in imageMany cultures believe that an eclipse is the sun and the
moon being devoured by mythological creatures. In Chinese
mythology, it's a dragon; in Norse and Korean, it's wolves. For
the Cherokee and Vietnamese, it's a frog. For the Maori in
New Zealand and Hindus in India, it's a demon. For the Pomo,
it's a bear. They all created "noise rituals" to scare away the
dark: whistling and screaming at the sky, or banging on
drums or pots and pans.
We've mastered noise rituals in our modern world, too. We
created plenty of places to yell at one another about things
we don't understand or can't control: elections, race, gender,
genocides, the climate. Even if yelling is more likely to move
the heavens than change another person's mind.
The Batammaliba in West Africa believe an eclipse is the sun
and moon in a celestial conflict. They perform the opposite
of a noise ritual: the community gathers for rituals of
forgiveness. Elders mediate conflicts, gifts are exchanged,
followed by feasts and music. They show the sun and moon
reconciliation by example.
There's no ritual big enough to heal current divisions. But we
can create rituals of absolution for just ourselves, quietly
warding off the demons of our own shame with a meditation
that says, "I may not understand what is happening, but life
is short, and the universe is infinite...maybe 1 really am just
doing my best in the darkness."
Leo Herrera
@herreraimages