Returning to Sedona (with a stop-over at the Grand Canyon) was a surprise journey this year that felt very important. I found it interesting I had to cancel my Florida trip right before it, but that this trip remained intact for me.

There are just some places you are meant to be and others not.

Since Sedona has always been a powerfully potent activation place for me that supports my big shifts, it made sense that my bunny loves wanted me home the week before, to integrate between Goshen and Sedona, and prepare myself with some nurturing. I believe they also wanted to infuse mom with some supportive energy and love for the journey while I supported them too.

To add to my feeling of it being an important trip, I made a very synchronous and interesting discovery while in Sedona about it being a very full-circle experience, as the time period I first moved to Sedona for two years was during my #9 personal Hermit year (overlapping with my my #8 and #1 years) and here I was again in another #9 personal year spending the most time I have in Sedona since then.

I lived in Sedona between ’96 and ’98 and have visited several times in between for specific purposes of either visiting my parents, taking classes with Laura, getting a tattoo, mini vacations, and showing my art at the Raw Spirit Festival – all at integral time periods in my life.

For me, Sedona’s powerful energy vortexes are transformatively supportive and it’s a place that I dip in and out when needed for a jet propulsion.

However, my time when I lived in Sedona was not quite what you’d expect. It was full-on personal and spiritual growth focused, utilizing the energy of this potent land to fuel that expansion and integrative healing. So, I spent my time by myself cut off from everyone and everything I knew (I walked away from my life as it was), deeply working on myself on all of the layers I possibly could on my own from pre-birth to my current year in age, within my own experience, and only got out to select areas some times to anchor in the work I was doing. But I never really explored thoroughly this powerful place.

It wasn’t important at the time to do so, as Sedona in and of itself is a transformational energy zone that simply by my being there intentfully was supporting this process. Sedona became my partner in this personal work that offered me a hand that I embraced. 

So, I was happy and grateful to be able to spend some more actual immersion connecting this time, during another important period in my life. It was a trip that almost wasn’t going to happen, but the Universe and my Higher Self saw to it that it did. And I felt that only specific areas were calling for me to go to while there…the others for another time in the near future.

And such a different experience it is for me each time I return to Sedona…this one really feeling like a soul cleanse and soul recharge. Plus, I got to have some fun and everything felt specifically orchestrated from the heart and supported on all levels and by so many spirit guides.

I also discovered that I’d be in Sedona for the Strawberry Full Moon in Sagittarius, unknowingly. This Moon was about “seeing through the fog of illusion to pierce the truth within”, which feels connected to Joy’s blind left eye and how she is “seeing” in a different way now and bringing that experience within my own. This Moon was also about grounding the electric and creative energy abound with wise discernment, which also felt very aligned with where I am.

And the trip was indeed a lovely and seamless experience of supported and nurturing energies that I will continue to integrate and draw upon in the days, weeks, and months ahead. One of my favorite “return” trips ever to Sedona.

This trip was organized by Dave’s family so it wasn’t something I put together or “timed” in any physically deliberate way, although soulfully these things are always aligned beyond conscious purpose. It makes you smile when you see how the Universe and your Higher Self always indeed have your back and support you when you trust and embrace your path.

So I did have this built up excitement about returning to Sedona and also to be able to revisit the Grand Canyon, which I hadn’t been to for likely 30+ years or so.

My trip began with another early start to make my three connections to meet up with Dave coming in from Florida and to get to Flagstaff, AZ on Sunday the 31st, which had us touching down at exactly 1:11 pm in Flagstaff! We then picked up our rental car, which was a cute white Ford “Focus”, which also seemed relevant to the eye stuff with Joy, and the clarity in general that is coming through in a deeper way.

We found out that the rest of his family was deterred and delayed in their travels, so we had the day to ourselves until meeting up with his dad and stepmom for refreshments overlooking the Canyon in the evening upon their arrival.

This provided us some good time to settle in and enjoy a long walk along the perimeter of the Canyon after checking into our room. We first were going to be staying in the “Bright Angel” Lodge, but we asked if there were any room upgrades available, as when we made the reservation everything was booked and we got a room without view and with a shared shower. We were pleasantly pleased to find them saying they now did in fact have one room opening at the “Thunderbird” Lodge that had a partial view and full bath. 🙂

Rocking and rolling the energy at “Thunderbird”!

After that lovely little gift we then enjoyed the Grand Canyon energy on a walk to take in the views, sent some energy out to protect the Canyon and to receive her nurturing and blessings, and took time to sit along the way and just “be”.

It was such a lovely afternoon and evening that finished off with sharing arrival drinks with his parents overlooking the Canyon sunset and a wonderful dinner.

Dave and I always share beautiful encounters with the wild animals, having impeccable timing and awareness to see and connect with them.

Our whole trip drew in many animal spirit guides, which all got kicked off when first approaching the Grand Canyon, at the Canyon, and then continuing for the rest of the week in Sedona and surrounding areas. Such a blessing.

On our first day at the Canyon we saw many deer, lizards, chipmunks, and squirrels, but our second day brought these encounters even closer and in more abundance.

We woke early to take a pre-breakfast 2+ mile walk along the side of the perimeter walk along the Canyon, which we didn’t do the day before.

We came upon two deer directly in our path that just seemed to want to hang out and stroll ahead of us, and also tons of spunky chipmunks and squirrels running along the path with us, lizards, and even a rabbit blessing with white cotton tail.

But we also got to see several condors, which was truly magnificent and potent to watch them gliding and swooping above the Canyon.

After breakfast and taking another walk with the family, enjoying the Canyon through the eyes of our niece, Violet, we then gathered ourselves up and made the drive to Sedona, stopping along the way to check out a piece of property his parents own in an off-grid area.

The land is 40+ acres nestled against the National Forest, which was fun to see, and of course Dave and I got to see a giant black cow all by itself nestled amidst some trees resting, which seemed symbolic of the shadow in such a beautiful way, as well as a big jack rabbit with long ears and feet…reminding me of Cosmo.

No one else saw them, but us – again.

There were many themes abound for this past week, including self-nurturing, recharging, releasing, downloading the new, deepening connection, heart fulfillment, and integrating fears…to name a few. This was all assisted by staying in Sedona’s powerful energy, which has always, as mentioned, facilitated huge shifts for me.

The vortex energies are downloads of Universal receivings as to what is next and what Great Spirit has in store through the vehicle of me as contracted.

We were so fortunate to stay in an amazing house for the week that was situated right on the creek that runs through Sedona and in the Cathedral Rock vortex area.

The house itself sits on a vortex, as the owner shared stories of a previous Reiki Master Teacher and Shaman who stayed there and their experiences with this energy.

Anyway, needless to say the house was enchanting, amazing, and so tranquil…quite the sanctuary amidst the Sedona energy with flowing creek water and rustling trees in the wind…the perfect place to make home while there for this experience.

I so enjoyed dipping my feet and legs in the invigorating water, while just listening to the sounds and soaking it all in.

There was even an amazing telescope in the viewing room that enabled us to see the Full Moon on Tuesday, up close and very personal.

And it was such a warm welcome to find a giant Amethyst Geode in the living room, as well as a Faery statue by the front door, bunny statue by the outdoor fireplace, and three bunny statues adorning the shelf in our designated room. 😉 

 

 

The area we were in was “Back o’ Beyond,” which was a development that came about just after the development I used to live in with my parents, which was named “Mystic Hills” and situated just across and slightly south of where we lived across the highway.

So it was fun to be back in relatively the same area of Sedona that I love. Everything just felt so divinely orchestrated. I couldn’t have been more grateful or felt more blessed.

The only Crystal from home, besides several bracelets, rings and necklace I brought with me was a Rainbow Obsidian palm stone that I slept with each night and took out with me on hikes to connect and anchor the energy. I also let it soak of the creek water energy too.

It was a great companion I kept in my pocket on the hikes and climbs and then would lay it on stones at each vortex area when we got to the top, to infuse it with energy I could then take home with me, but also to provide a mirroring transformation to my crystal friend that would partner with me on the journey. The Rainbow Obsidian represents my soul path, having a Capricorn North Node, and so this felt important.
 
