A bald eagle majestically opens its wings, scanning the dark waters below for a fish to catch. Blue herons stand nearby on exposed, barnacle-covered rocks keeping watch. The tide recedes. The wind roars. Looming overhead in the distance evergreen trees reach for the sky, casting shadows on jagged rocks. The Coast Salish, S’Klallam, and other local people mindfully harvest shellfish. All of nature sings. This is Pillar Point—a beach on the Olympic Peninsula along the Strait of Juan de Fuca coastline.
Pillar Point invites us to slow down, do less, and open to the splendor of its energy. With the frenzied pace and information overload of modern living, we need the gifts Pillar Point has to offer us. The demands of life can get stuck in our system, building up debris that impacts us physically, mentally, and emotionally. However, nature’s healing forces have the power to cleanse us. While there is much inspiration and healing to receive from the creatures, elements, and energies that inhabit Pillar Point, we also have much to give. Just as nature washes away our burdens, nature is renewed by us as well. In 2019, the Olympic Mountain Earthwisdom Circle (OMEC) adopted Pillar Point. To become an official steward of this land and its coastal waters, we worked closely with Clallam County and CoastSavers.org. Over the past three years, we have organized seven clean-up events. As we walk along the water’s edge gathering garbage that has washed up on shore, we breathe in the life around us. We receive its blessings. We are purified. After cleaning up debris, we gather together for a land and water blessing, expressing gratitude for all the Earth does for us—for its healing, nourishment, and inspiration. This year, we have organized three clean-up events. We invite anyone who can attend in person to follow the current Washington State Covid-19 health and safety regulations and join us. If you do not live near Pillar Point, you can still participate virtually in the clean-up activities along with the land and water blessing. We will respectfully record the beauty and enchantment of nature all around us. The dates for this year’s clean-up events are: • April 22, 2021 (Honoring Earth Day Coastal Clean-up) • July 10, 2021 (OMEC Coastal Clean-up) • Sept 18, 2021 (OMEC & International Coastal Clean-up) Contact me directly at omec.lorifery@gmail.com to receive a video link approximately three days prior to the event or to learn more about attending in-person. Please visit our website for more information about the Pillar Point Project. I hope you will join us in honoring the symbiotic relationship we share with this very special place. From my heart to yours, Lori Ferry Director of OMEC’s Pillar Point Project
As I hung my new Gregorian calendar a few weeks ago, I wondered:
Will life return to the “old normal” during 2021? Do we even want the “old normal” to return? Many of us have felt the loss of being with loved ones and community members in person, and yet, we continue to find ways to connect. As one of the Olympic Mountain EarthWisdom Circle’s (OMEC) HEARTH Project Directors, I, along with other healers and facilitators across the country, host monthly HEARTH Circles with local community members. In HEARTH Circles, we find our way back home to Heart and Earth and kindle our passion for nature in community. We ignite our inner wisdom fires so we can share our “art”—our unique, embodied, creative expression that honors all life. I’m nourished and inspired when I join together with others in person to provide a sacred healing container. As physical distance became the new way of interacting, my co-director, Lori Ferry, OMEC’s Llyn Roberts and Rob Murphy, and I turned to providing a different kind of support for HEARTHs and HEARTH facilitators. As we made this shift, I took time to contemplate. My HEARTH Circle had been just that—a circle. Every month, we had gathered around a seasonally themed altar on the floor in a room scented by Palo Santo, with soft music in the background. We looked in each other’s eyes as we shared what inspired us and also what weighed heavily on our hearts. We gave and received energy through light touch and held hands as we offered names of loved ones in need of healing. I wondered, how I could possibly replicate the power and connectedness of these in-person HEARTH Circles in a virtual platform. The truth is, I could not. Then, I realized that instead of replicating that experience, we could shapeshift it. While the ambience of in-person gatherings is lovely, the community that we build through supporting each other and the Earth transcends physical distance. When I stopped trying to replicate my altar setup in limited space so it would look good on Zoom and switched to an audio-only conference call format, my HEARTH Circle was reborn. Instead of holding one another’s hands, we practice deep listening. We are energetically attuned and present with each other. We are still a circle, even if we are not physically sitting in one. Meanwhile, Llyn and Rob established an audio HEARTH for the whole OMEC community. Held every other month, these online HEARTH Circles offer spiritual nourishment and connection to nature through ceremony and/or a guided shamanic journey. 100% of a participant’s donation supports OMEC’s indigenous projects. When Lori and I set intentions for the HEARTH project in August 2019, we envisioned smaller circles within larger circles connecting all of OMEC’s community of support. Our vision holds. We have simply redefined, and as a result, have expanded the HEARTH Circle community. May you always find circles of connection in the unfolding new world. From my heart to yours, Debbie Philp OMEC HEARTH Project Co-Director  Dear Friend, If you leave any forest alone to do its thing, that forest will continue an endless process of growth and creation. Now, there might be infighting among species: Animals may eat other animals, diseases might infect some of the plant life, seasons will come and go, and there may be a brush fire or drought. But, left to its own devices, the overall direction of that forest will always be moving toward growth and creation. This is the energy of Nature. That which moves the tides, spins the Earth, grows the trees, shines the sun and beats your heart is made of this same energy, and it pervades everything that exists. To align with the indigenous wisdom of the shamans is to revere Nature. The reason anyone would revere something is because they are inspired by it and they want to align with it and emulate it, because it has something to teach them. Nature’s immeasurable interconnectivity, holism and its constant expression of growth show us who we are. In Nature, there is no separation; everything is connected and working together, and if it is a cooperative and connected universe, then that means that we are each an inextricable part of that interdependence. The underlying intention of Nature is love. Why would the forest always move in the direction of growth and creation other than its loving and joyful intention to experience more of itself? So, in order for us to emulate the forest, we must allow ourselves to want with abandon, to say “yes” to our own growth, and to organize the choices we make and the actions we take in such a way that we always include love’s perspective. After all, the forest always reaches toward the sun, opens to the rain, extends itself downward into the soil, and grasps toward life however it can; it never turns on itself or denies itself what it yearns for or what is good for it, and if we want to be like the forest (as any shaman would), then neither should we. According to Huna, the spiritual philosophy of the Hawaiian shamans, there are seven principles — seven Hawaiian words — that are the seeds