I woke up with an intense feeling of clarity yesterday. Born of dream adventures I’ve had during the most recent full moon, it demands a new level of showing up. It feels like an honestly more solid than I’ve ever felt before, its wonderfully palpable. It feels like the kind of honesty that forges authentic spiritual paths. Honesty is the path.

Lavender Hill Chapel

The approach of Samhain is always a powerful time for me – this one promises to be epic. Our family and our work with the land continue to bloom. Despite the seemingly never ending gray of this summer, our garden is bursting with pumpkins, several varieties of squash, greens, celery and potatoes. The low sun has given us some of the hottest days of 2011, despite heavey rains that carried the unmistakable edge of winter.
Tadg and the neighborhood kids are squeezing in as much craziness as 2-5 year olds can. Giggles cover the land, along with lots of chicken poop, courtesy of the Ladies of the Free Hen Society (aka our six chickens).
We’re initiating a new sacred space on our land: the cob studio Terry has been working so hard on over the years (not to mention Tadg, me and all the workshop helpers!). Look for information about a monthly drumming circle to be held there soon.
I’ll be finishing up my preparation to start teaching as a guest faculty member for The Foundation for Shamanic Studies in two weeks. The idea of being able to share with others something that has transformed my life so fully is almost overwhelming. If all goes well I plan to teach my first class in North Monterey County, early 2012.

Lavender Hill Garden 2011

I’m struck by the feeling of newness+oldness this time of year brings. Life bursts forth while ancient energies abound. Like practicing shamanic techniques in a modern culture, old and new are intimately entwined. Terrence Mckenna would be delighted – the Archaic Revival is upon us!
I’m starting to think that all spiritual traditions practiced today are inevitably thrown into the newness of life no matter how ancient they are. The world is so connected, so accelerated, nothing our ancestors held is left untouched.
Those of us interested in shamanism and other nature based spiritual practices spend a lot of time thinking about what ancient and indigenous people do. We want to measure our own spiritual authenticity by their instruments. The maps we need don’t exist yet, they will only be discovered after we die. Someone will uncover our footsteps and perhaps discern a way both familiar and new. Ultimately the only test is if it is true.

The alchemy of this new year calls forth the voice of my soul singing its truth to the world. Whatever it brings you, I hope its fertile, nourishing, true, and intimately familiar.