Full Moon, Blue Moon, Blood Moon, Eclipse… Wha…?

I love the sight of a full moon. It’s such a powerful visual image.

In fact, it’s at the core of one of my common hypnotic inductions.

I suppose that any item in the sky could function as a place for the client to focus their attention for the induction, but we don’t stare at the sun for good reason (even during a solar eclipse), and stars are just too tiny.

The moon is perfect for many reasons. It’s easy to look at for long periods of time, it’s the same size as the sun in the sky, we associate it with night, sleep and relaxation. Lunar energy has long been considered female and calming.

Symbolism is a powerful tool in the human psyche.

We ascribe meaning to things that we perceive. Nowhere is this more prominent than in astrology.

Today, in particular, marks a unique celestial event. One that has not occurred since 1866: a Super Blue Blood Moon.

Oooooooh, sounds spooky, right?

But what is it really? And what does it have to do with your daily life?

Let’s break it down:

Super moon: A full moon that occurs when the moon’s orbit brings it closest to Earth. The moon’s orbit is not a circle, it is an oval, so at these times when the moon is closest, it appears 14% larger and 31% brighter than when it is farther away in its orbit.

Blue moon: The second of two full moons that occur within the space of one calendar month. OK, as we’ve discussed before, the calendar is an arbitrary meter of time’s passage. A full moon will always occur every 28 days. The fact that two happen to take place within the artificial construct of man’s calendar is really just a coincidence. It happens… I get it. It seems important, but really, is it?

Blood moon: An eclipse of a full moon. The moon takes on a dark red color as the earth blocks the light from the sun from illuminating the surface of the satellite. Great visual, kinda spooky, but it’s just physics.

All of these symbols were on full display this morning as I stood outside just to see what it all looked like when blended together. Yes, it was glorious to behold.

But what does it all mean?

Those familiar with astrology will tell you that this is the time to let go of old stories, of the things that have held you back and to set new intentions that will grow stronger as the energy of this special coincidence of events creates a new energy for your success.

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I’m all about energy and how to focus it for achieving goals. In fact, I co-wrote a book about it.

I’m not about to shut down anyone else’s belief system. In my line of work, I have to be open to endless possibilities. Every client is different, each has their own set of beliefs, and it is my job to honor those attitudes where they are as we begin moving toward the client’s goals.

I’m also about practicality.

As I think about this morning and the beautiful eclipsed moon that I saw, it reminds me of another ritual for life-change that is far more commonly accepted, yet just as random. This event occurred just a few weeks ago: The celebration of the new year.

Just as a waxing moon comes to the end of its growth with the realization of a full moon, the preceding year comes to its culmination with the arrival of December 31. The day feels like a time to seal up the past and prepare to start a new journey on the next day, January 1.

But does life really play out in small packets that are measured by the calendar?

Are you fundamentally different on January 1 than you were on December 31?

Probably not. But you will tell yourself that you are.

And therein lies the power of the mind.

While we have the power to make lasting life changes at any time during the year, we tend to like to have events that we can link these choices to. It’s a ritual that helps to empower the choice in our psyche.

In essence, you are drawing a hard line in the sand and saying to yourself, “I’m moving forward from here. The old me is back there.”

If you have a calendar reference, or a celestial event, to further mark the date of that choice (a way to denote that line in the sand in case the wind blows it away, or the tides wash it flat, or more likely, your memory fades), then you have an anchor to reinforce your new way of being. It’s a powerful tool, with more than just a bit of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) adding extra power.

Is there mental and emotional power in a full moon, or in this case a Super Blue Blood Moon?

Surely there is physical energy. I can see that when I walk to the beach and notice the extreme levels of the tides over the past few days. Low tide is much lower this week than it has been for months because the proximity of the moon is drawing that water away to create higher high tides in other areas. It will come back as the high tide cycles through my beach and then balance out as the moon begins to move farther away from the earth.

Sounds a bit like our lives, doesn’t it? Take on a new challenge, work at it feverishly and then go back to normal.

The mental/emotional energy of this event is metered by the significance that we individually assign to it. In other words, if you want it to have power, you’ll give it power. If you think it has no significance to you daily existence, well then, you’ll look at it and say, “Meh.”

For those of you who are reading this and are laughing at those who may have chosen to place power in this event, making a choice to create change in their lives on this day, I ask you, what totems have you used to mark decisions and milestones in your lives?

Do you have a lucky pen, or maybe a ritual that you repeat for good luck?

As we look for power in things outside of us, we give away and diminish our connection to our internal power. It is fine to create symbols to anchor our choices to create changes in our lives – essentially the creation of touchstones, reference points, that help us to remember the when and why for our choices.

But when we choose to make the choice BECAUSE of an external event, then we are weakening ourselves. In essence, we are saying, “I can only make this change in my life because of the power of the full moon/new year.”

When, in reality, we can make the changes at any time.

Belief is powerful. From voodoo curses to overcoming cancer, the power that we give to our beliefs, good and bad, resonates back to us.

If you believe that the appearance of a full, eclipsed moon gives you additional power for realizing your outcomes, then embrace this day and all of its glory. Go out, set your intention for your new life, and make it happen.

Please remember when you reach your goal, that you were the one who took action to accomplish it. Give yourself the recognition you deserve and begin to place your power of belief in yourself.