SACRED TRAVELS…I’m in Love with a Lake!

I woke up on the morning of July 14th from a ‘Crush-Dream’.  I was all warm and cozy in bed thinking how fantastic it was to be in love, how much I couldn’t wait to see my Beloved again, and then I realized I was dreaming about a lake.  In truth, it was not just any old lake, but the Great Mother herself; Lake Superior.

I must admit the stage had been set perfectly for me to meet the majestic queen of lakes, for I had traveled by car, plane, the kindness of a stranger & then caravan to get to her.  In short, there is no easy or quick way to travel from the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont to the Upper Pennisula of Michigan.  That being said it was worth it.

I have been traveling to the Mid-West (Wisconsin in particular) for the last 4 years, as a teacher and guide,  my teaching focused on the development of Psychic perception and expansion of consciousness. I have worked primarily with the same group of women, with additions and subtractions to the group as life demanded.  The Virmond Crows; as they call themselves (the name was chosen for the closeness in name of one of Milwaukee’s many parks ‘Virmond’ to my home state of Vermont) has grown to become kindred to me, they are my Mid-West Tribe and I look forward to my time with them each year.

Last year two of the women from the Virmond Crows spent some time in the sacred wild camping with my sister and me, while visiting Vermont; bonding in a way that can only take place through the use of a sacred container.  Sacred Container refers to time spent in deep connection, in which the group stays in contact with each other for the duration of the study; eating, sleeping, and playing together while exploring mystical studies.  This is my favorite way to learn & teach, for it takes us out of our everyday habits, rocks the boat of our subconscious programming and allows us to become more deeply ourselves.  After spending the weekend with us in New Hampshire, the visiting Virmond Crows said “We want that!”, and so our magical journey to the Upper Penisula and Lake Superior was birthed into being.

One of the Mid-West Tribe lives in the U.P. and became my host and partner on the ground.  When doing this kind of work, in which I must travel to teach my partner on the ground is of utmost importance, for they take care of the logistics with an eye that only a local can have.  She picked our location, arranged lodging and chose the places we would be working from.  I came with the teachings for the weekend set in my mind like a sailor on the water; strong and loose at the same time, ready to bend and bob when needed.

 

We arrived at ‘Black Harbor’ as the sun was setting, after spending most of  our day working with nature on the Black Harbor River.  We saved our introduction to Mother Superior/Lake Superior for dusk for the times of Betwixt & Between are particularly powerful when it comes to magical workings.

Dawn & Dusk are times of betwixt & between as they are neither day nor night, but somewhere in between.  Places and times in the Betwixt & Between hold the magic of becoming and carry a certain level of enchantment that even the novice can perceive.

Arriving at the lake the sky and water were ablaze with reds and oranges; the water reflecting both the sun and the iron in the sand of the supporting hills and embankments.  We had come to the lake to perform a water ceremony; an offering of thanks and an energetic blessing for the water and those who step into her embrace.  It was a magical experience from the start, the colors that welcomed us as we walked from the parking lot to the water were outstanding from the start, and only got better when we were blessed with seeing ‘the Green Flash’.

The Green Flash is caused by light refracting in the atmosphere, and it is hardly ever seen…It can be experienced by the lucky at sunrise and sunset when the light travels through more of the atmosphere.  For the viewer, the Green Flash is more like a green strobing line along the horizon.  It is such an amazing color; a technicolor sea-green strobe light that lasted for about 3 minutes.  I tried to take pictures, but could not do it justice…so I stood in awe capturing the image in my mind.

Driftwood @ Black Harbor/Lake Superior

The beach that we found ourself on was like something out of a hobo-beach dwellers dream.  It was covered in large pieces of driftwood, which had been deposited on the shore by the long hard winter of the following year.  The sky was starting to darken and the shore was alight with fires, and small make-shift shelters the locals had made for fun.  I felt like a child who had stepped into a magical park and allowed myself a few moments of fantasy; in which I imagined I would see Peter Pan and the Lost Boys camped out at one of the fires.  But soon I was back in focus, remembering that I was here to do magic that did not involve flying away into a fictitious world.  We were here to give our thanks and honor to the life-sustaining water of Lake Superior.

