Eclipses are fascinating to watch and more so solar eclipses and even more so if it is a total solar eclipse like the one of July 22. The moon passed between the sun and the earth blocking the light of the sun. This was one of the longest total solar eclipses of this century.

Solar eclipse of July 22

The totality of the solar eclipse lasted for about 6 minutes in some parts of Southeast Asia. In terms of duration this will not be surpassed till the year 2132. In India also it was a lovely spectacle to watch – I wish I was in India around this time to enjoy it. The totality was visible in many large Indian cities in the north. I remember watching one total solar eclipse when I was a kid of 10 or 11 years in South India somewhere in 1981 or so. It was an amazing experience when a bright sunny evening (the time was around 4 pm) was overtaken by darkness for a couple of minutes. The birds mistook it for sunset and suddenly I heard the chirping of birds flying back to their nest. They got wrong signals from a dark sky! To me an eclipse is of more interest in terms of the earthly effect that it can have – its effect on humans and to a nation. If you know something about Indian astrology called as Jyotish or Vedic Astrology then you will understand how solar eclipses can affect individuals as well as countries depending on the horoscope of a person or a nation. The study of the horoscope of a country is called as mundane astrology. Mundane astrology is the application of astrology to world events and world affairs. As an example, India came into being on the midnight on August 15, 1947. This time gives rise to a national horoscope for this country. When an eclipse takes place then the house and the zodiac sign on which it falls in the birth horoscope of a nation will determine its effects. Normally eclipses are to be looked at with caution and fear and of imminent changes in the political and other aspects of an economy. An eclipse can trigger a wheel of events. For individuals mostly it is a good time for reflection, deeper thought, soul searching or spirituality as they say. Without light I guess these qualities are accentuated. Again the axis of the eclipse in a person’s birth horoscope will determine how it will unfold. This axis is called as Rahu and Ketu in Indian astrology. Rahu and Ketu denote the two points of intersection of the paths of the Sun and the Moon as they move on the celestial sphere. Therefore, Rahu and Ketu are called the north and the south lunar nodes. Eclipses occur when Sun and Moon are at one of these points.

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