Posts
A copy of the email written by the Vision Quest guide Kurt, of the 7 Sun's Men's Journey Group. These words have been inspired from the Sweat Lodge weekend we have just undertaken as part of our preparation for Vision Quest.
"Men,
First of all it is great to see all of you gathered together. It gives us the sense of what it's going to be like up on the Hill. The camaraderie, the chanting, beginning to touch on that depth of heart. I feel like everyone is getting the general principles of doing "Business". I realise that it really is something that is very foreign to our culture - the notion of a gathering of men with a clear intention that doesn't have a physical outcome. When we go up the mountain, one of the things we strive for is to leave it exactly the way that we found it. And in so doing it is a chance to let the mountain change us rather than us changing the mountain. It is what Uncle Max describes as "letting the land talk to us." When you go out with Uncle he gives you new eyes to see with. He opens you to what his eyes see. He is the lore of the land that speaks to you.
With Vision Quest, it is the ancient protocols and ceremony which helps to open us to allow the ancestors to whisper in our ears through the flight of birds, the movement of the wind, the stillness of all of Creation just at the right moment in the ceremony, and as Ragnar pointed out, the blue, ultra blueness of the sky. All of this is the Grandmother's, the Grandfather's response to seeing their Men do the Business. Uncle Jeff 'Two Wolves' explained it to me this way: "Quest came to us in the time when we stopped being able to speak to the animals. Before then we didn't need Quest. We were in it all the time. Quest helped us to reconnect with our four legged relations again."
And as always, it is one of the greatest inspirations for me to see the men 'taking up the mantle' of the Business. Many many thanks to Jeremy and Stu for pouring the lodges for this weekend. It is hard to understand the affect on your whole being of holding a ceremony like this for 20 or so men. It is challenging, and in every way worth it. I see how this ceremony is now carved in these men's hearts. And that, of course, is where the real ceremony is held, in the heart. Please remember this always - as your doing prayer ties, as your saying goodbye to loved ones before heading up the mountain, as we're driving together to the mountain, as your setting your circle, and while you are out there. This ceremony is held in your heart. Ultimately, no one can tell you what Quest is, what it should be. Know simply that it is yours, it is for you. A gift from your Mother, your Father. "A Vision that is your own." And all that comes with it, the suffering, the pain, the lamenting, the exaltation - all of that is a gift.
This brings me to an important point which Richmond brought forward - Crying for Vision. Every year there are pieces of the puzzle which different men bring back to my attention and this is one of them this year. John always spoke of this, Crying for Vision, and because I didn't really understand it, I have never really spoken of it to the men. But in that morning lodge, I believe we began that process of Crying for Vision. For me it was the experience of seeing the affect of my actions upon my loved ones and lamenting what I have done. It wasn't getting tangled in guilt and shame, but allowing my body to feel that and to release it through the tears. And what really struck me is that, now that we have officially said the big Sorry to the Indigenous people of this land, the warrior's task is to really feel that Sorry, to really cry out that Sorry. Again, this is the way we can reconnect with all of our Relations, this is the way we can 'heal the Sacred Hoop.'
So I encourage you to see those moments in the next few weeks when you may feel the urge to cry. Find a way to begin the lamentation, to begin Crying for your Vision.
Much love and strength for the journey getting there,
Kurt"
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Let's Face the Music and Dance!
So I have a confession to make I am a dancer. Yep that’s right, bring on the beats, movement and sweat. But what is the official definition of a dancer? Do I have the right to put this label on myself?
From the world dictionary:
Dancer: 1. ( intr ) to move the feet and body rhythmically, esp. in time to music
So how did this come about? This dancing component of my life?
Was it Lionel Ritchie’s inspirational song Dancing on a Ceiling?
Was it the dodgy Dance instructor from my High School days?
Was it the electric-boogaloo of 1984?
