This week, on Friday, March 20th, a total solar eclipse will take place over Europe, visible as a partial eclipse in much of the continent. With reductions in sunlight varying from 84% in London to an extraordinary 94% in Northern Scotland, it will be the largest partial eclipse to be seen in Great Britain since the year 1999. Many umbraphiles (or eclipse lovers) in Europe are preparing to travel north to Norway and the Faroe Islands, where the eclipse can be viewed in totality, or in other words, as a total solar eclipse (as shown in the above picture).And if that's not enough for you, the eclipse will also occur simultaneous with a supermoon; a full moon at its closest point to Earth that, consequently, appears to be larger in the sky. Looks like the heavens are pulling out all the stops!
For those of you unfamiliar with solar eclipses, they occur when the Moon's orbit temporarily crosses in front of the sun, blocking it from view. The "path of totality" is the area on the Earth’s surface directly under the darkest part of the moon's shadow, known as the umbral shadow. Within this region, the sun is completely covered and a total eclipse is seen. On either side of the path of totality, observers will see a partial eclipse.
Locations that will see a total eclipse for about 2 minutes include the Faroe Islands, Spitsbergen (Norway), and Longyearbyen (Norway). Just outside the path of totality, a very large partial eclipse will be visible in Great Britain, Iceland, Greenland and parts of Russia. A much more subtle eclipse may be visible in Northern Africa and the Mediterranean. The below graphic shows different vantage points on the British Isles, along with the percentage of sunlight decrease and the peak eclipse time for each area.
Astronomy Now graphic by Greg Smye-Rumsby
In Eastern spirituality, an eclipse is thought to be a particularly poignant time to practice meditation, mantra repetition, and chanting. The energy of an eclipse pulls our consciousness inwards, leading us to deepened spiritual experiences. Even birds and other animals will interrupt their days to prepare for sleep and refrain from eating during an eclipse. It is recommended that we follow the animals' example: eat light and, if possible, refraining from heavy traveling. Remember, nature is guiding you inward at this time.
Some feel the energetic effects of an eclipse for a couple of days before and after the actual event, at which time emotions can become heightened. For this reason, we can mentally and spiritually prepare before an eclipse by mindfully watching our thoughts and feelings. While mindfulness is always a good practice, it may be extra necessary during a large-scale celestial event.
Needless to say, there are many superstitions surrounding eclipses. Some think they have an adverse effect on pregnant women, while others adopt bizarre rituals to ward off misfortune. In ancient times, our ancestors feared eclipses as signs of a wrathful God or apocalyptic omens, and Ancient Greeks associated them with terrifying, blood thirsty wolf demons! Nowadays, we've come to realize the futility of fear during an eclipse. To the contrary, many of us recognize such an event as a time to focus on the expansiveness of the Self.
So get ready to explore the inner realms, and have a happy, peaceful eclipse!
Author: Nate Morgan
Needless to say, there are many superstitions surrounding eclipses. Some think they have an adverse effect on pregnant women, while others adopt bizarre rituals to ward off misfortune. In ancient times, our ancestors feared eclipses as signs of a wrathful God or apocalyptic omens, and Ancient Greeks associated them with terrifying, blood thirsty wolf demons! Nowadays, we've come to realize the futility of fear during an eclipse. To the contrary, many of us recognize such an event as a time to focus on the expansiveness of the Self.
So get ready to explore the inner realms, and have a happy, peaceful eclipse!
Author: Nate Morgan
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