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Light of Foot & Faery Free ~ Crossing the Stream to Morning Glory
Yesterday we concluded our time here in Moab and in Utah altogether with a lovely four mile round trip hike to Morning Glory Natural Bridge – the sixth largest natural bridge in the U.S spanning 243 feet.
Just the name brings up visions that entice a Faery, and the trail did not disappoint.
This trail takes you through a beautiful canyon cut into the Navajo sandstone and winds along a small perennial stream that you will need to cross several times (symbolic of purifying renewal and crossing new emotional cycles), and which creates a gorgeous, Faery filled oasis of cottonwood, willow trees, and varieties of plants, cactus, and wild flowers.
The stream rippled along gently and at times was very still, with a few tiny falls over rocks.
This felt symbolic of my emotional journey, gained wisdom, and peace that I’ve traversed through my experiences with Nestor and so much since her passing.
There is also a lot of poison ivy in this canyon to be wary of and a few uphill climbs, so the journey is always an adventure.
At the bridge you can hear the water flowing from the rock wall from an underground spring.
Truly a gorgeous hike and some of the most lushness we’ve seen in a while.
The energy was light and I felt light of foot, as we wandered along and across the stream.
Definitely felt in the Faery zone and Dave never fails with his candid shots I find out later he’s taking.
And this felt like a perfect hike to end our time here with and to transition into Colorado. Not to mention, provided a great and supportive backdrop for my communing with Nestor on the day of her passing, eight years ago.
Rather than say too much, I’ll just allow you to wander along yourself, via the photos of the journey.
Perhaps you’ll find yourself experiencing the energy of the Faeries, smelling the freshness and flowers in the air, and feeling cleansed.
We did have an interesting evening and night, as after we returned home, I was guided to shoot a video message for May’s newsletter and not long after the rain started again.
After dinner one of our alarms inside kept going off for no reason so we had to unhook it after exploring there was no danger, the rain came pouring down all through the night, and the electricity went out AGAIN in the middle of the night – the third time in five days.
Our time here is definitely done and we are ready to move on and forward through a new door.
Illumination of the Moon ~ Seeing the New Path From the Depths of Your Heart
This Scorpio Full Moon has been incredibly powerful for supporting shifts and transitions right now and I’ve noticed that for many of us who have been diligently and consciously embracing the work with open arms of readiness, we are finding ourselves in a whole new reality asking us to walk with courageous knowing of heart through the door fully.
That seems to look like new career paths where loss of jobs that have run their course and more aligned passions are coming to fruition, selling of homes and simplifying life to move on to more resonant places and lives that support the new changes, experiencing illnesses or the need for more self-nurturing and balance to function more efficiently and with greater clarity and connection, experiencing the physical loss of loved ones both in animal and human bodies that are mirroring our changes and supporting our growth with their own cycles, relationships whether friendships, romantic, or even family dynamics coming to end or starting anew to align with the changes we’ve been asking for and working towards, or simply just knowing that change is needed and the ways one has been living life can no longer sustain the new energies flowing through.
Nothing will look or be as it once was.
Yesterday we did a short two mile hike on Park Avenue Trail, which to me is so misnamed.
This trail reflected to me Egyptian and Cosmic energies…very powerful, even royal in essence. It did have a more Divine Masculine energy, in my opinion, which would unite that dynamic within both the Male and Female to unify this energy within.
It seemed like it could have been named something more like Valley of the Kings.
It was not the old, but new Masculine that we can each embrace within ourselves to become empowered Men and Women, as we each have that energy within us. And it is this energy that will support our intuitive guidance into active, creative manifestation.
My favorite rock formation welcomes you at the start of this trail, although I could not find any information at the trailhead speaking of this rock and no one, at least that I have seen over the days we’ve passed it or on this day, paid attention to it. So it seemed to only speak to those who this spirit guide works with.
To me, he looks like a Cosmic being, perhaps of the Cosmic council, and since I felt a more masculine energy, also reminds me of Akhenaten – the Egyptian Pharaoh who was thought to be of extraterrestrial origin because of his “strange” appearance and “mysterious” revolutionary ways.
I’ve always had a resonance with Akhenaten and found myself most drawn to him when visiting Egypt the two times in this life that I did.
As Megaera Lorenz shares, “Akhenaten is all things to all people — to some he was a fanatical lunatic, to some he comes across as a strange, eccentric young man whose behavior was strongly influenced by his mother, to others he was a Christ-like visionary and a mentor of Moses, and to still others he was simply someone who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and who really had nothing to do with the dramatic reformations that went on during his reign.”
Sounds a bit like the Fool card in Tarot.
Everytime I have seen this Cosmic Being in Park Avenue, I have felt such a strong pull and reverence for the energies he embodies.
Something very revolutionary in the energy invited by him here as you enter and descend into a spectacular canyon surrounded by panels that feel like Monolithic Egyptian structures that once may have been shaped like Sphinxes.
And other large structures that look like temples along with one rock named “Sheep Rock” that is more like a Sphinx to me as well.
There is another very cool formation they call “The Three Gossips” that I feel could have been called something like “The Three Wise Men” or “Three Kings” – again all of these being wrongfully named in my opinion in terms of their essence.
But perhaps that is part of the mystery here and that each of us will receive what we are meant to.
There is also a large stone structure that looks just like a giant throne, although isn’t named as anything or noted by the park.
However, if something is named something by others then that automatically may condition a trigger within to associate the energy differently than what it really is.
Again, that would be perfect to what each needs, but might then be a process of inner revelation and turning within to know what it truly means to you beyond the labels and definitions others have placed upon them.
