Black Sun

Today the face of the new Moon turns away from the Earth and falling into the waiting arms of the Sun eclipses the radiant light….*

click on the image to read more about the art

and for a brief moment, less than seven minutes, the Earth is abandoned the Moon and Sun merging into a single darkened face – a Black Sun. In every known civilization solar eclipses have been thought of as potent harbingers of unimaginable catastrophes soliciting a myriad of responses as varied as rituals of human sacrifice to reverent wonderment. Today, these same civilizations continue observing a solar eclipse with the awe and wonder of their ancestors while their scientists, unexpectedly standing at the portal of astrology, decree that a solar eclipse can stimulate a profound psychological experience leading to a physical effect. We need only ponder the image of our radiant source of life turning a black face upon us to comprehend the profound sense of loss, abandonment, human beings are capable of experiencing.

Dane Rudhayr, the pioneer of humanist astrology, once wrote,”It is not the event which happens to the person, but the person which happens to the event. An individual meets particular events because he needs them in order to become more fully what he is only potentially.” At the time of an eclipse we are well counseled to pay close attention to our unconscious speaking, directing our attention to the archaic wounding we share with all others; the inescapable sorrow of isolation casting a shadow upon each human living. It doesn’t matter if our isolation rides upon the wings of longing for union or upon the wings of despair at being born and dying alone the shadow remains the same, and every solar eclipse heralds a new understanding, if for only a brief moment, of the nakedness of our primal loneliness.

This particular solar eclipse places us at the threshold of a fresh way of thinking, a mental clarity gained by embracing our independence. Our radiant light will shine for ourselves and others if we allow ourselves to be emotionally receptive to the thoughts and feelings of others. It is time to turn an appreciative gaze upon the rich diversity of human experience, on the myriad of thoughts and feelings shared between people, and rather than fearfully legislating against what we don’t understand to open our mind and our heart in celebration of our differences. We are being challenged to work together in a generous spirit of negotiation seeking fulfillment for each person involved. Observe yourself over the coming weeks and see if you gain new insights into what experiences stimulate you to uncloak your past and stand naked in your truth. Anytime we cling to our past we prevent ourselves from creatively living our future. I remind you of the Buddhist proverb, ” If you want to know the past look at the present. If you want to know the future look at the present.” A solar eclipse has an uncanny way of propelling us into the eye of the moment!

*This solar eclipse takes place at dawn on February 7 2008 and can be seen in parts of the southern hemisphere. Because of the GMT time change the Americas experience the eclipse on February 6 2008.

–>