Category Archives: Nature

Doorstep Herb Walk…

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Dawn comes early this time of year. The brightening sky woke me up at 5 am and encouraged me to venture out of doors with a hot cuppa coffee in hand. I ventured downhill to view Ash creek, forever curious to observe nature’s activities in the quiet stillness of the early morn. I had walked less than 100 yards from my house when I noticed s small, flowering shrub tucked in my neighbors yard. Somehow, I had missed seeing this plant in my 26 years of wandering my rural neighborhood.

It’s peculiar flowers and heady scent drew me close. “Viburnum” it said to me, speaking its name as clear as a bell in my mind. I was startled by its direct communication and openness to me, and gathered a flower and leaf to properly identify it when I returned home. I offered it a gift of tobacco in gratitude while inhaling its sweet honey-like fragrance.

Cramp bark contains several compounds found to enhance health, including ellagic acid (a chemical with antioxidant benefits). It is a natural remedy for arthritis, chronic pain, High blood pressure, inflammation, low back pain, menstrual cramps, restless leg syndrome and tension headaches. The best time for me to collect some branches for the bark will be in autumn. Duly noted…

One of my favorite herb walks is what I call my “doorstep” version. I merely walk out the door and identify as many medicinal herbs and their uses within a one block radius.

This morning proved abundant with over a dozen herbs including alfalfa (nourishing), amaranth (controls mucous, stomach irritations), choke cherry (coughs, congestion), cleavers (urinary tract and skin), dandelion (tonic and diuretic), gum plant (bladder infections), hops (sedative, tonic, antibiotic), cramp bark (nervine), wild lettuce (pain relief), pineapple weed (calming sedative), mallow and mullein (coughs and colds), honeysucke (coughs), plantain (anti-inflammatory), blackberry (tonic), Old World rose (mild astringent, diarrhea), cranesbill (astringent, excessive bleeding), and California poppy (sedative, analgesic).One really does not have to venture deep into the woods to find plants with medicinal benefits. As a matter of fact, disturbances created by humans provides ample habitat for these “weedy” species to emerge. Take a walk around your block with a good herbal identification book in hand….you never know what you will discover!

Of Blessed Sage…

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I live in sagebrush country, on the Modoc Plateau to be more precise. A unique bioregion in northwestern California where most of the flourishing vegetation is described as the “Sagebrush Steppe”.… If you choose a careful path through this massive volcanic plain you could walk through millions of acres with sagebrush as your constant companion. Where I live, there are 10 different species of sagebrush which range in size from several feet high to only a few inches. Most are woody shrubs, but my favorite is “white sagebrush” or “western mugwort”, Artemisia ludovuciana.

This plant is VERY aromatic plant and can be found in almost every state in the United States, several western provinces of Canada and in Mexico. It is only found near water where I live….open creek beds mainly. I keep an eye out for it in early summer. It is easy to spot due to its silvery colored leaves. It belongs to a genus of famously medicinal plants by many Hispanic and Native American cultures. It has been used extensively to treat sore throat, colds and diarrhea, as poultices and rinses for skin problems, for ceremonial cleansing–a very important role–, as incense, to make mats and rugs, and in various charms. Recent research found the leaves to indeed be antimicrobial and antioxidant.

The Spirit of this plant has been called upon for thousands of years for its cleansing and protective attributes. You can literally smell and feel these qualities when handling the herb. I personally use the plant for deodorant and cleansing purposes. The benefits of burning sage as a smudge are many. It is used to purify, dispel negativity, as a curative for some conditions, improve ones mood, to cleanse objects, reduce stress, boost cognition and energy levels. I collect a small number of stems for my personal needs in late spring or early summer. I either bind them tightly together to make a smudge stick or weave them together to make a sage “wand” for aromatic purposes. To make a white sage wand is very similar to making a lavender flower ribbon wand. Directions can be found on the internet….

Journey under ochre-colored skies…

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We live in a Time of Turning. A Time of Shadow where ecological trajectories we have depended upon and taken for granted in our encultured way of life are beginning to skew and fall. We have depended upon natural resources for everything from aluminum foil to our houses. Electricity, transportation of goods and services, medical advancements, even the salt which sits meekly on our kitchen tables.

