Weekly Astrology: March 7-13, 2016

It all depends on you

By Maria DeSimone, Weekly, Solar Eclipse, Astrology

Tarot.com is a Daily Insight Group site

Astrology of Today – March 8, 2016

Summary:

• The Moon is in Pisces all day (until Wednesday, March 9th, at 2:39 PM).
• The Moon is void from 8:54 PM forward (until tomorrow at 2:39 PM).
• The Moon is waning and in its Waning Crescent phase until 8:54 PM forward/ the Moon is waxing and in its New Moon phase from 8:54 PM forward.
• A New Moon (Solar Eclipse) occurs today at 8:54 PM.
• Mars is in its pre-retrograde shadow (Mars will retrograde from April 17-June 29).

8th/9th March 2016: Solar Eclipse in Pisces

a message from Sarah Varcas

To view more of Sarah’s insight, please visit her site, Astro-Awakenings

We Are Destiny

The solar eclipse occurs in the 19th degree of Pisces at 1:58 a.m. UT on 9th March. Conjunct Chiron and opposed by Jupiter, this is a potent eclipse with the power to stir up old emotions and demand we deal with them, like it or not! In the interests of inner balance, it triggers a cleansing process which may require something of an emotional purge at the outset. How we experience this process will be largely dictated by our willingness to experience previously avoided or denied emotions, moving through them and out the other side rather than trying to sidestep or prematurely transcend them without having penetrated their depths, which are also ours.

Emotions can be troublesome things, arising of their own accord, muddying our perspective, clouding our view and influencing our behaviour in ways we may regret. But they can also be beautiful, life-affirming blessings, even those which, on the face of it, are less than positive. Whilst grief can feel like a deeply destructive force, its power is testament to the love we have shared and the inexplicable mystery of death that throws every moment of existence into sharp relief. Anger can feel vicious and attacking, but can also be an expression of passionate commitment to live a life that refuses to settle for the numbed-out dumbed-down world that tries forever to suck us in.

This eclipse may stir up the past just when we thought it was all done and dusted, reminding us that our psyche lives not in linear time but on a different plane where decades ago can be right now, memories become real, the future becomes the present and what once we knew as truth is simultaneously the greatest lie. Understanding this fact and knowing our true essence amidst the whirlwind of memory and emotion is an act of power at a time when we are all being recalibrated to live life in a new way. This is an eclipse of destiny, but not in the ‘pre-ordained there’s no avoiding it’ kind of way. We are our own destiny and this fact may become startlingly and unavoidably apparent at this time. The events of our lives, their twists and turns, challenges and triumphs, are a reflection of our deepest essence and our unique presence in this world. We are force-fields of energy and intent, interacting with the unified field of being woven through all things. The causative factors of events in our lives are many and varied, but we are the common denominator and it is through self-knowledge that we can more fully live, whatever life throws our way.

Nonetheless, we may be tempted into victim mentality at this time, convinced we are being punished or scapegoated, unfairly treated or powerless to effect change in our lives. But we are only victims if we allow something or someone to dictate our state of mind and heart, instead of rising up, sovereign even in the face of our greatest challenge. To do the latter we must understand how our mind and heart works; what triggers our own personal spiral into despair or hopelessness, anger or confusion. There is simply no time to wait for feelings to change of their own accord now. We must be the masters of our destiny and resolve to be agents of much needed change. And even if that takes a lifetime of self-enquiry and baby steps towards self-mastery, it is a lifetime worth living: one that contributes not more suffering and angst to the collective field but greater wisdom and insightful presence.

Squared by Saturn in Sagittarius, this solar eclipse reminds us that optimism is only optimism when it endures despite all evidence to the contrary! Otherwise it’s just a reaction to positive conditions that fades as soon as they do. We need to be resilient now, to have faith even in the face of challenge to all that we hold dear and true. These are not easy times and they are not passing ones. We are in the midst of a powerful and lengthy process of adjustment and transformation, rebirth and recalibration. It will challenge each one of us in our own unique way. What may seem easy to one will feel like death to another. To look around and compare our own lot to someone else’s is meaningless when we are all being pushed and prodded, stretched and challenged in deeply personal ways that may defy mutual understanding.

