121. | When I photograph the moon and my soul responds

This post consists of several parts:

• The Red Moon in Hungarian
• The theory of the red moon
• An attempt to photograph the Moon
• Colorful meditation
• What does the Blood Moon mean to Pisces on a spiritual level?
• Were there any pictures taken of the Moon?
• How did the ritual go?

I will proceed in this order.

I can boldly declare that I cannot take photos, I am not a photographer. I can press the button on a camera or on the screen of a phone, but I do not understand the details of this art. One of my friends once explained the most important and easiest to remember rules that are worth keeping in mind when taking a picture – let’s call it composition. Sometimes I try to bring these rules out when I take a picture. That’s all the science I have.

So, when I found out on Sunday morning that this event would be observed in Bangkok on Monday morning, the first thing that came to mind was what if I watched it and photographed it?

This is where my adventure today began…

 

The Red Moon in Hungarian

I consistently write the term Red Moon. The reason for this is that I was averse to this phrase because I don’t remember ever hearing it. Maybe only in some crazy werewolf or vampire movie.

Obviously, my skepticism led me to ask the AI: Is there a difference between a blood moon and a full moon? Moreover, does the term blood moon exist in Hungarian? Its answer – as usual – was very satisfactory.

It’s very good that you brought this up – because there really is a difference between a full moon and a “blood moon”, and the term “blood moon” has become more widespread in Hungarian recently.

Full Moon

• The fully illuminated side of the Moon is visible from Earth.
• Spiritually: fulfillment, intense emotions, confrontation.
• It occurs monthly.

In Hungarian

• This is not a “regular full moon”, but is seen during a total lunar eclipse.
• At this time, the Earth’s shadow completely covers the Moon, and the light refracted in the atmosphere gives it a reddish hue → hence the name.
• A rarer phenomenon, it always occurs during a full moon, but not every full moon is a blood moon.
• Spiritually: it has much stronger, “destiny-changing” energy, because the darkening and rebirth of the Moon’s light symbolically carries deep purification and karmic reversal.

Magyar nyelvben

• The term “blood moon” has become established as a translation of the English blood moon in the last 1–2 decades.
• In the older Hungarian astrological and folk tradition, it was more likely to be “total lunar eclipse” or “red moon”.
• So: it is correct to use the word “blood moon”, but rather in a modern-spiritual context, not in a folk origin.

In summary: every blood moon is a full moon, but not every full moon is a blood moon. The term “blood moon” exists in Hungarian, but it is a more recent borrowing, in the vernacular it was more often used as “red moon”.

So I will stick with the term red moon.

 

The theory of the red moon

This morning the following article – in English – drew my attention to what awaits those who look at the sky with curious eyes at night. I thought I’d copy this short source here because it pretty nicely summarizes what’s going to happen.

Even if September feels like a quiet month with few festivals, the universe always has a trick up its sleeve. On the night of Sunday September 7, the sky will treat us to a rare blood moon during a total lunar eclipse. And Bangkok happens to be one of the few spots in the world where you can catch this cosmic spectacle.

But don’t expect Blood Moons to appear fully red as they actually glow with a mix of deep orange and red hues. This mesmerising colour happens during a total lunar eclipse, when the sun, Earth and moon align perfectly. In this alignment, the Earth blocks direct sunlight from reaching the moon. The sun’s blue light, which has a shorter wavelength, is scattered away, while the red and orange light passes through Earth’s atmosphere and bends onto the moon, giving it that fiery, otherworldly glow.

According to the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT), the Big Mango will get its first glimpse of the lunar eclipse at 10.29pm on September 7. The real show kicks off at 12.31am, when the blood moon reaches its deepest, most fiery red. So, this is the perfect time to grab your binoculars or camera to catch this celestial event. You’ll have about one hour and 22 minutes to enjoy it before the total eclipse ends at 1.53am.

This total moon shadow is the first to be visible in Thailand in three years, since the last one in 2022. Besides the kingdom, it can also be observed in many parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, the western regions of North America, the eastern regions of South America, the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, as well as the North and South Poles.