We are beginning, just beginning to observe “wiggles” in the large planetary cycles that drive the sustainability of Life for all Beings in this miraculous World we live in. It seems like news of extinction rates and changes in the climate regime, and deteriorating ecosystems reach our eyes and ears readily from information services. As human beings, this news can hit ones solar plexus like a sucker punch… and our survival instincts can respond with a wave of emotions triggered by adrenaline. We begin to feel endangered, with imaginings of what we observe with declining populations of other creatures such as the whale, the orangutan, polar bears, sea turtles, even in local deer populations. We should feel anxious. It is a normal response to environmental changes we have little control over.

I spoke with a women friend the other day who was feeling overwhelmed by the recent research analysis put out by the United Nations scientists this past week. Choking tears came easily, followed by feelings of fear for her children. She spoke of doubt, of not knowing how effective we can be as a species to turn things around through effective action on a global scale…. “Are we even going to be here in 12 years?”

My answer to that question is “Yes”, humanity will still be here at that time. What is being projected with ocean waters rising, is that tidal cities and settlements will be flooded. More erratic weather such as hurricanes, typhoons, tornados, heavy rain and snow in winter and drought will become the norm. With these changes come shifts in insect populations, disease vectors (such as ticks and mosquitoes), changes in plant physiology that will affect bird and other wildlife population food sources and migration patterns, as well as our industrialized food crops. We will have to adapt, as well as every other living being on the planet.

Adaptation takes time. I teach folks how to cook with the Sun using solar cookers. The energy is free and the cost for a solar cooker is reasonable. The challenge lies in getting folks use to the different texture of food cooked by the sun. Flour products such as brownies do not “crisp” up in a solar oven. They come out fully cooked, but the texture is softer, more crumbly than a batch made in a conventional oven. Not as gooey. It’s kind of funny to hear folks mention the texture….. it looks like a brownie, smells and tastes like one too, but it’s CRUMBLY!

We have such fixed ideas of what we find acceptable for both enjoyment and basic needs. Buy used clothes from a thrift store? Never! They are dirty or have lice…recycled appliances? Worthless, they are going to break anyway…Learn to repair items I own? Why? I can just throw it out and buy a new one at Walmart….endless avenues for adaptive behavior.

It takes a 500 foot, 8000-ton ship over a third of a mile to turn around in the ocean. A large barge may take up to 5 miles to stop after the brake is applied. It will take years, decades perhaps, to get the human community to adapt to the required specifications to turn around the current trajectory of global climate change. It is not going to be a speedy process…. AND, we keep having babies that put more pressure on Mother to provide them with food, shelter, clothing and education.

Will we make these changes in time before multiple major planetary cycles shift and create cascading environmental trajectories to our demise? I don’t know…..Death comes to all things on this Planet. Close to 99.9% of all species created by Mother have gone extinct.

We have now entered the stage of the “sixth largest mass extinction” this Planet has experienced… largely due to our own hands. We purchase items that continue to deplete our natural resources: palm oil in cosmetics and food products; metal demands for cars, infrastructure needs, industrial and household goods; timber for paper products and lumber; etc. The list of wants is endless, and Mothers cupboards are becoming bare.

I now walk under “ochre-colored skies”, although they may appear blue above my head. Ochre is the color of iron oxide, one of the most common minerals found on earth. There is much evidence that yellow and red ochre pigment was used in prehistoric and ancient times by many different civilizations on different continents…all over the globe. In death, red ochre represented a return to the earth or possibly as a form of ritual rebirth, through the blood and the Great Goddess. Yellow ochre is associated with gold, considered to symbolize the eternal and indestructible…

So in short, I walk under ochre-colored skies for the Great Remembering of the indestructible rebirth of Life on our planet, of my connection to Her through my blood and bone and to my continued Honor and Respect to the greatest of all Goddesses, Gaea Herself.

Woodland Star

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Life’s lessons sometimes come as silent as a night sky and at other times as direct as a punch in the gut that sets me writhing on the ground. Yesterday was an experience of a hillside that spoke to me clearly as I was bending down to collect a slender woodland star flower for a friend.

A group of us women gathered last evening for a light potluck and to come into Circle for laughter and song. We arrived at the home of our hostess around 4 pm, greeting one another in tender embraces and welcoming smiles. I had watched for emerging wildflowers and other early Spring medicinal plants to forage on the drive over. I was excited to see the first buds of the mountain ash emerging, of waterleaf (Phacelia sp.), and clusters of woodland stars.

