This weekend’s blog post is some spontaneous poetic prose written after my morning beach walk yesterday, on the day of the solar eclipse. I hope you enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend. As always thank you for your support of my writing: if you enjoy, feel free to share, check out my novel, or my other pages/services on this site.
The sky isn’t a beast to be broken by the observations of man. Its mysteries can never be revealed by studying it as though it was a captive animal in a zoo.
Cara Goldthorpe. Reflections on the Solar Eclipse, 14.10.23
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We sat together at the mouth of the river, where it rushed to greet the sea, upon a little bed of rocks that separated those two beautiful bodies of water. Salty and fresh, cool and warm, still and crashing: both alive and shifting in a different kind of way.
We sat together, watching the river with a little apprehension, ever so slightly hesitant to enter the waters – as though afraid a creature was lurking there in wait. Indeed, crocodiles did visit these parts, and with all the rains, who knew what beings were disturbed from their usual resting places and could be found downstream.
Yet, the temptation seized me, and I plunged into that ethereal tapestry of blues and greens and browns. Cleansing, soothing, calming ripples engulfed me, and begged for me to release the tension that made my body a blemish upon the serenity of these waters.
Up above, clouds were gathering, steadily approaching the sun. We were there that morning awaiting the eclipse – but the cluster of encroaching darkness on the horizon promised to shadow the sun before we could witness that anticipated celestial phenomenon.
I could feel the dogs getting restless, and a voice within called – perhaps it was time to retreat inside. And I thought to myself: perhaps some things aren’t meant to be witnessed, not through the eyes at least. The lens of our human vision is so obscured, tainted by our mental perceptions and beliefs. Too often we see with the mind and its artificial, logical constraints – as opposed to seeing with the heart. So when we close off the sensory channel of our physical eyes, sometimes we can actually see more, with a different kind of sight.
I savoured several moments longer in the gentle, expansive bath that was the swimming hole of the river mouth. Then I bid farewell to its secrets. The clouds were very close now, as I gathered my things and we began the walk back. First along the shore, then a scramble up the steep bank of rocks that framed the beach. Those who sought to witness these marvels of nature would travel down, stumbling towards the ocean, humbled in the process.
We crossed the field beyond and made it home just as the first spattering of rain arrived. The timing was perfect: now, the inner realms beckoned my attention, as outside the storm began to thicken.
An hour later and the moon was at its peak, eclipsing the sun behind a veil of fog and rain. The earth had summoned her spirits to offer those celestial orbs their privacy, reunited after too long apart.
And I thought to myself: The sky isn’t a beast to be broken by the observations of man. Its mysteries can never be revealed by studying it as though it was a captive animal in a zoo. So close your eyes, and watch the unfolding tapestry of your own heart. Find the star within that gleams, like a clue in the distant night, and follow its eternal song home.
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This week, I invite you to practice a meditation of connecting to the heart. Breathe into your heart space. Feel this part of your body. Feel not just your physical heart, but also that part of you that is capable of deep love, compassion, forgiveness, empathy, trust. Feel the force of your heart and notice if it appears in a certain way to you – perhaps it has a particular colour or shape to it? Now imagine that force-field extending around you, so that you are enrobed in the glow of your heart, and can share that love with all those around you. Practice seeing with your heart: viewing others through this lens of love and compassion, as opposed to mental judgments, critiques, and beliefs.
Wishing you a great week ahead,
Cara