Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that there is a total solar eclipse happening on August 21st. Everyone and their mother is freaking out, and rightfully so, because it’s kind of a big deal. The thing is, total solar eclipses themselves aren’t actually a rare occurrence. According to Space.com, there is a solar eclipse visible from somewhere on Earth approximately once every 18 months. So why is this so exciting? This will be the first solar eclipse that is visible to all of North America in 38 years; the last time the U.S. saw a total eclipse was in 1979. Astronomically, what we will be witnessing is the moon moving between the sun and earth, obscuring some or all of the sun for up to three hours.
Like any celestial phenomenon, the solar eclipse is going to have some sort of astrological, energetic, magical effect. For witches, a total eclipse is pretty powerful. In alchemic texts, the solar eclipse is expressed as the “Alchemical Wedding”-the sun marrying the moon. Solar eclipses only occur during the moon’s first phase, aka the new moon. Magically, the new moon period signifies important new beginnings or endings and conjuring energy related to growth. It’s the ideal time for cleansing and purifying yourself and/or your home, letting go of what is restricting you and making room for the new. The solar eclipse gives you the power to take full advantage of the new mood period; it is during this stellar event that you can truly metamorphosize into the new and improved. However, the solar eclipse does not evoke a homogenous energetic feeling for everyone. For some, the eclipse might elicit a feeling of stillness, while others may feel doubtful and unclear.
To help summon up your energetic magic during the eclipse, you can make eclipse water or do a meditation ritual. If you’re feeling extra witch-y, you can recite this spell while white and black candles (representing the sun and moon, duh) burn:
As the Sun god and Moon goddess embrace today,
May new opportunities start to come my way,
During this eclipse, the Moon’s shadow is cast on the Earth,
Ushering in a time of balance, magic, and re-birth.
When you’re done repeating, let the candles to burn out and wait for your cosmic transformation to occur.
Happy eclipsing!
Top image: The corona of the Sun, viewed during a total solar eclipse. Process print after a photograph, 1871 via Wikimedia Commons
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