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Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2026 9:46 am
The Quran directly rejects the idea that the sun and the moon are deities, and calls
for worshipping only Allah, who created them (Surah 41:37). Eclipses there are not
explained by myths about “devouring,” but are perceived as natural phenomena created
by God, sometimes as an occasion for prayer (salat al-kusuf).
Mesoamerican cultures (the Maya and the Aztecs)
The Maya were excellent astronomers and predicted eclipses with the help of tables in
the Dresden Codex. They called a solar eclipse “when the sun is eaten” (Chi’bal K’iin).
This was considered a bad sign — the wrath of the gods, a possible drought or war.
The Aztecs saw in it an attack by the Tzitzimime demons (star skeletons) on the sun —
if it were completely eaten, the end of the world would come. That’s why they
performed rituals and sacrifices.
Other interesting mentions
• The Incas: An eclipse is the wrath of the sun god Inti, requiring fasting and
sacrifices.
• The indigenous peoples of America (for example, the Choctaw): A black squirrel
gnaws at the sun — you need to make noise to frighten it off.
• In some African and Vietnamese myths — a giant frog or toad swallows the
luminaries.
In many cultures an eclipse was perceived as a battle of light and darkness, a moment
when one must pray, make noise, or perform rituals in order to restore order. But almost
everywhere the sun (or the moon) in the end returned — and this strengthened the belief
that “good conquers.”
The “Great Work” (Magnum Opus)
In classical alchemy an eclipse was not simply an astronomical event. It served as
a powerful symbol of inner processes of transformation. Here is how this looks in the
alchemical texts and illustrations:
Solar and lunar eclipse as coniunctio (the mystical marriage)
The alchemists saw in an eclipse the union of opposites — of the sun (Sol, the masculine
principle, gold, consciousness, the active force) and the moon (Luna, the feminine
principle, silver, the subconscious, the passive force). When the moon “covers” the sun
for worshipping only Allah, who created them (Surah 41:37). Eclipses there are not
explained by myths about “devouring,” but are perceived as natural phenomena created
by God, sometimes as an occasion for prayer (salat al-kusuf).
Mesoamerican cultures (the Maya and the Aztecs)
The Maya were excellent astronomers and predicted eclipses with the help of tables in
the Dresden Codex. They called a solar eclipse “when the sun is eaten” (Chi’bal K’iin).
This was considered a bad sign — the wrath of the gods, a possible drought or war.
The Aztecs saw in it an attack by the Tzitzimime demons (star skeletons) on the sun —
if it were completely eaten, the end of the world would come. That’s why they
performed rituals and sacrifices.
Other interesting mentions
• The Incas: An eclipse is the wrath of the sun god Inti, requiring fasting and
sacrifices.
• The indigenous peoples of America (for example, the Choctaw): A black squirrel
gnaws at the sun — you need to make noise to frighten it off.
• In some African and Vietnamese myths — a giant frog or toad swallows the
luminaries.
In many cultures an eclipse was perceived as a battle of light and darkness, a moment
when one must pray, make noise, or perform rituals in order to restore order. But almost
everywhere the sun (or the moon) in the end returned — and this strengthened the belief
that “good conquers.”
The “Great Work” (Magnum Opus)
In classical alchemy an eclipse was not simply an astronomical event. It served as
a powerful symbol of inner processes of transformation. Here is how this looks in the
alchemical texts and illustrations:
Solar and lunar eclipse as coniunctio (the mystical marriage)
The alchemists saw in an eclipse the union of opposites — of the sun (Sol, the masculine
principle, gold, consciousness, the active force) and the moon (Luna, the feminine
principle, silver, the subconscious, the passive force). When the moon “covers” the sun