Lunar Eclipse Brings Farewells, Firsts and Fanfare
Although Pisces is one of the quieter signs in the zodiac, this week's lunar eclipse in the sign of the Fish was anything but, and in true eclipse fashion, events ran the gamut from endings to turning points to culminations.
In the week leading up to the eclipse on August 27/28, the world said farewell to celebrities Shelley Fabares (8/22), Dolly Parton (8/25) and Tim Curry (8/25), as well as to 34-year old King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Uganda's Tooro Kingdom (8/27) and King Harad V of Norway (8/28).
Since eclipses are associated with endings and turning points, it isn't unusual to see significant losses occur at this time, and with Uranus square the eclipse, there's often a surprise or shock involved.
Two weeks ago on August 16, which is well within the influence of the eclipse, Hayden Panettiere passed just four days after the August 12 solar eclipse made a conjunction to her natal Sun.
Looking back at past eclipse cycles, in 1997, Princess Diana died on August 31, followed by Mother Teresa on September 5. A solar solar eclipse at 9° Virgo occurred in between their deaths on September 1/2, which was followed by a lunar eclipse at 23° Pisces on September 16.
In 2009, both Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson passed away on June 25, less than two weeks prior to the July 7 lunar eclipse at 29° Cancer.
Eclipses and Catastrophic Events
Eclipses have also been known to coincide with catastrophic events. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas a few days after the Great American Eclipse on August 21, and on March 28, 2025, a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar just one day before the solar eclipse at 9° Aries.
Since this eclipse window opened on July 27/28, there have been several significant earthquakes around the world, including Japan (July 28), Colombia (August 10), Indonesia (August 14) and Peru (August 20).
On August 26, just before the lunar eclipse, flash floods in Nepal destroyed roads and bridges as they swept through villages, leaving over 700 dead and thousands missing.
Pisces, Uranus and the Power Grid
The symbolism of this eclipse also showed up on August 26 when the POTUS signed an executive order declaring a national emergency involving the security of the U.S. power grid. In astrology, Pisces rules hidden vulnerabilities, Uranus rules electricity, and Gemini, the sign Uranus is currently transiting, rules networks.
Turning Points and Culminations
On August 27, Alison Dos Santos (Brazil) and Masai Russell (USA) each reached a major career milestone when they set world records at the Weltklasse Zürich Diamond League competition.
As for culminations, the following day, the crew of the Artemis II received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor for their historic 10-day mission.
What Could This Eclipse Mean For You?
Of course, eclipses don't just play out on the world stage. They play out in our lives as well.
