The Blood Moon Survival Guide: How to Navigate Eclipses, Supermoons, and the Lunar Nodes
Without fail, each month seems to bring new and unique astronomical — and astrological — phenomenon. While this has been a year of big astrological aspects, these aren’t what gets media attention. Social media especially seems to be all about the moon.
Which probably shouldn’t be a surprise. As the closest celestial body to Earth, the Moon was astrology’s traditional indicator of the common people, the most human of the divine wandering stars above. But it also moves the fastest, meaning there’s always something going on with it — the Moon changes signs once every 50-something hours, blazing through all twelve signs in just over 27 days. It constantly moves in and out of aspect with other planets, stars, and asteroids.
Many of the clever names assigned to lunar phenomenon derive from traditional timekeeping, evoking other natural phenomenon heightened for the season. November’s Beaver Moon was a reminder to set fur traps as the creatures made themselves scarce for the winter. Similarly, May’s Pink Supermoon was a let-down for many eager stargazers as the name refers to the pink flowers that begin to carpet the ground in spring.
Supermoon is a relatively new term given to full moons in perigee, the closest point to the earth in lunar orbit. There is of course an opposite phenomenon, the lunar apogee, which actually has its own astrological significance: marked on charts as Lilith, it doesn’t enjoy the same media hype likely because it doesn’t look as impressive in photographs.
Last night’s Micro Beaver Full Moon Eclipse did occur near the lunar apogee but there was plenty of other significance to be found. Eclipses must occur no more that 12 degrees from a lunar node, an astrological axis of karmic buildup and release. These nodes often spell massive changes around public thought and reception for certain topics, pointing to underlying lessons of a moment in time. The average cycle lasts about a year and a half, give or take the annual eclipse season. Each eclipse that occurs along this axis acts as a sort of checkpoint, a moment of heightened awareness surrounding the nodal theme which allows us to measure progress, gather new information, or make shifts in our approach.
So what exactly does one do when the new reports the approach of a Micro Beaver Blood Moon Eclipse? What about when we start hearing about next year’s particularly ominous-sounding Hunter Blood Moon?
Well…nothing.
There’s a current trend that equates action with observance. If you don’t do something, you clearly aren’t aware. And in our current Gemini-Sagittarius nodal axis, ignorance is a cardinal sin. But not all events will have significance for you. People with strong placements along the current nodal axis — luminaries, cardinal points, even those born along the same nodal axis — may feel eclipses more than others as they have stronger ties to the energetic themes. But observation isn’t compulsory.
Sometimes these themes take whole cycles to play out. The first eclipse in a cycle often arrives as another wraps up, as was the case with last night’s Taurus full moon. December 4th will bring the final Sagittarius eclipse in this cycle and in January of 2022, the nodes will move into Taurus and Scorpio, ushering in two full years of eclipses in those signs. Last night’s eclipse was merely a preview of what’s to come. You may not fully understand the message for another year or more. Nodal themes are often abstract, playing out on multiple scales at once. What you see on an individual level may vary from the collective experience. One may hit before the other. Most people only see these themes in hindsight.
Astrology was once the concern of kings and priests, a language spoken by magicians and scholars. While the masses were certainly represented in the cosmic design, there was little public concern for individual horoscopes with no emphasis on personal growth. Not every astrological phenomenon will apply to everyone and some may never see the significance in their own lives. Not every lunation requires ritual observation, nor does every astrological aspect warrant celebration or fear. Listen to your heart — and your own consulting astrologer — and you’ll make it through just fine.
If you appreciate my work, please consider following me here on Medium and forwarding this article to others who may enjoy it. I rely entirely on recommendations and reader support to continue making content. Tips are not expected, but Ko-Fi donations are deeply appreciated. You can read my content for free through my weekly newsletter as well as personally curated content on astrology, magic, and spirituality.
Fairlie Theta is a professional astrologer and lifetime student of the esoteric. You can find more of her work and book a personal consultation through her website, ThatAstrologer.com