Gather your Energy: Lunar Eclipse in Pisces
Tomorrow, Sunday, September 7 ( September 8 if you are in Australia/New Zealand), a total lunar eclipse occurs in Pisces. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is perfectly aligned between the moon and the sun, and the moon appears darker as Earth's shadow blocks the sun's light. Only light from Earth's atmosphere reaches the moon, and light reflected from Earth's sunrises and sunsets can give the moon a reddish color, hence the name blood Moon.
As I thought about this eclipse, particularly the name ‘blood Moon, ‘ I found myself contemplating the function of blood in our bodies and how that symbolically captures the energy of this weekend's event.
Our blood carries oxygen to our tissues, transports nutrients to our organs, and simultaneously removes waste. Its movement is essential to life. In Chinese medicine, it is referred to as Qi, and "stagnation" refers to the restricted, congested, or blocked flow of substances and energy throughout the body is viewed as lying at the root of many diseases, physical and emotional.
This Full Moon Eclipse offers an opportunity to release stagnation within ourselves and our lives ( which of course are mirrors of each other). This requires two things: attention and intention.
It’s easy to lose sight of what we need to let go of to truly move forward. Our mind continuously asks when this situation ( career, money, relationships…insert your own) is going to change, so it feels like I am more on track in life, but the real question that is often missed is when am I going to change?
This shift puts us back in the driver's seat as co-creators of our lives. When it is about life-changing, we are on some level giving up agency…which means we psychologically see ourselves as powerless, a victim to circumstance.
Eclipses are infamous for bringing change. In particular change that is thrust upon us.
These moments of transformation, where those parts of our lives that have become stagnant or blocked are released, propel us forward across a threshold. Eclipses often operate as portals, sending us down new pathways that, over time, no matter how uncomfortable the change is in the moment, bring us into closer alignment with who we are and life itself.
These changes bring nourishment into our lives, often while whisking away something or someone ( a relationship, a job)that is no longer serving its purpose.
We are part of an ever-expanding, ever-changing universe. There is no astrological configuration that is an accident. Including the eclipse being in Pisces.
Pisces rules our feet. Metaphorically, the steps we must take to move forward. In order to go down a new path, we must take the first step. The first step is always smaller than we think. Usually, it is connected to surrendering, at least in part, some fear that we are holding onto for dear life. A story that shinks us in some capacity, it says we are not good enough ( too small) or our expectations are too high ( too much). They are all fears that we hesitate to say out loud, even to ourselves. We’re afraid we’ll humiliate ourselves or we’ll fail. The roots of this stem from times in our childhood, where it was at the very least implied that to take a risk and be vulnerable was foolish.
The Sabian Symbol for the degree of this eclipse is: In the quiet of his study, a creative individual experiences a flow of inspiration. It holds a mystical energy, creating a portal for deep inner experiences.
Rituals signal to your psyche that you matter. When we do them, we consciously bring the moment into sacred space. They don’t need to be complex, simply infused with both intention and attention to the moment. Rituals help us gather ourselves and align our energy with something larger.
So get quiet sometime tomorrow. Breathe in and ground yourself. If fact if you can go outside and put your feet directly on the ground and feel your connection to the earth and how it sustains you. Imagine ideas and inspiration moving up through your feet into your body with each breath.
I also want to suggest a foot massage. As I noted earlier, Pisces rules the feet. The feet hold all of our nerve endings that connect throughout the entire body. Warmth some oil in your hands and imagine, as you care for your feet, rubbing them with love, releasing stagnant energy that you are also releasing places in yourself and your life that have been blocked. When you are finished, gather your energy, close your eyes, stand and ground, and then boldly take a step, envisioning this as the first step on a new path.
