There is a reason why traditionally people would go outside and bang pots and pans at the time of an eclipse to scare the shadow away. These moments of alignment between Earth, Sun and Moon always have an uneasy feel for me. There is a little chaos out there, as things that are usually predictable and reliable lose their way for a little while.

This morning’s total eclipse of the Moon was no different. I couldn’t see any of it as the English weather was set to cloudy. But I could feel it just as strongly. A sense of dread crept across me, as the shadow of the Earth crept across the face of the Moon.

I had planned my morning rite as a kind of cleansing ceremony. I would meditate on the things that hold me back and then allow them to be wiped away as the shadow was wiped from the Moon. But as I sat there, as I let the feelings of unease grow, the images that came to me brought another kind of healing. As I looked into the shadow, I saw myself looking back.

Read the rest of this entry »