Saturday the 27th we welcomed the Gaden Shartse Monks to our new home to conduct a house blessing ceremony for us. We’d met them on Tuesday evening at the Green Tara Puja Blessing and Tea Offering held at The Loft here at the Lake and knew then that the timing of their arrival and our house completion was meant to be. Not to mention was within the influence of Wednesday’s upcoming rare Super Blue Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse and Imbolc, all creating some wonderful celebrations for this threshold to the new and our new life adventure in our new home base Forest Portal sanctuary.

The ceremony and experience was more than we could have imagined. We’d attended a house blessing once about five years ago or so, which had also been conducted by a female Buddhist monk. Although a lovely experience, it was very different than what we shared at our home, which felt perfectly aligned with us. We didn’t know what to expect and therefore expected nothing, which made it even more of a warm surprise.

Everything down to the number of people who were present, ended up to be divinely put together. We were 11 – the master number known as “The Illuminator,” “The Messenger,” or “The Teacher.” It draws forth the energy of illumination, enlightenment, inspiration, transformation, balance, inspirational guidance, creativity, vision, refinement, and fulfillment.

Through one reason or another, just like with Reiki classes, people weren’t able to come at the last minute and even one of the five monks didn’t come because of preparation for the event after our house blessing where he would be channeling a deity. Eleven also aligns with our house address numerology being 11 too! No coincidence there.

We did end up with five monks, as Lobsang Wangchuk – the director of the Gaden Shartse Cultural Foundation who was a monk for 25 years, but now coordinates their tours, came with them, which was wonderful, as he very thoroughly described everything that we would be experiencing during the ceremony and what the monks would be doing in their ritual.

I had prepared a light spread of hospitality for them, which we enjoyed after the ceremony was complete.

This included my baked almond cheese ball coated with field of flowers peppercorn medley and a mandala of raw chocolate truffles made with hazelnuts and dipped in cacao butter mixed with matcha green tea and ginger for the green balls and turmeric for the yellow balls.

The rest was store bought treats and veggie delights along with organic mint melange tea and organic, decaf French roast coffee.

Our home seemed to have the perfect set up for them, and it was fun to watch them prepare everything to ready the setting for this special experience. The TV cabinet above with bamboo runner and Buddha are ours, as well as the two plants they used to add to their ceremonial set up.

As you might recall, I had fallen in love with one of the Tibetan signing bowls at the Tuesday event, but not having cash or check with me, was unable to purchase it at that time. I kept feeling its connection and before the house blessing had texted with one of the coordinators, asking that if by chance it was still available, if it could be brought to our house when the monks came.

The first thing I was presented when they arrived, along with the sweet smiles and warm hand clasps, was my bowl.

Another wonderful blessing, as I love it so! It has a wonderful tone that I feel at the core of me and is so easy to play.

After preparations, we sat in the living room, listened to the explanation of what we were about to experience, and then went into a peaceful state of receiving from the melodious chanting, song, and tones of the monks. It was so beautiful.

We don’t have any of this long portion of sacred sound and invoking on video, but the sacredness feels too intimate to share that part of the ceremony, even if we did. I’m also not sharing any of the videos taken for the same reason, but the few photo captures give you an idea of the energy.

The night of the Green Tara Puja Blessing was lovely, but this truly topped that taking our home into several octaves higher of frequency and transporting me through portals and elevated states of chilling and unbounded love.

During the ceremony I felt the sun’s glow come around and illuminate my face….it felt like All That Is and the presence of Love laying a warm kiss upon my spirit.

The ritual lasted about an hour and then we immediately moved into the individual blessing of every room in the house, where we guided them around, one by one and they added their love, protection, and seeds of possibilities to every space.

We do have several Buddhas in our home, and the way our house was set up created a perfect sanctuary for the monks to feel at home.

I love how they stopped at the meditation part of our downstairs family room where we have a wood Buddha sculptured plaque hanging between my two paintings, “The Mystic” and “Temple of the Sacred Heart” and Buddha statues. This wall is shared by my office on the other side that has a matching green round shag rug.

At completion, once we ascended the stairs, we were then presented with a certificate by the monks of appreciation, a Ruel to hang above our door or at our entry (a Tibetan amulet that is considered to be the most powerful protection against black magic and in general protects against any unforeseen factors that could affect your life at every level, as well as screens the energy of everyone who comes to your door to keep away non-resonant energy), a white scarf (known as a khata – white represents the east, water, and peace – perfect for two water signs), and everyone present received a five-colored, braided cord that represent the five elements and five pure lights blessed by the Dalai Lama and all 1500 of the monks from the monastery – meant to be worn always to provide protection and “according to traditional Tibetan medicine, health and harmony are produced through the balance of these five elements.”

We then enjoyed food and drink, along with conversation that included learning about the monastery and a personal invitation to visit them and be their guests there. We were also gifted the water used for the house blessing and the “nectar,” which Lobsang explained thoroughly to us and how we could keep this and drink of it in parts when we wanted to infuse our bodies with its radiant illumination.

The whole experience with the monks was a little over an hour and a half and then we continued with food and celebrations after a heartfelt farewell for now.

This was a very special occasion and for anyone who hasn’t experienced one, I am sharing just a few photos that some of the participants captured for us, since we were very absorbed and present with the ceremony. A way for us to remember this sacred day too.

Gratitude and love aren’t enough to say in words, for what we feel, but the sweetness and peaceful lightness of this day will always be remembered and cherished, and the monks will always have a dear place in our hearts.

The monks will be continuing their U.S. tour and returning to Carson City next year, so we’ll get another chance to see them before they head home. If this calls to you to experience one of their events or blessings (they do personal and house blessings) please check out the link to their website above, as they may be traveling through your area, or returning again through your area as they are doing here.