In a few days, a cornucopia of astrological activity culminating in Mercury will retrograde on July 26 following with a full blood moon and total lunar eclipse on July 27. 

This event will take place in the early hours of Saturday, July 28.  Anyone in Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America, no matter where you are, the eclipsed Moon will be low on the horizon, creating a moon illusion, an optical trick that makes the moon look massive.  You will be able to see the moon enter earth’s shadow at 4.24AM with the total eclipse beginning at 5.30AM. This total lunar eclipse will last 1 hour and 43 minutes, making it the longest eclipse of the 21st century; only four minutes off being the longest of all time.

Even though we won't be able to see the eclipse in North America, eclipses are powerful players in astrology, and they always stir up a lot of emotions.   Blood moons will affect our zodiac sign differently than regular full moons because they always accompany a total lunar eclipse.

If I can’t see it in North America, can I at least live-stream it?

Slooh, the website whose mission is to teach the world to explore space will live-stream coverage of the eclipse starting at 1 pm EST on July 27. Watch it right here by clicking on the image below.

During this same period, Mars is also closer to the Earth than usual. On July 31 it will make its closest approach, only being a cool 58 million kilometers away. This means it’s gonna appear even brighter than usual. In fact, until September, Mars will be the third-brightest object in the sky after the Moon and Venus. 

If you have a clear view of the eastern and western horizons, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars are all visible stretched out in a line of 5-planets.  Mars and Saturn are in the east, Jupiter is in the middle, and Venus and Mercury are in the west. The five planets will be intermittently visibly together for the next few years before Jupiter and Saturn move apart. After that, it’ll be another decade till we get this view the gang all together like this again.

But, what’s all this going to do to our body and mind?

Astrologer Annabel Gat has stood behind lunar eclipses as a good thing:  “Eclipses remove things that are no longer working—power structures, relationships, projects — for the purpose of putting us on our correct path.” although she does add that they also “reveal things to us that we previously couldn't see.   Secrets are often revealed, and there is no going back to ‘before’… Managing these new insights and dealing with the ends they often bring can lead to major drama.”

Historically, superstitious people attribute blood moons to misfortune, kind of like the chaos that ensues in the movie 'Practical Magic' after a blood moon.  While seen as unlucky, it's likely that calamity is associated with blood moons because of the fear that something bad is going to happen causes people to make poor choices.

What's more, the planets that influence the eclipse also play a role in how a blood moon and lunar eclipse affect you

"The lunar eclipse July 2018 astrology is mainly influenced by Mars, making this an emotionally challenging eclipse," Astrologer Jamie Partridge explained. "Mars' anger and frustration could easily turn to reckless actions because of a harsh aspect to Uranus.  A more gentle influence from Saturn will make it a little easier to calm down, and some fixed stars give patience and decisiveness in a crisis. However, these same stars can also cause aggression and emotional problems."

This July 2018 total lunar eclipse is the longest lunar eclipse this century, which only intensifies its strong cosmic energy, and spares no one. 

"A lunar eclipse focuses your attention on your emotions, intimate relationships, and your home and family," Partridge noted. "The longest total lunar eclipse this century is going to have an incredibly powerful influence on your private life."

However, the news isn't all bad. While it might be painful, as transformations tend to be, the July 2018 blood moon is akin to a hard reset for your emotions. If things have been building to an unbearable crescendo the past six months, the blood moon and lunar eclipse can give you a clean slate. Though there might be tears, this karmic experience will actually help you rid yourself of some unwanted emotional baggage. Think of it like a cleanse for your soul.

A solar eclipse always precedes a lunar eclipse, and this month it happened July 12. This means the eclipse energy is already underway. If you've been feeling out of sorts, the July 2018 eclipse cycle is likely to blame. "In the weeks to come, expect the unexpected," Astrologer Ananda Shree explained on her website. "Eclipses are often tipping-points that shift situations, expedite change, and sometimes even pull the rug out from underfoot."

During this particular lunar eclipse, your emotions will be in overdrive. Passion will be more powerful, anger can be explosive, sadness and frustration might feel overwhelming, and moments of happiness are likely to be euphoric. I'm not going to lie; it's going to be rough. However, the silver lining is that its part of the growing pains necessary for caterpillars to emerge from their cocoons as beautiful butterflies.

Even if you feel like you're stumbling around in the dark, in the words of the late Leonard Cohen, "There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."  It meant:

Look for the light, follow it out of the tunnel, and let peace and relief wash over you like a cool eclipse moon bath. 

If you can stay home and pull the covers over your head July 26 to 27, that would be ideal.  Look after each other.