Barbenheimer & A New Eclipse Cycle
Did you know that movie premieres often coincide with major astrological shifts?
It’s true!
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol.3 premiered around the Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio. The Little Mermaid premiered when Jupiter moved into Taurus. Both of these stories reflected the zodiac signs manifesting heavily in these events. Guardians had major death, rebirth themes in its trailer, while Mermaid is a well-known story all about the value of a voice.
The one premiere that has my full attention, though, is this summer’s Double Feature of Barbie and Oppenheimer, two dramatically different films pitted against one another in what people are calling BARBENHEIMER.
While the premiere of Barbie and Oppenheimer takes us into Venus retrograde, I want to talk about an even bigger shift that is manifesting at this time…
That is, the Lunar Nodes shifting into Aries & Libra.
If you’ve ever had an astrology reading, then you’ve probably heard some version of “the North Node is your destiny and the South Node is what you’ve inherited.”
While there’s way more to it than that, this explanation of the Nodes of Fate, is a great way to understand their more spiritual or philosophical role in your chart.
The Nodes do have everything to do with your soul’s journey or path in life.
The North Node is what you’re here to achieve, so think of it as like “The New Me.” The thing that I will fully awaken(or realize), before it’s my time to go. While the South Node ensures that you’re never truly up the creek without a paddle. For if everything was new in life, we would never have a reference point. A familiar feeling. The South Node, like “south” or “below me,” has everything to do with our past lives. Our earlier selves.
While the Nodes may be referred to as the Lunar Nodes, anything lunar always involves the sun. And the North and South Node are the two points where the moon will cross the sun’s annual path(a.k.a. the ecliptic).
When this crossing happens, and is paired with a new moon or a full moon, we get an eclipse.
So the Nodes in a chart represent the signs involved in eclipses(for that cycle).
But what really is the significance of an eclipse? Is it really different from any other new moon or full moon?
Well, yes. It is different.
Literally.
For an eclipse involves the sun and moon more perfectly aligning.
Since astrology is a metaphysical study, this precise alignment holds meaning. 1) that it’s more rare, so the life circumstances around eclipses tend to be more unique, or hard to come by and 2) with the sun and the moon lining up so perfectly, this reflects a strong alignment between your inner and outer selves.
During total eclipses, you can even see the sun completely covered! In fact, the USA will witness one of these next April!
Now, because the sun and moon aren’t planets, they don’t experience retrogrades(or backwards movement).
But the Nodes DO.
The Nodes operate on an axis(an invisible line) that moves backwards through the chart.
So, the Nodal axis ensures that the sun and moon get the necessary combination of forward and backwards movement.
Like moving backwards in time, an eclipse unlocks something within. Some part of us that’s been waiting to be seen for the first OR last time.
Eclipses are times where we see who we are destined to be, and who we’ve been.
Since the Nodal axis takes 18 years to return back to the same zodiac signs, an eclipse cycle really does feel like “it’s now or never!”
At least, if you’re an Aries or a Libra…
A truly “odd couple”, the dual premiere of Barbie and Oppenheimer couldn’t be more different.
But what do they say? Opposites attract.
And here we are with one of the biggest trending movie premieres of the year!
“Go see Barbie and then Oppenheimer!”
“No, I’m going to see Barbie AFTER Oppenheimer!”
Both seem to be equally important in the collective already.
In the same way, it’s hard to see which of the Nodes affect us more.
North or South.
While in completely different areas of the chart, the North and South Node always stay connected. For each node is forever located exactly 180’ away from the other.
In this way, the North and South Node act as Astrology’s yin and yang components. They represent two contrasting forces forever in harmony. They chase one another around the chart, like a dog chases its tail. Or a snake in an ouroboros.
As goes for any opposing sign pair, we will see this chasing occur. With Libra and Aries, however, the desire is MOST apparent.
For Aries was the God of War, and Aphrodite the goddess of Love and Beauty. No one could understand why Aphrodite, desired by almost every man, would fall for such a strong-tempered, arrogant man-child like Aries. But fall in love they did.
And so, Beauty continues to show up wherever War does. They are intrinsically tied together. Which we are now seeing rendered in a more modern way in this silver screen pairing…
Oppenheimer promises to be yet another staple in-perhaps-the most ambitious, and successful filmography in the last few decades. Christopher or “Chris” Nolan has reached Auteur status in the film industry, joining greats like Scorsese, Kubrick, Spielberg. People that have made a lasting mark in film history.
Oppenheimer, rooted in a true story of the atomic bomb, carries the explosive, masculine-driven qualities of Aries, our new North Node sign.
As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries conveys curiosity, determination. Representing what can only be done, when nothing has been done, Aries really represents one thing…DOING.
