Showing posts with label ritual. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ritual. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

WOOD CRAFTING Part 2 The Ledge continues ... Installment #4 Lokea Bird

I have saved the sharing of Part 2 "The Ledge" until now. Soon, the Ledge will become a history that will be recalled with selective tinkerings. The vessel of authorship is a collaboration between the sources of knowing and the the dense network that might be called perceiving reality. The fairy tale of Wood Crafting wrote itself while the life we had known up till that Spring became part of Nature's cycles. Neither Pete nor I had ever experienced the deep quiet, deep dark and starry skies or the richness of life that teems in the woods.

My spiritual life has always been rich, and my imagination broad. Life on the Ledge took hold of me and truly began to reassemble my hold on what is important. This next installment describe the character Lokea Bird come to rest on the ledge in the woods.


WOOD CRAFTING

Written by Mokihana Calizar
Copyright, 2009

Please enjoy the tale for your own pleasure,
but do not reprint it or copy it for any other purpose without permission from the author.

(see the sidebar for my contact info)


Lokea Bird

Weariness wore her like wet wool, shoulders rounded into her full chest, Lokea was tired. The years of wandering had filled her with sights and sounds from dozens of places on the Great Planet. It was her destiny to seek and find the many ways in which mortal kind had used, or abused the treasures of Grace. The slightly sadistic humor of The Creators, as I view mortal destiny, lies in the erasures to coil memory The Creators leave when humans are born. Unlike the eggs and hatchlings of covey and warren where newly birthed Wood Crafters arrive fully aware and with total memory of their warming and their grace, human coil is braided with a miniscule space … a missing link. I have been taught to remember the space as an erasure and a place where mortal will resides. Remember Geoff the Grand? He was a Grey, a blend of mortal and more. His story of reassembling hints at the adventures to come for Lokea Bird during her days and nights on The Ledge.

A great sigh of relief dropped from Lokea’s heart. “Made it.”Lokea exclaimed. She held tight to her friend Briscoe and both did a jig of celebration on the hard driveway between The Ledge and The Family’s mansion. Briscoe and her mate Baines were part of the mini-caravan following the dandelion wagon from the city to the woods. Briscoe and Baines, like Anna and Joshua were friends of a life-time. These were loyal and unwavering friends who took Lokea and Pat into their homes when no safe harbor existed. Without question and with open-hearts Briscoe, Baines, Anna and Joshua embraced without judgment. The Creators and the Fairy Folk watch episodes such as this. Lokea hung back on The Ledge after Baines and Pat had secured the vardo into place. Tears filled her old eyes, still vibrant though less brilliant. “Thank you Ke Akua and all the residents of this place,” her prayers were silent, conned as she had been taught she filled the space with her acknowledgment.

Tutu and Traveling Frog listened. Traveling Frog turned to look into the sky, searching for Tutu’s face. He saw in the lines of the ancient fir a smile of recollection. He saw the prayers enter the deep crevices of the ancient fir’s thick skin as she absorbed the appreciation. “Ah,” T.F. sighed to himself. “Family.” A round brocade purse with a zipper for an enclosure held the small collection of jewels Lokea still called her own. A heavy circle of yellow metal, a bracelet, lengths of colored beads and several shiny stones hung from golden filigree. The narrow pathway cleared around the vardo did not disturb the seedlings that sprouted below Tutu. From the brocade purse Lokea drew four pieces. Two shiny orange stones dangling from gold filigree were hung from the tiny limbs of a seedling hemlock. Along with the stones Lokea hung a silver ring with an oval of pink quartz. “Hope you like them!” She said, this time using voice. Two other jewels, these long thin ovals made of mother of pearl were hung on the branches of a small pine. Other treasures, sea shells from her ocean home were offered as indicators of the places from which she had lived before. “To let you know my lineage,” she said continuing her ceremony. That done, Lokea Bird raised her arms with conscious memory of her linkage to All, flapped her outstretched arms and spun in circles before nearly losing her balance. “Almost too old and worn to do that,” she said to no one in particular, felt a grin bubble across her face and satisfied with her offering went to the celebration beginning inside the mansion.

Monday, March 9, 2009

We're been to the woods

Pete in the woods after transplanting the madrona (in the pot just in front of him).
Smooth stones outline the shape of VARDOFORTWO with wooden wheel blocks.
Pete leveling out a spot to put down the wheel blocks.
Jane Dog giving permission.
Mokihana with her O`o (digging & walking stick)


Yesterday Pete and I took the Fauntleroy-Southworth ferry from West Seattle to the Olympic Peninsula. We took a trip to foothills of the Olympic Mountains, to be in the woods. We went to ask permission of the woods and our friends Turtle and Pellet. The wee home on wheels and We ... Pete, Mokihana and Jots the kitty need a place to connect. As we decided which materials to use and as Pete flipped through his inventory of ways to do things, we have always had to make time to ask for clarity, and permission. Yesterday, we drove to the woods with a protocol of permission and rituals to formally ask permission from the firs, pines and hemlocks, the pohaku (stones) and the `aina (the ground). This journey of building a home is all inclusive with the beings that have been long before us.

