Global Eclipse 2020: An Event, A Livestream, A Defining Moment
Anyone who has ever seen a solar eclipse understands just why people will travel hundreds or thousands of miles to experience one. The stars and planets continue to circle like clockwork as the universe speaks in infinite symmetry marking the cycles of life, death, and rebirth. In 2017 the Oregon Eclipse Festival drew over 30,000 people while the state prepared for a million visitors coming to observe the dance of these celestial bodies. On December 14th, 2020 we will witness another eclipse in the midst of travel restrictions and a global pandemic. Many of us are feeling the intensity of the world as if we are teetering between self-destruct and transformation. We are on a spectacular journey as we reach for meaning in these tumultuous times. This is certainly a defining moment for all of humanity.
The hero’s journey is a cycle of evolutionary growth from the known into the unknown to face a dark abyss and then return transformed. Despite our creative brilliance we are witnessing a collapse in established structures, unprecedented polarization, broken trust, environmental catastrophe, war, and a global health crisis. For many 2020 has been like staring into that dark abyss. This coming eclipse provides us a perfect opportunity to come together in reflection and awe for the majesty of this moment.
“A people, like stars, are entitled to eclipse. All is well, provided the light returns and the eclipse does not become an endless night. Dawn and resurrection are synonymous. The reappearance of the light is the same as the survival of the soul.” — Victor Hugo
Ceremonies, Festivals, and Ritual Reality: The Oregon Eclipse Gathering was a revelation in contemporary festival culture because it was built around a celestial moment. Like any meaningful ceremony, it provided an initiation, a rites of passage, and a coming together for many thousands of people across diverse cultures and ages to remember our perennial wisdom of the ages.
Despite the many unknowns we face, we do know that the moon will be directly crossing the path of the sun on December 14, 2020 and it will be visible in Patagonia. This is the logic behind the Global Eclipse 2020 conceived by a small group of friends who wanted to carry forward the magic from the 2017 Oregon Eclipse Gathering. Shortly after the Oregon Eclipse one of the event co-founders and visionaries, Kevin KoChen was diagnosed with cancer. In early 2020, just as unexpectedly, the deadly Coronavirus Pandemic caused travel restrictions, lockdowns, and economic uncertainty.
“We’re here to inspire people. Our activism is to ignite people’s sense of awe and wonder in the universe.” -Kevin KoChen, Event Co-Founder
A Series of Unfortunate Events: Producing an international event is not an easy undertaking. Event producers leverage revenue from ticket sales to build infrastructure, acquire permits, make down-payments for services, travel, and expenses for personnel. In mid-production for the planned event in Patagonia borders closed and local authorities began raising concerns about a “super-spreader event”.
The once enthusiastic festival goers began to sour as they realized that the production company had spent the money and would not be able to refund tickets that were purchased. This weighed heavy on the team who had worked so hard to create something epic for their community. Kevin’s cancer continued to progress as well. Despite this we still know that the eclipse will happen on December 14th. For a very rare moment we will witness the sun’s corona for 130 seconds as the moon passes directly between the earth and the center of our solar system.
“We’re not doing it for the money. You can see it in the art that we’re doing it for the love and we’re doing the best we can.” -Bosque, Event Co-Founder
In early November Kevin went into hospice. Knowing that his days were limited he had a deep desire to bring this event to a global audience for free. So he reached out to UNIFY and PORTL to create a livestream so that people everywhere will have the opportunity to honor this defining moment together online. In many ways this strange twist of fate potentially allows many more people to participate around the world in the Global Eclipse. With great sorrow for all of us who knew him, Kevin left his body and this world on Thanksgiving Day.
Adaptability, Cooperation, and a Dying Wish: Before his passing Kevin pulled together his network to create a global live-stream. He wanted this eclipse to be available to everyone everywhere online, even if he didn’t live to see it himself. The result will be a global silent meditation for 130 seconds, the length that the eclipse is direct over Patagonia.
“A hero is someone who, in spite of weakness, doubt or not always knowing the answers, goes ahead and overcomes anyway.” -Christopher Reeve
PORTL is an innovative, community-based platform for social networking and online events that hosted the virtual Burning Man event last September. Another collaborator is UNIFY, a nonprofit organization with millions of online followers that has been hosting globally synchronized meditations, social impact events, and environmental campaigns since 2012. This collaboration is guided by a deep desire to nudge humanity beyond the abyss into a transformational moment and to fulfil Kevins dying wish.
These teams are putting together a powerful week-long series of inspiring content from December 14–21, eclipse to solstice. Despite 2020 being one of the most tumultuous years in modern history, we have seen amazing resilience, strength, inspiration, and wisdom emerge. Let us celebrate together!
You Define the Moment: During an eclipse the light of our sun is slowly swallowed by darkness and in a moment of stillness the light slowly returns. The same is true in the northern hemisphere on the solstice. As we approach the longest night of the year the sun pauses and begins to move north again towards spring and summer. We are all caught in this dance between light and darkness as the planets and stars spin around us in divine precision.
Each of us will have an opportunity to share what this time means for them by expressing a vision of the future they would like to create as we move from the darkness back into the light. We are inviting people everywhere to make a 130-second video, the exact length that the eclipse is direct, and tell us what this time means to them using the #130secondchallenge hashtag. It could be a song, a poem, a dance, a story, prayer, painting or whatever you want so long as it is 130 seconds and posted with the hashtag so we can find it online. We will be re-sharing your posts through our network leading up to the eclipse on December 14.
The live-stream will happen on multiple channels but you will have access to many exciting features while watching on PORTL. It is free to sign up, your data is protected, and you will be able connect directly with your friends and community to watch/experience together. Take some time to learn more by also visiting the Global Eclipse Website. Start times for the live-stream, the ceremony, and the global meditation in various local time zones are below.
Through our friends, family, and global community we can weather any storm with strength, resilience, grace, and love. This is how we collaborate with the cosmos to create a defining moment together. On this hero’s journey we all walk our own individual paths yet none of us are wandering alone.