As Ayllu – Will We Listen to the Heart of Our Mother?...

Dearest, dearest beautiful ayllu...

Happy Summer Solstice to you all...!

First off, I wish to thank Michelle for hosting our Solstice day at her home at the lake this past weekend – thank you Michelle for being so flexible with the shifting and changing weather... it was wonderful to be back at the lake again...

Numerous times through our day, the great thunder-beings, the 'drummers of the sky' abruptly clapped their enormous wings which sparked the unending falling of the blessed rains – they certainly had their way on our day... we had began outside and had to quickly move under shelter as we just had opened sacred space and then later again -  this time promptly moved inside the house because of the torrent of rain, wind, thunder and lightening...

I also wish to thank Joey and those who assisted her to prepare a shelter for us all...  I learned a lot about attachment to form and to just go with it... what a wonderful day!   Also, thank you to all who also helped out and to all of you who attended... it was great to see you and be in sacred circle with you... thank you!

Thunderbird constellation
which sits above Scorpius

I believe our day’s weather was very significant... when I dig a bit deeper into the symbology and meaning of the thunderbird...  I found there are several myths about this being that vary throughout First Nations cosmologies including many other cultures/history – right back to Zeus’s time.... 

This symbol is also very present in our constellations, the star nations... where, many ancient rock petroglyphs re-print what has been seen in the stars.... 'as above so below'...

“....The thunderbird has been a significant ethnic and mythical symbol of the past and a popular artistic icon and motif through the present day. 

Portrayed as a giant bird whose giant flapping wings make the thunder, while lightning comes from it’s opening and closing eyes, and sometimes with a lake on it’s back from which the rains come....”

The Shuswap - spirit of the lake...

Reading this, I believe it was no accident why we chose to meet at the lake to celebrate the 2012 Solstice this summer... and to acknowledge and honour the completion cycle of 1,000 Days of Sounding with our sacred ayllu (community) drum, windwalker.

We are certainly living in an auspicious time right now... and I know many of us have been experiencing many abrupt shifts and changes – usually when we least expect it - much like a sudden thunderstorm... I know I don’t feel alone in how I have been feeling... sometimes exhausted and sore with also many moments of immense joy and celebration to be alive at this time... "Wow!" is all I can say - it's been up and down and all around.... and, apparently, our next full moon on July 3rd is known as a "thunder moon" too... 

During our day together in ceremony, we all shared what this year's “Solstice” meant to us personally and we spent some time sharing windwalker’s journey - with also exploring what’s next for her... We also drummed and chanted together and shared a wonderful abundant potluck lunch.... Yum-a-rooni !

Letting go of the past - dreaming in the new...

We also offered prayers of letting go of the past – of that which no longer serves us through the loving help of the stone people and also offered our dreamings and intentions for our future through a flower despacho – both offerings were ‘drummed away where they needed to go via the spirit of sound” through our voices, drums and rattles and they were then offered to the dear lake at the end of our day... 

The spirit of the lake lovingly accepted our past give-aways and welcomed our humble dreamings and they floated away - a beautiful moment...

We were disappointed that we were not able to sound and play windwalker this day because of the immense humidity from the last few weeks of intense rains which meant she was quite flat - really flat... There were also sharings where folk felt that she was quite tired from her 1,000 days of drumming....and she needed to rest... so, we respected that.

Those present who had been a part of caretaking her and sounding her during this time... shared about the deep healing and teachings that windwalker gifted them and how grateful they were for that... and how windwalker was and still is a significant part of their lives...

I appreciated hearing your stories... and so did windwalker...

I also would have liked to have heard more about the initial intention of why a call was initially put forth - as to why windwalker was to be sounded for a 1,000 days ending on this Summer Solstice 2012.

My recollection, and please... I invite anyone to please add to this or correct me (in comments below) if I am inaccurate... What I remember was, that... a dreaming came through one of our ayllu members that windwalker was to be sounded for a continuous 1,000 days to assist the coming of the shift of 2012 – for ourselves, our planet and the spirits...

1,000 days was a long time (approx 2.75+ years)  to commit to sounding and caretaking our sacred ayllu drum through this process... 

