Soul Songs and Cosmic Conversations Part One

Hi Everyone

At the moment we are preparing for our first annular, solar eclipse for 2026, on February 17. An annular solar eclipse  occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun while near its farthest point from Earth. Because it is further away, the Moon appears slightly smaller in the sky than the Sun. The Moon covers the centre of the Sun, but leaves the outer edges visible, creating a brilliant "Ring of Fire" or annulus. An eclipse can only happen when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, casting its shadow on our planet.

This is also the time of a New Moon, meaning the Sun and Moon are at the exact same degree of the same zodiac sign—in this case, around 28° Aquarius. Eclipses come in series (over twelve months) and cycles (over many years) — for example, in a single Saros series (a sequence of eclipses separated by one Saros period) usually consists of 70 to 73 eclipses, and four to seven of these fall in a single year. An eclipse cycle, most commonly referred to as a Saros cycle, typically lasts about 18 years (Google AI).

The eclipse will be primarily be seen from Antarctica and parts of the Southern Ocean. A partial eclipse will be visible from the southern tips of South America (Chile, Argentina) and southern Africa (South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar), (Google AI). 

This eclipse is taking place in the zodiac sign of Aquarius, with the New Moon and Sun in Earth all lined up together in this sign at the time of the eclipse. The energies are expected to accelerate change in areas of technology, social dynamics, and personal freedom. So be prepared for sudden, unexpected change in these areas. For example, yesterday, despite a whole day’s preparation, I was unable to add Kassandra Scardino as a guest on my Facebook Live (Shamanic Path and Practice Page), no matter what I did! Kass also had trouble calling me in when she took over the project – but we persisted, and after about ten tries, succeeded. The lesson is, persist through resistance when you have a clear vision that feel 100% right and in alignment with your truth.

When something is eclipsed it can be seen as being concealed or hidden, where light suddenly becomes dark, casting a shadow, even feeling over-whelming. Eclipses are interruptions of a familiar rhythm. As humans, we are very sensitive to disruptions in cycles—day/night, light/dark, hot to suddenly cold, dry to next thing—wet. Think of how we can experience what feels like a summers day that suddenly comes at the tail end of a very cold winter, as often happens down here in Queensland. Even if someone “doesn’t believe” in anything symbolic, the experience of an eclipse may still register psychologically.

Some time ago, I read that solar and lunar eclipse create different energy and outcomes, the sun having a more visual, tangible effect in the World Without, and the Moon causing more of an internal shift in the World Within. We could look at the difference as being because:

• one interrupts the Sun (external, visible, outward life, visibility, clarity, direction)
• the other interrupts the Moon (internal, feelings, emotional, subconscious rhythms).

Such experiences may occur, not because “the eclipse causes harm,” but because periods of disruption amplify whatever is already unstable.

Solar Eclipses

Solar eclipses can seem more sudden and jarring because they cause the light to darken, like a power cut or sudden technical failure, and may feel destabilizing. This might be more than a physical experience. You might find yourself making rash decisions or feeling out of control during a solar eclipse. With an awareness that the sun reflects your solar plexus chakra, your sense of self-worth, self- leadership and self-confidence, may be tested. If you experience sudden change that seems out of your control at this time, be aware and watch how this can happen to others in your family, or in the workplace, around you. This is a time to fully activate heart-energy, and call forward loving kindness,  understanding and compassion. We are all in it together!

A wise, elder-client of mine once reminded me that there is no need to forgive if you don’t condemn in the first place. So please conserve your energy under this eclipse (I am listening to myself here too J).

Remember – if you use this energy more consciously, you could consider eclipses as being an opportunity for resetting or activating new perspectives or staring new projects. You may more easily see what causes a shadow in your life and vow to over-come or transform this at this time. We will look more, further along, at what you can do to bring balance at such times.