If it rains or you’d rather stay indoors, you can still watch the phenomenon live on NARIT’s Facebook page from 10.29pm onwards.

Source: Don’t miss the blood moon eclipse over Bangkok on September 7, Written by Napatsorn Ngaosawangjit

 

An attempt to photograph the Moon

Since I am not a professional photographer, I immediately asked ChatGPT the following question after reading the above article: I have an Android mobile phone. There will be a red moon phenomenon in Bangkok today at 1:30 AM. I have two questions. Is there any way my phone can take a good picture of this phenomenon, and will I be able to see it in Koh Samui, where I currently live?

Yes, you will be able to see the phenomenon in its entirety on Koh Samui — just as it will be visible in Bangkok. Totality (when the Moon is completely immersed in the Earth’s shadow) will occur between 00:31 and 01:53 local time, so it will last from about 01:30 AM to 1:53 AM, and the totality is expected to last about 1 hour and 22 minutes.

You can also take fantastic photos of the blood moon with your mobile phone, although there are a few things to keep in mind:

Tips for mobile astrophotography:

• Use a tripod or a stable surface to avoid camera shake during the longer exposure time.
• Activate manual or Pro mode: set a longer shutter speed (e.g. 1–2 seconds), high ISO, and focus manually or with focus (on a distant object).
• If you have a telephoto lens (zoom) or astrophotography mode, use it – it can help you capture the details of the Moon better.
• Do not use flash – it will only overexpose the Moon.
• During totality – when the Moon shines with a reddish light – you can pay special attention to it, as during this period you can photograph a spectacular, dark-toned celestial body.
• Download an astrophotography app for your mobile phone that will help you set the shutter speed and ISO, or even provide you with crews for image processing.

If you want, I’d be happy to help you with how to set up your phone (shutter speed, ISO, focus, etc.) or what apps you should download for this.

And of course, if you’re worried about the weather, feel free to let me know — I can check the cloud and precipitation conditions of the early morning night so you can be even better prepared!

Of course, I was interested in everything, so I replied to the AI: Please help with the exact settings, recommend an app, and I’d be interested in the weather too.

After you replied, I’m only a little worried about the weather. I hope the sky will be kind to me. And this can be understood in two ways now…

The answer was again completely satisfactory:

Great questions! I’ve gathered everything I need: exact (phone) settings, recommended apps, and tonight’s night weather in Koh Samui.

Phone Photo Settings (Android)
Quick, Safe Method (Tripod Recommended):

• Phone photo settings (Android)
• Quick, safe method (tripod recommended): Turn off flash and portrait/HDR mode (often works strangely with the Moon).
• Switch to telephoto lens (2–5× optical), if available. Avoid 10–30× digital zoom (washed out details).
• Long press on Moon → AE/AF lock (lock exposure and focus).
• Exposure compensation:
  • Bright phase (partial eclipse): set to –1…–2 EV, otherwise the Moon will burn out.
  • Full shadow (“blood moon”): leave it at 0 EV, then use a longer shutter speed/ISO.
• Self-timer 3 s (or BT remote release) to avoid shake.

Advanced / Pro (manual) settings – if you have “Pro/Manual” mode or are using a manual camera:

• Focus: ∞ (infinity).
• White balance: Daylight/5500–6500 K (this preserves the reddish tint).
• Metering: spot on the moon (in bright phases).
• RAW (DNG): turn it on if available – much better for post-processing.
• Partial (bright) phase:
  • ISO 50–100, 1/500 – 1/1000 s, –1…–2 EV.
• Total shadow (red moon, darker):
  • ISO 800–1600 (up to 3200), 1/4 – 1 s.
  • At high zoom, try to keep the shutter speed to ≤ 1/4 s (otherwise it will shift).
• Series/bracketing: take 5–7 pictures with different shutter speeds (e.g. 1/1000 → 1 s), this way you will be sure to get a good result.
• Night/Astrophotography mode: great for stars, but the Moon can get smeared by “stacking” for several seconds. For the red Moon, use Pro/Manual mode.

