What do you think?
Rate this book
Eclipse of the Sun
276 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
40 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 5, 2014
What do you say about a book that has flaws, but nevertheless changed your entire viewpoint about the world and how it works? When I first saw this book, its idea seemed so foreign to me—the sun as female? The moon as male? While I'd heard of a female sun at least once—Amaterasu Omikami, the Japanese Sun Goddess—she seemed a strange aberration, a quirky exception to a near-universal rule. But a male moon was even stranger...wasn't the moon inexplicably linked to women's 28-day menstrual period? As a fairly new Wiccan, I had read over and over that the Goddess was all about Earth, the Moon, the Night, Yin; while it was the God who was the Sky, the Sun, the Day, Yang. Those things were familiar; they felt natural, they felt right.
The very idea that things could be flip-flopped from what I was used to disturbed me...but I've always felt a perverse desire to investigate ideas that disturb me. And, as a young Feminist, I was bothered by my automatic assumption that femininity was "naturally" passive, masculinity "naturally" active.
Plus which, the cover art on the book was just beautiful. I saved my pennies and bought it.
And wow, what an eye-opener it was. Not only are there Sun Goddesses out there, they're more common than I could have possibly imagined. In the mythology of nearly every continent, the author traces back the clues to female Suns and (mostly) male Moons. Some of the clues aren't even that hidden—we're just so used to interpreting the evidence according to our preconceived notions that we miss them even when they're lying in plain sight. Partly it's because of the power of Classical Mythology over the minds of the educated ever since the Renaissance; partly it's because the Victorians, who are the basis of our modern studies of folklore and mythology, were so, well...Victorian...that they couldn't conceive of female suns. They managed to convince themselves that the figures had gotten "switched" from what was obviously the natural order of things; luckily, they were there to "rectify" it. And partially it's because Western culture still finds active, powerful women and passive, mysterious men to be strange and foreign concepts...which robs both women and men of half of their personalities, to the detriment of us all.
The "natural" connection between the Moon and menstruation? Oh, that's still there, believe it or not. Some ancient people thought that menstruation was because, once a month, the Moon God came to earth and seduced every woman in her sleep—her bleeding was because she had been "deflowered" of her ever-renewing spiritual virginity by that lusty, energetic God. That concept alone was worth the price of the book—what a paradigm-shift! And the Sun Goddess often had three consorts—the Moon God, the Sky God, and the Storm God, and was superior in status to them all. Holy matriarchal polyandry, Batman!
The book isn't unflawed. As a previous reviewer said, the author does have quite the ability to rant. It's not only feminist ranting, however, as she has equally harsh things to say about feminists who over-identify with the Moon Goddess and demonize the Male Sun-Warrior-God, to the point that they are just as opposed to seeing female suns and male moons as those conservative Victorians. She also lets Wiccans and other Modern Neo-Pagans feel the sharp nib of her pen for similar reasons, and for thinking they can resurrect the myths and deities of the past in any meaningful way when the cultures that spawned them are dead and gone.
And, lest my brief mention of matriarchy confuse the issue, Janet McCrickard also comes down hard on the Great Feminist Matriarchy myth. And she absolutely demolishes popular feminist author Barbara Walker in one devastating half-page.
Basically, Janet McCrickard is seething with fury at any mindset that prejudices researchers and layfolk against the true facts of the myths she studies. She rails against the near universal (but almost entirely unconscious) conspiracy against deities who are "the wrong gender," and the force of her anger is exhausting and sometimes offensive.
But the information she imparts is without measure. The vistas her book opened up in my mind and imagination cannot be overestimated; my paradigms have been forever shifted, and the sights it lets me see are beautiful. I feel like I understand more about human nature and the role of myths in our lives than I ever could have before I read this. And, though it's alienated me a bit from other Moon-Goddess-focused Wiccans, it's enhanced my life and (though Ms. McCrickard would no doubt scoff at this) deepened and enriched my personal relationship to the infinite Divine in all Her/His glory.
To anyone to whom myth really matters, or who wants to get an idea of how multifaceted femininity and masculinity can really be, this book is absolutely invaluable.
