Mercury appears during May’s Solar Eclipse to remind us of the importance of voice in getting our essential message out. A Solar Eclipse brings events that show you your shadow, your own dark side. What does your shadow have to say? Has your shadow lost its voice?
Details About This Eclipse
Date: May 9, 2013
Time of eclipse: 5:28 PM PST
Type: Annular (weak in intensity)
Visible in: Australia, Indonesia, Oceania
At: 19 degrees Taurus
Shadow Agent: Mercury in Taurus
Does It Affect You Personally?
If your birthday is on any of the following dates, you’re likely to experience this eclipse:
May 4-14
August 6-17
November 6-16
February 3-13
Remember, not every eclipse touches everyone, but when it does, it’s usually noticeable. A solar eclipse is likely to be marked by an external, real-world event (unlike a lunar eclipse, which is likely to bring up strong emotions and to be experienced as a subjective event). You may notice events happening anytime within the week surrounding the eclipse (up to a few days before or after). The following script is just one possible way it could go.
You hear a knock at the door. You answer it. Mercury is there, carrying a metronome, a packet of sheet music and a music stand. He bustles into your living room, sets up the stand, placing the music on it. He puts the metronome on a convenient table and starts it ticking. He does all this so fast, you don’t have time to protest.
You: Ok, what’s this all about? I recognize you—you’re Mercury.
(You’ve spotted the familiar thinking cap he’s wearing, with wings on it.)
Mercury: I’ve come to give you some vocal coaching.
You: What makes you think I need that?
Mercury: Because I’m involved with the current eclipse and I’ve noticed that you don’t use your voice to its capacity. Now follow me: la, la, LA, LA, LAAAAH!
You: Uh, la, la, LA, LA, LAAAAH!
Mercury: You’re a little off-key and your projection stinks.
You: Gee, thanks. Leaving now?
Mercury: Sure, if you project. Take a deep breath and fill your lungs to the bottom. Now really use your diaphragm. Send that sound all the way across the room, as if you’re talking to someone two houses away. Make it come from the bottom of your being.
You: La, la, LA, LA, LAAAAH!
Mercury: Don’t shout!
You: I don’t really get the difference. I’ve never done this before.
Mercury: You are a musical instrument and your voice is the medium. Notice the good feeling of humming. . .
You try humming.
You: It does feel kind of good.
Mercury: It feels good to send a vibration through your body. Sound is pleasurable. It’s a subtle pleasure that beings made of meat and bone don’t always notice, but it’s there. When you use your voice, it feels good, as well as getting the point across. Now take that deep breath and try again, this time from the very bottom of your lungs.
You: La, la, LA, LA, LAAAAH!
Mercury: Much better!
You: I may be getting the hang of this!
Mercury: Now do that again, and send the sound over to the next house.
You: La, la, LA, LA, LAAAAH, LA, LA, la, lahhhhh!
Mercury: You really are catching on.
You: This is all very nice, but why should I care?
Mercury: Because your voice is not just a physical thing, it’s also a metaphor. Every human being is born with a message they are to deliver to the world. Is yours getting out there? Are other people hearing it? The more you develop your voice—and enjoy it—the more your message comes across.
You do a couple more scales and trills, getting more comfortable with it all the time.
Mercury: Now for the real point of this exercise.
Out from behind him steps your Shadow.
You: I thought I’d released you! Thought I’d sent you on your way, burned you up, transformed you!
Shadow: I’m wherever you’re not looking. And since your eyes are placed in the front of your head, there’s always something you’re not looking at.
Mercury: Your shadow needs a voice.
You: Ok, Shadow, what do you need to say?
Shadow: I’m your body, which has needs you ignore all the time. I can’t speak for myself, so I need you to speak for me. Speak of what it feels like to be hungry, cold, lonely, untouched, empty, naked and alone. Speak of what it feels like to be fed with love, to be touched kindly, to be clothed by someone who cares, to be sheltered in the arms of someone who loves you. I am your mute animal body—speak for me.
Mercury: And don’t just speak—sing! Feel the vibration of it in your throat, your chest, your heart. Let it open you up.
You’re a little at a loss, but you try.
You: La, la, LA, LA, LAAAAH, LA, LA, la, lahhhhh!
Mercury: That’s not a bad start. I’ve got to go now. I’m leaving you alone with your Shadow now, to practice that.
He folds up the music, the stand and grabs the metronome, is gone in a flash. You go on practicing. Suddenly, Mercury pops his head back in the door.
Mercury: Oh, by the way—Epiphany Day is coming, a time when insights pour forth. Give your Shadow a voice and epiphanies will rain down on your head! Read about current year’s eclipses.
Read about current year’s eclipses.
The effects of an eclipse last for about six months.
If you’re feeling this eclipse
and you want to know what it means for you,
and especially if your birthday is in one of the spans above,
contact Jamie for a reading.
