Queen of Swords

When I arrived at the meeting place, I was greeted by name by a woman I had never met before, who later told me she had recognized me as "one of ours" by my "wild eyes."
I carried my pack and did not tire.
I double-socked under my hiking boots and my feet were always happy.
I praise the makers of SPF 60+ sunblock, for I did not burn.
I told time by the movement of the sun across the sky and the light and shadow on the canyon walls.
I climbed a hill alone and looked into a cave.
I met Grandfather Dragon.
I was guided by Mountain Sheep.
Rattlesnake turned me inward to examine my relationships with confrontation, fear, and control.
I was blessed by the sight of the stars in the desert sky.
I shared medicine stories with the women who were with me.
I offered the prayers that were sent with me, and felt myself supported by the prayers of those who love and care for me.
I received an alderwood staff in an enchanted grove.
The creek taught me that I did not have to dive into the depths of the ocean to learn of Water.
I learned that there is a yin style of questing, and to honor gentleness.
With the exception of a few pieces of salmon jerky, I ate vegetarian fare for four days and did not expire.
My bleeding time started almost immediately after I entered the campsite and ended as we were leaving.
I am filthy dirty, and my hair is full of oils and dust.
I, my clothing, and my car all smell like the canyon.
I have lots of borrowed gear to clean before I return it.
It is (almost) all about The Hat.

That covers the important things. More detailed narratives will be posted as I have the time to transfer them from my paper notebook. I am now going to take a long hot, shower, a soak, and then another shower. With all respects to the venerable Guttenburg: at this moment, as far as I'm concerned, the most important technology of civilization is indoor plumbing.

And of course: I'll read comments and catch up as soon as I can, but it may take a few days.

I just got home from taking The Child for our traditional California-Pizza-Kitchen-on-Payday dinner.

Now I have to pack.

More specifically: I have to figure out how to fit 3-1/2 days worth of food, gear, and miscellaneous spiritual accessories (like my wand) into a backpack and still be able to hike 2.5-3 miles in an arid landscape tomorrow afternoon. (The good news is that it appears that the weather may be milder than usual this week.)

It's tough for a carnivore to pack food for a trip without refrigeration. Fortunately, I like nuts. I'm making up some trail mix with almonds, cashews, corn chex, and m&m's. And I have a bunch of South Beach Diet Maple Nut bars. Apples. Oranges. Croissants. The guides are providing breakfasts and dinners. I have visions of oatmeal with raisins for breakfast and lots of beans for dinner. I will try to survive.

I have three primary intentions for this journey:

1. To use the retreat time to go deep to connect with Spirit, in particular one or two of my guides.
2. To break out of my usual boxes of comfort, and dare to test some of my edges.
3. To be of service to my immediate communities through prayer, and to the earth and the larger community through the restoration work I will be doing on the land, and through prayers for our world.

Reflecting on the mythic/archetypal dimensions of the trip, it's come home to me that although this is a "journey", it's not a Hero's Journey. This isn't "into the woods." The journey into the desert for spiritual refinement/initiation is a whole different kind of expedition. More on that later, perhaps.

If any of you have prayers to spare between now and Tuesday night, they will be welcome. I would especially welcome prayers that my spirit will be strong when confronted with physical and psychological challenges, that I will be resilient enough to handle whatever it is that I need to face. Also prayers that I will have fun! I've begun to worry that I've been focusing so much on the challenging aspects of the trip that I've been shutting myself off from the possibilities of fun, pleasure, joy, and expansiveness.

This will probably be my last post until I get back -- but I'll be checking for comments between now and then.

Also: since I'll be way behind on LJ when I finally get back, please do leave a comment with a link if you post something you want to be sure I see. (Don't be shy! I'd hate to miss something!)

Blessings to everyone, and I'll see you when I return!