On October 14th, my husband and I and a small group of regulars enjoyed the partial Libra Solar Eclipse from the patio of our favorite coffee shop in Louisville, Colorado. We passed around eclipse glasses to people walking in and out so everybody had an opportunity to look. It was interesting; as the light changed, colors deepened and the shadows on the ground turned to crescent moons, more than a couple people we encountered didn’t appear to know there was an eclipse happening. “What?”, one woman said. She seemed confused. We explained there was a solar eclipse, and did she want to see it? She took the glasses from my husband and put them on, then she looked straight ahead. “Look at the sun,” we recommended.
How, I wondered, had they not noticed? The change in the atmosphere was slow and gradual, but even so! The light in the coffee shop was dim and eerie, yet colors and shapes looked strangely heightened. It was a Saturday and the shop was crowded but conversation was hushed; it felt like the moment when the lights have dimmed in the theater, signaling the show is about to begin. Outlines seemed sharper; it had turned colder and the world seemed still as a movie set.
A week earlier, we’d attended a rug auction on the Navajo reservation. The host of the auction spoke a little about the coming eclipse and how the traditional Navajo were likely to observe it. She explained that her people don’t gather outdoors to view the event; they stay inside. They don’t eat, drink, or do anything physical; instead they meditate, pray and acknowledge the sacred celestial moment. They consider the meeting of the sun and moon to be very intimate, even private, and they close their windows to the spectacle until the eclipse is complete. Navajos believe that without special consideration, eclipse energy can affect the stomach and the eyes. It’s a time of both reverence and self-care.
Traditional Navajo lore says we are energy, we come from the stars. The sun is like a father figure to humanity and it regulates the Universe. The Moon is a mother figure and it regulates the earth. The sun, moon and the earth are all part of who we are, and the fast pace of modern life has separated us from this knowingness. The eclipse reminds us that we, just like the Sun, will one day be no more. It’s part of the natural order, and the disappearance and reemergence of the sun represents metaphoric death and renewal for us all.
Having said that, not all indigenous peoples observe eclipses by retreating into solitude and prayer.
However we may observe it, here we are, having passed through a solar eclipse in the sign of Libra. Solar eclipses have an effect on the entire collective, and, when an eclipse is in Libra, we are drawn into awareness of how we relate and interact with each other and the Self. In the coming months, we are likely to notice themes of justice, fairness, balance and harmony in our personal relationships. We might be more aware of independence vs. dependence, and whether the needs of all are being considered, or just a few, or just one. That’s the short version, but the function of this eclipse is to bring awareness to these and other relational issues, then help us release any unbalanced, unworkable or expired connections or patterns.
The period following an eclipse is a great time to notice what’s coming up in our lives. In the autumn, the veils between the worlds thin, and we are more easily able to access messages from Spirit. The influence of this solar eclipse is likely to reverberate out for months and, in the spring, we may very well look back and see a kind of ‘before’ and ‘after’ in our personal relationships, as well as the relationships of larger entities to each other and to the collective.
Once again (still?) change is in the air. It’s not bad news or anything to fear, just a time of awareness and opportunity! A disclaimer: we at Psychic Horizons Center aren’t astrologers, and we do not give astrological readings or advice. I offer this information because the movement of the planets can help us to better understand our world.
In closing, here’s your weekly reminder to use your tools and move some energy around relationship! If we can help you learn some simple energy tools to change your life from the inside out, let us know! We can be reached at hello@psychichorizonscenter.org, or give us a call at 303-440-7171 if you’d like more information about our classes, workshops, readings and meditations. In the meantime, have a great Fall!
Many blessings,
Katie
Rt. Rev. Katie Heldman is the Co-Director of Psychic Horizons Center, and wrote this article for the October 23rd, 2023 eNews.
