Each year at this time we come upon what is often called, ‘Eclipse Season’, which is when we have one or more eclipses each month, over a period of a few months. 

While today, we look excitedly to the heavens to witness these celestial events, in ancient times an eclipse was considered a very serious and ominous omen, one that could foretell terrible things to come, and so people ran inside hoping to hide from its effects, and escape the omen ‘touching’ or ‘marking’ them with its energy. Ancient astrologers used the eclipses in an almost divination-like way, foretelling both good and bad events depending upon the exact timing of the eclipse, and what astrological sign the sun and moon were in at the time of the event. 

Many Indigenous cultures still practice a reverence towards eclipses, and will stop all mundane activities to take the time of the event in private space as they bring their focus inward for prayer, meditation and contemplation. Native peoples of North America stay inside to honor the intense, sacred energies of an eclipse, as they feel it is disrespectful to be outside during an eclipse.  

From ancient times, and still today, the Jewish people call an eclipse likui, or ‘defect’ in Hebrew. It is thought that a likui of the sun (a solar eclipse) is a very bad omen for the world as a whole, and wherever the exact location in which the sun can be seen in total eclipse is where we are affected by this defective, bad energy as individuals. 

In ancient, and modern day India, an eclipse is considered a very auspicious event, and just as with many Indigenous cultures, much time is spent in meditation, chanting, cleansing, prayer and contemplation. 

The early Babylonians were the first people to discover that eclipses have a pattern with a beginning, middle and an end. Ancient people were the first to believe that an eclipse occurring in your birth chart and/or influencing a key planet in your birth chart later on in life was very auspicious. 

Magically speaking, an eclipse is a very special event, as the active, masculine energies of the sun merge with the receptive, feminine energies of the moon. This is a powerful time for us to balance our masculine and feminine essence—and it can also be quite challenging for women who are not in connection with their less predominant masculine nature. Approach the time of an eclipse with inquiry, study yourself, and be patient with your moods...you may find that you can maneuver through them quite well or need to give yourself extra support at this time.

Below is a list of this year's eclipses, along with ways to work with them. 

 March 25

• Lunar Eclipse at 5° Libra 07'

• Eclipse at 3:00 am ET | Morning Moon; rituals performed at or close to dawn are infused with new, fresh energy and offer blessings for rituals having to do with beginnings of relationships, projects, jobs and other endeavors, as well as intensify the success of health and wellness. If the moon is still in the sky while the sun is rising, this is a special blessing.

• Libra Moon: this sign teaches us to seek harmony, balance, equality, and justice in this lifetime, and in our partnerships, and collaborations, and to see with new perspective the multiple views of the same situation, or sides of an argument, situation or opinion. Spend time during this moon practicing balance in all areas of your life.

• Full Moon: A Time for Releasing & Completion
  Let go of expectations, release attachments to desires and outcomes, and fully surrender the intentions you set during the new moon so that they may become manifested.

• Monday Moon: today’s moon is influenced by itself, as this day is planetary aligned with the moon. A good day for rituals of intuition, divination, oracle, prophecy, and healing.

• Element: Air 
  When the moon travels through the zodiac sign of Libra she is aligned with their qualities of air, which has to do with the intellect, the gathering, processing and sharing of information and also for dealing with your own personal emotions. 
  Use this time to express your emotions, research, study, write, read and practice lunar rituals for success in all intellectual and emotional endeavors.When the moon is an air sign, it’s qualities of the intellect, gathering, processing and the sharing of information can be very helpful to you while working creatively, as all of this may assist you.with strategizing creative projects, managing, marketing and all other business-like activities; such a launching an ad campaign, or a starting or planning a creative business endeavor.
  When the moon is in an air sign, incorporate the metals; the metals; aluminum and tin, the crystals; amethyst, citrine, diamond, mica, opal, tiger eye, topaz, turquoise, white/clear fluorite, and zircon, along with feathers, sound, breath, incense and smoke. to represent and call upon the element of earth in your creativity rituals.

• Polarity: Masculine/Yang/Active
  When the moon travels through the sign of Libra, her feminine essence is quieted by the masculine nature of those signs. Suggested lunar workings during this time: anything having to do with the actions of others, group events, being social, being in public, life purpose, business, money, increasing personal power, skills, personal achievement, and personal success.

• Spring Moons: an alchemical time of emergence, coming forth, becoming, and being born; this is a time of greening for the earth, as she is coming alive, awakening; shaking off all remnants of the sleepy winter, and bursting forth with new life, promise, and potential...the world is in a state of becoming. Even the light coming through the newly greened boughs of trees is a bit more golden, more shimmery and more magical, as if it were shivering in anticipation of something that is just about to happen. An elemental time of air, cool breezes flow, and seeds fly on the wind to their destination. Air is the intellect, movement, flow, and change. 
  March’s Moons are best for rituals of business, success, study.

