On January 20, 2019, we experienced a strikingly beautiful lunar eclipse that was visible by millions of people across North and South America and other parts of the world. The event was widely covered by the media and sparked a great deal of discussion about the meaning and impact of the Blood Wolf Super Moon Eclipse.
In this blog I am going to discuss the energetic impact of the lunar event and relate my personal impressions of what the eclipse has represented for myself and many of my clients. I’m writing this now because there is often very little information available on how to process the aftermath of planetary events, and I for one am still very much ‘in process’.
The effects of an eclipse are said to unfold over a time period correlating to its duration. Each hour that the sun’s shadow crosses the moon equates to one hours and 12 minutes in duration, so we will be processing its impact over the next five months.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
My activities on the night of the eclipse mirrored my experience of the weeks leading up to it. In a word, the hours prior to the event were chaotic.
We had been hosting house guests for the past week. I was scrambling to fulfill a last minute request for video footage, several clients needed emergency counseling, and my partner was frenetically packing to leave the country for three months for work. His 17 year old son was visiting for the weekend, there was equipment and luggage scattered all over the house, and more guests were arriving following day. An introvert by nature, I was at my wit’s end.
To take a break from the commotion I took my golden retriever out for an evening walk. The sun had just disappeared below the horizon so we were able to observe the transitions of light, shadow and color as the sunlight faded from the ‘day sky’ and the super moon rose to brightly illuminate the night sky. It was a partly cloudy evening and we weren’t entirely certain that the clouds would dissipate for a clear view of the eclipse. The temperature had dropped sharply, making it unusually cold for Florida. I was keenly aware of the swift convergence of these naturally occurring variables leading into the eclipse.
CRITICAL MASS
The sensation I felt during the stroll was an intense build-up of energy that was ready to burst, like air was being forced into a balloon already filled to capacity. It felt as though we were nearing the apex of critical mass before a major shift occurs. What was fueling the pressure was an increase in light which seemed to illuminate the inner workings of my life. It was like a spotlight was being directed at the areas in my life that needed to be examined, reprioritized, and potentially changed or immediately released.
This state of critical mass had certainly been occurring at a national level with the political, socioeconomic, and for many people very personal ramifications of the governmental shut down. The current presidency has brought our core values to light as result of constant conflict, divisiveness and drama but the shutdown only amplified the situation.
A number of my clients and friends had found themselves embroiled in highintensity situations in the weeks before the eclipse. Underlying circumstances that had been brewing for months or years suddenly came to a head, forcing them to take action. What had been hidden or unseen was no longer able to remain camouflaged. Much of the upheaval was centered around interpersonal relationships and evoked strong emotional responses. Many of my friends were forced to take a closer and more objective look at the people closest to them.
UNVEILED MOTION
For me the illumination was a jarring reality check bringing into focus not only what is important in my life but why it is important. No singular event occurred, it was more the result of an intense period of exposure to various people in settings that triggered long standing issues that had been flowing as undercurrents throughout my life. My intuitive insight was heightened and I found myself entwined in situations that revealed the inner motivations of the people involved, which in some cases was profoundly disappointing but ultimately very freeing.
I was forced to question who I am, my motivations, and if or how I am living in alignment with my values to express the fullness of my potential. I questioned how and why I give my power away by allowing the negativity of people who compete with or do not support me to interfere with my flow and purpose. I looked at my tendency to indiscriminately over-give to people who are habitual takers. I also came to the realization that my discomfort with self-promotion has limited my expression of important information that may be beneficial to otherpeople, beings, and our planet.
I was able to recognize why, how, and where I hold back from shining as brightly as I’m capable of, to my own detriment.
Other related themes that surfaced in the weeks before the eclipse had to do with fortifying boundaries, curtailing the impulse to overcommit, and remembering the need to prioritize health considerations which suffer when I don’t set appropriate boundaries.
INSIGHTS INTO ACTION
It’s one thing to glean insights and yet a whole other thing to implement actual change. Here are some of the tools I am using to recalibrate my life, which have also helped clients and friends:
Meditation
Many intend to start a mediative practice and never seem to establish a daily routine. I get it! But believe me, this is one of the best things we can ever do for ourselves and those around us. It only takes a few minutes each day, and the results are immediate and profound.
I currently practice mindful meditation, which is a process of increasing one’s awareness of being fully present within their body. After holding a trance state for a few minutes I do a simple energy activation process within each chakra. It’s like taking a quick shower to cleanse my mind and energy field. The end result is that I’m more in control of my thoughts, emotions, and responses to people and situations around me. It’s a ‘soft’ form of control, meaning I’m not as reactive and am able to remain more peaceful from the inside out, no matter what happens. Whatever your choice of meditative practice, it is well worth the investment.