Stabilization & composition:

• Tripod + self-timer is the most important.
• If you only have it in your hand: prop it up (railing, bench) and shoot several pictures in a row.
• If you have binoculars/telescopes + phone adapter, you can get a surprisingly detailed picture with the afocal method.

Recommended apps (Android)

• Open Camera – free, open source; provides manual shutter/ISO/focus and RAW (DNG) on devices that support Camera2.
• ProCam X (Lite/Pro) – simple manual control (shutter, ISO, WB, focus).
• Camera FV-5 – DSLR-like manual settings, RAW-optimized workflow.
• For sky navigation: Stellarium Mobile or Sky Map (free, open source).

Weather tonight in Koh Samui

The latest hourly forecast indicates mostly cloudy/overcast skies from midnight to dawn (around 00:00–03:00 with 98–99% cloud cover; low chance of precipitation, but thick clouds). Unfortunately, this is not very favorable for observation. Other providers also show a cloudy evening with showers in the area.

Tip for the conditions:

• If there are gaps in the clouds, set everything up in advance (tripod, app, focus/ISO) so you can shoot immediately.
• Find the windward side of the shore/section (it often clears up there for a short time after a cloudburst).
• If the sky is completely overcast, save your plan: make a video (stabilized 4K), because you can select sharp images frame by frame at each gap in the clouds.

If you want, I can write down the exact Open Camera menu path step by step (RAW activation, ISO/shutter speed, AE/AF lock), or I can give you a “checklist” image that you can just scroll through on site.

Of course, I asked for this step-by-step list as well. But it’s so hardcore that I won’t copy it into the post here. Suffice it to say that by the time I got to this point, I already had the feeling that if it could, ChatGPT would take the pictures with my phone itself.

We crowned our joint work by saying yes to the following question: Would you like me to make you a one-page, printable “quick table” of the settings (with icons, short numbers), which you can also access offline on site?

Yesterday I decided that I would soon go on a sea kayaking trip in the area. That’s why I bought a waterproof phone case in a Chinese store yesterday. Today I went to the same store to buy a tripod that I can use tonight. It wasn’t in the store. And then it wasn’t in the next 15. I spent quite a bit of time during today’s shopping looking for a tripod, but unfortunately I couldn’t find one. I’ll have to improvise at night while I’m taking pictures.

I downloaded the Open Camera app, and I’m going to try out the settings. Well, I’ve had a lot of fun with it, but I feel like I’m ready to start clicking.

I learned something today too…

 

Colorful meditation

I went shopping today too. I like walking around this area. My decision was to sit down on the beach on a small beach I hadn’t visited before and meditate for a while. I found a rock that was shaped like an armchair and was as comfortable as one. I think I’ll go there to relax.

This beach meditation was interesting to me. I sat down on that particular rock and just looked at the sea for a while. I think this is also a kind of relaxation. Then I started meditating from this relaxation. It was a great experience. Once in the spring I had the surprise of colorful images appearing on my “meditation screen”, I was on an Autogenic Relaxation course. At that time, the psychologist who led the course suggested that I look into what this could mean.

I haven’t done it since, the little question is on my to-do list. For some reason, today was the moment to look into this. What else could I do but ask ChatGPT. He’s like a good, all-knowing buddy to me.

I asked him: Could there be a special meaning to the fact that the forms and images that appear during meditation are colorful? Usually, the image for me is monochrome or colorless during meditation. Today was the second time that the forms appeared in especially beautiful colors. Has anyone ever addressed this question? Are there any theories as to what this could mean?

I never expect to be the first to ask this question. Nevertheless, the diversity of the answer often surprises me.

It’s a very exciting experience.

The phenomenon of forms, colors and images that appear during meditation is interpreted by several traditions, psychological and spiritual schools. The fact that someone usually sees colorless or monochrome internal images, and rarely, but strongly colored forms appear, can be approached in several ways.

