Sex During A Lunar Eclipse Sounds Hot, But It Could Backfire

Eclipses can last as long as seven minutes and 31 seconds. And coincidentally, a Penn State survey found seven minutes to be a "desirable" length of time for sex. With a lunar eclipse happening on November 30, you might feel amped up on this luminary's energy to hop in the sack with your partner — but some astrologers aren't so sure that's the best idea due to its powerful energy.

Believing that we should or shouldn't do certain things during an eclipse comes from Indian or Vedic astrology, says Narayana Montúfar, senior astrologer for Astrology.com. "Astrologers who practice this type of astrology usually fast and meditate during both solar and lunar eclipses, because they believe that eclipses mostly hold a negative connotation because of their concept of loss of light, which comes from their mythology," she explains.

Priya Kale, an astrologer based in New York City who's currently studying studying Jyotish astrology, says that the only thing you should really be doing during an eclipse is chilling out and meditating — not participating in a hot and heavy quickie. "It's not the ideal time to be eating, drinking, really doing any kind of activity," she says. "Whether we realize it or not, these eclipses are affecting us. It's really just a time to reset and let things play out."

Think about what happens during an eclipse, Kale says — light is being obscured. "We're not thinking clearly and we're not seeing clearly," she explains. "It's a time of darkness and a time where things are being wiped out." She points out that whatever you do during an eclipse is going to be wiped out as well. "You're exchanging a lot of energy during [sex] and this is a time where energy is being eclipsed," she says. "If I want something to last, I'm not going to be doing that during the eclipse." So if you're interested in keeping your relationship going (whether it's romantic or purely sexual) it might be best to practice some self control during those seven minutes, according to Kale.

However, in Western astrology, eclipses aren't necessarily considered bad. In fact, Montúfar points out, some eclipses can be good, depending on their specific configuration with other planets and even fixed stars. "Lunar eclipses can be intense, especially if they are squaring Mars, Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto," she says. "In those cases, we can feel tired and at a loss of energy, so I usually try to keep my schedule light."

Astrologer Lisa Stardust argues that an eclipse isn't necessarily a bad time to have sex — especially during the eclipses that are coming up in the next month or so. "During the lunar eclipse on November 30, the moon will be in Gemini, whose planet ruler Mercury is currently transiting Scorpio, one of the most sensual signs of the zodiac," she points out. Then, there's a solar eclipse on December 14 in Sagittarius — the sign's planetary ruler, Jupiter, will be transiting the constellation of Capricorn, which Stardust notes is another kinky sign of the zodiac. "These eclipses are great times to have amazing sex solo or with a partner," she says. "The only caveat is that eclipses can bring a lot of energy to the house that they fall in, which means that it can ignite other things, but mostly it will spark a lot of sexual pleasure."

Sex during an eclipse may feel heightened or on another level, according to Leslie Hale, psychic astrologer at Keen.com. She says in the event that you do have sex during an eclipse, it may seem "out of the ordinary" due to the influence of both the sun and moon stirring up our passions, desires, and emotions. "Over the next few days you may feel the energy dissipate as it will not remain in a heightened state," she says. Basically, you might be feeling a post-eclipse emotional hangover with your partner, so be ready for that when it comes.

Although Vedic and Western astrology may have differing views on getting it on during an eclipse, both agree that these kinds of celestial happenings are about new beginnings, and they're a time to release things that no longer serve you. So whether or not you want to bang one out during an eclipse is up to you — just make sure to use that energy to your advantage.