Lake Superior is known as ‘Gichi-Gami’-the big liquid or great sea to the Ojibwe/Chippewa who lived along her shore.  Lake Superior is the largest fresh-water lake in the world!

Although the beach was alight with fires, they were spaced far enough from one another that we were able to get a relatively private spot for our working without much effort, and the people who were there were respectful, seeming to understand that we were there for deep work with Spirit.  As the sky darkened we gathered wood and I easily started a fire (super easy when you are carrying charcoals to burn incense on…just saying). 

 

 

When darkness finally settled upon the water, we gathered close and began the evenings magic with a personal attunement to water; something I developed after a profound experience I had with water while visiting a spring on the side of Mount Shasta (more about that in the book I am working on).  The attunement process came to me partially through channeling and partially through my personal study of Structured Water.  Structured water is a molecular arrangement of water molecules that exists when water is near hydrophilic (water-loving) surfaces, such places are available in nature and in our bodies.  It is the belief that under ideal situations; which can be created, water is more viable and more easily programmed/blessed.  With the group circled around me, I opened their energetic bodies with sound and movement and first gave them the water blessing, that the waters in their own body may become energized.  This was a profound moment, in which I felt like we had stepped out of time and space, existing both in the present as well as in a timeless state of being that traveled through the sands of the beach connecting us to the past and future.  I love that liminal space, for it is perfect for magical workings.  We then gathered ourselves in sacred sovereignty and walked to the water where I shared the movements and words of the water blessing/attunement with the group.

Standing in a line along the shore, in water up to our knees we stirred the water with hand and wand creating spirals and infinity waves.  Our voices rang out in a shared song as we Toned the words of attunement.  The feeling of being between worlds was strong, as I heard the sound of Native women singing along with us in the Spirit world.  I soon found myself overcome with a knowing that I must go into the water after the blessing was done.  I needed to completely submerge myself in the dark waters of the lake.  The more I stirred, the more I sang the deeper the knowing sank in.  I did not have a choice in the matter.

Now, this was a bit of a dilemma for me as I was wearing leggings and a long-sleeved shirt.  I had not brought my bathing suit, as I was sure I would not go into the water for a swim until the following day.  Things I should point out-I am not one for skinny dipping.  I am not ashamed of my body, I simply am not much of a naked in public kind of gal.  But I had limited options…I could go into the water naked, or wear my undergarments, something that was at a disadvantage as I only had one bra with me on the trip.  So I stripped off my clothes and went into the water.

When my head was fully submerged I felt a great awakening come over me.  I found myself surrounded by what for lack of better words, an embrace.  It was not a physical holding, but an energetic cocoon of love.  It was so deep and all consuming that I felt like my paltry offering of a blessing had been but a peck on the cheek when compared to the level of love that was offered back to me.  I stayed in the water but for only a few minutes, the rocky floor of the lake feeling unstable beneath my feet in my altered state of mind.  I knew that I had been greeted by the Spirit of the Lake herself, and I knew I would be called back to her waters many times in my future life.

As we gathered our belongings and left the beach it was powerful to see how others had responded to our doings on the waterfront.  When walking by the large group of locals, we noticed that they all bowed their heads slightly when we walked by.  This to some seemed as it could be more of a ‘holy shit, don’t make eye-contact thing’, but in truth, I believe it was more of an acknowledgment that they had just witnessed something sacred.  Whether we share the same beliefs or differ in our faith, the sacred is recognizable to all.

My host Jamie and her daughter Nina.

I did return the next day, after waking from my crush-dream, I had no choice.  I needed to see my lover one more time before I departed her lands.  Returning in the daylight I collected rocks and driftwood (which I mailed home to myself).  I have always been a fan of nature given souvenirs, for they hold far more memory in them than some plastic trinket bought in a souvenir shop.  We lounged around the beach taking in the beauty of a space that is still seen as sacred.  In my personal thoughts I was already planning my next trip to Mother Superior/Lake Superior, knowing that I would be back.

Keep your eyes out for more information on Sacred Travels to Lake Superior by visiting my website http://Salicrow.com (be patient, stop by often, the site is going to be transforming in the next month or so/under construction).

