What you need to know about September’s lunar eclipse in Pisces

Eclipse moon with two fish and gray hand with long nails.

When: September 17th, 2024, at 7:34 pm PT

What: Lunar North Node eclipse in Pisces

Takeaway: This eclipse is the first plot point in a longer story that will be unfolding across the Virgo/Pisces axis until 2027. Take note of any feelings about creativity, idealism, boundaries, and/or disillusionment that rise to the surface around this time. They are glimmering clues about what this new season of transformation holds in store for you.

This Pisces eclipse taps into your boundless creativity and your hunger for escapism

The lunar eclipse in Pisces on September 17th is the opening event in a new series of eclipses that will take place in Virgo and Pisces, which will continue sparking transformations and upheavals from now until early 2027. Eclipses are flash points for shake-ups, surprises, and fateful plot twists, and they activate issues related to the signs where they take place. 

As an expansive, dreamy, Jupiter-ruled sign, Pisces drifts onto the scene proffering a scrying bowl, a freshly shuffled deck of tarot cards, and a purse full of tissues. This mutable water sign is naturally compassionate, imaginative, and attuned to its surroundings — whether they include another person’s heartache or a spirit flitting through the trees. Like an overflowing body of water, this sign instinctively rushes beyond its limits — and can drain its power and distort its personal clarity in the process. The Pisces eclipse on September 17th highlights the places in our lives that could benefit from a dose of intuition and magic — as well as the areas where we’re ungrounded, unrealistic, or trapped in addiction or illusion. 

This eclipse ups the unreality factor because it takes place next to the North Node of the Moon, a point in space that denotes appetite and increase. The ancients mythologized the North Node of the Moon as the head of a ravenous dragon — overcome by desire and disconnected from the feeling of satiation in its body. When celestial events occur on or near the North Node, they become infused with a sense of hunger, restlessness, and drive. On or around September 17th, check the impulse to flee cold, hard facts in favor of a one-way ticket to Wonderland. When practical details or tough truths loom, it can be tempting to seek an escape hatch from stress. Whether that means numbing out through naps or substances or spiritually bypassing through hyper-positive thinking, pay extra attention to the places where you can’t be present with what is. And offer yourself compassion and grace when you find yourself wanting to Houdini out of a tricky situation — life can be hard. When you give yourself the same kindness and understanding that you would offer a beloved friend, you increase your capacity to respond effectively to challenges. 

Seek the wisdom of your feelings during this moment

This eclipse is a lunar eclipse, which means that the Sun, Moon, and Earth line up in such a way that Luna gets obscured by Earth’s shadow. Lunar eclipses tend to heighten emotions, so keep your journal nearby. Pisces is a sign that naturally grasps the necessity of letting feelings roll in and out like the tides. When you don’t resist surges of sadness or joy, you gently clear debris from your inner landscape and gain more direct access to your creative treasures. 

This eclipse illuminates not only where you’re lost at sea but also where you’re ready to dive deeper into what inspires you. Channeling laughter and tears into your daily practices and projects activates the guidance of your inner wise one, who knows how to chart a course through choppy waters. There is a difference between dodging reality and intentionally using love, empathy, and magic to navigate it. This eclipse is an opportunity to sharpen your discernment. 

Eclipses can be unsettling and overwhelming times. Suppressed truths and shadows splash into the light of awareness, asking to be lovingly witnessed and reclaimed. But it’s important to avoid burning yourself out in the process. Lying low and resting up in the days surrounding an eclipse is always recommended. And when eclipses take place in nebulous Pisces, protective boundaries become even more important. Pausing your notifications, declining unnecessary invitations, and soaking up pertinent insights — preferably while soaking in a tub — will all aid your integration process.

10 ways to work with this lunar eclipse in Pisces

  1. Expect the unexpected. Schedule breathing room in your calendar as a buffer against unforeseeable events.
  2. Refrain from making big decisions or launching major initiatives between September 17th and October 2nd (aka eclipse season). Eclipse energy is volatile, so it’s best to start projects after the turbulence has passed.
  3. List the ways that you habitually disengage, numb out, or overextend yourself. Then brainstorm the practices or incentives that help you stay practical and passionate at the same time. The intersection of holding secure boundaries and expressing healthy vulnerability is where you are most powerful.
  4. Engage your creativity. Activities that connect you to your muses can help you heal — and remind you of your ability to make beauty during transitional moments.
  5. Set limits with draining habits, energy vampires, and your own inner critics and saboteurs. The inner screen of your imagination needs an occasional wipe-down. It’s difficult to discern what you need when your thinking is clouded by distractions. Give yourself space to purify your mental and emotional landscapes.
  6. Rest abundantly. Reducing social media time, anointing yourself with essential oils, or meditating before bed can all help you unwind.
  7. Prioritize quality time with the people and activities that replenish your system. Say no to everything else for now.
  8. Make time to feel. Morning crying sessions, afternoon dates with your journal, and/or intentional space-out time can all facilitate the flow of your emotions.
  9. Listen to the Astrology of the Week Ahead podcast, as well as Your Reading in the “This Week” section of the CHANI app.
  10. Work through any emotions that this eclipse brings up with the Journal Prompts, Guided Meditation, Altar Suggestions, and Ritual in the “This Week” section of the CHANI app.

 

Looking for more intel? Read your daily horoscope:

Aries | Taurus | Gemini | Cancer | Leo | Virgo | Libra 

Scorpio | Sagittarius | Capricorn | Aquarius | Pisces

Then download the CHANI app on iOS or Android for additional horoscopes, meditations, affirmations, readings for the current Moon phase and sign, and more.