Like a child that wants to play with anything it touches, Aries knows how to explore, to try, better than any other sign. It just jumps right in. No questions asked!
Of course, with that eagerness, there are many issues produced. People that may see our pursuits as selfish, unsafe, aggressive.
At the time of J. Robert Oppenheimer, people then didn’t want to know what life during the atomic bomb would be like, but that didn’t stop our main character.
The same goes for the North Node, representing the side of you that just can’t rest until you accomplish these major life pursuits.
In the fiery Aries, the North Node holds new energy. Events that will make you come alive. Get your attention. Some people will see this aliveness manifest as a change in career paths. Beginning again in a whole new way. Eclipse cycles hit different for everyone, so pay attention to what house Aries rules(or is on the cusp of) in your chart.
As the sign associated to war, Aries can carry a militant demeanor. It’s straightforward. In your face. Like a drill sergeant.
Since Aries has to do with beginnings, there will be a major focus on the morning time, or how you begin your day. Maybe there’s a way you can make your’s more productive? Maybe your work will require you to start earlier than you have?
Remember “Showing up is half the battle.”
Aries reminds us of the likelihood of success when we take action. When we get started.
Aries will ignite us all to be more present with the opportunities manifesting in our lives.
But since Aries doesn’t really say much, being so straightforward, it is getting some necessary contrast from one object that’s been lingering in its area of the sky…
Chiron, the famous centaur from Greek myth, has been transiting through Aries for a few years now. Well, at least the asteroid that carries his name has. The Chiron asteroid, deemed a “centaur” by scientists will not leave Aries until April 2027. Now, there’s another name that Chiron goes by which you may even be more familiar with…
The Wounded Healer. Originally, this term was founded by psychoanalyst Carl G. Jung, referring to the existence of a “wound” usually found in a person that practices medicine or healing. Jung believed that a person couldn’t truly be a healer, without having gone through some sort of wounding of their own.
And Chiron, the most famous teacher of medicine and healing(of Greek myth), was poisoned by an arrow from Heracles. Thus creating his “wounding.”
Looking into Robert J. Oppenheimer’s life, we see a wound of his own emerge…“Oppenheimer then travelled to Germany where he contracted dysentery and became too ill to enter college.” This set him on a path to heal his own body, taking him to New Mexico, where he would live on a dude ranch, taking long horseback trips to connect to nature and instill a love for the high desert. A place where he would return 20 years later to establish the Los Alamos Laboratory(the central location of the film).
Not only are horses significant wherever Chiron manifests, being a half-human, half-horse hybrid, but also Chiron was extremely connected to nature. Chiron unlocked the wisdom of the natural world, from looking to the stars- yes, Chiron was an astrologer!- and to the plant kingdom(for herbal remedies).
So we see how both the determination and curiosity of Aries will push us to achieve explosive results, while Chiron will encourage us to reconnect to the natural world, and the wisdom it holds. Just like Oppenheimer did.
Perhaps you will unlock new ways to heal yourself and others, along the way!
When we may appear to have everything we want, there is always some deeper yearning for something more.
In Greta Gerwig’s first major studio feature film, Barbie brings a dance party to a record-scratching hault, when she asks, “Do you guys ever think about dying?”
Barbie looks to be Gerwig’s realization of a perfect world that’s lacking meaning.
Yes, this is no surface level rom-com. In the trailer, Barbie leaves her Dream House to find deeper meaning in the “real world.”
Now, it’s not every day we get to peel back the curtain of our perfect world, but the South Node’s journey through Libra is asking us to do just that.
And good news, you don’t have to do it alone.
Like Ken surprising Barbie(in the back seat of her car), Libra will push us all to bring a plus one. A partner in crime.
For it’s hard to truly explore the self, without a mirror of some kind.
In life, people serve as our greatest mirrors. A way to experience the self, that we can’t do on our own.
With Barbie, we see a major trend sweeping the nation. Pink has returned in glorious fashion, from storefronts to blog posts. Barbie is trending everywhere. Once again. This really shows just how popular Libra is. It also shows how the South Node sign is meant to be embraced. A task that may be a bit more enjoyable with Libra at the helm.
This marks the first time I’ve written about films that I have yet to see. So I can truly say that I have no spoilers for you!
Except that these two stories manifesting at the time of the Nodal shift, serve as a message from above of what we are all walking into.
Go see the Aries and Libra themes for yourself!
Love this post! Oppenheimer is totally Aries, and Barbie is very much Libra. Something I think is another interesting layer after having seen them both is that Oppenheimer also feels very reflective of our past while Barbie makes us think more about the present and future. I think both back to back end up being very thought-provoking and make us question what we're working toward and what we want to leave behind. That's all I'll say without spoilers! I am loving this moment.