Greeting Dear Ones,
On April 8th, a powerful solar eclipse crossed North America. Its path of totality, the area where the moon fully blocked out the sun was between 108 and 122 miles wide and its path travelled through 15 U.S. States, first appearing along Mexico’s Pacific Coast and then traveling across Texas through to Maine, and finally into Canada.
According to CBS News, the path of totality affected an estimated 31.6 million people, and an additional 150 million living within 200 miles of the path of totality experienced a partial eclipse.
As a Maine resident living within the 200 mile strip, I felt excited and extremely fortunate to get to experience this rare phenomenon. The next Solar Eclipse to be visible in the U.S. will occur in 2044 and will only touch 3 states.
Solar Eclipses have had powerful effects on people throughout history. In early 6th century B.C.E., one occurred in Anatolia (present day Turkey) during a war between the Lydian and Medes peoples. In the midst of the battle, “day was suddenly turned into night”, stopping the two bewildered armies in their tracks. They then negotiated a peace treaty, ending a 6 year war.
Astrologists and Spiritualists believe that eclipses magnify energy. They only happen during the new moon phase. The new moon astrologically represents new beginnings. Think of the new moon as a dark fertile place for planting seeds of intention, to grow new ideas and a new way of being. A solar eclipse is a supercharger, magnifying the effects of the new moon, making it a powerful opportunity for new beginnings. The solar eclipse is in the sign of Aries. Aries is a fire sign that likes to initiate, is self-focused, self-assertive and highly ambitious. The energy from the solar eclipse is also working with Mercury in Retrograde.
I have spoken to friends and clients in the last few days about how the eclipse energy is affecting them and answers have been as varied as feeling untethered and sad, can’t get off the couch kind of exhaustion, feeling “stoned” and ungrounded, having deeper emotional processing or deeper meditations.
Wherever in your life that you feel blocked or stuck is likely where you will feel the eclipse energy, but the beauty of this is that the energy can help you release these blocks. The effects of this eclipse will be with us for months to come, according to Astrologer Pam Gregory (thenextstep.uk.com). What an excellent time to work on our own healing.
This excerpt from Astrologer, Mystic Mamma (mysticmamma.com) highlights how much fire is floating around in the stratosphere sparking us to take the lessons and move into direct action.
“This eclipse has so much initiating ARIES activation…
SUN + MOON in Aries+ CHIRON also in Aries (all at 19 degrees)
+ MERCURY retrograde in Aries + ERIS in Aries (both at 24 degrees)
+ VENUS also just entering Aries (as of 4.4.24)
+ the NORTH NODE in Aries.
That’s a whole lot of fire. Fire that is heralding an initiation into a new expression of us that is more strengthened in our sense of self and in who we truly are.”
What a glorious opportunity to connect to our true selves and let the old stories, old beliefs and traumas go, allowing us to start afresh and anew. What a perfect time to step deeper into our self love journey. I am grateful for this jump start and it is my hope that each of you find the gifts of this powerful time as you navigate along your healing path.
With love and deep blessings of the Solar Eclipse,
JoAnn
Inner Stillness Healing