PHOTO © ALEX CARRILLO
December 31, 2009: Capricorn/Cancer Full Moon Lunar Eclipse (exact at 11:13 am PST)
Today’s Full Moon is also a Lunar Eclipse. Even if we can’t see an eclipse in the sky where we live, these celestial events are renowned for being very powerful in the way in which they can impact our lives.
A Full Moon Lunar Eclipse signifies a time when things come to fruition. It portends an auspicious time to let go of something that is outworn, whether it be a possession, a habit, a limiting belief, or a relationship that doesn’t serve your highest good. Additionally, eclipses provide a great opportunity for outward manifestation with life-changing events—sometimes expected, sometimes not—often happening around this time. As it’s also New Years Eve, the ritual of making resolutions for the coming year—what we want to release and what we want to create—may take on special value and import.
Situations that allow us to reflect upon how we contribute to the world–whether through our work, families, communities, or other ways–may arise. Concurrently, during this eclipse, we may gain a greater sense of how we feel about the legacy we are creating and whether it truly aligns with our deepest needs and desires.
We may feel extra sensitive today and experience a heightened need to feel safe, secure, and taken care of. At the same time, we may perceive that this may conflict with a desire to be a bedrock of strength for others. As such, it’s important to remember to own and express our feelings and that stating our needs is not a reflection of weakness but of internal strength.
This month’s Full Moon falls at 11 degrees of Capricorn (Sun) and Cancer (Moon). While everyone experiences the energies of a Full Moon, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around this degree in Capricorn, Cancer, or the other cardinal signs—Aries and Libra—it may impact you more intensely.
The events or realizations during this time may follow up on a thread that began around the beginning of summer since on July 7 we experienced a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse whose energies complemented this one. Today’s Full Moon features a Capricorn Sun and Cancer Moon while July’s featured a Cancer Sun and Capricorn Moon.
Full Moon Lunar Eclipse Apothecary Suggestions
Capricorn is associated with the skeletal system, joints, and skin while Cancer is associated with the stomach, sinuses, and breasts. Pay extra attention to these parts of the body and areas of health around the time of this Full Moon Lunar Eclipse.
Frankincense: Frankincense is one of the most sacred of scents. Used in temple ceremonies for ages, it can help us to open to the mysteries of life and creative cycles expressed during eclipses. It is also a great aromatic balm for Capricorn-associated rheumatic pain when applied with a massage oil. Using it in a diffuser, adding some to a mister bottle of water to scent a room, or mixing it with a few drops of plain body oil and applying it as a perfume are some great ways to enjoy it.
Skin scrubs: Reflecting the release-and-growth energy of the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse, skin scrubs can be a wonderful ritual to initiate today. They inspire renewal of the Capricorn-ruled skin, shedding dead skin cells, which allows the skin to better receive moisture. To do so, scrub your body with a sisal or nylon mitt or brush when in the shower. Some people prefer to use a little soap while others like to just use water; see which works better for you. If you’re rather, you could also try using natural sugar- or salt-based exfoliating scrubs, available in natural food stores and holistic pharmacies.
