Your Complete Eclipse Season Survival Guide

If you thought Mercury Retrograde wreaked havoc on your plans, let me introduce you to eclipse season. This month-ish long period happens twice (occasionally thrice) a year and it's a time when literally anything can happen.Astronomically, an eclipse happens when the Sun's, Moon's, and Earth's orbits line up in such a way that the Moon's shadow temporarily blocks our view of the Sun (as in the case of a solar eclipse) or when the Earth's shadow temporarily blocks our view of the Full Moon (as in the case of a lunar eclipse). Astrologically, eclipses are a time when destiny speeds up. The Sun and Moon align with the lunar nodes, sometimes called the Nodes of Fate or the Nodes of Destiny (casual), and everything clicks into place. Think of it as the moment when the aspect ratio changes or when a black-and-white movie turns into color.Two eclipses happen close together within a time period of about a month. What feels like a year's worth of events can happen in just three or four weeks. Maybe you accept a new job that requires a move to another country and then you and your partner decide to break up rather than do long-distance. Eclipses tend to mark turning points of your year and even your whole life.The time between eclipses—plus the week or so before and after—is known as eclipse season. While eclipse energy is very intense, eclipses aren’t bad; they're just a lot. In fact, many of the changes that eclipse season brings into your life end up being positive in the long run, even if they can feel stressful and intense in the moment.While you can't prevent the changes that eclipse season brings (there's no hiding from fate), there are things you can do to make it easier on yourself. Here is your eclipse season survival guide.Jump to:Stay FlexibleDon't Try to Fight ChangeListen to Your IntuitionTake NotesThis Is a No-Manifestation ZoneAvoid Signing ContractsMake Time for RestStay FlexibleThis is not a time to book a non-refundable ticket to anywhere or anything. Eclipses have a way of changing your plans, so it's best to keep plans flexible. Even better: Don't make any plans and simply go with the flow over the coming weeks.Don't Try to Fight ChangeSome of the changes that eclipse season can bring don't feel so great in the moment. When your situationship breaks up with you, you don't know that you'll meet the love of your life in a few months. You can feel sad and stressed about eclipse season changes, but don't try to stop those changes from happening. It won't make a difference.Listen to Your IntuitionEclipses can amplify your intuition, so pay extra attention to any gut feelings and hunches that pop up right now. With all the chaos happening right now, your intuition can guide you to the right path.Take NotesMany of the changes that eclipse season start out quietly. For example, it might look like meeting a new colleague who will later recommend you for your dream job. Because of this, it can be difficult for your future self to make the connection between the eclipse and the event. Journaling or simply jotting down notes can help you see better in hindsight.Add Cosmopolitan as a preferred source in your Google search results.Use your Google account to add this to your settings.This Is a No-Manifestation ZoneDo not do any spells, rituals, manifestation practices, etc. during the eclipse. Don't even charge your crystals. The energy is way too chaotic for your intentions to get through. Instead, set all your magick practices aside for a month. Instead of putting your goals and wishes out into the universe, listen to what the universe has to tell you instead.Avoid Signing ContractsJust like during Mercury Retrograde, it's best to avoid signing contracts during eclipse season if you can. The volatile vibes mean that they're likely to fall through, or you might miss an important factor. However, we know that you can't exactly tell your landlord "I'm sorry, I can't renew my lease yet because of the eclipse," so if you do have to sign a contract, make sure you read the fine print very closely. (And if you know your lease renewal is coming up, try to get it out of the way before eclipse season begins!)Make Time for RestLast and most importantly, make time for rest. Eclipse season can be physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting as you deal with unexpected changes and uncertainty about your future. Even if these changes turn out amazing in the long run, they're likely stressful in the moment. So if you can, try to avoid working overtime — or better yet, take a day off. Tell your boss you're using your PTO, but mentally, think of it as an "eclipse season rest day."