Over Fear

Image by Jaqueline Fritz on Unsplash

A solar eclipse is coming up in a few days, on October 14.  If you follow astrology, you’ll know astrologers are talking about it.  And a lot of fear is popping up around it.

A minimum of four eclipses occur every year, two solar and two lunar. Some years have more.  

Eclipses happen when the earth, moon and sun line up with one another in their ongoing cyclical rotations. A solar eclipse means the sun is eclipsed when the moon moves exactly between the sun and the earth, blocking the light of the sun.  A lunar eclipse happens when the earth moves exactly between the sun and the moon, blocking the (reflected) light of the moon.

This is not a posting on the meanings of the upcoming eclipse. You can research Solar Eclipse Astrology and get plenty of information. This is about how some people are telling us to respond.

Eclipses used to be feared. People who lived hundreds (and thousands) of years ago had no idea why the sun went dark and understandably believed the world was ending.

Think about that—how long fear has been an integral part of our DNA. 

Some fear is healthy.  Like the internal warnings that ping us if we’re about to do something pretty foolish. Or eat something questionable.  Or take on a responsibility that really isn’t ours. Fear has saved all of us from time to time and absolutely has its place in our lives.

But I want to talk about the general sense of fear so pervasive within our culture. The fear that has way too much power over many of us (raising my hand too).

The fear that is preached by religious leaders, political leaders, educators, parents, those in medicine, finances, law, the media, weather, retail, and entertainment is EVERYWHERE.

We’re told to be afraid of other people. Of anything new. Of books. Of rain. Of traveling. Of thinking. Of science. Of technology. Of change. Of growth. Of life.

Yes, the world is moving fast.  And yes, not everyone has our best interests at heart; discernment is definitely a good thing.  

But why are we told fear is the correct response to life?  

Because fear makes us weak and disempowers us. There are people who have a stake in us being afraid.

What if, instead of fear, we approached someone or something new with curiosity. What if we approached difficult situations with trust that things will work out, even if it’s not what we thought it should look like?

We know the world won’t end on Saturday with the eclipse. The sun may be blocked for a bit, and then the moon will move on.  If something challenging comes up, we can trust ourselves to handle it.

WE CAN TRUST OURSELVES TO HANDLE OUR LIFE.