A Night On The Mountain
This blog was inspired by a Harvest Moon in Sedona Arizona. I was on a two month long road trip with my husband Paul and no itinerary. It was very spontaneous and exciting to decide each morning where the next destination would be. That’s how we ended up in Sedona. Up until that point, we were pretty much in a new town everyday. We didn’t think this would be any different. We were wrong. Who knew one of the most beautiful places in the entire world had been sitting there this whole time? We ended up staying an entire week!
The main purpose of this road trip was to camp and hike. Paul and I are desert rats and the Southwest is usually where we do most of our traveling. For some reason we failed to take into consideration that it was monsoon season, which put a real wrench into those camping plans. We live in a rainforest and have tented in heavy torrential downpours, but that wasn’t the issue. It was the insane amount of lightning that had us check into hotels for most of the trip. Honestly, it didn’t bother us at all. It was one of the most amazing displays of Mother Earth I have ever seen. The days were warm and clear, and then at night the clouds would move in. The incredible view from our balcony was the perfect spot to huddle together for the show each night.
We were in Sedona during the Harvest Moon, and were told by hotel staff that because of this, it was going to be a very powerful night and suggested we check out a vortex. Neither of us had been to one before. It was explained to me that a vortex was a pocket of energy that moves, but mostly remains in general areas, and when you find one, you know. Paul was skeptical, I was intrigued. One vortex happened to be located just up the hill from where we were staying so we had the hotel shuttle drop us off at the trailhead. We had to climb up some beautiful red rock to get there. We walked around, hoping to find what we were looking for. There were quite a few rock piles around – markers left by others who felt a vortex in that spot. I also found the twisted Juniper Tree, apparently rare and only observed in high energy areas. I walked, sat, hung out with Juniper…but felt nothing. The clouds started to roll back in again and Paul began to make his way back down to the trailhead. I was pretty disappointed. I didn’t want to give up but I saw the lightning in the distance. I turned around to take one last look at the full moon before it disappeared into the darkness of the approaching storm. I couldn’t believe what I saw. The clouds had begun to close in around the moon and formed a very clear outline of a buffalo and it was glowing white. For some reason I knew I was meant to see it, and that it held a story for me. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
A couple of days before we left Sedona we decided to take a day trip to Antelope Canyon, one of the most stunning slot canyons in the world. This time of year the sun hits it just perfectly so that rays of light create glowing beams from the ceiling. Because of all the rain we were having, the canyons were flooding and we hadn’t heard back from our tour guide as to whether or not the tour was still on. The concierge at the hotel booked this for us and we just caught her before she left for the day. She ended up staying over an hour late just to help us out. There didn’t seem to be any answers from the tour company, they kept changing our pick up time and seemed very disorganized. We had already paid for it so we were getting nervous, on top of the fact that we booked another night at the hotel JUST for this 12 hour excursion. Why is this part of the story important to mention? Because I am a control freak, and part of me needs to feel control in every situation. This was a very important lesson I learned about trust, and letting go. Everything actually went perfectly smooth the next day. They picked us up in the morning but still didn’t even know if the canyon was going to be safe. They were willing to give us our money back before we left because they couldn’t guarantee we’d get in. Paul and I got a chance to see something so beautiful, because I let go. In fact, we were only minutes away from the canyon before our guide got the go ahead from head office.
Also, I don’t believe in coincidences. If it had not been for all the confusion and chaos, we would not have met this concierge. She was the one who taught me something about trust and letting go. She was also the one who told me about my buffalo moon too. Apparently white buffalo are very rare and sacred. It’s a sign from the Great Spirit and should be honored. She is an Iroquois woman who has been taken under the wings of the Lakota Elders. She had so many fascinating stories and offered so much wisdom.
One of the roadblocks I’ve had to deal with in finding my voice, my purpose on this earth, is not knowing much about my roots. There were too many family secrets, abuse and lack of communication. It’s a shame those traditions we’re not passed down to me. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always felt a part of me was missing.
I’ve been told by some very wise people that my ancestors will find me when they, or I, am ready – Ready to heal, ready to learn…and hopefully soon, finally ready to trust and completely and let go.