But the one thing we do have in common is emotions: we all have them, as much as they may differ from one to another. This Piscean solar eclipse urges us to get to know our own inside out and back to front; from side to side, above, below and from their very core. This may be our greatest act of power: to wrest control back from the wounded mind and closed heart, investing it in our still and stable centre from which all wisdom and insightful action, all purpose and pure intent is born. It is to this core we are called now: deep within ourselves, through the joy and the pain, the hope and the fear, the memories, dreams and fantasies, into our very essence where all things rest in their own place.

The influence of any eclipse continues for several months so we have some time to do this inner work. The eclipse moment is just the beginning of a process not its entirety. As we navigate our way through the coming six months until the next eclipse season we will have many opportunities to shape rather than be shaped by our reactions to life. To feel them fully whilst knowing them not as ourselves but as the maelstrom of life within us, like the wind and the rain, a tsunami of feeling or an earthquake of emotion; uniquely us and yet an expression of something far greater that exists beyond the personal. Emotions, this eclipse reminds us, are a force of nature – as are we – unleashed upon this planet to honour and protect her, not confuse, oppress and control.

New Moon/Solar Eclipse Report – 3/8/16

a message from Rev. Irma Kaye Sawyer

Weekly Forecast: March 6 – 12, 2016

a message from Kelly M. Beard

To view more of Kelly’s insight, please visit her site, Lunar Reflections

The Karmic Tools Weekly Forecast covers the current planetary transits which affect people in different ways and to various degrees of intensity.  Take notice when it is a Personal planet (Sun / Moon / Mercury / Venus / Mars) interacting with a Social (Jupiter/Saturn) or Collective planet (Uranus / Neptune/Pluto).  And pay extremely close attention when it is a Social planet interacting with a Collective planet because that means something *big* is brewing that will move large groups of people along their evolutionary paths. Tuning in to the energy and rhythm of the planets can serve as a useful *guide* as you move along your Individual Path.  It also helps to understand your place within the context of the larger Social & Collective Story. Below, you will find out how these energies tend to manifest, as well as guidance and direction.

*NOTE* There are some days when there are NO CONTACTS (besides the Moon), please note that there are no missing entries, we just list the actual Activations of each week + the day they happen.  

Weekly Forecast: March 6 – 12, 2016

3/6 ~ Sun (essential Self) ~square~ Saturn (responsibility):

With this energy, it is best to understand that you will have two distinct pulls within – obligation to others versus responsibility to Self. It’s not nearly as bad as it feels, however, it does bring up something we all work really hard to balance to some degree or another – SELF & OTHERS. How much do you owe your Self and how much are you obligated to others? Balance and reciprocity come to mind as guides. One of the challenges of this influence is making negative assumptions that there is no support for you when in truth, you haven’t asked for any and *help must be invited*. Saturn brings up our relationship to Time, and some people may feel restricted, as if life/other/outer is too demanding and there’s never any time just for the individual. This activation is a push to grow. It’s time to hold your own structure in some way and reclaim your Inner Authority (also Saturn’s domain) to direct your life. Others may find their lives falling apart because they have avoided responsibility for so long and now there’s no more “wiggle room”. Rather than have a meltdown, take a nap and resolve to wake up with a plan, a strategy for taking the next step, even if that means simply asking for help or guidance from someone older and wiser. It’s time to deepen your dedication and commit to your Self in a whole new way. Recognize any current limitations and work with the resources at hand for now. The Sun usually illuminates the core essential nature or Self, so see where you may be stuck and need to break out of a rut of some sort and trust that taking charge and making a decision and choosing a direction is *inviting help* from the Universe to support your new direction.

