The destruction left behind Hurricane Helene is no match for the beauty and resilience of our mountains and the people who live here. Nature recently provided a visual message of hope in the form of Northern Lights here in Appalachia. While there is much to grieve and let go of, there is even more to be thankful for and celebrate. Nature is wild and unpredictable and why many of us chose to live here. This wildness is in our hearts and we are willing to risk putting down roots that nourish our soul. An extraordinary life is one full of risk. While a disaster like this can make us feel powerless and it’s losses shake us to the core, it is also a reminder that we are still in choice about how we cope afterwards. The human spirit is a power to be reckoned with. The way our communities have supported each other in a time of need is all the proof I need to understand how interconnected we truly are. Our roots just got deeper and know I belong here more than ever…. and I for one am staying put!
A Gathering of Gratefulness, November 2nd, 12-8PM This event is replacing our Day of the Dead Dance. There was a small landslide on a portion of the arbor where we hold our dances, and…well, everyone’s thoughts are elsewhere these days. Our thinking is that we all could use a day of celebrating our strength and resilience as mountain folk. A “free day” to forget our worries, be grateful for all that we have, enjoy each others company, and be nourished by the sacred land we call home. As always there are tasks to help with if you feel called to lend a hand here. I know many of you have given tirelessly, and if you are one of them we invite you to just come and be fed. The most important thing is to be in fellowship with others and recognize the unique gifts we are to each other. Later in the day, we’ll have a brush burning bonfire if the weather is suitable. If you’ve never been here before RSVP for directions. Those of you traveling from afar let me know if you’d like me to save you a bed.
Stop by to visit anytime during the day
We will have food to share with all who stop by, and if you’d like to bring a potluck dish to share, please do.
We will have an Ancestor Altar set up to honor our loved ones that have passed and hold prayers for those in need at this time. If you’d like to contribute your energy to the altar, you may bring a personal item, a picture, a candle, make a prayer bundle for yourself and the collective.
If you’d like to lend a hand: We have chainsaw work from fallen trees in our medicinal garden area, wood splitting, making kindling, and moving new firewood, re-planting the landslide area in the arbor, digging out the spring over flows, and building a new raised bed in the galactic greenhouse!
Optional Healing Lodge on Sunday. See the info below.
Sunday, November 3rd @ 1PM- Healing Purification Lodge To Re-Assemble Ourselves Post Traumatic Life Experiences: This special ceremony is…for everyone. It is especially important right now for those who have suffered loss from the devastating floods here in the mountains. Being human means we all meet challenges that are incomprehensible, pain that seems too much to overcome, and obstacles that seem insurmountable. Traumatic experiences leave us with “triggers”, and it is not always as easy as “making lemonade” to get over them. They will always be with us. To the extent that we integrate these experiences and face them is how we move forward in our lives. We all have imprints from painful life experiences. No doubt some are worse than others and we each deal with them in different ways. Traumatic experiences “take us apart”. Something unimaginable has happened and it has changed our entire reality. In this ceremony we have an opportunity to begin “putting ourselves back together”. Whether you have an old trauma still causing pain, or a brand new one this ceremony is for everyone. We all have “stuff” that builds up and needs to get cleared…let’s de-frag and reboot our spirit!
Together we pray for understanding what has happened to gain a deeper internal mirror of self-reflection… a perspective shift on an event or problem. We shall send prayers to our “enemy or tyrants”. These may be people or events that push our buttons. We acknowledge the triggers and ask to see more clearly any distortions in our perceptions. We give-away resistances and all that blocks our way to greater balance, peace, and healing. This letting go opens our hearts, releases resistance, and brings clarity to our troubles. We can see the bigger picture and a new way forward.
RSVP to Kelly. Newcomers arrive an hour earlier for a full orientation. There is no charge for this ceremony. Gifts and donations are requested for Lodge expenses, Kelly, and the fire crew.
December 21st, Winter Solstice Purification Lodge @ 1pm Join us for the last gathering of 2024 at Spirit Canoe Lodge! Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year and a time to slow down our pace. It’s been quite of year and we are all ready to be tucked into winter’s cozy introspective season and stop the external busyness. As nature pulls back, we too are urged to pull our energy within. Time is precious and healing. When we align with the seasons, life can make more sense.
There is no charge for the ceremony. Donations or an energy exchange for Kelly and the fire crew are a necessary part of participation. RSVP to reserve your spot and receive the protocols that prepare you for this ceremony.
Shamanic Purification Lodges in the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path tradition are a sacred ceremony open to all men and women that desire to connect with the elements, the worlds of Grandmother Earth, to pray (for self, life and others), to purify (emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually), and for those who choose to grow and evolve as humans. The alchemy of this ceremony creates a safe space for us to let go of what no longer serves us and connect with Spirit to receive guidance and healing. We come together so we can make a jump in our evolution on a personal and collective level.
I look forward to the pleasure of your company! Kelly Jumping Mouse