Eclipse, And The Meaning Behind It

Have you ever wondered about an eclipse, and the meaning behind it? If you try to search online for the meaning of an eclipse, you are likely only to find articles treating you like a child, explaining that an eclipse is just the result of the moon moving in front of the sun and casting a shadow on the Earth. Right now I’m going to assume you are all intelligent enough to understand the physical mechanics of how an eclipse happens.Show more

For those who see an eclipse as nothing more than a shadow cast by the moon, I will explain it this way. You are correct that an eclipse in and of itself has no power. It is more akin to a point on a divine clock. The hour hand on your watch moving over the 10 doesn’t mean anything more than the start of the tenth or 22nd hour of the day. The eclipse is like that as well, but a point on a celestial time piece.

That out of the way, we can ask the question, is an eclipse associated with good or bad? I have searched far and wide, Taoists, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, et cetra, in pretty much every circumstance an eclipse is considered a bad omen. At the very least it is considered an omen of change. An eclipse means the end of the status quo, or things as they have been.

Important events are often associated with an eclipse, like the rise and fall of dynasties and empires. In western cultures we are likely familiar with biblical references associated with eclipses like that in Revelation 6:12, where it says, “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;”

As mentioned before, an eclipse is a harbinger of change, or the end of things as they have been. All around us are signs of significant change. Old traditions are being pushed aside in the name of something new, and different. There is an election taking place this year that is seen as especially significant by people on both sides. Both sides see the potential outcome as the end of democracy, or the end of extreme corruption and the restoration of freedom. Either way, both parties see great change on the horizon.

This is also a time of global conflict. Wars are being talked about in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and even South America. For those in western nations, it likely brings to mind another biblical passage in Matthew 24:6 through 8 “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines , and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Many people hear this, and see parallels with our own time. In verse 29 of the same chapter it even goes on to say, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not giver her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:”

We have seen so much over the last several years, perhaps this is the beginning of sorrows. We may be looking at the end of the relatively peaceful times since the end of the tumultuous 20th century. There are certainly modern sociological theories that suggest as much.
According to the Strauss-Howe generational theory, we are at or near the fourth turning. This “fourth turning” refers to a cycle of generations throughout American and western history that eventually lead to a crisis, and then are followed by a rebuilding period. You’ve possibly heard the line from G. Michael Hopf’s novel Those Who Remain, it says, “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” In many ways it appears as though we are heading into the harder times created by weaker generations that followed those who fought in World War II. This eclipse may very well be a sign of our time.

Despite the desperate attempts of our current leadership and their pet propagandists in the media, people are waking up to the fact that these are very difficult economic times. The standard of living, which has been so high in the United States in previous decades, seems to be on the decline. The wealth of the everyday member of society seems to be evaporating. And everywhere war seems to be on the horizon.

Whatever it is this eclipse brings with it, if anything at all, I wish you good luck in this new era. I hope you find it prosperous and uneventful, at least uneventful as far as negative events are concerned. An eclipse is meant to symbolize a change of the status quo, that is not always a bad thing, and is often necessary for the benefit of mankind. Let us all hope for a better future going forward, and that this is the sign of good change to come. You have been listening to the American Expat, I welcome you to the underground.