Sophie Garcia
Giving Up The Gun:
On The Eclipses of 2020-2021
Giving up the gun: On the eclipses of 2020-21
Eclipses mark sudden shifts towards fate. Some say it’s a great time to manifest while some get creeped out by the loss of light as our ancestors did. Some say that in countries where an eclipse is visible there exists a connection to political upheaval and mass demonstrations to come. 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 US, Mexico, and Australia — this eclipse season would be felt worldwide. It’s been a wild 18 months and the lessons brought by these eclipse points (better known as the North and South Node) yell at me everytime I listen to Vampire Weekend’s “Giving Up the Gun.” In this way, I didn’t choose to write this piece but forced to.
“Your sword’s grown old and rusty underneath the rising sun, it’s locked up like a trophy — forgetting all the things done.”
In astrology, the nodes represent a directionality, a push and pull. In layman’s terms, the South Node is where we’re comfortable while the North Node is a challenge. The nodes are always in signs opposite each other and since June 2020, the eclipses have been in Gemini and Sagittarius which represent ecosystems of knowledge and information. Mercury, the swift and 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. Although as we often learn, these roles aren’t fixed at all – which makes sense as they are mutable signs.
The Tonalpohualli, an astrological calendar created by my Nahua ancestors depicts my astrological potential or “sign” is a knife or blade. 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 as the mutable air sign. The North Node in Gemini has been an invitation to sharpen our minds, to deoxidize and wield our mental swords step by step. Just like hotter temperatures stale and tarnish precious metals, so too can emotional triggers distort our reality. While Sagittarius has moralistic tendencies, fueled by the passionate emotions that come with being a fire sign, air signs call for a more critical point of view. When we get off our soap box and center the people most impacted by issues and consequently the most knowledgeable about them— we get closer to the 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.”
To be an astrologer is to recognize time as spiralic. In modern astrology, Gemini’s associated with the 3rd house in a birth chart dealing with short-distance travel and our relations. Sagittarius has connections with the 9th house of institutional learning and long-distance travel. Both pertaining journeys where an exact destination is not needed. In medical astrology Gemini rules over that which we have two of in the body such as eyes and hands. Gemini deals with the perception of senses from our immediate environment. Life has a way of bringing us face to face with our own blind spots. When we forget that our healing and learning is a never-ending process and journeys in their own rites. When we get so caught up in theory without grounding it in our daily reality… the truths we stand on, and thus our sense of direction may be lacking. By overly focusing on the big picture as Sagittarius would have it, you may miss hints of truth right under your nose and chances are you’ll run straight into them – especially in those you seek to “radicalize,” “heal” or otherwise save from themselves.
“my ears are blown to bits from all the rifle hits and still i crave that sound”
The phrase, “I hear you” has become yet another buzzword to convey sincerity. The North Node in Gemini has demonstrated a collective push towards mastering intentional listening through uncomfortable but necessary conversations. The South Node always points to what we’ve become a little too familiar with and in Sagittarius, we simply must reassess our beliefs in order to move forward. This means creating more room for possibility by clearing the air. This means unlearning dogmas that prevent us from having healthy conflict. Yet it is also true that with the North Node there is a caution for greed and excess in the pursuit of capital. People are weaponizing abolitionist language (Gemini) to shut down those who boldly speak out against injustice (Sag) especially Black and Indigenous survivors. We are told to hold mediation circles and have private conversations with abusers before engaging in “cancel culture.”
Amidst metaphysical and literal warfare, it’s important to carry Sagittarian wisdom as the spiritual warrior. Sagittarius is the only sign that explicitly has a weapon on them. It’s a bow and arrow in the constellation but astrology requires you to apply it to your current environment and there are strong parallels between gunpowder and Sagittarius. Keep your focus when aiming at targets and choose your battles wisely so as not to drain yourself. Healing requires us to drop our defenses and embrace vulnerability with those we trust.
““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!”