I wasn’t raised religious, nor have I ever considered myself the religious type but as far as my families go that’s a relatively recent development.  My mom’s Grandmother was a devout Christian Scientist who didn’t believe in the use of Western Medicine; she was Type II Diabetic and had her legs amputated without any anesthetic.  On my dad’s side, my Jewish Grandmother’s family fled to the United States from Lithuania in fear of religious and socio-political persecution.   My mom was raised Lutheran and my father had the first Bar Mitzvah in Corvallis, Oregon.  But after college, they both shifted to the belief system that they were ‘scientists‘ and that I wasn’t going to be raised in a church, or a temple, until it was my choice.

Growing up, my bedtime stories came from books of African and Native American folk tales; to boot, I was always encouraged to question everything.  The older I got, and more I understood the world – the more I was mesmerized by the magic of the everyday. Between the repeating geometric patterns found deep seeded within Mother Nature – like with crystals, foliage, seeds and animal spots, the use of irrational numbers such as Pi and Phi in everyday life, Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity paired with the plausibility of hidden (‘God’) variables –  it was easy to slip into seduction with spirituality.

In middle school, my first Tarot book and deck was handed down to me. By the end of high school, I’d been given three decks and now am the proud owner of five.  In high school, and thanks to the help of my best friend,  I dabbled in and around Wicca and was champion of my fair share of events that cemented those feelings down to my core.  Through various seances and meditations, I was granted brief yet unprecedented access across and into the next dimension of life and my perception of ‘reality‘ hasn’t been the same since.  Thanks to gifts from friends, some treasure hunting and assorted road trips to Zion – my crystal and gem collection has grown considerably, as well.  And now that I’ve moved in with Danny and our Catripod-mate Gio, we have two of the most beautiful shrines I’ve ever seen in the apartment.  It’s easy to lose myself in each single piece, let alone their big pictures; and every time I do, I walk away feeling so intrinsically blessed for the life I’ve worked for.

Tonight being a Full Moon, and a Total Lunar Eclipse at it’s a wonderful time to reminisce about the last twenty eight days, and the intentions you set during the new moon; it’s also an excellent night to get out your crystals and let the moonlight wash over them. Starting early this morning at 2:15 AM PST, the eclipse will commence and we’ll be treated to an unprecedented second Blood Moon of the year.  While April’s Blood Moon brought somewhat tumultuous changes into our lives and unruffled truths that we might not have wanted to confront – tonight’s will bring resolution and resolve. And remember, the effects have both been around for several days prior and will linger for a few days after.  Give yourself a few moments of reflection and meditation on who you’ve become over the last six months, and then focus your thoughts on your active evolution towards that goal; it’s a beautiful thing.

As for the light show we’ll be receiving from above – the reason the moon manifests into a reddish hue is due to the Earth’s positioning.  Because the Earth rests precisely between the Sun and Moon, the only light that reaches the Moon has been bent around us by the atmosphere.  By scattering the blue light, the Earth’s atmosphere emits a red hue that causes the moon to appear red.  If you happen to be seated on the opposite side of the planet, don’t fret – there’s a live stream just for you.