It’s Eclipse season again. Although the time within the calendar year eclipse season takes place varies year to year, we always have a pair of eclipses back-to-back, about twice a year. Enter tomorrow’s Total Lunar Eclipse at 7:13 AM (EDT) 5˚ 25’ Sagittarius, the first one of 2021.
As you may have seen in the plethora of eclipse postings out there, this will be a Blood Moon. But that is just because when the Moon is fully eclipsed, it looks blood red. So, while this is not an unimportant point, it’s not unique to this Eclipse; all total lunar Eclipse is are Blood Moons.
What is specific to this Eclipse is the sign it occurs. Additionally, there are many names attributed to Full Moons at different times of the year. For example, one of the names for the Full Moon in May is the Flower Moon. (And to be clear, you can only have a Lunar eclipse during a Full Moon.) And in some ways, the image of a flower is a perfect metaphor for an eclipse. They open with the Sun, close in the evening, opening again when the light returns. We then add in that the fact that the Moon will be in Sagittarius as it is the opposite sign of Gemini, the sign the Sun is currently residing. All of this is valuable information when unpacking the potentiality of tomorrow’s Eclipse.
Full Moons, regardless of when they occur and the sign they take place, are times of completion. The Moon is at her zenith, and thus things are coming to fruition. And a Lunar Eclipse is no different. To some extent, a Lunar eclipse is a Full Moon on steroids, or to date myself- a Full Moon at 11. And because the Moon governs emotions, we are bound have bigger and more intense emotional experiences, leading into, during, and for a few days after a Lura eclipse.
Such emotions can be fabulous and challenging. Under an eclipse, all emotions are heightened. Some feelings are supportive and expand your love, compassion, and empathy. But you may also feel more frustration, annoyance, and desire to cut and run (particularly given that this Lunar eclipse is in freedom-seeking Sagittarius). The challenge is the heightened energy of the Eclipse allows you to access emotions that may have previously alluded you. But again, this can be welcomed or difficult depending on the situation.
Because this Eclipse occurs on the South Node of the Moon, it is a reluctant letting go rather than a welcomed release toward something new. So, while there are endings with all Full Moons, the South Node has us more resistant, or at least less consciously aware of what it is we are releasing. But we find ourselves releasing all the same.
OK, so where are we so far?
We are letting go of unconscious emotions that have impeded our growth and connected with feelings we have not allowed ourselves to express. We then add to this the fact this Lunar Eclipse takes place in Sagittarius, a sign known for its connection with expansion, hope, optimism, and freedom. However, the shadow side of Sagittarius is a tendency to avoid what is happening and opting for an overly optimistic worldview. Consequently, part of what this Eclipse will illuminate is where our optimism is warranted and where we are not realistic in our perceptions.
The physical act of the eclipsed of the Moon allows things that have been hidden to be revealed. And while ultimately beneficial, when we are forced to look at something honestly, we can come up against an internal resistance, wishing even unconsciously, things had stayed eclipsed and hidden from view. But nothing can go unseen or unsaid forever. And in this case, with this Moon, it has a lot to do with communication, things being said, and given language. This is because we are in the time of Gemini, which governs communication. Therefore, part of this Eclipse is about finding language to express what we have previously failed to vocalize. And it is only in that vocalization that things can shift, transform, and be released.
Because Lunar and Solar Eclipses are always entwined with the Nodes of the Moon, and they are currently in Sagittarius and Gemini, much of the energy imbued in this Eclipse has to do with communication, ideas, and language. The South Node, a point of the past, is in Sagittarius, a sign associated with philosophy and big concepts. Conversely, Gemini is about language-ing ideas. Thus, we are in a time of finding the words to express our big thoughts and big ideas that, in the past, we have lacked the capacity, forethought, or insight to articulate.
Perhaps, you know how you feel – you just don’t know how to say how you feel. This Eclipse can open the door to finding that language. However, because eclipses create unstable energy, you cannot hedge your bets on how what you express will be received. Just because you’re communicating doesn’t mean you’re being heard. Along these lines, just because you hear doesn’t mean you understand. The obscured Moon can make us think we understand when we don’t. Or have us believe we are clear when we’re obtuse. Consequently, you may find it most helpful if you work out some of the language-ing for yourself through journaling, unsent letters even recording notes to yourself on your phone first. But wait for the eclipse energy to pass so you can more clearly and effectively convey what it illuminates.