I ended my trip to the Upper Penisula with a trip inland with my host & her daughter.  Where I got to take in the beauty of the many lakes and waterways that make up the U.P.  We repeated the water blessing at the little lake on my host property.  It was a powerful (and buggy) way to finish up my short stay.

Sacred travel can happen anywhere and everywhere.  It is more of a conscious switch of how you view the world and your place in it.  It requires the ability to take a step back from the hub-bub of our electronic world and choose a slower pace.  It is not a superpower, but something we all have innately inside of us.  We can all recognize the beauty of nature, connecting with it in a sacred way is to take it one step further and see that nature is also sentient.  The water, like the trees and the stones, is alive.  It has consciousness, and if you are patient enough to listen you will hear the love story that she is speaking to you.  I am thankful to be so blessed and love sharing this knowledge with others, I can feel my ancestors watching over me with pride when I do.

spreading love-salicrow

Virmond Crows in the U.P. (I love these ladies!)

 

SACRED TRAVEL…Stone Circles, Crystal Grids & Spell Work

Sitting on the edge of the Autumn Equinox I find myself reflecting on the magic of Summer and how 3 months can slip by so quickly.  It seems only last week I was celebrating the zenith of the Solstice sun, and now I am admiring the of turning leaves.  Over the next few weeks, I will share tales I was too busy to tell during the hubbub & sunshine.

The Awen Stone Circle w/Christopher Berg of Green Heart Farm

My summer was filled with unexpected, last-minute plans that placed me exactly where I needed to be at precisely the right time.  It started with having nothing scheduled for the Summer Solstice.  This alone was unusual as it was the first time in 22 years that I did not have ‘big plans’ for the holiday.  For 20 years I hosted a Medieval Costume party on the Solstice, and last year I traveled to Mount Shasta in California on sacred pilgrimage; spending time in deep magic/connecting with one of the planets Chakras.  The fact that this was the 22nd Solstice in the count did not slip past my Numerology-focused mind.  I immediately began to wonder what was in store for this year’s Sabbat.

22 is a Master Number (master numbers…11, 22, 33, etc), meaning it vibrates at a higher frequency than other numbers.  Often referred to as ‘the Master Builder’, it carries the potent energy of action & getting things done.

Sabbat- any of the 8 holy/sacred days in the pagan year connected to the turning of the seasons.

A few days before the Solstice my sister and I got a heads up from Spirit that it was time to put the finishing touches on a major spell we had been working on for the last 5 years.  [The spell/prayer was connected to helping people expand their awareness in a productive, safe & healthy way.]  In the same way that we knew it was time to complete our working, we also knew that the powers of the Universe generally cared little for our comfort in this matter; which meant we were to go about our magical ways regardless of the torrential rains.  With this knowledge, we drove to the sacred river spot of our childhood, where the spell had originally begun.  As it was in the beginning, so was it in the end…my sister submerged herself in the river, activating the years of work we had instilled in this magic. 

Shortly after this, I received a last-minute invite to the blessing of a Stone Circle that had just been completed in Springfield, Vermont…

THE AWEN CIRCLE-created by the Druid Tloog @ Green Heart Farm view video of the Awen Circle–https://www.facebook.com/sali.crow/videos/2681739375184102/

The Druid Tloog

The Awen Circle was created on the sacred lands of Green Heart Farm in Springfield, Vermont through the co-creative energies of the Druid-Daniel ‘Tloog Gorey and the stewards/owners of the land, Cynthia and Christopher Berg.  The circle had only been completed days before the Solstice, and the blessing ceremony was put together on short notice; as a smart Druid knows to take advantage of something as energetically charged as the Solstice Sun!

Upon receiving the Circle blessing invitation I fully understood why my calender had remained open on such an auspicious holiday; having just completed a 5-year spell it only made sense that something memorable should happen, and I can’t think of many things that hold memory longer than a Stone Circle.

In continuation of the magic that held us in its story during the holiday sun my sister Sandy accompanied me on my journey south to the Awen Circle.  She had quickly agreed to join me after I had discovered that Springfield neighbored the town of Ascutney.  This information made us curious indeed, as my sister and I had another magical working that we had been plugging away at for the last 4 years…Gridding the Chakra Ley Line.  We had only one point left to the grid, the Heart Chakra, which just happened to be at Mount Ascutney.

