Ancient wise men of India and China strongly advise against watching solar eclipses, as do many of the Native American tribes of the United States – believing that it is BAD LUCK to watch the life-giving sun getting completely blocked out. Women in particular are warned to stay indoors during the passage of the eclipse. I believe the solar eclipse last month is definitely a warning of sorts that something bad has happened, might be happening or will indeed happen, and when we read of the race riots, the outpouring of hate and the great divide that has descended on the US political scene – plus the possibility of NUCLEAR war breaking out between USA and North Korea – it is surely understandable that many of us worry. Was it a coincidence that Trump gave his hawkish speech on Afghanistan the very next day!
Last month, more than ten million Americans camped across America to look up into the skies to watch the solar eclipse. Most could see the sun disappear from sight and darkness descending for about three minutes. It must have been an eerie experience indeed, when the world literally goes completely dark, turning bright daylight into night.
This solar eclipse occurred from 10.15 am to about noon time at the height of summer. This is a powerful sign of Nature and it symbolizes total yang transforming into total yin – lightness into darkness – perhaps the obliteration of life across one half of our world or a major renewal of life there?
IS THIS A GOOD OR A BAD SIGN?
The eclipse moved across the entire United States, watched by tens of millions of people. They witnessed one of Earth’s greatest phenomenons, possibly also one of the solar system’s most extraordinary planetary alignments.
Not all planets have MOONS, but EARTH has one and it signifies many things to us. It is 400 times smaller than the sun, but is 390 times closer to Earth. Arithmetically, this makes the size of their images almost exactly the same!
Mercury and Venus have no moons. Mars has tiny minuscule spots when set against the solar disc, while Jupiter or Saturn is so far away from the sun, it would appear so small, it is simply obliterated by a moon going round either of these two planets. So only Earth has all the causes and conditions for a total solar eclipse.
Such eclipses occur twice every three years on average, and either sweep over oceans or pass over uninhabited regions such as Antarctica or Siberia.
The Solar Eclipse that occurred last month was especially important, because it made its way across the UNITED STATES, making it a particularly telling and significant occurrence.
The Solar Eclipse that occurred last month was especially important, because it made its way across the UNITED STATES, making it a particularly telling and significant occurrence.
Indeed, the eclipse tracked all the way across North America over 2,500 miles across the inhabited land of central US, stretching from Oregon in the West to South Carolina in the East. About 12 million people live along that path, and that number swelled with millions of visitors who flocked to witness the event.
Usually, eclipses last for only a few minutes, but this time, the huge path over inhabited land made it easily accessible to the public. Buddhists always pray harder and do extensive pujas during days of such eclipses, as there is great merit in doing so.
All eclipses are merit-multiplying days because it is believed that prayers and pujas, meditations and practices done on such days are extremely meritorious as it benefits so many people who may be somehow affected by the darkening of the sun!
The last time a total eclipse could be seen from the US mainland occurred in 1979. The next solar eclipse over the US has been forecasted to occur in seven years, in April 2024.
