July 29th - Drum Ceremony

A grand group gathered to honour the making of this great ayllu drum on July 29th. What a wonderful response.... I feel this drum's presence in my backyard all the time. The purpose of our gathering was to both honour the drum and ask it to provide us with guidance regarding how it is going to be birthed. I have tried to capture some of the ideas that came forward from the gathering. Here are random thoughts and ideas in no particular order;

the vibrations from the drum are being connected all over the world, it is important in joining together with other drums that are sounding for the healing of the pachamama;

the power of this drum will draw our ayllu together and has already made us more powerful;

the healing of the earth will begin by healing ourselves!
There is a bear walking around on the drum.
There are two eagles soaring and flying on the drum
There is a jaguar(perhaps the jaguar was brought to mind by my hungry, noisy feline who was stalking us throughout the ceremony

The natural qualities of the wood are so beautiful; that we can make something powerful out of a fallen tree is wonderful.

there are strong vibrations coming from the drum that are already reverberating....
A great sense of peace, particularly in the centre of the drum. A feeling of energy creating a vortex in the centre.

White buffulo calf woman - the hides will be soaked in the lake because the spirit of the lake is white buffulo calf woman - she who has been so instrumental and powerful in drawing our valley ayllu together.

Windwalker, healing, vibrations, power, collective voice, world power, world healing, beyond just each of us individually,

We honoured the drum base by blowing our breath and smudge across it and said prayers for it. We burned shavings from the interior of the base on the fire and again blew our prayers into the shavings as we placed them on the fire.

we invite all to share in the making of this drum. further ceremony at the end of September at Michelle's house.
Ann

listening...

"I hear a drum in my soul's ear
coming from the depths of the stars!"
- Jelaluddin Rumi



• above video created by Rick & Ann Wallin
• music by weaver (((o)))
(c) 2007

heart felt...

dear ones...
it is so good...
you have come...
to meet...

i had been...
waiting for you...

don't forget...
where i once stood tall...
walking...
dancing...
swaying proud,
bonded...
with my sister wind...

from high...
above i lived well...
with my sisters...
and brothers...
my wise ancestors...
who...
in front...
behind...
all around...
above and below...
guide me...

father sun...
grandmother moon...
the cloud people...
the star people...
the bird people...
the crystal people...
the finned and furred...
those who creep and crawl
the stone people...
the tree people...
my kin...
inform me...

because of...
a humble call...
and cry sounds...
from our dear mother...
you hear...

i freely...
willingly...
give my self...
my fallen earth body...
because i come from...
her...
like you...

please know...
i come from living heart...
sourced deep...
breathing...
from our blessed mother...
from depth of core...
from one heart...
for many hearts...
from one...
to all...

know...
sister wind's breath...
sings with me...
through me...
and through you...
all of you...
we shall soon...
sing together with...
one heart...

thanking you,
...windwalker

--sourced through weaver (((o)))

Shape-shifting...

"Windwalker"...

I remember the sound she made as the first piece of her core, of her heart, was finally chopped out of her. She took the chainsaws, the axes and the sweat of two strong men. It was peculiar. I asked myself was she resisting or simply a powerful force?

That morning, I was antsy to go and help get this wood for our drum on the ground. I knew Rick needed help. What help I could be, who knew? The "big cut" was to be around noon, with a neighbours help and use of his backhoe, a convincing earth ripper gripper machine. I wolfed down another yummy brunch, jumped into a kayak and off I went ... weaver caught sight of me as I was underway and called out her good-byes. "Sorry weaver !!! see you soon, love to Joan, I'm not good with good byes" Twenty minutes later, I landed on Wallin's beach and followed the sound of a chain saw to a sight that almost broke my heart. It was not unlike watching the gutting and cleaning of something large. Then my focus shifted back to the tree from which Windwalker came to us. I went back to her to pray, send my gratitude and offer more tobacco. It was she who then comforted me. I was more than a little wowed and humbled by this. I walked back in time to see the separation of two chunks of wood. Could it really be we could get two drums? Wow, more Wow!!! Now the chainsaws are smoking, axes and log splitters flying. Windwalker is holding fast. Then she delivered her first piece of core to us. To me it was a declaration. From now on she would teach us how make her. She was shape-shifting before our eyes. YIPEEEE!!!! Love Pamela

My prayers are with you...

