Rejuvenation, Release, and Essence: Condor and Hummingbird 

"So divinely is the world organized that every one of us, in our place and time, is in balance with everything else." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Prophesies from the Andes tell us that now is the time of "the coming together of the Eagle of the North and the Condor of the South." It is a time for us to be far-seeing, like both of these great birds. It is a time for finding ways of balancing  mind--our scientific, intellectual, logical focus--and heart. It is a time of opportunity: like seeds waiting in the dark for the warmth of spring, we humans must now rest, renew, and gather our energies so we can burst forth with vision and hope when the new year arrives.

Condor and Hummingbird

This ancient story told in the Andes, about bragging, competition, and wisdom among the birds--who are not unlike us humans in their desire  for ascendancy and superiority--models for us a way to move forward in these times.

...One day the hierarchy of birds gathered in a meadow. Spring sunlight gave the flowers and grasses a soft, golden sheen.  Painted-face Kestrel was there; Hawk and night-flying Owl were there; Falcon and Condor were there. Condor told all the birds,  "I took a grand flight. I flew the farthest, fastest, highest; I flew all the way to the edge of the upper world (heaven)."

Just then Hummingbird flew by and said, "That's right, brother Condor, you flew to the edge of the upper world. But  I flew all the way to the center, to the sun, to the place where God sits."

Well, Condor and Hummingbird made a bet about who could fly the farthest. They chose a place they'd meet in three days, when they'd both try to fly to the center of the upper world. That day arrived, and all the birds gathered to watch. Condor paced, impatient, but Hummingbird was nowhere to be seen. After a long wait, the birds finally said, "A bet's a bet. You have to try anyway, Condor."

So Condor spread his great ten-foot wings, lifted off, and flew and flew until he reached the edge of the upper world, where he  stopped to rest. Just then, Hummingbird flew out from under Condor's wing and headed straight into the center of the upper world.

How Can We Apply a Metaphorical Story Like This?

When a hummingbird flies up to me, hovering and seeming to look me in the eye, two qualities are apparent: her radiant and delicate beauty, and her intense energy. Yet in the Andean story, Hummingbird uses her brains not her energy: she relies on the much stronger, bigger wings of Condor to get where she wants to go. Hummingbird catches a free ride rather than trying to rely on her small self. This is a metaphor about getting help (something we all need to work on!); not wearing ourselves out needlessly; and keeping focused on getting to the essence of things.

The Essence of Things

When we are self empowered, the essence of any change is the opportunity to perceive possibility, opening, and the new. We are human, so our first perceptions of any change are often fear, despair, hopelessness; the challenge is to shift those perceptions.  

Shamanic practice is one way I have learned to shift my perceptions. Direct revelation--through metaphor, spirit advice, and reciprocal relationships with all living beings--takes us out of our small selves and egos, and into the larger picture, the essence. It is all about getting help and working together.

We are now just two years from the "great turning" of 2012 predicted astronomically by Q'ero, Mayan, Hopi, and other peoples. Their prophesies are all about our opportunity to shift behavior and help birth a sustainable peaceful world.

Direct Revelation

Fabulous Desert Photos

Beautiful black-and-white photos from remote desert areas taken by Sir Wilfred Thesiger during his eight decades of travels throughout Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. 

Apprenticeship 2011

Inspire your vision and empower your whole being as you find your spirit path in these challenging times through the Sacred Earth Shamanic Apprenticeship, beginning in January. Our focus is on creating a whole, integrated way of being and seeing in the world shamanically. As we deepen and expand the three layers of knowing and wisdom (physical, spiritual, energetic), and learn three ways of practice (Andean cosmovision, core shamanism, and Medicine for the Earth), it becomes possible to connect, repair, and reweave the grids and webs of life that support us all. As we shift our consciousness we are better able to greet world changes with personal power and equanimity. We spend half the time on the sacred mountains around the Bay Area, and the other half in Sonoma. Learn more and download application.