Total Eclipse of the Heart (and Sun)
"Once upon a time I was falling in love, now I'm only falling apart. There’s nothing I can do; a total eclipse of the heart." -- Bonnie Tyler
I've had this song in my head for about the last two months. And even though I do love weird 80s music videos simply for the sake of reliving my childhood, I actually have been feeling that things are falling away; That even some shadowy aspects of the heart are ready to be eclipsed, enlightened, and let go of.
Unless you've been Rip Van Winkling the past few months away, you know all about what's happening tomorrow. TheTotal Solar Eclipse that will stream across this nation we call home, demanding attention and pause.
And when everyone is talking about something happening in the celestial realms, you know it’s a big mama-jamma sort of event. And this is – it really is. Eclipses – like so many occurrences outside Earth – are powerful literal and metaphoric moments of shadow, of trust, of seeing things in a new way, and of ultimate re-illumination.
For me personally, this eclipse has brought some dark shadows of denial out to play.
Yesterday, for example, a shadowy side of my personality that absolutely resists criticism and being wrong in any way, flared its medusa-like-head. I had a full-fledged tantrum. A volcanic, drama queen, Leo lady kind of outburst at my husband who very sweetly tried to share some critical feedback in a relationship-coaching technique I had encouraged for use in dealing with touchy topics.
*Cringe*
Oh Jedi mind trick of all mind tricks. Oh irony of all ironies.
The biggest reason for this outburst on my end?
He brought something to light that I wanted to remain in the shadows. He brought up some of my addictions to technology, and working, and worm-holing that I didn't want to face or admit. That I wasn't taking responsibility for. And he brought about something I truly am ready to release and overcome.
And I share this with you today, not to pity my wonderful hubby (you shouldn’t – I swear I’m usually pretty awesome), but to know it’s OK to feel really shitty right now about something. Really stuck. Really frustrated. Really peeved.
But being as we have an incredibly powerful occurrence tomorrow – where literally the sun and moon will be aligned – it might behoove you to identify what that shadowy thing of yours is – and do a little reflection on how it’s serving you – or whether you’re ready to let it die. Why?
Eclipses represent completion and release. You basically have an extra energetic superboost to help you on your journey of untying whatever may be crippling your spiritual evolution and refinement in this life. It is a time of quantum leaps. Perspective-shifting, big deal changes.
I know for me, after I swallowed my pride and recognized my own ridiculous ego-fueled outburst, I realized this was a very important issue to work on. And what timing, right?! What a blessing that I can see something that has been in shadows and let. it. GO.
So come on Eclipse, I am ready.
I am ready to shine the full light of my awareness onto the parts of my life that need to move on.
I am ready to allow myself to change and shift.
I’m ready to step out of the skin of that needy habit and try something new.
So now it’s your turn: Where have your shadows been haunting you? What is it time to accept, potentially freak-out about, and then release once and for all?
Let this eclipse be an opportunity to see something cool in the sky, but also dig deep into yourself and your own heart's shadows. Let it be a mirror and a window for each of us.
Be honest. Be bold. And be transformed.