First lunar eclipse of 2009

Grey-white sky above and grey-white roof tops below blending in a cold and silent landscape.

It's supposed to snow today and the sky smells of wood smoke and snow, dry and pungent and wintry, so here I sit reading and responding to emails, feeling like I'm the only one awake on this cold February morning less than a week since the groundhog, scared by his shadow, crawled back into his hole for another six weeks. I'm not averse to winter -- I actually enjoy it -- but I am hungry for the scent of budding trees and the sight of bright-faced crocuses and tulips winking above the frozen ground. I yearn for ice-edged breezes that give way to the warm fragrance of soft winds and trees filled with pale pastels in green and white and pink and blue and yellow, every color of a spring rainbow.

This week is filled with celebrations, ending with Beanie's birthday on Friday and Valentine's Day on Saturday. Birthdays and anniversaries and remembrances crowd my calendar and remind me it's time to get up and out, starting with the lunar eclipse tomorrow. The eclipse will be a penumbral eclipse, which is the weakest kind of eclipse, when the moon moves into the other edge of the Earth's shadow and some sunlight reaches it. It will be barely detectable even with a telescope, but mine will be set up and I'll watch anyway. The eclipse begins at 7:38 p.m. here in Colorado and ends at 12:37 a.m. The mid point will be at 9:38 p.m. when the eclipse is at its greatest penumbral point. (Penumbra mean under the umbra, or shadow.)

This year is going to be an interesting roller coaster ride that will end with a blue moon (second moon in a month) on New Year's Eve. Now that's going out in style.

For those of you not tuned into the effects of a lunar eclipse, I offer this little bit of astrological info.

We tend to be more emotionally expressive during a full Moon, and this time around, that bright orb in the night sky is no exception. Meaningful change is upon us. This eclipse in Leo emphasizes emotional reactions, and psychic sensitivity, spiritual instincts and emotional connectedness will all be heightened during this period. There will be feelings of freedom as blockages melt away. Let go of beliefs that don't correspond with your current reality and you'll be able to see the present in a new light. You're free to redefine your personality and your image. A new hairdo or new clothes would do you a world of good!

A old phase ends and a new one begins. Whatever part of your life is not in sync with your true life's purpose will be the most affected This is revealed by where this eclipse falls in your personal chart.

Now is the time to make changes in your life, to check your options and do a little spring cleaning, throwing out what no longer works and making room for better and wider possibilities. The world is full of possibilities, so if you've been stuck in a rut or feeling stagnant and immobile, now is the time to get up and get moving.

On a side note, this is my 1,003rd post in this blog. There is more yet to come.

That is all. Disperse.