So, I have been up in the Jemez mountains for the last few weeks, creating gardens, working on various building projects, doing sweat lodges, and so on. I met a really nice Belgian fellow named Victor at the Return of the Elders gathering, and through him met Casey, he that is connecting me to the Jemez. Casey has about 20 acres @ 8500 ft, and is working on establishing a Jedi training art school thingy. It's pretty neat. He wants to eventually have a self-sustaining system, a library, ceremonial space, and the whole shabang. I'm excited!
We've been cooking lots of great meals, doing yoga, relaxing, working gardens, reading and writing, watching sun sets, soaking at local hot springs, and so on. It's been lovely.
3 nights ago Casey fired some pottery in a big metal barrel. We watched the coals burn down, and then went to bed. We awoke the next day, and just went through are usual routine. Sunrise, breakfast, garden work, etc. Around noon I was working on the garden by myself, and noticed that over where we had been firing pottery, there was a very large fire.
"Huh!?! That's funny, what are Victor and Casey doing over there?" I thought.
It only took me a moment longer to realize that the very large fire was not intentional whatsoever. I immediately began yellling for help, grabbed two shovels, and ran towards the fire. Casey and Victor walked out of the cabin, I threw Victor a shovel, and we went to work!
We began digging all around the fire to contain it's rage. Casey drove down the mountain to call the fire department (we didn't have a phone), and Victor and I battled on. I dug non-stop for about 1 hour. Then Casey returned and took my spot. Victor and I grabbed some water, and then went back to work. We continued to dig and contain for another 30 minutes, when the fire department finally showed. By then most of the perimeter had been established. We stopped the fire at the property line between Casey's placed and the neighbors.
We were very relieved to not have burned the mountain down! Victor and Casey got some pretty wicked 2nd degree bubbly burns, and we all inhaled more smoke than we would have liked. I have a pretty gnarly stigmata looking crispy blister on my hand from the shovel and the heat, and we all have the memory of the intensity-the heat, the smoke, the feelings of helplessness and eventually transcendance. Whoa!
This is probably about the most raw, visceral, elemental experience I've ever had. I don't think I was afraid for a second. There was certainly no hesitation. But the power that the fire had was overwhelming, humbling, a force to be reckoned with. I still have so much to integrate from this experience. And have a new found respect from anyone caught in such a situation. Be it fire, hurricane, tornado, earthquake. If we do not respect the natural forces that surround us, we beckon an encounter that may leave us changed forever@!
I hope to write more of this experience when I've put it all together.
For now, I love you all! Take care.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Return of the Ancestors gathering & more
Well hello again my friends. The last month has been a wave of experience that carried me to many amazing places with so much to be learned, and so many wonderful people to enjoy.
I finished up my drum carving project at Gemini farm at the beginning of April, and soon after made my way to Sedona, Arizona for the Return of the Ancestors gathering. I didn't exactly "have money" or "know anyone," but my surrender to the guidance I felt to be there led me to some amazing people, and I was well taken care of. Some Quebecians took me in from the beginning, so I had a great group to camp & counsel with for me tenure at the event.
The premise of the gathering was to unite native/indigenous elders from all over the world so they could share their prayers and visions for the turbulent changes that are sweeping through the world, as well as to simply share traditional wisdom and ceremonial space. I must say it was quite a learning experience! I would also add that the majority of my personal growth came not directly from the scheduled gathering events, but rather from the youth counsels and collective interactions that were held outside the gathering. I was amazed at the multitude of open-hearted souls I met throughout the event, and can't express the gratitude I feel for all the music, food, and conversation I shared over these past weeks.
I would say one of the highlights of the adventure was a sunrise ceremony at the Grand Canyon. A couple hundred people gathered at a GC lookout with drums, shakers, and all sorts of wonderful magic, and we sang and danced and played as the sun rose over the horizon. It was marvelous! It made me wonder why I don't have a sunrise/set ceremony every day. It is, afterall, one of the most universal occurences of the planet. And an amazing way to dial into natural rhythms day by day. Yes, I will seek to manifest this vision of shared daily sunrise ceremony. Waking and feeling the heat on my face and expressing the joy through song and dance. And then walking away with the whole day ahead of me, bright and full to be sure. Yes, I will do it. We will do it.
I finished up my drum carving project at Gemini farm at the beginning of April, and soon after made my way to Sedona, Arizona for the Return of the Ancestors gathering. I didn't exactly "have money" or "know anyone," but my surrender to the guidance I felt to be there led me to some amazing people, and I was well taken care of. Some Quebecians took me in from the beginning, so I had a great group to camp & counsel with for me tenure at the event.
The premise of the gathering was to unite native/indigenous elders from all over the world so they could share their prayers and visions for the turbulent changes that are sweeping through the world, as well as to simply share traditional wisdom and ceremonial space. I must say it was quite a learning experience! I would also add that the majority of my personal growth came not directly from the scheduled gathering events, but rather from the youth counsels and collective interactions that were held outside the gathering. I was amazed at the multitude of open-hearted souls I met throughout the event, and can't express the gratitude I feel for all the music, food, and conversation I shared over these past weeks.
I would say one of the highlights of the adventure was a sunrise ceremony at the Grand Canyon. A couple hundred people gathered at a GC lookout with drums, shakers, and all sorts of wonderful magic, and we sang and danced and played as the sun rose over the horizon. It was marvelous! It made me wonder why I don't have a sunrise/set ceremony every day. It is, afterall, one of the most universal occurences of the planet. And an amazing way to dial into natural rhythms day by day. Yes, I will seek to manifest this vision of shared daily sunrise ceremony. Waking and feeling the heat on my face and expressing the joy through song and dance. And then walking away with the whole day ahead of me, bright and full to be sure. Yes, I will do it. We will do it.
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