Skip to main content
 

The Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse

The Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse
Body First

 

If I were to ask around my friend circle what they thought of the Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse on July 27, I might see their mouths suddenly twist in distaste as if they had eaten a Warhead.

 

“Nothing good,” some would say. “I just want to hide at home that day,” others would sigh.

 

The general consensus even amongst people outside of a community of magic seems to be that there is something unpleasant and off about the time that led up to this astronomical phenomena. Tensions felt heightened, fears more prevalent--the potential to snap felt like it was bubbling just below the first layer of skin. Why was that? 

 

Eclipses are a stunning feat of the cosmos, temporarily blotting out the light of either the sun or the moon depending on the position of the Earth. As a Blood Moon, this eclipse already drew elements of fear and unease as its color was warped by the refracting lights of the sun. Historically, it was believed that nothing good could come from a blood painted moon. Astrologically speaking, this lunar eclipse left us with whatever was brimming in the shadow of the moon. The shadows of the moon are filled with the things that we’ve unceremoniously shoved into the deepest parts of our subconscious. 

 

The Moon holds dominion over our feelings, fears, our dreams; nurturance, family, relationships, and softness. When Her light is hidden in an eclipse, we may feel terribly vulnerable in her shadow as feelings, long lost hopes, loneliness, dreams that we would rather not revisit come rushing forth. The energy leading up to this time may feel daunting, or even a little bit frightening as most are not prepared to meet their shadow selves. What’s more, this was the longest lunar eclipse in a century, lasting 1 hour and 43 minutes (the average duration is just 50 minutes). Emotions may have felt particularly overwhelming.

 

However if we were able to approach this eclipse with self awareness and positive intention, we would better prepare ourselves for it. Though our shadows were being exposed, this was the Moon’s way of showing us what needed to be let go. The full Blessing Moon was here to prune the dead leaves and harvest the bounty of the season. As with all Esbat celebrations, this time could be embraced for the unbridled healing effect often sought after in the full Moon. 

 

To best understand how we can utilize the energies of this Moon, let’s take a closer look at the astrology of its positioning in conjunction with other planetary bodies:

 

At the time resting in Aquarius, Mother Moon may have been giving off an energy that felt very erratic and unpredictable. It might have felt like anything could change at a moment’s notice, and that’s a rather disconcerting feeling. At the same time, however, Aquarius energy initiates invention--but in invention, there’s the breaking down of outdated traditions and principles. The Moon was beckoning us to move forth from emotional patterns that no longer serve us; as the eclipse took hold, all that was no longer in alignment with our personal benefit becomes even more prevalent. We might have been slapped in the heart with the realization that some thought, some person, some job, some situation was no longer working. This may have shaken us to our core--but the time is now to create new rules that benefit our growth. This may have resulted in an abrupt 180 that left us feeling like we were on shaky ground. However Aquarius energy would have helped us foster a deep commitment to a great cause: ourselves.

 

This energy was opposed by the Sun in Leo, which is a positioning that bears much alignment as the lion zodiac is ruled by the Sun. The tone of the environment of this time was set by this duo, suggesting that now the best course of action was to approach things from a boisterous, entertaining, and attention-grabbing manner. Pride and ego boosts became important--we’re seeking validation from others to affirm our own happiness. However, the Moon in Aquarius was seeking personal freedom. Part of this entails focusing so wholeheartedly on one’s self that there’s not enough space or time to focus on being noticed by others. But perhaps the outward focus of Leo was able to work harmoniously in a compromise with the inward driven nature of Aquarius. Our peers can often be reflections of ourselves. If we were to pay attention to what triggers us in our relationships with others, then perhaps we can identify ways in which we can learn to let go. This was aided by the energy of Venus in Virgo trine Pluto in Capricorn, an aspect in which bolsters us to prune dead weight with a critical eye that also attracts that which benefits growth.

 

The Moon was square Uranus in Taurus. There was a similar goal existing within this particular aspect. Uranus in Taurus asked that we take a look at where we are feeling confined in our life and working through ways in which we can break free. For too long we’ve been stuck in patterns that no longer serve us; the Moon square Uranus was showering us with the encouragement and motivation needed to shed our too-tight skins. New beginnings and opportunities were cropping up--while this may have seemed a bit overwhelming at first, Taurus balanced the erratic nature of Aquarius with its grounded, steadfast, and resilient energy. Though Taurus had us running the risk of being too comfortable in our experiences, Aquarius broke this pattern for familiarity with abruptly turning to a new aspect or phase of doing things. 

 

The normally action-oriented Mars found itself in retrograde, leaving us feeling as though we were lacking in vitality and motivation while paddling up a stream. Anger and resentment may have been brewing at this time, particularly as Mars found its home in the erratic and unreliable energetic home of Aquarius for the evening. Fun loving and carefree Sun in Leo ask that we become a bit more lenient with ourselves, allowing some slack--perhaps for the sake of our pride, but slack nonetheless. 

 

The Moon in Aquarius was in conjunction with Mars, rallying the cry to break down what no longer served us--like boxes in need of recycling--so we can set the foundation for what will serve. However, retrograde Mars prevented us from mustering the necessary fire power to be direct with this pursuit--and starting new projects during this time may have just lead to unfulfilling dead ends. Instead, the best way to harness these energies was in self reflection. In what ways could we build ourselves from the inside? What patterns of self care could we adopt so that we’re serving our best interests?

 

This Lunar Eclipse may have seemed to be a very daunting time with all of the energy and emotions that were being stirred up. The best way to embrace what’s happening around and within us in a time like this is to take a moment for reflection. In silent or written meditation, consider where you are in your life at this moment. Where do you want to be? When you think of the best possible version of you, what does that person look like? What does he or she sound like, or talk like? What can you do to be that person? What are you doing now that no longer serves the person you want to be? Write that down. What can you be doing to serve that person? Write that down. You can either use this reflection merely as a meditation technique or perform it alongside a simple Esbat ritual as described in my other post. No matter what you decide know that while you may be feeling overwhelmed now, you are always in control of yourself; and if you let Her, the Moon will always help guide you back to where you need to be.

 

 

The Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse
Column / Article Type