Metaphor of the Eclipse
Dr. Anita Johnston here. I'm in Boulder, Colorado, at the time of the eclipse.
It's so interesting, because all the warnings are out: Don't look directly at the sun without special glasses. We know that if you look directly at the sun you can actually burn your eyes. We've always needed the reflection of the moon — which has allowed us to see the light of the sun more directly.
Right now, during the eclipse, the moon is comes right in front of the sun and creates a shadow. You can see shadows on the ground, all in moon shapes.
When I think about what the eclipse means to me, I get so excited, because, metaphorically, the moon is the representation of the Feminine Principle, and it eclipses the sun, the Masculine Principle. And, just for a moment, they come into union. I think this is something that all of us need to experience, individually and collectively: the moon and the sun coming in together in union. In this moment here on Earth, we get the most incredible show. We can actually see what it looks like when the two come together, when the Feminine Principle is united with the Masculine Principle. It's quite an incredible phenomena.
This has been something that I've been waiting for for a long time, internally, within my own psyche. I think this is a powerful place of balance, where the bright intense light of the sun is blocked by the moon so that we don't get fried by it, so that we can bear it. This is a job for the Feminine Principle, the emotional, intuitive, relational aspect of our Being, that needs to come into balance with our Masculine, our fiercely bright, logical, linear, goal-oriented approach to life. At a time like this, we are reminded of the beauty of the two in balance.
You can see the shadows that are cast. Shadows are interesting because they reveal to us what we can't see with only the bright light of the sun. We need something to create the shadow. These shadows are otherworldly, they're quite cosmic in nature, with all these little crescent moons everywhere. The crescent moon is the symbol for new beginnings. This is a time to deal with your shadow self, the parts of yourself that you haven't yet fully claimed or embraced, so you can begin to create something new — as a result of the moon and the sun coming together — in a way that we can actually see. I find that compelling.
It's an amazing experience. But what is more profound for me is the meaning that it may hold. I'm going to invite you to contemplate: What might that meaning be for you? What might it mean for you when your Inner Feminine and your Inner Masculine come together, in this way, to reveal things in a very different light? To assist you in beginning something new?
Change is afoot, and with the Feminine doing her part in creating this change, I find that hopeful.
From the Light of the Moon Café in Boulder, Colorado, I look forward to seeing you next time.
I would love to hear what you think, share a comment below!
Anita