Throughout history, eclipses have been described as a disruption of the natural order of things. The Book of Joel states that “the sun will turn into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.” People would often deem them as bad omens, however in more recent times we believe them to symbolize a significant period of change or evolution. I have come to realize that people hate change, and will push back against anything that makes them question their beliefs. We see it all the time, especially in our current political climate. Sometimes the ideas that we hold dear are in fact harmful to others, and it isn’t always our fault. As a white woman who grew up in the United States, I am inherently racist. How could I not be? It’s what we are taught. It is however my responsibility to unlearn these things, to become a better more inclusive person. It is during these lunar eclipse times that we find that insight into those shadows of our lives.
We’ve actually been in this Taurus series for the better part of a year now, the first occurring on November 19, 2021. It was also a Full Beaver Moon, that time of year when beavers take shelter in their lodges, having accumulated enough food for the long winter ahead. This was the start of a two-year cycle, and we have made it to the three-quarter mark. Huzzah! The second was on April 30, 2022, except this one was a Solar New Moon Eclipse. Our final eclipse in the Taurus series will occur on October 28, 2023, hopefully wrapping a pretty little bow around our efforts. The evolution of our souls, much like the evolution of the natural order of things, takes time. This isn’t something that can be ordered off Amazon Prime, although wouldn’t that be nice. In a world of ‘I want it now’ we must learn to cultivate some patience, with ourselves and with others.
This is the second and final lunar eclipse of the fall season, the first being on October 25 in Scorpio. This one being in Taurus, symbolized by the bull, invites us to look into ways we may be trying to thrash our way through this life. There is a difference between standing your ground and being stubborn. The archetype of Taurus, being in the second house, takes us past our ego into the realm of material things. This is not to be confused with being materialistic. In the first house of Aries, we are introduced to our egos in their most basic sense. Now we are invited to look at the world around us and to find those things within it that support our identities. The fact that this lunar eclipse occurs near the North Node only leads us into more expansion and growth. Since we’ve already been in this for a hot minute, we should start to see the path forming ahead of us. It is up to grab it by the horns and take it.
Evolution does come at a price, for we have to let some things fall by the wayside in order to make room for this new and vast unfolding of our true selves. We have to shed those limiting beliefs, those societal and cultural constructs that go against our very nature, and those things that are no longer serving us. Sometimes this comes in the form of lost relationships, so expect some grieving to occur. Sometimes our various relationships get allocated to different pedestals, people who were at the forefront get pushed to the background of our lives. Sometimes (okay maybe this one is just me) we realize that we didn’t even put ourselves on the damn Olympic podium. That was a personal mind-fuck. None of this is wrong or bad; it is simply the way of life. We are born thinking our parents are gods, only to realize later in life that they too have no idea what they are doing most of the time. We are all literally flying by the seat of our pants.
The Taurus Lunar Eclipse Full Beaver Moon will hold its full illumination on November 8 at 6:02 AM EST. Lunar eclipses happen when the Earth slides itself between the moon and the sun, casting a shadow onto the moon. When it is completely obscured by the Earth’s shadow, the moon casts a reddish glow. Revelation 6:12 states, “and I beheld when he had opened the 6th seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became as black as sack cloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.” It makes sense when you read the history why people would have thought that the apocalypse was coming.
Apocalypse is defined not as the ending of the world itself, but as the ending of the world as we know it. One definition, provided by dictionary.com, says that it is “a prophetic revelation, especially concerning a cataclysm in which the forces of good permanently triumph over the forces of evil.” A revelation is defined as something being revealed or disclosed. Lunar eclipses gift us with insight into ourselves. It shows us the things that we need to work on in our own lives. Each eclipse offers us another layer to peel away, much like an onion. It is up to us to realize our own potential and gifts to bring out into the world. We all have the capacity to do something great with our lives, to leave a legacy for future generations. If only we could get out of our own way.
Mad love, Jenna
