I guarantee you that there are no veteran eclipse chasers spending time worrying about the end of the world in December 2012.  That’s because we have a very important meeting in November.  A meeting with the Solar System.  A Total Solar Eclipse is the most spectacular natural event that you can witness from Earth.  And not even the Mayans can mess that up!

Here we go again:

The dark blue line is the path of the Total Eclipse 13 November 2012.

It’s very common for the Moon’s shadow to cross lots of ocean and hardly any land. After all, the Earth is mostly water. But this is only a bonus for whales and the odd albatross - not eclipse chasers! Marine expeditions are tough and expensive, and almost totally out of reach. But the Universe does frequently open a crack in the door so we can look through, and this year the light shines on Australia.

You can see the sun’s corona for a few minutes - at sunrise - from a tiny patch of land in the northeast.

Thousands of chasers from around the globe will fill up the streets and marinas and beaches between Port Douglas and Cairns.

We all saw a mind-bogglingly-beautiful sunset eclipse in the middle of the Outback in 2002, and we are thrilled to be returning for a morning eclipse on the ocean. A complimentary pairing of Auzzy eclipses to be sure. While the desert eclipse was adventure travel at its best: remote - arduous - extreme - the ocean eclipse is the opposite - local - luxurious - relaxed - falling among a handful of upscale, coastal villages that thrive from tourism and proximity to the Great Barrier Reef.

This is Tropical Havens - south of Port Douglas.  Eclipse chasing in style!  For once!!

It’s hard to tell from overhead - but this cluster of villas is one of the sweet spots in the Universe! On eclipse morning, all we have to do is get up - put the coffee on - and walk outside.   The eclipse comes to our beachfront!  There are 8 of us in my villa - some who have never seen an eclipse before, and some I have covered the globe with already.  In the days around the eclipse, we’ll snorkel the Reef, hike the rainforest, and kickback Queensland style!  And … do I hear New Zealand calling?

Never seen an eclipse?  Wanna live for once?  It’s not too late.  Contact me now so you don’t waste your life doing the same old thing.

Totality in the Outback 04 December 2002

Port Douglas Event Management is offering a few excursion options for this eclipse on their website.

There were 4 eclipses in 2011.  But alas, they were all the small ones.  Four partial solar eclipses graced the earthly calendar in 2011 - and not one of them as spectacular as a Total Solar Eclipse.  Partial Eclipses like this one from Oman in January…

… are amazing events if you happen to be there when it happens.  But the vast majority of eclipse chasers don’t leave home to travel the world to see them.  We save our nickels and our dimes for the big events - Total Solar Eclipses.  The next TSE is in November 2012 - visible in the South Pacific Ocean north of New Zealand - and from a tiny spot of dry land in Australia near Port Douglas along the country’s tropical north-eastern coast.  I have a luxurious villa booked for this one!!

But the Next Eclipse that is drawing the attention of chasers is the Annular Solar Eclipse in May 2012.  Annular Eclipses are not quite as spectacular as TSEs - it doesn’t get as dark - stars & planets don’t appear in the sky - and the beautiful corona - the atmosphere of the sun - stays hidden from view the whole time.  But for rabid rank and file chasers who have been starved for a celestial chase sequence since July 2010 - we’ll take what we can get.

Follow the little red dot!

The absence of the great coronal reveal notwithstanding, Annular Eclipses still have a lot to offer.  Much of the thrill and excitement of the chase remains intact - the spectacle in the sky is certainly very, very cool - and yet again, we get to visit a part of the globe we have never seen before.  At least, that is the case for me as the eclipse on May 21, 2012, is the first eclipse to arrive in North America in a very long time - exciting the skies over several western states near the sunset hour.  From California to Texas, the eclipse will appear over dozens of forests and National Parks, including The Grand Canyon and Monument Valley - places I have never seen!  The stunning landscapes of the American south-west have always held a certain inexplicable allure for me and I am thrilled to be finally getting my chance to do my thing in this region.

Hundred of chances from California to Texas - May 20, 2012.

If I were you - thinking about doing something out of the ordinary and seeing a solar eclipse - then I would start making my plans now.  This thing lands right in the back yard of America - offers great weather prospects - easy travel and maneuverability -  and almost endless options for seeking out the mystique of the region before or after the big day.  I intend to make the most of this opportunity - because this is what life is about.

Here is what the Annular Solar Eclipse looked like photographed on my frisbee back in 1994.  With this type of eclipse, the Moon is too far away to completely cover the Sun,  so when it moves in front of it, a ring of sun, or annulus, is left around the Moon.

Moments before Annularity on May 10, 1994.

The classic ring of Annularity - photographed by pointing my binoculars towards the sun and the exit pupil towards my frisbee.  May 10, 1994.