3/6 ~ Sun (core identity) ~sextile~ Pluto (transformation):

This is a healthy, positive, transformative energy. You will have access to energy that will help you change your current circumstance for the better and/or clear up an issue that has been challenging you for a while now. It’s great for purifying, cleaning & clearing your personal space, as well as organizing your life in general. You may have to examine the “big picture” to see where an adjustment, for the good of all involved, is necessary. If you’re not feeling up to working on outer issues, this also gives you the opportunity to do some introspective thinking and deep self-reflection. Superficial once-overs will not do, you must address the root cause for where you find yourSelf at this time in your life and decide if it is working for you or against you.

3/8 ~ Sun (core essential Self) ~oppose~ Jupiter (expansion & learning):  

This energy is a double-edge sword in that you may “feel” positive and optimistic – which is a good thing – but it is also prone to excess – which brings us to the philosophy of “anything in moderation” or “balance in all things”. Be positive but be alert too! Beware of the urge to overdo it or over-extend yourself on any level. Use this energy to tap into your courageous side and attempt something you have avoided out of fear or doubt. There is a push-pull going on between your ego and your enthusiastic child within which demands that you find a proper expression for this energy. Also, beware of your enthusiasm provoking you to try to get others to see it from this point of view. You always have to be mindful of the fact that everyone is on their individual paths and may not be ready for what you’re bringing … and that’s okay – focus this energy back on your Self and it will serve you well. This energy tends to bring out the self-righteousness in us and that rarely leads where you are trying to go. What this energy is trying to tell us is that certain aspects of your Self and your Spiritual development are coming to a head and decisions need to be made which will affect your future. Pay attention – and try to get the lesson & the blessing of whatever is happening this week because it is trying to guide you to a new level … ready or not! Also keep in mind that it is an opposition, which always reminds us to watch for extremes and practice coming back to center, the truth is you are 6-months into something that requires some integration. If you stabilize now, you can expand your life in positive ways and with more ease & grace.

3/11 ~ Mercury (communication/expression) ~conjunct~ Neptune (imagination/spirituality):

This is a mixed blessing, but definitely an initiation either way. It can be miraculous for creativity, art or exploration. I like this one for a personal ‘conversation with God’, your Higher Self, your SoulSelf. As with any initiation, a completion must come first, and in this case with Mercury, it’s time to expand your thinking in some way – go deeper. Invite your Ancestors, Angels & Animal Guides to answer your questions and guide you at this time. Communing with them is much more supported than communing with the humans around you. So if you need to think about the mundane or confront someone about something which requires complete honesty from both parties, things could get a little hazy & confused thanks to Neptune here. There is always a veil to contend with when dealing with Neptune, but you have to know which side of it you are on so you are in alignment with the Nature around you (3D vs 5D). This energy tends to color reality, misleading you to think you are being perfectly clear in your communication or what you’re trying to express, while others are completely lost. It’s better to say nothing, rather than be completely misunderstood.

Magickal Activity for the 8th day of March, Mother Earth Day

Gaia Offering

Items You Will Need:
One green votive candle and holder
Fresh flowers
Patchouli incense

Place all the required items on a table or altar covered with a green cloth. Light the incense. Take a few moments to meditate on the Goddess Gaia, your connection to her, and the earth. In your own words, ask the Goddess to bless and protect you and your family. Light the candle and place it in front of the flowers as you recite the blessing:

To your heavenly vault I lift my eyes,
My hopes fears at your feet are laid.
For you who built the earth and skies,
Shall keep me strong and unafraid.

Leave the candle to burn out. Place the flowers in the main room of your home as a reminder of the power and potential of the Goddess.

March 8th

Mother Earth Day

On this day in China, the Goddess Hu Tu is honored as Mother Earth with parades, fireworks, and feasting. Offerings of flowers, coins and incense are placed in small holes in the ground, blessed, and then covered with soil to bring prosperity and good fortune to the community. Dating back to the Sung dynasty, the celebration pays homage to the ground itself in the form of the great Goddess of productivity, fertility and the elements of wind and rain. In many ways this commemoration of the earth resembles our own Earth Day that honors the spirit of Gaia.

