2024 April 8th Eclipse

The world is abuzz with a total eclipse arriving this April 8th. Many perspectives and speculation surrounding this incredible phenomenon that won't grace North America for another 70 years prompts contemplation.  Years ago during our exploration of Tocuaro in remote rural Mexico, we discovered this captivating eclipsed themed figurine pictured above. 

We were inside the studio of Master Maestro Artist Juan Horta famed mask maker.  The walls were lined with the most imaginative magical masks of Tarascan myth and legend and we were dazzled.   Close by in a hidden alcove painted in sky blue sat the unusual eclipse figurine by Gustavo Horta.  The Hortas also work in copal wood, however, they add shiny purposeful lacquer as a practice and the painting style is entirely unique to Michoacan.  

Masks by Juan Horta

Years later we found an intriguingly touching Tarascan story behind this beautiful eclipse themed sculpture and it goes like this.....

Figurine by Gustavo Horta

An old Purépecha/Tarascan legend tells of how for many eons the Sun and the Moon were married and were very happy living in the heavens.   Their peaceful lives changed when Citalimina arrived in the sky, known to modern-day peoples as the planet Venus, the star of the morning and evening skies.  When the young and very feminine Venus first came on the scene, everything changed.

One day, the Moon found the Sun talking to Venus.  The Moon became jealous of her because Venus was a very beautiful star with a very long hair.   The Moon accused the Sun of flirting with Venus and so the formerly peaceful and happy celestial duo began fighting and insulting one another. They fought physically, too, and as the Sun was stronger than poor Luna, it left her face full of bruises, which are the craters we can see on its surface from Earth if we observe it carefully.

The Moon decided to separate from the Sun and went very far, they did not talk anymore; that’s why one goes out during the day and the other at night. Naturally, this caused the formation of day and night on Earth. When the two heavenly bodies happen to come together in the skies, they once again become  lovers who embrace at that time eclipses occur.

When the Moon and Sun separate again, the Moon begins to cry a lot for the sadness it gives her, and each tear that falls to the Earth turns into drops of silver, which the Purépecha women collect to make beautiful earrings that are shaped like a half moon, with silver tears hanging from them.