SHADOWS ARE CREATED BY THE SUN
Word Of The Week
Caliginous
ca·lig·i·nous
adjective
misty, dim; obscure, dark
My chart ruler is the sun, so I feel solar eclipses especially intensely. This is true for you, too, if you’re a Leo rising. If you’re a Cancer rising, it’s the same for you with lunar eclipses. To put it bluntly; eclipses don’t feel good. An eclipse is a moment where the light from either the sun or the moon is temporarily blocked from our perspective on Earth. A solar eclipse happens when the sun, Earth, and moon are in exact alignment, causing the sunlight to be blocked by the shadow the moon casts on earth. The solar eclipse happening on Saturday is partial, which means the light from the sun will not be completely obstructed, just dimmed. Now that we understand the science, let’s get symbolic. Though the light does not appear to exist during a solar eclipse, the light from the sun is still the reason for the shadow the moon casts on Earth. In other words, even the light from the sun gets in its own way sometimes and has to pick itself back up again. The sun, our entire source of energy, finds itself lost for a moment in a shadow it helped create. Do you see where I’m going with this? Because the solar eclipses this year are only partial, symbolically it feels like these moments of darkness have a sliver of light still to be found. With full solar eclipses, the energy can be quite intense around feelings of loss, fear, lack of direction, and inadequacy. With partial solar eclipses we still feel this, but with the ability to hold onto gratitude and optimism, and the belief that it will pass.
Regardless if partial or full, though, eclipses are supposed to be tough. They turn the light off for a moment and force us to be alone with our intentions. They trade in blue skies and clear sight for candle light to see only what’s directly in front of us and fear of the unknown. We’re only afraid of the darkness because we can’t see what lingers inside it and therefore we don’t have control. What’s funny, though, is that we never have control. The light is only an illusion that makes us feel like we do. The darkness reminds us that we don’t, and helps us surrender our attachment to this absurd lie the light somehow convinced us to believe. Why is it we are so quick to take credit when good things happen to us, yet just as quick to feel victimized when the bad things happen? What if we had everything and nothing to do with both? When it’s a beautiful warm sunny day, not a cloud in the sky, and everything feels perfectly in our control, unexpected things still happen. We don’t see them coming any more than we would if it was dark. And even if we do see them coming, most of the time there is nothing we can do to stop it. It is essential to our happiness and stability to find the strength to let go. Eclipses teach us this. When the light returns after its caliginous stretch into the moon’s shadow, we find a greater appreciation for it. If observed spiritually, we can use these times to realign with our truth, get back on track, and let go of all the things we’ve unconsciously attached ourselves to. Just like the sun, the areas in which we shine will inevitably cast shadows that we must navigate. This is not a “go through the shadow or else” situation, because the shadows exist no matter what. It’s a “go through the shadow with conscious awareness or go through the shadow asleep” situation.
The only choice we have is the choice of perspective. That may sound small in words, but understand that our entire source of power is in our perspective. It’s the difference between being afraid of what you can’t see vs being excited for what’s to come. The difference between letting experiences define you vs seeing everything as a lesson. Between identifying with our thoughts vs being the observer of them. Our perspective chooses to see light as good because light means we can see with our eyes and that means we must be in control which is safe and keeps us alive, vs dark as bad because we cannot see with our eyes and therefore we are not in control so we must not be safe. It comes down to our animal brain attempting to keep the human race alive, nothing more. We are experiencing a reality in this body suit that has an animal brain that wants to keep us alive. Happiness has to come from somewhere else. I’m talking in circles now, but I think I’ve made my point. If this eclipse has felt as dramatic for you as it has for me, trust that we are experiencing this for a reason, and try your hardest to find the lesson. Experience the shadow, don’t try to escape it. Let it do its job, listen to what it’s trying to say. Acknowledge the fear that comes with it, be kind to it, thank it for protecting you, and then release it from its responsibilities.
As I write this, I know I am only writing for myself. This blog feels a lot more like a journal entry than anything else; fitting for the first eclipse of the season. This eclipse has helped me refocus my intentions. I started sharing words because they can be so healing for me, and I wanted to share my experience in case it helped others. I still believe this and am so grateful to be able to connect with people so intimately through written communication. So, if you don’t mind, I’d like to take some breaths together as I close. As you breathe, imagine myself and every other person who reads this breathing with you, and feel the collective peace and support flow through you.
Breathe in for 2 seconds…
Hold for 2 seconds…
Breathe out for 2 seconds…
Hold for 2 seconds…
Breathe in for 4 seconds…
Hold for 4 seconds…
Breathe out for 4 seconds…
Hold for 4 seconds…
Breathe in for 8 seconds…
Hold for 8 seconds…
Breathe out for 8 seconds…
Repeat as many times as needed.
LOVE, JENNA
