Spiritual Significance of the Solar Eclipse

A Solar Eclipse occurs across the entire US for the first time since 1918. I've received many inquiries about the Eclipse asking about its spiritual or esoteric significance. This eclipse is getting lots of publicity.  Each person reading this newsletter can Google the eclipse and come up with their own conclusions.  For those who really want to understand what's happening on deeper levels read on.  What I've written is based on my reflections of why this is such a major event and why we not only need to prepare for it, but determine how each will personally participate in it. 

PLANETARY INFLUENCES

As a background, ancient civilizations used Cosmology, Astronomy and Astrology to teach how planets affect life on earth.  All life including humans evolved from the soup of gases and molecules of the stars.  Hindu teachings say the orbits of stars and planets act as a 'cosmic clock' timing events that affect human life. History records many events affected by comets and eclipses.  That's why we pay attention to those occurring within our field of view, like this Eclipse.

PATH OF THE ECLIPSE - TOTALITY

The moon will pass between the earth and the sun on August 21, 2017. The TOTAL Eclipse will be seen at 9 am in Oregon. It ends in South Carolina at 4 pm.  It will be visible in SW Florida as a PARTIAL eclipse (74% of it visible) starting at 1:18 pm with MAX viewing at 2:50 pm. It ends at 4 pm.  DO NOT LOOK AT THE ECLIPSE WITHOUT GLASSES.

CONSIDER - The path of the Eclipse - light and darkness - starts in the liberal state of Oregon and ends in the conservative state of South Carolina.  Both locations begin with sunlight, then pause for 2 minutes and 40 seconds of darkness, before the sun's light returns.  I believe we are not immune to planetary cycles and are in fact reflective of them.  Eclipses don't happen in a vacuum but build up in energy to the actual event.  My symbolic interpretation relative to the Eclipse is that the recent events in Charlottesville brought hatred and darkness clearly onto the national stage even as others held a vigil of light  against it.

NUMEROLOGY OF THE ECLIPSE

Albert Einstein developed the Theory of Relativity, but in order to prove it, he needed an Eclipse.  The 1919 Eclipse proved his point that "Space and time are interwoven into a single continuum."  Most numerologists would take the number  1919 and total it to 20 which is the number for Duality. It would be more accurate, but I "saw" a different number.  I took 19 by itself and "saw" the 1 as the beginning and 9 as the end.  Then seeing it occur twice doubled the numerological message of alpha and omega - beginning and end.  It impressed that "two sides" must come together as one or it will be the end.

This Eclipse occurs in 2017 - another 1 year or new beginning.  The date is 08/21. Added together it's an 11 year.  11 has spiritual significance.  It is the number of Revelation & Inspiration from a Higher Plane.  It is "Brotherly Love" on a grander stage.  11 is the Spiritual Messenger.  So my interpretation is this Eclipse has great magnetism associated with it.

SOLAR - LUNAR ENERGIES

The Sun and Moon radiate different energies.  The Sun affects the Masculine Right side and is extroverted or outgoing.  The Moon affects the Feminine Left side and is
Introverted and receptive.  These energies will interact suddenly, starting and stopping in a shortened period of time.  Because of that, noticeable changes will be felt.  The influx of Solar masculine energy will be halted as the Lunar feminine energy holds sway.  Silence and stillness will result for those few minutes like a holding of the breath.  This will be like Cosmic Pranayama.

This section is the most esoteric of the teachings on the Eclipse.  12th Century Mystic Ibn Arabi said "the Moon is under the governance of Venus - the planetary symbol of Love." He said "The moon is a vehicle for spiritual revelation and it relates to the transformation of Primordial Sound.  The 28 sacred sounds that begin with HU control the Lunar Cycles."  This is a study by itself.  Retreaters should dig out their books on HU to understand its deeper meaning.  But there's an inherent message that the Moon is under the governance of Venus, the planet of Love.