Hello Everyone! Carol invited me to contribute to "Our Ayllu Sacred Drum Project blog" and I am honored to do so. By way of introduction, I am a Musician, drummaker (maker of carol's qilaut Laughing Wolf) and dreamer whose hands have repeatedly demonstrated more intelligence than my head (or the other centers of wanting for that matter). Nevertheless I'm going to plunge in here and hope that my words are in some small way informed by the spirit of the drum.

This business of making a drum as ceremony brings tears to my eyes every time. Each of us who does this work stands before the great spirit in our own private way, in our own time and asks, "Will you help me? Will you join me in bringing this drum into being? And the Great Spirit invariably answers,"Who is it who is asking? Who is it who wants to know?

And with that, all sense of certainty, all sense of identity in me dissolves. And when the Great Spirit says, who is it who is listening???? I thought I knew a little while ago, but I'm not so sure now....... This is how it begins for me. "And for what purpose?" is the next question that throws me into a tailspin. "Well, Great Spirit, you know, service and healing. .....?....."

It is an ageless and endless conversation I'm afraid. And ones knowledge of the process is small coin indeed. But however imperfect and unprepared we are for this co-drummaking with spirit, we forge ahead because we must.

And rest assured, the power of the drum will be bought as much by your anxiety, self questioning, fear and uncertainty as by your courage and open heartedness. It will be a marvelous and powerful drum! I salute you all and send you my prayers and good wishes.

Mitakuye Oyasin, John Millen

meeting windwalker...

Continued... part four...

after lunch we all quickly headed out again to listen and track for which tree might be calling, if at all... we were praying for one to become a sacred community drum... we split up in a few directions... i think we were were all feeling that the day was getting away from us - as it was rapidly getting late in the day... and i know we were feeling a sense of urgency... today was the day if it was to happen...

i and a few others were heading back up the trail towards the wise teacher-tree and first fallen one we had met earlier... and with the white wolf drum in hand, i began to sound her voice that echoed far up and into the vast forest... i was attempting to connect somehow in this unfamiliar place to help assist in any way i could...

Rick had brought an axe and small chainsaw to check the inner wood of the first fallen tree... a few of us gathered around to watch the process... the saw went in so easily we could tell that there was much rot on the outside... probably about 4-6 inches worth... he did cut out a good piece that seemed sound... but we weren't sure this was the "one"... tho' it deemed possible... but i didn't feel we were getting a clear "yes" yet...

we thought to wander down into the forest deeper to check out some old stumps as well.. we were guided to one large one that looked promising but only to find it was way too rotten in the middle... navigating through the thick brush and uneven ground was difficult for my city legs and i had to stop bushwacking... so, i went back to the teacher-tree to ask for some help this time... i again stood before her in silence, mindfully asking for any assistance in a wordless way... and then felt a trusting back that said "whatever was supposed to be.. was meant to be"... well... whatever that was supposed to mean, i didn't have a clue... Valerie also made some offerings at this point too...

now alone on the path... i continued to drum off and on while walking back down towards the cabin and back again... i had the urge to sing or chant right out loud at one point but didn't... i sang from within instead... with intent, sending my silent song out with the echoes of my drum sounding... i was starting to wonder where everyone was... i knew a few had gone back up to the first tree with more tools to start digging out around the base of it hopefully to cut a round off to see how it was... but where were the others?.... where was Joan and Pamela?... and Richard?...

i decided to head off to the outhouse for some much needed respite... and once settled there... suddenly out of the blue... i could hear someone off in the distance, calling out my name over and over... "ah geesh!" ..."this is real good timing", i thought as i muttered to myself... i booted the door open part way with my leg calling back out to wherever they were into the woods with an echo... and so, once i was back out the door... we eventually found each other - it was Pamela and Joan on another path just off the main trail...