We enjoyed an amazing sunset welcome the first evening enjoying an outdoor dinner in a beautiful garden of our restaurant choice for the night. Every meal we had was enjoyed outdoors in fact, whether outdoor gardens, patios, or the sanctuary at the house.

After settling in, the rest of the week was a build up of lovely experiences and energy starting with an early morning hike and climb up Cathedral Rock Vortex to the “Saddle” and “Ascension Chamber”, which was amazing, on the first full day there to kick things in.

After, before lunch, Dave and I, along with his dad and step mom visited my old home so I could take photos of it at the request of my parents to see how things had evolved since the 9 years they sold it, and then made our way to Chapel Rock to take in the energies there and visit the Chapel overlooking the Madonna and Child and two Guardians next to Elephant Rock, which all resided over the house I lived in while there all those years ago.
 
These were my old stomping grounds, as I would take walks up to Chapel Rock to sit and meditate inside and outside after a long day of personal work and spiritual surgery 😉 – my only connection to the outside world at the time, as I’d meet people from all over the world on my walk and time up there.

We enjoyed several of the great restaurants including ChocolaTree Organic Oasis for some raw vegan goodness and of course chocolates and dessert we took home to enjoy the rest of the week. It was so lovely to see the amazing expansion this place has gone through since my first being there when it was new. They now have a huge back oasis patio and side patio. Such a wonderful energy and vibe there.

I went on a second hike with my partner’s brother’s wife/our sister-in-law around the Cathedral Rock lower trail area too this first day after lunch. And upon returning home a large lizard jumped off the table of our outdoor patio and wrapped around my ankle. LOL! Some nice medicine for the Full Moon day.

Not to mention got some great Creekside time just soaking in the amazing energies of the flowing, potent water and tons of musical birds, including a giant orange dragonfly that all graced this afternoon.

I was feeling totally enchanted.

We decided to take in the sunset with everyone and the tourists at the Airport Vortex, which is always quite the event and gathering. This evening was a very simple sunset compared to the night before…clear, piercing, and intentful.

That night there was a huge drum circle gathering at Cathedral Rock for the Full Moon (which was a 10 minute walk from the house), but we decided to embrace our intuition that getting a good nurturing sleep was more powerful than joining it. And so we did, falling asleep to the drums echoing in the evening air, lulling us to sleep for a nice long, restful night of downloads.

The next day we decided to do some touristy things, since most of the others had not been to Sedona, but they all felt very supportive to what I was there for.

So, we started off with a morning visiting Montezuma Castle National Monument, which are well-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings.

I was called to wear my Obsidian arrowhead ring this day and when we arrived at the grounds, three of the people that worked there, including a guide, stopped me when they were taken in by my dragon tattoo (the one I had actually had tattooed in Sedona by Siva on my last visit to Sedona a few years back).

I remember visiting these ruins years back a couple of times, but this time felt different due to the space I was in personally. And as we read the information on the history inside the museum area at front, there was a hand print that they had found in the ruins there that you could place your hand in to see how it compared to the people of the time.

Mine was a perfect match and this ran chills through me knowing the connection. No one else’s fit that I was with or that was around trying it at the time.

The other odd, but interesting thing that happened was that our three-year-old niece, Violet, who is a very intuitive, seeing, and advanced child asked me a question. We were sitting listening to this guide who just came over and started telling us information, when Violet whispered to her dad something. Her dad said to ask me and she got shy, but eventually she did and asked very seriously and with conviction, “Are you an Indian?” to me. I giggled inside and out and said, “why yes, I am”.

She “sees” so much and I’ve found it fascinating to listen to stories from her mom about the things she intuits and “knows”.

To say I felt like my ancient roots were being embodied was an understatement, and it seemed I couldn’t hide it either. 😉

After our walk through the ruins we then made our way to Verde Canyon Railroad for an afternoon train ride for several hours. It just so happened to be in the town adjacent to where a dear friend of mine lives…one I had never met in person until this day.

