What the March 2024 Lunar Eclipse in Libra Could Mean for You
As we start to see evidence of spring — a bloom here, a new spring nail trend there — we also have our first eclipse of the season, and it's a penumbral lunar eclipse to be exact. While the spring/summer eclipse season can begin as late August, this one comes to us just on the heels of the spring equinox, during the start of Aries season, and is in the relationship-oriented cardinal air sign of Libra. While penumbral lunar eclipses are not exactly visual showstoppers, in astrology, eclipses always demand attention.
According to Astro-Seek, we will be having a penumbral lunar eclipse on Monday, March 25, 2024 at 3:13 a.m. ET at 5 degrees and 13 seconds of Libra. It will be visible to a wide swath of the globe, including the entire United States of America. However, since it will only faint shadow on the moon, it might not be with staying up for.
NASA tells us that during penumbral lunar eclipses, like this one, we do not get the blood moon red glow of total or partial lunar eclipses. The moon only passes through the outer shadow of the earth, the penumbra, so the shadow on the moon is barely noticeable.
Astrologist Maurice Fernandez described eclipses as “an opening of celestial gates.” While this language may sound a little magical, when an eclipse happens in an important part of your chart, you feel it. Eclipses are times when rapid life changes, eureka moments, and intense experiences can occur.
Lunar eclipses are essentially supercharged full moons, more about endings and releasing, while solar eclipses are usually about new opportunities. Astrologically, a lunar eclipse happens when a full moon occurs on its own node, an invisible point in the sky where the sun and moon’s orbital paths intersect. (This video is a great explainer of this phenomenon.) They are also called the Moon’s Nodes or Nodes of Destiny, and in Vedic astrology, the astrology of India, Rahu (Dragon’s Head) and Ketu (Dragon’s Tail).
They are powerful points of karmic vibration. The North Node points to what we’re here to learn, develop and expand into. The South points to our innate gifts and talents, which we may take for granted, as well as our deep seated bad habits and limiting beliefs. Eclipses trigger these points and that is why they can be so powerful, pushing us forward into a new destiny, or allowing for deep letting go. This eclipse is on the South Node so it’s about releasing some of those habits.
While all eclipses are, by nature, unpredictable, the sign it is in can give us some clues as to what lessons the eclipse might bring — though I'll note that astrology is a symbolic language, so please don’t take these things too literally. Libra is the 7th sign of the zodiac, the exact halfway point of the 12 signs. Fittingly, Libra is a sign that, at its core, wants to create harmony.
Libra is a cardinal sign which means they are natural leaders, good at starting things and getting projects off the ground. As an air sign, Libras are associated with the intellect and exchange of ideas. Put those together and you have a sign known for their charm, love of beauty and art, and ability to keep peace and find solutions that benefit everyone. There is something about Libras; they are just so likable! A lunar eclipse in Libra can be a deep, emotionally-charged exploration of these themes.
During this eclipse, we have an abundance of planets (figuratively) in the water: Mars, Saturn, Venus, and Neptune are all in Pisces. That means this is liable to be a very emotional eclipse with a lot of internal processing going on; Pisces loves being in its own dream world. Pisces is also a sign that can self-sacrifice and be a bit of a martyr. This might be a time where you realize the ways in which you're being your own worst enemy. But, once you recognize those patterns, this can also be a time when you learn to let them go.
As is true with most eclipses, there is no air in the chart during this one, save for Pluto in Aquarius. A lack of air signs means we may not be thinking clearly and instead reacting from a hurt, emotional place. This next advice is going to be a bit contradictory, so please bear with me. On the one hand, watch out for being impulsive, acting without thinking, and being too stuck in your own world to see the bigger picture clearly. On the other hand, if you do say or do something you can’t take back, it was likely supposed to happen.
Not every eclipse will be monumental for you personally. One way to ascertain the importance of this particular eclipse is to look at eclipses from your personal past that were also in early Libra. You can find a list of every single Libra eclipse that has happened in the past few hundred years here and here, but as a quick reference, two early Libra eclipses in recent times were a Libra solar eclipse in October 2005, and lunar eclipse in Libra in March 2016. Our most recent Libra eclipse while in later degrees, was on October 14, 2023. If any of these dates were significant for you, it may mean this eclipse is a continuation of that story. For instance: If one or a few of these dates correlates with a big life change, realization, ending or beginning — a move, a breakup, a job change, a birth, a spiritual awakening, etc. — then whatever theme was active then may come up again (albeit in a different way). If none of this rings any bells, this one may not be big for you — and that’s ok!
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You can find your full chart here and see if you have any planets at or near 5 degrees of Libra. If you are born in early Libra, roughly September 23 to October 3, keep an eye out for transformational experiences during this eclipse. The same applies to anyone born in early Aries (Libra's opposite on the zodiac), Cancer, or Capricorn (which are square/90 degrees away from Libra).
While astrologers often given recommendations for what to do depending on what's happening in the sky, eclipses are not like that. We often say that you don’t do eclipses, eclipses do you. My advice is to just be mindful that during the week before and after the eclipse, emotions may run high and people can act erratically. Some people will feel this more than others. If this eclipse is a big one for you, you’ll know it. If you find yourself being thrown a curveball, please trust its the universe moving you forward. Remember that Libra's motto is “I balance.” Try to find perspective, see both sides, and find harmony inside yourself (if not with those around you) during the tumultuous time of and emotional release of the lunar eclipse.
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