If you do plan to see this eclipse, here are a few indispensable resources to get you going:

The maps & the climatology for this eclipse from Jay Anderson.  Jay is the weather guru for eclipse chasers worldwide.  And - the truly awesome, interactive, Google maps for this eclipse from Xavier Jubier. Zoom in on the path of the eclipse - click anywhere - and see the local circumstances for the eclipse at that location.  Eclipse planning doesn’t get any easier!

Want to know more?  Post me a comment, below.

Since delivering my presentation at the Toronto TEDx Convention, I have been asked to speak at all kinds of meetings and on expeditions about our place in the universe - talking about what I have learned from two decades of eclipse chasing.  From this, my alter ego as “The Pitchman For The Universe” has taken shape.  Don’t get me started!  In 2012, I am looking for opportunities to present my new, hour-long talk “Partnering with the Universe.”

Nuggets from the talk can be found under the “Musings” main navigation tab at the top of the page on this website.  You can view my TEDx video here - view a primer video for my talk here - and download the flyer in pdf format here.

To inquire about booking The Pitchman For The Universe, leave a comment at the bottom of this page, or contact me here.

Partnering with the Universe

For 20 years, David Makepeace has travelled the world to witness Total Solar Eclipses - a natural phenomenon that has been called the most spectacular event you can witness from Earth.

“When the shadow of the Moon sweeps over us, we are brought into direct contact with a tangible presence that is awe-inspiring.  That there is a powerful relationship between us and the immense forces of the universe becomes undeniable.”

What possible relationship could you have to the universe?  How could it make a difference in your life?

With breathtaking film and video captured around the world at eclipse events, Makepeace takes us on a tour of our world and our solar system - widening the perspective on our lives as only an eclipse chaser can.  Discover how the simple beauty and mystery of our world can open the door to a greater awareness of what we are and our place in the universe.

This eclipse is part of a series of eclipses called Saros 151. There are 72 eclipses in this series - the first took place in 1776 and last one will be in 3056. That’s over 1280 years of eclipses - all related! Stick around…

Explore Dance, Art, Music, Beauty, Animals, Nature, Creativity, Colour, Playfulness, Sex, Letting go, Non attachment, The Breath, Swings, Balloons, More…

Spawned by the sublime experience of awe & beauty.  The sublime experience of love.  The undeniable experience of meaningfulness - which motivates all the most significant choices and relationships in our lives.

Music is one of those fabulously dynamic things in the relationship with the mysterious because it functions to transport you out of your mind and into the present moment with an almost total letting go of your falsely constructed sense of self.  When you listen to music – you are essentially aligning your being with the being of the person who created the music.  A message is being sent to you about yourself – through the music.

Lose yourself in music
– and find yourself there.

Music appeals directly to the mysterious part of you.  That’s why we let music represent us so fully the way we do.  Music shows us a part of ourselves – that is why we are so attached to our music – it helps us explore ourselves – our moods – our feelings.  Our subjective world is illustrated to us through music.  A strong testament to how connected we all are – how there is only one mystery embodied by all of life simultaneously.  This is the great oneness – the great soulfulness that connects each and every life.   The knowingness of all of this takes place instantaneously as we listen to music.  Completely in the moment – flowing effortlessly from the deepest part of the universe to the deepest part of yourself.    This is how music can carry you away from your mind – from the cares of the day - away from your concepts and closer to the mysterious you which only exists here, now – the absolutely everlasting you.  And  music has that effect – it touches your heart – it touches your soul – all because it comes from the now – inspired by the mystery – pulling on the mystery in you.  And from this, the knowingness flows, the belonging, the sense of comfort, familiarity - and these are all unmistakably signs of the soul.

Anything from this subtle realm – the mysterious now – always infers itself – reveals itself – getting  you to recognize that this is you also.  This is why these things I am describing are so critical to our lives.  They guide us towards a deeper reality about life.

Lose yourself in music
– and find yourself there.

And realize that it is consciousness itself that is creating the perception of music in the first place.  There is no “sound” traveling through the air.  Only thing in the air is vibration in an electromagnetic space.  Waves hit your eardrum and it vibrates – but there is still no sound yet.  Your ear takes the waves and turns them into electrochemical impulses that travel to the brain.  Still nothing makes a “sound.”  Inside the nerves – synapses are crossed by these traveling chemicals – sound potential actually jumps across empty space and gets turned into what you perceive as… Mozart.  Not until your consciousness takes it does the sound happen.  And it is not just your brain.  It is the empty space inside your brain.  Only here, in this quantum space,  have waves in the air reached their ultimate potential – landing on the door of the great decoder in an explosion of purpose – to deliver Mozart into your subjective experience of the moment.  Everything meaningful in your life happens the same way.

