Fear, Love, and a Blood Moon

If you've been feeling any intense emotional currents lately, rest assured that you're not alone. Today marks the occurrence of the longest blood moon eclipse in a century, and astrologically, this is a pretty big deal.

Image: Huseyin Aldemir / Reuters (found on NBC article)

From National Geographic:

Get ready for a celestial double feature unlike anything seen in decades: Mars is about to make its closest approach to Earth in 15 years—just as the full moon blushes red in the longest “blood moon” eclipse of the century.Both the moon and Mars will dominate the overnight hours on July 27 and into the morning of July 28, traveling across the sky beside each other while appearing to be separated by only five degrees, equal to the width of three middle fingers held at arm’s length.

This amazing, beautiful blood eclipse will only be visible in parts of Asia, South America, Australia, and Africa, but even those of us who can't see it will be able to "feel" it. Eclipses help us to more forward and shed that which is no longer serving us, but change is painful, and the growth that eclipses facilitate may not always seem positive right away. Relationships may transform. Jobs may end. Rejection may be faced. But remember that the universe isn't out to get you. Stay strong, friends! Moving into the discomfort is the only way to break free of whatever it is that is holding you back from being your true, authentic self--the one fully capable of giving to the world and making it a better place.

“The doors to the world of the wild Self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door, if you have an old, old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it, that is a door. If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door.” 

― Clarissa Pinkola Estés

If we stay trapped in our rules, fears, and anxieties, we will never grow into who we are. Embracing change isn't about becoming an entirely different person but instead about recognizing who we are innately capable of being. Sitting in Mass, surrounded by incense and choir song, I often think about what the priest means when he encourages us to become the "best version" of ourselves. We're not being told to become somebody else; rather, we are trying to work on who we are so that we can fulfill our potential. This doesn't mean that we need to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be as amazing as possible . . . it just means that we need to think about who we are on the inside and how we can use our unique gifts and experiences to add to the world (instead of taking from it). Mother Theresa said that "we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love."


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