Upon arrival at our gathering place, I embarked upon a small walk to see what plants were growing in the landscape surrounding the house. I bent forward to pick a single woodland star at the base of a steep hill, when I distinctly felt the word “Climb!” in my Heart.

I know of intuition, and I really try to answer its directives when I receive them. Especially the strong ones, and this call was strong….I looked up the hill, noticing the steep 45 degree angle all the way to the top where a cap of volcanic boulders stood. I sized up my condition quickly. No water, shoes without socks, and a bad back condition that commonly limits my ability to walk…even on flat ground.

I have had my share of decades of severe pain, neurological nerve problems and uncontrollable spasms in my lower body. My physician calls my condition “post laminectomy syndrome” or “failed back syndrome” where a back surgery undertaken in 2010 has failed, creating worse cascading symptoms and conditions in my spine than what I had before the surgery. Two herniated disks, four additional collapsed flat as pancakes. Severe pinching of the spinal column to the thickness of a diaper pin, cascading scoliosis and arthritic changes. My low back teeters at a 40 degree angle…. NOT exactly a physical condition to allow for scrambling up a steep hillside into rocky outcrops.I did not flinch though, after such an Internal urging.

I am seeking “Healing” for my body in ways not recognized by western medicine. I have already endured one failed surgery, my body does not like them. Which makes me a poor candidate for yet another….. I am being forced to listen to my body, to trust in my higher self and intuition. I need to open to the possibility that healing can and will come from another direction. I need to believe in where Gaea leads me, trust that there are deeper meanings and energy exchanges, frequencies, in which to engage for my healing …. both physically and spiritually.

I leaned into the hillside step by step, sometimes falling to my knees to crawl another few feet uphill. I did not question what I was doing. About two-thirds up the hillside, I heard a shout below from a friend who said “Wait for me! I’m coming to help you!”. Dee appeared below me scrambling hard to catch up. When she arrived where I was resting, she looked me in the eye and said that she was there to help me complete what I had to do safely. Together we climbed, at times slipping a bit from the steepness of the slope. She became and extra arm, strong in support to pull me up when I faltered….

We entered the reef of boulders attentively. We knew the native peoples used this place. Although pine trees dominated the forested stands, I could see that oak woodlands use to exist there…long before white man set foot in the local region. Oak woodlands feed many Beings….humans, deer, elk, coyote, badger, squirrels and chipmunk, woodpeckers of all kinds from the mighty mast of acorns they produce. We spoke words of honor, gratitude, and respect to the rock reefs and trees. We Sang without words to the Spirits of this Place. We gathered a few red-tinged acorns, already sprouted in the soil, to plant at home. We visited boulders where women from many generations ground acorns and celebrated in ceremony for whatever their intentions.

Dee and I took a break to rest, back-to-back to support each other on a large boulder. When we rose from our rest, she excitedly pointed out a creature that was basking with us in the late afternoon sun. All I saw was a slender streak of a bright iridescent blue tail as it disappeared into some rocks and leaves. I was dumbfounded. I have never seen such a creature….not ever. What had Mother sent me to See or Experience on this sojourn? Why had I been urged to “Climb!”?

I think it was to receive the Medicine of both doing something against my own perceived limitations and this small creature….It turns out that we saw a Blue-tailed western skink (Plestiodon skiltonianus). I have learned that the gift of this little creature is to teach me to listen carefully to my own wisdom and guidance. To be still in order to observe my surroundings and to understand dreams….that Change is coming to my life, to remember to be adaptable. To “create my own reality, to grow into whatever I need to be.”…. The skink also symbolizes Power that is yet untapped….. That I have amazing potential & power, more than I can ever know.

The color Blue relates directly to my birth time in the Mayan Calendar. I was born under the auspices of the “electric blue night”. The dark night brings intuition and dreams. In dreams there is no shortage, there is abundance. Everything is perfect. The night dares to challenge to let go of the idea of shortage. Have courage! The night also signifies the dark inside of the temple of Self. Dare to go inside. In the dark, depend on other sensory systems and the information sources. Be surprised! Gifts wait for me in my inner temple. Become one with the stillness and intuition found there.Blue symbolizes vitality and strength which comes from calm and confidence. Soothing coolness brings with it great healing and renewal. It instills a sense of tranquility and grounded confidence, while giving rise to the ability to communicate needs and verbalize intuitive impressions….. so much information! Much to muse about….,.

