Lunar eclipses occur when the moon's orbit creates a powerful alignment with the sun, forming a potent lunation known as an eclipse. Eclipses are dynamic cosmic occurrences that activate the lunar nodes. Simply put, the moon glides across an elliptical that is constantly rotating around the zodiac. By now everyone knows about the super full, blood, wolf lunar eclipse that we are having tonight. If you don’t know about it, you live either live under a rock, or don’t interact with other living beings; either way, this is your chance to find out what is the energetic influence of this lunar eclipse and how to best align yourself to it.

Full moons only occur when the sun and moon are opposite to each other and this total lunar eclipse is going to occur in the sign of Leo, as the sun is in Aquarius. This particular eclipse is astrologically significant for us for a number of reasons, the least important one of which is that the next total lunar eclipse will not occur until May 2021. The most significant thing about this eclipse is that it brings to a completion a cycle of eclipses in the sign of Leo and Aquarius that started back in Feb 2017. Since then we have had several eclipses in both these signs, the last lunar eclipse being the one that occurred on July 27th 2018, when the sun was in Leo and the moon in Aquarius. So in order to understand the energies at play here, we need to take a look at what the polarity of these two signs represent.

The sun is in the sign of Leo is symbolized by the Lion, the King of the jungle, the fiery, passionate and often benevolent ruler. The sign of Leo, governed by the sun, rules our fiery emotions and desires and also astrologically Leo rules the heart and is thus is oftentimes associated with relationships and personal Love. It is also a creative sign, full of drive, vigor and ambition. On the other hand, the negative traits of this sign is dogma, pride, selfishness and an unwillingness to compromise and a refusal to back down. In one word. Ego. The moon in in the sign of Aquarius is symbolized by the Water Bearer, the iconoclastic humanitarian of the zodiac, pouring out the waters of knowledge for all. The sign of Aquarius, governed by the sun, rules brotherhood and sisterhood, and is characterized by the element of air which needs and desires freedom for all. It is an intellectual sign, full of ideas of how we can all coexist peacefully within the community called humanity. This sign is often associated with Love for all beings and the Oneness of all. On the dark side of Aquarius there can also be dogma, refusal to see the other's point of view and a detachment from human emotion that appears to be cold and unfeeling. If you are in touch with the news around our country and the world, you will find an eery representation of both the positive and negative qualities of these signs in many important social issues concerning us right now. The planetary archetypes are being played out in the macrocosm of global issues.

In a few hours we will be under the influence of the eclipse. Now, let’s get into the eclipse that is happening tonight starting in a few hours. Eclipses are usually a time when things that are in the shadows come to the surface. What is usually hidden, gets revealed. On a microcosm level, this can mean parts of our subconscious being revealed to us. Being that this is a lunar eclipse involving the sign of Leo, it is likely that emotions will run high under this eclipse. So if you suddenly get flooded with a lot of anger or intense emotions, ask yourself ‘What are these emotions revealing to me about myself?’ Eclipses are an opportunity for us to peer into our darkness and to really allow ourselves to embrace our dark emotions. Only by embracing them and acknowledging them can we learn how to observe them and not get taken over by them (detachment, Aquarius!). The bad news is that there is also a square to this eclipse by the planet Uranus (ruler of Aquarius), which makes this eclipse energy extremely volatile and hard to handle, at least for a lot of us. I would advise to not communicate your feelings, specially strong ones, at least for the next few days. The good news is, this eclipse, as mentioned before, is likely to bring to completion any cycles, patterns or even relationships, that have outlived their usefulness and are in some manner getting in your way. In other words, this is a great time to let go. Surrender is the key word.

Surrender is a journey from outer turmoil to inner peace. ~ Sri Chinmoy

If we resist what the flow of the universe brings to us, things can get challenging. So the other thing to keep in mind about planetary patterns like this, is that depending on where they fall in our charts, they might act in a very karmic way. In other words, if you resist the intelligent flow of shakti or life force, you will find yourself in a difficult situation. For example if you are holding on to for dear life to a relationship that you know is over, things are going to get and become really difficult. Eclipses show us what needs to be purged in our lives and the less we resist, the better it is for us.

One of my teachers likes to say that letting go does not mean giving up, it simply creates room and signals to the creative force within you, that you are getting ready to create something new and different that aligns more with who you are and what your soul wishes for you to experience. Holding on or trying to have control is an illusion anyway, one that takes up a lot of time and energy. So during this eclipse, let go and let God, Goddess, Source, Universe, Jesus, the Divine Light within all beings. Allow yourself to embrace your darkness under the dark side of the moon and to let yourself experience the power of your emotions like a wolf howling at the full moon. Finally, allow yourself to experience a deeper form of Love, as these emotions cleanse you, open your Heart and prepare you for the next cycle. For we all know, it is the darkest before dawn when the sun rises and pierces through the night to bring in the day, this is how Love expresses itself, even within our Soul.