Blood Moon: Total Lunar Eclipse

November 8, 2022

Please note that I am a sidereal Vedic astrologer and my calculations are based on the sidereal zodiac, Lahiri ayanamsa, not on the tropical system used by most western astrologers.

A total “Blood Moon” lunar eclipse will occur on November 8, 2022. Total lunar eclipses occur at the full Moon phase when the Earth is positioned exactly between the Moon and the Sun. The shadow of the Earth falls upon the surface of the Moon, dimming it and sometimes turning the lunar surface a ruddy color over the course of a few hours.

A lunar eclipse occurs at least once every six months. This type of astrological event will take place either two weeks before or after a solar eclipse. In this case, the lunar eclipse will take place two weeks after the solar eclipse which occurred on October 25. This Blood Moon lunar eclipse will be the second and final lunar eclipse of 2022. According to EarthSky.org, the “total lunar eclipse will sweep across Asia, Australia, the Americas, and the Pacific.” The duration of totality will be about 85 minutes which means this is a very powerful eclipse. Here are the exact timings from the EarthSky website:

• Penumbral eclipse begins at 08:02 UTC on November 8 (3:02 a.m. EST).

• Partial eclipse begins at 09:09 UTC on November 8 (4:09 a.m. EST).

• Totality begins (Moon engulfed in Earth’s shadow) at 10:16 UTC on November 8 (5:16 a.m. EST).

• Totality ends at 11:41 UTC on November 8 (6:41 a.m. EST).

• Partial eclipse ends at 12:49 UTC on November 8 (7:49 a.m. EST).

• Penumbral eclipse ends at 13:56 UTC on November 8 (8:56 a.m. EST).

• Maximum eclipse is at 10:59 UTC on November 8 (5:59 a.m. EST).

You can use World Time Buddy to convert these times to your local time, if necessary.

A lunar eclipse is always visible from half of Earth: Image: https://in-the-sky.org/news/eclipses/lunar_202211.png

November 8th is the day of midterm elections in the United States. This will be the first Blood Moon eclipse occurring on an election day in United States history. The results of the election are quite unpredictable as Uranus is conjoining the eclipse. Though this is the first Blood Moon eclipse to coincide with an American election day, a faint penumbral lunar eclipse did occur on a previous election day, on November 3, 1846. At that time, the Whigs gained 37 seats in the House of Representatives, defeating the Democratic Party and gaining the majority. A similar result in which the Republicans take the House of Representatives is likely this time, as well.

Keep in mind that in the month or so before and after a total lunar eclipse, we can experience heavy vibrations and an overall sense of insecurity or agitation, and emotional challenges for some. Unconscious or unresolved issues can surface and trigger a need for action during this period. Challenging personal, family, or professional matters may arise. On a more positive note, this can also be a very productive time of shifting consciousness and making healthy life changes for some. It depends on one’s astrological birth chart as to the impact of an eclipse.

The lunar eclipse occurs in Aries, a sign of initiative, dynamism, and forward momentum. However, the section of Aries that is involved falls within Bharani nakshatra, which can be associated with cruelty, suffering, destructive forces, and catastrophic accidents and shocking events, just as this nakshatra involves the process of death and rebirth. Mars, ruler of Aries, is stationing retrograde October 30 (and will be retrograde during this eclipse). Mars is also Out of Bounds now. All of this suggests a higher level of strife than usual in the month or so before and after this lunar eclipse.

The solar partial eclipse of October 25, 2022, occurred in Libra, the constellation opposite of Aries. The Libra-Aries axis has to do with relationships. According to the late Dane Rudhyar, Libra and Aries are “signs of unstable equilibrium,” with a tendency for “restlessness, nervousness, and often neurotic behavior.” With eclipses occurring here, the principle of “right relationship” becomes very significant. Right relationship means living in a state of alignment and harmony with oneself, and in peace with the other people and situations that surround us.

Most importantly, the Aries-Libra polarity principle is about b-a-l-a-n-c-e. How do I balance my own needs and expectations with those of others? How do I fulfill my goals and responsibilities while also managing to keep everything else in my life in order? How do I find a sense of equipoise within, remaining centered and peaceful even amidst inner or outer discord? Where might I need to make a compromise in my life? For all of these dilemmas, some of the best advice I can offer comes from Darwi Odrade in Frank Herbert’s Dune: “There’s no secret to balance. You just have to feel the waves.”

Eclipses are harbingers of change. They point to periods of personal transformation as well as big shifts in the material sphere (geopolitical changes). Lunar eclipses represent new awareness and disclosure of important matters that were previously unknown or misunderstood. All this is even more significant as the rising sign of the horoscope cast for the maximum lunar eclipse time in Greenwich (on the prime meridian) is in the Galactic Center in early Sagittarius in Mula nakshatra. This area of the lunar zodiac is ruled by a fierce Kali-like goddess named Nirṛti, who represents ultimate power, time, destruction, and change.

This Aries lunar eclipse involves the full Moon in conjunction with the North Node Rahu and the outer planet Uranus, and all are squaring Saturn, the lord of karma. This combination strikes a dangerous and volatile tone, and could even indicate an impending black swan event. We should expect the unexpected, including sudden reversals or shocking scenarios unfolding in the weeks around this eclipse. The eclipsed Aries Moon is opposite the debilitated Sun in Libra, which may indicate tendencies for impulsiveness, anxiety, and “brain fog.” It’s an especially important time to focus on maintaining inner peace and equipoise at all costs.

Rahu and Uranus with the Moon in Aries can activate big cosmic downloads involving enlightening ideas and unusually creative states of mind. However, in its lower expression, this alignment can trigger disturbed, paranoid, and delusional states of mind. On the positive side, scientific and technological discoveries and innovative initiatives may be indicated. On the less positive side, seismic eruptions, stormy weather, and air travel issues are possible.

Eclipses prompt and foreshadow change. They involve the whole world even if they are not strongly influencing an individual horoscope or geographical area. It is recommended that we rest, meditate, chant, recite mantras, pray, or do other kinds of contemplative, healing, or creative practices during an eclipse and especially in the maximum eclipse period (mentioned above). The subtle powers generated during a total eclipse are multiplied and enormously conducive to healing and spiritual empowerment.

According to Vedic and Native American traditions, it is not recommended to view an eclipse. The belief is that the occult effects of an eclipse can be detrimental to the psyche, and may have a deleterious influence on one’s health and other life matters. The light of a luminary (Sun or Moon) is temporarily cut off during eclipses. Similarly, the light of the outer world may also be temporarily cut off to us. It is thus better to go within and connect with the inner Light of the Self during an eclipse. This makes sense as our entire sublime energetic system also undergoes a transformational “rebooting” process at this time.

I plan to wait until after the eclipse to write more about the astral weather forecast for the month of November. Until then, I pray for love, light, and peace for all beings everywhere!