“Manifestation” is one of the top buzzwords of the 21st century. But just as concepts like “Work” and “Alone Time” demand redefinition in 2020, we’re realizing in the process how unsure we truly were about what such common terms actually mean, let alone refer to. 

As we question the meaning of commonly-held notions of our day-to-day lives, as well as what their implications are in the context of the big picture window of our Future, what it means to “manifest” is definitely at the top of my “To Be Redefined in 2020” List. 

Because when we look at the Very Watery Eclipse period of June and July, in addition to the Highly Emotional Lunar Eclipse in Cancer we experienced back on January 10th, it’s been an emotionally-charged year—but not without its fair share of restrictions when it comes to self-expression.

When we’re talking about Water signs like Cancer, “manifestation,” for instance means using one’s imagination to create reality by envisioning it, in every detail. Cancer is the ultimate Mood Board-maker of the Zodiac, eternally visualizing new vistas for their future and ways to reinvent their present.

“Envision it and they shall come”—this is Cancer’s…maybe not Motto but more of a Modus Operandi. And you know what? It usually works. 

Solar Eclipse in Cardinal Water: Mood Boards & Manifesting

Cancer, of all the signs of the Zodiac, understands Magic of the Unexplained, often fantasizing about conspiracy theories and the like. But while everyone else is off calling them crazy, Cancer’s already off investigating (if not solving) the crime.

Peter Falk, the actor who played the famous title character on the show Colombo, one of the most beloved television series of all time, is the perfect portrait of the Cancer Man (Falk is actually a Cancer Sun). He shows up, asks for a cup of coffee, and within minutes knows who the culprit is, expertly luring them into a full-on confession as if by magic. 

This is one of the reasons that “manifesting” is so tightly intertwined with “imagining” when there are so many planets floating down the so-called Crazy, rarely Lazy Water Sign River of Denial.

Water signs have a lot to do with the emotional pain of loss—especially when it comes to Home & Family, whether the latter be by blood, marriage or any “binding ties” that comprise our lives. So this Solar Eclipse immediately following the Summer Solstice begins a brand new phase that deals with old, lingering themes.

Considering this, it’s no surprise that this phase begins on a particularly optimistic but frustrated note, as the Eclipse comes right in between Mercury’s Retrograde Station in Cancer on June 17-18 and Venus’ Direct Station in Gemini on June 24-25—kicking off an ironic start to what can only be characterized as a very “Stop & Go” Summer. 

This particular Solar Eclipse period—as well as the entire “Cancer Season” of 2020—is both emotionally intuitive and irritable, sympathetic and compassionate yet frustrated and impatient. Consequently, this cycle is rife with landmines ready to explode at the most trivial of unseen trigger points, leaving us unsure what to do when we’re faced with the major question of this Solar Eclipse: Are our needs for emotional security—on both a personal and collective-societal level—being met? 

This is an extremely Earth-havy and Water-heavy chart, with only Venus Retrograde in Gemini and Saturn Retrograde in Aquarius in Air and Fire noticeably lacking. If you take a second look at the chart, you’ll notice that the emphasis on Earth and Water extends beyond signs to the houses as well, with the majority of planets falling in the 12th, 10th and 2nd houses. As a result, the themes of this Eclipse chart have a decidedly practical flavor, especially when it comes to doing what it takes to lay the (emotional) groundwork for our (future) happiness.

These themes include: Foundation building; Family ties; Settling Down; Nesting; Reevaluating the balance between nurturing ourselves and meeting the needs of others; How we bring (or don’t bring) sympathy and compassion to the way we communicate; How to take a sensitive approach to others; and learning the difference between when to brush things off vs. “when to take it personally.” 

This Eclipse Season is a great period for rethinking and coming to terms with and/or considering new structures/where we want to settle (eventually anyway). Our instinct guides us whenever we’re under the influence of a major eclipse in Cancer, or whenever there are many planets in the sign of Cancer in any chart. This is particularly the case in terms of what we desire in an abstract sense but the details are not to be worked out (or relied upon) now. 