1. From a spiritual/esoteric perspectivet

• Energy centers (chakras): Colorful images can often indicate that a particular energy center is being more strongly activated in a given meditation. For example, green is associated with the heart chakra, blue with the throat, and purple with the third eye.
• Shifting levels of consciousness: When internal images suddenly become colorful, it often indicates a deeper connection between the unconscious and the conscious. It is as if you are switching to a “broader spectrum.”
• Spiritual cleansing / initiation: According to many traditions, the appearance of colors is a sign that the inner vision (inner eye) is sharpening and new layers are opening.

2. Psychological/neurophysiological approach

• Brain activity: During meditation, the visual cortex works differently. In certain deep states of relaxation, spontaneous color experiences (“phosphenes”) can occur.
• Emotional content: colors are often associated with emotional processing. Colorless images are more abstract, symbolic, while colored images can be associated with more emotionally saturated experiences.
• Activation of creativity: when the creative layer of the subconscious is more activated, colorful, vivid images appear more often.

3. References/traditions

• Yoga and Tantra: seeing inner light and colors is a “side effect” of deep meditation, a sign that prana (life energy) is flowing more freely.
• Tibetan Buddhism: the colors and mandalas that appear during meditation are spontaneous projections of the deep layers of consciousness. It is not advisable to over-explain them, but rather to observe them.
• Western mysticism / theosophy: the appearance of colors can often be associated with the aura or “subtle bodies”.

In summary: The appearance of colorful forms is usually a sign that you have reached deeper levels in your meditation. It doesn’t happen every time, but when it does, many traditions consider it a kind of “purification,” “opening,” or “spiritual sharpening.”

I feel like today was the time for this question. I’m happy to have the answer. I felt that this was a special meditation because the colors that appeared evoked such beautiful feelings in me that I left myself two more minutes after the guided meditation time was up.

In this relaxed state, the following question arose in me…

 

What does the Blood Moon mean to Pisces on a spiritual level?

A few moments after I finished my meditation, I typed a question to the AI. There, sitting on the rock in the comfortable armchair, after a special meditation. Now I think about how interesting this moment itself was: a spiritual experience and modern technology connected in this moment, in the most natural way possible for me.

The question strongly influenced the rest of my day. It was: “On a spiritual level, what does the Blood Moon say to Pisces? Especially if the person is a double water sign?” (In my case, the combination is Pisces-Cancer.)

From here on, I will show this conversation as well.

The “Blood Moon” – that is, a total lunar eclipse – always carries a powerful spiritual message, because it simultaneously signifies closure, purification and rebirth. The Moon symbolizes the inner world, emotions, and the unconscious, so when it is covered in shadow, things that we have been hiding from ourselves often surface.

Pisces sign

Pisces is a very sensitive, intuitive, spiritually open sign that tends to react more strongly to the phases of the Moon. The Blood Moon here:

• Resolving illusions: can point out where you are trapping yourself or allowing others to define your reality.
• Deep emotional cleansing: old hurts, repressed pains may come to the surface so you can let them go.
• Increased spiritual sensitivity: stronger dream messages, intuitive insights, signs.

If someone has a “double water sign” (e.g. Pisces Sun + Scorpio Moon or Pisces Sun + Cancer Ascendant)

The water element enhances receptivity and emotional fluctuations. In such a position, the effect of the Blood Moon:

• Deep emotional cathartic experiences: as if your inner ocean is breaking to the surface and you need to release everything you have been repressing.
• Karmic cleansing: a feeling as if past life patterns or family heirlooms are dissolving.
• Strong healing potential: due to the elemental energy of water, this is an excellent time for meditation, water rituals (e.g. bathing, symbolic release), or just simply tuning into inner peace.

Spiritual message in brief: The Blood Moon for Pisces says:

• let go of everything that is no longer yours (illusions, old hurts, false connections),
• dare to trust your intuition, even if it is not logical,
• use the cleansing power of water to wash away your spiritual burdens so that you can be reborn more easily.

If you would like, I can also create a simple personal ritual specifically for Pisces + double water energy that you can do during or after the Blood Moon. Interested?

Absolutely!

