Menu
Modern Hill Woman
After The Eclipse
On April 8 the sun and moon perfectly aligned to create a spectacle that I may never see again. The continental U.S. will experience totality again in 2045. I will be 86, so I may get to experience it one last time.
Seeing the sun as it really is, a vast, spiky star in space, is a profoundly beautiful and shocking sight. Viewing a partial eclipse compares to seeing a total eclipse, as flying in a plane compares to falling out of a plane. What’s the big deal about 4 minutes and 12 seconds of totality? For many, myself included, it reaffirms that God does exist.
Throughout history, solar eclipses have had profound impacts on various religions around the world. They were viewed as messages from God or spiritual forces, inducing emotions ranging from dread to wonder.
In the months leading up to April 8, social media promoted the eclipse as a sign of either judgment, the Rapture, or both, claiming the path of the event supposedly passed over seven cities named Nineveh and a town called Rapture. In the Bible Jonah warned Nineveh to repent or be destroyed. While doing so there was a total eclipse.
Earthquakes before and after the eclipse were predicted as the path was said to travel over the New Madrid fault line. CERN, the nuclear research organization, planned to open two black holes to let demons into the world during the eclipse. We would have a power outage and be without water for two weeks. Virgins would be sacrificed.
My husband and I journeyed to town, ate some lunch, had a couple of drinks, and waited for the world to end. When the sun’s wispy corona became visible, we cheered with joy along with hundreds of strangers. We were all one.
The eclipse also showed me what our small town can do if we work together. A group of very strong women business owners (and a few men) were able to pull off a weekend full of music, art, vintage cars, food, and yoga. Maybe their success can be explained by the sacred ancient bond between Woman, Earth, and Moon.