
photo by Juliana Bernstein (Get Tiny)
The ceremony at Oregon Eclipse 2017 was beyond anything I’ve experienced. Yes, it was Epic, and I use that word often, but here I use it in the full meaning of the word….. Symbiosis Gathering had built a gorgeous Sun Temple at the rise of the hill, with a central arena that felt as ancient and grand as those of the Greeks and Romans. 30,000 of us gathered around the arena and snuggled with loved ones to watch the Eclipse.
As the moon began to creep into the suns path, Elders (all men…bear with me here) from indigenous tribes around the world gathered on the podium in the center of the arena. Each spoke in their native tongue, with a translator, often of their own clan, and called out for one people, one nation, one multi-colored humanity living together in harmony and goodwill. Each spoke with depth and a full heart, but it was the sheer magnitude of the lineup and the profound experience of them each speaking in their own tongue, for peace (while we sat with people from every reach of the earth)….that made it a life changing event….there are no words for the impact it had, not only on me, but on all of us.

photo by Jacob Avanzato

photo by Jacob Avanzato

photo by Saphir Lewis
The podium was surrounded by dancers in gorgeous traditional regalia, and at Totality, they broke into dance and drumming. As we looked with naked eye at the blackened sun, pondering all these things

photo by Saphir Lewis
While the men spoke first, bringing in the dark…..the women elders from these same nations spoke, bring in the light. The women focused on the preciousness of water and called on us to cherish it, to preserve it, to fight for pure Water and availability to all.

photo by Saphir Lewis