The Witches Correspondences for Tuesday, March 8

Tuesday (Tiw’s-day)

Planet: Mars

Colors: Red and Autumn Shades

Crystals: Bloodstone, Ruby, Garnet, Flint, Rhodonite, Iron and Steel

Aroma: Basil, Ginger, Black Pepper, Mars Oil, Dragon’s blood and patchouli

Herb: Basil
The day of Mars. This day could only ever symbolize the sheer power of the god of war! The ideal spells to be cast on this day are that of force, power war and protection.

Dedicated to the powers of the planet Mars, personified as Ares, Tiwaz, Tiw, and Tyr.

Magical aspects: controlled power, energy, and endurance, passion, sex, courage, aggression, and protection.

This is the proper day of the week to perform spells and rituals involving courage, physical strength, revenge, military honors, surgery, the breaking of negative spells, dynamic energy, matrimony, war, enemies, prison, hunting, politics, contests, protection, victory, and athletics

The Witches Almanac for Tuesday, March 8th

Tuesday (Mars): Passion, sex, courage, aggression, and protection.

International Women’s Day

Waning Moon
The Waning Moon (from the Full Moon to the New) is a time for study, meditation, and little magical work (except magic designed to banish harmful energies).

New Moon 8: 54 pm

Moon Sign: Pisces
Pisces: The focus is on dreaming, nostalgia, intuition, and psychic impressions. A good time for spiritual or philanthropic activities.

Incense: Geranium

Color: White

New Moon Rituals

A Portal of Change

Rituals are a way to mark turning points in your life. They can be used to symbolically welcome changes in your life. They can be simple candle rituals or elaborate ones. The most important thing is your full presence in the moment.

Magic is Simply Change

The New Moon is a magical time of beginnings, when you can recharge goals, or set new ones.

Rituals bring meaning to our lives by “charging” an intention with power. We’re always setting intentions, and this is a way to do it in a more conscious way. There is power in coming up with visions for your life, and keeping them in your sights as they come into being.

But even as you fully commit to those visions, stay flexible, since new doors may open that you didn’t expect. At the New Moon, goals and wishes take root, as you reach out for spiritual wisdom, draw on unseen allies and open the door to magical change.

You might get what you ask for, or something even better that you can’t imagine yet.

It’s important to come up with a ritual that has meaning for you, instead of trying to follow any set guidelines (unless you’re part of an established ritual group).

You’re the one that knows your personal story best, and what to lift out of that narrative, what will infuse your ritual with power. Here are some general guidelines to shape your rituals using the unique symbols and totems from your life.

Gathering your Sacred Supplies

Your altar is where you collect your sacred objects — pictures, found objects and the like. Using herbs with healing or symbolic properties adds to your ritual.

Stones and crystals are another powerful ally. Candles are magical, and in its form contains all four of the elements. A small journal on hand allows you to keep a record of your intentions.

Preparing for the Ritual

This is the most important part of ritual, since your commitment is the key. Take a ritual bath with sea salt to clear your field of any negative energies.

Sage is an herb used by the Native Americans to clear a space, and make it sacred for ritual. It’s available in most health food stores these days, and easiest to use in its wand form. Light the end and blow on it until there is a smoldering glow.

Use it around your own body, and in the space of your ritual. Clear your mind with meditation, using music or just quieting down in your cleared, sacred area.

Grounding

This is something that’s important anytime, for staying connected to earth energy. Signs that you’re not grounded are mania, nervousness, racing thoughts and the like. Too often we forget to feel the earth under our feet.

A straightforward grounding exercise is to visualize your roots going down into the Earth, through the layers, into the core, and then drawing that energy back up through your feet again.

It moves through each chakra, coming out the top and down around you.

