Hello Coven!

There’s something about a Blood Moon that makes even the most grounded witch feel a little shiver of awe. On March 3rd, 2026, we’re being gifted a big one (No really it’s the largest we’ve had in a few years…) with a total lunar eclipse coinciding with a full Moon in Virgo, painting our celestial neighbour in shades of copper and crimson. Ah, I LOVE when our diva mixes up her apperence now and then <3

But what is this phenomenon, really? And more importantly, what does it mean for your practice?

Firstly, lets discuss the names of the Moon as I am fully aware of my international audience may be a bit confused at how many names the bloody moon has!

In the UK and some European locations we have the: Seed Moon (As in to plant seeds which is Celtic tradition); Lenten Moon (as in ‘Lent-moon’ which is British Celtic-Christian tradition); Storm Moon (Anglo-Saxon/ Celtic); Wind Moon (Brythonic/Celtic).

Futher a field: Worm Moon (When worms begin to spring up out of soil after the winter) Sap Moon (as in maple sap) or sometimes Sugar Moon, Crow Moon and Crust Moon (as in when the snow begin to crust and melt) are primarily attributed to Northern Native American tribes including the Ojibwe, the Shawnee and Algonquin); Moon of Winds (Cherokee)

There are many more I am sure…And yes, I am working on a full Grimore featuring the Moon names etc which will be hosted on the Ol’ Patreon which will be launching at the end of the Month. PROMISE. It would be sooner but it’s my BIRTHDAY 10th March and it’s a big-un so those celebration plans and caring for my Dad at the start of the year have delayed things a wee bit but it IS launching April 2026.

If you want to support me before then by all means buy me a Kofi.

Anyhow…updates aside let’s get into it, darlings.

What Actually Is a Blood Moon?

First, let’s demystify the science because understanding how something happens only deepens the magick….

A Blood Moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse. This happens when the Earth moves precisely between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface . But here’s where it gets beautiful: the Moon doesn’t just disappear. oh no, no one puts our lunar baby in a corner. Instead, sunlight filters through Earth’s atmosphere, bending around our planet. The blue light scatters away (the same reason our skies are blue during the day), leaving only the warm, red wavelengths to reach the Moon’s surface.

The result? That haunting, gorgeous, copper-red glow. Yass, Queen!

The intensity of the red depends on what’s floating around in our atmosphere- more dust or clouds means a deeper, more dramatic crimson. This particular eclipse will have totality lasting 58 minutes, from 6:04am to 7:02am EST . For us here in the UK, totality will be visible from around 11:04am to 12:02pm GMT. Not ideal for midnight ritual work, but perfect for a midday eclipse meditation if you can steal a quiet moment.

Image source: timeanddate.com

Why This Eclipse Is Different

Now, here’s the thing about this particular Blood Moon: it’s not just a pretty face in the sky.

This eclipse falls at 12° Virgo, and it’s the final eclipse on the Virgo-Pisces axis that’s been unfolding since 2024. Think of it as the closing chapter of an eighteen-month story. Everything you’ve been working through around perfectionism, self-worth, healing, and release – this eclipse is here to help you complete that cycle.

Eclipses are amplifiers. A regular full Moon is powerful, but a lunar eclipse turns that volume up to eleven. They reveal hidden truths, drag emotions to the surface, and illuminate what we’ve been avoiding . As astrologer Rachel Ruth Tate puts it,

“Eclipses always come in pairs. They provide us with a month full of absolute disruptions to our regularly scheduled solar and lunar programming”.

This one takes place near the South Node, the point in our charts associated with the past and ritual release. It’s asking us quite insistently, to shed what’s dead before spring comes knocking. Eurgh, more shedding? Well, if I must….

The Virgo-Pisces Dance: Structure Meets Surrender

To understand this eclipse’s energy, we have to look at the two signs involved: Virgo (where the Moon sits) and Pisces (where the Sun sits opposite).

Virgo Energy	Pisces Energy
Earth, practical, grounded	Water, fluid, boundless
Structure, order, refinement	Formless, chaotic, all-encompassing
Details, discernment, service	Dreams, intuition, transcendence
Can become perfectionistic	Can become escapist

At their highest expressions, these two dance beautifully together dispite their differences. Pisces receives divine inspiration; Virgo gives it structure. Virgo creates the vessel; Pisces fills it with soul. Basically, that witchy friend and their corporate professional partner stereotype we know so well…and have come to love.

But during this eclipse, we’re being asked to look at where these energies might be out of balance in our own lives. (“Eurgh! Emma, does the Shadow work ever end?!” I hear you cry and NO, no it does not, dear Coven)

Virgo’s shadow shows up as the harsh inner critic that’s never satisfied. The voice that says you’re not ready, not good enough, not prepared enough. It’s perfectionism that paralyses rather than motivates, endless tweaking that keeps you stuck in planning mode instead of living mode .

Pisces’ shadow manifests as escapism, unconscious/doom scrolling, binge-watching, numbing out because the feelings are too much. It’s losing yourself in others’ emotions, playing the victim, refusing to take responsibility for your own healing..and lets be so F-ing For real here…intoxicants to help one cope/mask ones feelings.

