If you’ve been feeling weird vibes over the past couple of weeks, we may know why. A 2022 lunar eclipse is happening on May 15-16, depending on where you are. This special celestial event, which happens every six months or so, is known to be a cosmic wild card because it ushers in radical emotional transformations, says claircognizant diviner Amber the Alchemist. (Consider this permission to blame all the tears you’ve been shedding lately on the moon.)
This lunar eclipse marks the end of 2022’s first eclipse season. It kicked off on April 30 with a solar eclipse, which always coincides with a new moon. That’s probably when you started to feel growing pains. Since then, the moon has cycled through its typical phases—waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous—and now, we are reaching a full moon. However, you’ll notice it won’t illuminate the night sky as its usual bright white orb. Instead, deep-rooted emotions you’ve been hiding away from yourself and others will be brought to light for “the purpose of transmuting, healing, and evolving,” says Amber. All of this is because the full moon is happening alongside the lunar eclipse.
What is a lunar eclipse?
To fully understand lunar eclipses, you must know that the moon doesn’t glow on its own. Its brilliant white light in the night sky is actually a reflection of the sun’s rays, says astrologer Christa Lei.
When a lunar eclipse occurs, the sun’s rays can’t reach the moon because “the Earth cozies up between the sun and moon” during this cosmic event, says Amber. As a result, the moon may appear to be hidden for a temporary period of time, depending on where you are in the world. Milk Makeup calls New York home, so we’re welcoming in this eclipse energy—along with our brand-new Pore Eclipse Mattifying Primer—at exactly 9:32 p.m. on Sunday, May 15. Hint: The lunar eclipse will be most visible (or should we say invisible) at 12:11 a.m.
In astrological terms, lunar eclipses take place when the sun and the moon line up with the North and South Nodes, creating a supercharged full moon effect. “The nodes represent portals to your destiny,” says Christa. “The North illuminates your way towards the future, and the South is the foundation and tool kit for the gifts and skills you carry in this life.” When the nodes are aligned, a collective energetic reset strikes.
Full moons typically mark culminations and peaks, so when you add in the lunar eclipse energy, you’ll truly be finding yourself assessing all that you’ve achieved in 2022 so far and what you plan to achieve in the second half of the year. You may even begin to reevaluate your career path, relationships of all kinds (platonic, romantic, and business), and even the way you present yourself to the world due to the unexpected shifts and changes the lunar eclipse brings.
What’s special about this lunar eclipse?
Other than Milk Makeup bringing something brand-new to your makeup routine, this particular lunar eclipse is happening while the moon is in Scorpio along the Taurus-Scorpio axis. Anyone with placements in either of these signs “will be particularly affected since the sun’s rays can’t find the moon,” says Christa. “Fellow fixed signs Leo and Aquarius could also find their worlds rocked during this eclipse season.” If you have placements in Scorpio, Taurus, Leo, or Aquarius, emotions are sure to be high and volatile.
What should I do during a lunar eclipse?
During a non-eclipse new or full moon, you might take time to sage your home, make moon water, or write down manifestations for the lunar cycle. However, now is not the time to do any of these. Christa seriously warns against doing any sort of rituals during eclipse season. “The energy is so unstable and turbocharged that most practitioners, including myself, do not have any traditional practices,” she says. In fact, eclipses are seen as bad omens in traditional astrological texts, and any talisman or spells made during this time can actually end up having a destructive effect on your life.
Instead, Christa recommends taking this time to be as gentle with yourself as you possibly can. Nurture the parts of yourself that you’ve been neglecting. Luxuriate in every step of your routines, beauty and beyond. Catch up with friends and loved ones. And most importantly, rest.
Amber recommends taking baths with your favorite flowers, essential oils, and herbs to help support and protect your emotional and spiritual energies. This lunar eclipse, she’ll be throwing some red rose petals into hers because they’re the highest-vibrating flower.
“When we think about roses, we know they don’t have the longest life span, but I like to think about how much more beautiful and dramatic they are towards their last days of vibrancy,” she says. “They lean into the transformation as their petals expand outwards, gently distancing themselves from the newer petals, allowing room for new growth.” Thinking about this process feels medicinal to Amber and helps her remember that it’s okay to bow out of outdated situations to make space for change and—most of all—herself.
“Life is hard enough as it is,” says Christa. “With eclipses and their tendency to shake things up, the best thing to do for celebrating and honoring them is to honor yourself.”
Meet the Experts:
Christa Lei (she/they) is a queer-identified Filipinx astrologer with a background in healthcare, public health, and psychology based in New York City. She often incorporates reiki and tarot into her practice and strives to create trauma-informed, feminist, liberation-focused, kink-, polyamory- and queer-affirming spaces for her clients.
Amber the Alchemist (she/her) is a clairaudient, claircognizant diviner. She works with tarot and oracle as tools for personal healing, spiritual alchemy, ancestral connection, business consultations, clarity, and higher wisdom. She also works with her mother, who is also a healer, as one half of Brown Girl Alchemy to help reclaim and demystify Black healing.
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