Eclipses Incoming

It’s time to “Expect the Unexpected”.

Right around the corner is luring an important moment in the year.

If you have been following me for a while, or studying with me, you will know that I pay close attention to celestial events, like the lunar days, the solstices and equinoxes + any other major or rare astrological alignments.

Looking for energy, is the yogis job, and no, we don’t actually need the moons and the stars for that—every single day can be an opportunity to create change, instantly. But in my experience there are certain moments where the energy “aligns” and openings happen, that makes it a bit more attainable, and beneficial to create change and set intentions.

I’ve worked with and been fascinated with astrology since I was a child (for my 10th birthday I wished for astrology books, and got them) so I have quite a long history of working with energies in this way + using symbolism and interpretation, to both find deeper meaning, and opportunities that correspond with the energies of the planets and the stars.

This weekend we will experience the first of two eclipses this fall. We experience four eclipses each year—so the phenomenon isn’t exactly rare (however out of 365 days, 4 days is just around 1%, so we could argue that it’s actually kind of rare😂). The eclipses always come in pairs, meaning we will experience one solar and one lunar eclipse right after each other, in the same lunar cycle.

From an astrological point of view, the eclipses happen in the sign of the “moon nodes”. These aren’t actual celestial bodies (planets, stars etc.), but the “shadow points” of the moon, in which the eclipses fall. They move in a 2.5 year cycle, so they change sign every 2.5 year.

We have moving out of the Aries / Libra eclipse cycle, and into the Virgo / Pisces cycle. This year we will experience the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse (coming up this Sunday, September 7th) in the sign of Pisces, and the New Moon Solar Eclipse in the sign of Virgo (on Sunday, September 21).

Why should you pay attention?

Here’s the deal: The eclipses are amplified opportunities that create change. I was going to write opportunities to create change, but it’s been my experience that the eclipses create change (full stop) no matter if we want it or not. The changes might be very personal and affect you directly, or it might happen more subtley.

I’ve seen it all on the eclipses: break ups, unexpected bonuses and money coming in or being suddenly taken away, unexpected pregnancies (not my own), divorces, communities splitting up, people having to change houses and more. It’s not uncommon for people to feel a little “woozy” during this time, and sometimes even have mental health stuff pop up, or full on break downs. The term “getting eclipsed” is catching on for a reason.

It doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom though, but I have come to expect the unexpected this time of year.

Eventually, we see though that all these changes happen for the greater good. They can just seem sudden, and be kind of “jolts” that take us out of what we were expecting, or make us stray from the the linear path we thought we were on.

If we welcome them as gifts, and without attachment, we can actually learn a lot about letting go and flowing with creation, when we move through the eclipses.

Kundalini Yoga corresponds with the eclipse energy in the sense that they both work with diagonal energy. In Kundalini Yoga, and in White Tantric Yoga, it’s the diagonal energy that takes away, clears, and amplify. It is said that the diagonal energy works faster than the linear energy.

When we practice White Tantric Yoga (which is different from Kundalini Yoga and can only be done in White Tantric Yoga official event and group settings) the energy moves diagonally in the lines, like a zig zag. This creates an energy stream that is extremely fast paced and accelerated. Any problems you have and any imbalances are being taken away and corrected.

On the eclipses, this energy is also more present than usual, and so our opportunity to clear out that which doesn’t serve us, is very much amplified.

What to do on the eclipses?

A friend of mine just wrote me today asking me that. Is this a good moment to be around a lot of people, or better to take it easy? And what was the thing about not looking directly at it?

Traditionally, it is actually advised not to look at eclipses directly. You find this notion not only in the yogic traditions but also in indigenous and native American traditions (so I’ve been told—but I did not fact check that).

Eclipses have a slightly ominous energy to them. Imagine being so dependable on the sun and moons light, and then all of a sudden it’s just gone? Eclipses are moments when these powerful entities that sustains and guide us (that would be the sun and the moon) disappear. The notion has been that they come back with change and a new energy.

For the first eclipse coming up, we will experience it in the sign of Pisces (in western astrology anyways—don’t ask me about the other kinds, even though I know from an astronomical point of view that it’s more “correct”, I’ve never been able to make it make sense😂)

The Pisces eclipse (on the Full Moon, Sunday, September 7) might touch upon your spiritual believes, and can feel more internal and change how you think and relate to spirit (I don’t mind the word God, but you know… not everyone is there😅). The big opportunity here, is to make an even deeper commitment to live in closer relation to the Infinite You which acts out the will of the Creator.

The second one will be in Virgo (on the New Moon, Sunday, September 21) and will touch more deeply on our habits, routines and the physical reality of how we more through our day-to-day existence. It’s also possible that we should be on the look out for health related issues. The opportunity here is to change your habits and environments to support you in the best possible way.

Beyond general astrology, both of these (and any other astrological events, lunar days etc. always) touch us in different ways individually, depending on where they fall in our chart and what else is going on there. So while these are some general ideas and themes that we might work with and come to expect, you might experience something else entirely, depending on how these eclipses touch your personal chart (I’ve had a couple of eclipses that felt very dramatic and more noticeable, because they were making strong aspects to other points in my chart fx.)

Generally speaking, and going back to my first point: as yogis, one of the things we can do is look for the amplified opportunities, turn to where the energy is moving, and create an intention of change for the better. There’s momentum right now, and we try to get as much out of it as possible.

Working with energy, and practicing in this way, means you can live several incarnations in one. Your timeline accelerated and what would normally take you lifetimes to work out or complete, can be done in this one life. That’s the opportunity that arise when we work with the yogic technology, and the celestial energies in this way.

Dos and Don’ts for the eclipses…

—Don’t look at the eclipse directly. Stay indoors and stay meditative.

—Spend time in water or near bodies of water. This is said to help balance the eclipse energy.

—If you are into astrology and want a better idea of how this eclipse will affect you personally, look at where the eclipse falls in your chart. Is there anything else going on there? What other planets do you have in those degrees? (15 degrees Pisces and 29 degrees Virgo). That might create aspects and tell you more about if the energy is very beneficial or might be challenging (look for trines, squares, oppositions etc.) Knowing these things is like knowing the weather before taking a trip. It can help you get an idea of what to expect, but doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you know the outcome. Better to be prepared though, right?

—Want a powerful and accelerated experience? Play the Ant Na Siftee mantra or chant it (fx 11 or even 108 round on that day). My favorite ‘White Sun’ version here.

—Practice Kundalini Yoga. Don’t skip on your practice that day and if you can, join a group practice, where the energy will be even more amplified (I will be teaching both in person and online. Learn more here).

—Expect the unexpected.

—Have a sense of humor. Don’t take it all too seriously. Life is a strange and fascinating experience. We can put some distance between us and what we experience, if we learn to “zoom out” and root more in the infinite “undying” experience of life. It’s kind of like the difference between being the actor on the stage and then switching at times to be the viewer in the audience (or better yet, the director). We need perspective, or we get too caught up in the details of our emotional pain and suffering.

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