A Pagan Artists Thoughts on the Solar Eclipse

The first time I remember experiencing a solar eclipse I was a very small child, probably 4 or five.  I remember being in the garden with my mother.  Through the years the neighborhood kids took to calling her "Mother Nature" because even in the desert earth in Albuquerque New Mexico where I grew up she had a knack for making things grow.  Anyway, this was in the early years before we grew big vegetable gardens, it was mostly flowers back then, and we were messing around in the garden.  Mom pointed out all the things that were happening, explaining the mechanics of it to her little girl in the simplest terms she could.  She pointed out that every thing had gotten darker even though there were no clouds.  She brought to my attention how quiet everything had gotten because the birds stopped singing, it was as if the whole world stopped to witness the event.  It wasn't a total eclipse that day in Albuquerque, only partial, but I still remember it.  The light coming through the old elm tree left tiny crescents all over the patio.  It was pure magic!

To see a total solar eclipse, you have to be in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.  Those that are under the shadow that the moon casts upon the earth as it crosses the sun get quite a show, and others see a partial eclipse.  I've never gotten to experience the crazy-cool "ring of fire" only because I've never been in an area where the total eclipse was visible, but I've seen several partial eclipses now in my life, and it's still a very amazing thing to witness.  I'm holding out for August of 2017 which looks like it will be pretty close for me.  The eclipse today will block 53% of the sun in my area.  In St. Louis the sun will set only 40 minutes after the eclipse begins, so we will be seeing it low in the sky.  But I'll still be there with my husband and son, hole in paper plates and checking it out.

Of course, you're never supposed to look directly at an eclipse, you can damage your eyes, and I use mine lots, so I'm very careful.  Here's a link with directions for different methods you can use to safely view the eclipse.  http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/how.html

What Kind of Magic Can I Do?

Magically this solar eclipse falls right after the super full moon, when the moon is closest through the year.  This solar eclipse is all about big life changes.  You can use the energy of this eclipse to bring about big changes, ending an old cycle so that a new cycle can begin.  Decide what your intention is, what do you want to eclipse in your life?  Solar eclipses can bring about big shifts, so do some soul searching, decide now how you want to change and adjust the rudder of your boat to aim you in the direction that you want.  What do you want to draw into your life?  What do you want to let go?  Focus on your intentions and ride the wave of the solar eclipse!

Solar Eclipse by Mickie Mueller, print available in our Etsy shop, click here

Solar Eclipse by Mickie Mueller
In ancient times a solar eclipse was considered a very powerful omen. It is a very unearthly feeling as anyone can attest who has witnessed it. The sky turns a unreal dark shade, the birds and insects stop making any sound. As the dark lady moon passes in front of her consort, the sun, the shadows that the leaves cast upon the ground all become little crescents, mirroring the event unfolding above. It is a moving event, even if it is only a partial eclipse, all of life seems to hold its breath in awe nervously until the sun is full and bright again. During a full eclipse, stars can even be seen.

Of course, in these modern times eclipses solar or lunar are scientifically explained. We know the earth casts a shadow across the moon during a lunar eclipse, and the moon passes between the earth and the sun during a solar eclipse. But these explanations don't really take away any of the magic or awe, just observe one of these celestial events and you'll probably agree. If we see the moon as being a representative of the Lady and the Sun a representative of the Sun God, then their meeting in the sky, however brief, must be a symbolic meeting of the two. A celebration of the joyous reunion of the two who circle each other in the sky.

Blessings!