Blood Moons Explained: Spiritual Meaning and Implication to the Believer
To be honest, the phrase “blood moon” sounds like something out of a horror film. The occurrence sparks curiosity and begs the question, “What is the true blood moon meaning?”
Many interpretations exist across cultures and religions, but none have reached a consensus on the true meaning of the blood moon. Is it an old wives’ tale or a sign of bad news, as some believe? We will deal with all that in detail here.
Exploring scientific discoveries, cultural beliefs, and scriptures, we will draw out the different interpretations of the blood moon, discuss their implications in our contemporary world, and highlight their relevance to you as a believer in Christ.
What Does the Blood Moon Mean Scientifically?
A blood moon arises during a lunar eclipse, where the sun, moon, and earth come together in a single file, with the earth sandwiched between the sun and the moon. This then prevents sunlight from getting around the earth to reach the moon, forcing the light waves to stretch out and illuminate a color different than usual.
So, instead of the bright white or golden light you see whenever you look up at the moon, a lunar eclipse moon has a reddish hue. This is where we get the name “blood moon.”
Blood moons are rare, as an eclipse does not happen yearly. They also do not always appear deep red, like blood. After all, different factors can affect how reddish the hue may seem to the human eye.
For instance, whenever a lunar eclipse follows a volcano eruption, you can expect that the blood moon will be a much darker hue of red. Then environmental pollution and dust can also affect how red the moon appears.
The blood moon has had significant spiritual meanings throughout history across different cultures and religions. In ancient times, the Incans believed the blood moon eclipse to be a bad omen associated with an impending disaster or the downfall of a ruler. This belief was also accepted by the Mesopotamians.
For some Native American tribes, a blood moon eclipse often indicates that the moon needs attention and care. Islamic cultures recognize the presence of a red moon as a time for special prayers, spiritual reflection, and devotion.
More recently, some Christian teachers contributed to the spiritual meaning of the blood moon and connected it to Biblical end-time predictions. This has drawn more attention to the concept, especially within Christian communities.
For example, two American preachers, Mark Blitz and John Hagee, predicted in their teachings that the blood moon eclipse signified the start of the apocalypse. They backed their arguments with select verses from the books of Joel and Revelation. Since then, more Christians have been more curious and paid attention to the concept.
While the blood moon has several spiritual meanings, each view agrees it is a time for deep reflection and repentance. So, instead of fearing the blood moon, you can take it as an opportunity to release negative emotions and be more self-aware.
Now, let’s take a deeper look at some popular interpretations of the red moon.
6 Prominent Interpretations of the Red Moon Meaning
From the Christian faith to other religions and cultures, we will go into detail on six distinct views on the red moon’s spiritual meaning:
1. Christianity
Both the Old and New Testaments mention the blood moon. One of the references in the book of Joel ties it to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
“The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes.” (Joel 2:31)
In a similar manner, the book Revelation describes a scene where the sun turns dark, and the moon appears as blood.
“I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became as blood.” (Revelation 6:12)
From these verses, it makes sense why much of Christian theology connects the blood moon eclipse to the end of the world.
2. Islam
In Islam, the blood moon eclipse signifies judgment day. For this reason, some Muslims offer special prayers during an eclipse.
3. Hindu
Hindu theology connects the blood moon eclipse to a demon—Rahu’s revenge. In this religion, the demon is believed to seek revenge on the sun and moon by swallowing them, resulting in the eclipse we see.
In modern India, people even take precautions during blood moon eclipses, covering food to prevent contamination and prohibiting pregnant women from activities like household chores or even eating.
4. Western Superstition
In Western superstition, the blood moon eclipse is associated with bad luck. Old stories from the British Isles warn against pointing at the moon during a blood moon because of fears that it will attract misfortune.
However, not all interpretations of blood moons are negative. In some cultures, it is even a symbol of fertility or incoming changes. As mentioned earlier, Native American tribes (Luiseño and Hupa) interpret the blood moon as a sign that the moon is wounded and needs healing. They would then sing to the moon in hopes of helping it heal.
5. West African Tribes
Many other tribes believe in the moon’s power to control the earth. This school of thought affirms that the moon can alter the future anytime it disrupts the earth, and a blood moon eclipse occurs.
The Batammariba tribe, found in Benin and Togo in West Africa, believes that the red moon results from a tussle between the sun and moon.
They take it as a signal to resolve their differences down on earth. During a blood moon eclipse, you would typically find these people settling their differences and making peace with one another.
6. Buddhism
The Buddhists also believe that anything done during a blood moon, good or bad, will be multiplied. So, like the Batammariba people, Buddhists tend to be careful and do good deeds during this time.
Blood Moon and the Believer
Since blood moons don’t appear very often, it is a big deal to those who believe in it. The most recent occurrence was in November 2022, and the next is predicted to be in March 2025.
However, making the most of the rare astronomical event is not only about waiting for its next occurrence. What is more important is what we do with its spiritual significance.
For us believers, the blood moon is a reminder that we can make changes in our everyday lives. We can come to the realization that sowing good deeds bears good fruit. Its spiritual connections should drive us to self-reflection and evoke a desire to do the right things.
Don’t just appraise the blood moon as an astronomical event. Take it as another reminder of the Biblical instruction to live a godly and consecrated life in this perverse and evil world.
