Awareness

So, just how many spheres of existence are there out there? I spent the weekend tapping into some different arenas of consciousness with ROOTS School. My summary of the class? There is actual magic out there, Jedi mind tricks and the force. It's all real.

Once I asked myself, what if all those old old stories I read were real? Ancient myths and legends from this continent and beyond. People shape-shifting into animals, plants telling people how to use them, stories being recorded in the stars, ancient visits and visitors to and from the sun....what if it's all real? What if the high rises, concrete and steel construction, movies, sports, politics, primaries - what if those stories are actually as fantastical as the fairy stories of old?

Hm. It gives me a lot to wonder about. Usually shaking my head in awe. Human existence can be so much more than ruts of movement, paying bills, to and from the car to office to home, gym for exercise, TV for entertainment... awake to the reality that those parts of life may be necessary these days (or hard to get around) but they do not have to limit us in our awareness.

ROOTS School Rocks

A few friends here have started up a new school, ROOTS, Reclaiming Our Origins Through Traditional Skills teaching primitive skills, aka, ancestral skills, aka native earth living skills, like bow-making, flintknapping, awareness, tracking, primitive cooking.... and other skills to make you into a ninja. Or a child of the earth.

I love working with natural materials because the work is an act of surrender; I have to create a relationship between me and the material. If I think I know exactly how something is going to work out, chances are, I'm wrong and the materials know better. It's a good link to the Bigger Picture.

Snow:

Snow!

We're in a snow storm right now! I think my car is finally ready for winter, and I'm looking forward to some sledding and playing in the new snow.

Yeah!

Winter again!

Woohoo! Winter is beautiful. I am thoroughly enjoying the cozy- nest time that winter is bringing along with her. It's beautiful to look out the window and be where I am here in Vermont; I woke up the other morning thinking - this ain't half bad. Downright spectacular. Lavish.

I helped start a fire for a sunrise and water ceremony with my friend Sarah today. We got up in the dark, walked out into moonlit snow, the waning half moon light coming through snow devils created by the tearing wind, gusting and blowing all night like it was the night before too.

Down at the river the dawn was bringing more depth and dimension as I got out my bowdrill and started to warm it up. I made two small coals that went out in the tinder nest Sarah made, until I realized I needed to use tinder that I knew well, since each has their own characteristics and so with my old friends cedar and river grape bark and a larger coal, a fire was born into the solid strong structure.

As the fire lit, I became more fully aware that Angaangaq and Tina and many others had arrived, as well as the one woman who had been there from the start. She later told me she was standing in the east and channeling the rising sun energy as we were working. I knew I had help bringing the fire.

I'm carrying this dream I had in my heart today too: I heard Angaangaq say - You must go through the wind to get to the other side. As the wind has been strong for about three days I've been constantly reminded of the dream by its sound I've been pondering its meaning. I'm thinking its probably pretty important to listen when I meet a shaman in my dream.