By Vijaya Subramanian
The solar eclipse on April 8th 2024, is a total eclipse in Revati, the last nakṣatra of the Zodiac. An eclipse in Revati will bring forth challenges with issues governed by it and its ruling deity Pūṣan – viz. travel, faith and nourishment. According to Varāhamihira, a solar eclipse in Pisces “will destroy substances obtained from the shores of the oceans and those derived from the seas, as well as learned men and those that earn their livelihood through water and water products”. We can expect disturbances for industries dependent on deep-sea mining, waterways and shipping, travel by sea, port-related activities and fisheries.
Solar Eclipse and the United Kingdom
Casting a chart for the peak eclipse time in London on the 8th of April 2024, we get a Virgo ascendant. The eclipse falls on a Monday, and the involvement of the lord of the day, the Moon, in the eclipse, is not favourable for the masses. An exalted Venus, Sun, Moon and Rahu are in Pisces. The presence of Venus in the eclipsed house is not favourable for women or travel. Moreover, Venus can indicate emotional miseries and troubles as it represents the water element. Jupiter does not aspect Pisces, so there is no protection.
Mars and Saturn are about to get into a war in Aquarius. Their combination represents a Yama Yoga, where one benefits from extreme efforts or destruction. The planets in the sky are in three houses, forming a trident or śula yoga. A śula yoga creates conditions for strife, and the agenda of Mars will be supported. Mars may have the upper hand as it is the dispositor of Jupiter and Mercury (union of accomplishment) in Aries. Note that Mercury, the ascendant lord, is retrograde and in gandanta in Aśvinī, indicating that a sudden change in position may be imminent after the eclipse.
To take a closer look at the prospects of the UK, I have used a progressed chart for the UK (progressing the original 1801 chart for 144 years) with the ascendant of Leo. The eclipse ascendant is Virgo, which impacts the 2nd house counting from Leo, while the eclipsed house Pisces impacts the 8th house from Leo. As the eclipse falls in the 2/8 axis of the progressed chart for the UK, the main issues will be business, finances, and debt. We can expect the “cost of living crisis” to be the main driver influencing voting intention in the upcoming British General Election. However, as 8th house deals with inheritance and unexpected wins, it can result in a sudden favourable position and a windfall.
Yet another way to analyse the eclipse taught by Pandit Rath is to divide the time of the eclipse day into 7 parts to see which parts fall at the time of total and peak eclipse. For the UK, the full eclipse will start in the 6th part while peaking at the final 7th part and finishing 10 minutes after sunset. According to Varāhamihira, the 6th and 7th parts (governed by Venus and Saturn) indicate that labourers and workers, women, plunderers, and border areas will suffer. Matters pending to healthcare and immigration are likely to suffer.
Solar Eclipse and the United States
Going across the Atlantic, in the case of the United States, the progressed ascendant (progressing the original 1776 chart by 144 years) is Scorpio. The eclipse ascendant is Cancer, which impacts the 9th house of the progressed chart of the USA, and the eclipsed house, Pisces, is the 5th house. Eclipses involving the 5th and 9th houses are about power, faith, duty, and destiny. Events around the eclipse can lead people to question power and who they have placed faith in.
The eclipse cast for Washington DC will start in the 4th portion of the day making the significations of the planet Sun – kings and heads of states or rulers, and their central support bases suffer. This does not bode well for President Biden and his team. The eclipse will peak in the 5th portion governed by the Moon. Hence, there will be a loss to the ministers, merchants, and cattle. The independent and youthful woman Venus represents and other matters such as leisure, rejuvenation, and health will prosper. It is noted that matters governed by luminaries and sattva planets, such as the Sun and Moon, will suffer while matters governed by the more rajasic (agenda-driven) planet, Venus, will be in favour.
Using this analysis, one could surmise that the first eclipse is more favourable for challenger Donald Trump (Leo ascendant) than incumbent Biden (Scorpio ascendant) in the upcoming US Presidential elections.
Solar Eclipse and NATO
When the natal Sun, Moon or Ascendant is placed in Revati, one can expect a major change concerning circumstances surrounding the country’s rulers, finances, reputation, health and direction in life. We can expect a significant change in the functioning of the military alliance, The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has its Ascendant in Virgo and Sun in Revati. Therefore, one can surmise that the reputation, power structure and finances of NATO will be under scrutiny,
NATO has four planets—the Sun, Venus, Mars, and Mercury—in the 7th house, Pisces, which is the eclipsed house. Mars and Mercury are not well placed, as their placement in the 7th house brings about death and destruction.
We can expect the eclipse to affect NATO 6 months after the eclipse. NATO has been involved in the war with Russia from late 2021, since the start of Ketu maha dasa. Ketu is the co-dispositor of the 7th house and exchanges with Venus. The antardashas of Mars will be dangerous as the eighth lord Mars is in marana position ( Mars in the 7th house), and the exchange of Ketu with Venus brings a malefic influence of Mars/Ketu combination that can be ghost attacks. The 8th house energy can bring unexpected events and mistakes, which can bring its downfall. The antara of Mars will start late in April 2024 and end in September 2024, followed by the antara of the Atma Karaka vargottamma Rahu in the 8th house.
There have been questions in the past involving NATO’s purpose and involvement in Europe, especially involving the non-NATO countries. The organisation is also looking to replace the General Secretary as Jens Stoltenberg is considered a “Trump whisperer”. He is currently serving an extension of his term, ending on September 30th this year. This is also evinced by the fact that the 4th and 5th portions of the day, governed by the Sun and Moon, are hit by the eclipse, signalling a change in the power structure and leadership. I am using the same calculations for dividing the day of the eclipse as we used for the US as NATO was established in Washington DC.
Although Mark Rutte, the outgoing Dutch Prime Minister, is emerging as the favourite candidate for the replacement, we could expect sudden shocks or disorder in the manner in which the changes will be brought about as the solar eclipse was preceded by a lunar eclipse on 25 March 2024.
It is very inauspicious to have the total solar eclipse coincide with the Chaitra śukla pratipada (the first lunar day after the New Moon in Pisces) from which chart the destiny of countries for the upcoming year is read. The new samvatsara (year) is called Krodhī, endowed with anger. The planets in the sky are in three houses at the time of the eclipse, forming a śula yoga-promoting conditions for friction. The lunar eclipses precede the Solar eclipses this year. We can surmise that the strife we are experiencing in many areas of the world will continue to be a major theme.
References
Principles based on teachings of my Jyotish Guru Pandit Sanjay Rath on Solar Eclipses
Bṛhat Samhitā – Varāhamihira, M. Ramakṛishna Bhat, Part 1, Motilal Banarasidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd, Delhi, India
Eclipse Data from https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/solar.html
Time and Date.com Solar & Lunar Eclipses Worldwide (timeanddate.com)
Vijaya was born in India and had a successful international career in finance for two decades before giving it all up to pursue jyotish studies with her Guru Pandit Sanjay Rath. She obtained the certificate of Jyotisha Pandita from him in 2016 and is a practising astrologer in London. She has been a member of BAVA since 2003 and is a regular speaker at their annual conferences. Her quest for the meaning of life makes her an ardent student of Vedanta and is under the guidance of Swami Paramarthananda, of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam. Her interest in the human mind and behaviour has led her recently complete a masters degree to become an accredited Executive Coach in Europe. www.vijayajyoti.com
