Ordinary People
“Ordinary People” enjoy embellishing themselves with every spontaneous whim. They like to keep busy to avoid looking for too long at themselves as they continue to accumulate material wealth. An “Ordinary Person” is too caught up in their “life” to notice their surroundings and is always busy defending their identity and the personal story they have created. Neglecting the flow of inexplicable forces that have existed long before their inception, ordinary folk continue living life as if it is all up to them. Seeking refuge in weekend workshops that promise an easy answer to life’s turmoil and reading self help books expecting to miraculously find the answer to all of life’s conflicts, people continue to delude themselves. Meanwhile they still hope that something from above will miraculously fall into their lap. “Why not?” one rationalizes, “I have been doing so much personal development”. Although this is important and valid, there is one very important element that is lacking. In fact, this missing element is the foundation that needs to be laid before moving on to any of this other work. Without this, life will continue to crumble beneath one’s feet and leave one wondering what went wrong. However with a strong foundation those weekend workshops will have soil within which to grow. This foundation of which I speak is one’s personal connection to nature and thus spirit.
The Beginning…
In the book “Daughter of the Sun” Tall Girl was revered by all, loved by all. But after being rejected by her parents whom she so dearly looked up to, she was forced into exile where she began the journey to find herself. How did she go about this? Did she become lost in illusion and lies that the material world has to offer? NO. She began weaving a new story of creation into life. She did this by going back to the womb, back to her roots. The mud house where her mother kept her prisoner is symbolic of the womb, the center of creation. It is the womb that is our first connection to the natural world. She also began learning the ancient language of the land to sing her soul back to life. What song will you sing to bring your soul back to life? Letting go of everything she had ever known she fled into the unknown and was even willing to dive into the mysterious kingdom of the ocean. This is how all initiations into the ancient ways have to begin-in nature. Remember, the natural world is our physical connection to the mystery, to spirit, even to ourselves.
Whenever we are truly attempting to connect with ourselves we must disconnect from the modern world where our story resides.
Nature has its own intelligence and is a part of us. Nature has its own language, songs, patterns, depth, and stories. Nature is where our ancestors have left important messages to help guide us in these difficult times. Nature is where our hearts can feel safe to express themselves, thus allowing spirit to move through us. This is where forgotten magic happens.
Indigenous thinking starts from an entirely different paradigm than we use today in which nature and mind are one. Nomadic people lived closely connected to their environment; this was not merely a philosophy or theory, but a matter of life and death. If you are not one with the environment, you could sleep in the wrong place and become prey of animals, starve, or freeze to death.
A Little Story of My Own…
As a Shaman, I have had to deeply learn the ways of nature. There were many moments when my very life depended on my connection to the elements, the earth, and my spirit helpers. My most intense experiences have always happened in the presence of nature as my witness. I could never have had these experiences in the modern world surrounded by the comfort of food, a fluffy bed, the concrete jungle, or even hot water. To truly know yourself and see something you have never seen, you have to strip away distractions and creature comforts. Think about what this really means for YOU. Life consists of continually facing the terror and pleasure of becoming a new individual. Are you up for the task?
What Can You Do?
Look at your addiction to food, comfort, other people’s compliments or judgments of you, habits, dining out, stockpiling useless material possessions, and on and on we go and around the merry go round we spin, not knowing where we will land but thinking we are always in control. Guess what. You are not! Your shadow is behind the steering wheel. Do you want to be a passenger in your own life or do you want to be the driver?
Are you sick and tired of things not working out for you in life? Does it seem like things open up for you just to have a door slam in your face soon after? Do you not get why things are not working out the way you planned? Are you ruled by your fears? Are you ready to take that leap of faith into the unknown? Do you believe you are the center of the universe? Or do you want to be an active participant and co-creator? That’s what I’m talking about!
So, do not fear dear brave warriors. As we prepare for our trip to Panama let us find our courage, open our hearts, dare to be uncomfortable, get out of our own way, pick up our drum with which we will sing our song, and journey onward into the unknown… (Please bring bio friendly bug spray for more comfortable travels, HA!)
…To be continued…
