total lunar eclipse

ND #136 – Last Total Lunar Eclipse

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 4 Comments
Closeup of the last total lunar eclipse which occurred on 16 May 2022 – Photo: L. Weikel

Last Total Lunar Eclipse

I couldn’t get ‘you guys’ out of my head as I took a walk this evening. Observing the waxing gibbous moon snuggling up to Jupiter, both bright as headlights in the sky, my thoughts turned to the total lunar eclipse we’ll be experiencing at 5:59 a.m. (EST) this Tuesday. This will be the last total lunar eclipse until 2025, which feels significant. Good grief, it’s hard to imagine the geopolitical circumstances under which we’ll (hopefully) be experiencing that celestial event.

So we might as well look up and appreciate this one. For those of you in the eastern Pennsylvania region, here is a nifty link.

 

Waxing Moon Flirting with Jupiter 4Nov22 – Photo: L. Weikel

Momentous

We all know how momentous this Tuesday, November 8, 2022, will be for all of us. Of course, I’m speaking to all citizens of the United States – but I’m especially looking at you, fellow women (and those who identify as female). If we don’t step up now and take responsibility for ensuring our bodily sovereignty by voting for those who will protect and defend our rights as equal citizens, we could easily find ourselves living in a Christofascist hellscape by the next total lunar eclipse.

I can only hope that we learned our lesson in 2016. As shell-shocked and pit-in-the-stomach terrified we felt at the result of that election six years ago, I’m pretty confident few of us would’ve predicted the tidal wave of misogyny, racism, antisemitism, outright cruelty, and insanity that would nearly drown our country in its wake. But here we are.

And of course, the momentous nature of our election impacts the rest of the world, too. “With great power comes great responsibility,” which means our responsibility to not only vote but also stand up for democracy and the rule of law extends beyond our own precious lives. The fate of many hang in the balance of how we respond to the myriad shameless attacks being made against facts, truth, and reality. We are responsible not only for ourselves and our country, but also the myriad countries that rely on us as an ally and role model. Perhaps most importantly, the consequences of our election will impact the very planet on which we all live and depend.

Last Total Lunar Eclipse (May 2022) – Photo: L. Weikel

A Perfect Storm

It’s no secret that circumstances are such that a perfect storm is brewing on both an emotional and ideological level. That’s why the fact that our turmoil is mirrored in the sky takes on even more chilling significance.

There’s the total lunar eclipse (with eclipses often providing jarring, unexpected revelations and reactions).And we’re still experiencing the final ‘pass’ of the Saturn squaring Uranus configuration that we experienced three times in 2021. You may recall Saturn is associated with rules, foundations, and tradition, while Uranus is often thought of as revolutionary, unpredictable, a disrupter of the status quo, and an innovator of lightning-quick change.

Too much of either energy can lead to unintended and chaotic results. And we’re pretty much assured that we’ll experience both, at least in the short term. We can only hope (and set our intentions) that balance can and will be achieved sooner rather than later. We had our warning on January 6th. Shame on us If something similar unfolds as a result of this election. There’s no excuse for us not to see it coming.

Our Best Strategy

As always, our best strategy is to keep our own centers and allow our sense of calm, faith in our system, and peaceful respect for ourselves and each other to ripple out into our environment. When challenged, we need to feel our feet connecting to Mother Earth, reminding us of who we are and why we care. We also need to look up, and remember that while the Earth may be causing the moon to be in dusky, blood-red shadow for a moment, this will pass.

What matters is that we hold firm to our values and the common good of all, including Nature and Mother Earth. We must stand strong for each other, ourselves, and our ancestors – those who’ve passed and those who will inherit the results of our decisions today. Remember to keep looking up, my friends; no matter what. The next seven generations are depend upon us.

(T+136)

Total Lunar Eclipse – ND #132

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
Tonight’s Total Lunar Eclipse – Photo: L. Weikel

Total Lunar Eclipse

Standing in the middle of the vast expanse of fields and forest a few minutes ago, I was awestruck by the fact that the clouds were literally parting before my eyes to reveal the total lunar eclipse.

How many times have we sky watchers dare I say religiously trekked outside to bear witness to eclipses and meteor showers and all manner of celestial events, only to be thwarted by cloud cover? Too many to count, including quite a few missed opportunities documented right here in this blog. But not tonight.

A Big Deal

The myriad articles I read about this particular eclipse promised it would be especially spectacular. Tonight’s full moon in and of itself was special, as it is in its perigee (closest to the Earth in its orbit) and thus is considered a ‘super moon’ and should appear larger than usual. And the color of the moon when it enters the shadow of our Earth is supposed to be particularly ruddy due to lingering detritus in our atmosphere from an underwater volcanic eruption in January, off the island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha‘apai.