Great! So here is a simple yet profound ritual specifically attuned to Pisces + double water energy for the Blood Moon: Blood Moon Cleansing Ritual for Water Signs

Preparations

• A bowl of clean water (preferably spring or holy water, but plain water is fine too).
• A white candle (purity, light).
• Paper and pen.
• Optional: sea salt or a few drops of essential oil (e.g. lavender).

Steps

• Location: Go into a secluded, quiet space where you will not be disturbed. If possible, look out the window at the Moon, or simply invite its presence.
• Lighting a candle: Say to yourself or out loud: “I call upon the light to accompany me in cleansing and letting go.”
• Writing: Write on paper everything you want to let go of: fears, illusions, past hurts, relationships that no longer serve you.
• Water ceremony:
  • Place the paper in your hand, hold it over the water.
  • Close your eyes and imagine the Moon illuminating the paper with its red light, and the water absorbing the burdens within.
  • Say: “I allow all illusions and pain to return to the flow of the Universe. I am reborn with a pure heart.”
• Release: tear the paper into small pieces and throw it into the water. If possible, later pour it into natural water (river, lake), if not, then into the drain.
• Closing: look at the candle flame for a few minutes and imagine that now only the light remains within you. Blow out the candle and say: “Thank you. I am cleansed. I am ready for a
• new beginning.”

Extra for Pisces / double water: If you feel like it, lie down to meditate after the ritual or just listen to sounds that evoke water (sea, rain). At this time, strong dream messages or intuitive flashes may come – this is your water sign antenna gift.

Would you like me to create a short mantra / meditation text for you that you can repeat during or after the ritual with the cleansing power of water?

Yes.

Great! Here is a short, easy-to-repeat mantra / meditation text that is specifically tuned to the deep emotional-spiritual cleansing of Pisces and water signs.

Blood Moon mantra for water signs

Close your eyes, place your hand on your heart, and breathe deeply. Repeat silently or out loud:

„Like the waves of the ocean, I release all that is no longer mine.
Like water, I flow cleanly and freely.
I open myself to light, peace, and truth.
I am reborn with a new heart, a pure soul.”

Tips:

• Repeat 3 times slowly, imagining the red light of the Moon and the energy of the water flowing through your body.
• If you want a deeper effect, then just sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and let what you need to feel come.Szeretnéd, hogy készítsek hozzá egy rövid vezetett meditációs szöveget is, amit akár felmondhatsz magadnak hangfelvételre és visszahallgathatsz a szertartás alatt? .

Would you like me to prepare a short guided meditation text that you can record and listen to during the ceremony?

Yes.

Very good! Then I have prepared a short guided meditation text for you, which you can either record yourself and listen to during or after the ritual.

Blood Moon Guided Meditation for Water Signs

Sit comfortably. Close your eyes. Take three deep breaths. Inhale… exhale… feel all tension leave your body.

Imagine that you are on a quiet beach. In front of you is an endless ocean, the red light of the moon is reflected in the water. You hear the soft murmur of the waves as they flow in and out. The water pulsates with your heartbeat.

Now imagine that all the pain, fear and illusions inside you are slowly flowing out of your heart and the waves are taking you with them. Let the water cleanse you. You don’t need to hold on to anything. Just let go.

With each exhale, you feel lighter. With each inhale, a purer, brighter energy flows into you. The light of the moon fills your body and soul, igniting peace and purity within you.

Say to yourself softly:
„Like water, I flow pure and free.
I let the past wash away.
I am reborn with a new heart and a pure soul..”

Stay in this light and silence for a few moments… then slowly return to your body. Take a deep breath… and when you are ready, open your eyes.

Then he made me a

• 2-3 sentence daily affirmations
• a “lunar cycle diary”

Is there anyone among us who doesn’t use ChatGPT, or doesn’t feel like using it after all this?

While I was shopping around to buy a tripod for night photography, I passed by several small shrines. I see this in many places. But then – for the first time – I went inside a temple today.

I also saw a monk who smiled at me and we greeted each other. I lingered in the place for a bit, letting the spirit of it sink in, as they say. THIS was the first time I went to an Asian temple area, because I had never entered a temple before. I had read a few things about how it was appropriate and inappropriate. That wasn’t on my mind right now. Also, I didn’t see any open doors, so I didn’t really have an idea of ​​what I could do today.