both Joan and Pamela were excited to report that they had maybe found the "one!"... but it wasn't on this property but the one lot over and beckoned me to come back with them to see... where...they had discovered a large tree that had been blown down during the past season's winter wind storms... Pamela called out into the forest for the others to come as well... earlier, a couple of times Joan had been guided to go look on this other trail and the two of them eventually joined up together... then, apparently, a small tree frog appeared, somewhere on the trail... pointing them further along the trail where they finally saw the tree...

we called back up the main trail again to the gang at the other tree to come with us and off we went... it wasn't a long walk over to their neighbour's property where it quickly opened up to a wide-open clearing.... where it was clear that many trees had been taken for lumber for the buildings on this neighbour's lot...

Pamela and Joan pointed over a ways into the clearing amongst a large mess of mud, scrub, logs and machinery and there she was... lying on an angle down, a huge blown-down sitka spruce stump, maybe close to 4 feet in diameter and 6-8 feet long or more... the long length of her straight trunk had been cleanly sawed off and the long piece of her once-body was laying nearby on the ground off to one side... what was left of her was completely uprooted where she had blown down and her spiral-intertwined once-were roots were rudely exposed way up high in the air almost like she was naked... and i had this sudden sense that we shouldn't even be looking... somehow, it just didn't feel right to see her that way...

i remember thinking in that moment that this tree was possibly the "one"... as we slowly walked up to her... i was feeling very tentative - but with a sense of excitement too... as we slowly gathered around her closer, i don't think we knew what to do in that moment... i know i didn't... my heart felt numb, empty and sad... i guess seeing how she was so "ripped out of the mother" and being so "sawed off" seemed pretty severe, brutal and a violation... a good portion of the bark had fallen off the sawed-off end exposing a lusterous reddish tan wood... she was truly beautiful... i also noticed that there seemed to be a bulge on one side of her trunk... could this at all possibly be one of the trees i saw in my dream a few weeks ago?...

we put our heads back on for a moment, and surveyed that this amazing tree definitely could be the "one"... and discussed logistics of how to cut a round off the one end... Rick went off to confirm and find his neighbour... as he had apparently already said to Richard and Joan he would be okay for us to take what was left... we heard later that the neighbour would have burnt what was left anyway...

while waiting for Rick to return... we walked away form the tree, i think still in a strange numbed-out aweness and walked around the site a bit... realizing the work ahead of us and how to get her home to Kamloops, etc... Ann, myself, Joan and Valerie started back up and passed by the tree once again... Pamela was still sitting with the stump and called over to us asking for us to come and do something for the tree together... "Can we sing or pray to her... please?"...

we immediately went back over and gathered around her... i was guided to gently place the grandmother white wolf drum on the ground next to her open sawed-off wounded end and then silently placed tobacco to the sacred directions on the drum's round top... we all layed our hands on what was left of her trunk and closed our eyes to connect... i shared with my sisters that i could sense that she was breathing... about a minute or so later, Valerie spoke aloud and said that the tree was still in much shock and pain... that this great tree had not been ready to fall when it did... then asked me to send our vision and intent to the tree... to let her know why we were there and what her purpose could be... i took a big breath and on my out-breath, connected to and breathed the vision to her from a place deep in my heart, through my hands back to her, and asked for her blessing... together, we all felt an immediate sigh of relief rise back from her and she said "yes"...

in that same moment, Rick had also just returned with his neighbour and they both confirmed that indeed this tree was available to become our sacred ayllu drum...

wow! ...we have found you dear one and you have found us!

we learned later that this blessed tree is a "windwalker" as Ann explained in an earlier post... and so, that night together, we named our soon-to-be sacred ayllu drum, "windwalker"...

definitely... more later...

with much light and love,
weaver (((o)))

excited...

Hello all

Thank you for the opportunity, weaver, to join you in manifesting your vision of a drum for the ayllu. I look forward to contributing in any way I can.

I recently was priviledged to attend a gathering in Courtney to share and experience the Grandmother Drum created in Alaska. She is beautiful. To know that she has travelled across the oceans and back carrying her message of oneness and community is just awe inspiring. The sound is indescribable - the heartbeat of creation. My mesa and drums were warmed by her rhythms as all who attended the gathering drummed out their dreams for oneness.

