Tonight is a lunar eclipse. I hope you are ready to step deeply into a celebration of the real meaning of commitment to the enlightenment of all sentient beings. No doubt about it; this will be a very spiritually demanding Full Moon.

I cannot emphasize enough the demanding nature of this Full Moon, especially with the total lunar eclipse. All of North America will witness some portion of the eclipse, but mostly in the West. From the eastern USA, the Great Lakes region and Ontario, the Moon sets in total eclipse. Only observers to the west of the Rockies (including Alaska) will be treated to the entire event. All phases of the eclipse are also visible from islands of the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand and eastern Australia. Various stages of the eclipse are in progress at moonrise for eastern Asia. No eclipse is visible from Europe, Africa and western Asia.

Tonight represents a revolutionary call to bring awareness to the condition of your emotional mind in an effort to uplift all other minds on this planet. Mindfulness becomes extended to include attention to the quality of action and relationship.

This is the night to put into action all of your intentions and give your gifts in service to the enlightenment of all sentient beings So don't waste this Full Moon partying the night away in a drug or alcohol induced haze.

This is the Full Moon to join with others and be lifted out of denial and ignorance. The world is suffering and we all need to wake up and do what we can to relieve suffering. Take responsibility for your own suffering and the suffering of others. Love yourself by loving others. Do what you can to stay in the present and in your heart.

We are all connected and there is no security; for all things are uncertain. We are nothing and everything; full and empty. It is time we relearn to care for each other and start living communally in love and peace.

This Full Moon comes at the height of our harvest season and foreshadows the coming of nature's transition into the winter months of rest and renewal If you were unaware of how much you have, hopefully a quick remembrance of recent natural disasters, unnecessary wars, and general poverty around the globe will awaken your sense of gratefulness and a need for recognition of the impermanence of all things.

On this Full Moon it is important to recognize the fundamental relationship between gratefulness and non-attachment. Use this Full Moon to look at what you cling to and your fear of letting it go. Do you spend most of your time grabbing and craving for more things; trying to fill your inner emptiness with a multitude of possessions? We come here with nothing and leave with nothing. Why then do we hold so tight to things that will not last? This is a great time to ask, "What can I freely give away? What can I share?" Clean out closets, junk drawers, garages, etc. and give freely to charity.

Don't be surprised if you find yourself questioning everything on this night.

This is the Full Moon to practice compassion and selflessness by radiating peace and calm through prayer and meditation. If we waste our lives holding onto anger, resentment, and hatred, we will continue to create a world that reflects our own inner violence. Be aware that the hatred and anger in your heart is helping to feed the violence we see all over the world. It is time to stop the senseless killing we create all around us. Give up the label of victim and embrace your own part in continued killing. It is the first step to becoming a peacemaker. If you fearlessly open your heart and let compassion be your guide, you will automatically become an active peacemaker. Love is the language of selflessness. If each of us would practice this language daily, violence would surely end.