3 Life-Changing Lessons From A Celestial Event
The Next Spectacular Event Is Happening Soon
Updated: Sept 15, 2023
Preclude To A Sensational Free Event
My husband mused about going to Salem, Oregon a few weeks before the big event. I brushed it aside and hoped he would forget about it. As the day grew closer and news shows discussed nonstop about the solar eclipse happening on August 21, 2017, I slowly warmed up to the idea because of a sudden epiphany.
The ephiphany that a celestial miracle was going to happen — almost in my back yard. We just had to make the effort to get there -by car -even though I had to go to work soon after the event.
We had to go to see Salem!— it was too remarkable to miss a momentous phenomenon that was going to take place less than 7 hours drive away from where we lived. So, yes, I agreed -but we had to hurry, it was less than 24 hours before the performance in the skies started.
We hopped in the car and made it across the border, and I picked up lots of snacks and water along the way. It was nearly 11 pm before we made it past Seattle, and it was time to check-in for a quick snooze at a hotel-casino. I calculated that if we got up before dawn, we had to hightail it to Salem, Oregon so as not to miss the 9 am, the solar eclipse of the sun. I poked my husband up at 5 am, and with no coffee available at the hotel to help wipe away our sleepiness, we groggily slid into the car and followed the main highway to the grand event.
The freeway was almost empty but by the time we reached the outskirts of the city center, it was bottleneck traffic. I saw dozens of campers, cars, lone motorcyclists, headed in the same direction. Huge signs on the highway warned drivers not to stop and watch the eclipse. On an overpass, a lone man carried a sign warning us to head God’s warning, or it would be the end for humanity.
We eventually turned off the freeway exit for Salem and found ourselves on the main road, and being confused we ended up being in a big parking lot — empty of cars, save for a young woman selling special eclipse eyeglasses for $10.
I didn’t feel positive energy here, so I convinced my husband to continue driving until we somehow reached the main street — full of small businesses and fortunately a store was close by and offered coffee and snacks. Incredibly, we pulled into a free parking space that seemed to have been supernaturally gifted to us, and I quickly rushed into the gift shop and ordered a few coffees and $5 eclipse glasses from the pleasant clerk.
Out on the sidewalk, we met up with a man about fifty from California who had explained he had come a few days earlier, camping closeby and waiting for the big event.
As we walked around the street corner, we were met by hordes of other avid solar eclipse fans, and a business owner started filming the pedestrians as we made our way to cross the street, following the crowd.
We made our way to a huge park filled with people of all ages, sprawled on the grass, or sitting on lawn chairs. A few people were all set up with expensive camera equipment testing their lenses, and peering up at the clear sky — it was a clear and perfect day to watch a solar miracle in the sky. It seemed as though the crowd showed up for a concert at the park, but it was a show that would be out of this world — and no rock star could match its star power.
We walked some more, till we found ourselves on an exquisite pedestrian bridge, overlooking a scenic river. I was surprised to see a quaint riverboat below filled with passengers fortunate enough to listen to an expert talking about what to expect from seeing this incredible solar event. I wanted to stay and listen for free, as he was using a loudspeaker, but I was distracted, and I and my husband kept walking, trying to scout out a decent spot to document the event. Turns out everywhere around me was a good spot, but we stayed on the bridge — it was less crowded and I could hear myself think.
And then it happened. Slowly, assuredly, the brightness around me began fading and turned darker. All around me — the talking on the bridge and on the grass below us became a murmur and a cool and warm breeze flowed in our direction. The chirping of the birds went quiet, save for a few sounds from some stubborn and perhaps frightened songbirds.
Keep in mind these staggering statistics: the sun is 150 million kilometers away from our planet while the moon is only 400,000 kilometers away from earth. The sun’s radius is 700, 000 kilometers and the moon’s radius is only 2000 kilometers. Those numbers floor me!
Despite its relatively small size and the incredible distance between the two, the moon had powerfully and perfectly lined up at just the right angle to cast its shadow across the mighty glare of the sun. From our perspective, it appeared the two heavenly orbs have exactly the same size and shape so that the moon in its path perfectly covers the almighty sun – the source of all our power and life – flawlessly.
Lesson No 1: A Miraculous Event That Brought Out Deep Emotions
What are the odds that these two shapes could be equal in size from our view? It was like a grand celestial light show designed for our eyes only. Miraculous indeed and everyone should witness at least this once in their lifetime. We were lucky to be there to witness a planetary occurrence that frightened and amazed the ancient civilizations of the past.
It was as though someone had turned on the dimmer switch on the planet, and it wasn’t a human being. The solar eclipse of the sun didn’t last long, but it struck me speechless and brought tears to my eyes.
One takeaway is that it made me feel small and insignificant in the grand cosmos of things. We are merely a blip in the scheme of nature, and there is a beauty and majesty in this divine knowledge.
Lesson 2: A Sense of Gratitude For the Universe
Watching the total solar eclipse of the sun brought me to my senses at our smallness in the universe. I was never a science buff, but afterwards, I couldn’t help but marvel at the vastness of space and the incredible beautiful dance of the moon blocking out the sun.
Our life on this fragile planet is a gift from the universe, and some may say, God. This higher power, or Universal Force, has shown me for a few brief moments in time that darkness is a time for quiet contemplation, reverence for life, thanksgiving for all that we have received freely from nature, and perhaps for prayer.
And light is a time for celebration — for living, for breathing, and for enjoying life’s fruits. A few moments of darkness told me that we should be grateful for all that the universe has provided us — -for both light and darkness are given to us freely and lovingly or we would not exist. Light and dark are essential for the continued existence of humans and for all the living organisms, creatures, and animals on this planet.
Some newscasters at the time cried during the event, as it was so emotionally charging that no hatha yoga retreat could ever match.
I felt a gentle, loving, hopeful existential reminder of the existence of an intelligence that had brought this magic moment to unfold before us.
As the darkness faded, and the sun shone its welcoming brightness upon the park once again, I felt happy and glad to be alive.
3. Unity Through Shared Experiences
I had a profound connection with strangers after watching the eclipse. Strangers were laughing, talking and everyone seemed to breath a collective sigh of relief as soon as the sun slowly appeared.
Strangers became friends, and people bubbled over with excitement, and it was as though they couldn’t contain their excitement — like kids in a candy store!
Everyone around me cheered when the sun come out because we all understood something profound had just happened and perhaps a universal truth: all is well in the world because this force knows what is good and right for us. So long as we take care of the planet, the universe would take care of us. It’s that simple.
If you want to catch the next Solar Eclipse of the Sun, it’s coming up in 2024. It’s scheduled on On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. It’s a show that will eclipse anything else in your lifetime.
That’s all from me today.
I just want to take a moment to give a shout out to:
Harold Zeitung Please check out his amazing story:
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