Your Complete Guide to Eclipses in Leo & Aquarius (2026-2028)

The next 20 months of eclipses, mapped: key dates, themes, & what they're asking of your sign ⚡

How do you channel courage when everything you’ve known is coming to an end?

This is the question I’ve been asking myself a lot recently, as I’ve been preparing to close out a 12-year chapter of living in NYC. What I’ve been noticing is that I’m not alone in my decision to make a foundational life change right now. The further we dive into this eclipse season, the more conversations I’m having with friends, family, & clients who are navigating their own unfolding redirections, sometimes after years of anticipation. It's helped me begin metabolizing this cycle's core lesson: trading prideful personal will for equitable fellowship.

My goal in this article is to help you better understand & visualize your arc of growth that will spiral out over the course of not just this eclipse season, but the rest of the Leo/Aquarius eclipse cycle through Spring 2028.

Eclipses have been regarded as the most astrologically important periods ever since we could consciously observe ourselves in relation to the starry heavens. Need I mention sacred sites such as Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Giza, Chichen Itza, or Machu Picchu?

In the ancient world, eclipses were looked upon with terror and awe. They were typically viewed as omens of natural disaster, war, and danger to leaders. Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of such examples within this current eclipse season, whether it’s the recent devastating earthquake in Colombia, developments on the war in Iran, or attempts on the lives of corrupt, powerful people. Today, our interpretation of eclipses still carries traces of what our ancestors saw. In the Western tradition, however, they've largely been reframed around a karmic influence that intensifies and stimulates karmic growth.

The North Node is where we’re pushed out of our comfort zone with an appetite to embody self-aware “light-side” qualities of the sign it’s activating. The South Node is where we’re asked to consciously release the “shadow-side” qualities of the sign it’s moving through.

The lunar nodes also move in retrograde motion, which is a key feature to consider because it highlights how their purpose is not oriented around sequential life development or material achievement. Rather, nodal growth centers on the integration of spiritual wisdom, which often pulls us in a direction different from where we thought we would be headed. Eclipse cycles teach us how the soul’s calling can be best actualized and appreciated.

Altarpiece No. 2 by Hilma af Klint (1915)

In Aquarius, the North Node pulls us into more innovative, revolutionary behavior, while the South Node in Leo pushes us to shed ego-driven tendencies that inhibit collective progress (e.g.: “it doesn’t affect me, so why should I care?” as an excuse not to take a stand, which inevitably backfires because no one is truly immune from the devastating effects of capitalism & colonialism). For personal reference, you can look back to Summer 2017 - Autumn 2018 for the last time the lunar nodes were in these signs. Or, better yet, when we had the same configuration of the lunar nodes between December 2007 - August 2009.

Key Themes of the South Node in Leo:

• Releasing egotistical tendencies (e.g. instead of planning your reply, try active listening)

• Shedding limiting beliefs related to your ability to create, inspire, & feel joy

• Moving away from the “me in here” vs. “you out there” phenomenon, recognizing universal interconnectedness

• Letting go of the habit of measuring your worth by visibility (e.g. followers, likes).

Key Themes of the North Node in Aquarius:

• Establishing & seeking out in-person community-driven events & support systems

• Developing greater individual freedoms (e.g. freedom of speech, economic self-determination)

• Revolutionary mindset, behavior, & actions, focused on power & wealth redistribution

• Technological innovations that radically modernize and transform the ways we “work”

Key Dates & Themes of the Leo / Aquarius Eclipse Timeline:

• February 17, 2026 - Solar Eclipse in Aquarius

• July 26, 2026 - Lunar Nodes enter Leo / Aquarius

• YOU ARE HERE - August 12, 2026 - Solar Eclipse in Leo

  • At 20 Leo, the exact degree where Mars will station direct on April 1, 2027. These seeds of powerful new beginnings in your creative potential will require flexibility & redirection throughout the Autumn & Winter. Getting it wrong before you get it right will be part of the process. Co-present with Jupiter, this eclipse also wants you to see a bigger picture, envisioning the positive impact your artistic contributions could make if you created from a place of inspired authenticity instead of algorithmic performance.

• February 6, 2027 - Solar Eclipse in Aquarius

  • At 17 Aquarius, this eclipse is almost perfectly conjunct the North Node, amplifying karmic effects both individually and collectively. Ruled by Saturn in Aries, this eclipse carries a core theme of bold restructuring, asking us to be fearless in our pursuit of a new (and improved) ways of living on this planet with one another. When in doubt, seek community. In times of crisis, there are always those ready to show up in support and love.

• August 2, 2027 - Solar Eclipse in Leo

  • At 9 Leo, in a dual-conjunction with both Venus and the South Node, and configured in a profoundly powerful “Cradle Aspect”, this is the most auspicious eclipse in the entire cycle—and the last of its kind for ~18 years. This is where the more intense work of consciously shedding shadow-side Leonine qualities becomes unavoidable.

• August 17, 2027 - Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius

  • The only lunar eclipse in the entire cycle happening at 24 Aquarius. Expect significant breakthroughs & revelations related to the house topics that this activates for you.

• January 26, 2028 - Solar Eclipse in Aquarius

  • At 6 Aquarius, in a perfect conjunction with Pluto, this final eclipse concludes the cycle with a regenerative eruption. While it’s likely that the darkness of this Winter will unearth potent forces, it’s just as likely that we finally find our collective empowerment within the statement “WE THE PEOPLE”.

• March 27, 2028 - Lunar Nodes enter Cancer / Capricorn

Below, you can trace the impact of these eclipses according to your unique rising sign by referencing the pair of houses the lunar nodes are moving through in your birth chart. For example, as a Virgo Rising, I know that the North Node is activating my 6th House of Work, Health, & Daily Rhythms, while the South Node is activating my 12th House of Endings, Closure, & Spiritual Wellbeing.

Left: North Node, representing destiny; Right: South Node, representing past

If you were born between Dec 19, 2007 – Aug 21, 2009, May 23, 1989 – Nov 18, 1990, Nov 3, 1970 – Apr 27, 1972, or Mar 29, 1952 – Oct 9, 1953, then know that your experience of these eclipses will be heightened due to being in an important “nodal return” period, which happens every ~18 years. These are considered pivotal times for personal growth and development. Think of your nodal return as a reconfirmation of your spiritual nature, a calling that emerges from the depths of your soul. You can dive deeper into what that means in my article called “Eclipse Seasons Change Everything”.

To answer our original question, I believe we can channel courage in these times of great endings by leaning on our loved ones and asking for help. In the past, I know I’ve certainly regretted trying to do it all by myself. That Leo pride in self-satisfaction simply cannot compare to the endearing quality of sharing your great transformations with a community that genuinely wants to feel needed and be of service. So, as we continue to move through this eclipse season and the many more to come, I hope that you can find the empowerment to not carry it all by yourself. To revel in the delights of collective progress for the sake of collective healing. And maybe that’s the whole assignment of the next two years: learning, together, that we were never meant to do any of this life stuff solo.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” — African Proverb

Lion by Francoise Corboz (1993)

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If you’re curious to learn more about how to proactively work with and benefit from these upcoming eclipses, then I recommend booking a transit chart reading with me (I’m available!). In these sessions, we’ll dive deeper into all of the major personal themes you can expect to unfold.

In peace, compassion & love. May all beings everywhere be happy and free.

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I would love to hear from you.

What are your thoughts on this nodal shift? What sorts of changes and growth would you like to see—personally and collectively? How are they activating your birth chart?

Share your reflections, questions, & observations in the comments below!