Well in all honestly a little bit of all of that has played a role, but it has taken 5rhythms dancing devised by Gabrielle Roth for my true inner kinesthetic intelligence to really emerge out and grace the dance floor. 5Rhythms dancing takes a dancer through 5 rhythms of music that are utilised to inspire the dancer to embrace 5 rhythms that occur in life, nature and the universe. The 5rhythms journey encompasses music that encapsulates firstly music that represents Flow, then Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical and finishes up with Stillness. And as the band the Dirty projectors would sing, “Stillness is a move!” So you walk onto the dance floor, which is sacred space, and you let go of your ego and self-consciousness and dance. Dance for the sake of dance. Dance to shake off the day. Dance to put rhythm and energy into your life. Dance for therapy. Dance for love. Dance with/to Spirit. Dance for sadness. Dance to let go. Dance to embrace. Dance to get your groove on!
Here are some poignant words about the power of dance from the mystic OSHO’s book, “Joy-The Happiness That Comes from Within.”
If people can dance a little more, sing a little more, be a little crazier, their energy will be flowing more and their problems will by and by disappear.
Hence, I insist so much on dance. Dance to orgasm; let the whole energy become dance, and suddenly you will see that you don’t have any head-the energy stuck in the head is moving all around, creating beautiful patterns, pictures, movement. And when you dance there comes a moment when your body is no longer a rigid thing, it becomes flexible flowing. When you dance there comes a moment when your boundary is no longer so clear; you melt and merge with the cosmos, the boundaries are mixing.
Watch a dancer-you will see that he/she has become an energy phenomenon, no longer in a fixed form, and becoming more alive, more and more alive. But only if you dance yourself will you know what really happens. The head inside disappears; again you are a child. Then you don’t create any problems.
Live, dance, eat, sleep, do things as totally as possible. And remember again and again: Whenever you catch yourself creating any problem, slip out of it, immediately. Once you get into the problem then a solution will be needed. And even if you find a solution, out of that solution a thousand and one problems will arise again. Once you miss the first step you are in the trap.
Whenever you see that now you are slipping into a problem, catch hold of yourself-run, jump, dance, but don’t get into the problem. Do something immediately so that the energy that was creating the problems becomes fluid, unfrozen, melts, goes back to the cosmos.
I am very grateful that a dear friend of mine instructed me to walk on to the 5rhythms dance floor. It has been profound. I am noticing the rhythms in my day-to-day life. I am gaining more and more courage with every pirouette and shuffle. I am also lucky enough to be creating beautiful connections with other members of the 5rhythms community. Beautiful people who all have their own beautiful dances that inspire a special illumined movement through my life.
Hope to see you on a dance floor somewhere!
From the world dictionary:
Dancer: 1. ( intr ) to move the feet and body rhythmically, esp. in time to music
So how did this come about? This dancing component of my life?
Was it Lionel Ritchie’s inspirational song Dancing on a Ceiling?
Was it the dodgy Dance instructor from my High School days?
Was it the electric-boogaloo of 1984?
Well in all honestly a little bit of all of that has played a role, but it has taken 5rhythms dancing devised by Gabrielle Roth for my true inner kinesthetic intelligence to really emerge out and grace the dance floor. 5Rhythms dancing takes a dancer through 5 rhythms of music that are utilised to inspire the dancer to embrace 5 rhythms that occur in life, nature and the universe. The 5rhythms journey encompasses music that encapsulates firstly music that represents Flow, then Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical and finishes up with Stillness. And as the band the Dirty projectors would sing, “Stillness is a move!” So you walk onto the dance floor, which is sacred space, and you let go of your ego and self-consciousness and dance. Dance for the sake of dance. Dance to shake off the day. Dance to put rhythm and energy into your life. Dance for therapy. Dance for love. Dance with/to Spirit. Dance for sadness. Dance to let go. Dance to embrace. Dance to get your groove on!
Here are some poignant words about the power of dance from the mystic OSHO’s book, “Joy-The Happiness That Comes from Within.”
If people can dance a little more, sing a little more, be a little crazier, their energy will be flowing more and their problems will by and by disappear.