This valley was one of the most deceptive in these terms, I felt, but then perfect as to knowing how to access the keys within to journey through the reality of your choice.
All of this feeling to mirror the illusions of life that we all do or are currently facing, as energies are being revealed layer by layer to align us more with the truth that lies within.
And when recognized and embraced, you will experience everything in your life from a completely different perspective, as well as receive the treasures to guide you on a more empowered path of conscious co-creation.
Last night, after dinner at an awesome Sushi place called Sabaku Sushi that has a great selection of vegan sushi and other vegan dish options, we decided to enter Arches by moonlight to experience and receive the Moon’s illumination.
It was really mystical, first the Moon was crystal clear in the sky and then as we approached our destination of Balanced Rock, a mysterious haze blanketed the Moon creating a golden glow behind, between, and around the rock, also bringing it to life as an other worldly being.
We stopped at my favorite rock at the entrance of Park Avenue Trail too, and by this time the Moon was behind a cloud, which again revealed that the veils were something one must see through on their own to receive clarity.
The Moon helps us to see the mysteries within if we dare venture deeply for that truth.
And so, I say to each of you…..do you see the reality that others have defined for you, or are you seeing the truth that only you know within your heart?
As you walk through these transitions in your life, know that they may not appear as what you’ve been conditioned to think they are, but will reveal a more authentic experience of life as you desire.
They may be challenging and seem uncomfortable, but that is simply a process of becoming more you until it is a natural experience once again.
Much like growing pains we have all gone through, but this time it’s moving through the vortex of spirit release from restriction into your more expansive self.
That funnel-like journey seems tight and painful, but releases with ease once you pass through the tunnel.
Just keep moving forward with trust in your own heart knowing.
(Interesting note: After I posted this, I decided to ask around yesterday at the visitor center to see about the rock that felt like Akhenaten to me. I found out that it is known as Queen Nefertiti Rock, but also considered a “balancing rock.” This made sense, as I had heard two women talking, upon our return on the Park Avenue Trail. I didn’t see where they were pointing, as I was climbing back up to the parking lot, but it was at the area you could have been peering up at this formation. One woman was pointing something out to the other and said, “that’s the balancing rock,” explaining what that meant. Since I had no idea at the time that it was this, I wasn’t sure what she might be talking about. Now I know she meant this rock, that to me feels more to be Akhenaten, but known as Queen Nefertiti. Interesting that somehow she knew it more as a “balancing rock” than by any name though. But also interesting to note about this is twofold….One, it confirms the Egyptian energy I was feeling without knowing this. And two, Nefertiti was Akhenaten’s wife. And Nefertiti’s image is far more popular in mainstream than Akhenaten, as she is considered to many, Egypt’s most beautiful queen. Perhaps linking to the western values associated with something like Park Avenue. As Akhenaten was not your typical man, nor one that would be revered with his feminine qualities in both looks and ideas. However, Akhenaten was a pharaoh not only known to potentially have extraterrestrial origin, but all depictions show him as having feminine characteristics, including a voluptuous stomach and buttocks, breasts…this link discusses some of this: http://www.heptune.com/Marfans.html. In hieroglyphics I remember seeing in Egypt, both Nefertiti and Akhenaten looked very similar in their family depictions. Nefertiti’s head piece being more straight-edged and angular and Akhenaten’s a bit rounded and straight. You can see this a bit in these images below. So, one could easily mistaken them for each other and since Akhenaten is the most mysterious pharaoh that was in touch with his feminine parts, they easily could resemble each other. – Anyway, there is no right or wrong in what someone sees. I am merely sharing what I felt from the energies here and providing more insight to explore for yourself. Either way – Nefertiti or Akhenaten – I feel that the Sacred Masculine Energy, which is one that unites with the Sacred Feminine, is being celebrated here.)
Walking the Path of the Cosmic Serpent in Devils Garden
Yesterday’s trail at Devils Garden held both beauty and challenge, as we traversed the 4.2 miles of duality and deeply rooted, collective symbolism.
I had no idea that I’d be holding so much energy for all who had been called to explore the same area and energies on this day, but it became clear to me on our return route back what the theme of this journey was – reflecting the shadow and misconceptions around it.
So much so, that by the time we reached the car at end of the hike, I was energetically exhausted, having challenge staying awake while driving us back, and then feeling the need for major recharge when we got home.
The day began with the warmest temperatures we’ve had in a while – mid 70’s – which meant I got to wear my hiking dress and not get layered up.
So I put on my colorful dress I bought at a Himalayan shop in Sedona, grabbed my cowgirl hat, slipped on my favorite Chaco hiking sandals, and off we went.
This was the first day in a while that my “spiritual skin” of sacred tattoos was completely exposed, and how fitting that we were exploring Devils Garden – as I wear misunderstood symbols like the dragon and serpent, not to mention, in totality all of my dark, black, symbolic tattoos to many whose beliefs are rooted in ways different than my own, would connect to “evil”, dark, wrong, and yes, the Devil.
I even had someone once a long time ago ask me about these symbols saying they were Illuminati connected and asked me about that and if I was connected.
My only response to them was, “Only you know the answer to that by looking inside your own heart.”
I had no need to defend or explain anything. One doesn’t when they embody the truth.
So on our hike, many eyes were upon me. I received several compliments from a few people, as well as shared smiles with a few passers-by that had a tattoo or two of their own.
But apparently there were other kinds of looks too, which Dave shared with me with giggles, as he said he finds it fun and fascinating to watch some people and how they will stare or react to me – most of them being middle to older aged people and couples that come from a different generational belief system that has been strongly conditioned and rooted beyond simply ideas – but rather a programming within their DNA they react from.
