How to Survive All the Terrible Things This Eclipse Season Will Bring

After months of dread and anticipation, eclipse season is finally upon us! We have two huge eclipses this month: one in Aquarius, which takes place today, and one in Leo on the 21st. You can expect tons of secrets to come to light, endings to take place, and new journeys to begin. How will we handle it all? Broadly's staff astrologer Annabel Gat is here to help.

Dear Annabel,
I'm currently moving cities, starting school, and feeling highly motivated. I'm scared that when this eclipse happens I'll lose the control and peace I've taken so long to cultivate. Any advice on how to pace myself and keep worried thoughts at bay? (My birthday is May 11, 1993.)

— Critical Cap Moon

Dear Critical Cap Moon with a Taurus Sun,
Don't be scared—be prepared! How can you be prepared during an eclipse? Stay flexible, be ready to let go of the past, and embrace new beginnings. You are probably going to lose the control and peace you say you have cultivated, but that's really okay: Creating peace in your life is an ongoing effort. You don't just do it once and then call it a day. Think of it like farming: You don't plant crops once and harvest them, then you're set for life with food forever. You have to tend to it daily! Life is always in flux, and so you must stay flexible.

Today's eclipse in Aquarius is basically a mega full moon. Let's take a moment to think about the moon. Astrologically, it symbolizes emotions. Physically, it controls the tides. Think about the ocean, my dear bull. The tides go up and down, and the waves roll in and out. So do our feelings. One day we love someone, the next we're pissed off. One moment we feel peaceful, the next we're all excited. It's always healthy and normal to change! Don't keep your worried thoughts at bay—welcome them in and then set them free.

The emotional waters during an eclipse are turbulent. Don't be a perfectionist; let yourself cry!

— Annabel

Dear Annabel,
Please advise me because I feel like Saturn is kicking the shit out of me. Incidentally, I have the same birthday as Donald Trump (but I was born in 1986) so the only comfort I have is knowing that that which hurts me hurts him, too.

During my Saturn return, I found out that I had almost no eggs left in my ovaries at only 29 years old; broke up with my boyfriend who I was/am in business with; had a failed IVF cycle that I paid for out of pocket, using a sperm donor; and had the doctor conclude it was too late to medically intervene to save my fertility.

However, I do feel like I have moved through this and am now in a great new relationship, really reformed my health, and the lost 15 pounds that I gained by eating my feelings. Recently, though, Saturn opposed my natal sun. My client work dried up. I literally lost all of my contracts in a period of about four weeks in April and May. These were long-term relationships, and everyone had budget issues and management changes.

This opposition is going to last ages, and I'm dealing with debt, debt, debt and slow business—slowest it's been since I was a total newbie. I'm tired. I am slogging away and have brought in some new clients, but I just feel like I'm facing delays and radio silence everywhere. I'm trying to work on the debts but without cash coming in it is tough. How do I survive this?

Please at least tell me that this is hurting the Orange Menace as much as it is me.

Sincerely,
Donald Trump Ruined My Birthday

P.S. I don't think the Leo eclipse will help because although I have Scorpio rising, Virgo rules my 10th house, Cancer rules my 9th, and Leo is squished in to the end of my 9th house.

Dear Donald Trump 's Almost Birthday Twin,
You're right: The Leo eclipse won't help. Eclipses are not a friendly pep talk from the universe—they're a hardy push off the branch by the mother bird that is the cosmos. You either fall to the ground, or you fly. Either way, you can't stay on the same, safe branch, and you've got to move toward your destiny. Eclipses—especially a full moon eclipse, like this one in Aquarius—bring big endings, and they can make us feel like our hearts are being torn in half. It's a hard time indeed.

I have some good news, though: This opposition between your Sun and Saturn will not last ages. It will end in December, making the new year really feel like a new start for you! An opposition between the Sun (which rules the ego, vitality, and our truth) and Saturn (which rules fears, restrictions, and obstacles) is truly a difficult transit, but the strength you'll gain after enduring this period will be valuable as hell. I agree with you that your difficulty in finding clients is at least partly due to this Sun/Saturn opposition. I would suggest seeking a mentor you can work with. Saturn rules wisdom: Perhaps it's time to call in a saturnine sage into your life as a proactive way to work with this energy?

Regarding Trump: Being born on the same day as someone is hardly enough to suggest that your lives mirror each other, especially if you're not born in the same year, or even the same decade. Your whole charts are totally different! That said, if fantasizing about Donald having a crap time makes you feel better, than yes, remember that eclipses are bad omens for rulers, and both eclipses this month stimulate his chart in an intense way: Today's will activate his Pluto, which is the planet of power (and the abuse of it!), and the one on August 21 will activate his ascendant, which is a crucial point in the birth chart symbolizing ourselves and our standing. I won't be surprised if we hear something shocking (or not so shocking) soon.

Good luck, Gemini!
—Annabel

Dear Annabel,
I'm trying really hard not to feel dictated by the stars as I date and attempt to find someone. All the recent men I've dated seem to fit into the astrological "soul mate" category—either Pisces or Libra—but none of them are working out. For the most part, I've met these guys in the wild and then later found out what their sign was. Should I stop caring about what someone's sign is? Does it even really matter?

I'm currently dating a Gemini, and it's going okay, but anytime there's a snag I get nervous our incompatibility is written in the stars! Is this just a bad time to date in general (I'm in my late 20s, so that question might be answering itself) or is there something to astrological compatibility that I'm just missing?

Signed,
Confused Cancer Looking for a Shellmate

Dear Confused Cancer,
I'm so happy you're not letting yourself get overwhelmed by astrology while you date. That's the smartest thing you can do, and it makes me so happy to hear!

Please toss the phrase "soul mate" out from your dating vocabulary. Feel free to slip it into some love letters, because it's romantic as hell, but using it as a frame through which you analyze potential lovers is not going to get you anywhere. What is a soul mate, anyway? Aren't we all one soul? Nothing truly exists, and we are not separate beings. We are all each other's soul mates. There's no such thing as the one, perfect person for everyone. Just like the planets keep moving, we're constantly growing and changing! Thinking there's one "right" person out there is a hugely restrictive way to see the world, not to mention an extremely limiting criterion.

Astrologically speaking, you should never, ever determine compatibility based on Sun signs. You need to look at someone's whole birth chart to determine compatibility; if you see an astrologer for that kind of thing, they're not going to tell you in black-and-white terms if that person's good for you (unless they are a shitty astrologer). Instead, they will talk to you about the relationship's strengths and weaknesses.

Is this a bad time to date? Well, today there's an eclipse in too-cool-for-school Aquarius, a rebellious Air sign that's not very interested in romance. Plus, this is a full moon eclipse, so big endings are in the air. So, no, this is not the best time for romance! In addition, if you're in your late 20s, you're likely beginning your Saturn return, which is a critical time to learn about your boundaries and needs. This isn't always a bad time for dating, but it's certainly not the easiest time either. Expect to be pushed to reconsider what works for you—Saturn is the planet of responsibility and as your responsibilities change, so will your expectations of partners.

Good luck, little crab!
— Annabel

Do you have a pressing question for Annabel? Email us with the subject line "DEAR ANNABEL": broadly.editor@vice.com