Try this or another variation of grounding before you set New Moon intentions.

Your New Moon Wishes

After you’ve cleared a sacred space and settled your energy, you’re ready to set your intentions. Make a list of what you’d like to draw into your life, and Dream Big!

The New Moon is a moment to conjure what seems out of reach, and creating the vision is the first step to making it a reality. But these are not just words on paper.

As you write them down as intentions, you are committing to doing your part to make them real. Some call it co-creating, since you’re opening to universal energies to set dreams in motion.

Dreams of the Soul

Your intentions come from the longings that keep coming up. In the days leading up to the new Moon, give some thought to those longings, and see what images, dreams and streams of thought come up.

Use symbolic associations to go along with your intentions. Weave in the element for the New Moon, and think about the astrological Houses and planets that are affected by it.

For an earth element new Moon, for example, you might plant seeds that represent your intention. Rituals are a way to work with universal energies, and draw attention to the particular life lessons, or arena (house, planet, etc) that it illuminates for you.

Symbolic Acts

Here’s where you get to be creative. If your intentions are to write a book, or broadcast your ideas out to the world, tie them to a helium balloon and send them off.

Write them on a stick and offer it to the fire. To open to love, put lavender and a rose quartz in a small pouch, along with the qualities you’re seeking. If you’re inspired, add a symbolic act to your intention-setting ritual.

Keep them Alive

A big part of success with new Moon intentions is what comes after. Find ways to keep them in the front of your awareness. Put them in a visible spot, or keep them in your wallet.

Make notes in your journal about your progress. At the Full Moon , find ways to take action on those intentions, and celebrate any signs of change.

By Molly Hall, Astrology Expert
Article found on & owned by About.com

New Moon Magic

New Moons are special, as a time to enfold into your real self, the timeless one.

If it’s true that we rest between lives, in our real home, the New Moon is a time to rest, before the next cycle of happenings.

Because of that, it’s one to get juiced up again, by merging with that renewing, spiritual source. And like other moments of soul searching, like the Sun’s “New Moon” at Winter Solstice, it’s a time to remember who you are, and get guidance on the road ahead.

Sun and Moon

When the Moon is new, the Luminaries — the Sun and Moon — are aligned in the same Zodiac sign. That makes it a charged time with concentrated energies of that sign.

A New Moon is a symbolic point of attention, and a symbolic portal for new beginnings.

New Moons are a great time to set intentions for things you’d like to create, develop, cultivate, make manifest. There are many ways to initiate this communion with the Universe from lighting a candle to elaborate rituals.

What matters is that you’re committing yourself to your vision, and open to receiving guidance, healing, support from Spirit.

Following the Moon

When you tune into the Moon’s phases, it’s reassuring to know that there are many chances during the year to tap into lunar energy. Like the tides, the Moon ebbs and flows, a rhythm that women understand intimately. New Moons are a blank page on which to speak your dreams out loud, and Full Moons are for taking action and celebrating the fruit of your efforts.

In the chaotic and temporal world, looking to something larger that is also part of yourself can fill you with awe and make you feel connected.

For whatever path you’re on, opening to working with planetary energies links you to the power of the divine.

Getting Ready

It’s a good idea to spend some time reflecting in the days leading up to the new Moon. Knowing exactly what you want to draw into your life is not always easy. Part of preparing for the new Moon is making sure you are clear about your intentions. Sometimes it’s a quality you’d like to cultivate like forgiveness, courage — other times it’s a more specific request like a promotion at work or new place to live.

What is a New Moon Ritual?

This depends on your personal tastes, the pace of your life and the time you have to devote to it. Some simply light a candle, while others gather objects and pictures for their altar. Lately, I’ve been writing my intentions on a 7-day candle and leaving it in a prominent (and safe) place. With a candle, you can return to it and relight it while meditating on your intentions.

