The skies were so clear on Monday morning, but by the afternoon, cloudy skies roamed over sections of Philly. I was hoping to see the eclipse from my backyard—I get a good look at the sun from there. Not sure if it would've worked out, but I was hoping anyway. By the peak of the eclipse, I was in Old City. Coming out from 2nd Street Station, Market Street was lined with people looking up at the sun with their eclipse glasses. I admit, I was jealous, but also surprised: I was happy to see people take the time out of their busy days to witness a rare, cosmic phenomenon. And on Rex Manning Day, no less.
The day, though, was laced with much tinier surprises for me. Including an eclipse-friendly horoscope that was spot on. I don't know how everyone feels about astrology, but hear me out—this is what it told me:
What was once the blind ambition to satiate all of my desires by myself is now the bravery to learn to ask and receive.
All the surprises seemed to be tied to that message. I'm finding that asking can be as difficult as receiving, but without those things, you're left to your own devices. In this world, we need to practice sharing and asking and receiving if we want to arrive at alignment. It takes time, just like it'll take another 70 years before the next eclipse. Maybe I'm reaching here, but it's kind of like what I wrote in last week's newsletter: how can we foster community if we aren't asking and receiving? How can we foster community when we are trying to do it all by ourselves? I know I need to work on this myself. And it took an eclipse and seeing strangers, friends, and co-workers alike—and an earthquake, too—to see that.
There's alignment happening in our communities now. Check out what the Mutter Museum has going on with a fancy, jazzy night for science nerds who love Marie Curie, and learn about fostering surprise with music with World Again. And don't forget this week's roundup, which has plenty of gatherings, too.
Be sunny, Philly!
Kyle V. Hiller
BSR associate editor