But considering the preponderance of Cardinal signs (mostly Cancer, the only Cardinal Water sign of the Zodiac) and the fact that we’re talking about a Solar (not a Lunar) Eclipse in the very first (0°-1°) degree of any sign, but (again) especially Cancer? The whole “Think Now; Act Later” thing might prove more challenging than we’re prepared to admit. 

The theme of Restricted Action is one that’s pervaded most of 2020 as a result of a kind of “clusterf*ck” of challenging planetary alignments affecting us all this year, echoed at the time of the Eclipse by the supercharged alignment between planetary powerhouses Jupiter and Pluto in Capricorn—exact for the second time on June 30—emphasizing themes of excessive needs to dominate and control our environment yet facing restrictions or obstacles that force us to reexamine or delay action.

The need for patience demanded by the 4 North Saros Series of Eclipses this June-July of 2020 is pronounced, as sitting with (internal) discomfort and dealing with restriction is the backdrop for whatever occurs during this Eclipse Season. Yet this doesn’t mean we should give up on pursuing whatever it is we desire. It’s more of a recalibration or reframing of our plans of action that’s needed now than demolishing them completely and “starting from square one.”

Why is patience such a virtue this Eclipse Season of 2020? Solar eclipses, as opposed to their Lunar counterparts, tend to signal periods of an influx of activity—a sudden blizzard of unanswered emails you sent out months ago are finally returned; texts you sent a decade ago are finally answered; or a much-needed opportunity to Escape Reality seems to fall magically out of the sky. 

But the question of off timing, lack of resources or some other (perceived) circumstantial barrier will likely figure strongly, as the concurrence of this particular Eclipse with both the onset of Mercury Retrograde and the ending of Venus’ rather long Retrograde create a confluence of confusing circumstances that make it difficult to, well, plan—at least for now. 

Sun-Moon in Cancer Inconjunct Saturn in Aquarius: Shock Value

With both the Sun and Moon at an exact inconjunct angle to Saturn in Aquarius making its mark on this Eclipse chart, there’s what Astrologer Robert Pelletier accurately describes as “a subtle fear of others and the power they seem to have over you. Psychologically, this can be referred to as latent masochism, which means you are seeking ways to be punished for what you consider to be past mistakes” (Planets in Aspect, p. 231).

The Cancer Sun is by nature timid, and in a subtle yet harsh aspect to Saturn, it can be challenging to get at the roots of our guilt or why we feel compelled to prove ourselves in some way or earn the love of those we love.

Detachment vs. attachment is the theme with this aspect, as the Moon at the same harsh angle to Saturn points to our tendency to put our own practical needs on the back burner to cater to a partner or family member’s emotional needs—or vice versa. 

Taking calculated risks is what Saturn in Aquarius is about; but this is challenging when mixed with the energy of Cancer, who operates from its gut feeling & makes choices based not on calculations but on instinct.

But if Cancer & Aquarius have one thing in common it’s this: a keen understanding of the value of, well, Shock Value. The necessity of human drama—of rule-breaking—for catharsis is undeniable with the heavy emphasis on the sign of Cancer & Jupiter-Pluto conjunction pushing us to explore & conquer faraway lands. 

Overcoming the need for other vs. the need to be alone is the challenge; though the realization that we don’t need to capitulate to the whims of others at our own expense—that it’s not necessarily better to keep quiet than rock the boat if it means sacrificing your personal goals in the process—is the key to overcoming it.

For best results? Make sure you’re able to recognize your own value, then take calculated risks. Otherwise you’ll find yourself in an overly burdensome career, or in a place where it doesn’t seem possible to realize your goals—personal or professional. 

Jupiter-Pluto in Capricorn + Mars in Pisces: Learning Through Experience

Jupiter-Pluto in Capricorn is hungry for experiences, and is eager to plan, get out there and make moves. And with both planets conjunct the Midheaven in Capricorn in addition to Jupiter’s exact sextile to Mars in Pisces in this Eclipse Chart (see above), we’re equally fired up and bogged down.

