by Alan McAllister, CCHt PhD-phys
Sitting in a sacred space in the earth, meditating on the beings that come there and what they might want me to know or do for them, I wait in cool quiet near-darkness lit by a few candles. I am reminded in my minds eye of a picture of my soul floating in its own space individuated from the world that I live in, the state of letting go of the chaos of the world and diving within to find the connection to spirit and source that has been arising more and more this year. This has seemed both a desirable and necessary practice to stay centered and functional in the acceleration of change in the world.
The offering this afternoon is another step. The energies of the earth show me that they can help me to ground my spiritual essence (the state of awareness and connection to spirit) into the greater web of spirit in the world. This is something other than the complex of ego created human drama that we have all been trying to find our space relative to and separate from. The weaving of nature and the energies of the earth that are here to support us, as they support all life, is calling us home. Finding my place in this web is useful, perhaps necessary these days. It is a way to walk in the world without getting tangled in the dramas, to have my space both as spirit and as a human being. They are showing me that we need to ground the bliss of spiritual connection into the manifest world. The planet needs this and we need it. This is how we can be in the world, but not of the world, and the planet is ready to help us.
After a while I complete my meditation and with gratitude I leave the space. Though I am not at all sure what this grounding will look like in practice, I know it will be shown to me if I am open to listening.
A day later I realize that there is an opportunity unfolding for me to take up a long standing invitation and drive out to visit a friend in Moab. I am intrigued by the unfolding opportunity and the feeling of adventure that a completely unscripted trip presents, but I also am feeling the message of the day before and wondering if there will be an opening to the energies of the earth.
Two days later I drive west, through snow in the mountain passes, spring growth along the Colorado River, reaching the incipient summer heat of the dessert in the afternoon . A friend of a friend guides me to a place that I can be more or less alone in the nearby canyons and on day three I set off with a rough map scribbled on a scrap of paper. Parking among the mountain bikers at a major trailhead, but walking off in a different direction, I take a short trail along a wash up between high cliffs of red stone. Drawn off the main path I explore a circular space, with cliffs towering above, climbing back and up until I am under the overhangs as far as I can go.
Sitting there to do a small ceremony to open to the energies all around me, I realize that although I am above ground, with a deep blue sky overhead, I am surrounded by the red rock. The wall behind and even over me curving around on either side and a straight wall in front of me on the other side of the way I came in. I can feel the vibration of this rock, of the earth, and know that this is at least part of what the earth beings had wanted me to do. So I sit, grounding, releasing, opening to being in this place.
I spend hours in these rock formations, climbing higher on the original path, until I am sitting on top of a huge earth sculpture of rounded stone, surrounded by other walls and ridges; living stone with the sky over head, and the wind pushing through the canyons and the passages. No people, just the earth, wearing, cleaving, falling and crumbling down the years. Slowly I know that the matrices of the rock around me are aligning me, clearing me, helping me to embody what I had seen. As the fear comes up the wind blows it away. I am giddy with the energies as well as the heights.
Now I’m back in Boulder, bringing something with me. You probably have a different way to do this, but the earth will help you to find out how to ground your spiritual bliss into the body so you can walk it in the world, in your day to day life. All you have to do is ask, open, quiet the mind, and listen with your being. Between the call and the response you will find the way, allowing it to unfold as you go.
You connect to spirit and find your bliss, not to escape this world, but to have a place to stand so you can bring that essence and bliss back into the world, finding balance and joy in the web of life. We do this for ourselves, but also for the planet and for our community. This is why the earth is so eager to assist us.
With blessings and gratitude.
(© 5/2011)