And he too thought it was all compounded by the dress, sandals, cowgirl hat, AND tattoos, as no one else was dressed like that since most people have a “norm” way of dressing when hiking.
So it all created quite a looking glass, but was it “me” they saw, or something about themselves?
I explain this briefly in a very short video I felt inspired to do at our destination point on the hike – Double O Arch. I’ll share it after this post.
That felt like the perfect portal for this share, as it is an arch that has two O-shaped arches, one atop the other.
To me, this felt like mirrors of duality that reveal and reflect your belief system and the hidden energies around your beliefs on the light and the dark.
And when one can face these truths, you can move on into integrating them, which is the shared bridge between the two O’s.
There is an extension to this hike that goes further to what is called Dark Angel.
We did not feel called to go.
Well, Dave asked if I wanted to, us both feeling complete at Double O, and I said, “there’s no need to go there, as I’m holding the energy of Dark Angel right here.”
He laughed.
Interestingly, when we arrived at Double O, people dispersed, allowing me time to sit alone within the smaller portal, as Dave felt called to ascend further up the canyon and sit atop a rock there overlooking the view of the Double O and beyond, which is how he captured photos of me down below.
While he was there, and I was at the portal we would periodically hear screeches from what sounded either like a hawk, falcon, or eagle that echoed through the canyon.
We met some very nice people along the hike there and back, and exchanged some words, as well as took photos for them.
Saw many lizards and ravens – one that cawed at us from across a canyon.
The trail first led us to several cool arches – Tunnel Arch, which had two deep arches, Pine Tree Arch, which as you can tell by the name had a pine tree growing from center (I took two photos here, loving the symbolism of a little girl that was in the foreground on one reminding me of my own inner child and a book I’m reading where the woman embodies the medicine of a Native American Indian girl named Little Black Wold Dancing), Landscape Arch, which was huge and looked like a frame to a landscape painting, Black Arch, and several unnamed arches.
Most people only go to Landscape Arch, as the trail then becomes more challenging to reach Double O, other arches, and Dark Angel.
You can either do the primitive trail to get there, which is unmarked and longer, or climb over sandstone slabs and fins with narrow ledges and exposure to heights on another trail – a bit scary for those with fear of heights.
I, once again, got to face that one head on and did.
I thought about the symbolism of this challenging trail to Double O and Dark Angel and how only those ready and/or willing to journey into these energies and reflections, would pass through to receive the messages awaiting them there.
But it wasn’t until I return back, as mentioned earlier, that things really sunk in as to the energy I was integrating myself, as well as holding in mirror for others. I believe my time sitting in the portal of Double O revealed this to me.
And on our return, I had this thought go through me about the connection of Devils Garden and my serpent tattoo, thinking on the irony of this and all the misconceptions around it.
I kid you not, the second after I said this to myself and integrated the depth of meaning, both Dave and I heard a loud, long hiss come from the bushes we had just passed.
He stopped in his tracks and we both looked at each other and said, “what was that?”
We both agreed it sounded like a large snake, like a rattlesnake before they are about to strike.
Dave decided to explore the whole area, but found nothing.
There was no snake in the flesh.
But it was unmistakably a snake.
I said, it was the cosmic serpent and shared with Dave what I had just been processing and receiving right before the hiss.
Talk about powerful messages.
I continued to further deepen into the energy here for me to process and embody more fully.
And found myself in deep dreams last night wandering through rock garden portals.
I’m feeling much more balanced again today, but still recharging from all that I was mirroring, integrating, and holding.
It made me go quiet and perhaps might lead to taking a mini break while things continue to integrate and renew.
So, just in case you don’t hear a share from me for a day or two, you’ll know why.
We embody both the light and the dark, but it is not seen in these limiting terms that words define and judge them by.
It is a melding reflection of both and beyond, where the creative impetus of Cosmic alchemy can be harnessed by turning everything inside out within the vortex of you.
(BTW, right after I posted this blog, I saw the word count and thought it would be fun to add it here: 1313)
Deepening Into Passionate Embodiment
“Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age.” ~James Joyce
I’ve chosen a colorful and boldly lived life that I experience with both soft footsteps upon the Earth and loud expressions of individuality and purposefulness.
And while I’ve made choices not everyone would, or that others might judge, they all have meaning I’ve both grown from and reflected truth mirrors for others to choose from.
“A man (or woman) of genius makes no mistakes; his errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery.” ~James Joyce
This journey we are on right now exploring in our Magick Bus RV is most reflective of the Cosmic pilgrim that I am and provides me the most resonant experiences that supports my path currently – one that both simultaneously is individual and collective, despite what it may seem.
All paths in life that we choose can only fully be understood by the one taking that journey, as no one can walk in your shoes, nor do they come from the same perspectives of life to concur with how you believe and know it to be.
There is nothing to prove, nothing to defend, and nothing you need to feel guilty about.
To live boldy with passion is your soul’s whispering request, as it is why Spirit has so boldly manifested in a form that can sensually express and experience it as so.
Sometimes that boldness is soft wafting trails that leave behind the aroma of your soul for others to catch wind of.
Sometimes that boldness is dramatic cliff leaping that inspires others to jump onto their own magick carpets awaiting them on the other side.
Either way, and likely both ways, life will be enriched and enriching when lived from passion.
Whether that reflects as one particular passion that moves you, several, or simply all of life intended to be experienced as a flower’s desire to reach for and open to the warmth and glory of the Sun, doesn’t matter.
