This New Moon Solar Eclipse Is Bringing Big Changes. Here’s How To Prepare

If you don't have plans this Saturday night, don't sweat it. There's a powerful new moon total solar eclipse in Sagittarius taking place that will provide more than enough weekend entertainment for all of us — in a good way. While eclipses are often strikingly intense, the upcoming lunation on December 4 is bringing a much more positive, optimistic tone to the astrological world. Forget about
New Years' resolutions — now is the season to focus on your eclipse epiphanies.

"The astrology of this eclipse is about an ending of a chapter and asking us to let go of the things we are trying to control or releasing things we have outgrown," says Madi Murphy, the co-founder of The Cosmic RX and The Cosmic Revolution. New moon eclipses tend to be seen as a chance to make positive changes, and the nearness of this one to Mercury, and its positioning in Sagittarius, gives it an "if you believe in yourself, anything is possible" vibe, Murphy says. In essence, we're being "asked to free ourselves from anything that is not connected to the core of our most authentic and spiritual selves," she explains.

There's a distinctly hopeful mood to this new moon solar eclipse, thanks to the influence of Sagittarius, a sign ruled by the lucky planet of Jupiter. "Sagittarius is the sign of the higher mind that focuses on expansion and the big picture," says Narayana Montúfar, senior astrologer for Astrology.com and author of Moon Signs: Unlock Your Luminary Power. "So, during this lunation, we get cosmic permission to think big and feel optimistic about our future growth and all its possibilities." Right now, the world is quite literally our oyster. Ask yourself, what would you try out, if no one could tell you no? Envision it, then go do it.

"Sagittarius and Jupiter like to do things in a big way," adds Leslie Hale, psychic astrologer at Keen.com. "Go big with a plan and you will have a good chance at accomplishing something worthwhile."

But Montúfar makes an important distinction: While eclipses can open and close doors, it's more useful to plan on surrendering to the universe's plans during this time, rather than on harnessing the energy of the lunation to push through your own plans. And as many of us know, the universe's plans for us are often bigger and better than anything we can dream up for ourselves. So, pay attention to what's naturally being brought into your life or taken out of it, and work on letting it happen.

This eclipse also marks the end of a cycle that began in early June 2020, when the first eclipse in Sagittarius took place, says Montúfar. "Since this is the last eclipse that will occur in the sign of the archer in many years, we are closing a cycle that began back then," she says. The major themes of that very first Sag eclipse were revolution and anger — two things that were undoubtedly prominent in the thick of the pandemic and during the protests aimed at fighting racial inequality, police brutality, and systemic racism in the United States. Since then, how have you used those emotions to create meaningful change? Have you put in effort to make the world a better, more equitable place? Although we're rounding out this eclipse cycle on a positive note, it's still important to ask yourself these questions and be truthful with your answers — if you are disappointed in them, vow to work harder in 2022.

In other planetary news, this particular solar eclipse in Sagittarius aligns with Mercury and Saturn. It's also sharing a minor frustration with Uranus, the Planet of Rebellion. "This is giving us the drive and power to move away from the constructs that have been holding us back," says Lisa Stardust, the author of Saturn Return Survival Guide and The Astrology Deck. "It’s bringing a major release as we move towards the next vision."

There's also the involvement of Neptune, the Planet of Dreams — which just went direct — and the asteroid Vesta, which gives this lunation a very deep, spiritual nature. "While Neptune’s influence can be confusing due to all these Sagittarius planets forming a square to it, we can use it to attune to this planet’s higher vibration and inspirational energy," Montúfar says. "Approaching Neptune’s energy means focusing on activities like meditation, visualization, and creative pursuits." And if 2021 has been a particularly brain-foggy year for you, these practices are even more important to try out.

Release. Freedom. Change. This is what the new moon total eclipse is gifting us. Murphy says that the end of this eclipse season is a good time to "separate truth from illusion, to liberate yourself from outdated beliefs and to welcome in beneficial cosmic change." Although we might not know what's in store for us, we do have the power to set our own course — or, at least, to embrace it.