The theme of “learning via experience” of Mercury in Cancer is exaggerated by its concurrence with the Solar Eclipse in Cancer on June 21, with both Jupiter-Pluto conjunct in Capricorn on the chart’s Midheaven with Pluto technically in the 9th house and the Solar Eclipse (Sun-Moon-North Node) in the 3rd house, followed on June 30 by the second exact alignment in the trilogy of Jupiter-Pluto conjunctions in 2020. 

What does this all add up to? With so many symbols indicating a need to learn through experience in the context of both Mercury and Venus changing from Direct to Retrograde motion, plus the “Restriction” theme of this period overall, it’s essential not to let miscommunications and minor setbacks get you down before you give your plans enough time to (realistically) get off the ground.

This aspect combination stands out (along with the fact of it being a Solar Eclipse) as being the most blatantly contradictory of factors in analyzing the symbolism of the Eclipse chart as a whole. Why? Because this combination is hungry for control, action, transformation through totally new experiences, travel far and wide and even physical energy.

Because despite the relatively sedate nature of both Capricorn and Pisces as signs, the planetary combination of Jupiter, Pluto and Mars, especially at forming such exact angles to one another all boil down to the same keywords: action, energy, hunger, desire, experience, expansion and (dare I say it) MANIFESTATION. 

Solar Eclipses & Retrograde Summers: Tightly Wound or Tightly Bound?

This particular Solar Eclipse period—as well as the entire “Cancer Season” of 2020—is both emotionally intuitive and irritable, sympathetic and compassionate yet frustrated and impatient. Consequently, this cycle is rife with landmines ready to explode at the most trivial of unseen trigger points, leaving us unsure what to do when we’re faced with the major question of this Solar Eclipse: Are our needs for emotional security—on both a personal and collective-societal level—being met? 

And with everything cancelled or on pause for much of 2020, it’s an ideal period to discover our sensitivities, figure out where our sore spots are and how to get in touch with the reservoir of our own, perhaps untapped, emotional depth. We may be surprised with just how receptive and empathetic we can be, in fact. 

But before we go turning our emotional faucets from a slow drip to a full-on flood, the heavy Cancer energy allows us to contemplate how to better direct or express our emotions without projecting them onto others—or just, well, freaking out.

The end of the third and the entire fourth week of June (from approximately June 20 - 27) are particularly paradoxical, as we experience a push to both “wind-down” (Mercury Retrograde) and “wind up” (Solar Eclipse) simultaneously. This will affect you in a particular area of life (e.g., whatever house of your birth chart is ruled by the sign of Cancer).

No matter your particular circumstances, themes of Home and Family dominate whenever the sign of Cancer is highlighted as prominently as it is throughout this Retrograde Summer of 2020. Consequently (yet not at all surprisingly), many of us are entertaining dreams or desires to move house (as many of us did last July of 2019).

Or we’ve recognized the need to change careers—or the painful realization that a current relationship (or lack thereof) is in desperate need of new boundaries or communication paradigms if they’re to survive. Whatever it is that’s ripe for revamping in our personal worlds, we’ve decided that some element in our immediate environment needs to change—immediately.

This could easily include not just moving to a new home, for example, but being “forced” to move in with a significant other or roommate at a time when you’re not exactly peachy keen on making major (or even minor) changes to your day-to-day when maintaining some semblance of a Status Quo is challenging enough as it is.

0° Cancer (Sabian Symbol): Adaptability

But just as our impulse to aggressively take control of our lives in some way—to move forward at any cost and plow through any frustrating circumstances that seem like obstacles to our freedom—peaks with Mars’ entry into Aries in addition to the second exact alignment of Jupiter-Pluto in Capricorn on June 30 as well as the second exact alignment of Mercury in Cancer’s sextile to Uranus and square to Chiron on July 1st.

Plus, Venus’ slow down in Gemini on June 25 in addition to the June 21 Solar Eclipse’s tense aspect to Saturn emphasizes the maintenance of both literal and emotional distance. This contradiction lingers now and all through the month of July, as Mercury and Venus remain in their post-Retrograde shadow periods until July 26 and 29th, respectively, complicating communications needed to make plans & putting practical problems in front of us before we’ve even had a chance to consider the possibilities. 

Despite the Earth and Water emphasis on Practicality all over the Solar Eclipse chart overall, the Eclipse itself—or the conjunction of the Sun and Moon in the 3rd house, both conjunct the North Node at 29° Gemini—symbolizes one theme: TALKING. And with the Solar Eclipse occurring at 0° of Cancer on the World Axis? The news is big. In fact, it may not only shock you, but with Venus and Mercury moving Retrograde, may take you for a (not so easy) ride. 

The Sabian Symbol for 0° of Cancer: “A furled and an unfurled flag displayed from a vessel,” symbolizing “...the extremes to which an individual will go in the practical allegiances with which he meets the various situations in life, and of his capacity to compromise or reverse any stand he may take whenever it suits his ultimate ends. Here is his inflexible determination to further every ambition, and his consistent preparation for every eventuality that might be anticipated. He is unhappy except as he somehow can feel himself safely a step ahead of himself. The keyword is: ADAPTABILITY. When positive, the degree is a gift for highly profitable adjustment in every developing relationship with others, and when negative, vacillation is not complete instability” (The Sabian Symbols, Dr. Marc Edmund Jones). 

In many ways this Solar Eclipse + Mercury and Venus Retrograde this Summer push us to revisit the painful emotions & realizations forced on us at the Lunar Eclipse in Cancer that occurred earlier this year—on January 10 to be exact.

Revisiting the emotional fallout of the January 10 Eclipse, which was preceded by whatever interpersonal missteps or snafus occurred at the Solar Eclipse in Cancer of July 2019. Retracing the steps taken or not taken in securing our personal space or emotional safety catalyzes the healing process.

Life, “Drama” & The Value of Shock Value

So watch out for Smooth Talkers, Traveling Salesmen or anyone trying a little too hard to sell themselves. Because people are acting out of desperation now, and we don’t exactly have the emotional bandwidth to withstand any further personal dramas (or traumas) this year.

Recovery is what we need. So if we realize this July that someone is not the ally we once thought? It’s best not to be surprised. Cancer is notorious for being a “Stage 5 Clinger,” envisioning scenes of marriage proposals complete with dowries & noble steeds even during the courting phase—long overdue for revision. 

Nourishing our inner selves and inner circle won’t be easy with the Sensitive Solar Eclipse in Cancer at quite an uncomfortable angle to harsh Saturn, now Retrograde at 0° of Aquarius. Yet the subtle tension of this aspect helps us reflect on an important question: How to nurture our need for emotional safety & security while “following the rules”?

This question is the centerpiece of the Moveable Feast ushered in by the Summer Eclipse Season and overlapping Retrogrades of Mercury and Venus. But whatever the outcome of what happens (or doesn’t) this Summer? In hindsight, it’ll end up being just the emotional “jolt” we need to catapult ourselves out of residual ruts and relationship restrictions.

Because there’s an often-overlooked value in the shock value that comes with emotional drama. All those “drama-free” people? They’re delusional. Or just boring. Because positive or negative connotations of the word itself aside? Life IS drama. And anyone who thinks otherwise is, frankly, not only on the Lazy River of Denial but may’ve already drowned in whatever monotony or routines have taken over their lives.

Yet if there’s any, very obvious lesson of 2020? No matter how many routines or regimes you commit to, the notion of control is, at the end of the day, nothing more than an illusion.

Think of any major life event you’ve experienced up to this point. Moving in with, getting engaged to, or marrying a Significant Other? Drama. International travel? DRAMA. Family vacation with the kids? DRAMA. Quitting a job? Starting a new job? Getting pregnant? Not getting pregnant? Childbirth? Moving? All have one thing in common: DRAMA.

The only question is whether we’re self-possessed enough—whether we have the emotional and financial security—to handle all the dramas, traumas and souped-up sagas. Because in the end? It’s these that ultimately define your life.