A Woman’s Staff…

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I been thinking about the subject of walking sticks lately. As an ecologist, botanist and herb-wife, one can often find me outside wandering the local hills, drainages and wetlands. Prior to stepping out-of-doors, I always equip myself with basic field gear: a hat, jacket or vest, gloves, boots and a pocket knife. Yet the most essential tool I reach for and rely on is my walking stick. I “never leave home without it”, as they say…

The walking stick, or staff as I prefer to call it, has been used since ancient times as a weapon, record, and support for the tired feet and legs of the sojourner. Banned from owning conventional weapons, the poor of many countries traditionally turned to the staff for protection. Elite members of tribes would carry a staff as a symbol of authority and power. The Druids believed that a thicket of small trees had its own living spirit, and would apologize to a tree before cutting it for a staff. I prefer to look upon my own walking staff as a support, an equalizer and a guide into the understanding of simple truths.

My staff is handmade of chokecherry, a straight shoot I cut from a thicket of chokecherry suckers I discovered near an antique barn in town. The chokecherry is one of my favorite tree/shrubs. Chokecherry fruits are edible and I make scrumptious jams, syrups and occasionally a heady scented wine from its berries. In addition to foodstuffs, I have been given a great gift from the chokecherry. My walking staff is a powerful, transformative tool on my walk or sojourn in this wide World. It is the one item that consistently accompanies me when I dive into nature’s landscape regardless of my purpose. It’s with me when I watch a sunrise, feel the rain on my face, or when I turn my back to a strong wind. My staff is there to assist me when walking on uneven ground, crawling over boulders, or walking down the center of creeks when fishing. I instinctively depend on it to keep my Balance. It supports me through awkward maneuvers, pushes aside objects that impede my way, and is used as protection when followed by a mountain lion. A steady companion, indeed.

My staff has taught me how to pause, to be silent, to observe what is before my eyes with mindful attention. I easily lean my chin onto my hands, which are cupped lightly atop its leather covered handle. I always keep my eyes soft when viewing a landscape. It is the landform itself, its mountains or swales, erosional patterns, dendritic patterns indicating water flow. The deposition of rock, clay, granitic sand and surface salts, all demarcated by the presence or absence of specialized plant species. Together, these features show me the surface characteristics of Gaea’s skin….that fine, intricate, biogeochemical layer that creates the alchemy for Life on earth.

When I become aware of the wind as it eddies and pulls around my body and through the textures of vegetation, my eyes soften and close. I allow myself to drop deeply into my sense of hearing. Ears are delicate things, comprised of highly sensitized membranes, tiny bones and nerve endings. They can detect the slightest vibrations of sound carried through the ethers…like the lilting song of a meadowlark, or of water cascading over rocks. If a person listens deep enough, they will discover the cacophony, the hum and thrum of the very heart of Nature. One can hear it through the resonance of frogs, cicadas, and crickets. Through the plaintive call of coyotes in the pre-dawn hours, the hollow tones of the mourning dove, in the cries of tundra swans and Canada geese winging overhead. This heartbeat whispers through the sound of leaf fall in autumn, and in the gentle silence that follows a winter snowfall.

I have learned much while leaning on, and being lead by, my staff. Wisdom only acquired through the silence of my mind and through the simple act of being Present to the world around me. My staff steadies me as I enter, and then leave outdoor spaces. My ingress and egress, coming or going, living and dying. Simple actions we all do everyday. My staff assists and supports me through the uneven, and even dangerous trails of my journey through this Life. It has proven itself a strong ally when I traverse through unknown landscapes and protects me from predators….of all kinds.

Ancient Grove musings…

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I drove to an old orchard today to collect heritage apple, pear and plum shoots. It is located in a wildlife area managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The orchard was planted about 130 years ago when the area was first homesteaded. I have passed this Grove innumerable times on my way to view wildlife and migratory birds who come into the area… I have often stopped to sit under the shade of these grandmother trees and even pick their fruit on a hot Autumn day. I am committed to planting trees. My favorite venue is to plant trees for food and medicinal value to both wildlife and human beings. That impetus lead me to this Grove today. I plan to root and plant viable shoots from these Grandmother trees.

