Eclipse

I’m sitting here in San Antonio waiting for the solar eclipse. I can’t quite put words to my feelings. I’ve been excited for months, since I first planned traveling here to witness this event that is common around the world yet unique in each area. I had thought that San Antonio would be one sure place where the sky would be clear, but it’s not. It’s been cloudy for the past three days now, so I’m not sure how much of the actual eclipse I’ll be able to see.

Which got me thinking about things that exist that we can’t see. The eclipse will be happening even if it’s behind clouds. The sun will still be there even though it is eclipsed by the moon. It’s all about faith and the “knowing” of the existence of something without the confirmation of our senses.

But do we have extra senses that we can rely on to trust in what we cannot see or hear or smell? Is belief in God or a Higher Power really just “faith” or do we have an extrasensory perception in which we can trust? Maybe it’s about instinct. We are born with instincts designed to keep us alive, but unfortunately, those are often conditioned out of us. Well-meaning adults will tell us our perceptions are misguided, as when a child tells mother that she doesn’t like sitting on uncle’s lap, and mother says, “Oh, but uncle loves you! Don’t hurt his feelings!” The child’s instincts are probably right on and uncle was putting out deviant sexual energy, but now this child will grow up not trusting her own instincts about danger and also putting other people’s feelings before her own.

Instincts may be about foods that the child innately knows are not the best for him but parents force him to eat them. There are myriad ways that parents destroy their children’s good instincts without any awareness of the harm they are doing.

When I worked as a custody evaluator, I had to go into people’s homes to get first-hand knowledge of their parenting abilities. I would often enter a house and think, “This is creepy,” or “There is something wrong here.” I couldn’t say that in my report to the court, though. I had to take time to ask myself, “What am I observing?” I had to quantify my feelings and pay attention to each of my senses. What was I seeing, hearing, smelling, and sensing and what did it mean? I would “know” that something was off, but I had to explain it in a way the judge would not question.

Instincts can also make us cognizant of that which is outside of our consciousness. We are surrounded by electrical signals, energetic vibrations, and spiritual influences that, when we allow ourselves to tune into them, can guide us and enrich our life experiences.

So, is it really faith, or do we have a real ability to be aware of and “know” that someone loves us, that someone is dangerous, that something is “not right,” or something is wonderful, and that a Higher Power is with us? Do we know that the sun is still there and that it will shine again soon?

Be In Light
Carol