Ritual helps focus your entire being on the quest at hand. In the days leading up to the new Moon, you might gather pictures and totems that symbolize your goal. Creating a New Moon collage gives you a visual reminder of your dreams.

What does it mean in each different Zodiac Sign?:

Every new Moon is different, and this gives you the chance to claim the energies of each different sign. Even if you don’t have planets in the sign for a given month, it falls somewhere in your birth chart. We each have elements of the entire Zodiac in our make-up, with some more emphasized than others. Find out where the new Moon falls in your chart for clues as to what to “call in” that month.

How is it different from the Full Moon:

The new Moon has a more inward feel, has a void or empty quality, and therefore can be frightening to those not comfortable with uncertainty. Can you learn to trust the dark? It’s the moment when the old passes away and the new is not yet here. That’s why it’s a powerful time for sending out your prayer, wishes, desires to the Universe.

By Molly Hall, Astrology Expert
Article published on & owned by About.com

Solar Eclipses – Extraordinary New Moons

Solar Eclipses are very meaningful New Moons. That makes them spiked times of change — both within and without.

Since the Sun and Moon are in the same Zodiac sign, the energies of that sign are supersized. It’s a concentration that can greatly impact you, if it glances off a significant point in your chart.

There are four eclipses in 2016. Here are the dates:
March 8th – Total Solar Eclipse at 18° Pisces 57′
March 23rd – Total Lunar Eclipse 03° Libra 10′
September 1st – Partial Solar Eclipse 09° Virgo 23′
September 16th – Total Lunar Eclipse 24° Pisces 13′

The power of a Solar Eclipse will be heightened, if it engages (by aspect) a planet or significant point in your birth chart.

Alarm Clock of the Luminaries

A Solar Eclipse happens at the New Moon, which is often a restful, void like atmosphere of darkness. This eclipse blocks the Sun, a symbol of radiating outward, and conscious awareness, along with all things worldly.
The Sun is vitality, personal will, making this a highly charged, though internal moment. It’s how we see ourselves (identity), and the shared reality. And yet this is eclipsed, and an underlying reality is revealed.
This brings big life changes, especially if it makes meaningful contact with your chart.

The effects of the eclipse can linger for six months or more. Eclipses come in pairs (or trios), and in two weeks, there’s a lunar eclipse to set in the changes. You may feel that something big is about to happen weeks before the date of the pair (or trio) of eclipses. Our most intimate cosmic bodies — Sun, Moon and Earth — are in synch, clicking into place for a new beginning.

What will be eclipsed in your life?

What is a Solar Eclipse?

At the point when the Moon’s face is darkened, it’s blocking out the solar light from beaming on the Earth. When there’s perfect alignment on the Earth’s orbital ecliptic, then it’s a total black-out, a.k.a. a total solar eclipse. When the Sun is only partially blocked, it’s called an annular solar eclipse.

The Moon (instinct, the subconscious, emotion) comes between the Earth and its source of external light.
What happens when the light goes out?!

The solar eclipse can trigger upsetting changes. The driving force behind these changes have been churning for weeks prior. At the New Moon, they can no longer be ignored, and become the new reality. They are events that happen out of the blue though the stage had been set. It might make sense on some deeper level, but still be a total surprise.

Look at the Zodiac sign of the eclipse, for hints at themes likely to show up for you. Take note of where the new Moon falls in your chart and any planets it engages with. Then let your intuitive mind work its magic.
Follow the psychic hits that come from looking at the house and any planets or points, that are engaged by the eclipse. What a great time for new Moon rituals or intention-setting! Your focused attention at this time brings big rewards, when you have a clear idea of what you’d like to a) draw into your life or b) heal or let go of. It’s also powerful to just surrender to a higher force, and allow that to work its magic.

What’s up with the Eclipse?

The full impact of the eclipse may or may not be clear. Sometimes it takes many months for all the subsequent events to ripple out. If you believe as I do that there’s a higher hand at work, then it’s easier to trust in life even when it’s looking like drama, crisis and one jarring event after another.

