I request the guidance of my elder ancestors to be close with me as we walk this place again, introducing ourselves to the beings here. I ask them to help me greet the elders of this place, of tree and plant and bird and animal kin, and of the human ancestors who have been stewards here for millennia.
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We are wired for belonging. It is part of our nature to look to others for survival. We must create a culture of belonging based on fierce and tender care for the Earth, for life itself.
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A lot of creatures like to shelter under a woodpile, and I was amazed at all that boiled out as I carried the wood from a loose pile to my new stack: wood crickets, skinks, just-hatched fence lizards, a field mouse family, wolf spiders . . . I was slow and let them all find their new places.
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At home when I meditate, I usually focus on the breath but when I am here, I alter that process. After a brief time focused on breath, I switch to simply taking in what the river offers. She tells me stories. She shares her mood, flow, and spirit. Most especially, she shares her symphony of sound. Like so many humans, I rely primarily on my vision to take things in. When meditating on her shores with eyes closed, hearing becomes the primary mode of perception. The first time I did this I was astonished with the way the sound rose up to meet me.
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When we came upon each other, her greeting was also in the language of trees. Not a word was spoken between us. I looked up at her, comfortable in the silence.
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The Braided Way is a framework to see every faith tradition as a strand, braided into a larger whole of spiritual awareness. In the Braided Way, combining spiritual practice from various faiths allow us to explore sacred experience and wonder in forms that resonate with our personal spiritual needs and sacred intuitions. In today’s culture, many people shun religious dogma, but yearn for spiritual connection. The Braided Way allows the ceremonies and practices of multiple faiths to be available without the confinements of cultural dogma.