Hence, I insist so much on dance. Dance to orgasm; let the whole energy become dance, and suddenly you will see that you don’t have any head-the energy stuck in the head is moving all around, creating beautiful patterns, pictures, movement. And when you dance there comes a moment when your body is no longer a rigid thing, it becomes flexible flowing. When you dance there comes a moment when your boundary is no longer so clear; you melt and merge with the cosmos, the boundaries are mixing.
Watch a dancer-you will see that he/she has become an energy phenomenon, no longer in a fixed form, and becoming more alive, more and more alive. But only if you dance yourself will you know what really happens. The head inside disappears; again you are a child. Then you don’t create any problems.
Live, dance, eat, sleep, do things as totally as possible. And remember again and again: Whenever you catch yourself creating any problem, slip out of it, immediately. Once you get into the problem then a solution will be needed. And even if you find a solution, out of that solution a thousand and one problems will arise again. Once you miss the first step you are in the trap.
Whenever you see that now you are slipping into a problem, catch hold of yourself-run, jump, dance, but don’t get into the problem. Do something immediately so that the energy that was creating the problems becomes fluid, unfrozen, melts, goes back to the cosmos.
I am very grateful that a dear friend of mine instructed me to walk on to the 5rhythms dance floor. It has been profound. I am noticing the rhythms in my day-to-day life. I am gaining more and more courage with every pirouette and shuffle. I am also lucky enough to be creating beautiful connections with other members of the 5rhythms community. Beautiful people who all have their own beautiful dances that inspire a special illumined movement through my life.
Hope to see you on a dance floor somewhere!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
A Vision Quest Begins.
A couple of weekends ago I began my seven month men’s journey with the purpose of being ready to undertake a Vision Quest. For those unfamiliar with the term ‘Vision Quest’, it has been a ritual of initiation used by indigenous cultures to enhance another stage of one’s life journey. The ‘Vision Quest’ model used by the ‘Seven Sun’s Men’s Journey’ experience will be a four day, three night affair, where the Quester will walk to his spot on the mountain, create a sacred circle of about seven steps in diameter, light a scared fire and sit, tend the fire and survive without food, water and sleep for the duration. In preparation for the quest, each month has a theme of learning and experience that takes the Quester through different archetypes of man: The Warrior, The Green Man (Ecological), The Blue Man (Sacred), The Lover and The King.
My dear friend Jeremy would probably grumble at my attempt to process this journey or even advertise it any way. In his words, “You’re going up the mountain, that’s all you need to know!”
Despite of this, I write this to hopefully inspire others to take this step out of the boundaries of physical and metaphysical endurance we set for ourselves in our daily survival.
Bill Plotkin, author of Soulcraft describes the vision quest as a wilderness fast. This may add an extra dimension to what is to be undertaken. For me what becomes apparent from this label is that you are letting go of the attachment and security that food, shelter, comfort etc offers. The purpose of this letting go is to allow new things to take their place. The vision quest is aptly named as for many ‘Sitters’ an altered state of consciousness creates a hypersensitive state where a song from a bird, a drop of dew or the light from the moon could allow a profound shift in thinking or a message to assist the sitter in their life when they come back down from the mountain.
Plotkin in ‘SoulCraft’ describes that during various archetypal stages of life that we progress through, we experience and we learn. However sometimes life throws us a challenge that we feel we don’t have the capacity to process. Some people buy a Porsche, get a divorce, get a haircut, see a therapist, go on holiday, quit their job or quit their life to find meaning and/or excitement. They seek answers to big questions such as, “Why me?”,”Who am I?”, “What now?”, “What is my purpose?”
For me the questions came thick and fast when my father passed on. In the raw state of witnessing the transition of a life force from this earthly domain, I was confronted with questioning my own life. Was it the life that I really wanted to be living?
Was I fulfilling my purpose?
Was I fulfilling anything?
Or was I just on autopilot? (Wake, eat, commute, work, commute, eat, Sleep, repeat.)
So I pushed the reset button on my life. I wanted adventure, I wanted to uncover mysteries and I wanted wonder and magic again in my life. From that moment of realisation I noticed the synchronicity of the word Pilgrim coming often into my existence. A pilgrimage is a healing journey. I didn’t have the funds or energy to walk the Camino but with an intention of starting a pilgrimage, I put one step forward into the abyss and became a pilgrim in our modern world. You wouldn’t know it from looking at me I don’t wear a symbol or wave a flag. I just began to live with purpose and mindfulness. With this intention the magic began...