April 8

• Solar eclipse at 19° Aries 24'

• Eclipse at 2:21 pm ET | Midday Moon: rituals performed at noon or before sunset are infused with intense power, light and energy and offer blessings for rituals having to do with health, money, abundance, life and success. If the moon is still in the sky while the sun is shining, this is a special blessing.

• Aries Moon: this sign teaches us to transform any restless, intense energy that agitates the self—and others, into constructiveness, rather destructiveness. Spend time during this moon for cooling any flashfire anger and stilling your impulsive tendencies for immediacy to align with the graceful, easy, flow of life.

• Dark Moon: A Time of Stillness 
  Be in stillness, meditation, prayer, inwardness, and trust. Reflect on last month’s new moon intentions, and dream, imagine and visualize your new intentions for this current moon cycle—but take no action at this time.

• Monday Moon: today’s moon is influenced by itself, as this day is planetary aligned with the moon. A good day for rituals of intuition, divination, oracle, prophecy, and healing.

• Element: Fire
  When the moon travels through the zodiac signs of Aries she is aligned with the qualities of fire, which has to do with creativity, sexuality and passion. Fire is both creative and destructive, so when you use this time for creative expression be aware that you may ‘burn’ through projects and ideas quite quickly. But worry not, more are on the way. This is also a good time to explore your sexuality and passion; however, you may experience abrupt endings of relationships—especially those with predominantly physical connections, as this moon inspires you to seek much deeper connections. Practice lunar rituals for sex, passion, creativity, and letting go of superficial relationships or attracting deeper relationships during this time.
  With its dual essences of creativity and destructivity, fire moons help you to create from a place a power and passion, and also help you to burn your project to the ground if need be. Fire moons amplify impulsivity and a sense of urgency, so remember not to act on the impulses too quickly, and to take time before scrapping your projects. Save all files and notes, for once the fire of this moon cools, you may realize that you have acted in haste.
  When the moon is a fire sign, incorporate the metals; brass, gold and steel, the crystals; amber, carnelian, citrine, fire agate, fire opal, garnet, red calcite, red jasper, rubellite (red tourmaline), ruby, sard, sardonyx, and sunstone, along with candles, fire, and ashes in your lunar rituals to represent and call upon the element of fire.

• Polarity: Masculine/Yang/Active
  When the moon travels through the sign of Libra, her feminine essence is quieted by the masculine nature of those signs. Suggested lunar workings during this time: anything having to do with the actions of others, group events, being social, being in public, life purpose, business, money, increasing personal power, skills, personal achievement, and personal success.

• Spring Moons: an alchemical time of emergence, coming forth, becoming, and being born; this is a time of greening for the earth, as she is coming alive, awakening; shaking off all remnants of the sleepy winter, and bursting forth with new life, promise, and potential...the world is in a state of becoming. Even the light coming through the newly greened boughs of trees is a bit more golden, more shimmery and more magical, as if it were shivering in anticipation of something that is just about to happen. An elemental time of air, cool breezes flow, and seeds fly on the wind to their destination. Air is the intellect, movement, flow, and change.
  April’s Moons are best for rituals of vocation, life purpose, attracting love, work, opportunity.

September 17

• Lunar eclipse at 25° Pisces 41'

• Eclipse at 10:34 pm ET | End of Day Moon: rituals performed at or after sunset, but before midnight are infused with freedom, letting go and offer blessings for rituals having to do with healing, releasing, illness, lack, poverty, heartbreak, sorrow, grief, or disappointment. If the moon is still in the sky while the sun is setting, this is a special blessing.

• Pisces Moon: this sign teaches us to be the light in the darkness, to awaken, inspire and initiate those around us, and to bring new meaning to traditional spiritual teachings. With a keen focus on higher values during this moon; we move back and forth between that which is of the mind and that which is of the heart, between illusion and reality, deception and truth, and also between the sacred and the mundane.

• Waxing Gibbous: A Time of Gratitude
  A time for generating feelings of gratitude, thankfulness, and appreciation for your intention having come to be—or if you have decided to discard your intention, then this is a time of acceptance, understanding and trust that all is as it should be...or it would be different

• Tuesday Moon: today's moon is influenced by Mars and is a good day for rituals of action, goal setting, and success.

• Element: Water
  When the moon travels through the zodiac signs of Pisces, she is aligned with the qualities of water, which has to do with emotions, feeling, and expression. Water is cleansing, purifying, flowing, transformative, nurturing, and sustaining. It infuses this moon with caring and tenderness. This is a good time for releasing grief, sadness, hurt, and other painful emotions, and is also a time for seeking guidance, assistance, and support Practice lunar rituals for cleansing, releasing, flowing, healing, emotions, passage, letting go of resentments and grudges. Emotions, feelings, and expression are basic core elements of the creative process, so when working with water moons, these things are highly amplified. Focus on the cleansing, purifying, flowing, transformative, nurturing, and sustaining aspects of water to help get through this, quiet a harsh inner critic, or ease up on any perfectionism that you might have.
  When the moon is in a water sign, incorporate the metals; copper and silver, the crystals; aquamarine, lapis, limestone, moonstone, pearl, rose quartz, shells, sodalite, along with candles, fire, and ashes in your lunar rituals to represent and call upon the element of fire

• Polarity: Feminine/Yin/Receptive/Still
  When the moon travels through the sign of Pisces, her feminine essence is greatly heightened. Suggested lunar workings during this time: anything having to do with relationships, the needs of others, assistance for humanity and for yourself, love, romance, relationships, guidance, direction, nurturing, health, wisdom, communication, emotions and feelings.