Lunar Eclipses

Soon after the Solar Eclipse on February 15, we experience a full, total Lunar eclipse at Full Moon, this one known as the Blood Moon, in Virgo at 12 – 13 degrees.  time on Tuesday March 3. The moon’s name if from how it look copper red during the eclipse, which will be able to be seen in parts of North and South America, Australia, and Asia. 

The energy of a lunar eclipse may feel more disruptive to your emotional body, causing sudden surges of crying, nostalgia or irritability. Old memoires may surface, you may have more vivid dreams than usual and your intuition may be heightened. You may feel more sensitive, and reactive.

As you are aware, the moon affects the tides, and as we are made up of mostly water, our inner, body and mind tides can be affected – even our spiritual and emotional tides could be suddenly disrupted. Leading up to, and post, this full lunar eclipse, you may feel tired or fatigued, misunderstood, morose or melancholy. You may also feel unable to understand others, confused, misdirected, treading water in relationships.

A Sky Remembered by Many Traditions

As I’ve been reflecting on February 17 — the New Moon, the Solar Eclipse, and the beginning of the Fire Horse year — I’ve been struck by how many cultures, across time and geography, recognise moments like this as sacred thresholds.

Not because they share identical beliefs.
But because they all look up at the sky and understand it as alive, meaningful, and woven into human experience.

From a shamanic perspective, an eclipse is a doorway or portal — a “void space” where old identities dissolve and something more authentic can emerge. It is often described as a zero-point reset, a clearing of psychic static. With this one falling in Aquarius, there is also a strong call toward community, tribe, and collective evolution — not just personal change, but shared awakening.

In my own body of work, Shamanic Path and Practice, we see the eclipse time as perfect of soul retrieval – for remembering and reclaiming one’s ‘soul song’ that was gifted in creation and is a map for the soul, guiding your understanding of who you are and your overall mission here on planet Earth, at this time, and at other times. This is a time for both deconstructing false beliefs and illusions, and gathering fragments lost in the process of life unfolding, and reconstructing these to reflect the Soul Song that will be of benefit to navigate current times – the threshold we are all facing under this New Moon Eclipse.

This sense of threshold is echoed in many wisdom traditions. I have researched a number of these and attempt now to lay them out in a general way, realising I am not an expert in any of these fields.

Lunar New Year & the Fire Horse

The February 17 New Moon also marks the Lunar New Year in 2026 — the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse in Chinese astrology. Because the lunar calendar is tied directly to the new moon cycle, the astronomical alignment and the cultural celebration are beautifully intertwined.

The Fire Horse appears only once every 60 years. It combines the independent, forward-moving nature of the Horse with the catalytic intensity of the Fire element — sometimes described as “double fire.” Traditionally this pairing carries bold, fast momentum: visibility, revolution, authenticity, decisive action.

Yet alongside that dynamism comes wisdom — the need to ground, regulate the nervous system, and avoid burnout. When energy runs high and outward (strong yang), balance becomes sacred practice.

So here again we see the theme: powerful forward motion, but only if anchored.

Ancient Eyes on the Eclipse

Looking further afield, ancient Egyptian sky wisdom also recognised eclipses as potent crossings. Certain days were associated with deities who guide souls through transitions — guardians of thresholds and restorers of balance. Solar eclipses in particular were sometimes understood mythically as moments when order and chaos meet — a temporary dimming of the life-giving sun before its triumphant return.

Rather than fear, these stories often point to participation: chant, protect, restore harmony. Stay steady while light returns.

In Celtic seasonal awareness, February sits close to Imbolc — the festival of early stirrings beneath winter’s surface. A new moon eclipse here would be seen as a deepening of that transition: the dark womb before spring, the Crone wisdom that precedes rebirth. Time is circular in Celtic thought, so such moments are not endings or beginnings alone, but turning points in an eternal cycle.

Across traditions, the language differs — but the pattern is familiar:
darkness, pause, renewal.

First Nations Sky Knowledge

For First Nations peoples around the world, the sky is not separate from daily life — it is kin, teacher, and law.