Turtle, Jane Dog and I went to the spot that has been designed the Vardo Place. It was a chilly day, with morning temperature of 27 degrees. I brought a quilt along to the Vardo Place and Turtle and Jane Dog wrapped themselves on it as I brought the offerings of place to the women's ritual: 4 special tokens for the 4 directions ... three shells from my Island home and a fourth shell from the shores of Alkai Beach where I walk nearly every day. The trees and the land need to be introduced to the places that come with me. Turtle and Jane Dog live on and with these trees everyday, walk this land many times a day. I came to represent the newcomers.

We three women listened and asked permission. There were no objections, and Jane and Turtle were also told that Jots the Kitty would come with us ... she stayed home but her name needed to be included in the story. Turtle was thrilled to hear Jots was coming along, and Jane just needed to know in advance ... she doesn't like surprises. With the rituals completed, the two men who were inside the big house talking basketball, could get to the next part: bringing out some tools and agreeing on logistics. The vardo will be tucked into a spot just off the driveway overlooking a beautiful meadow and pond. The porch of the vardo will probably face north east. A clearing in front of the porch is our envisioned shared garden spot. Our compost pile (which we'll bring along) will find a home in that garden. Only a couple small trees, one fir and a madrona, needed to be transplanted to make room for the vardo. Stakes were laid to measure the 12 foot length and 7 feet of vardo width. Beautiful smooth stones from the land now outline the shape of VARDOFORTWO.

Turtle baked delicious lemon tea cookies, and brought them to the woods while warm. Yummy.
Slabs of salmon and Washington potatoes and carrots all from the West Seattle Farmer's Market was our Sunday meal. A feast of appreciation. The journey continues, with building a community in the foothills of the Olympic Peninsula. The trees, some of them two hundred years old, survivors of the clear-cutters make such clean pure oxygen. After a day in the woods my oxygen-starved cells were plumped, and we're excited!

We're back in the city with plenty to do before hitch-up time later this month.

Cheers! Mokihana and Pete

Saturday, December 27, 2008

DREAM COMING TRUE WEEK 9

clipart Credit: www.designedtoat.com
New Moon in Capricorn
Saturday, December 27, 2008
4:22am PST
6ยบ 08

Today is the NEW MOON, in the sign of Capricorn. The moon was in the sign of Capricorn when I was born. This new moon is an important one for me, and it can be a very important time for any one to use the energy of ritual and intention to set goals for the future. I am not a teacher of astrology. I am a student of nature, a new earth soul with a spiritual memory and connection with ALL THAT IS; astrology is one way I stay connected. To be honest, being human is difficult for me. I don't get 'being human' without a great deal of effort. Many of my early years and challenges have been lived toughing it out under cover, not letting on, keeping any errant emotions and 'judged' weaknesses closeted. That's an almost impossible way to be human and in my case those emotions have simply gotten riled up inside for a very long time, but that's what some astrologers refer to as the initial half of a Capricorn's journey ... a tough go.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivities have (plural ... many sensitivities, some not yet identified, others morphible) challenged my Capricorn Moon in an unlikely, yet uniquely right for me, way. I am in the second half of my life at sixty-one and I believe MCS is teaching me to COMMIT to being human. And human is not a solitary experience, like one of my favorite astrologers has suggested it's important to make 'suffering' public so the energy of the collective can shine on you. Of course, there is the down-side of that. There are negative forces who might prey on the weakness of your/my situation so Sensitives are often wise to remain protective of their episodes of grief. For me, on this DREAM COMING TRUE WEEK 9 post it's important for me to blather through and use the power of blog as a commitment to be human. Yesterday I had a winter melt-down and I let you in on it. I needed to allow myself the experience of grief, once again. Exposures trigger grief and fear. I asked for support from my long-time counselor and sister with MCS, my husband Pete, and my own dear self who knew the tired and true ritual of rest would work if embraced it, and not struggle. And through the blogsphere my favorite astrology consoled and reminded me the new moon is today.

I am better today, the fear and grief have passed, and taught me more about being human. The energy of the goat Capricorn inspires me to make use of all the Saturnian energy of this NEW MOON. Here is a link to a site I found very useful as Pete and I appreciate and prepare for our ritual of setting goals on the Capricorn New Moon: http://www.astrowisdom.com/thisnewmoon.htm

Transforming our life with VARDOFORTWO is a long-term project, a real, adult project that will need more than wishing to make it happen. So as the year ends, I think my DREAM COMING TRUE Posts will also change. See if you catch the change.

THIS WEEK I HAVE $25,600 which I save to build our dreams.

THE TEN THINGS FOR WHICH I AM APPRECIATIVE THIS WEEK ARE:

1. I appreciate meditation.

2. I appreciate astrology.

3. I appreciate goofy songs like "The Hampster Dance Song"

4. I appreciate clean air to breathe.

5. I appreciate the smell of pineapple upside-down cake baking.

6. I appreciate process.

7. I appreciate the moon.

8. I appreciate the sun.

9. I appreciate the ocean.

10. I appreciate Pete.