I honour and applaud all of you who stepped up to the call...  As far as I know not one day was missed... "Good on you all" is all I can say... This is huge and important work that you all did.... and, congratulations!!!  This was no small undertaking...

...with much gratitude to you all!

I wish to acknowledge the time and energy spent to all who participated in these immense 1,000-days... 

On behalf of our allyu I also wish to extend so much gratitude – to all of you who lovingly and willingly invited windwalker into your homes to sound her each and every day... to those of you who hauled her in your vehicles back and forth to the many homes and our weekend events... to Joey and Rick including those who assisted them to tend to her and repair her when she needed it...

Hi-yi-yah to you all – Thank you!!!

If i can assume... that, those of you who stepped up to this call and participated, that you all may be feeling pretty tired and possibly some relief that the 1,000 days ceremony is now complete.... or...?  We welcome your continued sharings and reflections on how this process was for you so we can all learn from you and windwalker...

I myself was not able to caretake windwalker during this time – mostly because of the distance living away down on the coast... Tho’ I did have the wonderful opportunity of being in ceremony with her during our weekend gatherings and not long ago when members of our ayllu (Laurie, Pamela and Maggie) brought her down (the WW field-trip) to us here in Vancouver and Victoria during Spring Equinox – thank you dear sisters!!!  Personally, wish I could have been closer to be more of a part and assist... Although, I hope you know I held space for you all...

It was when windwalker was in Victoria that a respected medicine woman heard a dreaming from windwalker and made the suggestion that she be drilled with 3 holes to assist her with releasing much needed built-up energy she showed – she saw that she was in a gestation period of ‘being pregnant’ from the spirit of her male/female hides (moose/buffalo) - including the amount of energy she was putting out from the continuous 1,000 day soundings... that she also needed to release to continue... and then transition through to her next pacha (time) of her being in service to our ayllu...

A few of us felt that this felt right, trusting her message and a few of us did not... and........ so, there has been some discussion around this as to the why and how this decision was made to go ahead.... there was a trusting that this was a plea from windwalker.... 

There were hopes that doing this would assist her to sounding more true and others now feel that this has diminished her sound...  there is also discussion that we may perhaps did not pull her skins as well as we could have from the beginning... 

When her lacings broke (way back even before the 1,000 days) and they have broken a number of times... it seemed she didn't play or ring true as she originally did... and I wondered back then if we may need to re-lace her to pull her hides tighter again... So, I can't help but wonder if the reason why she is not playing as well and goes flat more often is more of a technical issue...

We also know that she initially came from her birth place of the wet west coast and to come to live in a very dry arid land has been also a major factor – extreme changes for her and us...... We have learned a lot!!!

We will never truly know – though many of us have chosen to ‘listen’ for windwalker’s own knowingness of what to do next regarding this – we await her choice(s) while she rests.......

Also, during our Solstice day this past weekend... we heard the telling of a beautiful story called The Legend* - sourced and written by ayllu member Katina... we learned and were reminded about our original ayllu vision and birthing of windwalker - and who she truly is... 

I thank you sooo much Katina for sharing this story, particularly at this time, as I believe you helped us all re-member why we first responded to that call - her vision... our vision... (this story is eventually to become a children’s book)...

The Seven Sisters - The Crystal Pleiades

And for me, hearing the essence of Katina’s sacred spoken words moved me and others deeply – many of us cried tears of great love for our dear windwalker and her journey to becoming a sacred big drum...

This story revealed that the dreaming and creation of windwalker significantly marked the birthing of the sacred medicine of the ‘white ray’ rainbow teachings for us all – our beautiful ayllu... she has supported the beginning sourcing and sharings of  “The (Crystal) Teachings of the White Drum Mesa” facilitated through our ayllu sisters and mentors Valorie, Mary Anne of the New York sister ayllu and Valerie from our own ayllu...

I wish to share an excerpt from Katina’s story The Legend.... if I may...

“.......All around the Sitka Spruce, her brothers and sisters were cut down making space for her destiny....... The Standing Ones called to the spirit of the wind …and the wind came blowing fierce and strong from out over the ocean....  

The Sitka Spruce spread out her branches and allowed the winds to lift her as she fell forward to kiss the earth, her heart breaking open and her spirit soaring into the crystal center of the Milky Way.  

The Standing People saw her beautiful spirit transform into a white crystal ray of light...”

Windwalker has been the sacred ‘voice’ of this crystal medicine since day one... I myself had forgotten this and I was very grateful to be so beautifully and gently reminded... I believe many of us were on this special Solstice day...

Since windwalker’s completion of the 1,000 days there has been some discussion of what’s next for her on her journey... some have wondered if she is to be dismantled and put completely to rest - that her time is "done".... others share that she is a legacy for our children’s children...

I acknowledge and honour that the 1,000 days of sacred sounding are now 'done'...  Hi-yi-yah!!! 

We have heard your voice - Amen!

All I know and deeply feel is that windwalker is a spirit that came as a loving gift from our blessed earth mother – that she represents and embodies our mother’s heart living-pulse and her sacred voice... she has much to teach us and share with us – if we will only listen...

Back in 2007, when those of us traveled to Read Island to search for her – to respond to our calling (thank you Rick... Ann...Valerie... Richard... Pamela... Joanie... Sunbreak)... 

it was the spirit of a little frog who eventually showed us the way..........

The medicine of the sacred frog teaches us about cleansing... it is the totem of water – windwalker came from the wet west coast and traveled over water and land to come home to us.... 

Frog’s voice calls forth the rains...

Emotions are associated with water... frog can help us to get in touch with our feelings... 

Frogs can cleanse the negativity from an environment. 

Sachamama...

It’s interesting to note that a small frog jumped in and near our circle this last weekend at the lake... 

The circle completes itself........?

When we first approached the windwalker** fallen tree - a grand sitka spruce... We could feel that this tree had fallen hard in the wind-storms... She had been completely uprooted and her roots were rudely exposed high in the air for all to ‘see’ - if we chose to ‘see’... she had been sawed into large long pieces - her severed pieces splayed on the ground.  

We all felt an immediate reflection of just how devastated our earth mother is feeling from the continued rape and dishonouring of her body by us, her children... We immediately sensed that she was the ‘one’ to become our ayllu sacred drum... and we also knew that we had to ask her... and after some offering of healing and connection, she replied quite quickly with a very strong "Yes!...

I will never forget how elated, excited and sooo honoured we all felt......... !

The Standing Ones - Our Elders

The sacred drum can teach us if we are open – she can clear the way for that which needs to be cleared - so healing can occur.... she connects us to our mother – she connects us as ayllu-community – she ‘entrains’ us...

She also teaches us how to have fun!

Our sacred drum reflects our healed state – very much like our mesas do... windwalker is in essence, a mesa for our beautiful ayllu and she will reflect and teach us what is presently going on for our community – as long as we continue to listen... she has and continues to teach us much...

At the beginning she revealed many cracks in her body while she was in the drying stage and not yet a complete drum – at that time we were experiencing many ‘cracks’ in our community... some folk chose to ‘split’ from our ayllu community and they moved on... 

Now, during 2012, she is showing us we are tired and spent and rightly so... We are at the half way point – at the Solstice threshold of 2012...  We have been through hell with so much change and shifting – humanity and our planet...  and the sacred sounding of 1,000 days......

There is a great prophecy from the Otomi elders in Mexico that states....

"When 8000 sacred drums sound together, an intense healing of Mother Earth will commence.”  -  500 year-old OtomiProphecy

eagle condor wing-to-wing

Many of us believe that windwalker is one of the 8,000 – we all are part of the 8,000... and by our sacred intention and soundings this healing of our dear planet has only begun – We still have so much more work to do... 

Are we up for it even though we are tired and spent?...

The ancestors/elders sent us a message through their prophecy that states...

“We are the ones we have been waiting for...” 

Both prophecies give me hope – hope that we can dream our dreamings of what we want for the healing of our blessed earth mother and ALL her children... It is up to us...

The pacos/elders recently sent us all a Solstice message that reads....

“We have just passed into a very unique period of time during Solstice on June 21st of 2012... that we will officially step across the threshold and enter fully into the Time of the New Beginning.

