There's A Blood Moon Happening On Nov. 8

If you’re a follower of astrology, then you’re probably gearing up for the highly anticipated total lunar eclipse on Nov. 8, 2022. You may even be contemplating what the spiritual significance of a blood moon might be. After all, the typical full moon always wears its signature shade of white and this color change has probably got you wondering what a red moon means. Fortunately, it doesn’t mean that blood will rain down on the moon, nor is it an evil omen signifying the end of all days. In fact, blood has nothing to do with it, other than the crimson red color that mysteriously takes hold of your favorite light in the sky.

A “blood moon” is essentially a poetic name for what’s technically called a “total lunar eclipse.” On an ordinary day, the moon gets its shine from direct sunlight reflecting on its surface, but during a lunar eclipse, the moon moves through the Earth’s umbra (the darkest and most central area of Earth’s shadow). During this time, the Earth, moon, and sun are almost perfectly aligned. You’d think this would make the moon go completely dark, but instead, the moon gets illuminated by indirect sunlight (which surprisingly makes things far more interesting).

This is where the color red comes in. The atmosphere acts as a filtration system for sunlight, causing a color shift known as Rayleigh scattering, according to TimeandDate.com. This is, coincidentally, the same phenomena that creates all the many vibrant colors in the sky during sunrises and sunsets. Since the moon is only absorbing a tiny amount of sunlight and the color red is least altered in the filtration process, you get — voila! — a blood moon. Due to varying shades of this effect, it may even appear slightly orange, but don’t worry; an orange moon’s spiritual meaning is essentially the same as a red moon’s.

Scientific explanations aside, there’s a weightier reason why all of humanity has observed blood moons with reverence since the beginning of time (and countless astrological articles analyzing its significance are published every day).

The Spiritual Meaning Of A Blood Moon

An eclipse symbolizes beginnings, endings, culminations, and clean slates. Whether you’re ready for it, an eclipse is the perfect time to finally make a decision you've been afraid to make, to add your final touches to a project that’s been driving you mad, to break off a relationship that lately has been feeling like dead weight, to gather up the courage to ask your crush out, to finally start writing that novel, to quit your dead-end job and follow your dreams. Eclipses are necessary times that bookend the period of life you've been living in. Basically, this story is over, but a new one will begin tomorrow. No matter where you're at in life, the eclipse will push you out of our comfort zone. This might result in success as much as it could in failure, but one thing's for sure: By the time it's over, you will have grown.

Think of yourselves as actors in a play the universe has been directing and when the eclipse comes to town, the audience wants to see a climactic moment. There’s a good chance you’re beginning to feel the engines revving into action, the butterflies swarming your stomach, your heart beating a little faster than usual as you prepare for the final countdown to whatever the eclipse has planned for you.

As intense as this pivotal moment might seem, try not to worry too much. Even though the effects of an eclipse are often permanent, keep in mind that it also gives us a second shot at a new beginning because when one door closes, another one always opens. All full moons bring your deepest desires and feelings to the surface, but an eclipse yanks it out of you. Then, it sets it free, forcing you to embrace the process of transformation. After all, an eclipse has a tendency to push you toward your ultimate destiny. Let’s not forget that an eclipse always activates the lunar nodes, which are points in your birth chart that are directly intertwined with your fate.

On Nov. 8 at 6:02 a.m. ET, a total lunar eclipse will take place in Taurus, and Taurus is a zodiac sign that craves stability, commitment, and a patience that gives them enough time to make the right decision. Since it’s a *total* eclipse, it’s considered a blood moon, and is likely to induce within you a desire to lay down new roots, decide on what truly matters, and make a practical move. Taurus is also one of the most rounded zodiac signs of all, which will help you find your anchor as you embark down this new chapter. However, when it comes to an eclipse, you may not feel very sure of anything at all. And you know what? That’s OK.