Alice Bell, Resident Astrologer at British Vogue,
Aquarius Sun, Pisces Moon, and Leo Rising
shares what we need to know for the July 5th Lunar Eclipse.
YALI: First off, what is a lunar eclipse and how often do they occur?
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ALICE: A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the sun and moon, and blocks the sun’s light to the moon, so the moon appears to be darker. A lunar eclipse can only occur during a full moon, but whereas a full moon happens once a month, a lunar eclipse usually only happens about two to three times a year. This year is an exception though, because there will be four lunar eclipses. In astrology the effects of a lunar eclipse are similar to a full moon, except that they are amplified and play out over a longer period of time.
YALI: How will the lunar eclipse affect me in the way I dress, communicate, work, etc.?
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ALICE: Lunar eclipses are times for making realizations. You’re either leaving behind relationships or habits or work that is no longer working for you or taking these things to the next level. The lunar eclipse opens the way for the next phase of your life, and its effects last for up to six months. This particular one might be more about endings, as it will be closing out the cycle of Cancer-Capricorn eclipses that have been occurring since July 2018.
The July 5 lunar eclipse is happening in Capricorn, so paired with the sun in Cancer, finding structure and security in your life will be a big theme. You may be thinking a lot about what home means to you and what relationships are important. At the same time though, you will have to balance this with your career responsibilities and the goals you want to accomplish for yourself. You can’t stay entirely in your comfort zone, and you may have to adopt a more mature outlook on life, where you’re not looking to other people to build you up. With the Capricorn emphasis, you may find yourself thinking a lot about work and what you want to be doing with your career to feel the most fulfilled. You will probably have to bring in the Cancer qualities of emotional connection and helping others into your job to feel happier.
YALI: Will this lunar eclipse affect one sign more strongly than others? In what ways?
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ALICE: It will affect Cancer and Capricorn the most, since the sun is in Cancer and the moon is in Capricorn. If you are either of these two signs, or have these as your moon or rising sign, the eclipses are more likely to bring up changes and transformation in your life. For a Capricorn, this will be more self focused so you may receive an opportunity that boosts your confidence or you’re realizing what you want in your life to feel the most fulfilled. You may also feel more assertive and will be letting people know where you stand. If you’re a Cancer, the lunar eclipse is more likely to affect your relationships. You might be made more aware of the give and take with a partner or a close friend. You could feel pressure to either further commit to a relationship or part ways with someone.
YALI: Is there anything I should change in my daily life or be aware of during this time?
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ALICE: Try to be aware that you will probably feel more emotional, and don't take anything too personally if the people around you are more on edge. It’s also important to listen to what your intuition is telling you at this time. If something feels off in a certain area of your life, that’s probably because it needs to be changed or let go of. This is a period to lean into positive transformation instead of engaging in old patterns that aren’t serving you anymore.
YALI: Can you tell us a personal story from the last lunar eclipse?
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ALICE: Back in 2017 and 2018, when the lunar eclipses were occurring in Aquarius and Leo, those affected me the most because I have a Leo rising and an Aquarius sun. There was a lunar eclipse in Leo on February 10, 2017. That day, I had a job interview at Vogue, and I ended up hearing back that I got the job the same night. This was my first job after graduate school, so it was opening me up to a new way of life where I had to prioritize work and be more confident in what I had to offer there.
A year and a half later, right after the July 2018 lunar eclipse in Aquarius, I started my own astrology business and spent the six months after that growing it. By the next set of eclipses in January 2019, it had become my full time career. So as you can see, the eclipses work in six month cycles and there’s usually a theme for each six month period as to where your priorities lie and where the most transformation is happening.
Alice Bell's Full Astrology Session on IGTV: