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Back in 2016 I did one of the most amazing things, if not the most amazing thing I've ever done. The Sacred Valley of the Incas in Peru is something that has to be seen to be believed. It had taken me more than ten years to make it to this destination. I remember thinking of it and getting goosebumps even back then; I intuitively I knew the place had some amazing things in store for me. I wasn’t wrong…
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Blinded by the false light
Convinced there is no dark night
While the shadows whisper truths
That we stubbornly refuse
Streetlight through the crack in the curtain... on this dark January night, I see you. You are artificial, yet you give off a subtle and warm orange glow, merging with the mist on my window panes. You'll keep me awake, I think, as I move to close the curtain. But I stop, as it dawns on me that artificial as you are, you remind me of something important.
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Thank you, beautiful Earth, for always sustaining me. I love you with all of my being and I note your awe-inspiring beauty every day. I am hurt by the things that dark humanity does to damage you. I see you as an unspeakably powerful, sentient being; one that gives endlessly yet is taken for granted and abused by too many. Thank you for giving me hope and facilitating my life lessons…
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Cognitive dissonance: words bandied about by frustrated ‘conspiracy theorists’ as a verbal slap in the face to those ‘plugged into the matrix’. Justified or otherwise, cognitive dissonance (conflicting attitudes, beliefs, values or behaviours that often result in a varying degrees of discomfort or confusion) is undeniably a major reason for western society drifting further and further from anything resembling conscious, connected community.
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I am going to attempt to describe the indescribable. No words can accurately convey the following experiences, but I have attempted to articulate them as best I can. These were some of my earliest experiences and insights. An ayahuasca ceremony seemed to have prepared me well for a huachuma ceremony, but in hindsight I would say that huachuma may be an even better preparation for ayahuasca, due to its gentle approach and the way it encourages...
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Guilt seems to be a transient emotion that arises as a result of some definable event or other within which we made an error; generally at the emotional cost of another, or perhaps to the detriment of the environment. It is more frequently extended to the self, thanks to habits and tendencies deemed destructive by society, and especially close peers. If left unchecked, it will stunt your spiritual growth...
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Facing one’s own death is an abstract concept. How do you begin? It doesn't mean standing at the edge of a cliff, risking a fatal fall. It simply means to consider it. Some say they don't fear death. Perhaps it is more that they don't take the idea too seriously. If the fear is acknowledged, it may be rooted in several things: Pain, change, attachment, loss of identity, and mostly fear of the unknown...
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There's no doubt about it. We are living in testing times. All is not what it seems, but even when we realise this, it seems that others around us don't. This is a frustrating and bewildering experience; one that can take time to process and accept. The question is, when you know that things are not 'right' (from a material world perspective, at least), how do you affect positive change?
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As is often the case, it took me a long time and a lot of painful lessons before I was to appreciate myself for what I am. I am sharing this piece with the aim of giving hope and some support to those out there struggling with self-esteem and self-worth issues. It can be a long journey but it helps to know we are not the only one making it.
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This amazing mother planet gives us everything we need;
And in return we damage her, sit back and watch her bleed.
You would not hurt your family, stand by and watch them cry;
So why succumb to apathy, always turning a blind eye?
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A diverse group came together from around the world, but with one intention in common: to experience the teachings of the plants, plus community and local wild nature. I’m emotional writing this, so profound was the connection with this group. So much happened and a lot of it was beyond description, but I will attempt to summarize it...
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If our mood is low, we can't easily appreciate the world around us without forcing a change in perception. When our mood is high, we see the beauty in life effortlessly. It didn't disappear just because our mood was low, so we have a choice...
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I sometimes hear talk in the spiritual communities declaring that money is evil. I can understand where it comes from and I like the notion of going back to exchange, but there are holes in this idea. Bartering/exchange could only work on a local scale, in communities with shared values. To think that we could return to ancient methods in a bid to shake off the perceived 'evil' that is money doesn’t seem realistic...
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Art by Nic Warner www.society6.com/amidreaming
I call you, and a shiver snakes
Down your spine
As we entwine
You know that now
While time stands still
You're mine
If I impress, let it not be because I tried for it. Like the hollow success of winning through cheating at a game, I detract from my wholeness by offering up selected facets as polished, shining gems, and for what? A validation devoid of meaning; a badge of honour presented by unqualified hands...
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This is a snapshot of one of our plant medicine retreats at the Merkaba community. It was everything I could have wished for and more. The depth of feeling and the scope of healing are not easily put into words, like the medicine experience itself; language is limitation when trying to convey something as profound as the deep connections between people free to be their authentic selves...
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A plant medicine experience may result in such self-assuredness that the ego actually strengthens - the exact opposite of most people’s intentions. Plant spirits are intelligent enough to know humans inside out. If we aren't truly listening to them, might they even encourage our egos to get so out of control that we trip ourselves up later, leading to understandings the plant wasn’t able to induce in the ceremonies?
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Before we reject that innate part of ourselves, that unhealed part that wants to scream at a parent, judge someone’s behaviour, cry in public, etc.; let’s remember that we have all possibilities within us. Everything from a murderer to a ‘saint’. There are times when you have to visit your pain, really feel it to stop rejecting it. The creator gave us the ability to cry tears and feel anger and confusion for a reason...
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With huachuma, ego just slips out the back door. I wasn’t required to work on anything, it just infused my entire being with love and appreciation so that I could see my own potential and my human power more clearly. This isn’t a delusional feeling due to being intoxicated; on the contrary, it just removes the layers of illusion, the false conceptions of the ego and unnecessary fears...
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