During a solo trek one afternoon a strong feeling came over me to go off the trail through a stand of Juniper and Pinyon which led me to a clearing that had a particular attraction to me for some reason. I sat down amidst a feeling of calmness and clarity. I have trouble being still. It's hard for me. So I have to work at it, through meditation and physically putting myself in locations that lend themselves to thoughtful contemplation. There are several special locations in and around the Black Hills where I can go to do this, but this place on this day gave me an instant feeling of sanctuary. It may have been one of the vortexes people talk about in that area, or it may have just been that I was open to the experience of pure primordial nature and the positive energy that can be felt if you are ready to receive it. Time passed slowly, and I'm not sure how long I was there. Quite a while, though, because by the time I got back to the trailhead it was near dusk in the late afternoon. I left a small totem as a token of my appreciation. Not a quality structure for sure, but then it wasn't meant to be a permanent offering, and I trust it's gone by now.
We spent most of another day driving through the beautiful (and world famous) Oak Creek Canyon up to I-40 and old Route 66. Near Williams, Arizona we spotted a sign that read "Grand Canyon - 56 Miles." Why not? So we made a hard right and headed on up. It's another place that is really indescribable. We were there near dusk and the setting sun, cloudy sky and late day shadows made the view absolutely magnificent!
Another memorable experience on this trip was meeting Banya, a spiritual intuitive guide and healer located in Sedona. It was already too late to schedule a full session, but I was intrigued by an offer to have my aura photographed. I am definitely not a disbeliever, but sometimes I am skeptical of these things. The large number of positive testimonials regarding her practice made me feel good about going through with the process. I had hoped for a different result but must say I was not surprised at what showed up in the photo.
Apparently I have some work to do. This photo shows an imbalance that I would like to correct. I won't go into the details (those of you who know about such things will see what's going on) but will say I am taking seriously an action plan suggested by her, and am already underway with phase one.
It really was a wonderful trip, and one I will remember always. I'm sure I'll go back. There is so much more I'd like to see and do. If you've been there, you know. If you haven't, I enthusiastically encourage you to go. And be sure to stop by the Blue Moon Cafe, especially for breakfast. I suggest you try the Paul Bunyan Pancake. I hear it's world famous.
Roger O'Dea 12/28/2014
