Although there are still several months left until the end of 2026, we have already reached the end of this year’s final “eclipse window”, notes Jetteke van Lexmond, co-founder of the Moonsisters astrology platform and author of its renowned astrological calendar. Rarely has an eclipse portal felt as intense as it has this year. The astrology expert adds: “The gentle and peaceful energy of the recent solar eclipse quickly transformed into a powerful energetic workout. The Sun has also become more active again, which directly affects the Schumann resonance, or the electromagnetic waves in the Earth’s atmosphere. It feels as though everything is moving towards its peak and is now on high alert.”
However, when energy rises this quickly, you may also feel it profoundly on a physical level. Jetteke van Lexmond explains: “Your body is accustomed to functioning at a certain frequency, even if that frequency is actually keeping you trapped in old patterns or stagnation. When your energy rises, as it is doing now, it can literally ‘shake up’ and awaken your body.”
It is therefore entirely possible that you will experience so-called “upgrade” symptoms: exhaustion, extreme fatigue, sleep disturbances, nightmares, heightened anxiety, severe headaches, ringing in the ears, nerve, muscle and joint pain, heart palpitations and digestive issues. The expert advises: “This is a time for rest, reflection and a change in perspective. Give your body time to peacefully process and integrate everything that is changing, right down to the cellular level.”
The full Moon and eclipse bring intense emotions
After the new Moon on 12 August 2026 was accompanied by a solar eclipse, a full Moon and partial lunar eclipse in Pisces await us on 28 August. “Pisces is the final sign of the zodiac and is therefore naturally extremely sensitive, intuitive and receptive,” van Lexmond notes, adding: “When the Moon passes through Pisces, you may experience emotions far more intensely and become much more aware of everything happening beneath the surface. You become more sensitive to other people’s moods and energy, and can easily be drawn into them. The strength of Pisces lies in its immense empathy and intuition, while the challenge is learning to distinguish other people’s feelings and desires from your own. Remain open, but do not lose yourself in the process.”
The lunar expert goes on to explain: “Eclipses always occur near the lunar nodes and are therefore connected to pivotal turning points in your development. They can bring events and realisations that shake you, accelerate processes and invite you to move in a new direction. What has been unfolding beneath the surface for some time may now suddenly become visible.”
The sequence of eclipses in August is also symbolically beautiful. Moonsisters describes it this way: “First, the solar eclipse in Leo asks: ‘What do I want? What do I want to create? Who do I want to be?’ Then, the lunar eclipse in Pisces poses the question: ‘What must I leave behind in order to achieve it?’”
This lunar eclipse in Pisces should also be viewed as an important continuation of the eclipse that took place in September 2024. “The year 2024 asked you to see through the fog,” says van Lexmond, continuing: “The year 2026 is asking you to live in accordance with what you realised then. What you began to see at that time now requires you to make a decision. You are allowed to leave behind what no longer feels right. What is truly essential should now take concrete form. Old patterns or ways of life that were once necessary, useful or safe may no longer align with the person you have since become.”
This eclipse feels like a deep cleanse
This is why the eclipse may feel like a thorough, deep cleanse on every level: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. As though someone were turning you inside out. “The tears and anger you have been holding back because you did not allow them to exist may now suddenly be released,” van Lexmond points out.
The invitation of this eclipse is not to become less sensitive, but to combine your sensitivity with discernment. “Empathy does not mean you have to take everything upon yourself. Trust does not mean you have to give up your own boundaries. And love certainly does not mean that you have to sacrifice yourself,” she emphasises.
Pisces energy is not only about letting go, but also about dreams, ideals, spirituality and longing. “Perhaps, under the influence of the eclipse at the time, a dream, relationship, vision of the future, spiritual belief or creative desire has taken shape since 2024,” says the expert. “The current eclipse may now ask: Is this still your dream, or have you simply been clinging desperately to an image of it?”
And finally, an important piece of advice: “This does not mean that everything will suddenly become perfectly clear. Not every goodbye has to be acted upon immediately or spoken aloud. Nor does every new direction have to be firmly defined just yet. Give form to what is truly alive within you. And trust that what lies beyond the old is not simply emptiness, but a clear space for something beautiful and new.”