Traveled from Boca Raton, Florida
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Big Summit Prairie
Ochoco National Forest, Oregon
Author: Ashley Nicole Lombardo
“I’m moving to Oregon to set up a permaculture garden. In Utah, I lived next to two acres that were irrigated by the city. There was nothing there but dirt and weeds. I cut it all down, put in perfect beds and turned it into a Garden of Eden. I grew 7,800 pounds of food and gave it all to the neighbors for free. Friends, family, everyone. And that made me the happiest I’ve ever been.”
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Traveled from Salt Lake City, Utah
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Big Summit Prairie
Ochoco National Forest, Oregon
“When I started expressing my opinions, I had a lot of anxiety. I would absorb creativity from everyone I came across, but the expression of self wasn’t quite there. And then I had the realization that I wasn’t putting myself out there. I wanted to start connecting with people on a different level. My own creations have been interactions within the social community, and that is more tangibly rooted in a deeper self than anything else. My artistic passion is helping people spread their art. Art is medicine. We’re all creators in our own way.”
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Traveled from Boulder, Colorado
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Big Summit Prairie
Ochoco National Forest, Oregon
“We’re made of the Earth, and we come from the Earth. Natural medicine brings our body back into balance with nature. It’s about honoring and respecting this vehicle for our spirit. This is our only home here, and when we feel amazing in this body, our purpose is clear.”
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Traveled from Encinitas, California
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Big Summit Prairie
Ochoco National Forest, Oregon
“To live in magic and love.”
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Traveled from Miami, Florida
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Big Summit Prairie
Ochoco National Forest, Oregon
“During the eclipse, I wasn’t thinking about anything. I was experiencing. I was just being.”
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Traveled from Miami, Florida
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Big Summit Prairie
Ochoco National Forest, Oregon
“The Bunk Police has been providing test kits at festivals for seven years—and has hopefully been saving lives for that long. In 2009, at Camp Bisco, I walked into their tent. Now, I’m educating people on how to stay safe. The most important thing is helping them understand that they should want to know what they’re putting in their bodies.”
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Traveled from Eugene, Oregon
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Big Summit Prairie
Ochoco National Forest, Oregon
“I was looking for my friend Lo for the entire festival, and I found her right before the eclipse. We were secluded somewhere in these prairies. Did you see how the atmosphere changed? The birds started flying, the weather got colder. Everything felt still. It was surreal.”
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Traveled from Miami, Florida
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Big Summit Prairie
Ochoco National Forest, Oregon
“I actually didn’t want to come. I didn’t want to go to a big festival. I find it hard to go to big things and feel anonymous—to be just another drop in the ocean. I’m here to see the eclipse, and maybe feel some type of divine connection to the celestial body movement. This is not what I’m trying to feel right now… to go party. I want to feel a reset. I just want to roam free. I don’t know what I want. Ultimately, I have goals and desires to solve all these fuckin’ problems. But for now, I just want to be happy in the moment.”
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Traveled from Surrey, British Columbia
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Big Summit Prairie
Ochoco National Forest, Oregon
“I’m a performer and I just had major knee surgery, so I’ve had to find other ways to contribute to the artistic community. I’m learning how to live without my essence right now, because what makes me shine—what makes me feel alive—is being able to perform and I can’t do that. I’m in the thick of that journey to figure out who I am. I rely so much on the identity of myself as a performer. Now I’m wondering… What else is there to Heidi? Who else am I in this world? What else can I offer and still feel fulfilled? I’m stage managing a play at this festival and that’s been really empowering. It’s highly logistical because there are a lot of pieces: sets, costumes, props, actors, aerial and all these things. I’ve been able to pull it all together and make it flow.”
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Traveled from Portland, Oregon
Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017
Big Summit Prairie
Ochoco National Forest, Oregon
Spirits of Sounds 