A solar eclipse can be a time of transformation, rebirth, and also a time of solemnity, and superstition.
The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse on April 8 that will pass over Mexico, the United States, and Canada also coincides with the First New Moon of the astrological calendar.
A period of darkness lasting up to almost 4.5 minutes will occur in the Path of Totality as the Moon blocks the face of the Sun, briefly obscuring daylight.
On the occasion of this celestial event, we invite you to bathe in the darkness and sense your surroundings from within a salt protection circle. Always use caution to safely view the Sun during the partial eclipse phases of a rare solar phenomenon.
Here is a simple spell to enhance your experience of the Total Solar Eclipse.
Checklist for Total Solar Eclipse Spell
- OK’s Solar Eclipse Bath of Totality Ritual Salt (provided)
- *Eclipse viewing device (solar eclipse-approved glasses, box pinhole projector, etc.)
- Optional items: blanket, chair, compass, timepiece, writing and drawing materials, a musical instrument, libations, etc.
To Begin
- Find a comfortable space with enough room to move around before the Total Solar Eclipse is estimated to pass over your location in the Path of Totality.
- Ensure the area is clean.
- Take a few deep breaths and visualize a circle of golden light around you and the objects you have gathered to support your experience of the Eclipse.
Cast a Circle of Salt
- Place all of the contents of one bag of Solar Eclipse Bath of Totality Ritual Salt in the palm of one hand and use your other hand to pinch and sprinkle salt.
- Echoing the Earth’s rotational direction and the shape of the Sun and the Moon, move counter-clockwise and gradually sprinkle all of the salt on the ground to draw a narrow line forming a closed 9’ diameter circle.
- From inside the circle, take a moment to turn and face each of the four cardinal directions as you visualize the element symbols associated with each:
- East (air), South (fire), West (water), North (earth)
Sensing the Eclipse - Bathing in Darkness
- Get comfortable while standing, sitting in a chair, or on a blanket, and remain inside the circle with the objects that you have gathered for the duration of the Eclipse.
- Sink into the space as you would in bath. Listen and notice the sensations around you and in your body before, during, and after the Eclipse.
- You may want to write down some observations now, sketch a drawing, sing or play a tune leading up to and following totality:
Where are you? What time is it? Who is with you? What objects have you gathered for this astronomical phenomenon? What is the weather like today? What are the sounds, smells, tastes, and sights that you sense in this environment? How are insects and animals responding to the Eclipse? What are humans up to? How do you feel?
- Take caution when observing your surroundings before and after totality. Do not look directly at the Sun during a solar eclipse without specialized eye protection for solar viewing.
- When your senses are filled with the experience of the Eclipse, these sounds, smells, and feelings, continue to the next step, all the while holding the potency of these sensations in your mind.
Closure After the Eclipse
- Remain in the circle for a few minutes after the Eclipse has ended and the Sun has re-emerged.
- When you feel ready to open the sacred space, use the blade of your hand, foot, or a stick to “cut” open a doorway by brushing aside a segment of the line of the salt circle.
- Gather your objects and step outside the now-broken circle of salt.
*NASA advises that: “You can wear eclipse glasses to safely view the Sun during the partial eclipse phases of a solar eclipse, before and after totality.” The celestial event can also be observed by looking at projections on the ground, sidewalks, or on the sides of buildings where crescent-shaped shadows of the Sun may be visible coming through the gaps and small openings in the environment, such as between the leaves of trees.