Love and many blessings to all

heart re-membering...

Continued... part three...

it hadn't really sunk in right away that we had finally reached the property, when Ann first pointed out the first tree...

when we all stopped and stood with the fallen tree - we became quiet for a bit... my first thought was wow, this is truly one big tree... and it has been down on the ground for quite some time... you couldn't see bark anywhere as there was so much growth all around with much thick moss and ferns... i wasn't kidding when i said in the last post, that fairies and little folk had maybe moved in for sure... you could just sense them and almost see them too... there was also some question as to what shape the wood would be like inside... because of so much growth, could it be rotton all the way through?... Rick didn't think so... we then moved on down the trail to go view a couple others that they knew about...

our group headed on down the trail and we were shown a couple more fallen ones... where they seemed to be in similar state... where it looked as though they had been on the ground for what seemed maybe the same time period as the first one we were shown...

on our right, i could see we were coming up to a very large cedar... i could sense as we came closer, that we moved through and into it's luminous aura-body - a sweet, friendly place... i was moved to stop and say hello... this living ancient tree held such presence that i was moved to just stand still in front of her - quite in-awe... Rick stepped off the trail wanting to show me just how big in diameter this tree really was.. with a huge smile, he wrapped his arms around the rough trunk as far as he could, pointing out that he could hardly even cover a quarter of it... he figured that it must of been at least 300 years old... we both wondered what and how much this tree had seen and heard over the many, many years it stood strong in this verdant place...

during that afternoon i went back to this tree a few times to just be with her... i left some tobacco and sage there as well, to just say thank you for the opportunity to meet and be in it's presence... no words or messages were exchanged as it didn't seem to be needed... each time we shared a silent "unspoken" knowingness that didn't need words i guess... hard to explain... all i know is that this special tree was very old, very ancient and very wise... and something about being together sharing and connecting "heart-to-heart in the moment" was what seemed important... or significant... no surprize huh?...

this beautiful teacher-tree helped me to re-member, reinforming me in another deep way that the drum truly is the "voice" of our earth mother's blessed dear heart... i wanted to gather everyone 'round so they could also share the moment i had shared with this sacred being, but it seemed the group was now splitting up and heading off down to the Wallin's cabin for lunch and a much-needed break... i decided to let it go and head off with them... it was already clear many times over that this day... and this journey had taken on it's own agenda... on it's own sweet... "spirit-time"...

to be continued...

with much love and light,
weaver (((o)))

almost a week...

Yes, almost a week ago I arrived home from our Shaman Drum Safari. Since coming home I've been tossing around images and such to share on this blog. The first thing that comes clearly to mind is the transporting of what will become our drum, from Read Island to Quadra Island. About an hour crossing in a Zodiac like boat. The spruce is heavier than I imagined even with some of her already cut out. (That's a story for another day) I see in my minds eye, she is slowly being towed in the ocean behind us. Valerie is piloting, Ann and I shaking our heads in wonder as to how we got to this point. The guys are ahead of us getting Rick's truck ready for the haul home. Nick is in the bow of Rick's aluminum boat and is convinced it's going to take 5 hours to make the trip between islands. All of us comment later on having seen the 4 eagles that blessed our crossing. The winds are a whisper and the sea is flat. There is clear support of our endeavors from sea to sky.

We had to roll the spruce down to the beach from her home in the forest. Working in groups of 3 or 4 we traded off, those not rolling were directing and hoping no one would get thumped with a run away stump. All in all, no blood was spilled or bandages required (except Richard did have an index finger in the way of an axe at one point ... nothing a little kiss on it couldn't help). I'm looking forward to the pictures that Rick took as it's more than a challenge for me to put into words these hours spent away from home. Friends, food, adventure, ferries, faeries, seals, mountains, kayaks, trees, birds, frogs, wind, sun, stars, breath and breathing in the power and joy of it all.

More later, Pamela

7, 7, 7, or eight?

