Bob Appelbaum What an absolutely magnificent photograph. One really has to be there to be there. We can only imagine the silence, the smells, the eagles floating on updraft a, the peace and serenity of being about as close to HIM, The Great Spirit, as one can get without leaving this physical plane.
hola relatives - Eight of us gathered last monday morning at my office with backpacks ready to go when we got the news that the route to our intended site was b...locked again by fire, the second year in a row this happened. Grandfather Fire was directing us to another site, Lower Cathedral Lake close to Cathedral Peak that i climbed many times years ago when i was running a Wilderness Therapy program for heroin addicts in the early 1970’s. It is a beautiful setting as you can see in the picture at the bottom of this post.
The big fire was not that far away from this site and one of our questers was worried about the potential danger if the fire jumped (always a possibility) so she decided this was not the time for her to quest with us. Another quester, Brother Robin, a minister from Virginia, had just gotten a phone call about his daughter’s hospitalization in Mexico City so he was going to keep his cell phone on as we drove to see if he might have to turn around and head for the airport. Fortunately he was able to stay for the whole time. `Following a purification prayer the rest of us took off driving up to Tuolumne Meadows, hoisting up our packs and hiking into the mountains. We camped that first night under the full moon near the base of Cathedral Peak. I slept out that evening because i could not find my lightweight tent and Grandmother Moon was so bright I had to pull the sleeping bag over my head in order to doze off. It was cold, the water in my canteen was frozen the next morning but i was warm in a sleeping bag i got many years ago that takes good care of me, a vital necessity for rest and recuperation after the draining hike climbing at altitude with 50 pounds on the back.
The next day we hiked down to Lower Cathedral Lake where we spent the rest of our quest time. Each quester was tested in different ways which is their story to tell but each returned from the time of solitude and fasting with life-enrichment insights, healing and empowerment teachings. Fear, anxiety, buttons pushed by internal and external “happenings” opened many doors for all of us leading to a rich circle-share Friday morning after we reunited and broke fast together. There is definitely hardship of various kinds on this quest journey but the rewards are so life-enriching that, Great Spirit and my body willing, i will head up to the mountains again next year because the medicine that comes through makes it more than worthwhile. I have excitement to go forward with the assignments from this quest heading towards my 70th year and a new decade of Elder work and play. So many blessings and gifts of grace. Thank you all for your loving prayers and support, I deeply appreciate your caring and reaching out and reaching in.
The next day we hiked down to Lower Cathedral Lake where we spent the rest of our quest time. Each quester was tested in different ways which is their story to tell but each returned from the time of solitude and fasting with life-enrichment insights, healing and empowerment teachings. Fear, anxiety, buttons pushed by internal and external “happenings” opened many doors for all of us leading to a rich circle-share Friday morning after we reunited and broke fast together. There is definitely hardship of various kinds on this quest journey but the rewards are so life-enriching that, Great Spirit and my body willing, i will head up to the mountains again next year because the medicine that comes through makes it more than worthwhile. I have excitement to go forward with the assignments from this quest heading towards my 70th year and a new decade of Elder work and play. So many blessings and gifts of grace. Thank you all for your loving prayers and support, I deeply appreciate your caring and reaching out and reaching in.
One of many highlights of solo time - an majestic eagle appearing two days in a row that i saw far, far away with my binoculars (all kinds of vision), once just landing at the edge of the surrounding forest 100 yards away, the other flying high in the sky no larger than a spec to the naked eye. I gave thanks for the gift of being able to see them, sent out prayers for their lives, opened to their medicine (power animal of the east - vision, illumination) and then hoped that it might fly closer to me. Within a minute the forest Eagle left the woods, flew across the meadow where i was at rest in the fields of the Goddess and landed atop a tree a mere 30 feet away from me perching there for a good fifteen minutes. The next day when it reappeared high in the sky I hoped it might come for a closer visit and fly over my head. Within a few minutes the Eagle did exactly that circling over and over right above where i lay resting on Mother Earth! How blessed can a person be! Tears came ran down my cheeks as i thanked the Eagle Spirit for it’s generous gifts.
This kind of experience, along with hearing what the questers got from their experience is what keeps me coming back and may it be so for a 43rd year come next September.
Great Gratitude to you All - May the beauty, strength, wisdom and magnificence of what Great Spirit, the Goddess, hath wrought in the creativity of nature flow into you along with the prayers coming to you from our time in the pristine Holy Temple still moving through time and space bless you in your life helping open the doorway for fullest blossoming and greatest good in your life.
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