What follows was not meant to be a “change your mind, change your life” new thought manifesto. (Although it could have been. I’ve written about that in connection to the Ace of Pentacles and the Seven of Cups before.)
It also was not meant to be a Part 2 to “Our Words Are Spells,” which I published last month about the Ace of Swords. (Although it seems to be, and I’m okay with that. This is probably the biggest lesson I’m learning in life right now, so it comes up a lot.)
I simply found myself perturbed enough by all the doom and gloom eclipse rhetoric permeating my web feeds to sit at my computer and rant about it. And, I’m armed with scientific evidence. Which means I’m feeling particularly passionate about my convictions.
It’s eclipse season! Don’t start anything!
It’s eclipse season! Don’t sign anything!
It’s eclipse season! Don’t announce anything!
It’s eclipse season! Don’t do anything!
Do not leave the house!
Do not breathe!
All hell will break loose!
First of all, I wish I could do nothing and cite the eclipses as my reason. But you know what else it is? Back to school season. And for this professor, back to school season always means starting things, announcing things, and - to my utter and shocked dismay year after year - leaving the house.
(By the way, between eclipse season and mercury retrograde, when exactly are we supposed to get anything done then? I simply don’t have time for this.)
But let me be clear. I’m not exactly ignoring potential eclipse symbolism, although that is certainly a valid option. On the contrary, I love an eclipse. Especially a solar one. I simply see it differently. I can’t help it. It has excited me ever since I was a nerdy little kid. To me, an eclipse is a magical heavenly alliance that heralds an uncanny alignment in the cosmos. An opening of a portal! A time to step into and start embodying a version of yourself that you’ve thus far only dreamed of. A time to quantum leap! Jump timelines!
Tonight especially, the solar eclipse is accompanied by a six-planet alignment and a meteor shower! What!? And I’m supposed to take cover and hide out!? The heavens are literally dazzling us with magical displays of alignment and wish fulfillment and I’m supposed to lay low and wait it out?
I mean, okay. That’s a choice.
But if you, like me, cannot bring yourself to get behind that version of eclipse lore (or even if you can), here’s a bit of modern science that might be helpful.
Studies in psychological and narrative therapy have shown that our experiences are immensely shaped and affected by the stories we tell and choose to believe about ourselves, other people, and the world.
A study done by researchers at Stanford University, for example, found that our brains don’t “simply perceive reality as it is. Our minds actually change reality.” The placebo effect in medical studies, for instance, illustrates the positive effect mindset can have on health and healing. Beyond medicine, seemingly minor “storytelling” details changed reality too. For example, it was reported that “telling people a milkshake they drank was ‘indulgent’ made them feel more full.”
So, while there are always going to be things out of our control, our mindset, which forms a filter or lens through which we perceive and navigate the world, matters more than many of us think. Understanding this is useful because we can start to question the stories we have chosen to tell and believe. And, in turn, since our stories affect our actions and choices - they can encourage us or belittle us, they can empower us or scare us, they can fill us with hope and optimism or cynicism and despair - we can start to weave different narratives anytime we want.
Psychologist Jennice Vilhauer explains the power of stories this way:
You write the story of what you think is likely and/or possible based on what you believe is true and then you take actions consistent with those expectations. When you act on what you expect will happen before it actually happens, you participate in creating the experience.
That, my friends, is what we refer to as a self-fulfilling prophecy. And humans have been doing it for centuries. In 1066, Halley’s comet appeared on the eve of the Norman invasion of England. One side reportedly believed it was a bad omen, portending defeat, and the other side believed it was a good omen, portending divine guidance and favor. Even if you don’t know your European history, guess which side won and which side lost.
So if we go into eclipse season anxious about chaos and disruption, the narrative power of our brain can lead us to make choices and act in ways that will end up fulfilling this expectation, or prophecy.
On the flip side, how might our experience of eclipse season change if we changed the story we tell or choose to believe about it (or mercury retrograde, or any other experience or event in our life)? Or, what if we chose not to tell any stories about it at all? How many retrogrades have come and gone without you even noticing? That’s also an option in my book!
This is not about adopting my beliefs over anybody else’s by the way. This is about remembering to ask ourselves if any given story - especially one we find unsettling or upsetting - is absolutely true for us. If it is, then case closed. That story is serving a purpose in our life and we can keep right on telling it and deal with what comes from it.
But if it’s not, what alternative narratives and interpretations might exist, and would it serve us to make a different choice?
Let me know if you are taking some much needed cover, or if we will find you wishing and dancing under the meteor shower tonight! I’d love to drive up to the mountains to spot some shooting stars at midnight, if I can stay awake long enough, of course.
Always,
Annie
P.S. This year, my back to school plans include you! Exciting changes are coming to The Tarot Professor. I am so thankful for you and believe I have come up with a plan that will maximize the tarot info and inspo you get from me, especially for my paid supporters. I’m leveraging my unique talents and expertise to make The Tarot Professor a phenomenal (and more sustainable, honestly!) space for tarot learning and community. Thank you so much for being here! More details soon! xo
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