Eclipses

This month’s theme:

Eclipses

Brooklyn, New York. November 8, 2022. Photographed by me

“His defeat is like an eclipse of the Sun or Moon; does it harm the brightness (of these bodies)?”

From: Tso Chuan (Chinese, about 300 BC).
Quoted in Historical Eclipses and Earth's Rotation, by F Richard Stephenson, Cambridge University Press, 1997, page 223.

Legends about eclipses date back to the world's earliest known civilizations. Before human beings understood the spatial mechanics behind the movements of the Sun and the Moon, myths were used to explain this unexpected darkening. A large number of these alluded to difficult times and evil omens.

If you've ever experienced an eclipse, you likely understand this association. Visually, it is quite intense and shocking. In a lunar eclipse, the bright, beaming Moon darkens to a blood-red glow, and in a solar eclipse, the shining Sun turns black in the daytime sky. Without explanation, this could, of course, inspire fear and confusion.

But today, we know why eclipses happen and what causes them. This draws a parallel to our reactions in similarly intense or incomprehensible experiences we may have in our daily lives, where all isn't necessarily bad once you zoom out. If you don't fully understand why something is happening, it doesn't mean it's inherently negative, even if it may feel or appear that way on the surface.

This transitory darkness is not only natural, but necessary. The Moon, the Earth, and the Sun must periodically align in this way to continue along their paths. The intensity of the visuals that we see is the result, until light once again emerges from the empty darkness of space. Similar to an emotional cycle, it may seem irreconcilable when in the climax of the tension, but when you zoom out, it is a necessary part of a sequence. Each moment is already closer to the next phase, and what emerges is fresh and transformed.

While the cycle unfolds, don't fall into fear or let your choices be guided by distress. Instead, stay present to what is happening, observe your feelings, and focus on what you can learn from the experience. The eclipse will eventually pass through you.

Every situation presents an opportunity for growth. Even if it seems impossible. Even if the lesson is challenging. Finding this during the tough times is a revelatory gift you can give yourself.

Poetry

Brooklyn, New York. October 16, 2022. Photographed by me

celebritas

Solar flares sparkle center stage;
spinning and weaving into
infinity’s helix.

Beaming past Mercury, Venus, the Moon; on Earth, light swims to birth the aurora’s hidden messages.

The fortune tellers sat in silence and knew each fractal was unfolding.

While the scientists kept searching for secrets and
released their predictions
of the future.

silver & gold

Ancient oceans on Mars spill
through rust-colored troves; as the Sun-maned lion and the
polar bear’s Moon
meet in secret
on the summit.

Photo: Zakariyya ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini, pages from “Aja’ib Al Makhluqat wa Ghara’eb Al Mawjodat” (The Wonders of Creation), 1203-1283 (Found on ArtMejo.com).

New York, New York. November 10, 2022. Photographed by me

silent treasure

Autumn’s chorus of spinning leaves whispers to the pearl of the sky;

reminding them that
even the ocean can’t ignore the notions of their spell.

🌞🌑 Umbraphile (meaning “shadow lover”) is a term for people who are self-proclaimed eclipse lovers and travel all over the world to see them. Some report seeing over 20 eclipses!

🌑🌞 A wild coincidence: the Moon is about 400 times smaller than the Sun, but is able to cover it during a solar eclipse because it also happens to be about 400 times closer to Earth.

🌞🌑 The Greek historian Herodotus recorded that Thales of Miletus predicted a solar eclipse in 585 BC, which is the first discovered account of an eclipse forecast.

Rufino Tamayo, Eclipse, Oil on Canvas, 1980 (Found on ArtMejo.com).

Upcoming Eclipses

April 20, 2023: Total Solar Eclipse
Visible from Australia, Antarctica, and Southeast Asia.

May 5, 2023: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
Visible from South/East Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and Antarctica.

October 14, 2023: Annular Solar Eclipse
Visible from North America, Central America, and South America.

October 28, 2023: Partial Lunar Eclipse
Visible from Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, North America, North/East South America, and Antarctica.

March 25, 2024: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
Visible from South/West Europe, North/East Asia, much of Australia, much of Africa, North America, South America, and Antarctica.

April 8, 2024: Total Solar Eclipse
Visible from North America.

September 17 - 18, 2024: Partial Lunar Eclipse
Visible from Europe, South/West Asia, Africa, North America, South America, and Antarctica.

October 2, 2024: Annular Solar Eclipse
Visible from South America and Antarctica.