Eclipse Energy: Nervous System Tools for Late Summer
As summer draws to a close, I've been taking some time to sit with myself and feel into the energy of the moment — because it's been a lot.
You may or may not have noticed it, but much of August has sat inside an Eclipse Portal: the Solar Eclipse on the 12th, special glasses perched on our faces, followed by a partial Lunar Eclipse on the 28th here in the UK.
If, like me, you're interested in what's happening out there in the cosmos, you'll know astrologers often describe these times as powerful — moments that can trigger change, reveal hidden truths, and force major turning points. With language like force, trigger, and change, it's easy to imagine this is all happening "out there," far beyond our own lives.
Here's what I want to offer instead: the same energetic shifts we see play out on the earth — volcanoes, earthquakes, floods — happen internally too, just more quietly, more personally.
You don't have to share my interest in the cosmos for this to land. Late August has its own reasons for feeling like a lot — the end-of-summer transition, the shift out of routine, the days beginning to shorten, that faint hum of "back to school and back to work" even if neither applies to you directly. Some of what we feel may come down to the eclipses; some of it may simply be the season. Either way, your nervous system doesn't need to know which.
Maybe you've noticed a shift in your own energy: tired in the body but wired in the mind, an exhaustion that doesn't match your level of activity, headaches, restlessness, a loss of focus. These are all things I've been experiencing during this stretch — what astrologers call the Eclipse Corridor or Gateway, the window between eclipses, often described as highly volatile or hyper-charged.
So how do we support ourselves when the world outside — cosmic or seasonal — feels like it's playing up? Here are four simple techniques to support your nervous system when the energy levels are zinging.
Sensory Orientation
Bring your attention to your body.
Feel your feet on the ground, or your seat against the chair.
Notice what you can see, and take in the sounds around you and inside your body.
Can you feel the fabric of your clothing against your skin? What smells or tastes do you notice?
Let your awareness move gently between the inside and outside of your body.
Resonance Breathing
A simple breathing technique to reduce stress.
Find a comfortable position.
Breathe in for five seconds, out for five seconds — six breaths per minute.
Continue for several minutes.
Self-Touch
A small act of self-love, shown to help lower stress.
Give yourself a hug, gently rocking side to side.
Place a hand on your heart and press down gently, offering yourself some grounding pressure.
Why it works: touch — from ourselves or an attuned other — releases oxytocin in the brain, which lowers stress hormones and helps us feel calmer.
Grounding
Taking your shoes off and walking barefoot — on grass, in the garden, or a nearby park — can shift your energetic body almost immediately. Walking barefoot stimulates thousands of nerve endings in the feet, sending signals to the brain that help calm the nervous system. In simple terms: it lets your body know it's safe.
We're not always in an eclipse corridor, but we're living in a time of heightened energy — and because we're all interconnected, we tend to feel it. Next time that rush arrives, try one of these and notice what shifts.
And if this season is landing harder than usual — if the tiredness, the restlessness, or the racing mind feel bigger than a few weeks of eclipse energy — that might be worth exploring together. I offer a free 15-minute consultation if you'd like to talk it through.
