For many of our Ancestors, eclipses were times of terror and dread.  Now we can forecast them with precision down to a fraction of a second, and understand well what is going on.  Plus, we can even predict events with a narrower path of view – like the once in a lifetime “eclipse” of Betelgeuse (the bright red star of Orion’s left hand) by an asteroid!

Wow, a once in a lifetime occultation of Betelgeuse! The path of the “eclipse” is very narrow, and only hits Southern Europe and the tip of Florida (but Desantis banned discussion of it because it violates the biblical idea of the Firmament – OK, joking).

Tomorrow night! December 11-12. Perhaps the best part is that wherever you are, inside or outside the path, you can see a simulcast online, here!

Here’s a link for overall details:

https://www.sciencealert.com/betelgeuse-is-set-to-almost-disappear-heres-how-to-see-it-happen? 

This is in the Anishinaabe constellation of Kabiboonakka, the winter maker. Fitting that Kabiboonakka gets occulted as an El Nino warms our winter here in North America.

Like so much of our Universe, this is another opportunity celebrate our joy of life – with help from our world.   Here are more details.

Ritual ideas

An eclipse is a powerful time that forever strengthens one’s bond to the rest of our Universe, and thus a sacred time for us Naturalistic Pagans – and a good time for a ritual.  Rituals are often more powerful if we feel connected to them.  To gain that connection, it helps to be involved in the writing and planning of the ritual – whether that’s from scratch or just making minor tweaks.  So here are some ideas for rituals – and more can be found with some looking online.  For instance,  this site has several good rituals, and this closing:

With this eclipse, I am made new again.

I am untarnished, whole, and true.

There is nothing weighing me down,

I am free to fly and break through.

Set up your altar, with a red or black cloth, quarter cauldrons (typical cauldron contents include incense or a feather for East, a candle for South, a seashell or water for West, and a rock or earth for North, many of these on a bed of sand) , and items to be charged by the eclipse reflection of the sunsets & sunrises.  You may want to mark the wider ritual circle with a stone at each quarter (and perhaps each cross-quarter).

Charging Objects

Like other eclipses, anything under the light of the eclipse can be considered to be charged with the power of the eclipse.  In this case, all objects will be charged by the reflected light of all the sunsets and sunrises around the world!  Wow!!

As I write this,   That reminds me that a song or chant would be a nice addition to this ritual, too.  Whether you celebrate in the path of totality, far from it, or at some other time, may your celebrations be blessed.

The Author: Jon Cleland Host

Starstuff, Contemplating: We are assemblages of ancient atoms forged in stars – atoms organized by history to the point of consciousness, now able to contemplate this sacred Universe of which we are a tiny, but wondrous, part.

Dr. Jon Cleland Host is a scientist who earned his PhD in materials science at Northwestern University & has conducted research at Hemlock Semiconductor and Dow Corning since 1997.  He holds eight patents and has authored over three dozen internal scientific papers and eleven papers for peer-reviewed scientific journals, including the journal Nature.  He has taught classes on biology, math, chemistry, physics and general science at Delta College and Saginaw Valley State University.  Jon grew up near Pontiac, and has been building a reality-based spirituality for over 30 years, first as a Catholic and now as a Unitarian Universalist, including collaborating with Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow to spread the awe and wonder of the Great Story of our Universe (see www.thegreatstory.org, and the blog at evolutionarytimes.org).  Jon and his wife have four sons, whom they embrace within a Universe-centered, Pagan, family spirituality.  He currently moderates the yahoo group Naturalistic Paganism.

See Starstuff, Contemplating posts.

See all of Dr. Jon Cleland Host’s posts.