Continuing a string of personal posts, since much is happening in my life and sharing that seems necessary.
On Friday I was led through an initiation ceremony by Julie Charette-Nunn, who has been a healer, mentor, teacher and friend since shortly after I began my shamanic studies in 2013. We have done intensive and increasingly deep work over the last two-and-a-half years, and have reached a point where it was time for a ceremonial completion of the work so far.
The structure of this ceremony was simple: she blessed me three times with dandelion flowers and each time asked me to state what I am initiating.
- Third eye: “I am initiating public teaching of wisdom”
- Palms of both hands: “I am initiating public music-making for blessing and healing”
- Throat: “I am initiating telling publicly telling the truth about who I am”
There were other parts of the ceremony that I won’t go into at this time, but it feels important to acknowledge here these three statements, as a first step in beginning to live into them and up to them.
These are not brand-new ideas to me, and work on all of them has begun in some ways. Certainly this blog is an important vehicle of sharing of wisdom and self-expression and will continue to be so. I am continuing with my Soul Cartography teaching (next class starting in July, details coming soon). And I am reviving my long-standing connection with music and music-making with the intention of moving that into a public space sometime soon. I intend to use the pages of this blog to share that work (both process and outcomes) as well. The third item, “telling the truth about who I am,” came as a bit of a surprise, a mystery yet to unfold. Certainly some of that is happening through my writing and teaching, but is there something more there? We shall see!
Julie and I have agreed that we will let things settle for a while and see if we are led to do more work together. On Friday I said an at least temporary farewell to all the teachers on Julie’s land that have had such a profound influence on me: the many trees and plants that have taught me songs and been the channel for so many extraordinary healing visions; the hawks and crows, jays and robins that have celebrated and supported our work, and of course Julie’s delightful herd of goats, who always seem to pay such close attention to what’s going on! I found myself feeling sad about the (at least temporary) closure, but that sadness was wrapped in profound gratitude.
I am cheered, encouraged and challenged by the work ahead. What glory there is in having projects!