The very idea that things could be flip-flopped from what I was used to disturbed me...but I've always felt a perverse desire to investigate ideas that disturb me. And, as a young Feminist, I was bothered by my automatic assumption that femininity was "naturally" passive, masculinity "naturally" active.
Plus which, the cover art on the book was just beautiful. I saved my pennies and bought it.
And wow, what an eye-opener it was. Not only are there Sun Goddesses out there, they're more common than I could have possibly imagined. In the mythology of nearly every continent, the author traces back the clues to female Suns and (mostly) male Moons. Some of the clues aren't even that hidden—we're just so used to interpreting the evidence according to our preconceived notions that we miss them even when they're lying in plain sight. Partly it's because of the power of Classical Mythology over the minds of the educated ever since the Renaissance; partly it's because the Victorians, who are the basis of our modern studies of folklore and mythology, were so, well...Victorian...that they couldn't conceive of female suns. They managed to convince themselves that the figures had gotten "switched" from what was obviously the natural order of things; luckily, they were there to "rectify" it. And partially it's because Western culture still finds active, powerful women and passive, mysterious men to be strange and foreign concepts...which robs both women and men of half of their personalities, to the detriment of us all.
The "natural" connection between the Moon and menstruation? Oh, that's still there, believe it or not. Some ancient people thought that menstruation was because, once a month, the Moon God came to earth and seduced every woman in her sleep—her bleeding was because she had been "deflowered" of her ever-renewing spiritual virginity by that lusty, energetic God. That concept alone was worth the price of the book—what a paradigm-shift! And the Sun Goddess often had three consorts—the Moon God, the Sky God, and the Storm God, and was superior in status to them all. Holy matriarchal polyandry, Batman!
The book isn't unflawed. As a previous reviewer said, the author does have quite the ability to rant. It's not only feminist ranting, however, as she has equally harsh things to say about feminists who over-identify with the Moon Goddess and demonize the Male Sun-Warrior-God, to the point that they are just as opposed to seeing female suns and male moons as those conservative Victorians. She also lets Wiccans and other Modern Neo-Pagans feel the sharp nib of her pen for similar reasons, and for thinking they can resurrect the myths and deities of the past in any meaningful way when the cultures that spawned them are dead and gone.
And, lest my brief mention of matriarchy confuse the issue, Janet McCrickard also comes down hard on the Great Feminist Matriarchy myth. And she absolutely demolishes popular feminist author Barbara Walker in one devastating half-page.
Basically, Janet McCrickard is seething with fury at any mindset that prejudices researchers and layfolk against the true facts of the myths she studies. She rails against the near universal (but almost entirely unconscious) conspiracy against deities who are "the wrong gender," and the force of her anger is exhausting and sometimes offensive.
But the information she imparts is without measure. The vistas her book opened up in my mind and imagination cannot be overestimated; my paradigms have been forever shifted, and the sights it lets me see are beautiful. I feel like I understand more about human nature and the role of myths in our lives than I ever could have before I read this. And, though it's alienated me a bit from other Moon-Goddess-focused Wiccans, it's enhanced my life and (though Ms. McCrickard would no doubt scoff at this) deepened and enriched my personal relationship to the infinite Divine in all Her/His glory.
To anyone to whom myth really matters, or who wants to get an idea of how multifaceted femininity and masculinity can really be, this book is absolutely invaluable.
August 5, 2022
Scrisa de Puck pe Tapas
October 5, 2014
This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in going beyond the moon-goddess/sun-god paradigm of modern Wiccan-influenced myth. McCrickard takes in sun-goddesses from all over the world, and the art is terrific. (I believe the author did them herself, which is very impressive.) This book has been an enormous inspiration to me, and I cannot recommend it too highly.
Some may find her feminism a little overpowering, but I like the fact that she is so passionate in her pursuit of the solar feminine. She probably wouldn't have written the book without those strong opinions, especially since some of her sources are a bit obscure. The book was clearly a labour of love, and I respect that.
Some may find her feminism a little overpowering, but I like the fact that she is so passionate in her pursuit of the solar feminine. She probably wouldn't have written the book without those strong opinions, especially since some of her sources are a bit obscure. The book was clearly a labour of love, and I respect that.
May 15, 2009
Good, for what it is, but this lady's feminist rant gets a little old. It is a good collection of sun & moon folk tales, though.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews