Warriorsage

Seven Times Under

Image by Dick Verton
Last summer I was blessed to be able to attend a workshop entitled ‘Awakening of the WarriorSage’. Located in the Canadian Rockies near Calgary, Alberta, it was one of the most intense and rewarding weeks of my life.

On the opening day of the event, our teacher led us out to the shores of the nearby lake where we performed a cleansing ritual, not unlike those performed at Varanasi in the Mother Ganges river. During that time and the days following, I had a particularly strong connection with water, and to this day I can recall the feeling of cleansing and vibrance that came over me as I went beneath the surface of the waves.

Seven Times Under

Sometimes she washes over me still
Just as the first time
I went under her silvery surface
Her chill breath cleansing every inch of my skin.

The ever-present drone of
The Great One replaces
The now distant din of all that went before,
Until I rise and
My ears fill again with World as
Prior moments run down my body
Back to meet her.

Moonlight bends through murky mirrors
Again I go under,
Now with eyes open to reflections before unseen
Fragments of my life suspended
In the shimmering waters.

With each following immersion and breach,
Seven times under,
A part of me washes away
And she receives me
Without resistance.

Present to this moment of cleansing
Into her arms
I entrust all that I am.

Even now as I gaze upon her
From more distant shores
She washes over me still
Her breath again caressing my skin
Ever ready to wash again,
The illusion away.

Beltane 2009

Flickr image by mikescottnz
This year’s Beltane celebration was an important one for me, as it marked the official, outward, community acknowledgement of the invitation of the Mabon, the divine child, into our lives. My wife and I have invited a new One into our family, and though we haven’t yet received an RSVP, we are both feeling deeply connected and ready to welcome this new incarnation into the world.

As my journey into Fatherhood begins, Beltane offers me a time to reflect and meditation especially on the Masculine aspects of this Rite. One of my first and most profound connections with Celtic tradition was with an image of Cernunnos, who is often called the Lord of the Hunt and God of Fertility. This image struck me deeply, as I felt that I was one whose wild and green masculinity had been suppressed for many years. The image of Cernunnos was an invitation to move beyond my own fears and lethargy, to move beyond the comfort I had found in city life, into a more active spirituality that was deeply rooted in Nature, the Wild, and the Green aspects of life on Earth.

Overcoming The Fear Of Death - or - “Yes, I signed up for this.”

Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs. ~ Emerson

I was saddened to hear of the recent illness and deaths that occurred at a spiritual retreat center in Arizona. I'll spare the details (a web search will provide more accounts and opinions than you'll care to read), but the basic recap is this: A group of people were attending a personal development workshop in Arizona. At one point during the workshop, they were all engaged in a sweat lodge ceremony (I'm uncertain of the particular methodology, or if it was modeled after any particular Native tradition). During the ceremony, many participants fell ill, and two died. On the rational level, clearly something went very, very wrong in that ceremony.

Having participated in numerous sweat lodge ceremonies, numerous personal development workshops, and, on more than one occasion, events which posed a direct threat to my physical and emotional well being, I expect a much higher level of integrity from the organizers. Warrior Sage practices a level of 'impeccability' that comprehensively covers the way staff and volunteers act with one another, the way they interact with participants, the way participants act with participants - every single detail is covered and addressed. Satyen spent many, many years training with Shaolin masters, so as you might expect, his attention to detail is very high. Most importantly, however is this simple covenant by which we agree to work together: that each of us is 100% responsible for ourselves AND 100% responsible for the safety and growth for everyone around us. This philosophy is at odds with the 'rugged individualist' approach to life that we so love here in the West. This communal responsibility approach sings the counterpoint to "pull yourself up by the bootstraps!" No - pull each other up, and thereby you'll find you're all standing on ground more firm and resilient than any you could till of your own accord.

Even so - the participants for such events, while often zealous and occasionally naieve, are rarely (if ever) unaware of the potential dangers. And in every case I've ever seen, the answer to one question provides all the detail you need to make a fair assessment of the outcome: "Yes, I signed up for this."