It was amazing to see the theme of 'Quest' emerging in the film "Eat, Pray, Love". I will share this with you to inspire your own journeys of discovering and remembering of who you are.
“…I’ve come to believe that there exists in the universe something I call “The Physics of The Quest” – a force of nature governed by laws as real as the laws gravity or momentum. And the rule of Quest Physics maybe goes like this: “If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared – most of all – to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself….then truth will not be withheld from you.” Or so I’ve come to believe.”
Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray Love
So yes, I have begun a focussed Vision Quest journey, but I have noticed that really, just by giving myself an intention of opening up my world to learn for myself, my communities and my planet, I am finding myself meeting amazing people, having amazing adventures and having my mind and heart expanded on many occasion. One step at a time, “Three eyes smiling”, “Three eyes opened”!
Let the wonder and magic continue.
It started with just one step.
My dear friend Jeremy would probably grumble at my attempt to process this journey or even advertise it any way. In his words, “You’re going up the mountain, that’s all you need to know!”
Despite of this, I write this to hopefully inspire others to take this step out of the boundaries of physical and metaphysical endurance we set for ourselves in our daily survival.
Bill Plotkin, author of Soulcraft describes the vision quest as a wilderness fast. This may add an extra dimension to what is to be undertaken. For me what becomes apparent from this label is that you are letting go of the attachment and security that food, shelter, comfort etc offers. The purpose of this letting go is to allow new things to take their place. The vision quest is aptly named as for many ‘Sitters’ an altered state of consciousness creates a hypersensitive state where a song from a bird, a drop of dew or the light from the moon could allow a profound shift in thinking or a message to assist the sitter in their life when they come back down from the mountain.
Plotkin in ‘SoulCraft’ describes that during various archetypal stages of life that we progress through, we experience and we learn. However sometimes life throws us a challenge that we feel we don’t have the capacity to process. Some people buy a Porsche, get a divorce, get a haircut, see a therapist, go on holiday, quit their job or quit their life to find meaning and/or excitement. They seek answers to big questions such as, “Why me?”,”Who am I?”, “What now?”, “What is my purpose?”
For me the questions came thick and fast when my father passed on. In the raw state of witnessing the transition of a life force from this earthly domain, I was confronted with questioning my own life. Was it the life that I really wanted to be living?
Was I fulfilling my purpose?
Was I fulfilling anything?
Or was I just on autopilot? (Wake, eat, commute, work, commute, eat, Sleep, repeat.)
So I pushed the reset button on my life. I wanted adventure, I wanted to uncover mysteries and I wanted wonder and magic again in my life. From that moment of realisation I noticed the synchronicity of the word Pilgrim coming often into my existence. A pilgrimage is a healing journey. I didn’t have the funds or energy to walk the Camino but with an intention of starting a pilgrimage, I put one step forward into the abyss and became a pilgrim in our modern world. You wouldn’t know it from looking at me I don’t wear a symbol or wave a flag. I just began to live with purpose and mindfulness. With this intention the magic began...
It was amazing to see the theme of 'Quest' emerging in the film "Eat, Pray, Love". I will share this with you to inspire your own journeys of discovering and remembering of who you are.
“…I’ve come to believe that there exists in the universe something I call “The Physics of The Quest” – a force of nature governed by laws as real as the laws gravity or momentum. And the rule of Quest Physics maybe goes like this: “If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared – most of all – to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself….then truth will not be withheld from you.” Or so I’ve come to believe.”
Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray Love
So yes, I have begun a focussed Vision Quest journey, but I have noticed that really, just by giving myself an intention of opening up my world to learn for myself, my communities and my planet, I am finding myself meeting amazing people, having amazing adventures and having my mind and heart expanded on many occasion. One step at a time, “Three eyes smiling”, “Three eyes opened”!
Let the wonder and magic continue.
It started with just one step.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