There is no definition for sound or vision outside of our perception of sound and vision, so, clearly, the perception is the thing.  Watch in your self.  Watch as your beautiful, built-in capability to perceive everything, instantaneously creates your experience of your world both inside and out - and give consciousness the credit for it.  (Grab that cup or mug off the table – grasp it in your hand.  Fully perceive it.  And ask yourself, outside of my perception of this – how do I know what exists?)

So even if there is no “romantic music” in the air after all, it all points to the inside anyway – where sound takes place – in your consciousness – which is where I am asking you to look for stuff about yourself - to sense within your self the things I am talking about.  Pay attention not out in the physicality of space and time that is being projected before you, but to the mysterious awareness that precedes it.

Lose yourself in music
– and find your Self there.

“…Tips for living in the mystery….”

See if you can find a piece of yourself in Joy. In Celebration. In Playfulness.

Feel deeply what these things are and identify with them. After all – you are creating them.
Playful things allow you to acknowledge the mystery. They are all things only available in the now moment. Playfulness can be a technique for developing a visceral relationship with your true self – to enhance the mystery – to serve the mystery – to partner with the mystery. Be playful.

Let go – into Imagination, Art, Dance, Music, Expression, Colour, Relationships, Body Work – things that take you beyond your habit of filtering life through your mind all the time – that take you outside of your metal, cerebral construct of what you are – outside of the safety zone of your mind – which is only a limiting device – and into things that challenge you – scare you – excite you - that you filter through your body – your heart – your gut – your loins. These are the things that acknowledge and give rise to the relationship that now starts to form between you and this mysterious being that your are. A force of life that is not just the real you – but a reality that is contained in all things. Yes. Just like The Force in Star Wars. Or like Ch’i to the Chinese – or Prana in Ayurveda. There is one truth to all this – and a million ways to write it down.

But this biggness – this mystery – you can have a relationship with it – it can be developed – it can grow – respond – become deeper – it can become dynamic – there can be a dialogue between you and your source. Contrary to popular belief, the universe is not a faraway place. You’re sitting in it.

Realize that you are a phenomenon. Look at yourself as a phenomenological being. Recognize that you are an activity of the total universe. The idea that your are a completely separate entity is part of the illusion of physical space. Recognize that billions of years of the evolution of the universe is being expressed through you at this moment. Realize that the intelligence of the body – of your brain – comes from the universe and is alive in this moment. Give the universe a little credit for what is going on with you. When you look at all the things taking place to sustain your point of view on the world – you’ll realize that you can’t take credit for all of it. There is a force within you that is not created by your mind alone. This is what you let go into.

Our perceptions are ancient and we share them all. All our five senses are universal. They are the way the universe has chosen to experience itself through you. Your touch is the same touch Leonardo felt when he picked up his brush. That experience is a part of you. Touch is universal – it is ancient. Your ears connect you to the spirit of Mozart forever. Anytime you hear the sound of one of his concertos, you enter a shared, eternal and universal space. Mozart arises with the offering – you arise to collect. That shared, dynamical space dissolves the concept of separateness into the experience of oneness. Music does that. Your gaze upon the stars in the night sky is identical to the experience Galileo had when he changed the world. The consciousness that is working to turn photons of light entering your eye into a subjective experience known as “the sight of the Moon” is identical to his. It may not feel like it right now, but you actually see the world through Galileo’s eyes.

Sight, sound, touch, smell, taste - all the things that you do to filter the universe into an experience of itself are ancient in the extreme – collective - and in these things you can find your true identity – you can relate to and identify with people from the past – people through whom you see parts of yourself in the collective experience of us all. The idea that human greatness took place somewhere in time, long ago, now absent, is false. In the realm of the mystery, each moment contains every other moment. In this way, you have access to eternity. Just by being here.

Find someone you respect or admire and enter their experience. You will begin to see yourself in them.

Get into groups. Spirits soar in groups. Look at any soccer game. The rise in spirit can be seen and felt. It is undeniable. That new, collective energy should make up part of the construct of your identity as well.

Choir. Teams. Games. Concerts. Festivals. Celebrations.

Even meeting with your friends can be transformative under the right conditions. Consider meeting a bunch of your friends with an articulated purpose for the meeting. It has to be to celebrate, recognize, honour. See how it effects the gathering.

Push that pencil off the table. When it falls to the ground – experience a distant but direct effect of the Big Bang which gave birth to gravity. Scratch your head. Go ahead. Scratch it. The energy it takes to scratch your head came from the food you ate – which came from adding energy from the Sun to soil and water – all of which came out of the Big Bang. Every ham & cheese sandwich is connected to the beginning of the universe. And if this is true for every brown bag lunch we ever had, think hard next time you tell someone you love them. How is this connected, too?