of an ancient philosophy that we can each follow to help us to create lives that are in alignment with the power of Nature. Bring to mind something that you would like to manifest or create. Then, meditate on the Huna principles. The questions provided will help you use the principles to receive guidance on the subject that you have chosen: • IKE — Your thoughts create your world. This principle is not just saying that the way you think about the world will reflect your personal experience of the world, it is also stating that reality itself will energetically and physically shift, based on how you think about it. If your thoughts co-create your reality, what are your habitual thoughts and beliefs about what you want to manifest? • KALA — Limitlessness is the true nature of reality. This principle teaches that you are connecting to everything in existence, and that absolutely anything is possible if you can figure out how to do it. If there are no limits, then what impedes your freedom to create what you want—fear, doubt, cynicism, stress, financial concerns, rules, or social constructs? • MAKIA — Our attention and focus attract creative energy. This principle explains that our focus and attention elicit the creative energies that manifest physical reality. If creative energy responds to what you focus on, are you giving enough of focus and attention to what you want to create? • MANAWA — The only place to access power is in the Now. This principle reminds us that because the past is gone, and the future is not yet born, we can only actually do anything right now. If the now is only place to access power, what behaviors, thoughts and habits take you away from the present moment? • ALOHA — Love is the creation of happiness. This principle tells us that when we include love’s perspective in our choices, the result is always joy. How can you increase love and happiness in your creative process? • MANA — Your personal power is divine power. This principle teaches that we exist in an infinitely powerful universe, and that powerful infinitude converges at the point called “yourself.” If all the power of the universe is within you, do you have the self-esteem, the personal will and the faith that will support what you want to create? • PONO — If it works, then it’s true. This principle says that effectiveness is the measure of what is considered truth. If what is true is measured only by results, then do you need to adjust your process or be more creative or flexible in order to create what you want? When passing on esoteric wisdom, a Hawaiian might say, He mau makana nâu kêia na kô mâkou kûpuna, which means “These are the gifts for you from our elders.” The seven principles are, indeed, a special offering from the ancient ones. With awareness (Ike), freedom (Kala), focus (Makia), presence (Manawa), love (Aloha), confidence (Mana), and flexibility (Pono), there is nothing under the sun that you can’t reach and accomplish, and no height of imagination beyond which you cannot explore. To be like the forest is to yearn to grow and to claim your deep belongingness on this planet. Give yourself the gift of following your heart’s longings. Tend to your wants and dreams with love and watch them blossom into being. From My Heart to yours, Jonathan Hammond OMEC Board of Directors
Jonathan Hammond is a Shamanic Reiki Worldwide Core Faculty member. He has recently released his book The Shaman’s Mind: Huna Wisdom to Change Your Life. 
Dear Friends,
Thanks to your support, OMEC continues to send funds to several groups of Mayan spiritual guides in the Guatemalan highlands. The monies are used to purchase ceremonial supplies in order to conduct the ancient Maya fire ceremony. You will find below, a recent note of gratitude from one of the families we sponsor. View a beautiful short video depicting the spiritual guides conducting ceremony in Guatemala (and also scroll to the bottom of the page to view new photos) here: Mayan Sacred Fire Fund From my heart to yours, Llyn Cedar Roberts Dear Llyn and OMEC: Sorry for the delay, we share the ceremony with you on the 13th Tijax (07/30/2020), a specific day to ask for the health of the family, the community and the whole world. Aware that both nationally and internationally many diseases are occurring; so we decided to carry out this ceremony, praying to the creator, to the cosmic energies of healing and blessing, to the ancestors and to mother earth for the light, peace and health of all beings on our planet earth and the universe. . Once again, we thank you and OMEC for the support you are giving us to carry out these ceremonies. May our creator multiply them (these blessings of the ceremonies) spiritually as well as materially. Dona Ernestina and Don Marco
Hello Friends,
What an extraordinary time we find ourselves in. In the Northeastern United States, where I live, as far as humanity was concerned, March came in not "like a lion and out like a lamb", as the saying goes; instead, the reverse happened. A pandemic, first thought by many of us to only be affecting far-away places, came to our own shores. We realized that regardless of where we are in the world, we're in this together. Fear was palpable as we isolated at home. While some eased into isolation, others faced chaos and loss. Civil unrest then stirred the world of humans, accelerating the upheaval and change. I found this frightening and hopeful at the same time. Throughout all, for me nature is present and steady. The sights and sounds of spring filled our lives as my family and I watched - week after week, and often from our windows. Here in the Northeast, the rain fell heavily in April and May. June days were filled with a mix of rain, sunshine, and temperatures soaring into the 90s. And now summer is here. In accord with the pandemic guidelines we have gone outside for walks or bike rides. Those of us in the OMEC and Shamanic Reiki Worldwide communities, "Aimlessly Wander" and keep up our practices to nourish our bodies, hearts and connection with nature. We appreciate these practices even more; 'medicine' that soothes our souls and keeps us grounded and present. I walk frequently in the woods for respite from all that is playing out. It is comforting to know that Mayan elders are enacting ancient fire ceremonies in Guatemala - to benefit humanity and nature by offering healing prayers. OMEC donations help to buy supplies for these ceremonies. Keeping the sacred fires burning is essential at this time. The ceremonies offer energy and prayers to transmute disharmony for us, and nature. Continuing to enact traditional fire rituals is a great support to the Mayan people, whose communities are also suffering at this time. Here in the states, as our family business is considered essential, we've remained open. I didn't want to go to work, yet I was needed. I have shapeshifted each morning; composing myself to hold the container for others. Yet, as tragedy began to play out, many days I felt like a duck in water - appearing visibly calm on the surface while paddling like crazy underneath. Sometimes financial fears drained me. Then I received a dream message: "wealth is in the wisdom of the ancestors". Generations before us have faced many challenges. They found ways to regain their hopefulness and stability. I listen to their voices now and realize that within this powerful time, this perfect storm for true change - the voices of all of our ancestors call to us. They ask us to awaken from our slumber; to remember who we are. This is a time indigenous people of many cultures have prophesied. Is Mother Earth giving us a time out? Perhaps so, to listen to the voices of the ancestors and our own inner voices; to change how we live and come into balance with all aspects of the web of life. Coinciding with the Summer Solstice, a rare alignment of a new moon and solar eclipse occurred. To me this felt like a sign from Pachamama (Mother Earth, Mother Time, Mother Universe) - telling us to take a quantum leap to cultivate peace and harmony for all. I am grateful to work with OMEC, whose mission is to promote a sacred and responsible relationship with the Earth and to preserve the ancient wisdom of indigenous people. Our original peoples offer tools, perspectives and ceremonial practices that humanity needs now, more than ever. These provide our best hope to nurture the generations yet to come. Thank you for honoring the Earth. Thank you for contributing to help OMEC preserve the wisdom and practices of ancient peoples. From my heart to yours, Mary Battaglia OMEC Board of Directors
