Portals of Opportunity: the Power of the Upcoming Eclipses

Did you know that eclipses are portals of opportunity? Or that what you set in motion at an eclipse can have a huge effect on your life for the next 6 months? The upcoming eclipse this May will be especially powerful in both ways.

Did you also know that there are eclipse “seasons,” and that they tend to happen twice a year? The ancients would not have had this experience, as eclipses occur much more rarely if you’re looking for them in your own night sky. Because of how they occur, eclipses are visible only in certain places around the world. Due to our global awareness , we now know that there are a minimum of four a year (two solar and two lunar eclipses). However, there are years with five, six (2020 was one of those), or even seven (1982 and 2038).  

A new beginning

You may have known that the ancients viewed eclipses with both awe and fear, as they always portended changes. This is especially true of the eclipses where the moon appears to be blood red. As I’ve been reading on eclipses, I found out that they are actually great vehicles for personal and spiritual transformation. 

The upcoming lunar eclipse on May 15/16, 2022 brings all of these gifts and more (and some challenges too). We are already in the midst of this year’s eclipse season, which began with a partial solar eclipse on April 30.  

As I have been working with attunement and healing sessions around astrological events, I have learned that eclipses are pivot points. They either begin something new (that’s the “flavor” of solar eclipses), or they are culminations and endings, together with sowing the seeds for new beginnings (that’s the “flavor” of lunar eclipses). 

This year’s eclipse seasons are especially powerful for a few reasons. The one coming up in May is powerful enough that one of the astrologers I follow says it’s a pivot point in what is already a pivotal year (more on that below). What’s more, the fall eclipses sound like they’re going to knock our socks off too!

What makes this year’s eclipse seasons so powerful?

Before I come back to the eclipse on May 15/16, I want to talk about reasons why of this year’s eclipse seasons are super powerful. First, they are all connected closely with Uranus in Taurus. Uranus is infusing very strong energy into all of these eclipses.  Uranus’ connection almost guarantees that there will be surprises. We may experience eruptions and disruptions.  Uranus also lends its energy of truth and awakening, which will add to the transformational potential of these eclipses.  Other aspects of this total lunar eclipse are themselves given wind under their wings by the Uranian energy. I will talk about those in a bit.

Next, the second lunar eclipse in November is also a total lunar eclipse, the second in one year. Total lunar eclipses are relatively rare events in and of themselves (they tend to happen once every 2 1/2 years). For two to occur in the same year is extremely rare.  

What’s more, the May 15/16 eclipse is in Scorpio, the south node, which represents all that we need to let go of and leave behind. The Nov 8 total lunar eclipse is in Taurus, the north node, which represents where you’re going. It is the place of the biggest personal and spiritual growth, as it will move you out of your comfort zone, ask you to develop new skills, and take you into the fulfillment of your life path.

These eclipses mirror the larger shift we’re being called to do during the 18 months while the south node is in Scorpio and the north node in Taurus. (For more on the meaning of the south and north nodes, as well as what it means for them to be moving through Scorpio and Taurus respectively, please see this blog  post). They seem almost tailor-made to help us do the transformational work that these nodes invite us to do. 

A collective pivot

With all of that as context, let’s come back to the total lunar eclipse on May 15/16. As I said above, it’s a pivot point in an already pivotal year. It is about purging, letting go. It’s helping you leave behind what’s no longer necessary. It’s also helping you shift into what is coming: the new that you’ve been dreaming about.  

This particular eclipse will bring heightened emotions: Full moons are already emotional. Add to this the fact that this is a supermoon (very close to the earth), and that it’s in Scorpio (an emotional sign), and you can expect to feel your own emotions strongly. You will also see heightened emotions playing out in drama around you.

Another factor in the May eclipse’s power is also related to the fact that it happens in Scorpio: it is bringing about a purging both individually and collectively. It’s almost a detox or cleanse for the world. This energy is very much related to the unraveling that we’re in the midst of, and will accelerate it. 

With power and creativity

As if that weren’t enough, there’s more: some particular aspects of this total lunar eclipse encourage you to think big, and also to take action on those dreams you’ve been dreaming during the Jupiter-Neptune meeting.  

And there’s still more! Mars is meeting up with Neptune at the same time. Whatever you’re creating will need to have a spiritual context/higher purpose. This energy will remind you that you (and all of us) are divinely guided. It also opens up the opportunity for open-hearted connections.

Last but not least, this eclipse is highlighting one of the big astrological themes this year: the encouragement and support to step into your power. This is internal power — the kind where you have an internal knowing and trust it. 

It’s going to be intense, say all the astrologers I’ve been reading. So hold onto your hats! 

How will you use this energy?

So how do you make the best use of this total lunar eclipse? First and foremost, find ways to stay grounded. Find your center.  

Remember that all the volatility, purging, erupting, etc, that you’re seeing all around you, while it’s drawing all the attention, is not the last word. In fact, that turmoil, and the seeming chaos associated with it, are necessary to help us move into the new. 

Second, look at what you need to let go of or leave behind. This could be physical (it’s a good time to clear out what you no longer need in your living space to make room for the new). It could also be emotional, relational, or spiritual. This could be a time of endings and permanent change. 

Next, take some time to dream big. Plant seeds for the future. What is it that you want to create in your life? What dreams have you been dreaming? How are they connected with your higher purpose or Spirit? Write your dreams down, along with at least one action step you can take, and commit to doing that action. 

This eclipse has immense potential for personal and collective spiritual growth and transformation.

Due to its importance, I am offering an attunement and healing session on the date of the eclipse itself, May 15. If you would like support in navigating all of this, or if you would like to use it as a portal of opportunity, then I invite you to join me. Here is the link for more information. 

My hope is that you use this portal as an opportunity to step even further into the new that you are birthing/creating.