Dawn and I share the same Reiki Master Teacher extraordinaire, Laura Bruno, and we have been friends for several years online, sharing much of our journeys and synchronicities together. So it was quite the gift that timing aligned for us to connect, even if just briefly. I did not know if I was going to be able to meet up with her or not, but Dave had the idea when we realized where we would be, for her to meet us for lunch at the train station.

And so Dawn did…and we got to share a hug and a good meal together, which was truly a gift. It’s always special to make that in-person connection when it aligns and as I shared with Dawn, even though brief, it is potent and creates an activation for what’s to come when things like this happen.

So grateful for divine flow and grateful Dawn could make it, as I had just caught her before she was about ready to head out for lunch at the last minute.

The train ride was also very relaxing and quite beautiful. As mentioned, Dave and I always have this uncanny way of “seeing” and connecting with animals when together and this was no exception. We saw three Bald Eagles, horses, two unusual ducks, and a family of javelina (wild pigs) – mother and babies. No one else saw them except for the horses, which we pointed out.

It was a lot of fun and relaxing and I enjoyed the symbolism of crossing over a bridge twice and entering the tunnel twice…leaving the old, embracing the journey without knowing the outcome – just trusting – and then welcoming the completely new, which arrives after you go into the dark and shadows with courage.

I noted that I was experiencing a lot of train energy between my visit with Laura in Goshen where trains go by consistently choo-chooing through and now this train ride in Sedona. Made me think of my train dream and post “Riding the Train of Life”.

A long and enjoyable day ended with us all enjoying Thai take-out on our outdoor patio amidst the evening sky and bright moon-lit sky, followed by a lovely star-lit walk around the neighborhood with Dave’s dad and step-mom.

And wouldn’t you know it…as soon as we returned back to the house I picked up something unusual in the sky, with my Eagle eye, which his dad then also saw. It moved quite erratically, and was faint like a star, jumping about and disappearing and reappearing. We knew it was an un-Earthly craft. 😉

This night I slept well again, but had a dream interacting with the reader we were going to be seeing the next morning – Ray of Sedona.

In the dream he and I were already making our connection, communicating telepathically. He is usually very vibrant and high-energy, but in the dream I could tell we were in our Higher Self modes and connecting during his sleep as well, as his energy was calm, slow, and as if I was talking to him in his sleep (which in fact I was).

I have met him before in the past and had a reading done in person, as well as an Astrology reading via email. So we already had a connection, aside from our both being Pisces and sharing the same destiny numbers and similar life paths – all of which he reiterated in the reading when you made comparisons between our experiences and roles in this life.

I felt having a reading on this visit would be potent and in fact it was. There were two times during it that it activated a deep soulful emotional release that had me tearing up with “letting go” and “gratitude”.

Before visiting him we decided to visit the Airport Vortex and to hike there as well.

So we climbed the rock and downloaded, then did the Airport Loop on which we came upon Snake medicine on the path, right after Dave saying he couldn’t believe we hadn’t seen one, and us both thinking, now we will and did.

We constantly manifest together and this keeps amping up for us.

On this hike I saw tons of heart-shaped cactus and was just so enjoying the sweet, connective, and uplifting energy preparing us for our next experience.

So after an energetic walk we visited Ray at his office outside Crystal Magic shop receiving each an individual reading and one together. Without going into any detail, I’ll just say, “wow”. What reiteration and confirmation of everything.

I normally don’t do readings and haven’t had many in my life, but there are these times and situations where I’ve enjoyed it and felt it to be potent as a check-in. This indeed was one of them and having it in Sedona meant a lot to me. Plus, never had I had one in conjunction with someone else, which was quite lovely and powerful.

After the energizing, very-affirming, exciting, and releasing reading, our sister-in-law also had one, which she enjoyed very much. And Dave and I both then explored the crystals in the shop while she did so, each finding some special things. I only took home two new friends – one of which was a surprise new find and the other a find I had intended and hoped to find.

