Lunar Eclipses
On Friday 5th May there will be a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse so I thought this week would be a great time to talk about them!! There are three types of eclipse that we will look at, and also how you can work with the energy of this eclipse to make changes in your life.
I talked about solar eclipse’s in a previous blog post (which you can read here). Essentially, these happen when the Moon passes in front of the Sun. A lunar eclipse is when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, and the Earth’s shadow dims the Full Moon. Sometimes, this will turn the surface of the Moon red. Because a lunar eclipse happens when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, they are only visible on half of the Earth. There are three types of lunar eclipse, total, partial and penumbral.
A total lunar eclipse happens when the Moon moves into the inner part of the Earth’s shadow. As some of the light from the Sun passes through the Earth’s atmosphere to reach the surface of the Moon it is dimly lit. Here is the interesting science bit. Some colours have shorter wavelengths, such as the blues and violets, and so they scatter more easily than colours which have longer wavelengths, like red and orange. The longer wavelengths are able to make it through the Earth’s atmosphere while the shorter wavelengths are scattered away. This is what causes the Moon to appear orange or red during a lunar eclipse!! The more dust or clouds present in the Earth’s atmosphere during the eclipse, the redder the Moon will appear!!
A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Moon and Earth are not lined up perfectly, and the Moon only passes through part of the Earth’s shadow. This gives the appearance of the shadow growing and shrinking, while never fully covering the Moon.
A penumbral lunar eclipse is the hardest one to spot, and if you didn’t know it was happening, you probably wouldn’t notice!! When we are talking about lunar eclipses we are talking about two parts of the Earth's shadow, the umbra and penumbra. The umbra is the darkest part of the shadow, directly behind the object the light is shining on, and forms a cone shape. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon passes through the Earth's umbra. In a partial lunar eclipse, the Moon passes through part of the Earth’s umbra. In a penumbral lunar eclipse, the Moon passes through the Earth’s penumbral. The penumbral is the lighter shadow area, around the edge of the umbra. This means during a penumbral lunar eclipse, the Moon only dims slightly, making it hard to spot.
Full Moons illuminate our darkest parts, those fears and all the pain we have stuffed down over the years. As the Moon rules our emotions, Full Moon’s are a time when those emotions are pulled to the surface and we can process them. During a Full Moon, we can look at those fears and obstacles that are holding us back from achieving our dreams. We can also look at the pain we are holding onto and the benefit we are gaining from it, how can we receive that benefit from a different source? It is also ideal for ending bad habits and generally having a clear out of all the thoughts, stories and things we no longer need.
But Full Moons are also a celebration. This is the high point of the lunar cycle, this is when we essentially harvest the seeds we planted at the New Moon. What are the results that you can see from the actions you have taken? How much progress have you made on your goals? So often, we wait until we complete a goal to celebrate it when we can celebrate all those little wins along the way to encourage ourselves to keep going.
Full Moons are a time for change, and lunar eclipses are a chance for big changes. In my blog post on solar eclipses, I talked about how an eclipse can often be a time when unexpected changes happen that present us with a challenge. This isn’t always the case, often the changes that come with an eclipse can be the best thing that has ever happened to you!! It is two sides to the same coin, some unexpected changes are seen as good and some as bad.
When working with lunar eclipse energy, think about the changes that you want to see in your life. This lunar eclipse will be in Scorpio, a sign of transformation and healing. Look at the resources that you have available to you and think about how you can make the most of them. What pain in your past can you finally heal, and how can you use that pain as a lesson to help you to grow? Eclipses are about thinking BIG, even if you don’t have all the details worked out.
I hope you have found this week's blog helpful. If you would like to talk with me about how you can work with the moon more in your life, then book a free call using the button below.