I am beginning to “age” in my own lifecycle now. I just turned 65 this month of March and am raising my eyes and my inner Vision to embrace this last quarter of my life. I am releasing objectives and ideas that no longer fit into my younger paradigm. Cultural norms that I no longer need to carry, dross paradigms of youth and beauty, social roles I no longer need to partake in. I entered the edge of the Grove in Song, with respect, honor and openness to their existence and their Medicine. I carried a pouch of tobacco, offering a good sized plug to the Grove at their perimeter. I spoke to them of my Intent, to harvest live twigs unadulterated by the fire blight which has hit our beloved Valley these last 2 years. I spoke of more children, their children, in the hope of sprouting roots to the twigs I collected…. I spoke of the Vision I have of growing food from their branches for other living Beings. The multitude of other Beings who may need their nourishment during migration in the surrounding Hills and Mountains long after even I am gone…

These “Women of the Grove” are some tough hombres, rooted to Stand as Witness to the changing times in which we live. They have Stood, neglected and un-tended for decades on end. Their bodies are torqued and twisted with branches that continue to reach up, throughout innumerable seasons, to the turning of the Sun and Moon and star studded skies. They have Watched and Witnessed thousands of birds winging overhead on their yearly migrations. They have talked and communed with the Eagle, Hawk, Wolf, Coyote, Badger, Bobcat, Mountain lion, Marmot and Skunk. Within their hollow trunks resounds the Sigh of all Living Things. Dead trunks embrace like thighs, bright strips of living cambium… Rising now in the colors of red and oranges which speak of Sunrises, Sunsets and Dragons…. They carry with them in their ancient age, the blood of Dragons.

I spoke to them of my own fears of aging… and then I wept. Uncertain of the future that stretches before me, of a World now Turning beneath my feet. I asked for their Blessings, their Medicine and Knowledge that will carry me into this next moment, and the next…They let me Sing to them, offer each one Sacred tobacco, and to caress their bodies. Gnarled boles with dead and dying tissues, hollowed centers used by small animals as nests…. They allowed me to touch the Fire that lay in shallow inclusions along their trunks, warmed by the Springtime sun and fed by the melting, receding snows. Sugars rushing from their deep roots to feed that which still lives…“You will also bend as we have,” they spoke to me, “used up by the Creative Vibration from which you were birthed. Bearing young, and Ripening from the force and heat that lies within your veins”. They added, “You Stand now, as Witness in a Time of great Shadow. Stand and Hold….Hold to what you find to be True. Stand and Hold….with all that is Good, All that Speaks of Balance and Wholeness. Do not fear the death that comes to Us all… rather, Rejoice. For your blood and your Life Force is of Dragons!”

Oh my….. Blessed Be Me, Blessed Be You, ….. Blessed Be …. Everything In Beauty.   March 30th, 2019

Vernal Equinox

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In the northern hemisphere, we are quickly approaching the time of the Vernal Equinox. The point of perfect balance on the journey through the Wheel of the Year. Night and day are of equal length and in perfect equilibrium – dark and light, masculine and feminine, inner and outer, in balance. But the year is now waxing and at this moment light defeats the dark. The natural world is coming alive, the Sun is gaining in strength and the promise of days becoming longer and warmer has arrived. A sacred time for celebration for it is the first day of Spring!

In ancient times, the Anglo-Saxon goddess Ostara was traditionally honored with festivals to celebrate fertility, renewal and re-birth. Symbols of Ostara include the hare, eggs and hot cross buns or Ostara cake…. In the Celtic tradition, the hare is sacred to the Goddess and is a symbol for the moon and of fertility and abundance. The egg symbolizes the inherent ‘potential’ of itself and all seeds, full of promise and new life. It symbolizes the rebirth of nature, the fertility of the Earth and is a symbol for the whole universe. The egg yolk and the egg white represents the balance of male and female, of light and dark, while its underlying energy is one of growth and expansion.

One can prepare an egg as a talisman or an ornament for your altar. A general rule of thumb is to use a brown egg for wishes involving animals and white for wishes involving people and plants. Preparation of the egg shell is important, no matter how you choose to decorate your egg. You must first empty it of its contents: Using a fat needle, pierce a hole in both ends of the egg, making one hole larger than the other. Using the needle pierce the egg yolk gently and swirl it around to break up the yolk. Place a small drinking straw in one end and gently blow through the other hole to release the yolk and whites from inside the egg.

