Living in a Post-Epic-Eclipse World
Last Tuesday, Terra passed directly between Luna and Sol, causing a blood red diffusion of light across the moon, and a tumult of chaotic energy across our world. Many magical practitioners consider eclipses to mark times of major transformation and dramatic upheaval of old ways. Some even discourage conducting any kind of ritual work during times of such volatility. Like any astrological event, I look for what these correspondences might illuminate in my life, and the insights into my psyche they may bring.
Being the second of two eclipses that happen every 6-ish months, this eclipse was specifically asking, “What is it time for you to release? What has been holding you back, that you can now let go of?”
To take this a step further, one could determine in which personal astrological house this eclipse takes place. As a Capricorn rising, the eclipse in Virgo means it’s taking place in my 9th house - a realm governed by belief systems, one’s worldview, higher learning, and meaning-making. It resonates then, that I have recently felt a calling to pursue a path towards seminary and spiritual leadership.
On Tuesday evening, under the light of the Full Worm Moon, as it’s traditionally called, I gathered with friends at the Otherwise society in Poulsbo for our 7th monthly full moon ritual. We held an impromptu drum circle, we shared what was on our hearts, and conducted a simple ritual in which we wrote on a slip of paper that which we wished to release, and buried it under a pile of worm castings that my friend brought from his farm.
I invoked a release from fear. Offering my hesitation to the worms, I chose to let go of all the worries that have been holding me back from embracing the dramatic eclipse transformation.
On a personal and macro level, it seems the world is in the death throws of an old way of being. Antagonism and conflict flail in the flames of a cleansing fire. Their final efforts, though dangerous in the present, are destined to be extinguished in the water they are treading. Soon, the moment of transformation will be complete, the chick will emerge from its shell, the new way of being will blossom.
Given that I haven’t quite fully doffed my own shell shackles yet, it’s hard to say what might await on the other side, but last night I felt like I caught a glimpse of the light. After a week fraught with anxiety and intense emotions, I was grateful for the opportunity to go to Seattle with a group of friends to attend a music concert. We gathered at the Commons, and ventured across from Bainbridge island on the ferry into the Emerald City.
As we sat down to dinner at a noodle restaurant near the venue, we took a moment to check-in with each other. This tradition of vulnerability has become a hallmark example of the depth and richness of the community I now belong to. We shared the concerns and joys that were pulling at our heartstrings, and supported each other with words of encouragement and validation. The food for my soul was as nourishing and delicious as the food at our table.
After dinner, we strolled over to the venue - a beautifully preserved theatre - where a large crowd of bedazzled folk gathered. The musician, known as “Mindchatter,” was a young man with fair skin, dark brown hair who looked to be in his mid-twenties. His charming, dimpled smile and delicate tenor voice soared over beats that had me dancing through the entire show. We had arrived early enough to find a spot at the very front and center of the audience, and it felt like a privilege to be included in such a special moment with my friends.
Eventually, the music ended with raucous applause, and we made our way back home across the water. We glowed with the joy of the evening, and I felt held by friends who I trust deeply. The eclipse may have a frightening, world-shattering transformation in store, but I am confident that, in community, we will find the resilience and perseverance to make it through to the other side.