Here in Australia, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures hold rich and diverse stories about the Sun and Moon. While each nation carries its own knowledge, a common thread is relational storytelling — the Sun and Moon as ancestral beings whose movements explain life, death, pursuit, union, renewal.

In many traditions across Australia, the Sun is understood as feminine and the Moon as masculine — the reverse of common Western symbolism. Eclipses are sometimes described as rare meetings between them, moments of powerful interaction that may require ceremony, attention, or protection.

In some places, eclipses will no doubt viewed as significant omens requiring communal awareness. The sky is never random — it speaks.

I share this gently and respectfully, not as an authority, but as someone humbled by how deeply embedded celestial observation is within Indigenous knowledge systems. The sky has always been read with reverence.

The Many Genders of the Sun and Moon

One of the most fascinating threads in this exploration has been discovering how cultures assign different genders to the Sun and Moon.

There is no universal agreement.

• In many Indigenous Australian traditions, the Sun is feminine and the Moon masculine.
• In Germanic and Norse languages, the Moon is masculine and the Sun feminine.
• In Japan, the great Sun deity is the goddess Amaterasu, while her brother rules the Moon.
• In Jewish mystical thought, the Sun often represents giving, outward energy, while the Moon reflects receptive, feminine presence.
• In Inuit stories, the Moon is a brother chasing his sister, the Sun, across the sky.
• In some traditions both luminaries are masculine; in others, grandmother Moon and grandfather Sun hold the balance.

What this tells us is something beautiful:
even the most constant celestial bodies are interpreted through cultural relationship.

The sky becomes a mirror for how each society understands balance — masculine and feminine, active and receptive, light and reflection.

Hebrew Calendar & Sacred Transition

February 17, 2026 also sits at the end of the Hebrew month of Shevat, transitioning into Adar. I have read that in Jewish tradition, the new moon marks Rosh Chodesh — the “head of the month” — a time associated with renewal and, in mystical thought, with feminine cycles of time.

So again, we see the same rhythm:
closing and opening, waning and beginning, root and blossom.

My research shows that a major Jewish ritual, Shevat, is often linked symbolically with trees and inner growth. The eclipse new moon becomes a hinge between quiet rooting and outward expression.

A Shared Pattern

When I step back from the details, what moves me most is not the differences, but the resonance.

Across Chinese astrology, Celtic seasonal awareness, Egyptian sky lore, Hebrew lunar rhythm, and Indigenous knowledge systems worldwide, mid-February 2026 is not “just another date.”

It is a turning point.
A threshold.
A reset, with the possibility of an activation of something new and intentional.

Some traditions emphasise bold action.
Others emphasise protection and grounding.
Some speak of union, others of battle between order and chaos.
Some highlight joy, others deep inner stillness.

But all agree on this:
When the Sun and Moon meet in shadow, pay attention.

We are being invited to stand steady in ourselves, honour the cycles, and move forward consciously — not in reaction, but in alignment.

The sky is not separate from us. It has always been part of the conversation. For me personally, my father would often take my four sisters andme out to the porch in the evenings and point out major star systems in the sky.  I have fond  memories of searching for the southern cross and big dipper watching over us.

Moving with and the Energy of the Solar and Lunar Eclipses

You might like to take the following points in mind when moving through this solar eclipse on February 17:

