I’m sitting in the Summer Arbor, watching a mosquito hop away on the fresh balsam fir floor. She’s filled with my blood and flying is a challenge. Will she make it to water, to lay her eggs?
Asking questions is something that we do a lot of around here. That’s how we learn. We ask the sky what he’s doing to learn of what weather might come. We ask our dreams what they have to say – to learn of the unfolding that is happening within.
The sky has brought us many surprises. Almost half a moon ago we canoed over to Nishnajida to help with the wood-cutting, and to sweat – in a sweat lodge ceremony the following day. Turned out our stay was in vain – it was too hot to sweat! We headed back, and got caught in one of the mightiest thunderstorms I’ve ever experienced. As I lay there under the canoe (we pulled off to shore to wait out the lightning), I suddenly realized that I’m resisting what I’m given – the wondrous sight of lightning, the pounding of cooling rain. So I left the world of resentment and refocused on the gifts of the moment. We made it back to camp after dark, and as a circle were able to kindle a fire in wet, dark, mosquitoey conditions. All slept well that night!
The heat continued. As the ceremony was indefinitely postponed, Tomas took off on a grand expedition. He’s still out – and probably hungry, as he took only a week’s supply of food. I hope his foraging is successful.
Speaking of foraging – mucho berries! Blueberries, raspberries, warmed by the sun…yum! I’ve been staying busy with crafting. Just finished loincloth and leggings – now the buckskin outfit is complete!
The sweat lodge ceremony did happen – Coyote and I canoed to Nishnajida for the event (Chris was already there, working with the seekers on lodge-building). The ceremony was followed by a delicious feast and fun connecting between all present. I was glad to see that even those who did not go in to the lodge gifted to and were gifted by the experience in meaningful ways.
Since we’ve returned, I feel like I’ve entered a new level of self-knowing. Dreams have been powerful guides in this. And so ever so slowly, but surely, I’m stepping out of the mind-haze of guilt, control, judgment, and entering the world where the joy of life is sounded in the whispering of the wind, the green of plants, songs of birds, ripening of berries, as well as in the growth from facing and embracing the challenges and lessons of “the dark side” – discomfort and fear.
So what next? Soon Tomas will come back. And we’ll be joined by Allison for half a moon. Then I’ll take off for a quarter moon to a primitive skills gathering, and then for a moon we’ll be joined by a large number of people at Ricing Camp. Is any of it more important than what’s happening right now?
Alex