The May Super Blood Moon 2021: what to know about the rare Full Moon in Sagittarius

WORDS Mia Steiber PHOTOGRAPHY Adrian Swancar PUBLISHED Wed, 19 May 2021 - 2:54 pm

May is a month rich with celestial events. Everything from Saturn's Retrograde to Mercury's Retrograde starts this month. But we'll also be treated to a special occurrence too - a Super Blood Moon. Yes, the May Full Flower Moon this year comes to us in the form of a rare Super Blood Moon

On the evening of May 26 at exactly 9:13pm, the Moon will reach its fullest point. But the reddish cast will appear much earlier, from around 6:47pm AEST. The process will last for just a few hours, but the reddest point during the total eclipse will last just 14 minutes from 9:11pm - so be ready and waiting if you hope to catch a view of this ominous sight in the sky. The good news is that most of Australia and all of New Zealand will get a full view of the entire celestial display.

What is a Blood Moon?

For a Blood Moon to occur, we need a very specific set of circumstances. These only occur during a lunar eclipse. In a lunar eclipse, the Moon passes through the Earth's shadow and the light from the Sun is blocked from illuminating it. Any light that filters through our atmosphere will cast a blood red shadow on the face of the Moon. In the instance that this coincides to when the Moon is in perigee (closest to the Earth), it is a Super Blood Moon - which is what we will experience come May 26.

What to expect from the Super Blood Moon?

Full Moons represent the climax of a lunation. The peak of energy within the current Moon Cycle where the themes and forces at work normally come to a head. A time of illumination, secrets are revealed and you may be struck with new and exciting ideas. The fruits of any manifestations during the New Moon will also be ready to be harvested.

Since this Moon is a Super Moon, we will feel all these influences more strongly. Energy will be high and moods will be tense. Since this Super Blood Moon falls in Sagittarius, be ready to feel the energy of this explorer sign rain down around you. Sagittarius is known for disliking boundaries and commitment. So do not be surprised if this Super Blood Moon makes you keen to ditch the shackles of life and responsibilities you feel constrained by. This energy may make the people around you feel especially flighty too.

Patience will be important to managing this Moon. Understand that just because you feel like quitting your job, ignoring your laundry and moving to the Maldives right now, doesn't mean you should actually do it. Remember that these feelings ebb and flow and what may feel oppressive right now, may be soothing and cathartic in the future.

But it's definitely not all bad. One true positive is that Sagittarius is a sign unafraid of change. This sign relishes the new and exciting. So if you need to introduce a new process at work, want to redecorate the house or plan a spontaneous holiday, the people around you will be much more receptive under the energy from this Full Moon. Also, eclipses in astrology represent "portals", offering us an opportunity to skip a few steps on our path. So, this Moon may also serve to propel us towards our greater goals.

Which signs are affected most?

There are a few signs that will be affected in particular. Earth signs, Taurus, Capricorn and Virgo are notorious for loving processes and order. So they may find the Sagittarius's dislike of responsibility to be frustrating. Especially Taurus who is no fan of change. Likewise, Leo and Libra also have a difficult time with spontaneity and change. Leos can be very set in their ways and Libras rarely like to leave their own balanced and well-thought-out comfort zone.