Eclipse season begins tomorrow with the penumbral lunar eclipse in Sagittarius. This is the first of three eclipses in a row, a rare occurrence, and it begins a brand new eclipse cycle that will last for 1.5 years. Though the eclipse itself is ‘weak’ it is still intense! Because we are entering a whole new cycle of eclipses, I felt called to give what wisdom I have around this subject of astrology. As we lead up to this eclipse (that occurs at 12:12PM PT tomorrow Friday, June 5th), there are key strategies to work with this particular intense energy.

You don’t need an astrologer to tell you that this is a monumental time of change; I’m sure you already know that. What I do want to inform you of is how to work with this eclipse and safeguard yourself from its potential harmful influences. I wouldn’t call myself an eclipse expert, but I have learned some things over the years and I see a lot of misinformation out in the world. At this time, especially if you are protesting and feel vulnerable, you may find this information useful.

The lunar eclipse will culminate at the center of Sagittarius, where the Moon and South Node will co-mingle from a distance (the South Node at 29 deg.). Sagittarius, the noble archer, is the sign of mutable fire. This eclipse is triggering the wildfires of our soul. As the fires shift and burn hot, the path may be difficult to predict or control at this time. A crisis may bring change to your personal spirituality, higher understanding, faith and the pursuit of ideals. How you approach these areas of your life is likely to evolve in new ways over the next year or so.

The South node, otherwise known as ‘Ketu’, acts as a release point in the chart. A south nodal eclipse can strip away stability in our lives, causing energetic disturbances, and delivering a karmic message. Thus, we cannot work with the lunar eclipse in the same way we would with a regular full moon. With a typical full moon we celebrate growth and abundance, but with Ketu we take an austere approach. Ketu is all about ‘spiritual growth’ and finding happiness from living a less materialistic focused lifestyle. If you’ve ever experienced that feeling of pure contentment from a deep meditation, you are tapping into this Ketu energy.

As we approach the eclipse tomorrow, I would suggest focusing on the condition of your spiritual life and where you hope to find clarity. On a positive note, the lunar eclipse can help you to radically purify an area of your life -- thus presenting a more meaningful path for you. All of us have an opportunity to cleanse our minds and hearts of negativity and delusion. If you are wanting to tap in more directly, you should consider what house Sagittarius rules in your chart and if you have any planets there. As always, you can also reach out to me to schedule a reading for more precise and personal insights.

I recently did an exercise, prompted by a Sagittarius friend of mine, where we wrote down a few of the most successful and happy people in our life that we knew personally. This was eye opening for me, as I realized every person on my list had a strong spiritual foundation of some kind. In our culture, we are pressured into thinking that success is only found by a narrowly defined path: getting a well paying job at a big corporation, getting married and having a couple kids. There is nothing wrong with these things, but they don't ensure any kind of real substantial happiness.

Here is a list of ways to work with the Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse:

Your energies may be down at this time, give yourself lots of time for rest.
Perform an energetic cleansing of your home and personal spaces. You can use whatever tools you prefer, such as sage or salt water.
Fasting (only if this is something you are accustomed to). You can also benefit by eating simple, healthy and small meals. In other words, don’t overindulge in consuming bad foods or drinking.
Take an epsom salt bath. You can do this the night before the eclipse and the day of the eclipse.
Wear an activated black charcoal mask or consume safely in a drink/smoothie.
Drink lots of water. The idea is to help flush out the toxins in a healthy manner.
Clean your home and altar(s). This is also a great time for de-cluttering and purging items in your space.
Meditation.
Perform a ritual for banishing, cord-cutting, or releasing of some kind (only do this if you are very experienced in the method). I recommend burning incense and lighting a candle.
Finish up a project that you would like to be done with! This can be a great way to release negativity and make room for new energy.
DONATE to a cause that supports and defends BIPOC against racial injustices (releasing your money to a greater cause to do noble work). Here is a list of suggested organizations: LINK