Blog Archives

8/29/2021

Turkey Vulture’s Message

Read Now

Turkey Vulture’s Message & A New Course Offering:
Remembering Our Place in the Sacred Circle of Life

On my latest road trip up the west coast from California to Washington, I kept noticing turkey vultures in the sky. I’d never given much thought to them and often mistook them for birds of prey, but it was pretty clear that they were going to be my companions for this journey.

Turkey vultures are from the family Cathartidae, which include condors. The name comes from the Greek (κάθαρσις) katharsis, meaning purification, cleansing or clarification.

I had just resigned from my high school teaching job after 11 years, and while I was inspired by the community of teachers and students, I was too preoccupied most days to do the work that was calling me. When people asked me what was next, I’d say that I was going to work with Mother Earth, but beyond that, I didn’t know.

Turkey vultures often work in cooperative communities for scavenging success and social interaction. Their extraordinary sense of smell (rare for birds) can detect carrion over a mile away. They also have good eyesight for spotting dead or dying animals. And they play a vital role in helping with decomposition.

This journey was part of an ongoing effort to sift through what was important to me. It had been two years since I’d made a formal commitment to Mother Earth and two years to summon the courage to break away from a “secure” life. I knew in my heart that this lifetime was about more than accomplishments and acquisitions. I was stepping into the unknown and learning to open my senses to the messages from the natural world.

A group of perched vultures is called a wake and a group spiraling up to gain altitude and ride the thermals is called a kettle because they look like water coming to a boil. And I understood this energy in my own decision to change paths. The play between the grounded vigil and the effervescent flight, sometimes as high as 20,000 feet, reminded me of the interplay between being rooted and uplifted toward the light, like the trees I’d sat with in the rainforest and what I hope to nurture in myself.

I camped at Usal Beach on the Lost Coast for the last two days of my trip. The black sand beach, slate colored ocean, thriving tidepools, diving osprey, and bushy-tailed fox, were all offering their own lessons, but the turkey vulture was still the main teacher who was never out of sight. As I packed my car to leave, I spotted a few of them silently soaring along the slope of Redwoods. I felt in my own body the micro adjustments to the wind and the changing topography. This trip had been cathartic and purifying, and I sensed the peace of being in Earth’s sacred rhythm. I understood that like these magnificent birds, I would find my way if I kept to my strengths and stayed alert to what is calling me.

And now, months later, I am finding my way. This October, I’ll be offering a six-week virtual nature-inspired writing course through Olympic Mountain EarthWisdom Circle (OMEC) entitled Remembering Our Place in the Sacred Circle of Life . My intention for this class aligns with OMEC’s mission of helping people connect with their own and the Earth's deep mystery to recover the passion that heals us, and our world. I hope you will consider joining me. You can find more information about the course, including an outline for each week and the reading list on the OMEC website HERE .You can also contact me by email christinamburress@gmail.com with any questions.

From my heart to yours,
Christina Burress
OMEC Committee Member

8/1/2021

Honoring Mayan Elders

Read Now

It is with respect that we share the spiritual elder and traditional teacher of the Mayan Ajq’ij and Day Keeper--Tata Pedro Cruz Garcia—and the visionary founder of the Mayan women weaver’s community, Casa Flor Ixcaco--Teresa Ujpan Perez—departed from this spiritual plane this month. They passed within two days of each other.

Tata Pedro Cruz Garcia
Tz’utujil elder and guardian of the ancient oral traditions, Tata Pedro, was one of the few surviving members of the Mayan Council of the Elders of Tz’utujil, which is a branch of the Maya Qui-che. He was a traditional Mayan Ajq’ij and Day Keeper, and one of the principal authorities of the Council of Mayan Elders of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. He received the title “Heart of the Lake Atitlan” by his fellow Mayan Council of Elders and Tz’utujil people.

He taught internationally as a ceremonial leader and spiritual guide, sharing knowledge, ceremonies, and practices. He was the interpreter of dreams for his community and a leader of the preservation and education of Mayan day keeping and fire ceremonies.

Tata Pedro recognized the interconnectedness of all people, the expanding consciousness of the planet, and the urgent need to unify our spiritual, cultural, and ethnic wisdom for the benefit of the planet and humanity.

We honor Tata Pedro Cruz, a beautiful spirit who contributed so much to the world and to the Mayan peoples during his lifetime.

Teresa Ujpan Perez
The vision for the women weaver’s community, Casa Flor Ixcaco, began in 1950 through seven-year-old Teresa Ujpan Perez’s interest in backstrap weaving. She eventually moved to the coast to begin work as a cotton picker. The job gave her the opportunity to learn about the plant and cultivation.

After marrying and starting a family, she needed to provide financial support for them, and so she returned to the weaving loom. Since the income from working in a shop wasn’t sufficient to meet her family’s needs, she formed her own group of weaving women.

In 1984, Teresa learned how to spin cotton, and in 1996, she began organizing the group so they could commercialize their own handmade products. In 2009, the market had grown, and the women decided to weave exclusively with organic cotton, planting their own cotton just outside of the town in the mountains. Today, Casa Flor Ixcaco houses 22 families dedicated to the production and commercialization of natural handcrafted items.

The Olympic Mountain EarthWisdom Circle (OMEC) has supported the women weavers of Casa Flor Ixcaco for many years through OMEC textile purchases sold in the United States, by sponsoring Mayan weavers to visit the United States, and with our engagement during our sacred expeditions. We are deeply moved that the women use all organic cotton and plant dyes, while emphasizing the spiritual qualities of the plants and preserving the ancient Mayan backstrap-loom approach.

We honor Teresa Ujpan Perez, a beautiful spirit who contributed so much to Mayan women and children in her lifetime, and to preserving ancient wisdom ways.

From my heart to yours,
Llyn Cedar Roberts, MA
OMEC Founder and President

Turkey Vulture’s Message

Turkey Vulture’s Message & A New Course Offering:
Remembering Our Place in the Sacred Circle of Life

Honoring Mayan Elders

Archives

Categories

Feel free to email us with any question

Turkey Vulture’s Message

Turkey Vulture’s Message & A New Course Offering: ﻿Remembering Our Place in the Sacred Circle of Life

Honoring Mayan Elders

Archives

Categories

Feel free to email us with any question

Turkey Vulture’s Message & A New Course Offering:
Remembering Our Place in the Sacred Circle of Life