This period of time, which is occurring after many millions of years, as the Great Pachacuti (the turning over of time) - is a time of deep earthly, worldly, and energetic shifting.... that, as we cross the threshold into the New Beginning, we are stepping into a new frequency:  the seed that we each carry within us as a human will expand and grow and there will be a new, higher level of energy vibrating within us.”

What will we choose to 'step into' – personally... as ayllu... as a planet.... as ‘one’...?

And so, I welcome and invite us all to continue to connect with windwalker who gave her life (the grand standing elder sitka spruce) as did the two dear animal spirits (the buffalo and moose) who also gave their lives for us... 

She came into being to support us and to give us sacred voice for our ayllu - our blessed earth mother and all her children... She only asks us to mindfully listen and simply connect – even while she rests for this time being...

She asks us to not forget her.... for in essence, forgetting her is to forget and neglect our blessed earth mother, Pachamama...  I feel if we were to dismantle her would be to take the easy route out... to give in and give up... to buy-into the norm-collective of the old ways of ‘beating’ up and bashing the feminine, disrespecting and humiliating our Mother...

I humbly ask - who are we to decide?... 

What do we choose to step into?...  the new or back up into the old....?

Windwalker showed up for us for a reason – It was us - our ayllu who called for her spirit and she came to us - it was her destiny... 

She is a member of our ayllu... she came from spirit... she is a spirit  - as we are.... we all are ‘one’... Will we continue to show up for her – show up and stand up for our Mother?

We are all connected...  (((o)))

From our wonderful weekend back in 2008 when we gathered to complete windwalker - on the last day, as an ayllu, we stood up for her and honoured her with a dedication ceremony... 

We also stood up with her for a 1,000 days...

It my hope and the hope of others that we will continue to stand up with her - whatever that is to be... I am confident that windwalker will teach and show us...

To end this musing, I wish to include our ayllu’s dreamings*** that came forth that special day – it was a visioning for our then, newest ayllu member and who is now our elder and teacher, dear windwalker...

We all chose to stand together to honour her and each one of us spoke aloud our dedication of what she meant to us.... and then after, we sounded her for the first time together as ayllu and celebrated her birth with much joy and laughter...

And so... I invite you to also explore what your dreamings and visions are now?

- concentric circles in the lake... 

- the white ray.. 

- her sound... excitement.. 

- 8000 drums ceremony and the grandmother drum... 

- five whales... heart connection... out... 

- windwalker... connects with ayllu... 

- sometimes comfortable... sometimes not... 

- new life... 

- it doesn't matter anymore... 

- allow abundance and to slow down... appreciation... 

- listening... 

- being in community... windwalker will teach us... 

- we are wounded healers to share compassion and love... 

- "she" is a new member of our ayllu... healing... understanding... 

- cougar... cat... bear... west.. eagle is vision... 

- protector... windwalker is okay... 

- forgiveness... 

- to connect with a community of healing... 

- aware of sacred space... 

- circles... wider circles... to be held... 

- in the circle of rebirth... 

- vibration and rhythm... 

- shifting of our bones to a chrystaline structure... 

- to witness the dimensions in the divine feminine and masculine... 

- there are no goodbyes... 

- the tree people know this divine presence... 

- i see you!... 

- manifestation of the collective and... 

- will shift the greater collective... 

- it's okay to touch me... 

- gratitude in my heart represents love... 

- she is the center... 

- to stop being opposite sides we get to become one... 

- carry the vision out to the world... 

- now is our opportunity... 

- lake... water... tree... 

- vessel for love, healing and peace... 

- step up to the plate to be the caretakers...

Hi-yi-yah!!!

I welcome your comments and musings please...

With much love and light all ways.......

In munay, weaver x (((o)))

windwalker, our sacred ayllu community drum...

* Excerpt from "The Legend" by Katina O'Neil © 2012

** A "windwalker" is a tree that has taken root on top of an old stump/nurse tree - there have been many legends and stories told that a windwalker will walk in the wind on it's roots...

*** Above source/reference:  From the windwalker blog posted on September 9, 2008 titled, “as ‘all-you’... we vision”...

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