Ascending with the Eclipse: Reflections from the Albuquerque International Balloon Festival, Oct 2024

 

I don’t make it every year, and some years when I have gone, I didn’t get to see the balloons ascend, due to the winds. But this year — spectacular! It’s so exhilarating to experience Mass Ascension at Balloon Fiesta!

It was a deeply awe-inspiring morning, starting before dawn as I cycled with a friend in the dark, our bike lights cutting through sleepy North Valley streets, heading toward the festival. By 5:45 a.m., we were on the bike path, pedaling through the early morning stillness, all the way to the balloon field. Being right on the field for Mass Ascension was the worthy reward — hundreds of balloons slowly inflating, rising, and soaring into the sky in the span of just minutes.

The process is mesmerizing. First, the deflated balloons spread out like colorful blankets on the ground. Then comes the magic of inflation, as hot air breathes life into them, lifting the balloon from the ground to its side. The team works skillfully, attaching the basket, and then, with a final surge of heat, the balloon rises and takes off into the morning sky. Accompanied by cheers of the thousands of people all around. Talk about uplifting!!

 

As I watched hundreds of balloons lift off, I couldn’t help but think of the energetic symbolism of the Libra New Moon Solar Eclipse we’re currently under — an eclipse that I recently wrote about (HERE) and explored with a wonderful group who participated in our Guided Meditation Sound Bath last Wednesday, where we focused on the theme of release, using sound to help us ease into this transformative space. This is a powerful time to let go of what no longer serves.

Just like the balloons, we too are invited to rise — 

but first, we must shed the weight that holds us down. 

Eclipses are catalysts for transformation, powerful cosmic events that can stir the air and shake us loose from old patterns. They offer us the opportunity to release what’s no longer aligned with our path, creating space for something new to emerge. The festival’s balloons reminded me of this cosmic process. Each balloon rises only when it’s ready, when it has released excess weight and is filled with just the right amount of heat — the perfect balance of elements to ascend.

Similarly, this Libra New Moon Solar Eclipse is asking us to find our balance, to let go of what weighs us down so that we can soar into a new chapter. The eclipse energy, like the hot air in those balloons, can lift us higher, helping us rise above old habits and fears that keep us tethered. And just as each balloon's flight was awe-inspiring, so too can our personal transformation be — if we allow ourselves to let go and embrace the unknown.

The balloons’ journey into the sky felt like a powerful metaphor for the times we are in. So many of us are on the brink of change, feeling the cosmic winds encouraging us to release and rise. The magic of the eclipse is here to support us, if we’re willing to trust the process and let ourselves ascend.

How grateful I am for this dramatic reminder!

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