered and I found it difficult to concentrate (Mercury influence). I had that in September too, but it was getting worse as the weeks went by. Looking back over Septembers forecasts I can’t ever remember saying “this new moon” six times in a single paragraph and they were extremely difficult for me to get on paper.
I began having hand tremors and mouth tremors where my mouth trembled as though I was terribly frightened, more Mercury. I thought I might be having heart palpations because my heart would jump in my chest, Leo rules the heart. I started feeling as though I had extreme anxiety and I would awake in the morning with my jaws clenched tight and had been grinding my teeth in the night. Transiting Uranus square my natal Mercury can rattle ones nerves. I could live with all of it as long as my hair would just stop falling out! Don’t mess with a Leo risings hair!
Once I had my emotions in check I went online looking for another endocrinologist in my area. Living in a city where the University Hospital is widely known, I would go there if I have too and who knows, I may end up there anyway. I found a doctor and made the call. They were able to schedule me for Nov. 3rd - the day I had marked on my calendar already for news related to any health issue I might experience! The same day the transiting moon conjuncts Jupiter in my health house and trines Saturn conjunct my progressed ascendant. There are some challenging aspects that day involving Venus and Saturn to name two, but I am hopeful that this doctor will help me.
My progressed moon is currently passing through my 6th house Capricorn. The progressed moon is the fasted moving luminary, moving through each sign in the progressed chart an average of 12 degrees each year and spending approximately 2 ½ years on average in each sign. This particular moon phase couldn’t go by fast enough for me! This has been one of the most notable progressed moon phases I can remember in a long time.
When your moon moves through Capricorn you can bet you’ll feel Saturn’s influence. Since my progressed moon moved into Capricorn I’ve been much more cautious, a little more reserved than a typical Leo rising and I have been more concerned with my health and well being, the influence of it’s recent passage into my 6th house.
While a Capricorn progressed moon brings with it determination to make career progress, added emphasizes on efficiency, productivity and structure, for me it has been more health oriented with Capricorn ruling my health house. No matter where the moon is in your progressed chart right now, you will feel the expression of the sign and house it is in.
Saturn is currently transiting over my progressed Ascendant as I write this post and Saturn is the decanate (secondary ruler) of my progressed Ascendant. So I’m feeling Saturn on my progressed Ascendant, in regards to my progressed moon and concerning my health and work methods because Saturn has rulership of this area of my birth chart. I have had experiences in other areas due to my progressions, but that’s another post entirely, as is progressed moon phases and the nodes in the birth chart. One thing I will say is that Saturn tends to bring fear, and it has done a fair job of bringing that to my experience as well. That said, I remain hopeful that the endocrinologist came help me resolve this thyroid issue and in doing so will stop the hair loss.
I’ve recently found out something else that could have contributed to my rapid hair loss. Those radioactive iodine thyroid scans that I had the first of October can also trigger or worse hyperthyroid symptoms! I was told to have the scans, but no-one mentioned worsening of the symptoms. I’ll have to attribute this lack of communication to Mercury retrograde because this whole ordeal has left me angry with my medical doctor and the health care system.
I give thanks for early diagnosis. At least I didn’t go to the doctor complaining of hair loss and the doctor chalked it up to stress. This has happened to thousands of women.
What am I doing now as I wait for my appointment to see the Endocrinologist? Well, I’ve done quite a bit of research on thyroid disease so that I’m better informed. I’ve been in contact with Elaine Moore, author of seven books on thyroid and autoimmune disease. She also thinks my suspicions about being hypothyroid in 2006 are probably correct. If a person is hypothyroid long enough and goes undiagnosed they will become hyper.
I’m taking additional supplements to help with the hair loss. I take a whole foods multi-vitamin, Evening Primrose oil, Biotin, CoQ10, B-complex, and I’m drinking Camilla tea, high in anti-oxidants. The best diet for any thyroid condition is a low carb diet, eliminating refined sugar and processed foods. This has been my diet since June.
I’ve started weekly therapeutic massage. My sessions include sound healing through tuning forks and singing bowls as well as Reiki. This is by far the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. Next week I have a 1 ½ hour session which I’m really looking forward to.
This post was difficult to write, mostly due to symptoms that I have related to anxiety and brain fog or scattered thinking. Once I start feeling myself again I hope to write a post on how to pinpoint autoimmune disease in a chart as well as a progressed moon article. Until then I will update this blog after my appointment on Nov. 3, 2008.
I’ve lost 50% of my hair at this point. For someone who always had thick hair it’s been a devastating experience. I’m thankful that I have long hair and bangs that I can pull forward to camouflage the balding scalp. When I look directly at the front of my hair I can now see my scalp half way back on my head.
The pictures below were taken a few days ago. I’ve lost more hair since, but as you can see I have obvious hair loss.
I’d like to add something about Mercury retrograde during my wait for the results and my appointment. A friend said she thinks I was meant to go to the doctor I found. Yes, I mentioned this exact comment to my family. After the weeks of delays, once I found the doctor that could see me in November I believed that the reason I was delayed was because this was the only way to direct me to this person. For everything that happens there is a reason.