Inspirational Eclipse!

"My soul can find no staircase to heaven

unless it be through Earth's loveliness."

~Michaelangelo

"We still do not know one thousandth of one percent

of what nature has revealed to us."

~Albert Einstein

"Miracles do not, in fact, break the laws of nature."

~C.S. Lewis

On April 7, two friends and I loaded up a car with supplies and headed north to Vermont to put ourselves in the path of totality. It was quite an adventure, with a memorable night’s stay in an Airbnb west of Brattleboro on Sunday night, which included no running water and a compost toilet! The next morning, we arose at 5:00 and continued our journey northward. Stopping for coffee and sandwiches along the way, we arrived at our destination, North Beach, Burlington at 10:00 AM.

There, we set up camp along the shore of Lake Champlain. And beautiful it was, as the temperatures soon rose into the sixties and other eclipse revelers began to arrive. A quiet, festive atmosphere ensued. A little after 2:30 you could sense something was beginning to change, the light spectrum started to stretch, the shadows became darker and crisper, the blues started to turn purple.

The temperature plummeted, probably 20 degrees by 3:00, and shortly thereafter the total eclipse ensued. It was truly incredible, defining extraordinary. Just as the moon moved directly into its path, the sun became completely darkened and the sky became like night, the stars appeared, with a 360-degree sunset all around. A moment later the corona burst forth around the moon, the sun’s auric light arcing back towards earth.

At first everyone gasped in delight, and then it became nearly silent, as a deep sense of awe and humility was bestowed upon the crowd. Finally, after 3 long minutes the sun poked it’s head out from the southwest quadrant of the moon, and the gathered cheered in joy… and relief!

I’m still processing this, most likely, once in a lifetime event. I feel a sense of great good fortune to have been there, and having experienced first-hand the delicate dance our earth is engaged in with our sun, moon, oceans, and air, a profound humbleness. We are the elements, and they are us. It is truly a miracle we are here at all!

I am grateful every time I remember and experience our connection.

Always,

Greg