ECLIPSE ROCK
Backwoods Blog;
in the woods and on the road…
“Eclipse Rock” Houlton, Maine
Houlton, Maine experienced a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8 as we were the literal “end of the line” on the path of totality in the United States before it crossed the border into Canada on its way to Newfoundland. Experts (and naysayers alike) listed Houlton as statistically one of the worst places you could possibly select to view the eclipse, but as it turned out, we had 100 percent clear skies and ideal conditions. Wow! The town of Houlton prepared for the eclipse for over two years in advance anticipating 10,000 to 40,000 people to attend, which is a lot for a small town to accommodate. Every business, civic organization and religious organization in the area joined in the effort to host the event hoping to make it an enjoyable and memorable experience for those who travelled all the way to Houlton.
Our modest-sized organization did the same. UUHoulton started planning in January and our offerings included running our cafe 9AM -9PM for four days, five concerts in four days, co-sponsoring a metaphysical tent, sponsoring a day of mindful movement, a Planetary Moment of Silence and Eclipse Rock. In retrospect, it was an ambitious undertaking, but how often does a total eclipse come to town? I decided to adopt a persona for four days as the “cosmic minister of love and good vibes” and attempted to stay in character and in costume as much as possible (see photos below). A film documentary titled “A Moment in the Sun” is also being made about how a rural town in northern Maine prepares and welcomes tens of thousands of eclipse goers to the big event. Filmmakers Mia Weinberger and Thomas van Kalken from New York City and their film crew shot hundreds of hours of footage while they were here and are now headed to the editing room for the next four months.
Eclipse Rock was one of the earliest ideas and most logistically challenging. We wanted to get the largest rock or rocks possible placed on the front lawn, but it was already January and there is no “good time” to do such an install between snow and mud season. Our contractor secured the rocks, removed them from the quarry before the road was posted in the spring and had them waiting…We waited. Two weeks before the eclipse two feet of snow dropped and the ground froze. One week before the eclipse, as the snow levels began to drop, we made our move. As it turned out, the film crew had arrived by then and they were able to get footage of the install for the documentary. We could not have planned it better! The concept of Eclipse Rock was to create a gathering location or ritual space for people during the four day eclipse event (or just a good place for a photo op). We invited people to place a stone or crystal on top of Eclipse Rock during the weekend of Eclipse ’24 in the tradition of stacking cairns or marking a journey. The collection of rocks and stones would absorb and transmit the energy of sun, sky, planet and people during the four days. After the event people could take their ‘eclipse-exposed” rock with them as a momento of their eclipse experience. We even encouraged a one rock per person limit so we could track how many people participated during the event. For the opening ceremony we invited an Episcopalian priest, a Maliseet Shaman and myself, the “cosmic minister of love and good vibes,” to offer blessings to Eclipse Rock (it almost sounds like the opening line to a bad joke). In the middle of a snow storm we did just that. Unitarian holy water collected from our Ingathering Water Ceremony each year was loaded into a super soaker and jettisoned over the top of, and on top of, Eclipse Rock. I’ve included the blessing below. More eclipse related material next time.
Eclipse Rock Blessing
Rocks as old as this planet itself
are piled on this spot
a marker and indicator of ancient ways
the silence of extended years
and the centuries of holding time and ground.
Movement is limited by geological shift or gravity
the exception being relocation by excavators or contractors.
But here they sit, balanced one on top of the other
angled toward sky and space
grounded to planet.
And now as other planets align around us
in our solar system of motion
the sun sits in center
waiting for just the right moment
when light and dark overlap
intersect and then continue on.
We stand by these rocks
and we await the cosmic interplay
just days away
the darkness and the light
the shadows and the angled rays of the luminous.
We bless these holy rocks
may they absorb the great light and the great dark
may they hold steady
even as this great rock beneath us spins and rotates through space
hurdling along its cosmic way
may we embrace this moment and this eclipse time
and hold it as our own experience
hold it as our own while we are in this body and in this space.
In the woods,
Dave
April 24, 2024
Houlton Eclipse ’24
The film crew catches “eclipse rock” install…
Josh McLaughlin Construction handles the rock art placement
Opening Ceremony in the snow
Brrrrrr…
Group Photo at “Eclipse Rock”
The aliens have landed…
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Dave in action!
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Dave,
The church and the town did a great job of welcoming the crazy people who came from all over to tiny Houlton to watch the moon pass precisely and fully across the face of the sun. I presume the super soaker you are wielding in the pictures is full of UU Holy Water? I suggest that the board modify the bylaws to require the you to wear your “cosmic minister of love and good vibes” regalia during every service you officiate, including weddings and funerals.