16 AUGUST 2008 Lunar Eclipse: Rituals and Meditations for the Full Moon in Aquarius

Photo by jetalone; creative commons license.

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Honestly.  I hadn’t planned to post about the upcoming lunar eclipse quite yet, but here we are on 8 August 2008 (08/08/08), half-way between eclipses, and already the meditative image for the Full Moon eclipse is fiercely strong in my mind’s eye.  I don’t know how long I’ll get these “interactive meditations” or how far the images will progess (though I had a glimpse tonight of the next several), but I feel inclined to share them and hope they’re helpful to you in crafting your own rituals and meditations over the next week.  If so, I welcome a comment (even anonymous) below.

If you are not already somewhat comfortable with eclipse-energy work and  have not already read 1 August 2008 Solar Eclipse: Rituals and Meditations for the New Moon in Leo, then please read it first and then come back to this post because I won’t repeat myself here.  Okay, maybe a little.

Here’s what’s different from the aforementioned post on the Solar Eclipse of 1 August and how I’m using it this time around.

Event:  Full Moon–and it’s a partial lunar eclipse.

Where:  Not visible in North America, so here in Northwest Florida, I’m out of luck.

When:  4:16 PM, Central time here in the Florida Panhandle, August 16, 2008–and the timing will be perfect for some backyard serenity with my feet in the grass and a small bonfire going.

Signs:  This lunar eclipse is the second half of a pair of Leo-Aquarius eclipses.  This eclipse is in Aquarius–specifically at 24 Aquarius 21, or rounded off to 24 degrees Leo.  That degree is represented by the Sabian symbol for  “A butterfly with its right wing more perfectly formed.”  That’s as symbol that resonates nicely for me and speaks to me of transformation and individuality.  The sign of Aquarius is important to the type of energy or influences at play.

Aquarius energy, to me, is all about individuality, vision, change, revolutionary ideas, and ideals, though there’s a humanitarian/political/service aspect as well.   That’s the energy I want to attune to for my meditation. And, as my regular readers know, I have a stellium in Aquarius that makes me seem like a very emotional Aquarius instead of a Pisces girl.  With all those planets in Aquarius, I suspect I’ll feel this one strongly.

Houses:  For me, this eclipse takes place in my Twelfth House (spirituality, secrets, the unknown, the subconscious).  These are areas where I want to concentrate when meditating on changes and improvements.  I could focus on other areas but if I can match the energies, then it’s like getting a tail wind to give me extra mileage.

If you don’t have a natal chart already, I recommend http://www.astro.com where you can find out quickly, at no $$$.  Please don’t ask me to do it for you: this information is free but my time isn’t and after too many decades, I’ve finally learned to value my time.  I’m giving you a ton of information, so use it as a starting place in your own spiritual self-education.

Conjunctions:  This eclipse will be conjunct my natal Jupiter, so I’ll be looking very closely at some expansion/business/visionary issues in my Twelfth House, starting with this eclipse or perhaps occuring in a month and then unfolding over the next six months into a new way of life for me. It’s also very close to my natal Mars and South Node.  Check your own chart to see what planets are near or exact 24 Aquarius to have an idea of where you’ll feel this eclipse most.

Length of Meditation/Ritual:  Once again, I’ll be using my slingshot ritual method, meaning I like to harness all that eclipse energy and as the light returns, send the energy out superfast and powerfully with my intentions–like the extra force you get from pulling a slingshot alllllllllll the way back before letting it fly!

Meditation Images:  In previous posts, I’ve shared my images for my own meditations and others have found them useful as well.  (search meditation or ritual for those posts). I have, for several months now, been seeing the moon’s emotional energy as a river.  In June, I was drawn to the idea of BRIDGES over the river of energy, connected past to a new future.  WIth the July Full Moon, I was drawn to the idea of the riverbanks or walls and how they structured that emotional energy.  For the August New Moon eclipse, I focused my attention not on the river itself or the bridges or the riverbanks but to playing on the river, with a sense of surfing or sailing on the river as I turned the riverbend, heading out into a wide, green vista.

The image I get that’s specific to this August Full Moon eclipse is one of the river shifting under me at first.  If you think standing on shaking ground is tough, what about standing on a rolling river’s rapids and surfing them?  With this eclipse, there is information to be revealed and as changes take place, the sense is RISING ABOVE.  It’s a feeling of moving from surfing on a moving, shaky, changing surface to…PARASAILING, letting the wind lift you up above the turbulent waters.  This feels especially true of changes in world events as well as changes in our own personal “world” events.  With so much volatility recently, it will be easy for many people to focus on the unknown and the scary aspects of what’s happening but instead, this is an opportunity to latch onto a new vision that will be the wind in your sails and lift you up over the coming months.

Watch for an update in the next week when I discuss a significant closure and new phase in my own life, coinciding with this eclipse and echoing a previous long-ago eclipse that you’ll want to review in your own charts.  ADDED:  Part 1 is here.