As I left the area and turned right, I was already at the laundromat I had known for the past few days. I bought what I would need tomorrow.

Although I didn’t get a stand for my phone, I didn’t return home empty-handed, even though I was preparing for the spiritual experience. Instead of candles, I bought a tealight, because although a pack of candles wasn’t expensive, I thought it was excessive to buy a pack of candles just to use one.

I start getting ready for the night program. Some readers will say that I went to do some voodoo. I would add that today, due to the experiences detailed above, my day was quite on the path of the soul. Just like my path in the past few months. On the other hand, I have been on the path recently, one of the important elements of which is that I don’t have to understand everything, I don’t want to understand everything.

The Blood Moon cleansing ritual for water signs can be a game. It can be an interesting experiment during the full moon. It can be an effective ritual, it can be a subtle autosuggestion. It can even be voodoo. I am not interested in this at this moment. This ritual spoke to me today and I accepted the invitation.

I will just quietly note that on the path where I have already been once or twice, I noticed this sign today.

I wonder if there are any more questions about today after this. Which was yesterday. It’s 0:11, the hottest red phase of the lunar eclipse is about to begin. So, I’m going to the beach now.

 

Were there any pictures taken of the Moon?

No.

The predicted cloud cover was so great that I could only use the Star Walk 2 app to locate the Moon in the sky. The sky above me was covered in such a beautiful, homogeneous layer of clouds that I couldn’t even tell with the naked eye whether Gru hadn’t already stolen the Moon.

I went to the beach where I had been in the morning, and in my mind it seemed like the right place. In my mind I should have gone there. For one thing, it’s low tide, so half of the area where I could have held a dance class in the morning has disappeared. Then there are the palm trees. Which, by the way, block the sky in the exact direction where the Moon should have been. The theoretical location was practically a disaster.

I came back to the area around my apartment. I thought I’d go up to the pool, I can see the Moon clearly from there every evening, I thought maybe 4-5 hours after my swim there would still be a good view from there. But the dog that lived by the pool was now wandering right at the beginning of our street. He signaled me in a dog-like way not to go up to the pool. Somehow I felt it would be a pointless attempt, so I didn’t even bother.

The failure to take a picture also brought an advantage: at least I don’t have to think about which picture I took should be the image for this post.

I looked at the clouds for another 10-15 minutes, then stopped taking pictures for now. I went back to the beach.

 

How did the ritual go?

Along with the photography, the ritual was like a loose burlesque movie. For example, the tealight used instead of a candle first caught fire enthusiastically, giving me hope that we could move on to the second step of the ceremony. Then it fell asleep. I soon had to realize that it is not so easy to keep a fire alive on a windy beach. After a while, I couldn’t even light it… After the umpteenth attempt, I managed to burn myself. And get the melted wax on my finger. After quite a few attempts, I decided that I could call the light with the light that was now instantly available to me, so I gave the right to personify the tealight to a lamp twisted around the waist of the palm trees.

Then – come on! – try holding a piece of paper in your palm on a beach. I forgot how big a challenge it was to find a blank piece of paper among my things in this minimalist life. I spent five minutes with it before tearing out a blank half-page from one of the publications. I only have double-sided printed things.

In the end, I really chose the beach as the scene of the ceremony for one thing: Like living water, it would be suitable for washing away the paper scraps from me. I was a little nervous, lest after all these funny little things I step on a sea urchin or get carried away by a shark when I pour the symbolized burden of things that are burdensome for my life into its mouth in the dark.

So I accepted the invitation to the ritual and did it, with the funny seriousness given by the circumstances.

What makes the whole thing only fall into the “necessarily had to” category is that after completing the prescribed procedure, I started meditating. It was around 1:30 at that time, so I almost fell asleep while sitting at the bottom of a staircase. In any case, I immersed myself in unguided meditation.

I got a few answers. Clear ones that I haven’t seen before. For the problems that didn’t get an answer, I now know what the question is. 

I’m grateful for this whole day, it was special among the special ones…