Today is a total lunar eclipse – the first of 2018. Known as ‘Chandra Grahan’ in India, the event is significant because it is for the first time in 152 years that three phases of the moon are coming together.
Supermoon (when the moon is unusually closer to earth), Blue moon (a second full moon in a calendar month) and Blood moon (a moment during an eclipse when the moon turns red) fall today.
Many in India believe that one should not consume food during the period of an eclipse. Why?
The answer was given in 2015 by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev in his Isha Foundation blog.
In an article titled ‘Why Eating Food During Lunar Eclipse is Harmful’, Sadhguru explains that nourishing food “turns to poison”.
He writes that what happens in 28 days during a lunar cycle happens over the course of two to three hours of the eclipse.
“In terms of energy, the earth’s energy is mistaking this eclipse as a full cycle of the moon. Certain things happen in the planet where anything that has moved away from its natural condition will deteriorate very fast. This is why while there is no change in raw fruits and vegetables, there is a distinct change in the way cooked food is before and after the eclipse,” he writes.
He writes: “Cooked food will go through the phases of its deterioration much more rapidly in a subtle way than it does on a normal day.”
Even raw food is not permitted because once it enters the body the juices in the stomach process it, thus making it like semi-cooked food.
In his blog he also advised people to remain in their “natural state”. He explains that since the body is in a confused state due to the rapidly changing energies, one should try to remain conscious. This can be achieved by not eating during the duration of the eclipse.
“And the moment your stomach is empty, your ability to be conscious becomes so much better. Your body becomes more transparent and you are able to notice what is happening with your system much better,” he writes.