Tuesday 17 September 2024

Super Harvest Moon & Partial Eclipse Tomorrow

The next full moon is on 18 September, but it will rise at just after 7pm UK time tonight. It's the Harvest Moon and also both a  supermoon and will undergo a partial eclipse. 

A supermoon happens when the moon is closer to the Earth than usual. Lunar eclipses only happen when the moon is full because that's when the moon is directly opposite Earth in relation to the sun. They are rare, however, because the plane at which the moon orbits the Earth is slightly tilted.

Lunar eclipses are sometimes feared as bad omens, although according to The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland, by Steve Roud, there are no specific superstitions attached to eclipses of the moon or sun in England. My own belief is that during a lunar eclipse our hidden fears can come unbidden into our thoughts and dreams - and it is a good time to face those fears and realise that, like a lunar eclipse, they probably aren't that bad after all.

On the topic of the Harvest Moon,  I wrote in my book Pagan Portals - Rounding the Wheel of the Year:

"While modern witches celebrate all full moons, September’s was of particular importance to our ancestors who worked the land. The full moon at this time of year can be seen almost throughout the night if the sky is clear – from shortly after sunset to sunrise. This allowed people to continue working outdoors when the sun had gone down to bring in the last of the grain harvest. Afterwards there was still light for singing and dancing in celebration."

This Harvest Moon and eclipse are close to the time of the equinox, when the day and night are equal length, which is a good time to work on getting balance in life. The full moon prior to that can be the perfect time to contemplate that too, and also do scrying or divination to help you understand what that balance could mean in your own life.

You can also use the power of the super Harvest Moon to cleanse, charge and bless candles you intend to use for spellwork.

If you want to watch the eclipse, it is during the night between Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th and starts at 1.41am London time. The peak will be viewable from London at 3.44am.
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