“Do not swear by the moon, for she changes constantly.

then your love would also change.”

― William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Eclipses are notorious for amplifying emotions, and for many the desire to suppress lunar-driven angst far outweigh the gumption to stand in the dark and face our anxiety. This post is about showing up to locate the intelligence that exists within that tension and to view it as a strong request for change.

I see this morning’s eclipse as a threefold event. Not only will we experience a total lunar eclipse with the moon in Libra, we’ll also have the opportunity to work in tandem with Libra’s influence which strives to bring balance to our ever evolving relationships. The call for harmony, combined with an uncompromising cry for change, prompt us to address any tension that may be causing disharmony in our relationships. Rather than sweep that tension under the rug, let’s divine solutions from eight distinct stages found in the lunar eclipse.

Here’s how it works.

If this is your first time to visit my site, welcome! Please detour here if you wish to learn more about casting sheets and the art of casting with the Lenormand Revolution or Magpie Oracle I and II. The majority of my posts present casting opportunities, however they are in no way limited to my products. With a little creativity, just about any divination system will work. And now, back to casting.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon align and closely make a straight line. The Greeks called this event syzygy, meaning paired or yoked together. For many, the eclipse represents beginnings, endings and the tension that happens when heavenly bodies line up and pair.  The goal of this casting sheet is to follow the eclipses’ lead and to divine and observe its eight phases as a way to bring balance to our relationships.

As a side, this event happens in the wee hours of the morning making it difficult for even the most committed diviner to wake and cast. However don’t set that alarm just yet.  The residuals of an eclipse have been known to linger for up to a month. In other words, you have time.

Using your Magpie Oracle casting kit (cards work with this too!), pull three charms for each position listed on the following casting sheet. The first charm represents you, while the second represents the relationship and the third reveals the solution or change that wants to happen in your relationship.  Let’s get started.

(Click, Print & Divine)

The 8 Stages with Corresponding Question

• Stage 1:  Moon enters penumbra. The penumbra, from the Latin paene “almost, nearly” and umbra “shadow” is the region in which only a portion of the light source is obscured by the occluding body. The penumbra is the pale outer portion of the Earth’s shadow. The Earth’s penumbral shadow is so faint that it remains invisible until the moon is deeply immersed in it.
• What portion of your shadow are you choosing to keep invisible in your relationship?

• Stage 2: Penumbral shadow begins to appear — Start looking for a very light shading to appear on the moon’s upper-left portion. The shading will appear to spread and deepen. Just before the moon begins to enter the Earth’s dark umbral shadow, the penumbra should appear as an obvious smudge or tarnishing of the moon’s left portion.
• What obvious mark does your shadow leave on your relationship?

• Stage 3: Moon enters the umbra. The umbra (Latin for “shadow”) is the innermost and darkest part of a shadow, where the light source is completely blocked by the occluding body. The moon now begins to cross into the Earth’s dark central shadow. A small, dark scallop shape begins to appear on the moon’s upper-left-hand limb. The partial phases of the eclipse begin, the pace quickens and the change is dramatic. deep shadows of a brilliant moonlit night begin to fade away.
• What is at the core or darkest part of your shadow that you’re ready to expose?

• Stage 4: Total eclipse begins — When the last of the moon enters the umbra, the total lunar eclipse begins. All light is changed and blocked leaving an eerie red glow.
• What happens in your relationship when you completely remove your light?

• Stage 5:  Total eclipse ends — The emergence of the moon from the shadow begins. The first small segment of the moon begins to reappear.
• What harmony wants to emerge from viewing the shadow of your relationship?

• Stage 6:  Moon leaves umbra — The dark central shadow clears the moon.
• What are you prepared to clear from your relationship?

• Stage 7:  Penumbra shadow fades away — As the last, faint shading vanishes off the moon, the visual show comes to an end.
• What wants to end in your relationship?

• Stage 8:  Moon leaves penumbra — The eclipse “officially” ends, as the moon is completely free of the penumbral shadow.
• What new fullness will your relationship reflect after this divination?