Lunar eclipse: Azeezah Hashim sends reassuring message to those fearing bad omens
By Steve Ireri, September 8, 2025Media personality Azeezah Hashim has sought to calm fears surrounding the blood moon and lunar eclipse witnessed across the country on Sunday, September 7, 2025.
While many Kenyans were captivated by the red-hued moon lighting up the skies, the event also sparked superstitions and myths associating the celestial phenomenon with misfortune.
Speaking during her segment on a local radio station on Monday, September 8, 2025, Hashim addressed online chatter linking the lunar eclipse to ominous events.
She dismissed such claims as unfounded, noting that the blood moon appeared in various parts of the world and that, more often than not, different cultures attach symbolic meaning to it.
“I hear some people saying that during the red moon we turn into wolves. People were watching the blood moon yesterday, tell me, when exactly are we turning into wolves? Yesterday was quite an interesting day. There was a lunar eclipse and, of course, the blood moon appeared in different parts of the world. So do not think it was only in Kenya,” she said.
Also, watch bizarre cultural beliefs about the blood moon.
In Kenya, she noted that some tribes view eclipses as foreboding, while in West Africa, the Yoruba see it as a quarrel between cosmic siblings that requires prayers to resolve. In Mali, similar beliefs cast the event as a bad omen.
Hashim emphasised that these interpretations are myths and that the phenomenon is a natural part of the Moon’s cycle.
“More often than not, different cultures associate the blood moon with bad things, but those are just myths. In Kenya, some tribes see it as a powerful omen of misfortune. In West Africa, the Yoruba believe it is a quarrel between cosmic siblings, and they perform prayers to end the celestial conflict. In Mali, it is also seen as a bad omen,” she added.
She also shared her personal perspective, revealing that she had not stepped outside to view the eclipse but had followed the event online, noting how people were posting pictures and sharing experiences.
“But at the end of the day, it is just part of the cycle of life. I did not go outside to watch it myself, but I saw how you all shared your posts about it,” she said, reassuring Kenyans that there is no reason to fear.
The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) explained that a lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow that turns the Moon a deep red, popularly known as the blood moon.
The agency noted that the spectacle, coinciding with Saturn’s alignment, is one of the most mesmerising sights in the night sky and a reminder of the solar system’s graceful mechanics.
“A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, blocking sunlight and casting a shadow on the lunar surface. This event can only occur during a full Moon, when the Moon is on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun, making the perfect alignment possible,” KSA disclosed.