Dear Friends,
It is with great reverence that we share the news that spiritual elder Don Carlos Barrios, author of The Book of Destiny, has departed from this physical plane. Don Carlos died on the morning of Sunday, July 5, 2020. His 'change of form' coincided the energy of the full moon, lunar eclipse, and 'Guru Purnima', an annual tribute in the Hindu tradition to acknowledge enlightened teachers who selflessly offer to benefit humanity. Don Carlos was such a man. The work of Carlos Barrios and his brother, Gerardo Barrios (d. 2011) not only brought the ancient Mayan teachings out to the world beyond the Maya-lands, it has been instrumental in helping indigenous Mayan communities reawaken to the vast wisdom of their ancestors. on Carlos was a founding force with Saq' Be', an organization dedicated to Mayan and indigenous spiritual studies, and a vehicle to reignite the living Mayan traditions and share with the world in a way that honors its living lineage. He was a tireless support to the elders, traditions and wisdom of the Mayan people as well as to indigenous spiritual leaders around the world. Llyn Cedar Roberts worked with Carlo's brother, Gerardo Barrios for years before his death in 2011. Her introduction to the Mayan energies and her first trip to Guatemala - were guided by Gerardo Barrios and spiritual guide, Mercedes Barrios Longfellow. When Llyn was detained for a week during the border lockdown in Guatemala, she found herself lodging in the old colonial home where Don Carlos Barrios lived. This was an auspicious meeting that resulted in Don Carlos becoming one of the four groups of Mayan spiritual guides that OMEC raises funds for to support the Mayan elders to purchase ceremonial supplies to continue their traditional fire ceremonies, dating back more than 12,500 years. The ceremonies support harmony and healing for people and Mother Earth. The beautiful and gentle and generous man, Don Carlos Barrios will be greatly missed by his family, including his two daughters, Denise and Solveig, and by his worldwide community. We offer prayers and light candles for his journey, as it continues. In the Mayan tradition there is never death, without rebirth. OMEC also honors Don Carlos and his work by continuing efforts to encourage a sacred relationship with the Earth and to preserve the wisdom ways of ancient people. OMEC is sending funds again very soon to support Mayan highland elders to purchase supplies for their fire ceremonies. This is especially important now, more than ever. Thank you for your contributions to the Mayan Sacred Fire Fund. From my heart to yours, Lis Traphagen, OMEC board of directors
Hello Friends,
On our Guatemala trips, we work closely with Mayan spiritual guides, Dona María Ernestina Reyes and Don Marco Antonio Ramos N. I know many of you have met and grown close to them. These two elders are among four groups to which OMEC sends funds to help to purchase ceremonial supplies in the Mayan Sacred Fire Fund. We respectfully share, below, beautiful words to all of us from Dona Maria Ernestina and Don Marco Antonio. May their messages nourish you and support your path. We thank you deeply for your support of this very important project. We would like to send more funds soon, thank you for donating to the Mayan Sacred Fire Fund. From my heart to yours, Llyn "We are very grateful for the financial aid for the ceremonies. To date we have been making small offerings in our, thanks to the help of OMEC, we will add more materials in each ceremony. We offer before this energy, first of all for thanks for our lives and the blessings received from the supreme creator and asking for forgiveness for mistakes made in life. Also requested for the light, peace and health of all humans and other living beings. We believe that today more than taking into account the crisis of humanity worldwide, we must be more spiritual, that is why we have not stopped working with our ceremonies, because there we find the balance of our lives. We reiterate our thanks to you and your organization." "We are greeting you again, wishing you well. We want to share the ceremony held yesterday, Monday, June 8, 2020 with the sacred energy 13 Kemé; special day to ask for justice to the creator and the cosmic energies, for so many injustices against human life and other living beings on our planet. In this ceremony, this nahual was thanked for the blessings received in all aspects of life. We also reported to the Supreme Judge (Nahual Kemé) the murder committed against the spiritual guide Domingo Choc (from Petén). OMEC (and community) were present in our requests for blessing, thanks to their support we are using a little more material. May our creator, the cosmic energies and our ancestors keep us all." "We are also happy to share the ceremony on Sunday 21 of this month, before the energy of 13 Kawoq to greet the summer solstice, we enjoyed a sunny day, since in the previous days it was raining. Generally, in our ceremonies we emphasize asking for health, light, inner peace of each person and of the world. Because we believe that today more than ever, we need to be in harmony due to the current crisis. On our part, in the family we are well, by the grace of our creator." "We are happy to know that we are united with the people who are praying, meditating and reflecting for the light, peace and health of the world, we are sure that we will move forward in the face of the world's adversities, our path is more spiritual." Donate to the Mayan Sacred Fire Fund 100% of your donation will be sent to Mayan spiritual guides to support them to purchase supplies for their traditional fire ceremonies, dating back almost 13,000 years. Photo credit: Mitch Mattraw  In the Sacred Fire: A Reflection on My Journey to the Guatemala Highlands by Crystal Hawks
The fire's flames rise and fall with the waves of the shining lake behind us. I blink open my eyes to see my husband's shadow overlapping mine on the ground beneath my exposed feet. We left our home in the United States only a short time ago, but the frenetic buzz of city life, deadlines, and to-do lists already feel like a lifetime away. This isn't just a vacation to another country; this is an immersion into a completely different reality-a reality steeped in ancient Mayan fire ceremonies and the rhythms of the sacred Mayan calendar. It's here where fire communicates and heals, a single day stretches into weeks, and boundaries across space and time blur. I ask myself once again the same question I have asked every day since I arrived, "Is this a dream?" I scan the group of travelers encircling the fire that flashes wildly in the center. We chose to embark on this journey into the Guatemala Highlands together-a journey into the mystery of time outside of time and magical rituals passed down for thousands of years. I've only just met these people, but we've quickly plunged past the superficial minutiae that infuses most early encounters. In fact, we're beyond words