Lunar Eclipse - Where Business Meets Astrology & Astronomy

It's amazing how easily distracted I allow myself to be prior to sitting down to write my blog. I had a nice canned topic all ready--I'm reading a business guru's book about ditching your old way of working and starting new projects powered by the Internet--and I thought I'd kick that around for a while. But with just a quick pass through the kitchen and a glance at the calendar, I decided to junk that topic. Flighty, fickle blogger.

Anyway, I'm fond of both astronomy and astrology, but I've never taken the time to pursue them as hobbies. Every once in a while I pick up an interesting layman's tidbit, however. I bought a bargain astronomy calendar last December with plenty of gorgeous pictures of planets, galaxies, nebulae, and other heavenly bodies. I also bought the aforementioned, not-so-cheap, kitchen calendar that gives the movements of nearly everything in our solar system and a few astrological implications of same.

Today I noticed that the Earth, the Moon, and the big nuclear furnace which we orbit had a penumbral lunar eclipse planned for tonight--apparently that's where the Moon passes through the lighter part of the Earth's shadow. It's not as dramatic as an umbral eclipse where the Moon more or less goes dark. The Moon just sort of turns a funny color in this one.

Those are reasonable facsimiles of indisputable scientific facts about the eclipse. But the astrologically-informed calendar had some no doubt disputable comments which were much more fun. In my admittedly limited understanding of astrology, it seems that when celestial bodies move, it influences the people living on this planet. I've always rather believed that's true. Just ask any law enforcement or corrections officer, first responder, or emergency room staffer about the full Moon and they'll tell you that it makes people a little crazy.

While the movements of the other planets in our solar system--and their satellites--have significant influences on our lives, so say the astrological sages, it looks to me like the Sun and Moon are often the biggest players in the game. The nightly phases of the Moon matter a lot, but an eclipse--well, an eclipse is a real biggy!

Now is you're an astrologer, or astrologically savvy, please don't call me mean names--or I get to use the delete button--for trying to make simpleton generalizations about this eclipse stuff--but I read a few astrologers' blogs and gleaned that this eclipse is about changes coming. Almost like New Year's, it's about saying good-bye to old disappointments and no longer useful ways of doing things and ushering in a new energy to move forward positively in new directions, maybe dusting off some old dreams and dreaming new ones.

Their comments reminded me of what the business guy was saying about making over your working life to fit your dreams--and not the other way around. So when you see that big ol', weird-colored moon out there tonight, let's hope that it gives us all a nudge in the direction of our dreams. And if it sends some of us toward the business guru's province, may it make us all as prosperous as A.J. Pierpont, the eighty-something billionaire industrial magnate in Remover of Obstacles!

Here's the partial scene-for-the-day from Remover of Obstacles:

My desk phone pealed and I picked it up without thinking. “Jude Hayes Investigations.”

"Jude, It’s A.J. I’m on my way back from Aspen. Elizabeth and Gisela are with me. We need to speak with you as soon as possible,” she said, her voice unusually strained. 

“Hi, A.J. Would you like to come to the office?”

“Yes, dear, that will be fine. We’ll see you in a little over an hour.” She   disconnected. 

Ming raised his eyebrows inquiringly.

“A.J.’s on her way here from Aspen with Bethie and Gisela. She sounded wigged out.”

                 “Like I said, Boss, there’s a bad moon rising.”

“You’re starting to sound way too much like Clicker and Jasmine.”

“Doesn’t mean I’m wrong.” Ming’s iPhone suddenly played Credence Clearwater’s—you guessed it—Bad Moon Rising—and he scowled at the number. “It’s Clicker.”