There will be an Eclipse of the Sun on 4th January 2011. The Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth. This up-coming 4th January Eclipse of the Sun will be at 9.02 am with a UK magnitude of 0.75. In the zodiac of western astrology the Eclipse will be at 13 deg Capricorn (in the Vedic zodiac this is 18 deg Sagittarius).
This follows the recent Eclipse of the Moon that was on the day of the Solstice: 21st December 2010, when the Earth passed between the Sun and the Moon. This eclipse was special because fierce signs were involved and it was very closely connected to the Sun’s position when it changes direction at the Galactic centre that marks the end of the Mayan calendar in 2012. See my Blog: http://starwheel.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/lunar-eclipse-on-the-day-of-the-winter-solstice-21st-december-2010-difficult-energies-have-now-been-gathering/
How do these two eclipses affect us?
The December eclipse: Well, during the Eclipse of the Moon that occurred on the day of the Solstice, some signs did a lot better than others. For example Venus was strong at that time so if you have an emphasis in Venus-ruled signs in your birth chart, you would have been protected, unless, of course, you had a planet in your birth chart which was conjunct or ‘cut off’ by the Moon or the Sun at the time of the eclipse – in which case the affairs of that planet might have been devastated.
The January eclipse: Similarly, if you have planets around or opposite the January 4th eclipse of the Sun you could be in for challenge.
Put simply, the more important rules are as follows:
FIRST: Does your birth chart have planets in signs of the zodiac affected by the eclipse?
SECOND: What are the affairs of your affected planet: for example if the planet signifies children, you could lose contact with a child. One of Jupiter’s significations is 5th House children and creativity. The Sun signifies the Father; the Moon signifies the Mother. There is a long list in Vedic astrology.
THIRD: It depends on what type of Sign the eclipse occurs in. If a solar eclipse falls in Fixed signs it effects are felt over years in human lives; if it falls in Cardinal signs the effects are over more quickly, and if it occurs in Mutable signs, the effects are felt immediately and continue on and off for some months. Both the December and the January eclipses are in mutable signs (using the Vedic zodiac), SO the effects are felt immediately and continue on and off for some months.
FOURTH: The longer the eclipse darkness lasts, the longer the effect of the eclipse will be felt in human lives.
FIFTH: if the eclipse falls in Fixed or Cardinal signs, its effect may wait for a planet to transit the eclipse point several months later for the effect to be felt in the human life.
SIXTH: if the eclipse falls conjunct (or opposition) your Sun, Moon, North or South Node (Rahu or Ketu), Saturn or Mars, its effects will be malefic. If it falls conjunct your Jupiter or Venus the effects can be favourable (it depends on the status of Venus or Jupiter in your chart).
SEVENTH: If the eclipse is associated with the North node Rahu (like the one on January 4th) its effects will be more malefic than if it is associate with the south Node (Ketu).
EIGHTH: If the eclipse falls on your Ascendant, you are in for trouble.
NINTH: there are rules governing the effects of an eclipse depending on which House in your birth chart the eclipse falls.
Of course, all these challenging and sad affairs have a deeper spiritual meaning for us. Vedic astrology is a tantric spirituality: adverse circumstances, indeed all circumstances, are inherently connective to the Divine. If we can only understand them rightly, they call us to become who we were born to be.
Here is a globe showing the January 4th Eclipse path:
Ilkley Happiness Centre's Blog 