Remember: This is all about mystery. Don’t expect to understand how all this works. You need to know, deep inside, that it does. Do not look to your rational mind to OK all this. It won’t. It doesn’t do that. In fact your ego mind will resist a lot of this because it wont be needed during your times of being with the mystery. It has to learn to let you go. Just realize that you have a choice.

Some things have form and some things are formless.  We have to get used to it.

And should we need lots of convincing that there is a deeper level to everything?  Science tells us that there are four fundamental forces at work in the universe and it turns out they are all invisible – beneath the surface – allowing you to exist – but you don’t notice them.  I know you decided a long time ago that you don’t believe in invisible force fields – but now you have to.  The Weak and Strong Nuclear forces operate only in the tiny space inside every atom in your body (can’t you feel them?) – whereas Electromagnetism and Gravity fill the room you are sitting in and stretch out to the far reaches of the universe.  You know these already – but never take notice.  Electromagnetism carries waves – radio waves, ultraviolet waves, microwaves – they exist in a frantic web around your head right where you sit.  If you could see them you would realize that you are drowning in them.  And gravity is always there – just push that pen off the table and watch it fall.  All invisible – all essential to the world you take for granted.

These forces are part of the subtle realms of your life and don’t readily show up in the obvious world.  But they are part of you nonetheless.  An invisible, mysterious set of dynamic forces are shaping your world – both outside and in.

So it is obvious to me that since we can’t argue the fact that we are “here” in the universe - caught up in all this universe stuff – functioning beautifully with this unique, subjective point of view – that we must explore here, in the deeper realms of the subjective if we want a proper picture of what we are.

But this subjective realm is invisible – obviously.  Harder to measure – harder to convince people of.   And science loves to convince you. “Subjective” is a bad word in science -  it means that we will never all agree on things.  But as a human, “subjective” is all you do, so it makes sense to use it beyond what science would accept if you want to understand what is going on with you.  So to understand the deeper realm of yourself you have to ride the wave of objective science as far as it can go, then leave it behind where it belongs.  We need to get subjective and look straight into the mystery of experience.

And deep inside ourselves, of course, we all know this is real.  I defy any human – I defy you - to tell me that you have never had a moment of some kind in your entire life where this profound truth didn’t wash across you like a heat wave.  Life.  Is more.  Than it seems.   It only lasts a moment or two, then it leaves you – a little changed.  Yes.  That time.   We can all recall it.  At the deepest level – if you let yourself go there – we all know that this mysterious subjective reality IS our life – not the outside part we all pretend is all that we are.

Once you allow yourself to define your own experience this way you will soon begin to see that there is without question a part of the universe, and of you, that doesn’t come in the shape of anything – that doesn’t take up space the way other things do - that is more about energy than matter.  This is the actual ‘you’ - the thing that is present, here, at this page – not the collection of body parts taking up the space around it.   The real you has no form.  What you are is prior to any formations arising.   You are an ancient presence – here at this page.  Can you make this subtle distinction within your self as you sit here?  This mystery – this knowingness inside you – that you are energy, too -  is at the heart of any spiritual sense.  All energy is a part of the total amount of energy available in the universe  - all energy is related – connected – ergo, so are you.  Having a sense of your spirit is as simple as having this realization.  And from here we get the experience of connectedness, kinship, compassion and oneness that drives the dialogues around spirituality.  Its an energetic thing.

Here is the accounting of my adventures into the Moon’s shadow over the last 20 years.  You get the date, the place, the eclipse type and duration observed. Available Trip Reports are linked in blue.

11 Jul 1991 - La Paz, Mexico - Total - 6:50

04 Jan 1992 - Catalina Island, USA - Annular - not seen

10 May 1994 - Stratford, Canada - Annular - 5:39

03 Nov 1994 - Iguazu Falls, Brazil - Total - 3:39

24 Oct 1995 - Fatehpur Sikri, India - Total -  0:59

26 Feb 1998 - Baby Beach, Aruba - Total -  3:34

11 Aug 1999 - Hasankeyf, Turkey - Total - 2:09

31 Jul 2000 - Pond Inlet, Canada - Partial

25 Dec 2000 - Toronto, Canada - Partial

21 Jun 2001 - Lusaka, Zambia - Total - 3:35

10 Jun 2002 - Puerta Vallarta, Mexico - Annular - barely seen

04 Dec 2002 - Outback, Australia - Total - 0:24

23 Nov 2003 - Antarctica - Total - 1:14

29 Mar 2006 - Jalu, Libya - Total - 4:04

01 Aug 2008 - Yiwu, China - Total - 1:55

22 Jul 2009 - Moganshan, China - Total - 2:15

11 Jul 2010 - Calafate, Argentina - Total - 2:40

With such short durations, it is hard to imagine that in my life I have stood in the Moon’s shadow for over 30 minutes!

On to Australia for 2012…