Life lived with soul passion to express your individual tendril of the Cosmic Tree of Life will lead you through portals of experience like no other.
When you seethe with passion, even just being will have a profound effect on everything around you.
The act of deepening into Being IS passionate embodiment.
And when one is passionately embodied, all things are possible, all doors open, and so much passion reveals itself in the life reality all around you that you’re creating.
The images shared throughout this post are from yesterday’s exploration along the trail to Delicate Arch – the best known arch in the world.
This rugged and steep trail starts at Wolfe Ranch, takes you past the old, pioneer Wolfe homestead, Ute Indian petroglyphs, an overgrown streambed, throngs of juniper, a smaller arch, and slopes around the side of a sandstone fin to come to the dramatic vista of Delicate Arch.
Along the way lizard, raven, desert blossoms, and an amazing garden of colored, crystallized rocks greeted us.
My favorite spot was the small window arch that people passed by on the way to Delicate Arch.
While everyone hung out there, I told Dave, “let’s go climb up and sit in the window…I have a feeling there’s a view from there and we’ll be alone.”
And so it was.
I loved this spot….can you tell?
Deepening into passionate embodiment and Being, as I laid in the window arch overlooking Delicate Arch vista.
Dreaming a new reality into creation.
Windows, Arches & Balancing Rocks ~ Portals Into Humbling New Realms
Our six week journey through Utah has taken us to some amazing National Parks where the experiences have been profoundly shifting and perfectly sequenced in a process of deep unfolding.
Yesterday, we arrived at the last of six parks – Arches – and immediately I knew it was my favorite. Not that each hasn’t been spectacular and connective for me, as they have big time! But the energy at Arches and the portals and rock formation spirits just spoke to a certain part of me that I can’t explain.
Perhaps it is because this concluded a journey here in Utah that has been opening, then extremely deepening and at times dark in those wombs and ancient energies, helping me to retrieve, integrate, and move through personal and collective stuff, then arriving at this land of magick portals and gateways to the otherworlds that brought out a sense of movement, flow, and cosmic journeying to the next phase along the path – actually walking through the doorways of newness becoming.
Even the entrance into the park just had me excited, as you come off of the highway and go through a much more official looking entrance with high gate entries and then ascend, zig-zagging up the walls of the cliffs to the plateau that Arches sits atop.
You then enter land of many other worlds, where beings, guardians, sentinels, time travelers, record and gate keepers await you.
There are many lands here to visit, many doorways to walk through, and many portals to what ever reality you want to create.
All to be met with a pure heart, which will be the key to unlock doors.
It seems no coincidence we also are staying at Archview RV park and look out on Arches from our home.
Everyday taking in the sunrises rich with promise and looking into the portals I can see ahead in the rocks, reflecting the constant forward movement I am committed to without complacency and with so much belief.
One of my most powerful spirit guides was with me yesterday, from start to end, as in the morning just as the sun was about to peak above the horizon I saw a Desert Cottontail appear out front and run into the bushes.
And then in the late afternoon when we arrived at the first portal – the North Window – and I’d climbed over the threshold to the other side, sinking into the rocks so that I was out of view from anyone on the other side, a Black-Tailed Jack Rabbit appeared below just as I looked down…disappearing into the bushes again.
Since the one in the morning was on one side of the arches and Arches National Park, and the next was after I walked through the first Window, I feel they are guiding me through to the next reality of life I am creating.
It is a journey of courageous embrace and the willingness to put it all out there for myself or anyone else to see.
I once was afraid, repressed, hidden, discouraged, and tormented…but now I dance with these energies and work their alchemy, just as Rabbit teaches us to harness our fragility and fears into agility, cleverness, spontaneous decisive movement led by intuition, and guides us into the shadow world to face our fears with vulnerable, wise embrace and humility.
They are highly sensitive and teach us to lead by our own wits, live in balance, and to receive, strengthen, and understand the hidden teachings and intuitive messages around us.
There is strength in the quiet softness of even the most sensitive and fragile beings and like Rabbit we can leap and bound through portals of growth when we own that strength.
So I continue to follow the Rabbit within me, the Sacred Embodiment of Universal Creative Powers, to guide me on, to birth the Cosmic Egg of boundless potential.
And yesterday I felt the joy of moving as the Rabbit through these portals of growth and journeys through Great Mystery, as we explored the North and South Windows, Turret Arch, Double Arch, and Balanced Rock trails.
I felt like the Windows were not only doorways, but places to see our reflection, like mirrors, or like the reflective gateway in the Neverending Story one must face to pass through, which shows Atreyu what he truly is inside.
Turret Arch was an ancient gateway that led to points on your soul journey to retrieve.
Double Arch was a double portal where one could soar if they could walk the Earth and Cosmic path as one.
This is where we spent the most time and I sat under the arches to receive.
It is there that I saw what appeared to be a Unicorn – Master of the Light – then felt and saw very tall, soaring light beings all around and inside the Arch.
The light was shining through and upon me, and I then laid back to look through both arches at once, centered at middle, looking into the light of both realms.
We then concluded at Balanced Rock where we integrated further and rooted that energy with strength.
It was an amazing rock demonstrating our ability to hold energy in a way that seems to defy dynamics as you know them.
I sat here under Balanced Rock and embraced the wisdom of these giants and boundless energies around me that both diminished me in size relative to theirs, but expanded my boundaries and melded me into that eternal vastness.
Can you find me here at center?
The energy was playful, uplifting, inspiring, and yet very grounded.
