Giving Up The Gun: On the Eclipses of 2020–21
Eclipses mark sudden shifts towards fate. Some say that in countries where an eclipse is visible, a connection exists to political upheaval and mass demonstrations to come — a foretelling that proved true last year.
On May 5, 2020, the eclipse points shifted from the Cancer-Capricorn axis — where they had been since November 2018 — to the Gemini-Sagittarius axis. While the first eclipse was only visible in the U.S., Mexico, and Australia, this eclipse season would be felt worldwide. It’s been a wild year and half that I can only seem to process via Vampire Weekend lyrics in their song “Giving Up the Gun.”
“Your sword’s grown old and rusty underneath the rising sun, it’s locked up like a trophy — forgetting all the things done.”
The eclipse points in the sky are known as the North and South Nodes. In astrology, they represent directionality, a push and pull. Simply put, the South Node is where we’re comfortable, while the North Node represents a challenge. The nodes are always in signs opposite each other — and since June 2020, the eclipses have been in Gemini and Sagittarius, whose axis represents ecosystems of knowledge and information.
Mercury — the swift, nimble planet known as the messenger — rules Gemini, who’s more interested in gathering clues and fun facts than ideologies by which to make sense of the world. While Jupiter, planet of expansion, rules over a visionary Sagittarius, blasting songs of hope from the mountaintops. Gemini is a student and Sagittarius, the teacher.
In the Tonalpohualli, an astrological calendar created by my Nahua ancestors, my astrological potential or sign is often drawn as a Black Obsidian knife. The sharpness of its blade symbolizes intelligence and precision, while the Black Obsidian catalyzes the self-reflection necessary to embody truth.
In tarot, swords are used to depict the air element that Gemini is an agent of. The North node in Gemini has been an invitation to sharpen our minds, to wield our mental swords in service of worldbuilding. Just as hotter temperatures rust and tarnish precious metals — so too can emotional triggers distort our reality. While Sagittarius — where the South node lies — is moralistic, fueled by the passionate emotions that come with being a fire sign, air signs like Gemini call for a more critical point of view. And movements need both. When we step down from our soap box and center the people most impacted by issues — and consequently the most knowledgeable about them — we pierce through the noise toward the direction of truth.
“and though it’s been a long time, you’re right back where you started from- i see it in your eyes, that now you’re giving up the gun.”
And as we’ve learned in the last year and a half, life has a way of bringing us face to face with our own blind spots. If we forget that learning is a never-ending process, or get too caught up on theory and forget practice, we risk losing our way. When we focus too much on the big picture — as Sagittarius would have it — and forget about the truths right under your noses, chances are, we’ll run straight into them. Like time in astrology, learning is a spiralic cycle. And as history has taught us, so too is progress in movement work.
“my ears are blown to bits from all the rifle hits and still i crave that sound”
The phrase, “I hear you” has become a common buzzword to convey understanding. The North Node in Gemini has shown us a collective push deeper — mastering intentional listening through uncomfortable but necessary conversations. The ones necessary for deep relationship, building beloved communities.
The South Node always points to what we’ve become all-too-familiar with and in Sagittarius, we have to look beyond, reassessing our beliefs in order to move forward. This means clearing the air to make space for possibility. This means unlearning dogmas that prevent us from seeing clearly and having healthy conflict. As the centaur with its bow and arrow, Sagittarius is the only sign that explicitly has a weapon, yet also reminds us that self-reflection requires us to drop our defenses and embrace vulnerability.
“You felt the coming wave, told me we’d all be brave. You said you wouldn’t flinch but in the years that passed, since i saw you last — you haven’t moved an inch.”
The pandemic exposing the imperialist empire and climate collapse has left us exhausted and grieving. The machine slowed down a little, but not nearly enough to protect all life on this planet. And the fact that often, our only connection to each other is online, can make optimism harder to maintain. We are witnessing ongoing violence against our communities, while yearning for deeper connections with one another.
Social media and internet communication, while valuable and sometimes life-saving, can leave us feeling restless, yearning for movement and deeper connections. Sagittarius wants to feel the wind on its face while chasing its soaring arrow, but we’ve been stuck inside and nothing’s open late anymore.
In moments like this one, when advancement of all kinds feels so urgent, rest is even more essential. Our bodies and souls are weary after living through the last two years — Mother Nature herself is inviting us to take a note from our nonhuman relatives, as they enter hibernation mode.
You will not be left behind. Whether you’re processing memories, gearing up for your next big project, or reuniting with loved ones, it’s all part of the journey.
“I see you shining your way, go on, go on, go on.”
In this final eclipse season in Sagittarius, I invite you to rest. I invite you to cherish the little steps that make up a great journey. Reflect on the myths you’ve busted — ways your brilliant mind has grown — where your curiosity has been your guide — when you felt truth in your lungs and voiced it — who listened and who challenged you to see something new, and to share the things you know. Check in on them and thank them, that flicker of light can go farther than you know.
“I see you shining your way, go on, go on, go on!”