They include a Bumble Bee/Eclipse Jasper (inspiration, creative manifestation, overcomes obstacles, stimulates adventure, courage & endurance…) – a new find and SO perfect for the current energy I’m focused on with everything including my Capricorn North Node focuses and things I discussed with my sister-in-law about my Mars in Capricorn and what that meant for me and my evolution – which she reiterated and shared through her knowledge of Astrology since she’s been deeply into her astrological studies of recent months. It’s so wonderful to share so much with her, as she has similar interests and background in the metaphysical and magickal realms and I know her daughter is natural gifted in these things as well.

The other find I picked up was a magick wand, which is so graceful, elegant, and simple…just as I wanted.

It is made of Red Oak for the wand and then has copper beautifully wrapped around a Quartz point at the end. Love!!

While I was picking these up, Dave was playing Sedona Santa, as we had been guided to intuit a special stone for each of us and the whole family, which he secretly picked up and then passed out later that night, sharing the properties of each that he felt were good for us. I ended up receiving a Chevron Amethyst.

We then enjoyed lunch out, I revisited my old home again for some more photos, had a rest at our creekside sanctuary, and then enjoyed our last family dinner out for a well-rounded and nurturing day that included patio seating facing Snoopy Rock. 🙂

And we put beautiful and potent closure to our week in Sedona the following morning by doing a hike and climb up Bell Rock Vortex to one of the highest pillar tops overseeing the valley.

We happened upon a guy named Mark playing his harmonica, as he ascended just ahead of us. He turned out to be a guide based in Oak Creek and stopped on the same pillar we did, which was great, as he then offered to take amazing photos from above.

We were on about the second layer of pillars from the very top one. He jumped across to get some cool shots of us.

I’d already embraced my fear of heights free climbing to where we arrived, but to go the ultimate top was beyond our desire, especially after seeing two guys attempting it by scaling the walls and rocks falling from their foot placement – just missing us by divine timing.

I have an odd fear of heights in certain circumstances like scaling mountains from up high, skiing advanced slopes, and dropping straight down on rides. I embrace them all, but I have had fear take over to the point of freezing me and then my learning how to walk and talk myself through it, which I have.

This came upon me twice briefly on this climb, but I moved through it quickly by myself and kept forging on like a true mountain goat my Capricorn ascendant, North Node, and Mars in Capricorn in the first house would be proud of.

I did in fact have my Rainbow Obsidian, Bumble Bee Jasper, and Chevron Amethyst with me. Dave had his new Blue Tiger’s Eye and special stone too that he carries with him.

It’s odd because things like para-gliding and para-sailing, as well as sky-divining and flying don’t phase me. But standing on the edge of a cliff or high-rise definitely gets the hair on the back of my entire body on edge.

So doing things like this are big leaps for me and doing it in Sedona, where I was setting new aspirations and intentions felt potent.

And I WAS pretty proud of myself, especially after hearing from Mark that people with a fear of heights never make it to where I was, let alone get up even close to it.
 
So after this beautiful and growth-inducing morning we made our way back to our creekside sanctuary to pack and have lunch on our own, since the rest of the family headed out before us.

The drive up the canyon back to Flagstaff for our two-connection flight home was a perfect ending to this week, stopping at the scenic overlook and perusing Navajo artistry.

On the flight to Phoenix I listened to the tape-recorded readings again that Ray had already sent us from the previous day, integrating and anchoring more levels of it. And decided on my flight from Phoenix back home to Orange County to process the trip by writing this post, which I completed on the way.

It felt important to reflect and leave it all behind, before entering back into the zone where I would be preparing to make the new leaps.

After quite the cycle of life I’ve been through, this trip really put to rest all of it. That’s why the emotional tears of release had welled up inside of me during Ray’s reading because it reiterated this ending and complete rebirthing that is taking place.

As he mentioned, I’ve been in the “Tower” and all of the challenging stuff and me, I’m tossing into the fiery depths to transmute into gold now.

Alchemy is at work in the most fulfilling of ways I have yet to experience on every single level and for that, and for ALL, I am SO grateful.

I will be making some announcements soon, as I honor these changes in my life. Thank you to everyone for all of your support and love. It means a lot.