Here’s a belated offering toward understanding the recent very rare total Lunar Eclipse just hours before Winter Solstice 2010, widely visible across North America. Although astrologers understandably tend to focus on upcoming astrological events, particularly so at the beginning of the calendar year, the close proximity of the recent Lunar Eclipse to Winter Solstice astrologically indicates probable greater and long-lasting significance of this recent celestial event. This piece deals with an analysis of the Zodiacal degree imagery for that eclipse. 

A Matter of Degree

           In 1925, Elsie Wheeler in collaboration with astrologer Marc Edmund Jones psychically derived images for each of the degrees of the Zodiac. From then until now, various astrologers have extensively studied the images and commented upon them widely, including the wonderful work of Australia’s Lynda Hill. The description of the degree image that follows comes from Jones own notation of what Elsie Wheeler clairvoyantly “saw” as quoted in Lynda Hill’s book The Sabian Symbols As An Oracle [1] Interpreting these images provide amazing insight into personal charts, but also into any astrological chart, including the recent momentous lunar eclipse.
           Ideally, to understand a lunar eclipse via degree image analysis, we would look not only at the degree of the eclipsed Moon, but the opposite degree where the Sun was illuminating this Moon. Since space does not allow that here, we can for now just look at the most important “Sabian” degree, that of the eclipsed Moon. That 30th Gemini image is “a parade of bathing beauties before large beach crowds” What might this odd image tell us about 2010 and the astrological year that began just hours later at Winter Solstice? Let’s look at the Lunar Eclipse image in the social context of the emergence of these symbols, namely, the U.S.A. in the early 1920’s and just before 1925, since the Sabian Symbol images “came through” Elsie Wheeler in 1925. In America, where Elsie Wheeler lived and received these images, “THE” bathing beauties of the early to mid 1920’s were the contestants in the recently created Miss America contest, based in Atlantic City, New Jersey, evolving from September 1920.[2]
           At the time, this contest was a highly controversial national issue --- and a major media event. Prudish outraged women’s groups and equally outraged conservative male religious and political leaders opposed the event, adamant that such public exposure and media attention was absolutely a bad thing. On the other side of the issue were various newspapers, promoters, a large portion of the general public, numerous young female contestants and finalists,and a controversial female who was a swimsuit designer. The women in favor of the contest saw it as a unique opportunity for fame and fortune in a male dominated economy. With the contest’s both “professional” and “amateur” divisions, there was significant opportunity for recognition of those formerly little known ordinary female folk.
           Over fifty major U.S. newspapers, attempting to increase circulation, promoted local contests to choose local representatives for the national contest. Miss America contestants were judged on beauty, of course, but also on intelligence, talent, personality, healthiness and fitness. The Atlantic City judges included artists, such as Norman Rockwell. These judges had a fifty percent say in picking the winner; in-person public opinion delivered the other fifty percent of the decision.  In 1923 alone over 300,000 people ventured to see the contestants and presumably have their voices heard. In 1923 the results were aired on national radio (THE preeminent media of the time). By 1924, it was covered live on the radio. Some successful contestants moved on to fame and fortune, and artists (of different types) shared the images of contest winners and some other contestants in photography, in film, in sculpture, etc. Controversy over the contest continued throughout the 1920’s, with adversaries even shutting down this Atlantic City event in 1928. However, with time, the annual contest became a widely accepted American institution, just as early contest judge Norman Rockwell became an American icon. 
           The main controversy with the contest involved the issue of public exposure of that which had been hidden versus those who wanted “cover-ups,” or for the whole thing to simply stop happening, and be forgotten. However, ultimately the ongoing “revelations” did not stop what would soon become an accepted part of modern American culture.

Applying This Degree Analysis to the Lunar Eclipse of December 2010 

           The fine art of astrology involves, in part, the synthesis of a particular planet’s nature in the unique context of celestial place (Zodiacal sign and degree). Therefore, for example, brightly beautiful Venus on the 30th degree of Gemini has quite a different expression than the eclipsed Moon on the same degree. Astrology, as an art tells us that that which is visually obvious is symbolically obvious. The lunar eclipse shows bright Moonlight turning dark, even blood red, before returning again to brightness. In this case, all of this occurs just hours before the Winter Solstice --- an extremely rare occurrence.
Each lunar month, the Moon’s light emerges from the typical darkness of New Moon and grows in light toward the maximum of the Full Moon. Only at a lunar eclipse will that full light will darken, dim, and become “off color.” Knowing this, as astrological detectives, we look to see what took significant collective attention from the time of the New Moon of 12/5/2010 to the Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse 12/21/2010 (North America) for correlation that fits an issue involving EXPOSURE of MULTIPLE DARK LIT FACTS about PEOPLE, with an atmosphere of CONTROVERSY and SIGNIFICANT MEDIA ATTENTION. Since the eclipse was (weather permitting) visible over the first 48 states, we particularly are looking for stories impacting and/or involving the United States.
           Obviously, for December 2010 (and beyond!) we are looking at the WikiLeaks story, including WikiLeaks principle Julian Assange involved in a SEXUAL SCANDAL including, in part, the issue of the purportedly forced removal of a woman’s clothing---an issue of exposure. These are dark allegations for him, to be sure, part of the CONTROVERSY, even among feminists. Even more importantly, the first approximately 10% of the leaked information details dark descriptions of the murder of innocents, widespread enormous corruption, and other DARK REVELATIONS.
           Synthesizing the astrology here, the expected sequence is as follows. At first, some of these WikiLeaks revelations are “brought to light” like the fully illuminated Moon before the Lunar Eclipse, then the revelations are “cast in a dark light” analogous to the Earth’s shadow creating the eclipse. The nature of a lunar eclipse, especially on this particular degree, implies that WikiLeaks and/or similar revelations are ultimately likely to emerge in a bright light.
           This particular Sabian Symbol does not tell us one way or the other about what will happen to the man Julian Assange. However, the Lunar Eclipse here strongly implies that WikiLeaks (or similar) revelations are not likely to go away, and after early strife, their truth is ultimately likely to be seen in “a good light” by the general public. Contemporary artists of various sorts may very well aid their vindication. For instance, documentary maker/celebrity Michael Moore has already helped with Assange’s bail.

A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW: WINTER SOLSTICE 2010 UPSTAGED

           Every year from 1639 through 2009, nothing in December upstages the significance of the Winter Solstice. It’s quite a different story in 2010, since the just eclipsed Moon’s show was the toughest act to follow. The Moon’s dramatic “show” just before Winter Solstice grabbed our attention away from the annual new beginning of winter solstice. There has been nothing like December 2010 since December 1638 when there was a total lunar eclipse on the same degree, just before Winter Solstice. (The comparison of then and now is a story in itself. Look for another TMA blog about this soon.)  
           If there is anything to this Sabian Symbol analysis, unprecedented transparent truth will ultimately prevail. Peace in our lifetimes? Perhaps. If so, this Sabian’s story implies not now, probably not right away, but if the U.S. government and other world leaders ever do become peace-oriented, the Sabian Symbols imply that we’ll likely have WikiLeaks to thank, as controversial as that is to write so soon after this eclipse.          

References 

[1] The Sabian Symbols As An Oracle, Lynda Hill, 1995 or 2002 or 2010, A White Horse Book, Avalon, Australia http://www.sabiansymbols.com

[2] www.missamerica.org/our-miss-americas/1920/review.aspx

View Dale's article with posts as it appears in Mountain Astrologer:
http://mountainastrologer.com/tma/the-lunar-eclipse-shocking-revelations-and-a-media-event#comments