Last year, our Circle marbled our blown eggs the simple ingredients of using shaving crème, food coloring and vinegar. There is a link below that describes the process… they came out beautifully! We later used fishing line to hang them…. When hanging, clear your mind and focus on your desire for abundance/fruitfulness and its place in your life. An old incantation may be used such as ‘Little charm made of shell as I hang you here may all be well. May all things grow. May all things flow. Blessings for the turning of the Wheel.” Really though, any words will we to express your Intent.

How to Dye Eggs With Whipped Cream (A safer alternative to Shaving Cream Easter Eggs)

Now for some baking… Ostara Bread recipe provided by “The Goddess and the Green Man” website.
Ingredients:
3 mugs (@ 4.5 cups) of flour
500 mls (2 cups) buttermilk
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3 teaspoons ground almonds (optional)
3 tablespoons syrup or warmed honey
juice of 2 lemons
1 small beaten egg for glazing
Brown sugar for sprinkling
Blend the ground almonds

and flour together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk/lemon juice and syrup or honey. Mix well. Celebrate this time and “mix in” your hopes, dreams, ideas and wishes for the year to come…
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and pat into a circle. With a sharp knife lightly score the bread into two halves to represent the Equinox. Glaze with beaten egg and sprinkle sugar over the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 to 30 minutes…Enjoy!

Illustration “Vernal Goddess”, Montage

(2019) B. Donohue. Copyright restrictions apply.

Spring Fevered…

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“Spring Fever” is an old saying that describes a feeling of invigoration and restlessness associated with the arrival of warmer weather and the renewal of nature with the coming of Spring. I also believe it describes the powerful effect anticipation and longing have for these changes in the environment after enduring a long winter.

That is how I found myself today, longing for the arrival of sunshine and warmer temperatures to break the monotony of grey skies heavy with promise of rain and snow…

One can readily tell when the temps begin to warm and the soils release their icy grip. Look to the changing colors of willow branches along with the creek dogwood and wild rose. All of a sudden, a blush of color appears within the brown, dull landscape. Twigs the color of a newborn baby’s skin, and pink hues likened to a child’s cheek after playing in the fresh air, begin to rise. My emotional state always feels a bit lighter when seeing this, coupled with an adult knowledge that we have weeks to go before the blooming of the Hawthorn tree, or the appearance of the first wild violet.

I went outside today into the creeks and flooded fields to look for basket weaving materials. A fool’s venture of course, there are no young tender shoots to cut yet. What I came upon is what is called “last year’s growth”… slender branches bearing catkins and buds too thick and brittle to use in a basket. Yet my longing lead me outside…to observe the upcoming stormy changes in the atmosphere, and to be among the familiar features of my local landscape…sigh! All in all, a good afternoon….

In the Shadow of the Mountain….

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We traveled down the eastside of the Sierra Nevada Mountains yesterday to visit with my twin sister on our birthday. We followed familiar paths along the highway driving through the Honey Lake Basin, Hallelujah Junction, skirting through the Truckee Meadows basin of Reno into the expanses of the Carson River Valley.

I identify landscapes by their principle features rather than man-made cities and landmarks. We are newcomers here to northern California and the Intermountain West. The arrival of miners and pioneers to these lands roughly occurred about 170 years ago in the early 1850’s. Many folks came West a decade prior to the outbreak of the American Civil War, seeking to improve their lives through the promise of open land, rich in resources. Since that time, the impact of human settlement into western basins and mountain slopes has been staggering.

So, I keep my eyes soft when viewing a landscape. It is the landform itself, its avalanche chutes, erosional patterns, dendritic fingers of water flow, traces of vegetation that indicate the presence of water…or lack thereof. Deposition of rock, clay, granitic sand and surface salts, all demarcated by the presence or absence of specialized plant species. Together, these features show me the surface characteristics of Gaia’s skin….that fine, intricate, biogeochemical layer that creates the alchemy for Life on earth. Man-made environments do not hold any importance to my eyes…I view them as a temporary assault, an imperfect construct on the surface of a planet that alchemizes inorganic features into ecosystems of great Beauty and Balance.

My sister lives in a house located on the toe slope of Jobs Peak, a mountain that rises 10, 648 feet and towers above the floor of the Carson Valley. A staggering monolith of fine-grained rocks and interestingly enough, stream gravel deposits that were laid down by an ancient river that flowed from Nevada into California before the Sierra Nevada was uplifted. Lots of sandy soils and deposits where one can find shrubs of ephedra (or Mormons tea) and large sagebrush.

