Pondering the Lunar Eclipse
Tonight (more accurately, tomorrow morning at 4:45 a.m. here on the east coast of the U.S.) we will experience a lunar eclipse. It will only be visible from here as a partial eclipse and thus the moon will not black out in full but instead turn a dusky red. Due to the nature of the dance between the sun and the moon that creates this phenomenon, there will be a corresponding solar eclipse on June 10, but that will not be visible even partially from here. Oh, and by the way, it will be a ‘super moon’, meaning that it is closer to the earth than usual.
Astrologically this lunar eclipse is occurring while the moon is in the sign of Sagittarius. So, at a basic level (not taking into consideration any aspects or further, where they might impact a person’s natal chart) there are three ‘astrological data elements’ to consider here. The energy of Sagittarius, the energy of the moon itself, and the special energy of the moon in a lunar eclipse cycle.
What is the energy of Sagittarius? Considered to be a sign of philosophy, higher learning, and exploration, the Sagittarian drive to travel and learn makes for a restless and adventurous sort of energy. It is the quest for learning. It is our perception of spirituality. There is a pervasive sense of independence to Sagittarian energy.
OK, now what of the moon? The moon is subtle and subliminal; collectively and individually, it delineates our emotions and highlights what makes us feel secure. The moon in Sagittarius may open up our emotional vistas to include a sort of grandiose, Don Quixote-like breadth of vision, it may simply cause a stir in our hearts for travel and adventure, or it might invite more philosophical rumination than usual.
Finally, let’s focus on the special condition of an eclipse. Consider that one thing an eclipse does is interrupt the light; either the solar light of the sun or the reflected lunar light of the moon. It’s a sort of exclamation point in the flow of events that says “Stop and pay attention to this!” Therefore, the eclipse may bring our attention to anything in the area of life being highlighted in your chart.
Where in particular you may experience your own ecliptic ‘full-super-moon-in-Sagittarius’ energy will depend on your own natal chart. If you have astrology software, you can use it to see how this transit (the movement of this moon through your chart) will have an effect on you. Or, you can simply use your birth chart/natal chart (google free natal charts to create one on places like astro.com, alabe.com, or cafeastrology.com) to see where 5 degrees/26 minutes of Sagittarius falls in your natal chart. What house does it fall in? Mine falls in the second house; the house of possessions and money, so I intend to take a closer look at my finances.
One way to use the special energy of this event is to write down your thoughts and feelings. You may want to focus on what you’d like to eliminate as well. Once the moon starts to wane from the condition of being full, that’s going to be a great energy for releasing and letting go.
Or you can quite simply enjoy the beautiful moon. I got a preview of the almost-full moon last night with my telescope and OMG, it’s breath-taking! Wherever it may fall in your chart and however it may affect you, I wish you well – and happy moon-gazing!