at this point. There's no need for stories or opinions anymore. We can simply be together in the eternal present, surrounded by the magnificent energy of Lake Atitlan-an energy that is alive and in deep relationship with all of us. We communicate with one another and with the spirits of this place in a language only understood by the heart. Everything feels the connection to everything else. Each of us hold a colorful assortment of candles close to our chest and watch the fire's hypnotic dance. A choir of birds sing piercing tunes that reverberate off of the towering volcano that looms in the distance. The Mayan elders chant, lift their gazes to the sun, stretch their arms wide, and then pour forward to feed the fire. I begin to weep. I used to try to fabricate otherworldly experiences like this with mind-bending substances that sent me spinning into altered states. For years, I sought a connection to myself and a greater power, chasing one fleeting experience after another and turning up empty handed every time. Here I am now, years into my healing journey, and I find myself recovering pieces that were lost in the wreckage of my past. Like tectonic plates fusing back together after a thousand years apart, I'm starting to feel my totality-the wholeness of myself and of Spirit. I walk toward the fire to offer it the bundle of candles that represent all of my fear and pain. The fire doesn't judge the offering. It welcomes everything. A cloud of smoke builds around my body before feathering into tendrils that slowly disappear. Clarity crawls in to illuminate undiscovered corners of my awareness. Restrictive delusions I've held as truths begin to fade, burned by flames and transformed into dissipating smoke. My old lens of seeing the world shatters, and I truly open my eyes for the first time as the smoke clears. When I return to my place in the circle for the final cleansing, the smell of ambrosial incense greets me-signaling that a new beginning has come. And indeed, a new beginning has come, not just for me, but for all of us. Since the world was set ablaze with the loss, economic uncertainty, and fear of sickness from the COVID-19 Pandemic, we've been in the fire. The time for transmutation has come. The past is behind us. Life will not be the same. We offer the flames our fears, our old and harmful patterns, our hope for a better future. And as the fire casts shadows against the backdrop of a setting sun and purifies past realities, may we embrace the heat and expand. I invite you to take time to explore how OMEC can support you to transform and expand through programs, books, and projects. We have already accomplished so much in 2020. The book by Pacific Northwest tribal master-storyteller, Johnny Moses - The Medicine Clothes that Look at the People - listed as #1 New Release in Native American Religion on amazon, is out in August. Pre-order the book now! Our most recent project contributes to the purchase of fire ceremony supplies for Maya spiritual guides in four distinct regions in the Guatemalan Highlands. Thank you for supporting The Mayan Sacred Fire Fund. Your donations help keep the Maya sacred fires burning. Contribute now so OMEC can send funds to purchase supplies for June Solstice Fire Ceremonies in Guatemala. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your interest and, importantly, for your financial support! From my heart to yours, Crystal Hawks, OMEC Board Member  Hello Friends,
Those of us in the northern hemisphere are in the midst of the coming spring. Here in the Pacific Northwest, trees are flowering, plants are thriving, and tender leaves are unfurled. There are both windy, rainy and calm days, as well as cool and hot days. We never know what to expect, as winter's dormancy opens to a whole new cycle of life. Pretty much all of us feel similarly now, that we don't know what to expect. What next? Now, more than ever, it is the time to root into our inner knowing and within ancient medicine teachings. We are honored to share with you the Spring Star story from the renowned Tulalip Native American master storyteller, Johnny Moses: "The grandmothers always told us that they were the ones who would go out and gather the medicinal plants, the flowers, the roots for medicines. Their job was to pass on the songs that are used for these medicines, and also for ceremonies. The grandfathers' jobs were to be the ones to help with the medicines, in preparing them. Or, sometimes the grandfathers would be the ones that would go out and gather the medicines, and the grandmothers would sing to the medicines with spring star songs. The teaching of the scarf that we wear on our laps is a good symbol of that. There was a story that has to do with spring stars falling upon the grandmothers' laps. As she was out in the woods (a grandmother) was crying. She was very sad, and she felt that she was very lonely, that she had lost herself. And a star could hear her - and this was in springtime - and (the star) sent a beautiful cloth upon her. This cloth fell upon her lap. He (the star) also sent the songs and the designs that went with it. And, when she looked at the cloth that was on her lap, it was all these flowers of many kinds that were up in the mountains - a lot of wildflowers, and she had songs for all of them. And, she used these songs in doctoring ceremonies, to pray for people. And, so, they say that's where this scarf comes from, when we wear this scarf over our laps. It's in memory of the spring star teachings - but they would never bring out that it was from the spring star in just any gathering, because when you bring it out you have to bring out a story from the spring star." May the stars hear your prayers and may the songs of the stars, and the stories from the spring star, guide you. See Johnny Moses' upcoming book, watch his free video and purchase Johnny's teaching videos here. From my heart to yours, Llyn Cedar Roberts, MA and the OMEC Board of Directors *Johnny Moses is a Tulalip Native American raised in the remote Nuu-chah-nulth village of Ohiat on the west coast of Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada. He was raised in the traditional ways by his grandparents and sent by his elders to share their teachings with all people. Johnny is a master storyteller, oral historian, traditional healer and respected spiritual leader. His traditional name is Whis.stem.men.knee (Walking Medicine Robe). Johnny Moses carries the Si.Si.Wiss (sacred breath, sacred life) medicine teachings and healing ceremonies of his Northwest Coast people. liberating in lockdown |
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Just as so many of us set our intentions when the new year approaches, a 5-day period of reflection precedes the Maya New Year. This time of solitude and purification is called Wayeb' by the Yucatec Maya and it is known as Tz'apil in the Maya K'iche language.
Mayan spiritual guide Lina Barrios describes that: "Tz'apil means closing a door, for it is closing the door to the old year and receiving the new one cleansed on all levels to achieve happiness."
I have certainly felt a door close behind me these last two months. I know I'm not alone. This is true for us all and especially for those who are sick, separated from family, have family members who have died, those who have been on the front lines and in the hot spots through this pandemic, and all of us who struggle with difficult feelings and finances.
The life we knew is gone. We stumble together through tragedy and uncertainty.
As our reality door shuts, we are brought to our knees. Can we reframe the human experience during this time of collective solitude, to find greater happiness?
This is one of the opportunities.
Meanwhile, how do we hold it all in our hearts and bodies?
