We completed last Sunday’s plant walk with a pine powered plant mandala ritual in which we all worked the energy of the land, bringing in many of the sacred medicinal plants discussed during the plant walk, and harmonizing and balancing the energies with the directions.
All who were at the class were invited to begin the ritual with taking a handful of needles from the pine branches that had recently fallen, and to step deeply into their instincts and intuition as we all took 3 deep inhales. As the medicine set in, we also discussed doing limpiya with the pine bows, which is world wide healing technique to clean the energetic field with plants by rubbing them along the energetic field to wipe off psychic debris. And the pine also helped students remember the power of wreaths, of then we were able to connect that origins of wreath making were as a sacred and protective amulet for the house.
As they imbibed the medicine of pine and awakened their olfactory senses the feeling of transformation of our individual as well as group consciousness expanded as the energy shifted into a palpable sacred space. Inspired, some began to offer pine cleanings to each other quite naturally, as we joked about the real secret of “pinesol” and many naturally tickled each other’s faces with the soft pine and nurturing and intimacy was spontaneous. It was Incredible to see the space open up naturally as the medicine of pine entered them and worked through everyone in the ways it needed.
From there we first created a circle with the pine boughs and began to forage and find whatever called to each of us to add it within the circle. Once the larger group had added what they felt called, it was insightful to see the asymmetrical nature of what was made, and that it felt somewhat fragmented; this was a sign that the work had just begun, and was not yet complete. By taking the time to observe and sense it, this was a way of “reading” the unfamiliar territory of the group like an oracle; a map of our ability to work together as one.
In this way, we were able to watch the capacity for the medicine circle and ritual develop in a completely new vision.
Once all had contributed what they felt into the sacred circle we sat there observing and feeling it, I began to continue to work with sensing the mandala and adjusted the 4 sticks to align with the directions so that we could feel the shift, and asked how it may have shifted anyone. This enabled the subtle perceptual shifts of creating balance to be felt tangibly by all, and it invited everyone to continue to read, perceive, and work the circle into harmony, to sense, and to deepen coming into harmony as a community.
From there, others felt inspired to continue to play. Emily and Alicia helped to continue to work the symmetry, Emily kneeling and putting such deep care into it felt like she was nurturing the mandala like a mother bird making a bird’s nest for her earth children to come and gather. Then Nick offered a bundle of feathers, poke berries, and goldenrod, all tied in a bouquet, of which we put in the center as the offering, and placed 2 sacred shells that he collected from the shore which are sacred wampum shells to the native people of this land. In these 2 offering shells, I saw the balance of masculine and feminine; the alchemical wedding; the balance of yin and yang, shiva and shakti. I then proceeded to enliven the mandala with offering waters inside the shells as a feeding of the land and ancestors spirits, to nourish and invite them to come alive by these waters.
Christine added a drop of rose water into the shells, and we also ingested some as prasad of the sweetness of our offering. We did the magic works including all who were there and sealed and completed it as we circled around with a group OM chant.
At this time I envisioned and internally invoked the pillar up into the heavens to make the portal to once again invite our ancestors to the land to work and heal it, and so that we may again receive their guidance as all held space.
Thankful to all who came and shared, and contributed your love and magic to the circle.
This is sacred, this is medicine, this is community. The land is awakened by our acts.
This is the birth of a new sacred activism.
Plant blessings everywhere,
Dandelion
www.returntonature.us
