Sacred Journeys – September 2010
Everyday Rituals & Celebrations
I hope that many of you found yourselves connecting to the worldwide Unity Consciousness experience on July 18. The summer, in fact, created many opportunities to foster a connection to large groups of people. Our survival and evolution are likely contingent on us working together, and we are finding creative ways of connecting to bring about positive change.
Certainly the Internet allows us to sign petitions at critical moments, so those working the front lines can instantly receive our support. For example, this summer we joined together in unprecedented numbers around the Gulf oil mess to pray and ‘visualize’ change. Connecting through our collective consciousness in mass numbers is a new, exciting frontier. In the past, we likely came together through our fears and anxieties – about world wars, terrorism and violence. What is remarkable about the steps that were taken this summer is that we are coming together with open hearts, using love to visualize a new world. Powerful stuff!
Guests from Norway visited my B & B this summer, and were happy to participate with friends and family on the 18th, to focus on plugging into a larger group mind, and setting the intention to let this joint collective begin setting the intentions for the earth, rather than the greed-based political and economic global agenda.
As this worldwide call to focus on unity consciousness took place, while the well was still gushing many of us apparently felt called to gather near water. We took chairs, drums, and cornmeal down to the river and got right into the water. Mayan Grand Elder Don Alejandro had asked that we recite the following words as a shared intention: “I, as a sovereign being, join together with All That Is to call forth the presence of balance and unity within me and in our world. I am the conscious presence of harmony and reconciliation and I am grateful for the wholeness I bring forth in this and every moment.” As a heartbeat was drummed, each of us spoke this intention, and when we were finished we took a handful of cornmeal in our open palms and blew it straight ahead, speaking the old Mayan prayer: “Open a path before me, and grant me the opportunity to be of greatest good.” This is a nice blessing to do every day!
It was interesting that my neighbour, who had cleared out the forest and even his topsoil in order to build his massive home, decided just as we began our ceremony to ride his loud lawn tractor. It seemed like an attempt to drown us out. One of the elders in our group cleverly realized that the thing to do was to take a minute or two and tone together to the sound of his lawn tractor, thereby including him in the ceremony. Fishermen on the river let their boats drift close and listened respectfully to our intentions, giving us a gentle nod as they passed by just 20 feet away.
This summer, I was lucky enough to experience ‘com(e) unity’ in action when I won a raffle ticket to the always-sold-out Blue Skies folk festival, which takes place near Perth, ON. In its 37th year, this festival has chosen to maintain the comfortable size of close to 3,000 people, most of whom camp, and almost all of whom volunteer at some point during the three days. Children have been attending every summer for their entire lives, and each year are re-united with friends they have met at the folk festival. It is a massive village and the quirks and bumps of the festival were worked out years ago. The rules have been established collectively over the years, so everyone happily complies. There was a wonderful guitarist and wordsmith from Australia who came on after “That One Guy” had the crowd jumping and dancing en mass like an ocean of exuberance to organically-created electro-pop. Understandably, David was a wee bit intimidated by going onstage armed with only an old Gibson guitar. His response was to ask if all the stage lights could be put out. We sat in the dark under the stars and he asked us to lie back and sing along as quietly as possible, as he began singing the most beautiful version of “Waltzing Matilda” that any of us had ever heard. We were rewarded with a massive shooting star at the end of the first verse. A classic Blue Skies moment.
I discovered later that David was staying in the tent two doors over from mine, and when we spoke he said he was interested in creating a sense of unity and communion amongst all the people there through a beautiful melody. Later, I realized that by asking us to sing as quietly as possible, everyone in the audience was also able to find their voice, even if it was a whisper, as we sang to the vast canopy of stars.
McGoo, the MC for the event each year, came out afterward and announced that we have another opportunity to link together as part of a worldwide event on Oct. 10th, 2010 at 10 p.m. The invitation is to tone a beautiful sound, all of us at that time. So every hour, for 24 hours, there will be toning around the world. So if you missed getting into the act this summer, here is your opportunity to plug your beautiful light into the collective cosmic consciousness and create some harmony in the world.
