Our Sacred Space

Sean and I took down the tipi this weekend. When it is this late in the season, we have to rush up there in a window of sunny days. It was absolutely beautiful on the island, and the only thing I regret is not having enough time to pick the rose hips which are bright red and perfect for harvesting.

We lit a fire inside this sacred space to dry it out after taking down all the accoutrements. It was the rainiest September and October on record and I don't doubt that. This weekend was a time of deep gratitude and fond memories of the summer. 

When we put the tipi up, we did it twice in one weekend. See my blog about that Here's To Double Erections. That started a theme about right effort, attention to detail, and not settling for less.

The Bravehearts Womxn’s Wisdom circle really christened the fire pit. There was a fire lit within each of our hearts. It was about women in circle, trusting the magic each of us holds and what we enter through the magical 20 count medicine wheel.The energy amongst us was so palpable and life-changing. I think each one of us would say our lives have changed forever.

It was the first time we offered a 10 day retreat instead of a week long, and the 17 people who braved this event endured their own personal trials and came through the other side. It was deeply meaningful because our meditations centered around accessing absolute values, known as The Latifahs. Many hearts were lit aflame and continue to be stoked. It had everything to do with conscience, right down to performing The Tempest. We came away much more able to access our conscience and understanding what that means. We all understood the activation of a higher energy within us. 

The Women’s Alumni Circle almost didn’t happen until one member stepped in to do all the cooking when the chef got fired!!! Big Save Kate Pope! It was at this time that we decided to purchase an adjacent five acres including “Simba Rock”  overlooking all of San Juan Valley and Mt. Baker. The whole upper 5 acres will be named RavenRock which is what the 2020 Visionaries (Women’s Wisdom Circle 2020) came up with for the property in general. Now we know why!  

We also settled on a name for the farm property, Four Feathers Farm, which reflects the guardians of our land, Raven, Hawk, Eagle, and Owl. It is a bird sanctuary. There wasn’t a single person who was not affected by one of these guardians this summer.

We had to push Sound Camp to mid-September which happened to be the rainiest weekend I have ever experienced in my life. I am not kidding you and neither will any of the participants. We had to keep tipi socks available because we literally had to walk through a puddle to get into our space. We were assisted by guest artist Rafe Pearlmen, who apart from his wonderful music contribution, helped orchestrate our encounters with the Orcas and chopped a hell of a lot of wood. He carried the Sacred Masculine force beautifully. The Orca experience was an all time high of the summer and of my life actually. I have a deep affinity with Orca shamanically and so it could not have been more ripe with meaning. You can read about our Orca experience here: The Call of the Orca 

The men’s retreat capped off the season and I can’t tell you what happened there. I can say a lot of wood was chopped to get us ready for next year, songs were sung, and friends were made.

The tipi housed all of our sound journeys, meditations, sharing circles, observation circles, 20 count medicine wheels, initiation ceremonies, and even a hand-fasting ceremony. It had a certain magical quality to it. It welcomed people from out of state for every event. 

We are grateful to each one of you who helped with this season and all who attended a retreat. There was much transformation that happened in this sacred space and on this sacred land. 

See you next year out on Four Feathers Farm.