This eclipse illuminates both shadows. And in that light, we get to choose something different.

“Pisces” by Jacopo Montano

What This Means for Your Practice

The essence of this lunar eclipse is one powerful theme: expansion through healing and taking up space .

For too long, many of us have played small. Dimmed our light. Second-guessed our gifts. Held ourselves back until we felt “ready” or “good enough.” This eclipse is here to change those patterns .

Virgo at its highest expression embodies the energy of the goddess: complete and whole within herself. She doesn’t need external validation. She doesn’t require perfect conditions to share her gifts. She simply is and that is enough.

This eclipse reminds you that you carry that same energy within you.

What’s Ready to Be Released?

Ask yourself:

• Where is perfectionism keeping me stuck?
• What would I start if I didn’t need to be perfect at it?
• Where am I my own harshest critic?
• What patterns have I been trying to “DIY” my way out of without doing the deeper work? 
• What would it feel like to release control and trust instead? 

A Simple Eclipse Release Ritual

Here’s the thing about eclipses: they’re not for calling in new things. They’re for letting go. The energy is too chaotic for intention-setting; save that for the new Moon .

Instead, try this simple release ritual on March 3rd:

You’ll need:

• Pen and paper
• A fire-safe bowl (if burning is safe for your space)
• Water (a sink, bath, or bowl will do)
• Optional: Candle (who doesn’t love some candle magick?)

The Ritual:

• Create your space. Set the mood, baby! Light a candle if it feels right. Take three deep breaths. This is your moment.
• Write. On your paper, write down everything you’re ready to release. The perfectionism. The self-criticism. The patterns that keep you small. The people-pleasing. The “I’ll be ready when…” stories. Let it all out- no judgment, no editing. Think of this as purge poetry.

Choose your release. You have options:

• Fire release: If it’s safe, burn the paper in your fire-safe bowl. Watch the smoke carry it away.
• Water release: Tear the paper into small pieces and let them wash down the sink or bath drain. Visualise all that heavy energy flowing away from you.
• Earth release: Bury the paper somewhere meaningful (or even just a plant pot), letting the earth transmute it.
• Cleanse. Take a shower or salt bath afterward. As the water runs over you, imagine any remaining negative energy in your body and auric field being emptied, washing away, disappearing down the drain .
• Ground. Have a glass of water. Eat something nourishing. Touch the earth if you can. You’ve done deep work—honour that.

Image Source: “ksenia-yakovleva-x5” by ksyfffka07

A Few Practical Notes

• Eclipses are intense. If you’re feeling anxious or emotionally raw around this time, that’s normal. Be gentle with yourself. Stay hydrated. Rest if you need to. (Trust me, I HAVENT been ok for a few days as I was sharing over on Insta stories the other day, it’s been foggy and anxious!)
• Mercury is retrograde. Mercury, ruler of Virgo is currently retrograde in Pisces during this eclipse. Mercury doesn’t really like being in Pisces so it’s extra prickly right now…That means communication may be murky, old texts might surface, and nothing is quite as it seems. Don’t react before you know the facts. The truth is complex right now. Also, DON’T and I mean DON’T text your ex. Please, listen to your Witchy Aunt Emma she loves you, they are an ex for a reason.
• This is the end of a cycle. Think back to March 2025. What were you releasing then? What themes emerged during the September 2025 solar eclipse in Virgo? This March 2026 eclipse brings those threads to a close.

A Final Word, Darlings

Blood Moons have been feared throughout history and seen as omens of disaster, divine judgment, or cosmic imbalance . But here at Digital Coven, we know that celestial events aren’t here to scare us. They’re here to show us.

This eclipse is an invitation. A chance to stop running from your own shadows and finally, mercifully, let them bloody go. A portal to step out of survival mode and into trust. A reminder that you don’t have to be perfect to be worthy.

As the Moon blushes red above us, ask yourself:

• What if you no longer needed to control everything? (easier said than done, I know)
• What could you become if you finally believed you were already enough? (and you ARE darling…)

I’ll be sitting with those questions on March 3rd. I hope you’ll join me.

Want More Witchy Wonders?

Book a tarot reading, a 1 to 1 or workshop with me, Emma! Just email emma@emfluence.co.uk and we’ll take it from there. (P.S. My actual witchcraft shop is launching so soon—stay tuned!) Again, I am a bit behind in getting back to emails as I JUST got back to London after caring for my dad for a few Months so I WILL respond asasp….I just didn’t expect the blog to blow up quite as it has in 2026 <3 I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH like OMG! <3

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Until next time, Coven – all the love  Ems x X

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Reference links:

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2026-march-3
https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/what-is-a-blood-moon/
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/what-is-lunar-eclipse-blood-moon
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEplot/LEplot2001/LE2026Mar03T.pdf
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/blood-moon.html
https://www.thecut.com/article/lunar-eclipse-virgo-march-2026-predictions-what-to-know.html
https://www.astronomy.com/observing/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-march-2026-lunar-eclipse/

https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/astrology/full-moon-in-virgo-march-2026

Header Image link: “Views of the Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse” by Flickr is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.