Walking For the Earth

Last weekend 10 souls walked around Mt. Diablo in Northern California over 5 days. Walkers carried prayer bundles they had made for the world, the earth, families and ancestors, and for ourselves up the mountain. The walk was created and initiated by Daniel Foor (www.AncestralMedicine.org). Ginny Anderson was co-leader, and I had the privledge of pouring lodges front and back of the event, and cooking!
It was so fun to be a part of it. The first day, after a lodge at the base of the Mountain, the hikers were dropped off at the foot of the Mountain and hiked 5 miles up to Juniper Camp the first day. The second day, began a series of 7 mile loops each day for 3 days. The last day 3 loops were done closer to the top as well as a hike up from Juniper Camp to the summit before dawn in 30 degree tempuratures as well as high winds. In the last hours of the retreat, there were three small loops at the very top in the observatory. This culminated nine loops around the mountain. The days on the mountain also included 5 days of ceremonies offered for healing our relationship to the Mother Earth and our relationship of humans to humans. One prayer bundle was to honor those who lost their lives on the mountain, including the Native people who lived there before the rest of us, and for those who had died by their own hand or at the hand of others. We also prayed for the teens who are hurting and killing themselves. This was especially important due to the fact of the recent gang rape of the young girl in Richmond the same weekend.
This is only the beginning of what is necessary for the next few years to help us into 2012 and beyond. It is the way we need to be relating to the spirits of the Earth for the good of all.
I keep thinking of how we can make more of a difference on this planet. One way is to pray, another is to do walks such as these, as well as ceremony for the Earth and LISTEN to what she is saying to us through journeys and intentional work such as this prayer walk.
We need to create new ceremonies, and use the old ones to help us strengthen our relationships with all relatives, including with the plants and the animals on this planet.
This ceremony was a completion of a dream I have had for over 20 years. The question I have been living is: How do we create ceremonies so we a) intiate our youth, b) support the Earth relatives with new communion c) help the Earth through her transition in the next several years.
I have gotten the answer through a workshop I was given by my spiritual guides called Opening the Stargate, (see my website: http://www.thecenterforthesoul.com/). The answer has also come through my work and collaboration with Daniel Foor and his Earth Medicine Workshops and groups.
It has been a dream, not to do this alone, as for years I have written books, and made my way with what I could do in Native American Ceremonies. Now with the groups Daniel is running. I am excited to be creating Earthbased Rituals with other shaman's who know how, and also who have the intention of loving this Earth, even when the culture at large is not yet tuned into the Earth as mother, as sacred, as our heart, as our own selves.
It is time we begin to wake up and pay attention. Would you like to join us? I hope so, it will help us all.