The next eclipses in 2020 are here now.

And oh, can we feel them.

Events of the past two weeks have demonstrated the power of eclipses - especially the next eclipses we'll see in 2020, a year that's already brought its share of change.

Three Eclipses In June And July 2020

An Extra Eclipse In This Set

Every year, eclipses come in sets, about six months apart.

Each set generally holds two eclipses, but sometimes we experience an extra one.

2020 is one of those times.

Buckle up, because starting today we'll be passing through three highly powerful eclipses. This intense period of change will last an entire month - instead of the usual two weeks.

Two Lunar Eclipses, One Solar Eclipse

The next eclipses in 2020 will consist of two lunar eclipses and one solar eclipse.

The lunar eclipses, which coincide with full Moons (already super powerful in their own right), will be the bookends for the single solar eclipse, which will coincide with a new Moon.

Eclipse Dates

Here are the dates for this set of eclipses:

1. June 5: lunar eclipse in Sagittarius
2. June 21: solar eclipse in Cancer
3. July 4:  lunar eclipse in Capricorn

How To Handle June And July 2020 Eclipses

The June and July 2020 eclipses are like passing through the very small eye of a very sharp needle.

In a year that's forcing so much change, these next eclipses are amping up the energies, intensifying the pressure, and demanding even more change - in a short timeframe.

Here are more details about each eclipse, including the exact date and time each will happen. I'm also including some recommendations on how to handle these powerful, "change must happen now!" eclipses over the month they'll occur.

June 5 Lunar Eclipse

The June 5 eclipse is a lunar eclipse.

That means it arrives with a full Moon.

What Time Is The June 5 Eclipse?

This next eclipse of 2020 occurs at 2:26 p.m. U.S. central time.

That's just minutes after the full Moon in Sagittarius peaks at 2:14 p.m. U.S. central time.

What Does This Eclipse Mean?

The June 5 lunar eclipse is a penumbral eclipse (not a total eclipse). So it won't put on the dramatic light show we see with a total eclipse - but that doesn't mean it's any less powerful.

A penumbral eclipse means the Moon enters only the outer part of the Earth's shadow, which is lighter than the full shadow (or umbra).

That metaphor is useful for making sense of the June 5 eclipse. Times may feel dark, but we'll have some light to see our way through.

The June 5 eclipse occurs in Sagittarius, an optimistic, adventurous fire sign. That's also helping lighten the energies (much needed, after events of the past two weeks).

If you have your birth chart, you can check to see if you have planets within a few degrees of this eclipse's position, which occurs at 16 degrees of Sagittarius.

Because it's a lunar eclipse, it's time to reckon with our past and let go of whatever we no longer need. And because this eclipse is coming in Sagittarius, that suggests the most important items we must release are old, unworkable beliefs, misguided faith in false prophets and dogmas, and personal excesses of all kinds.

Also, whenever the Moon is involved, it's time for tuning in to what we truly need, versus what we simply want (or have been programed to desire). Often, what we need is much less than we thought, or quite different from a narrative about abundance inherited from other people or earlier times.

The best way to handle this eclipse (and any eclipse, for that matter) is to slow waaaaaaayyyyyyy down. Take time for self-reflection and meditation. And take care of yourself.

I highly recommend checking out more about Sagittarius in this article: Sagittarius Time: Seek The Meaning Of Life.

Also, use the Sagittarius Meditation to help you make the most of today's eclipse. Remember: a full Moon remains in effect for several days, so you can use this meditation not just today but for many days surrounding the actual date of the June 5 lunar eclipse.

June 21 Solar Eclipse

The June 21 eclipse is a solar eclipse.

That means it's coming at the time of a new Moon.

What makes it particularly powerful, though, is the fact that it's coming at the time of the solstice.

On June 20 (or June 21, depending on your time zone), the Sun leaves Gemini and enters the zodiac sign Cancer. The Moon rules Cancer, and at a solar eclipse, the Moon is highly involved because she lines up exactly with the Sun during a new Moon, which begins a new lunar cycle. That sense of new beginnings will be compounded because the solstice begins a new season (summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere).

What Time Is The June 21 Eclipse?

The June 21 eclipse occurs at 1:41 a.m., U.S. central time.

That's just two minutes before the new Moon that day, which happens at 1:43 a.m., U.S. central time.

As for the solstice, the Sun will enter the zodiac sign Cancer on June 20 at 4:45 p.m., U.S. central time.

