Hello folx!
Ive come out of post-TWAC cascadia decompression and now in full on mode of preparations prior to leaving from Portland, OR to go south again. This time, where to? Ashland bound on Monday next week, then to Oakland, California on Tuesday. It’ll be a whirlwind trip to and from the Bay Area. I’ll most likely be hanging out around the East Bay Area for the most part with perhaps a side adventure or two, maybe. It’s time for me to return back south to Oakland, specifically to close out the last dregs of the trauma which I experienced with my car breakin this past spring and rebuild my trust with the general City area of Oakland. I feel more ready to do this now more than I did a couple months ago. It’ll be a interesting journey, I feel.
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Re. TWAC (trans and women’s identified action camp) Cascadia – I was out of town last week for a few days due to this happening. The place was out in the occupied Salish indigenous lands near Mt. Rainier, on the WA state side. So many grandmother and grandfather trees. So much energy felt there. I spent time sitting with and feeling into the energies present at that place. Many of the trees are marked for logging and clearing. There were some logger workers doing their thing and using loud vehicles while we were at base camp.
I had a gorgeous camp site location; truly grateful I wa able to stay as close as possible at base camp including having access to my car ! That was super helpful for sure. I spent time with two grandmother red cedar trees as well as with a space where so many grandmother & grandfather birch trees dwell. The overall energy had so many layers including heavy grief and sorrow emanating from the Earth Mother & the trees themselves due to the logging happening, etc. It was intense feeling that heavy grief and sorrow. Yet, at the same time, so good for me to feel it and be able to tune in with them. I asked them what of their wisdoms they wanted to share with me and what could I take away from there to bring out into the world – including sharing it on here-my blog.
They said this:
As long as we have endured and been resilient for so many centuries, longer than before time was born, we will still survive and thrive in the coming times ahead – despite the horrors and devastation of the logging, clearing, and many other things. There is hope. You and many others will plant more to replace us , the ones that are felled, destroyed, and returned back to Earth. The plantings will happen in all forms. Remember to bring right relationship and balance back into harmony between you and us, the Tree people. That will bring you back into harmony with Mother Earth. Our wisdoms live in you and around you. It cannot be destroyed, that wisdom. It will live and thrive even more resilient and true through you and many others who have heard us. Let hope be alight in your heart and remember us.
That is a BIG message i tuned into and took away with me from that land there. So important to keep this in mind. I’m sharing this with you, you, you, ALL of you.
Another experience I had when being there in these old woods:
I spent time with a grandmother Red Cedar tree right near the river bank. Many rocks and stones made part of the shore as well as some diet/earth. There were some small rapids here and there in the river bed, shaping the space there. It was very peaceful, full of light and green energy there…..
A vision came to me of how it was for the indigenous people who lived there and the people who came before these people as well. There were older men who brought in the hunt, there were women who were washing clothes in the river water, children playing. Grandmothers weaving baskets and grandfathers helping with both smoking the hunted game & caught fish. Some of the older children tending the younger ones. A fire pit being fed well with wood and food. There was singing and lots of joy flowing. Both ceremony and no-ceremony happening. It felt in flow with everything. No feelings of scarcity or lack. So much abundance and gratitude, mindfulness present in all ways. It was very very vey good. That was how it was then.
I sat with that vision and asked the grandmother red cedar what is the medicine for me to take away from with that. She said to listen and sit with it. That vision will tell me the message when it is time.
I trust that. I gave tobbaco in gratitude to that grandmother red cedar and the second one across from her. It felt important to do that. I also -with their blessing & permission – harvested some of the cedar to take back with me. My plan is to make some medicine with the cedar. It’ll be good for me to try this!
I also gave tobacco to the camp site where I slept – to thank the Spirit of place who guarded and kept me safe while I slept. That felt good to practice. Another thing I did – sang some songs and gave tobacco to the place in the area where the grandmother and grandfather birches dwell. They needed that and it felt really good I could do that.
In the doing of these things and more so after finishing – I realized and understood more of a deeper message that this is part of the work I will be doing this year – going to sacred places, places of Spirit, and doing ceremony with these places – to recognize them, apologize for the undue respect which they need to receive and heal these wounds and bring them back into right relationship.
It felt like a powerful, albeit a bit of a overwhelming, realization for me in that. Yes, I wil, be honest and say I did wonder if I’d be ready or able to do this work. It is clear that yes, I’m able to do this work and it is very important work which needs to be done. My heart feels more open and curious to see how the happenings of this will transpire.
Thats my thoughts for now. More to come…..
All blessings and let’s keep the magick flowing!
-mr. Thorne
Thanks very interesting blog!