The first stretch of my digital nomad journeys began in Harlem in 2022. I did three long term rentals on 112th 117th, and 124th streets. One night, I went to pick up the keys for my third rental on 124th. The building was gray with a bright red door and stood directly across the street from Marcus Garvey Park.

As the woman showed me around, she confessed, “This is actually my sister’s place.” We were standing in the spacious living room as she handed me the keys. “My sister couldn’t be here because her boyfriend just proposed to her!”

That was April 30th, the night of a partial solar eclipse in the sign of Taurus. I mentioned this to the woman and told her those kinds of surprises are known to happen around eclipses.

Eclipses are considered points of fate and destiny that can trigger a life-changing chain of events. However, I like this memory because it shows that we all have vastly different experiences during eclipses. While one woman was getting a ring from the man she loved, I was getting a set of keys to a 30-day rental in a city and neighborhood I loved. And other people were sleeping.

Eclipses are generally common occurrences. They happen about four times a year. Some people mistakenly think eclipses are rare because it is rare to witness an eclipse, especially the show-stopping total solar eclipse when the Moon completely covers the Sun and creates darkness during the day. But eclipses happen regularly, even if we’re not in a location where we can look up at the sky and observe them.

Our first eclipse of 2026 is a new moon in the sign of Aquarius. This will be the first eclipse in Aquarius since 2009/2018. (Hit reply if you’re curious why I’ve listed two dates.) This time around is unique because now Pluto is in Aquarius, which will give us a new flavor of depth, power, and transformation.