What Does The June 21 Eclipse Mean?

The June 21 eclipse is an annular solar eclipse.

That means it would be a total solar eclipse - except that the Moon is too far away from Earth for the apex of its shadow to reach the surface of our planet. As a result, the Moon will not hide the Sun completely. Instead, the Moon will join the Sun, and the new Moon will appear dark, with a small ring of light surrounding it.

Keep that in mind and keep hope and light in your heart at this eclipse. Solar eclipses come at new Moons, which are times of fresh starts and new opportunities.

In this case, we'll have extra help to begin anew, thanks to the solstice energies, the zodiac sign involved, and that sign's degree.

The June 21 eclipse will come in the sign Cancer, in the very first degree of this sign. That makes it extra powerful: any event at the start of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) touches off all four of these signs and gives us a big shot of "let's get started!" energy.

So do get started - as soon as this eclipse arrives. Draw on Cancer's sensitive, watery energies to apply emotional intelligence and kind caring to whatever you wish to begin. The new Moon's power will be in effect for almost two weeks, yet it will be strongest at the start of this period, so you'll have the winds at your back for moving forward if you initiate something important to you soon after the new Moon comes.

What do you want to start? Get clear on that and get going. Cancer is the sign of the mother and loves anything related to mothers and children, family and tradition, and food and nurturing. This time of year is highly fertile on all planes, allowing us to use imagination to create just about anything.

For inspiration, check out the Cancer article, Cancer Time: Feel And Change. Also, use the Cancer Meditation to tune in to your deepest self and set intentions and goals for new projects truly worthy of your highest self.

July 4 Lunar Eclipse

Like the June 5 eclipse, the July 4 eclipse is a lunar eclipse.

So the July 4 eclipse will occur at the time of a full Moon.

What Time Is The July 4 Eclipse?

The July 4 eclipse happens at 11:31 p.m., U.S. central time.

That's just a few minutes before the full Moon, which occurs July 4 at 11:46 p.m., U.S. central time.

What Does This July 4 Eclipse Mean?

As with the June 5 eclipse, the July 4 eclipse is a lunar eclipse.

Also like that June eclipse, it's a penumbral eclipse - meaning the Moon will enter only the outer part of the Earth's shadow, which is lighter than the full shadow.

This eclipse will occur in the zodiac sign Capricorn, at 14 degrees of this sign.

What does this July 4 eclipse mean? If you live in the United States, this eclipse will carry powerful energies and significance because it's happening on the 4th of July - the nation's birthday.

Capricorn is the sign opposite Cancer, which is the United States's zodiac sign. So this eclipse could feel highly challenging not only for the entire world but in particular for Americans because it's coming in a sign already overloaded with planets and directly challenging many facets of the U.S. character because the country has numerous planets in Cancer in its birth chart.

As it's a lunar eclipse, it will echo the energies of the June 5 lunar eclipse in Sagittarius. Once again, we're being asked to let go.

Last month, we needed to let go of wrong beliefs, destructive dogmas, and reliance on misguided gurus (or our own inner guru - the ego that can lead us away from truth). Now it's time to let go of the structures we've built upon those false beliefs and the social conventions and "business as usual" approach to work (and every area of life) that keeps us from our highest potential and greatest opportunities for caring for each other.

This work may feel highly uncomfortable, especially emotionally.

As with all things Capricorn, however, if you accept the challenge and take steps to change, you will be rewarded.

Clear away the old now. Level the field because it will become newly fertile for growing something far better, more beautiful, and more in keeping with our ideals.

As with any lunar eclipse, I recommend slowing down to notice what's happening, what you're feeling, and what you need (and need to do - or NOT, as sometimes stillness is our best option).

Use the Capricorn article, Capricorn Time: Build A Place For Light, for guidance on how to get in tune with what's being asked of you now. Also, use the Capricorn Meditation as part of your regular self-reflection time or usual personal meditation.

More Information On Next Eclipses

For more information on these next eclipses, see my 2020 forecast, Horoscope 2020 Overview.

Go Gently

We're passing through highly challenging times.

These next eclipses will increase the challenges - yet they'll bring tremendous opportunities if you tune in to the astrology of these historic times.

Go gently as you do that. Both with yourself and with everyone around you. One of the most important lessons of this period in human history is the need for balancing order, structure, and authority with flexibility, fluidity, and cooperation.

Kindness and emotional intelligence can lead the way through this month of magnified change. I wish you both on your individual path of this collective journey toward change.