An Alternate View on Eclipses.

Dear Reader,

Many in the orthodox Filianic and Déanic community regard viewing an eclipse as taboo. It is argued that they are bad luck and the dimming of the celestial lights of the Sun and Moon should not be viewed lest the miasma of bad luck falls upon the viewer. I have an alternate perspective that I propose.

A solar eclipse is a wonderful event where the Moon moves before the Sun and allows us to view things like the Sun's corona safely. I would contend that this is a quite literal in this world version of the Daughter mitigating the Mother's brilliant light allowing us to see something of the Mother with her. Now, I would additionally contend that the solar eclipse is a fortunate event because of the relative rarity of observing one. Within the Filianic and Déanic myth cycle, epiphany happens but once.

The lunar eclipse is a mysterious emotion evoking event where the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow. It allows us to see the ephemeral glow of 'Earthshine' over the entirety of the Moon during the event of a total lunar eclipse, like last night's. It makes the features of the Moon stand out all the more dramatically as the Moon moves from the penumbra into the umbra and then back into the penumbra. Where a solar eclipse is limited to a small region for a brief period of time, a lunar eclipse is visible for the entire world that is under the night sky at that time.

To relate the lunar eclipse to the Filianic and Déanic myth cycle, I would contend that the lunar eclipse is akin to the Daughter's descent into the world and into death with her resurrection and ascent into Heaven. If the solar eclipse mirrors the mystery of the Nativity mythos (phase one being the conception, full eclipse being epiphany, and phase two being the Daughter going into the world as she reaches adult stature) then the lunar eclipse mirrors the mystery of the Eastre mythos.

I can only see it as fortunate to have the holy mythos of Nativity and Eastre played out upon the heavens above. I, however, am something of a heterodox heretic. I believe that while ancient peoples had wisdom that we struggle to access and understand, I do not believe they feared that all was lost during a solar or lunar eclipse. If you lived long enough, you will have witnessed multiple partial and total eclipses and know that the Sun and the Moon survive the experience as shall the world.

It is my opinion that the argument that ancient peoples held such fears is a modern attempt to make them seem more primitive and unsophisticated than ourselves. As such, I reject the argument that our ancestors feared eclipses. I do believe that there were taboos and such events were held as holy and of great spiritual significance. I don't think we'll ever know what those taboos were or the significance of the events beyond what little we can piece together through third, fourth, and fifth-hand sources. We must remember when considering anything beyond a first hand account, the transcription writer has an agenda that will color their translation/transcription.