Lessons from the Total Eclipse 2024
This image was captured by Marc Jacobs @marcjacobsphotography on Instagram. Thank you Marc for the permission to use this photo you captured from your total eclipse location near Crown Point, NY. 🙏🏼
Schroon Lake, NY
6 of us gathered and joined a larger group of strangers about 2:00est on April 8, 2024 on the east side of the Schroon Lake, NY at the north end of the lake. There was so much to learn from this 2-hour experience.
1. We all believed there was going to be an eclipse that day because our scientists and astrologers believed in science and we trusted them so much some of us flew 3000 miles to see the total eclipse of the sun that day. But why don’t we (humans) believe science ALL the time? Science has so much to show us and so much to inform us about. What if we all believed in science like we did on the day of the eclipse?
2. The other thing we noticed is that the larger group of strangers were from all over - both locals and people from a far. And we stood together, TOGETHER, on the same side of the sun and moon to witness this phenomenon. Together. What would happen if we always came to the same side of the ‘issue’ together to witness each other’s perspectives? And looked higher? Looked together at something bigger than both of us? Could conflict be addressed better more productively, more calmly, more curiously?
3. As humans, at the moment of totality when it was the darkest for 1.25 minutes, hundreds of us, without a plan all clapped together. Then, without a plan, we all became very silent – together. This was the impact that this experience had on us – I believe we were in awe of the beauty of the darkness, the nuances that were witnessed: the silver lining of the moon, the bats emerging, spiders dropping from trees, bugs crawling on the pavement. We, humans were in awe, I believe (at least, I was!). And when we witness and believe in something bigger than we are, we feel our interconnectedness. What if we could never forget that we are interconnected?
4. We all were kind to each other that day, strangers were helping strangers. I was looking for the crescent shadows on the ground. I could not find them and did not understand why. A stranger across the street heard me being curious and came over then explained that it was because there were no leaves on trees as to why the sunlight was not shining through revealing the crescent shape of the moon between the leaves. He got scissors from his car and asked me to get paper if I had it. We came together. Making holes in the paper and he showed me that if I held the paper just right, magically a crescent shown through each hole revealing a perfect shape of the sun on the ground. He solved this mystery for me. Thank you, mister stranger, I will be forever grateful to you for showing me the magic of the eclipse moon shadows. What if when we had a conflict with one of our fellow humans, we could strive to see something grander than the issue before us? What if there was always something bigger to see together that allowed us to come together in any conflict – and we stood together to look for it?
5. The eclipse also reminded us about time…the birds started chirping after the 1.25 minutes of totality as the sun started to emerge again… they did not care that it was 3:15 in the afternoon, to them, it was morning again. So they started singing. The darkness allows us to reset and start again. Darkness is temporary. Time. It is everything and nothing. Every eclipse for ever and ever does the same thing, some where it is in totality… and we can witness it if we choose to be in that zone. The sun shines, the moon and the sun in the perfect time - align. This happens over and over again as predicted time and time again. Lifetime and after lifetime. It usually is in totality for 1- 4 minutes depending on where we are in the totality zone… And afterwards, We cherished those moments. What if we cherished time every day like this? And paused to notice the little things in life?
6. An eclipse is dramatic but only if we notice the nuances. To some, it is nothing at all. The moment comes and goes and we go back to our lives… we miss the magic. There is darkness that happens in life, we dwell on it and in it we miss the nuances that might allow us be in awe. Like the spiders that emerge and bats that come out in the darkness. What comes out in our darkness that we are missing? What changes are happening that we don’t see but might if we pause to be more present in the darkness of our lives?
7. There was another nuance that happened during the eclipse, as it got darker, our shadows got sharper. Sharp and clear – I could see the strands of my hair better in my shadow than normal. That had us think about when dark and light come together, we get sharp. And in a different perspective, our tongues speak in sharpness sometimes when 2 differing perspectives come together – clashing. What would happen if instead of our tongues getting sharp our eyes did? Like when we put on our eclipse glasses, the clarity of the contrast between the dark and the light (moon and sun) were so vividly clear? It would take pausing, putting our special glasses on to see our differences more clearly – not right or wrong. But instead, just different in contrast to each other.
8. The other important noticing we found, the moon started crossing the sun at about the position of 4:00 and where we were standing in the world, I just assumed that it would go straight across the sun and come out about the 10:00 position… but surprisingly it did not! I came out about 8:00!? Why? So many times in life, we expect ‘it’ go a certain way or we assume a certain outcome but it is important to hold our expectations and our assumptions very lightly? And what would happen if we stayed present a little longer in a situation or in a conversation and gave space for what wants to happen next? And get curious about the different out come that did happen that we did not expect? Magic is there I believe.
9. Last but definitely, not least, mentioned above - at the moment of total darkness, the group we were with all clapped then we got silent, none of which was planned. There was this peace that washed over the people in that moment. We were each peace that day all together in one moment. Peace is Possible. 🙏🏼
The eclipse was a great teacher that day. It reminds us to look for things to be in awe of. Slow down. Judge less. Be more curious. Notice the nuances and never forget how interconnected we are.
If you too have experienced a total eclipse, I’d love to hear what other lessons came to you from your experience.
Special thank you to: Marc Jacobs for allowing me to use his awesome photo taken from Crown Point, NY @marcjacobsphotography on Instagram
Special thanks also to Rosanne Janzi (RLJCoaching.com) for the collaboration of the writing of this blog.
