Total Eclipse of the Heart
...a new moon + solar eclipse meditation for working with sexual shame
Today is the Solar Eclipse in Aries that I think most of us in the US have been hearing about on social media in some way or another.
Lots of people are traveling to the path of totality to see it, parties have been planned, work has been taken off, people are listening to Total Eclipse of the Heart (Turn Around)on repeat…it’s an event.
A super charged new moon, this is a super powerful time on an individual and collective level. Eclipses are said to bring closure and destruction — but in this sense they can also be a time of birthing and new beginnings. With this eclipse being in the sign of Aries, there’s a lot of emphasis on personal power and self-confidence.
…which you know, in my humble sex educator opinion, makes it a great time to work with any shame that we might feel around our bodies and sexuality.
In their podcast episode about the eclipse (which is excellent and I highly recommend), Oak of Oak Astrology talks about how there’s something about this eclipse that is about doing the impossible in your life, about doing something so much bigger than you’ve been able to do before. They say, “It’s about stepping out of disempowerment. It really does ask the question: are you ready? Are you ready to lean into strength? Are you ready to soften the places where you are so wounded that you are angry because you were actually disempowered in these places? These stories can be changed right now.”
Thinking about sexuality and the shame you might feel, what stories do you have about your body and your sex life that can be changed?
Working with our theme this month around shame, I’ve created a meditation around shame using the imagery of the eclipse. As I wrote about in this month’s guide, all of us have experienced shame at some point or another — and for many of us, that shame can make it difficult to fully enjoy our bodies and sexuality. Like the experience of watching an eclipse, when the world turns dark during the day, it can feel uncomfortable or even scary to be in that shame space.
In this meditation, I invite you to think through a moment of your choice where you felt shame around something related to your body or sexuality. I offer a moment to notice where in your body you feel that shame — and then some time to bring compassion to it and to yourself. I offer choices throughout the meditation so you can choose the imagery and thought path that works best for you.
As always, feel free to take what works for you and to leave the rest — it’s your body and your practice <3
If you’re into astrology and want to work with the energy, you might do this meditation sometime over the next week. If you’re not into astrology, feel free to do this meditation anytime over this next month or in the future.