It is easy to dull the senses when living within the comfort of walls, a door and windows that turn you into an observer of any given landscape. You cannot feel the wind on your face behind a window, and it proves difficult to pick up nuances in color and smell of the place in which you are standing. Yet the presence of a mountain…one simply cannot ignore it.

I can actually feel its presence, like a pressure between my shoulder blades….centered over the back where my heart chakra lies. I am compelled to breathe deep, to expand my diaphragm and lungs in an effort to soothe my parasympathetic nervous system. I feel jangled, oppressed to the point of sleep. Everything in me is overpowered by its Presence, its majesty. I nod my head toward its direction and speak a prayer of humility and gratitude to its Strength….

Nature is not a demure entity. We often compartmentalize Her into safe, bite-sized pieces…..She is anything and everything but “domesticated”, She is not “safe”…. or “cuddly”. Her Strength rents the mantle of Earth, her fires consume and poison the very air we breathe. She gives and takes all Life, every rick, cot and tree. Nothing survives Her. Everything created by Her, every form of Life, is taken back by Her. Everything…..I can only stand before Her in Wonder and Awe…..

A Prayer Feather

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A Prayer Feather

I am not Native American by any measure of the imagination. I do not use indigenous peoples rituals or symbolism in my spiritual sojourn here, nor in my rituals…. It simply is not “me”. My ancestry is of mixed bloodlines, similar to most of us that have been created out of the great diaspora of humans migrating across the globe over the past 500 years.

I come from pretty much northern European peoples: English, Irish, Spanish and French. My paternal grandmother’s people come from New Spain, before California was explored by the Spaniards. Some of the people in my ancestral line were born in the Mexican landscape, part of the ancient lands of Mesoamerica. My paternal grandfather’s lineage is a mix of English and French. My maiden name of “Rowley” is a locational name that came from a variety of places in England including Devon, County Durham, Staffordshire, and Yorkshire. It means a “overgrown wood or clearing” in Old English. The lineage on my mother’s side of the family is predominately Irish and English.

Now… onto the subject of feathers…. Feathers come to me on a regular basis. They are easily found where I live. Il often find them whenever I am out camping and fishing. Often beneath old growth pine trees that serve as perches for eagle, osprey and hawks. I have never delved into the symbolic meaning of feathers until recently….
My ancestors carried ideas and beliefs about feathers that were entrenched within their cultures. Celtic lore holds the perspective that feathers were related to the realm of the sky gods where one could gain knowledge of the celestial realm. In Britannia, the raven symbolized death, while the robin heralded the Christian season of Christmas and the promise of Spring. The eagle represented power, whereas the dove symbolized the virtue of peace and the red kite represents “wildness” of both landscape and its creatures. My Hispanic ancestors lived in a world where feather-working was a common craft and the wide use of feathers was embedded in an intricate cultural and economic milieu.

Who knows where my connection with birds and feathers come from? I simply know that feathers come to me through discovery or gift. Needless to say, it is “in my blood” somewhere in my combined lineages that I feel I am given permission for right “use” of a feather to carry my prayers and intention in the winds of this world…. separate from the beliefs and practices of any indigenous people.

The idea of a Prayer Feather came to me just the other day. I have a friend, once a lover of mine, who is near death. His sojourn is a quiet, private affair, and I wanted to offer something of support his transition. He has Cherokee ancestors which lie in his blood, and I wanted to offer something symbolic which meant something deeper than a simple farewell from my Heart to his….

When contemplating this, my eyes fell upon a large jar of feathers sitting in the work space of my art studio. I gently pulled out feathers of the Golden eagle, Redtail hawk, Marsh hawk, Great blue heron, Whistling Swan and of the Snow goose. These birds are common here, found in the nearby forests and open wetland systems of Big Valley. As I bound the feathers, I picked up on the sound of a Song…..vibrations of tone and pitch. As if my friend’s ancestors had begun to Sing him Home….I certainly hope so….

My prayer is for the Eagle to give him Strength and Courage in this Time of Transition and to carry his Spirit to the next realm with ease…. For the Hawk to guard him on his Journey, and for the Whistling Swan to embrace him Grace and Beauty….. all of them bundled to carry his Spirit…. Home.