This was not airy Faery energy, although I did feel light, but instead were the foundations of Earth-based freedom available to us as the Cosmic beings that we are.
These Faeries were in tall, “angelic” or “cosmic” form appearing as light beings, alongside a council of Cosmic Ancients.
They are the ones I saw all around in a sacred circle at the Double Arch.
And as I felt to pull a card from my Wild Wisdom of the Faery Oracle deck, you won’t believe that it was the very same one that Laura posted about in her blog this morning, so similar to mine today titled Sync Winks and Faery Portals.
You can see that card at her link and some of its meaning, including:
“Being able to see change ahead, but not knowing how to deal with it. Understanding that in order to learn something new, one must forget what one thinks one knows. Getting ‘down’ to the level of others who you do not know. Receiving messages from nature. Understanding that wonderment is the natural process of change.”
Indeed I have been unlearning everything and rewriting it all by my heart and the guidance received through it, one step, sometimes leaps, at a time.
The card also shares:
“Truly in order to reach the wonderment of Faery, you must become “smaller”. But that does not mean to become a reduced version of yourself. Rather, it means to approach them, or whatever situation is currently at and, as a beginner, a walker in a new land, and to be humble and willing to learn. This threshold will see her walk into another land, but she will still be able to walk in her own. See the light pouring through – through this humble doorway is en-LIGHT-enment. Meaning more knowledge, understanding and the ability to communicate. She is peering through this doorway, through which light can shine into the darkening world of humans. A world that is only darkened by the thought forms that provide a kind of emotional pollution in our world. She is ready to step through, to allow her imagination’s wisdom to lead her into new realms, and to accept the mystery of Faery communication….
As a result, her life’s work will start now, and she will find herself in the right place at the right time. As long as her relationship with nature remains pure and strong, so too will her relationship with the natural world…”
Wow, this is exactly what I felt at Double Arch in the vision of the Light Beings around me, humbled and ready to receive their wisdom, as the awakening flow of life force within my veins and DNA that stands in their reflection.
I have felt the dichotomy of becoming smaller, while simultaneously expanding.
And as always I turn to you, since we are collectively connected and ask, where do YOU feel within yourself the opportunities to walk into new realms with fresh wonderment and humble willingness to relearn all you thought you knew?
Are you willing to let it all go and allow the deep, ancient, cosmic wisdom take you by the hand into the Great Mystery?
I invite you to walk your own unique journey alongside me and face your path with curious embrace.
It is 11:11 am here, as I conclude this share.
A portal has opened for us to walk through indeed.
Making Wishes in Canyonlands
On the three hour drive to Moab, Utah yesterday I spent the time intuitively mapping out our extended journey across North America for likely the next couple of years, finalized the route for the next four months, and allowed myself to explore my heart callings and dreams without boundaries.
Everyday I’m in awe and grateful, but some days just seem to deepen those experiences and within that expansion of heart, I know the presence of limitless potentials.
And so I allowed myself to continue dreaming as big as my heart wanted and with each vision I explored, an intent automatically imbued it like a magickal wish.
What a perfect day for this journeying deeper within and beyond, as our time in Moab for the next almost two weeks will be for exploring both Canyonlands and Arches National Parks.
Canyonlands reflecting the depth and expanse of our inner and outer Cosmos and Arches taking us through portals and creating paths that cycle from intent to manifestation.
Our RV site is also pretty spectacular at Archview where we have this huge expansive view out the front and sides, as we look out at the snow capped La Sal mountain range and Arches, along with other rock vistas all around.
Since we face due East, we get to catch the beautiful sunrises here, which I imagine will be incredibly different each day, including the sunsets behind us.
This morning I watched the sunrise and just before the sun peaked over the horizon, a little rabbit hopped out to say hello.
But yesterday took us to Canyonlands first to set our intents and get our first introduction to this expansive area, much like the Grand Canyon.
We learned that there are three Districts to Canyonlands, but the one we will be focused on for this journey is the “Island in the Sky” District, as it is the closest for us to explore, even though it still is 25+ miles in and then extra miles to get to the trails you are drawn to.
I like the name Island in the Sky, as that feels appropriate to the energies I’m feeling.
So, on our first day we explored the four miles total of Grand View Point, Upheaval Dome, and Whale Rock Trails, which provided us the opportunity to become acquainted with the energy here.
I smiled wide when we came across this one rock formation along the path of the stunning vistas at Grand View Point that both Dave and I immediately said looked like Aladdin’s Lamp. But only from this one angle, as it shifts in form from all other vantage points.
We both felt drawn to go rub it and make a wish….well I may have made a bunch in one!
Afterall, I’d been focused on expansive dreams earlier, so this felt to be opportunity to receive a little help. 😉
I couldn’t resist having Dave capture the moment of wish-making and dream visioning, which is the first photo I shared.
Grand View Point offers panoramic views along the canyon edge, echoing the Grand Canyon, as mentioned, but with its own unique features.
The area you walk out on has vistas on both sides and lovely red blossoms along the way.
Then we were off to Upheaval Dome, which is a shorter steep trail leading to clear views into the Upheaval Dome structure and its unique geologic features that have yet to be confirmed as to how the remnants of this impact crater was created.
The exhibits at the end offer two theories – Meteor impact or that it is a Salt Dome, which occurs when a salt diapir is pushed up by the weight of overlying rocks.
Either way, the colors here were stunning (and don’t really show up in the photos), as the sandy looking piles were a sea green and bluish gray color inside of the crimsons all around.
There are vistas along the entire drive that are spectacular and places you can get out to take it all in.