It’s a potent time that dislodges us and sends us zooming along a new path. In the end, you may look back at eclipse events as the thing that got you on track, deepened your character or shocked you awake.

 
By Molly Hall, Astrology Expert
Article published on & owned by About.com

What Is a Total Solar Eclipse?

Total solar eclipses occur when the Moon comes between the Sun and the Earth and casts the darkest part of its shadow (the umbra) on Earth. The darkest point of the eclipse is almost as dark as night.

During a total eclipse of the Sun, the Moon covers the entire disk of the Sun. In partial and annular solar eclipses, the Moon blocks only part of the Sun.

Not Total Everywhere
Eclipses are named after their darkest phase. If a solar eclipse is total at any point on Earth, it is called a total solar eclipse, even though it’s seen as a partial eclipse in most parts of the world.

5 Phases

There are 5 stages in a total solar sclipse:

Partial eclipse begins (first contact): The Moon’s shadow starts becoming visible over the Sun’s disc. The sun looks as if a bite has been taken from it.

Total eclipse begins (second contact): Almost the entire disc of the Sun is covered by the Moon. Observers in the path of the Moon’s umbra may be able to see Baily’s beads and the diamond ring effect.

Maximum eclipse or totality: The Moon completely covers the disc of the Sun. Only the Sun’s corona is visible. This is the most dramatic stage of a Total Solar Eclipse. At this time, the Sky goes dark, temperatures fall drastically and birds and animals often go quiet.

Total eclipse ends (third contact): The Moon’s shadow starts moving away and the Sun reappears.

Partial eclipse ends (fourth contact): The Moon stops overlapping the Sun’s disc. The eclipse ends at this stage.

Protect Your Eyes!
Never look directly at the Sun, eclipsed or otherwise, without proper protective eyewear. The Sun’s UV radiation can burn the retinas in your eyes, and cause permanent damage or even blindness.

Be Safe: DIY Pinhole Projector
The only way to safely see a solar eclipse is to wear protective eclipse glasses or to project an image of the eclipsed Sun using a pinhole projector.

Special Sights at Totality
Certain phenomena can only be seen during a Total Solar Eclipse:

Baily’s beads: Seen about 10-15 seconds before and after totality, Baily’s beads are little bead-like blobs of light at the edge of the Moon. These happen because the gaps in the mountains and valleys on the Moon’s surface allow sunlight to pass through in some places but not others.

Diamond ring: As the Moon moves to cover the entire disc of the Sun, Baily’s beads disappear, leaving one last bead a few seconds before totality. At this point in the eclipse, the Sun’s corona forms a ring around the Moon. The ring around the Moon and the leftover Baily’s bead gives the appearance of a diamond ring.

The Sun’s chromosphere: The Sun’s atmosphere has 3 layers: the photosphere, the chromosphere and the corona. The chromosphere, which gives out a reddish glow can only be seen for a few seconds right after the diamond ring disappears during a total eclipse of the Sun.

The Sun’s corona: Like the chromosphere, the Sun’s corona is only visible during a Total Solar Eclipse. It can be seen as a faint ring of rays surrounding the dark Moon during totality.

Shadow bands: About one minute before and after totality, moving wavy lines of alternating light and dark can be seen on plain-colored surfaces. These shadow bands are the result of the light emitted from a thin solar crescent being refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere.

Source:
timeanddate.com

March 8, 2016 – March 9, 2016

Total Solar Eclipse

The total solar eclipse will be visible from parts of Indonesia including Sumatra, Borneo, and Sulawesi, and from locations in the Pacific Ocean.

Observers in northern and eastern Australia, in South Asia, and in East Asia will be able to see a partial eclipse.

The eclipse will begin at 23:19 UTC on March 8, 2016, and its maximum point will take place at 01:59 UTC on March 9, 2016. Totality will last for 4 minutes and 9 seconds.

Source:

timeanddate.com