On March 1st I traveled to Guatemala to facilitate my twelfth journey to work with Maya wisdom keepers and spiritual guides. The novel corona virus was just breaking into the United States.
I, like many, thought of the SARS panic in 2003 and how people succumb to flus each year. Mostly concerned for the frail and the elderly, I thought the scare would pass quickly. Flying from Seattle through Houston and then into Central America, the only sign of what was to come was that before entering customs at Guatemala City's La Aurora International Airport, men wearing white masks scanned our temperatures. I felt fine and passed through easily. I committed to staying healthy and resilient.
Then, I forgot about novel corona.
Mostly unplugged from life at home throughout the trip, this years' journey working intimately with Mayan people ran deep. We were steeped in age-old ceremonies, living with the wisdom keepers amidst their ancient volcanoes and sacred waters, on vortex lands where spirits were palpable and multi-dimensional portals, wide open. Time stretched and yawned. Twelve days felt like two months.
The immersion was life changing for everyone.
Reorienting to the outside world the last forty-eight hours of the journey was jarring.
We were not returning to the same reality.
The world was amok.
I worried about how my trip participants would handle this. How are their families? How do they feel about returning to chaos? Will it be difficult for them to get home?
I was moved that everyone was strong and clear. Steeped in the energies of the sacred fires, the teachings and deep care of the Mayan people, every person was grateful. They walked with power and felt ready for whatever we stepped into back home.
We settled into the beautiful town of Antigua for a final dinner together. Most folks flew out the next day without a hitch. My friend and trip colleague, Lis Traphagen, and I would leave the country on Monday.
Back at our room, Lis checked her flights; she was good to go. I checked mine.
Not only had United had canceled my whole itinerary, they had no other flights posted.
My heart was beating in my throat. Lis tried to reassure me. I quickly booked the soonest return - Wednesday on Delta. Wednesday.
I told myself there was a reason for the extra days. I've stayed on alone many times; everything would be fine. Extended time in Guatemala is always a gift.
Yet, I couldn't sleep.
I said goodbye to Lis in the morning then checked my emails. I found a message from our tour operator, Alfonso, that made my stomach lurch.
"Guatemala is closing all in and out traffic for two weeks. This is going into effect at midnight tonight. The airport will be closing." 15-hour notice. No word from Delta. Nothing on the internet.
I had a hard time breathing when I spoke with my family. They urged me to go to the airport right away to get on any plane out of the country that I could. If I didn't leave soon, I might be caught here indefinitely. That made me more anxious. I said I'd call them back. I got off the phone and lay down on the bed.
I closed my eyes and tried to take deep breaths. My body shuddered with the first attempts. Though delirious with the news and from lack of sleep, after some moments I relaxed enough to tune in.
What I should do? What should I do?!
The message was simple, "Drop inside. Trust your feelings".
This was surprisingly easy.
When I thought about going to the airport my mind raced, my chest tightened, and my body trembled. When I thought about staying and trusting that I would figure things out, a warmth came over me, I felt peaceful.
It was in those calmer moments that I saw it with my inner vision - A path of light spanning a great distance before me.
The pathway of light was straight and luminous.
An inner voice said: There is a pathway through this. Feel your feet upon the path.
I remembered when Quechua shamans from the high Andes of Ecuador visited my family in the United States many years ago and we performed a fire ceremony on a beach in Rye, New Hampshire. The moon was full that night and Don Esteban had all 90 of us stand in a line to face the ocean. Salty breezes stung our nostrils and lips. Waves crashed upon the shore and a chilled mist wetted our cheeks. The moon loomed luminous over the expanse of water. A broad, brilliant path of light extended from the moon at the water's horizon all the way to the shore, just ahead of us.
With great feeling, Don Esteban spoke in an indigenous dialect. Translated from Quechua, to Spanish, to English, this is what he shared with us:
"The shaman's path is a path of light, with darkness on either side. The shaman must walk this path of light - and help others walk upon it. I have always seen the shaman's path with my inner vision. This is the first time in my life that I have seen it with my physical eyes."
The shaman's path of light.
I called my family to tell them I was staying at the hotel another night. I would rest, then figure things out.
Later, I heard from others that the airport was packed that day and people were frenzied. Folks stayed for hours trying to get on flights out of the country, with no luck.
After a nap, in passing through the lobby I met others who were stranded: two women from Texas who'd come to hike, a man from New Jersey who'd flown in with nine family members for a wedding, and a tall shapely woman with cropped silver hair who stood at the front desk wrapped only in a jacuzzi towel. The latter smiled at me; she was fine. The others were not fine. One of the Texas women cried. I told them how lovely Antigua was, and that they would get home. I took their numbers. It felt good to support these folks who were in Guatemala for the first time.
I left the hotel, following a lead to an inexpensive guest house a ten-minute walk away.
Stepping carefully on the cobblestoned street, I put on my sunglasses. It was the first business day of the week and the sun was high in the sky; the city should have been humming with activity. Yet, the streets were vacant. The shops were closed. The chicken busses weren't even running. How would those in the outlying pueblos survive without bussing into Antigua to sell their food and ware?
All was quiet except for an occasional motorbike that whizzed by, operated by a masked driver. The bustling center of Antigua had become a ghost town, literally overnight.
My knees felt weak as I walked.
I remembered the pathway of light. I sensed it straight before me with my feet firmly upon it.
Walk with strength.
I bolstered myself, stepped up onto a curb and knocked on the broad wooden door of the guest house. It was set into a stucco wall that seemed to span the whole block. A little door opened in the upper right-hand corner and a man's face popped into it.
My voice sounded like a stranger's.
"Ah, yes, hello. I'm looking for Blake, please?", I asked. Without a word, the little door shut, then the large door creaked open. Not knowing what to expect, I stepped in through a dark entryway and out onto a sun-bathed patio. I heard the man close the heavy door behind me.
A spry, thin man with half-shaved blonde hair and kind blue eyes rushed over to greet me. I told him my plight. I followed Blake, a ceramic artist and the guest house host, through the courtyard that spread out in the center space of the old colonial home.
The sun dappled the trunks of ancient trees. There was an herb and a vegetable garden, flowers, birdsong and butterflies. The surrounding hillsides were visible against the expanse of blue sky above the enclosure. I had left the twilight zone and stumbled into paradise.
There was one room available. It was beautiful, with a private bath. I took it.