As a Solar Eclipse pulls consciousness inward our personal spiritual practices are magnified.  It's an auspicious time to reflect on changes we wish to bring into our work and make a commitment to them.  There's an enhanced awareness of alternate dimensions of time and space.  Suffice to say, preparation for the darkness requires planning.  Will it be a time of reflection or simply "watching the eclipse."  What happens when the sun goes dark?  How will you respond?  As the sun goes dark, there will never be a more powerful opportunity to "seed an intention."  That intention will return even greater benefit as the sun's light accepts it.  

As Ibn Irabi said about sound and the lunar cycle, you might consider chants.  Sound will change atmosphere and environment.  So consider a meditation like the Medicine Buddha.  If the weather is overcast and you're unable to be outside, the effects are still upon you.  You can also do your work while NASA streams it live.

OUR ROLES

We are not scheduling any beach or ceremonial event associated with this Eclipse. Instead, we're doing our own spiritual practices in a silent Retreat.  In silence, in the dark Moon, within the containment of sound, great things can be seeded and will unfold. We look forward to hearing about yours.

Sound Healing a Tree

"Sound and music will become the medicine of the future."  When I read those words of the American psychic Edgar Cayce 40 years ago I had no idea that I'd live to see sound as a healing tool or that I'd be actively involved in it.  Yet, sound and sound healing appears to be a topic in the forefront of the scientific and spiritual communities.  If you Google the word "Sound" you'll see almost one billion results while the words "Sound Healing" has 2.7 million results.  Sound Healing is a modality whose time has come as evidenced by the preponderance of practitioners, researchers, professionals and students actively immersed in it.

 

For years I've studied sound with esoteric teachers.  I read about and researched scientific documents and spiritual manuscripts on the subject.  I imaged it in sacred visionary art.  And I learned about vibration and frequency at intensive seminars and retreats.  Finally, after years of study, I experienced sound at a profoundly deep and personal level while in a state of meditation.  Instead of understanding sound at a mental or intellectual level, I became sound.  The experience was so powerful I knew it was time to teach others how to understand it, hear it, feel it, and experience it.  But my experiential lessons were not over yet for spirit wanted me to put into practice what I'd learned about sound throughout all those years! 

 

In the summer of 2010 I planted a six foot tree to replace one lost in a storm.  Though not as hardy as its predecessor it flourished through the fall.  Then in December a wind-storm struck the tree, tearing its trunk into 3 pieces and leaving the pieces hanging by shredded bark.  The obvious choice was to bemoan the loss, dig it up and plant something else.  But an inner voice whispered, "heal it!"  So, instead of cutting it down, the 3 limbs were pulled together and stitched up with duct tape.

 

I talked with the tree, telling it what I was going to do.  I knew that everything in the universe was vibration and that intention, imagination and sound could heal.  I told the tree that it was going to heal and that I would use sound vibrations to assist it.  So, every day when I passed the tree, I put my hands around the swollen bandaged area and toned harmonics and sound into it.  I visualized the 3 limbs coming together as whole and complete.  I saw the sap within the small trunk bringing life to the severed area.  I continued doing that for two months.

 

In March, just a few weeks before the vernal equinox, the tree looked like it was going to bud.  I held out hope, sensing that it might return to life.  One of the limbs was robust, filled with deep green leaves and red flower buds.  The other two limbs didn't look as healthy.  Still, I continued talking to it, sounding it, and toning healing notes into it.

 

The great Sufi mystic Inayat Khan said sound can be magnetized by the voice of the singer and that "the closer to nature it is kept the more powerful and magical it becomes."  The photo above is the tree in Spring of 2011.  While one side is clearly more vibrant than the other, nonetheless there are small leaves and red flowers on the other two limbs.  The tree was talked with and sounded with healing tones almost every day.  It appears to have survived its ordeal.  Some might say that you can "fix" anything with duct tape.  I know that daily doses of sound healed it!

 

Jo - April 2011