This was one of the easiest eclipses I ever remember witnessing. I didn’t have to stay awake until 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. (or worse, get up at 4:00 a.m.). The weather was unbelievably pleasant, and the chorus of all manner of peepers and tree frogs wrapped around me and provided a surround-sound of reassurance. I kept telling myself that their astonishing resonance was proof to me that, at least as of this moment, our biosphere is healthy.

I did note a surprising blanket of silence from the rest of the creatures* that usually engage in midnight chatter or posturing. But the amphibians were totally into tonight’s ‘blood moon,’ and the companionship they provided me was truly a gift.

Total Lunar Eclipse – closeup – Photo: L. Weikel

Had To Share

I hope it goes without saying that I could not stare up into the vast reaches of space contemplating the Big (and Little) nuances of our existence without a yearning to share it with you.

We’re now right smack dab in the center of the first eclipse season of 2022. As if this total lunar eclipse isn’t powerful and significant in its own right to suddenly reveal things we may need to jettison from our lives, there are some additional aspects occurring this week that only add to the significance of what we’re all experiencing personally, nationally, and globally.

That said, while I’m sure I don’t need to remind any of my readers, if you live in PA make sure you VOTE in the primary on Tuesday. Make sure our voices are loud. And clear. Remember: this is a Blood Moon.

*Although at this moment, a fox has begun shrieking in the field across from our house. I guess the show’s over!

(T+132)

On the Horizon – Day 929

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Grandmother of Wands ~ Matriarch, Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

On the Horizon

It’s been a while since I chose a card for us to contemplate. The intense astrological aspects taking place in the cosmos right now are influencing all of us, whether we ‘believe’ in them or not. As a result, I thought it might be beneficial to see what my Tarot of the Crone might have to say in counsel to us as we navigate the wild unpredictability I sense on the horizon.

The total eclipse of the full blood moon on Wednesday sent powerful ripples of revelation out into the world. Truths are being uncovered. Relationships exposed. Treacheries revealed. We’re being asked to review, reflect, and readjust over the next few months.

Pluto (planet of transformation, death, and resurrection) and Saturn (planet of boundaries, limits, foundations, and conservatism) have both gone retrograde recently. A cursory look at what those two planets influence make it obvious that some big stuff in our lives is going to be demanding our scrutiny. And Mercury (planet of communication, electronics, and technology/mechanical things) goes retrograde tomorrow.

The effect of Mercury retrograde will probably be more personal and also more fleeting. Nevertheless, it can be a pain. It would be a good idea for all of us to back up our computers. And try not to have a meltdown when your tv acts like it has a mind of its own or your appliances conk out.

Long Weekend

It seems to me that the coming long weekend will give us an ideal opportunity to hunker down and engage in some juicy personal reflection so we can navigate these turbulent influences with grace. Not only do we have a holiday weekend encouraging this inner work but many of us will also have rainy and chilly weather pressing the issue.

I do want to mention again one other planetary aspect that’s influencing all of us this entire year, but especially now and heading into the next two weeks (culminating on the 14th of June): the Saturn square Uranus transit. It’s essentially the old vs. the new. Tradition and the way things have always been done vs. new, radical ideas and approaches that turn things inside out, upside down, or just utterly transform.

It’s no surprise that we’re being asked to remember the insurrection of January 6th and deal with not only its aftermath but also – crucially – its planning and purpose. There’s a lot going on right now. Responsibility and accountability are two big words that have yet to be meaningfully invoked. And the tensions are only going to grow. Thus, we must prepare ourselves.

Request for Guidance

I asked what we maybe should keep in mind over the coming long weekend – and beyond. I chose the Grandmother of Wands: Matriarch (again, from the Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince). The wisdom that’s shared with us when we only ask never ceases to amaze me:

Grandmother of Wands ~ Matriarch

“It is time to have a talk

And time to have a listen

Time to recognize our common bonds

With honest standing

With Goddess guiding

We create our culture

By how we treat one another”

“In a cave of light under a cover of dark, many figures gather closely around a fire. One figure looms larger than the rest; this is the matriarch. One of the group, she is also its heart and its strength. She speaks, she leads, she ensures all are heard and considered. She weaves individual strands into a tapestry, creating common ground and common cause. With warmth, rectitude and respect, she creates space for group magic to happen. She is tradition and invention in one. She is the fullest integration of your spirit. Embrace it; her power is yours.”

