Lunar eclipses are always interesting, though the “blood moon” is a much rarer event. Instead of a total eclipse, the moon is bathed in a red-orange hue of refracted light coming from around Earth.
With tonight’s impending blood moon eclipse (the first of four over the next 18 months or so), many people are discussing its cosmic significance; some are even suggesting that it may be a sign from God such as a portent of the apocalypse. As an ABC News story notes, “for some it signals a certain foreboding. ‘Something is about to change,’ Pastor John Hagee of the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, writes in his newest book on the four blood moons. Because many biblical references cite the celestial bodies, Hagee says, ‘God uses the sun, moon and stars to send signals to us on the earth.’”
Among the more alarming Biblical verses referring to the moon can be found in Joel 2:30: “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:
Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness. And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord” (KJV). Pretty heady stuff, though the moon has turned “into blood” several times before, and nothing apocalyptic happened.
Many police and doctors believe that people go “a little extra crazy” on full moons, though the evidence seems largely anecdotal and has not been borne out in scientific studies. Researchers Ivan Kelly, James Rotton, and Roger Culver, in their study “The Moon was Full and Nothing Happened” (published in the book “The Hundredth Monkey and Other Paradigms of the Paranormal”) examined more than 100 studies and found no significant correlation between phases of the moon and disasters or homicide rates.
Pointing at the moon has traditionally been considered unlucky, though various explanations are offered for why; some say that the “man in the moon” who resides there considers it rude. According to one superstition from the British Isles, anyone who points at the moon nine times cannot enter heaven, no matter how pious he or she has been. It’s not clear if the nine times are in a row (which would be pretty easy to avoid, to secure a place in heaven) or over a lifetime (in which case each person better have a good memory to keep the pearly gates open; I wonder if anyone pointed to the moon eight times, and they just started to point a ninth time, just to tempt Fate).
The best I can today is enjoy this beauty of creation and always be ready. "We know not the day or the time" of what is going to happen to us or our loved ones.
It's foggy in Martinsville this morning so the coverage on TV and social media is the best I can do to view this spectacular event. Every day is spectacular in its own way if I participate in its wonder.
That's hard to do some days but that is the task at hand.
Have a great day and always be ready.
Ed Winkle
I once worked with a woman who said she could never sleep when there was a full moon. People who work in nursing homes say that is it never a quite when there is a full moon. Linda
ReplyDeleteI had that problem all my life until about 6 years ago I made a major change in my lifestyle to give up worry and learn to identify peace. I might wake up but I soon go back to sleep now. It's easier if I've worked all day or played with the grand children. Idleness is not good.
ReplyDeleteI think even non-pastor I could safely make ‘Something is about to change’ predictions. In fact, I probably could do this very one every second of every hour of every day and never be wrong... ;)
ReplyDeleteI don't watch any of the numerous TV shows about vampires, but I suppose some of them will turn this Blood Moon into something particularly yummy this week!
Here in Toulouse, France, it's the warm Autan wind that turns people mad right now. They say it's usually blowing for a full cycle of 3 days, so we'll only get madder and madder until the week-end. That is, as much as French people can get any madder than their regular mental state... ;)
Scientists have found that the air in this wind contains much more negatively charged particles than usual, it might be what disturbs the minds.
http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/wind/The-Autan.htm
I agree, Chimel. I think these things were set forth a long time ago and we get to see what happens when they happen.
ReplyDeleteThanks for you input, always valued here.
Ed