We finished off with Whale Rock, which is a giant sandstone dome rock that ends with broad views of the Island in the Sky in all directions.
Here we climbed to the very top and sat for a while, taking it all in.
We also laid back on the sandstone and looked at the clouds above us.
It did in fact feel like we were on an Island in the Sky and this whale was our nurturing friend who let us hitch a ride for a while.
I loved the energy here so much and felt a song just had to come through.
And being that no one else was around and I had purposefully let Dave descend so I could be with the energy of the whale on my own, I instantly began to sing what I was feeling as the essence here.
I’ll share the sound channeling video separately.
The song felt like a communing, reverence, and deep healing, as well as a celebration. I was swimming in the cosmic abyss with these ancient giants and sharing their wish along with my own.
I felt complete after that and like there was much support around the wishes and intents created today, which is always the case when I get the urge to do sound work. I just “have” to let it flow through or I won’t feel right and when I do it is like a huge release that centers and clears me.
Can you see and feel the difference between the energies in this photo of me below at our first trail vista on Grand View Point and the one above on Whale Rock?
After our first day of exploring felt complete, we said our goodbyes for now to Canyonlands, as we won’t be back until next weekend, since the drive is too far for us during our half work/play days during the week.
So we’ll be off to Arches exploring until then.
We then drove into Moab to pick up some groceries and found an amazing little treasure of a natural grocery store there – Moonflower Community Cooperative. I loved the name right away and then got so giddy with all the wonderful all organic produce, vegan, raw, etc. goodies in this store. What a treat!
One thing that makes me really happy is good food and lots of fun variety and options.
We stocked up indeed and will return.
Today was a reminder of revisiting our dreams and intents and asking ourselves if they reflect the shifting energies within us and if they are big enough.
Dare yourself to take down the walls around your hopes and intents to allow for greater possibilities.
Allow yourself the vulnerability of exposing your heart’s dreams to All That Is that loves you and won’t judge you for the things you wish.
The expansiveness of Canyonlands and the giant Whale Rock reminded me to go bigger.
And just as time has been needed to erode these lands and formations, so too might it take time for us to manifest, but that isn’t reason to stop dreaming, or to give up, as along the journey many other things will manifest and you and your dreams will take on continuously new forms that will be equally as magnificent every step of the way.
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ~Lao Tzu
A Special Farewell to Capitol Reef
Yesterday couldn’t have been a more special ending and send off to our time here in Capitol Reef. Truly a day to cherish in my heart.
It wasn’t the hike we did, although Cohab Canyon trail was beautiful with its amazing deep canyons of stunning sculpted rock formations and natural color designs, but was the magickal creatures creating an enchanted haven that awaited us – so many mule deer, wild turkeys, and marmots.
We first explored the three and a half mile trail where we came upon a several couples, one in particular at the beginning in their 60’s and 70’s that were very sweet and we exchanged hellos.
The hike had us curving through the canyon and exploring the narrow mini slots and checking out natural looking altars, sculpted forms and thrones including one that looked like a giant quail, pink and yellow striped walls, and ending with a view of the river before turning back.
And at the end we got our last vista look of Capitol Reef’s grandeur and Fruita.
It was on our descent that we ran into the couple again, as they let us pass. The man saying, “We’ll let you young antelopes go on ahead, as I have to take it slow and steady.”
It made me think of the turtle and how I use those same words all the time when I talk about how to approach things in life, especially steep inclines and more challenged areas of hikes – “slow and steady”. I liked him right away with his smile and sweet energy.
We made our way to our car, passing the pasture we’d seen most every day with my favorite painted horse and as we got in the car the couple was at the road and the man waved to us.
We opened the window and he asked if it were possible, if we were going their way, to drop them at their car up the way a couple of miles.
Normally we would have, but our back seats and trunk are full with our bikes, equipment, and things, so we have no room for passengers. So we regretfully told them we couldn’t, showing them the back seat.
They said that was ok, and right after the ranger pulled up and they conversed.
We thought quickly and Dave said he could go in the trunk with all of the stuff and we could open up the passenger seat for them both to share.
So we pulled up to them and told them. Apparently the ranger was going to take him to the car and then he’d come back to pick up his wife, as she only had one seat too, but we said we could take his wife and Dave would get in the trunk.
And that’s what we did. Her name was Donna and we chatted along the way, as her husband got in with the ranger.
It was this last experience that ended up bringing us to all of the farewell gifts that awaited us.
First it was the marmots right after Donna got in.
Normally we saw two each day, but today there were three in the usual area. However, one of them, which I indicate as the female had tried to cross the road over to her partner and got disoriented and scared.
She was sitting in the middle of the road trying to move, but a car would come each time, nearly hitting her and she was frightened. No cars were stopping, although slowed.
I stopped the car and opened my door talking to her and this gave her the bearings to collect herself and make it over to the grassy area where the other two marmots awaited.
Phew! That really had me frazzled at first, but I stayed calm for her.
Then we continued to Hickman Bridge where we needed to drop Donna. And along the way we saw a group of deer on the side of the road.
Being that I was driving and on a mission to get her to her destination, we didn’t have chances to stop.
But once we dropped her and she was reunited with her husband, Dave and I made our way back, as we had gone the opposite way to our route back to the RV.
We thought, oh, now we can visit the last wall of petroglyphs we had missed the first time we checked out the area. It was as if that was all set up perfect with this little detour of helping the couple out, but little did we know that it also set us up for some very cool connecting with the wild turkeys and mule deer.
So as we made our way to the petroglyphs we came back upon the deer on the left side of the road and stopped briefly to connect.