(T-182)

First Total Lunar Eclipse of 2021 – Day 925

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DO IT – Photo: L. Weikel

First Total Lunar Eclipse of 2021

If you’re on social media of any stripe, you’ve undoubtedly heard that Wednesday morning the first total lunar eclipse of 2021 will take place. Earth will pass directly between the sun and the full moon, engulfing the moon in Earth’s shadow. Not only will this blot out the moon’s natural brilliance (as a consequence of it being full) but the shadow will also make the moon appear a deep shade of red – an occurrence that must’ve totally freaked out our ancestors.

I see that I’ve written about our experience of lunar eclipses before (here, here, and here, to be precise) with other mentions scattered throughout the past 924 posts as well. And I notice that the most recent two times did actually presage some, let’s say, revelation of hidden agendas and ultimately ‘upheaval.’

While there are a plethora of interpretations of the significance of us entering the eclipse season, here’s a link to astrologer Chani’s interpretation for the present one. I speak of the eclipse ‘season’ because there will be a solar eclipse in two weeks. And we generally ‘feel the effects’ of these interactions between the luminaries beginning the week before the actual eclipse event and extending through the week following the second eclipse.

I’d Rather Not Look – Photo: L. Weikel

Frog Making a Point

Karl and I had to laugh this morning when we picked our cards on the day. He chose ‘Frog Squared’ (meaning he chose Frog and there was a blank card on the bottom of the deck). We interpret that probably just as you imagine: not just as Frog, but as FROG. As in, “Buddy, you better clean the clutter out of your life.”

It was even more obvious that we are both in tune with this upcoming eclipse when I chose my cards on the day and got Frog – with Wild Boar underneath. Oh man.

Frog, just in case you’ve forgotten, has a lot to do with cleansing and cleaning out. This can be on any level – from clearing out your physical space, cleaning out your body, clearing your thoughts or emotions. It’s an encouragement to rid yourself of any ‘person, place, or thing’ that doesn’t contribute to your state of wellbeing.

Wild Boar Adds Its 2 Cents

And Wild Boar? Well – suffice it to say, Wild Boar urges one to relentlessly cut through one’s bullshit. I heard it snarking at me all day, to be honest, as I took to heart the need to set upon clearing out. (Yet again; yes, I know, I feel like I am forced to tediously face this beast too freaking often.)

But there it was, in our faces. The message of a lunar eclipse, and especially a total one, is to clear out the stuff that surfaces in our life. There seems to be detritus floating to the top (of our consciousness) all the time. It only looks like physical piles of stuff we’ve been accumulating.

I made a point of working on heeding this advice today. And no matter what card I choose tomorrow, I intend to have another go at it again. I’m feeling the need. And I want to seize this opportunity to clear the portal to a new attitude and some exciting opportunities.

(T-186)

Total Lunar Eclipse – Day Seventy

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Photos by L. Weikel

Total Lunar Eclipse

I don’t have anything to say about tonight’s astronomical event that hasn’t been said a million times over.

Standing outside in the single digit air, wind whipping through the bare boughs of the ash, black walnut, and maple trees, I’m startled by the cracking emanating from some of them. I’m grateful that we only had to endure tons of rain the past few days, otherwise the weight of what would have been snow would almost certainly be snapping those boughs instead of stressing them to their crackling brink.

The wind is whipping, though. My wind chimes clatter and clang themselves into a frenzy. My fingers numb up within moments.

Being a fan of Mother Nature and always game to either stay up really late or get up at the crack of dawn (preferring the staying up late than the getting up early, if I’m honest) to snag a first-hand experience, I never fail to feel a connection back millennia, to ancestors who were equally (if not vastly more) fascinated by the machinations of our celestial neighbors. Honestly, I almost literally feel those generations rippling back through the soles of my feet, all of us standing rooted to the Earth, staring wide-eyed into the vastness above.

I doubt it took them very long to figure out that their world was not coming to an end when the moon turned blood red, for it’s not all that rare of an occurrence. Especially when there was no tv and the entertainment was the stars, planets, and constellations.

Total eclipses are rare enough to be remarkable, though. For instance, I’m pretty sure tonight’s is the only such eclipse in 2019, at least visible to North America. But what did they think when they occurred? More interesting to me, what did they feel? A connection backward in time? Forward? Could they feel me reaching back to them from now?

It’s undeniable that there is something profoundly primal and humbling about witnessing tonight’s lunar hide-n-seek in Earth’s shadow. We are but specks in the grand scheme our galaxy, the Milky Way.

And when you realize that we know there are billions of galaxies in our universe…

**Poof**

Mind. Blown.

(T-1041) Photo by L. Weikel