Education
Knowledge is indeed power and also serves as a reminder that we are not alone in our experience. As themes arise in the process of making internal shifts, we can often find material that provides a deeper understanding of what is unfolding to trigger the shifts. There are so many instant and creative ways to learn, even when we are busy. If you don’t have time to sit and read a book or do an online search, you can listen to audio books or podcasts.
When in the midst of integrating new realizations I read or listen to books that elevate my consciousness and inspire new ways of thinking. By opening myself perfect timing.
Reducing Time Spent on Social Media
One of the most prevalent ways in which people now interact is through social media. These channels offer instantaneous connection with others and can be a rich source of information and inspiration. But it is also a highly addictive medium that can steal our precious time, warp our perceptions, and distract us from our purpose.
At the far extreme I have observed wonderfully talented people lose themselves in drama-driven, egocentric trappings of social media at the expense of being present in real time during incredible adventures. Their attention was fractured and the richness of the moment was lost. If this habit persists they risk losing a close connection to the here and now, which is in fact where we live.
I am far more productive and experiencially fulfilled when I limit my exposure and use social media wisely. As part of my work I create evocative imagery of marine life to inspire love for these beings and respect for our oceans. I firmly believe that we protect what we love. Social media is a fabulous channel for sharing my artwork with a broader audience and is an asset when used appropriately.
Conversation with Friends
It can be invaluable to discuss our challenges with trusted friends as long as we refrain from reliving the experience as we tell our story. There is a clear distinction between reliving the emotional upheaval of an event and reviewing the situation to glean meaning and inform better decisions in the future.
We can feel this difference in our bodies as we retell the story. When our emotions are triggered and we have a physiological response as result of those emotions, we are re-living an event. Our words can bring to life the anxiety, sadness, anger, grief, fear, frustration, etc surrounding a situation, causing our body to respond with physical symptoms of agitation. We might develop an upset stomach, have an increase in heart rate, raise the volume or tempo of our speech, and so on. Conversations that re-live a negative situation are detrimental because they perpetuate negative emotions, literally keeping the story alive in our minds and our bodies.
On the other hand, when we use conversation to review a negative event we intentionally remain detached from our emotional and physiological response. By becoming an objective observer of our own experience we can process these events with less suffering and greater ease. For many people it’s enough to be able to recognize this distinction in order to shift gears and use conversation as a way to connect, reflect, and heal. In addition to receiving the comfort of compassionate friends, the value of discussing our challenges is to gain a different, higher, or alternative perspective and derive insights that help us evolve.
Note: I’m not suggesting that we skip or side-step emotional responses that are integral to the experiences in our lives. It is essential to feel, acknowledge, and express our genuine emotions. However it serves no positive purpose to keep heavy, energy-constricting emotions activated for weeks, months or years after the actual event.
Physical Exercise
Few activities provide the instant sense of personal empowerment that regular exercise does. One of the quickest ways to assimilate and put new insights to practical use is to integrate the newfound knowledge within our body through movement. Difficult or emotionally trying situations can stop people in their tracks. Our instinct for self-preservation can cause us to constrict or turn inward to work through our ‘stuff’. This can sometimes manifest as a period of physical inactivity.
While we may not feel like it, physical activity helps to move stuck or heavy energy and emotions from within our bodies to be released. When we stimulate our circulation, increase our respiratory rate, and perspire we literally flush our bodies of toxins and increase the efficiency of our immune response. We grow physically stronger and become more emotionally resilient.
I like to keep my routine fresh by mixing visits to the gym for weight lifting and biking with yoga and martial arts training at home. Sometimes I’ll put music on and just dance around for 30 minutes (when no one’s watching!). It doesn’t matter what form of exercise you prefer— anything is better than complacency. A little activity goes a long way towards dissipating stagnant energy and it doesn’t take much to establish forward momentum to fuel a daily exercise routine.
Energy Clearing
ILLUMINATED FROM WITHIN
Since putting these tools to use in the aftermath of the January eclipse I feel lighter, less distracted, more motivated, and freer to express myself in loving, creative ways. My productivity has increased and the quality of my friendships has improved. In a sense I have internalized the illumination provided by the Blood Wolf Supermoon to shine more brightly from within.
These positive shifts are encouraging and bring up an important question: After an intense period of self examination, how do we know when we’re in the clear?
We all have unique internal cues that remind us of who we are at our core. I know that I have recalibrated back to a state of natural flow when my sense of engage with others with more patience, compassion, and an openly loving heart.
Another strong indicator that we have transcended a challenging period is a restored sense of faith. Renewed faith can act as a springboard to other positive mindsets like optimism and hopefulness. Knowing our internal ‘I’m on track’ cues can help invite them to resurface more rapidly into our conscious awareness so they can begin reshaping our external experience.
My hope is that this information will prove useful to those who have felt the impact of the eclipse and are working their way through it. Whether you incorporate any, all, or none of these suggestions, please know that you are not alone in your journey and that I’m holding you in my collective prayers.
