Thursday, December 2, 2010

Gratitude at the Gathering

Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life. 


The Gathering of Gratitude and Heart. By Jennifer Hillman

I am finding more reasons for the joy in everything and I am feeling in increasing ways. It is a different feeling of gratitude, a deep one, indeed. Recently things in my life I have embraced and gave me a slap in my face. I laughed. I was getting too wrapped up into the 3D or earthly pursuits or dramas. It affected my life in many aspects…and not fun ways. Lessons learned…again through a different perspective.
I got messages from a friend, Karen, passing through for a visit and the messages continued to come about the past patterns. Those patterns of mine as I have written about in past blogs that I got one under an deep understanding about now. It started on Thanksgiving with a meditation beginning with the cards of bat, crow and bear… shamanic death, magic/shape shifting, and inner hibernation to a vision ending with the scene of a hospital room and voices saying, “She needs open heart surgery now.” Hands on keyboard writing friends on FB to pray and hold positive thoughts for me and then the words across the page about “She has passed and to raise a glass of your favorite in her honor as she is all about celebrating her life, not the sorrow of its end.”
It was very lucid and real to me. It made me think about my heart as I woke with my heart pounding hard. I talked to a friend and realized that a part of me wasn’t in touch with my heart and was being reborn.
Come Saturday and an email comes for Quynn Elizabeth about a Shamanic Gathering of Gratitude at a local art gallery, Solar Culture. I signed up for it without blinking an eye. It was time to reconnect with Quynn again. It is about the same time of year that I start back with deepening my spiritual practice and I have been out of balance with the overload of obligations I had created for myself.

I got dressed to honor the ancestors and the star guidance. I went parked, entering with a hug form Katy who painted my face with a mystic butterfly pattern on my face. (fitting) I greeted Quynn and gave my gratitude for her witnessing and help through the years. I have known her for the last nine years. Her shamanic circles become a sanctuary for me many times when I was unsure of things. I got clarity in those circles and met some cool people as well. I only go to a few each year and it is like a grounding post for me. She is a powerful Shaman and I am grateful for her continuing support. Inspiring presence and witness, allow the true spirit to come through and allow a space of integration.

So listened to the drums and walked around the shamanic alter with the four elements and items to honor the Spirits, going into a trance dance state. We continued through the drumming, honoring the seven directions: east, south, west, north, above, below and center. During the west movement, I went to the shamanic fire to transmute all unforgiving that lived in my heart. As I walked back to my place in the circle, I feel the urge to pull out a pendulum from my purse and reached in, pulling out a turquoise heart, whole, healed and complete. I put on the heart necklace, know that I am in a new place now. Heart was healed. Soon we were nibbling on different varieties chocolate and giving testimony to Quynn and the Gatherings. I left the gathering feeling uplifted and knowing that I am right on track with my path and my journey. Smiling knowing this is great place and time to be.