• Be prepared for eclipses – know when they are coming. Be on your guard, Have your affirmations and declarations hand that support you in remembering who you are and where you have come from, and why you are here now – and what you are capable of. Make sure you have a list of your values written down (a Manifesto), and that your future visons are clear. Contact me for more information on the Soul Mapping and Mastering Co-Creation with Vision Board teaching circles I have on offer.
• Because with the February 17 Solar Eclipse, we are dealing with a ‘ring of fire’, and we are also entering the Chinese New Year—Year of the Fire Horse, be sure to practice grounding your energies every day. Put your bare feet on the earth, and eat grounding foods – carrots, yams, beetroot and so on. Drink earthy teas and juices made from seedy fruits, like berries, fennel and the like. Touch and hug trees, take shamanic journeys with your sacred drum into the cool, world below where there are underground streams and caves.  Call in earth dwelling spirit animals to keep you company and guide your during the eclipse – like Lizard, Bear, Wolf, Snake, Elephant, and other earth-loving animals.
• Avoid forcing big decisions during the eclipse window. Take note of what comes to mind and work through each step to be taken ahead of time.
• Observe rather than react to other’s projections, or sudden change. Think before your speak and act. Let go of the need to be right, and practice the slogan “easy does it” to bring your nervous system back into a place of calm. Remember everyone else is experiencing the energy as well as you, and probably very unconsciously. Empathy, presence and patience goes a long way during such times. .
• Treat it like a “system check” rather than a command. Don’t feel obliged to follow the command of others – activate and listen to your Inner Voice and find the courage and seek the support to step into Self-Leadership instead.
• Rest more and simplify schedules if possible, taking time out to relax and play.
• Talk to the spirits of planets involved in the eclipse. Talk to the Sun and Moon. Ask them to treat you gently – and be sure not to give your power away to them. Take responsibility for how you react – and choose to consciously respond.
• Look out for lessons learned and keep your journal during this time. Eclipses can also bring opportunities if you are awake and open to them. Be aware of synchronicities and follow the signs. Doctor Corn talks extensively and gives examples of synchronicities and event around his experiences of eclipses in the video attached.
•  

Significant Past Events During Eclipses.

 Be aware that history shows many significant events that have occurred during eclipses. Here are some examples (sourced from Google AI):

• October 12, 1996 (Partial Solar Eclipse) — First Internet-Broadcast Eclipse: A partial solar eclipse visible over Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East was notable as the first solar eclipse to be broadcast live on the internet, allowing global, real-time viewing.
• August 11, 1999 (Total Solar Eclipse) — European "Eclipse of the Century": This total solar eclipse swept across densely populated areas of Europe, including France, Germany, Austria, and Romania, causing major public, scientific, and media events during the height of summer.
• July 22, 2009 (Total Solar Eclipse) — Longest of the 21st Century: With a maximum duration of 6 minutes and 38.86 seconds, this eclipse across Asia and the Pacific was the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century.
• August 21, 2017 (Total Solar Eclipse) — "The American Eclipse": This was the first total solar eclipse visible from coast-to-coast in the United States in 99 years. It saw massive public engagement, with roughly two-thirds of the U.S. population living within a day's drive of totality, supported by widespread scientific observation.
• April 8, 2024 (Total Solar Eclipse) — North American Total Eclipse: A total solar eclipse passed over a heavily populated path from Mexico through the United States and Canada, featuring extensive, widespread social media coverage, public viewing events, and scientific studies of the solar corona.  

Upcoming Eclipses in 2026:

There are only four eclipses in 2026, and we have discussed two of them. Here are the other two:

• August 12, 2026 (Total Solar Eclipse): A total solar eclipse is set to cross Greenland, Iceland, and Spain, coinciding with peak summer tourist seasons and expected high-profile scientific observation. 
• August 28, 2026 (Partial Lunar): Seen in North and South America, Europe, and Africa.

That is it from me at this time. I have included more information in my newsletter for those who follow, and have written up a brief outline on my Moon Musing page if you are looking for more. Please be sure to email me your own reflection of these times, and if you have any suggestions for self-care that i haven't mentioned so far, they are welcome. I will be writing further on this topic soon as I continue to interview visionaries adn community leaders and ask them to share their thoughts of how to manage these times.

Love and Blessings, and Gratitude to Dr Corn for his invaluable input into this topic and the video attached. 

Heather

Heather Price; 11.02.26

References: Gratitude to Google Ai and ChatGPT which has assisted in helping me research and fine tune information, and enabled me to edit and fully express my own experience and knowledge of these times.