Blake asked what brought me to Guatemala. I told him about my work with Mayan spiritual guides. "Oh", he grinned, "That's a sign, as Carlos Barrios is staying here".
I had visited Guatemala for the first time with Gerardo Barrios, who was Carlos' brother. I'd known of Carlos for years yet, we had never met. The Barrios brothers were legendary experts on the Mayan Calendar and Carlos' seminal work The Book of Destiny was widely known.
I took a full, deep breath that felt so good. I was in the right place. The pathway of light sparkled, as if saying I told you so.
On my walk back to the hotel, I saw the tall shapely woman with silver hair walking briskly the other way, on the opposite side of the street. Her short and fitted sleeveless dress was splashed with a bold flower print. The woman smiled and waved exuberantly.
"I found a really nice, less expensive hotel!", she shouted. "Great!!", I waved back. I had no worries about her. I took a jacuzzi that night and slept soundly.
The vulnerability crept back when I was toting a backpack and rolling my suitcase over the antiquated stones, on my way back to the guest house. I took in a steady breath and felt my feet firmly on the path.
From that time on, whenever I felt anxious or uncertain, I would envision the path of light. The more I connected, the more real it became.
Upon seeing the Mayan Priest, Carlos Barrios, that first night, we both knew we were meant to meet.
The rooms off the gardens that encircled the courtyard of the old colonial guest home were rented by other stranded foreigners: two lovely men from France who left on a French Embassy flight the day after I arrived; a bright young photographer named Ben who was based in LA; Ollie, a happy and inquisitive theology student from Singapore; and Carol, a caring and savvy admin director at Harvard Law School.
Most of these folks wanted to go home. Carol had a teenager and a six-year-old daughter waiting for her.
Some were considering staying until things got calmer in the states. Yet, Guatemala lacked the infrastructure to handle a massive infectious outbreak. If things got bad, foreigners would be a burden to the Guatemalan people, and they might also be caught here for months.
The world had changed overnight, and no one could predict where this was going.
There was an option of hiring a driver to travel overland to walk through the Mexican border, which many were successfully doing.
I checked emails, news and border issues, and texted my family as well as the other stranded people I'd met, every day, just like everyone else. I also took many breaks. To not get sick with worry, I focused on the beautiful nature there, the uplifting company of Blake and Carlos, and the path of light.
There was a pathway through this.
Carlos did Maya readings for some of us and he led a fire ceremony. It was beautiful to see the strength come into people as they immersed in the traditions of these lands and the sacred fire. How auspicious to be 'stranded' in a beautiful setting with a Mayan Priest. There were no accidents.
On one of the days, Carlos filmed a talk. In it, he spoke of our imposed isolation and of being locked down now as its own Wayeb'.
This, Carlos said, was a time to: "..reflect on our level of harmony with the earth, cosmos and creation and go deeply inside to develop our abilities to create reality."
To meet the upcoming year with good energy, traditional Maya cleanse their bodies and tidy and paint their homes. They also look carefully at how they can live in ways that fulfill their purpose.
As spiritual folks, there are many and simple ways for us to make the most of this time of incubation.
We can look carefully at who we are, meditate and tap our inner dreaming powers; we can organize our lives and our homes and do blessing rituals to uplift our environments; we might eat more cleanly, exercise and do energy and body disciplines to be strong and resilient; many of us can spend time in nature and perform ceremonies.
Of course, it's a lot easier to do a retreat when everything is taken care of for us and we aren't dealing with a pandemic. Yet, during these extremely trying circumstances our efforts are all the more meaningful.
The return pathway appeared one week after lockdown. Carol and I were booked from Guatemala City to Miami on the first humanitarian relief flight for US citizens, operated by Eastern Airlines. The cost was exorbitant, but it would get us on our way home. Carol took this photo of all of us - she in the foreground then Ben, me, Carlos, with Blake and Ollie behind us - just before Carol and I left for the airport.
It was a twenty-eight-hour journey to get home to the Olympic Peninsula. This gave me time to prepare, as I knew things would feel harder upon return.
The first week, I was euphoric to be with my family. The second week, I was traumatized. People were suffering and afraid. People were dying in shocking numbers. Finances were terrifying. Everything was upside down. In Guatemala, there were not enough resources, no welfare or government assistance. The continued curfew, and disappearance of tourism meant people would starve.
I became exhausted. My heart and nervous system were overwhelmed. I withdrew. I slept.
There are no easy answers at times like this. And, there were forewarnings. Many of us who are sensitive felt the shockwave of this death to rebirth passage months before it hit. Vertigo, grief bubbling up for no reason and, a sense of not being able to see the future, were what I heard the most. These were harbingers, we were the canaries in the coal mine.
Astrologers were telling us something big was coming. What was it? World War 3?
When John Perkins and I met with the Hopi twenty years ago many elders weren't traveling anymore. They knew great changes would come, and with them, travel limits. They didn't want to be separated from their lands and community.
Great changes during these times have been predicted by many indigenous groups.
The old reality door has closed. We cannot turn around and walk back through that door. The self and world we knew, has dissolved. We must keep moving forward toward the light; feel our feet on the path even when we can't see it.
Now is a most tender and open time. We are learning so many things personally and collectively - about our gifts and strengths, and our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. We are purifying, just as nature is cleansing.
Reality shifts before our eyes. This is scary and has a lot of heart-wrenching consequences. It also means that our personal and societal realities are malleable, now more than ever. The opportunity, the calling of these times is to shapeshift how we humans create our life experience on Planet Earth.
My friend, Alejandro, expressed it well: "Perhaps this is the Great Turning that brings us to our knees and changes things, forever. Amazing opportunities and changes can come out of chaos."
This is the time to dream new and remarkable stories.
It's the time to honor death as we also nurture life and rebirth.
It is the time to manifest our most heartfelt dreams, many we had forgotten, as we remember we are the dreamers - who are dreaming ourselves back to what truly nourishes all life on this planet and reconnects us with cosmic grace.
There is a pathway through this. Feel your feet upon the path.
From my heart to yours,
Llyn
Mayan spiritual guide Lina Barrios describes that: "Tz'apil means closing a door, for it is closing the door to the old year and receiving the new one cleansed on all levels to achieve happiness."
I have certainly felt a door close behind me these last two months. I know I'm not alone. This is true for us all and especially for those who are sick, separated from family, have family members who have died, those who have been on the front lines and in the hot spots through this pandemic, and all of us who struggle with difficult feelings and finances.