Then shortly after on the right we saw a group of thirteen wild turkeys at the foot of the rock cliffs in the beautiful fruit tree grounds.
They were so magnificent and the vision of them was incredible…the males kept fanning out their tail feathers and puffing up hugely.
We got out and sat watching them for quite a while in awe of their little sanctuary and how beautiful they were.
The females resting under the trees and the males foraging and in full display.
After that we went to the petroglyph wall.
This last wall we missed was accessed by a long platform wood deck built by the park that takes you over a wash and long the cliff wall to the petroglyphs. As we got out of the car and I looked down the path, I said to Dave, “look who’s waiting for us here too.”
More mule deer!
The closer we got to the petroglyphs, the clearer we saw a group of them in the most enchanting setting.
Two of them on the cliff wall side, as they could pass under the decking through the wash, and the rest all beautifully laying in the tall thicket area under the trees.
It was like out of a fantasy…the area was so magickal and I’d never seen so many just all sitting in a circular formation. It was so special and the place my heart could be content to stay forever.
We spent a lot of time connecting with them and they were comfortable with us so close…us on the deck and them right below us. The photos are as close as we were to them.
I talked to them and had felt that they were inspiring a song.
I feel the song will channel through later, as two couples had wandered through while we were there at beginning and end. And although they did not stay, which is so odd to me that people don’t find these magnificent creatures incredible to “be” with, I just felt like I didn’t want to feel any potential interference for a channeling.
So I just connected and immersed with them, absorbing their messages for another time.
And I marveled at how much Cosmo looks like them…a tiny fawn with his graceful body and legs and long ears. I say that all the time when I see him, especially laying in his hay thicket.
I feel that there will come a time that I will sit among them or other creatures of the forests and sing their song with them. For now, it was sung within my heart, as they inspired me so much.
I get such a strong surge of life and joy when I am with the animals. It is the place I am meant to be. It brings me immediately into embodiment of my essence.
And we were so grateful for the time these beautiful ones gifted us…allowing us into their sanctuary and hearts.
There is no separation or difference in my heart and soul between them and me/us.
Our time in Capitol Reef concluded with the best magick I could possibly have hoped for.
Dancing on the Edge of Divine Madness
I think that anyone who decides they are going to forge their own way, live in their own reality, channel the energy that moves through them at any given moment, and create the world they choose to experience, dances on the edge of madness.
They walk a fine line between silly chaos and uncanny order where the method of their madness is divinely inspired and in harmony despite how it seems.
I walk the edge of that madness, which does make life quite interesting and along with that comes the willingness to walk into the darker challenges as well as the lighter flows.
While my journey on this adventure we’re taking (or my life in general) may seem easy, the only easy part truly is in knowing this is my nature to follow what is in my heart and soul to do.
We are exploring a lot of beautiful, magickal, and amazing things every day, which is fun and freeing, yes, but there are many energies one must be willing to face and embrace when you are walking the path of deeper embodiment and conscious, ancient explorations of Earth and beyond.
To experience the freedom and empowerment, there are a lot of dark, womb, inner Earth and ancient mysteries within the deep chasms of her body and within your own that you welcome in with this intention, or perhaps run from.
A little of that came through in the sound channeling, Releasing the Crimson Dragon, as you may remember.
Every day is a new experience where I don’t know what will be met next….constant retrievals of my parts and the cycles of collective parts reawakening.
This is where you’ll find me channeling sound or inspirational messages.
Another example was in Channeling the Ancient & Womb Earth Energies.
Needing to move the energy through creatively, or sometimes it’s deep emotions to release, giggles, or profound silence needed to be with it all and remove myself from thinking about it in any way except to allow it space to move through.
So while I am having the time of my life, which comes with all both sides of the coin and beyond, and you see me playing in my videos and photos, I do want to make mention that there is a lot one decides to embrace when they wander into the beyond intentfully.
Our Earth Mother holds the mysteries we search for within ourselves. And through the journey of getting to know her more intimately, you will undoubtedly come to know yourself in an incredibly intimate way.
The photos in this post are from yesterday’s adventure on the three and a half mile Chimney Rock Loop we hiked.
A hail cloud was looming just as we began the journey and just as we ascended, it was upon us, later turning to snow flurries, back to hail, snow, brief rain, and snow again.
Everything changes at the drop of a dime and one must be prepared to embrace that flow of energy whenever it shows up, just as we have energies, emotions, and experiences as a reflection of them that continuously move through us to embrace, deny, repress, or run away from.
We embraced the experience and it was such a magickal one because of this.
No one around.
Just us and the land and fresh crystallizations of the elements around us sharing their own feelings, cycles, and creative expressions.
We were bundled up and just trekked along, immersing in the winds, flurries, and mystic clouds that engulfed us in a void of beingness…lifting us off into another dimension and reality.
And along the way we came upon a surprising gift we had no idea would be there….a small sacred area of rainbow petrified wood!
So incredible to discover them, again with the wetness the colors stood out, but being that this isn’t a petrified forest area, it was quite a treasure to find in the middle of nowhere where no other pieces are.
A gift from our embrace of the journey?
Or simply our presence that made all things clear and revealed with awareness, whereas would otherwise have been overlooked?
I took a couple of short, fun videos as we reached near the top and the summit of our hike to let you experience a piece of the fun we had in this sudden change of weather yesterday…an otherwise perhaps disappointing experience for others, we were grateful and kept trekking on with embrace.
And of course we ended the day picking up two more fresh peach and cherry pies, because we can. 🙂
Playing With the Ancient Energies of Grand Wash
The wind and wash whispered of times long ago.