Continued... part two...

the next morning... after spending a good chunk of the night hearing mama cocha (mother ocean) knock relentlessly on the boat walls, we arose to another gorgeous, sunny day... the day was July 7, 2007... or 7/7/7... i couldn't help but notice the interesting date... and what the heck was all that "knocking" about anyway? - geeesh!

after breakfast, we hung around the boat and dock doing this and that while waiting for Ann and Rick to meet us... i spent a bit of time near the water making some prayers and offerings of tobacco and white sage to say thank you for this place and acknowledge the reason why we had come... and ask for help and assistance... for we had come to ask the tree people if one would like to be-come a sacred community drum... to be of service to our blessed earth mother and our ayllu...

Valerie called us over as she had discovered some striking sea flowers and then some jellyfish that looked like irredescent spacecraft hovering near the surface of the water.... then an 8-armed sea star appeared... it was something i had never seen before and quite stunning... it was bright red in colour and very beautiful with the way it moved so gracefully without effort through the water... we watched in awe as it slowly sauntered over to the edge of the dock and fed on some seaweed that was hanging on to the edge for dear life and then it was gone... noticing it's pulsing roundness i couldn't help but think of the drum while watching it drift on...

hmmmnnn... 8 arms... there's 8 of us... ?

when Rick and Ann arrived... we slowely gathered together and headed off for the hike into their property to begin our day of why we came to this wonderful wild place of sea and forest... a little ways in on the trail a large guardian stone on my right made it's presence known and so i walked over to say hello... i quickly asked permission to connect and laid my hands on it's thick mossed surface and got quiet... i humbly asked for a blessing to proceed on our way and the message i received was "welcome" and "we thank you"...

by now i could tell it was probably high noon as i was feeling a heavy heat from the sun right over me - and quite glad i had brought a hat... we walked a medicine walk together single file for quite some time... navigating and winding through and over blackberry bushes,long grasses and sometimes poison oak that Ann warned us about...

i wondered if we were maybe getting close when the sound of the white wolf drum was requested to lead us on with Valerie volunteering... i was personally feeling that our walk seemed to be going on longer than i thought it was supposed to be... probably feeling my fatigue of not having much sleep the past 2 nights... i guess i heard wrong... a few of us were lagging behind the group and once in awhile the rest that were ahead would stop and wait for us... which i humbly appreciated... i welcomed the warm long sounds of the drum announcing our presence, offering us help along the way... ahead i heard someone ask if we were almost there, when they were told "we were about half way"... "but it would get easier as the trail would now go down hill some..."

half way?... wow... okay... keep going...

thinking... and thankful i chose to wear long pants 'cause of much thick grassy brush and prickles all over the place... i'm really liking being in the woods for a change... it's been awhile... too long i'm realizing... i'm loving the smell of so much green life all around, below and above me and the lushness even though it's hot... i'm thankful for the tall evergreens that tower over us and the soft moss on the trees, stones and the ground... off in the distance i'm sure is a huge black shiny raven echoing an announcement of some sort... i wondered to whom?

finally, about 20-30 minutes later... Ann stops and the drumming stops and she softly mentions while pointing left to a large fallen tree just off the trail that looked like it had been lying on the ground for quite some time... so long so it looked like maybe faeries and little folk had moved in...

to be continued...

with light and love, weaver (((o)))

song of wyda...

part one...

WOW! ...is an only word i can start with as i open this next post... last weekend (a sacred drum safari - as Pamela so wonderfuly named it) was quite a "whirlwind" trip to say the least...(no pun intended really!)... so much happened in such a short time, that it's hard to put the weekend into words... so, i thank you Ann very much for getting this journeling of the incredible three days we shared together, started...

in the wee hours last friday morning... our arms full with as least amount of stuff as possible, plus, not forgetting our mesas and a certain white wolf drum (and at the last minute, grabbing my guitar and some tobacco), we ventured out to catch a first ferry to begin our journey to Read Island off the coast of Vancouver Island...