The life we knew is gone. We stumble together through tragedy and uncertainty.
As our reality door shuts, we are brought to our knees. Can we reframe the human experience during this time of collective solitude, to find greater happiness?
This is one of the opportunities.
Meanwhile, how do we hold it all in our hearts and bodies?
On March 1st I traveled to Guatemala to facilitate my twelfth journey to work with Maya wisdom keepers and spiritual guides. The novel corona virus was just breaking into the United States.
I, like many, thought of the SARS panic in 2003 and how people succumb to flus each year. Mostly concerned for the frail and the elderly, I thought the scare would pass quickly. Flying from Seattle through Houston and then into Central America, the only sign of what was to come was that before entering customs at Guatemala City's La Aurora International Airport, men wearing white masks scanned our temperatures. I felt fine and passed through easily. I committed to staying healthy and resilient.
Then, I forgot about novel corona.
Mostly unplugged from life at home throughout the trip, this years' journey working intimately with Mayan people ran deep. We were steeped in age-old ceremonies, living with the wisdom keepers amidst their ancient volcanoes and sacred waters, on vortex lands where spirits were palpable and multi-dimensional portals, wide open. Time stretched and yawned. Twelve days felt like two months.
The immersion was life changing for everyone.
Reorienting to the outside world the last forty-eight hours of the journey was jarring.
We were not returning to the same reality.
The world was amok.
I worried about how my trip participants would handle this. How are their families? How do they feel about returning to chaos? Will it be difficult for them to get home?
I was moved that everyone was strong and clear. Steeped in the energies of the sacred fires, the teachings and deep care of the Mayan people, every person was grateful. They walked with power and felt ready for whatever we stepped into back home.
We settled into the beautiful town of Antigua for a final dinner together. Most folks flew out the next day without a hitch. My friend and trip colleague, Lis Traphagen, and I would leave the country on Monday.
Back at our room, Lis checked her flights; she was good to go. I checked mine.
Not only had United had canceled my whole itinerary, they had no other flights posted.
My heart was beating in my throat. Lis tried to reassure me. I quickly booked the soonest return - Wednesday on Delta. Wednesday.
I told myself there was a reason for the extra days. I've stayed on alone many times; everything would be fine. Extended time in Guatemala is always a gift.
Yet, I couldn't sleep.
I said goodbye to Lis in the morning then checked my emails. I found a message from our tour operator, Alfonso, that made my stomach lurch.
"Guatemala is closing all in and out traffic for two weeks. This is going into effect at midnight tonight. The airport will be closing." 15-hour notice. No word from Delta. Nothing on the internet.
I had a hard time breathing when I spoke with my family. They urged me to go to the airport right away to get on any plane out of the country that I could. If I didn't leave soon, I might be caught here indefinitely. That made me more anxious. I said I'd call them back. I got off the phone and lay down on the bed.
I closed my eyes and tried to take deep breaths. My body shuddered with the first attempts. Though delirious with the news and from lack of sleep, after some moments I relaxed enough to tune in.
What I should do? What should I do?!
The message was simple, "Drop inside. Trust your feelings".
This was surprisingly easy.
When I thought about going to the airport my mind raced, my chest tightened, and my body trembled. When I thought about staying and trusting that I would figure things out, a warmth came over me, I felt peaceful.
It was in those calmer moments that I saw it with my inner vision - A path of light spanning a great distance before me.
The pathway of light was straight and luminous.
An inner voice said: There is a pathway through this. Feel your feet upon the path.
I remembered when Quechua shamans from the high Andes of Ecuador visited my family in the United States many years ago and we performed a fire ceremony on a beach in Rye, New Hampshire. The moon was full that night and Don Esteban had all 90 of us stand in a line to face the ocean. Salty breezes stung our nostrils and lips. Waves crashed upon the shore and a chilled mist wetted our cheeks. The moon loomed luminous over the expanse of water. A broad, brilliant path of light extended from the moon at the water's horizon all the way to the shore, just ahead of us.
With great feeling, Don Esteban spoke in an indigenous dialect. Translated from Quechua, to Spanish, to English, this is what he shared with us:
"The shaman's path is a path of light, with darkness on either side. The shaman must walk this path of light - and help others walk upon it. I have always seen the shaman's path with my inner vision. This is the first time in my life that I have seen it with my physical eyes."
The shaman's path of light.
I called my family to tell them I was staying at the hotel another night. I would rest, then figure things out.
Later, I heard from others that the airport was packed that day and people were frenzied. Folks stayed for hours trying to get on flights out of the country, with no luck.
After a nap, in passing through the lobby I met others who were stranded: two women from Texas who'd come to hike, a man from New Jersey who'd flown in with nine family members for a wedding, and a tall shapely woman with cropped silver hair who stood at the front desk wrapped only in a jacuzzi towel. The latter smiled at me; she was fine. The others were not fine. One of the Texas women cried. I told them how lovely Antigua was, and that they would get home. I took their numbers. It felt good to support these folks who were in Guatemala for the first time.
I left the hotel, following a lead to an inexpensive guest house a ten-minute walk away.
Stepping carefully on the cobblestoned street, I put on my sunglasses. It was the first business day of the week and the sun was high in the sky; the city should have been humming with activity. Yet, the streets were vacant. The shops were closed. The chicken busses weren't even running. How would those in the outlying pueblos survive without bussing into Antigua to sell their food and ware?
All was quiet except for an occasional motorbike that whizzed by, operated by a masked driver. The bustling center of Antigua had become a ghost town, literally overnight.
My knees felt weak as I walked.
I remembered the pathway of light. I sensed it straight before me with my feet firmly upon it.
Walk with strength.
I bolstered myself, stepped up onto a curb and knocked on the broad wooden door of the guest house. It was set into a stucco wall that seemed to span the whole block. A little door opened in the upper right-hand corner and a man's face popped into it.
My voice sounded like a stranger's.
"Ah, yes, hello. I'm looking for Blake, please?", I asked. Without a word, the little door shut, then the large door creaked open. Not knowing what to expect, I stepped in through a dark entryway and out onto a sun-bathed patio. I heard the man close the heavy door behind me.
A spry, thin man with half-shaved blonde hair and kind blue eyes rushed over to greet me. I told him my plight. I followed Blake, a ceramic artist and the guest house host, through the courtyard that spread out in the center space of the old colonial home.
