O’Shimala ~ Oyates (Scott, Lila, Angela, Amy, Summerlyn, Austin, RoZie(!), Beckie and yours truly) Oyates zani chi cheapalo.
It gives me tremendous joy to share this post and pic of the crew from our August Ceremonial Weekend. O’Shimala - Oyate zani cheapolo translates to ‘Have pity on the people who are praying’, and given the expansive smiles, the shine of everyone’s love light, coupled with some immediate, positive feedback, we were all clearly in receipt. The best weekend of the month is also the hardest weekend of the month, hard in a Good Way, as we formed our mini, supportive community, stated our needs and intentions along with our pain, our loss and suffering, as well as our love and hope and dreams, then ‘Got Low’ as they say in Native America to bring it all into being. In the words of my Rock Man Austin (Powers), here holding my dog RoZie: “We’re one Ceremony away from a breakthrough.”
Of course getting down in the dirt to reach new spiritual heights, access a higher level of healing, higher than any feeble, fundamentalist ‘religion of the mind’ can offer, while at the same time gaining true, reliable resources in the face of death takes work, commitment, and courage. And this group had it in spades. We enjoyed a beautiful, uplifting summer ‘round here that had its equal share of challenges, and now have an eye on an even more elevated Fall. Of course there’s always our Meditation + Mindfulness 101 class this coming weekend, also soon available for registration Saturday, September 18th, along with a Saturday, September 25th Mushroom hunt with the mighty Anthony Michael Blowers, our quickly filling Fall Noble Silence Meditation Retreat Weekend October 1st-3rd, and other retreats posting soon. Remember too, that there’s always time and space for you here for a private visit. Speaking of that killer feedback, here’s Lilla’s lovely take on our recent gathering:
“The Higher Haven is a beacon of light in the darkness, a waypost for tired travellers seeking refreshment and new understanding, new connections and community. The tidiness, cleanliness, but also raw natural beauty of the retreat space mirrors the beautiful balance struck by the retreat itself, between finding chaos in order, and order in chaos. Every wanderer's journey is a different one, so I cannot promise you the nature of your individual results, but I encourage anyone searching for greater meaning and spiritual connection to visit the Higher Haven once in a lifetime. Many workshops and retreats promise a new start or fresh perspectives, but this was the first such event where I felt an actual "reset" of such cosmic proportions. Great magic dwells at the Haven quietly waiting to bless those who come in hope and good faith.”