after much travel driving, riding on ferries and boats most of the day, plus an unexpected quick-how-to-let's-do-this-together-NOW! lesson in how to land a beautiful white boat at a very-tight spaced dock in persistent gusty trying winds and swirling current... eight of us finally gathered together on the peeling red-trimmed government dock at wild Read, our destination... i have to admit now that i got another sense to the meaning of the word "calm" ... and whether i could ever connect to that sense again, i'm not sure... but what i do know innately, is that the only way we could of completed that immediate-task with all chaotic variables involved, was, "together"...

and in one word... that was the weekend... "together"...

early that evening with the diamond-bright sunshine warming our weary souls, we shared some tasty dinner and fun kinship... sitting up high on the fly-bridge we watched eagles off hovering high in the distance and about a half dozen swallows circling all around us as if to open space - then to retire and take roost in the nearby boat-house on the dock... that also offered free books for reading material if at all needed... but not this trip...

and as father sun began his descent into the far west, we were guided to witness an awed-quietude at the island's edge just up from the shore... where a oneness of sorts... or allness.. a listening happened in that moment... together we heard the swaying-welcome of the standing people, the tall trees proudly holding safe guard as they sang in partnership with wyda the wind gently sharing her songs... and their singing was oh, so beautiful... we could almost feel as though together, the trees and wind were definitely saying hello... and saying "yes" to something... and we were definitely being acknowledged... and i think within that moment we all took a big breath maybe together, maybe not... tho' i think each of us knowing deeply in our hearts that we had heard and responded to a certain call and... with our own imbedded excitements anticipated and wondered what the next day would or could bring...

and i remembered that the breath and the wind was and is... the first drummer...

and... to borrow a line from dear Valerie... "holy cow batman!"

to be continued.... i'll post more soon...

with much light and love,
weaver (((o)))

the birthing of the drum...

So the journey toward toward the vision of an ayllu drum has begun. The large, protruding (dare I say pregnant?) trunk of the tree offered itself. The Spruce tree had been blown down in a tremendous wind that had ripped through in late spring. We showed it the vision of what it was becoming and it let out a huge sigh and shifted from great sadness to a tentative forward looking view.

The physical effort of getting the pieces (we have two) cut and transported was huge. We managed to get one back to Kamloops. The second will come in mid-August. Carol is looking into some details of the actual making of the drum. Rick is going to continue the hollowing out process and carving some designs and symbols on the side. Everyone is welcome to provide input and to participate. If you want to see the drum come to our next fire - New moon - July 14th at 7:30. or Full Moon fire on July 30th.

You might see the drum referred to as Wind Walker. This is because it was a very old - 300 year old Spruce tree that had rooted in a nurse tree. A nurse tree is a tree that has fallen and new trees grow out of its back. Apparently, the legend is that trees grown from nurse trees are known to "walk" in the wind. Some warning had been given to the owner of the land this tree was on that he needed to watch this tree as it was a wind walker and would likely fall in a heavy wind. This is exactly what happened.

More to come on this incredible journey.

the "one"...

off to journey...

this weekend we've been invited to go to Read Island (near Quadra Island) to pray, meet and ask some trees to see if one wants to become the "one"... to become the frame of a sacred ayllu drum... we've been told that there are a number of large trees that blew down in the wind storms... it's going to be a long, journey in a very short time travelling on water with at least 2 ferries, hiking, etc... and still lots of logistics to figure out before we go... so, spirit... we ask you for help with it all... thanking you...

i have lots of anticipation and excitement too... what to expect?... i have this full-sense coming from somewhere deep within me that's hard to describe... like a longing coming to the surface around me... and it's definitely a pulsing... i must be connecting somehow... or something is connecting with me?... maybe blessed earth mother is responding through me in some way... i do know... through all of us... she must be... otherwise, we wouldn't be dropping everything to do this... and go now at this time...

there's also sooo many thoughts and ponderings... will one be willing?... and can this all happen in just one weekend? - and how can it?... i also wonder if we'll see any "pregnant" trees like i saw in my dream... and i wonder how many of us we will be in number... it's interesting to note that those of us who meet together in this special place will be meeting on the day of 7/7/7 this saturday... (July 7, 2007)... i must see if i can find out more about this day astrologically... it's gotta mean something eh?

so... we shall see if one wishes to be the "one"...
more later...

much love and light...
weaver (((o)))