At times softly.
At times dramatically.
On our hike through the dry, deep streambed of the Grand Wash at the rocky sculpted heart of Capitol Reef yesterday, we were surrounded by ancient spirits and guardians watching us.
The deep canyon and narrows kept close eye as we explored.
Footsteps echoed between sandstone cliffs looming hundreds of feet above.
Blossoms and lizards greeted us along the way.
Naturally sculpted rock gardens invited us onto their sacred grounds.
Creatures etched in the stone walls came alive.
The Fremont River chimed in with the wind’s flow at the end of the wash.
And although we could not see the Bighorn sheep that are said to grace the high sandstone terraces of the canyon, we could sense them near and “seeing” us.
There was an air of majesty and mystical eeriness, especially when the wind suddenly spoke with a wild howl and burst through the canyon upon us with great force, only to disappear again from the nothingness it came from.
The flow shifted back and forth from tailwind to headwind constantly, as if the wind was playing with us, blowing my hair wildly around me and knocking off Dave’s hat.
It seemed excited for us to be there and tickled our souls with its ancient voice.
Once again we were taken to times long forgotten, but now once again remembered.
Sweet Magick & Majesty ~ Choosing Our Experience of Life
Each day and moment offers us an opportunity to choose how we want to create our experience. We can ask ourselves what energy we are needing more or less of in our lives and we can listen to what calls to us or what is yearning for us to let go of.
Yesterday I was feeling a need to balance some of the more rugged, raw, and deep energies we had been experiencing with sweetness, flow, and grace.
I do this tuning in each time we decide on what we want to explore each day in our new environments, not to mention when I want to find out what is most important for me to invest my energy in throughout my day.
And so I chose our hikes yesterday that reflected this energy desired, after I worked on my inspired painting project I’ve been called to work on recently.
That led us to explore Goosenecks, Sunset Point, and Fremont River. An easy 4 miles of enchantment.
The Goosenecks Overlook is like a mini Grand Canyon with 800 foot high viewpoints above serpentine Sulphur Creek, which continues to shape the dramatic canyon. This canyon has formed tight curves, known as the Goosenecks, over millions of years of downward erosion.
Goosenecks is adjacent to Sunset Point, so you can quickly hop across and take that short mile round trip hike to panoramic views.
We’ve had rain in the distance, which has been creating beautiful skyscapes and lighting that makes these vistas incredibly majestic and mystical.
This trail has a couple of benches at ideal spots to just take it all in, which we did, enjoying our solitude with the grandeur around us and soaking in the sweetness of nature, life, and love.
Most of the time it’s like we’re in our own world and in a space and time that is its own reality we have been invited in on to experience like welcomed guests.
After our time at these grand vista points we went further in to find our next trail along Fremont River.
The river is right by the Gifford House, which we had wanted to stop by anyway, as we’d seen the signs for fresh pies, hoping they were vegan. 😉
So, we stopped in there and explored the small museum and shop and then I asked about the pies. Luckily they had a list of the ingredients and to our delight the pies without crumble tops were in fact vegan so we picked up two – a peach and cherry pie.
These are locally baked pies you can get while in Capitol Reef National Park at the Gifford House, which is surrounded by beautiful orchards.
You get to meander along both the river and the orchards on the trail, which was just lovely and blossoming right now.
The Gifford House used to be the heart of the small Mormon pioneer village of Fruita settled in 1880 and these historic orchards are the largest in the National Park system.
Anyway, it’s a lovely central area and we explored the amazing trees on the beautiful grounds here, saw our Marmot friends again – I believe they are a couple that live here and scout their tunnel entrances – and enjoyed the rolling river that is lined with more lovely trees next to the orchards.
The blossoms were so fragrant and the trees so magickal….I loved this stroll along the river, listening to the water flow, feeling the breeze blow, and discovering little wonders along the way including this little Faery door.
There are two giant Fremont Cottonwood trees called “Silent Sentinels” that are incredibly amazing.
As saplings they witnessed the arrival of Mormon pioneers in the 1880’s. In 1918, the largest tree by the road became known as the “Mail Tree” where mail was transferred from a carrier in Torrey to another carrier downstream. Later mailboxes were attached to the tree to give settlers a convenient location to maintain communication with the outside world.
I love these trees!
Anyway, after our pie collecting, stroll with our tree, animal, and Faery friends, and journey up the river, we then took the more strenuous, short uphill Spur Trail to some more vistas above the river overlooking another canyon to end our day.
There was a huge dark pending rain cloud ahead, which I used Reiki to direct it to go around rather than upon us for this hike, as the steep climb and edges of the cliff would not have been fun with a downpour of rain. Happy to report that worked. 🙂
Our day was just the right blend of energies and experiences we were both needing.
And upon returning home to our beautiful pastures we look out upon from where we can watch the cattle and horses grazing and the horses rolling and laying in the grass, we were reminded of the simple life we’ve chosen where time doesn’t exist except the moments we embrace.
I love the quiet of our lives, the abundance of nature time, and limited connection other than with the natural world, the few exchanges with other nature enthusiasts along the way, and touch-ins with loved ones.
Days like this are the sweet nectar of life that reiterate why we’ve chosen this path at this time to move the energy in our lives and to deepen our connection with what truly matters and is of most value to us.
Our experiences in nature mirror everything we need to know about life and reflect to us the lessons that presence and stillness open us up to.
There are days of both bitter and sweet…but like nature, we can be assured it is all just a natural cycle inviting us to flow in dance with rather than try to own each moment with some sense of needless and wasteful attachment.
Tania Marie 