Lunar Eclipse Sept 17 at 10:34pm ET Purva Bhadrapada 1°28 Pisces: Purification Leads to Elevation

The Full Moon lunar eclipse will be in Purva Bhadrapada, a degree of sidereal Pisces meaning “the former one with lucky feet.” Its symbol is the front legs of the funeral cot, letting us know this is a eclipse is connected to endings: the conscious and empowering ones, the ones that are hard to do but we must embrace, the ones we are ready to release from and transcend. The funeral pyre energy tells us we must let go of what is complete, that renewal, rebirth and purification can only come when we face the ending with courage and the ability to release and let go. 

Governed by Jupiter, the planet of opportunity, authority and spirituality, Purva Bhadrapada is a powerful Vedic sign dedicated to walking a higher path, whose shakti is called “yajamana udyamana”: the power to spiritually elevate oneself through purification and devotional practice. This sign seeks knowledge and wisdom, and understands that the spiritual path requires leaning into difficulty and discomfort in order to grow — and so it is quite skilled at burning off karmas and limiting beliefs.

The symbols and deity of this Full Moon offer us insight and encouragement. One symbol is a man with two faces, showing us we stand on the threshold of two worlds, of two realms, of two possible realities. The deity Aja Ekapada, the one footed goat (also depicted as a unicorn), is said to be a form of Rudra the god of storms, telling us we can weather the storm – and that we sometimes need to be mindful of the storms we are part of. It has internal strength to persevere, regardless of adversity. Its name translates as “a ray of light,” reminding us of the silver lining we hold onto in challenging times. 

The veil is thin with this eclipse; being honest about who we are, what paths are complete, and where we are headed is the number one priority. Questions to consider and supportive activities for this time are below. 

Questions to consider:

•What are you worrying or feeling anxious about? Can you go for it anyway?

•What is it you are on the brink of?

•What storms have you weathered? 

•If you are on the other end, do you have a sense of calm and clarity?

•Can you see your own strength and uniqueness? 

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Supported Activities:

•We are supported in doing difficult tasks during this Lunar Eclipse Full Moon phase. If you have challenging projects ahead of you, the next few days and weeks are a great time to go for it. This can be actual projects but also emotions as this sign has an affinity to the rough waters and is quite skilled at confronting and moving old stuck emotions

•Think about modalities that support the following systems: rasa dhatu/lymphatic system (massage, rebounding, gua sha…), udaka and ambu vaha srotas/the water channels (focus on oleation and internal hydration)

•Modalities involving heat and water: saunas, sweat lodges, hot yoga, steam showers… the ideas is to bring the “issues in the tissues” (as Dr. Lad says) to the surface and to help purge them out. Ayurveda believes “swedana” – medicinal sweating – is key to releasing toxins (physical, environmental, emotional). As always, ask for guidance with this to make sure it’s ok for your system.

•Fire ceremony: write down the answers to the questions above and have a fire burning ceremony. 

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*Eclipses are revealing events in our lives and in the world. They shed light on areas ready to be focused on. It’s best to focus on spiritual practices during the hours around eclipses. Pregnant women should not look at eclipses. This particular Lunar Eclipse is in Purva Bhadrapada, a powerful degree of sidereal Pisces, one that is intuitive and very courageous. The upcoming Solar Eclipse is in Hasta, a grounded and intuitive degree of sidereal Virgo that likes to take inspired and practical steps towards manifestation. When we look at the two eclipses together as a pair, we can see it’s clear it’s a time let go, to purge and cleanse (internal and external) and to take measured steps towards personal fortification and moving on to the next thing on our karmic journey. (Solar eclipse forecast to come.) 

:::PEACE:::