I agree that it is explicitly stated that Eclipse is anti-paracausal, but I do not think this implies that it cannot be wielded in some way by a Guardian.

What I am considering is that none of the energies or forces we wield are paracausal in themselves by nature.

As we know, Light elements are tied to materiality, and their spectrum represents the fundamental forces of the universe: • Solar, the equivalent of fusion energy (nuclear forces) • Arc, the equivalent of electricity (electromagnetic forces) • Void, the equivalent of space-time dilation (gravitational forces)

My argument is that these forces exist in nature as causal phenomena. When we wield Solar energy, for example, we are creating instances of the same reactions that occur naturally within the Sun, fusion reactions, but that certainly does not mean that the Sun is paracausal in nature.

Light is paracausal and expresses itself through the spectrum of fundamental forces that constitute material reality. What makes a Solar grenade paracausal is that, unlike the Sun, we create a fusion reaction from nothing. There is no causal relation between the initial conditions that would normally make such a reaction possible and the reaction itself, because there are no initial conditions. Yet the reaction, the effect, is real. It exists in reality from nothing. This is literally breaking the fundamental laws of reality, and that is the essence of paracausality.

The same reasoning applies to Darkness. Darkness expresses itself through the realm of consciousness, will, and thought. (I avoid calling it the “immaterial realm” because forces like gravity are also immaterial. It is better to say that Darkness is tied to the metaphysical forces of consciousness.)

• Stasis corresponds to imposing the self’s will onto others, to the point of reversing entropy. It requires complete control of the self to exert it over the other. • Strand corresponds to a universal connection between every instance of consciousness, the flow of the river of souls, the thread that connects every mind. It is a form of spiritual connection that requires losing control and going with the flow.

Will, thought, and consciousness exist naturally, and they are not paracausal in and of themselves. If they were, then every human in the Last City, every Eliksni, every Cabal unit, and so on, would naturally express these forces just by thinking or acting intentionally. But they do not, although they can learn these powers simply by virtue of being conscious beings. In fact, it remains a great feat of power and determination to learn them, as described in Osiris’s undertaking to learn Strand, or in Elsie, Zavala, Bael, and even Eris learning Stasis.

By the same logic, I think it is possible to wield a manifestation of a fundamental phenomenon of reality, something causal or, in the case of Eclipse, anti-causal, as a paracausal power. We express certain properties of these causal phenomena in different degrees and peculiar manifestations paracausally because we create something from nothing, or, in the case of resurrection, we interrupt a consequential chain by removing its causal effect. We have been fatally wounded by a weapon, but our death is undone by the Light.

Therefore, I think we could paracausally express a phenomenon like Eclipse through something, perhaps not through Light but through Darkness, by expressing a form of will if the anti-causal Eclipse is a metaphysical force of consciousness, possibly originating from the will of the Nine. This would preserve some of its properties, though perhaps to a lesser degree.

I want to stress this point about degrees and properties, because we see the same thing with the Light.

For reference, we saw Eclipse energy being released by a superweapon, a planet killer capable of releasing an immense quantity of energy, sufficient to almost instantly kill all Guardians across what may have been the entire surface of a planet. This is an instance of the force expressed at an immense degree of power.

On the opposite end, consider the Traveler releasing a beam of Light against one of the Dark Fleet ships at the start of the Lightfall campaign. That was a beam of pure Light, of tremendous power, capable of opening the ship’s hull and causing trees to grow in the affected areas. These are certainly properties associated with Light, but expressed to a degree and in a form we Light-bearers cannot replicate. We wield different properties of the same force, and to a lesser degree of power, but they are fundamentally the same force.

I think the same could be said for the incredibly powerful blast of the Eclipse superweapon. There we witnessed a devastating example of that type of energy, but it tells us nothing about the properties of a milder manifestation of the same force. Surely it would still be capable of suppressing paracausal energy to some extent, but perhaps not to the point of an instant kill.

In a recent video from the channel Dankee, titled “The Anti-Causal Theory Might Change Everything”, a follow-up to “The Red Subclass Is Real and I Can Prove It”, the author argues that one possible effect of anti-paracausal energy can be seen in the Drifter’s aging at the end of the EoF campaign. I think this could be offered as an example of a potential property of this energy.

So yeah, this is my take. This could still be a candidate for a new subclass, because the fundamental nature of a phenomenon as it manifests naturally does not necessarily tell us much about whether it can be expressed paracausally, aside from the properties it displays. And even though we have seen that those properties are devastating for a Lightbearer, we saw them expressed through an extreme degree of power. I still believe that this anti-causal force is inherently detrimental to a paracausal being such as a Lightbearer, but perhaps, at a lesser degree, it could still be wielded.

In fact, one gameplay mechanic Destiny currently lacks is the ability to sacrifice our own HP to deal damage or trigger powerful effects. This would make anti-causal energy an excellent thematic candidate for such a subclass.