Ley Lines are straight, electromagnetic lines that run below the Earth’s surface.  Stone circles and other holy spaces are often found on Ley lines.  Ley lines are believed to have an effect on all living things.  Think of them like the meridians of Chinese medicine.

Crystal Grids are used to connect, expand, heal and manipulate the energy of vortexes (spinning energy sites) along ley lines, as well as in homes, businesses, etc.

The Chakra Ley Line runs from Willoughby Lake in Westmore, VT to Derby, CT.  It has 7 chakra points, which are located in areas with large deposits of granite and are energetic centers that affect not only the area around them but in essence the country as a whole.  If you are interested in finding out more about the Charka Ley Line check out the book ‘the Gaia Matrix’ by Peter Champoux (https://www.amazon.com/Gaia-Matrix-Geometries-American-Landscape/dp/0967232805

wyrd-connected to fate

Here is where time and synchronicities get a bit wyrd…A few days before the solstice I retrieved a crystal that had grown into one of my trees.  Years ago, I had placed a crystal in a tree branch of a small poplar on my property that I have a close relationship with.  As time progressed the crystal grew into the branches, unable to be removed.  Just before the solstice, I went to show the Crystal Tree to my apprentices & found the crystal laying on the ground, forced out by the growth of the tree.  I knew immediately that the crystal had a special purpose and would connect whatever place it ended up to my land and the tree itself.

I knew this crystal was a gift to the stone circle @ Green Heart Farm.

So I packed my basket with the crystals for the Heart Chakra grid, the Tree-Crystal gifted by my poplar tree, my drum, and a few other offerings.  I picked up my sister and we headed south.  The ride was fun, we talked about the significance of the event, and how it was not a coincidence that it was so close to the Heart Chakra.  It made sense, that we should complete another spell, particularly since they were connected; the stones of the grid having been anointed with a potion/liquid intention created from our magical working of awakening/opening awareness.  We then set our GPS coordinates for Mount Ascutney, choosing to make a detour before attending the circle blessing.

We felt the chakra pulling us when we were 25 miles away and made our way to the base of the mountain near the state park.  We decided that we did not have enough time to deal with entering the park, satisfying ourselves with a pull-off, near the park at the base of the mountain.  We set up our grid along the side of the road, made offerings of tobacco, voice, drum, and prayers, then tossed a few crystals; charged with magical intention, deep into the woods where they could do their work.  As magical as this all was (remember folks, magic is a practical thing), we were pretty clear by this point that the real work would take place at the Stone Circle; which was only about 12 miles away.  We collected the remaining stones from the working we had just completed, and energetically carried the line and our work from the base of the mountain to the farm.

Cynthia & Christopher Berg of Green Heart Farm sharing their space with Sandycrow & I.

Arriving at the farm we were greeted by the smiling faces of folks who were ecstatic about the magical creation that had recently been erected on their property, and by Mount Ascutney itself.  In fact, the mountain was directly North of their property, and the Stone Circle itself had been aligned with the Mountain.  Another Wyrd Fact-the owners, as well as the builder of the circle, had no idea that Mount Ascutney was the Heart Chakra of the Chakra Ley Line (even though they had named their property Green Heart Farm). I love this kind of magic; when intuition speaks and gets its way regardless of the wheres or whys.

After sitting with the amazing view and thinking on how appropriate our decision to tie the stone circle into our work with the Chakra Ley Line, I was presented with another synchronicity when the owners mentioned that the circle was in the woods, in what they referred to as the Forest Temple (hmmm….said I, remembering the crystal from my Poplar I had brought as an offering).

The walk to the circle was divine.  through fields, past a pond, into the woods, we walked and there she was in all her glory…the Awen Circle.  I have to say, a circle in the woods was just about as dreamy of a thing as I could experience.  I mean I am a lover of Stone Circles, having never met one I didn’t love…but a Stone Circle inside a Forest Temple is truly magical.  It held for me a deep mystery, like the memory of long ago forays into the forest to perform hidden magic under the moon, and the foreshadowing of community gathered in celebration.  I long to see her alight with a festival fire, and imagine I will someday.

spreading love-salicrow

PS-you can find out more about The Green Heart Farm here-https://www.greenheartfarm.com/