nature | art | science

April 8 marks the end of the 2024 eclipse portal which began on March 23 with the full moon lunar eclipse in Libra.

Eclipses are always highly transformative times with this total solar eclipse is at its maximum strength level. Always falling on a new moon - this eclipse is a supercharged, super activated, super intense event. 

View Finder by Brian Fridge

Utilize this time to transform the limiting beliefs that eclipse our ability to grow and thrive. Use our power consciously and intentionally to take the lead and be courageous in pursuing what sets our souls on fire.

A total solar eclipse is a cyclical event that is not as rare as common belief - happening around every 18 months somewhere in the world. It does make this extraordinary phenomenon an ideal platform to explore the changing ways that humans perceive the world and their surroundings. 

Astronomers Studying an Eclipse by Antoine Caron in 1571

Stories and customs around the world imagine the eclipse numerous ways - from the sun being eaten by monsters to an intimate meeting with the moon. These perceptions vary based on geography, culture, and time. 

Today, myths offer a glimpse at the early recognition of astronomical events and efforts to explain why they were happening. In the absence of other types of knowledge myths become the primary device for explaining the world around us. 

Dancing to restore an eclipsed moon - Qagyuhl, 1914, Library of Congress

This has happened before, and it will happen again the myths teach. The moon obscures the sun’s rays yet the light returns always. 

In ancient Asia, people believed that what happened in the sky was a direct mirror of events from Earth. A solar eclipse was generally feared because they believed that a giant mythical dragon was attempting to devour the sun.

“Solar Eclipse” by George Harding, 1938

For eons a solar eclipse was a rare phenomenon and many people rarely saw more than one in their entire lives. It was a mysterious, unexpected, and often frightening event that provoked dread, wonder, and fear.

People worried it represented the anger of the gods, was an omen for the end of the world, or was a sign of bad times ahead. An eclipse inspired many myths and traditions, becoming a symbol and metaphor in art that goes back centuries.

eclipse tables of the Dresden Codex - Maya, pre-Columbian

One of the earliest records of a solar eclipse dates back to A.D. 628 in Japan, where the people performed ceremonies to save the moon or sun from being consumed.

In 15th century Tibet, Rahula the demigod of the cosmos was worshipped by devotees on many altars. To this day he still is a prevalent figure in Buddhist culture and is cental to their eclipse art.

Rahula, the god that causes eclipses

Modern artist Nancy Graves explored the abstractions of celestial phenomena with scientific imagery of the natural world and scientific discoveries. Inspired by the lunar missions of the early 1970s, she translated NASA’s lunar maps into abstract visual paintings.

In more recent years, various artists have explored celestial themes with increasing detail—from Etienne Trouvelot’s captivating astronomical drawings (1878) to Roy Lichtenstein’s cosmic pop art (1975). The most important among them remains the early 20th-century painter Howard Russell Butler, whose eclipse paintings stand out both for their artistic and scientific merit.

Approaches the limit of I by Nancy Graves, 1981

Eventually people started to understand the science behind an eclipse - although the storytelling tradition around these natural phenomena endures in societies worldwide - with either religious or superstitious belief or significance still persisting. 

Take this opportunity then to reclaim our power and commit our energy to what we value most - what drives our purpose. The Aries energy of this new moon encourages us to access our strength with clarity and determination.

Howard Russell Butler (1856–1934), Solar Eclipse, 1918

This is a pivotal moment for planting seeds of intention, developing a strategy, and charging into our futures with passion a flame. It is extremely important to be fully aware of what we genuinely want that future to look like.