While the rains graced the farm through the weekend of the wisdom keepers gathering, the seasons changed from summer to autumn in a turn of the head. The leaves are dropping their green now, and showing the colors and minerals that lie just beneath the summer’s dress. What a topped up month September has been culmination of many dreams. Our extended family made the passage to this land and farm project. Michele, my life buddy & her oldest daughter and first grand daughter ie:family came for two weeks. Raphael and Betsy were here most of this time also. Sunswept Farm became on august 26th Sunswept Farm Conservancy, a non profit corporation. We have worked to this goal for several years now. We had a full house most of september planning for and before the gathering the last weekend in september.
god-baby penelope arrived with mom and mom-mom ( double mom is the grandmom named better((for her)) ) dad flew in a few days later after work.. for two weeks we blended into the mountain land and gardens that can absorb all the energy of large and small people alike. We pressed apples into over 50 gallons of cider and pulled veggies from the garden for fine group meals day after day. michele (mom mom) and i mucked out the barn, that means we shoveled horse shit out along the the hay that was at one time soft bedding for the big four leggeds. 3 front end loaders worth came out and went into the compost pile to work heat and cure for the winter and then some growing good additions for future garden growth ad soil health. With the fine attention of family the farm became more beautiful with every wipe of cleaning cloth and counter clearing, all in prep for the coming of the elders to our farm for the wisdom keepers gathering put together by our friend and neighbor diana.
The plan and the brochure has named native elders from around the world as gathering here at sunswept for a weekend of conversation and dialogue speaking to the times and the needs Hu-mans might find pressing in our heads and hearts as to what to do ?? at this historical moment to assist in creating a better way for ourselves and our children. peter kingsley is the instigator of this gathering, asking diana ( holder of the rights to the Wisdom Keeper Gathering) to form once again the forum of elders to discuss our moment
in the historical frame. Lloyd Elm, respected Onondaga elder and sundancer, and his wife Gracie, Cree flew in from Buffalo. Paul Ghosthorse and his wife Inez & son Zay came. Paul teaches the Lakota way and is a respected Sundance leader and head of Tyospaes in North Carolina and Washington state. Sara Smith came with her gentle wisdom and grace. Sara is Mohawk and a world speaker, and brings with here insight and clarity to the prophetic and commonplace issues of all times, and to this time. Bob Randall of the Unakunytiaiara Aboringinal Nation, Australia also joined the gathering. Bob is listed as the traditional Tjilp - owner of Uluru. he is one who articulates the wisdom and lore of the indigenous people and teaches the Aboriginal principles of unconditional love. Mike Bastine (Algonquin) and his wife pam and daughter bailey drove down from Syracuse, NY bringing his understanding of the times and our place in the moment in terms of native american prophecy. Peter Kingsley and his wife Maria, internationally recognized intellectuals and author of books on western spirituality philosphy, and culture, chaired the discussion. the kitchen was humming with the service of elders themselves cooking and warming the heart from within the belly.
essentially we gathered sang beat the drum, told stories and watched nature and the awesomeness of the earth in this spot. we ate food from the land here, chickens butchered for the weekend and vegetables grown under this sun in this soil. the sky thundered when talking about the mother earth and Maria’s dream of the resurgence of the feminine. the rains gathered us into the meeting house here, where weentrained heart beats in prayer and service to the land the mother. Our sacred fire was a candle, the drums, and diggeridoo, dancing and singing cornbread and buffalo stew became more than a sum of it’s parts, a synergy of “in the present”, the only reality no matter our unique origins. The elements were here and we where them and were with them, profoundly brought together with nature’s time to thunder in conversation, pour down rain drawing us close, and radiant sun shine spontaneously arriving, as if by design..?? 
Sunday morning our older milk cow had her baby high in the field just as we were beginning our morning ceremony. the rains had stopped, the sun shone on the new guernsey born in the grass. Sophie chose a high place she could defend, with her back guarded already by the forest and the fence. No threat to her here. but her instincts are still alive. are ours? Here for a moment in the embrace of these mountains we were not alone, the wind, rain, sun, earth, came and showed us our embodiment into the body which is our world. Bob Randall arrived late afternooon on saturday, happy to meet 3 Australian healers at his car door. Bob first met our animals. He said every morning at dawn he takes his 3 australian healers with him to welcome in the sun. because of the desert and Uluru ( Avery Rock) and the water there is there, the sun comes up and shows first the full spectrum of colors one after another at the sacred place there on the little sand mound bob goes to each morning with his dogs. ( you should have seen these guys when the guy played the diggery-doo,, they just vibrated total connection )
Bob was raised early on by his tribe, where ” his mom and aunties loved him so much he could tell which was his mom, they all were.” He was taken to a school, marched for miles across the dessert when he was 7 years old. He grew up in a school far from family and culture, it was the animals that gave him his connection..especially … horses.. and wouldn’t you know,, we have horses,,AND our young, very special appaloosa colt is name ….::BOB!! so with delight bob randall found himself all smiles with the young horse Bob to nuzzle and to meet - right down from the meeting house as if he were at home himself. and so it was with almost everyone, at home asif in their home..
There was beautiful flute played as we began our circle on sunday. stories of hummingbirds and witnesses of the universal moments.
If their was an “answer” to the questions asked that weekend, for me at least, it is, that we are part of something larger. When we call in sacred space/time, maybe it is then that we notice this something larger. no human made the natural events that embodied those here with heart felt questions to the moment. the totality of the event including those who spoke and when, the elements of the weather and season, the stars and moon, the birth of a cow, the food and who cooked it, all conspired to hold the space open and come together in heart, that was the message from all who spoke, no matter the origins. Mother Nature spoke too, right along side of us. she came to counsel or- we came to her. i could say what was said, and who we each were here. but something else happened. we held the space open for all comers, 2 leggeds and more. and with that gesture, or as i am told to do in my anusara leg of this life walk, the mudra, the gesture of expression with heart added to the intension. for a little while here at sunswept farm,we held the space open, and the universe showed up, with a bunch of 2 leggeds included.
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- still on the path
now back to the cow, and the milking, and the horses and the rest. two feet still on the path………next month more blog .. blah blah blah