• Fall Moons
  An alchemical time of cooling after the fires of summer, this season is associated with water, and washes everything clean, purifying all that it touches, and all that comes to it. The element of water, and its ever flowing power and sacred blessing ways, helps us with our emotions to meet with the ending of the year more gracefully, and with ease, allowing for an elegant process of cyclical transformation, one that we may come into flowingly, rather than haltingly. This is a time of blessing, sacredness, emotions, releasing, flow, harvest, endings, death, decay, transformation, and change. The wheel of the year is turning now and making its way towards the end of its cycle.
  September’s Moons are best for rituals of harvest, planning, manifesting.

October 2

• Solar eclipse at 10° Libra 04'

• Eclipse at 2:49 pm ET | Midday Moon: rituals performed at noon or before sunset are infused with intense power, light and energy and offer blessings for rituals having to do with health, money, abundance, life and success. If the moon is still in the sky while the sun is shining, this is a special blessing.

• Libra Moon: this sign teaches us to seek harmony, balance, equality, and justice in this lifetime, and in our partnerships, and collaborations, and to see with new perspective the multiple views of the same situation, or sides of an argument, situation or opinion. Spend time during this moon practicing balance in all areas of your life.

• Dark Moon; A Time of Stillness
  Be in stillness, meditation, prayer, inwardness, and trust. Reflect on last month’s new moon intentions, and dream, imagine and visualize your new intentions for this current moon cycle—but take no action at this time.

• Wednesday Moon: today's moon is influenced by Mercury and is a good day for rituals of communication, and learning.

• Element: Air 
  When the moon travels through the zodiac sign of Libra she is aligned with their qualities of air, which has to do with the intellect, the gathering, processing and sharing of information and also for dealing with your own personal emotions. 
  Use this time to express your emotions, research, study, write, read and practice lunar rituals for success in all intellectual and emotional endeavors.When the moon is an air sign, it’s qualities of the intellect, gathering, processing and the sharing of information can be very helpful to you while working creatively, as all of this may assist you.with strategizing creative projects, managing, marketing and all other business-like activities; such a launching an ad campaign, or a starting or planning a creative business endeavor.
  When the moon is in an air sign, incorporate the metals; the metals; aluminum and tin, the crystals; amethyst, citrine, diamond, mica, opal, tiger eye, topaz, turquoise, white/clear fluorite, and zircon, along with feathers, sound, breath, incense and smoke. to represent and call upon the element of earth in your creativity rituals.

• Polarity: Masculine/Yang/Active
  When the moon travels through the sign of Libra, her feminine essence is quieted by the masculine nature of those signs. Suggested lunar workings during this time: anything having to do with the actions of others, group events, being social, being in public, life purpose, business, money, increasing personal power, skills, personal achievement, and personal success.

• Fall Moons
  An alchemical time of cooling after the fires of summer, this season is associated with water, and washes everything clean, purifying all that it touches, and all that comes to it. The element of water, and its ever flowing power and sacred blessing ways, helps us with our emotions to meet with the ending of the year more gracefully, and with ease, allowing for an elegant process of cyclical transformation, one that we may come into flowingly, rather than haltingly. This is a time of blessing, sacredness, emotions, releasing, flow, harvest, endings, death, decay, transformation, and change. The wheel of the year is turning now and making its way towards the end of its cycle.
  October’s Moons are best for rituals of magic, intuition, transformation, mysticism.

Eclipse Journal Prompts & Explorations

• An eclipse is a time of great change, a time of polar energies coming together, and releasing. What are you ready to let go of during this eclipse season?

• An eclipse is a time of great cleansing, and releasing. Where can you clear out old ways of thinking, and make room for new ways?

• An eclipse is a time of great polarity, when the masculine/solar and feminine/lunar energies come together. Are your polarities in need of balancing at this time?

• An eclipse is a time of great mystical significance, when the portals of the realms open and close. Open your mind and heart to receive messages from the universe, the cosmos, and The Divine during this time.

Crystals to Work with During an Eclipse

• Black crystals to represent the darkness

• Gold or yellow crystals to represent the sun

• Silvery, white and opaque crystals to represent the moon

Plants to Work with During an Eclipse

• white sage

• lavender

• rose

• archangelica

• mugwort

***

May this eclipse season be one of magical, mystical discovery and delight for you. 
May you find sacredness during these times. 

***

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