The sun dappled the trunks of ancient trees. There was an herb and a vegetable garden, flowers, birdsong and butterflies. The surrounding hillsides were visible against the expanse of blue sky above the enclosure. I had left the twilight zone and stumbled into paradise.
There was one room available. It was beautiful, with a private bath. I took it.
Blake asked what brought me to Guatemala. I told him about my work with Mayan spiritual guides. "Oh", he grinned, "That's a sign, as Carlos Barrios is staying here".
I had visited Guatemala for the first time with Gerardo Barrios, who was Carlos' brother. I'd known of Carlos for years yet, we had never met. The Barrios brothers were legendary experts on the Mayan Calendar and Carlos' seminal work The Book of Destiny was widely known.
I took a full, deep breath that felt so good. I was in the right place. The pathway of light sparkled, as if saying I told you so.
On my walk back to the hotel, I saw the tall shapely woman with silver hair walking briskly the other way, on the opposite side of the street. Her short and fitted sleeveless dress was splashed with a bold flower print. The woman smiled and waved exuberantly.
"I found a really nice, less expensive hotel!", she shouted. "Great!!", I waved back. I had no worries about her. I took a jacuzzi that night and slept soundly.
The vulnerability crept back when I was toting a backpack and rolling my suitcase over the antiquated stones, on my way back to the guest house. I took in a steady breath and felt my feet firmly on the path.
From that time on, whenever I felt anxious or uncertain, I would envision the path of light. The more I connected, the more real it became.
Upon seeing the Mayan Priest, Carlos Barrios, that first night, we both knew we were meant to meet.
The rooms off the gardens that encircled the courtyard of the old colonial guest home were rented by other stranded foreigners: two lovely men from France who left on a French Embassy flight the day after I arrived; a bright young photographer named Ben who was based in LA; Ollie, a happy and inquisitive theology student from Singapore; and Carol, a caring and savvy admin director at Harvard Law School.
Most of these folks wanted to go home. Carol had a teenager and a six-year-old daughter waiting for her.
Some were considering staying until things got calmer in the states. Yet, Guatemala lacked the infrastructure to handle a massive infectious outbreak. If things got bad, foreigners would be a burden to the Guatemalan people, and they might also be caught here for months.
The world had changed overnight, and no one could predict where this was going.
There was an option of hiring a driver to travel overland to walk through the Mexican border, which many were successfully doing.
I checked emails, news and border issues, and texted my family as well as the other stranded people I'd met, every day, just like everyone else. I also took many breaks. To not get sick with worry, I focused on the beautiful nature there, the uplifting company of Blake and Carlos, and the path of light.
There was a pathway through this.
Carlos did Maya readings for some of us and he led a fire ceremony. It was beautiful to see the strength come into people as they immersed in the traditions of these lands and the sacred fire. How auspicious to be 'stranded' in a beautiful setting with a Mayan Priest. There were no accidents.
On one of the days, Carlos filmed a talk. In it, he spoke of our imposed isolation and of being locked down now as its own Wayeb'.
This, Carlos said, was a time to: "..reflect on our level of harmony with the earth, cosmos and creation and go deeply inside to develop our abilities to create reality."
To meet the upcoming year with good energy, traditional Maya cleanse their bodies and tidy and paint their homes. They also look carefully at how they can live in ways that fulfill their purpose.
As spiritual folks, there are many and simple ways for us to make the most of this time of incubation.
We can look carefully at who we are, meditate and tap our inner dreaming powers; we can organize our lives and our homes and do blessing rituals to uplift our environments; we might eat more cleanly, exercise and do energy and body disciplines to be strong and resilient; many of us can spend time in nature and perform ceremonies.
Of course, it's a lot easier to do a retreat when everything is taken care of for us and we aren't dealing with a pandemic. Yet, during these extremely trying circumstances our efforts are all the more meaningful.
The return pathway appeared one week after lockdown. Carol and I were booked from Guatemala City to Miami on the first humanitarian relief flight for US citizens, operated by Eastern Airlines. The cost was exorbitant, but it would get us on our way home. Carol took this photo of all of us - she in the foreground then Ben, me, Carlos, with Blake and Ollie behind us - just before Carol and I left for the airport.
It was a twenty-eight-hour journey to get home to the Olympic Peninsula. This gave me time to prepare, as I knew things would feel harder upon return.
The first week, I was euphoric to be with my family. The second week, I was traumatized. People were suffering and afraid. People were dying in shocking numbers. Finances were terrifying. Everything was upside down. In Guatemala, there were not enough resources, no welfare or government assistance. The continued curfew, and disappearance of tourism meant people would starve.
I became exhausted. My heart and nervous system were overwhelmed. I withdrew. I slept.
There are no easy answers at times like this. And, there were forewarnings. Many of us who are sensitive felt the shockwave of this death to rebirth passage months before it hit. Vertigo, grief bubbling up for no reason and, a sense of not being able to see the future, were what I heard the most. These were harbingers, we were the canaries in the coal mine.
Astrologers were telling us something big was coming. What was it? World War 3?
When John Perkins and I met with the Hopi twenty years ago many elders weren't traveling anymore. They knew great changes would come, and with them, travel limits. They didn't want to be separated from their lands and community.
Great changes during these times have been predicted by many indigenous groups.
The old reality door has closed. We cannot turn around and walk back through that door. The self and world we knew, has dissolved. We must keep moving forward toward the light; feel our feet on the path even when we can't see it.
Now is a most tender and open time. We are learning so many things personally and collectively - about our gifts and strengths, and our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. We are purifying, just as nature is cleansing.
Reality shifts before our eyes. This is scary and has a lot of heart-wrenching consequences. It also means that our personal and societal realities are malleable, now more than ever. The opportunity, the calling of these times is to shapeshift how we humans create our life experience on Planet Earth.
My friend, Alejandro, expressed it well: "Perhaps this is the Great Turning that brings us to our knees and changes things, forever. Amazing opportunities and changes can come out of chaos."
This is the time to dream new and remarkable stories.
It's the time to honor death as we also nurture life and rebirth.
It is the time to manifest our most heartfelt dreams, many we had forgotten, as we remember we are the dreamers - who are dreaming ourselves back to what truly nourishes all life on this planet and reconnects us with cosmic grace.
There is a pathway through this. Feel your feet upon the path.
From my heart to yours,
Llyn
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