Is there a change on the Earth when there's an Eclipse of the Moon?
On Saturday this week, April 4, 2015, there will be a Total Eclipse of the Moon, starting at 6 am (Note that for the eastern part of North America, the Moon will set before eclipse achieves totality).
If we look at this eclipse through the cultural history of humanity, we can find that there are different things that go on when this first Full Moon of Spring is eclipsed. This is because, in many cultural traditions, Spring is regarded as the beginning of the spiritual new year. Looking into the celestial world to find the relationship between Sun and Moon and Earth every Spring was the way to find the 'cosmic call to destiny' for the coming year.
Now in the Jewish tradition, the Spring Full Moon marks the observance and celebration of the festival of the Passover. Traditions connected with this festival have included the observance of a curfew, so that people were in the practice of not going out at night, or specifically, of not going out into the light of the Moon.
When we get to the Christian tradition, we find in the New Testament description of the Last Supper, which is a Passover meal, that Judas Isacriot goes out into the night after this meal. More specifically, he goes into the influence of the Moon,or into an eclipsing Moon, which is quite a bit different than any of the other Spring Moons.
Because of this, there is a tradition of not going out into the light of the Spring Moon when it is being eclipsed, and instead to spend time in prayer and fasting.
If we look into the region of the stars where we find the Sun at this time, We find that the planet Uranus is in the same field of stars. Uranus was the first planet in the history of humanity that was discovered with the use of a telescope, which means it brought something new to human experience. Because of this, Uranus has always been regarded as a herald of change.
With a Total Eclipse of the Spring Moon, and the planet Uranus in the same region of the zodiac as the Sun, there certainly seems to be change on our horizon.
Partial Lunar Eclipse begins at 6:16 am Saturday, April 4, 2015.
Then the Sun will rise in the East at 7:19 am.
While the Moon is in the beginning stages of Eclipse, it will set in the West at 7:24 am
Total Eclipse starts at 7:58 am (this will not be visible in our region)
Greatest Eclipse will be at 8 am, and will last for only three minutes, until 8:03 am
Partial Eclipse ends at 9:45 am
