Becoming The Land

Becoming the land: Developing presence with the soul of nature.

I was about to drop this page from my site since the Gathering Power experience embraces this one so fully. But I felt that Becoming The Land was such an important action to practice when we are out that I have chosen to keep it. Then I was thinking of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings to help convey what it means to move into the land and feel it, become it.
His paintings are so full of the energy of what he saw/ felt. But then I remembered my friend Bear Cloud's paintings that are inspired by the Sedona area, so full of spiritual vision. And in fact he does a vision quest each time he is to start a new painting. And as an added bonus I get to send you over to his online gallery(click on any of the painting titles). So here are three of his visions that he has received from this magical land.

 

Eagles Path

What is becoming the land but relaxing into the great mystery that is all around us. That is in fact always all around us. To stand in the center all things where there is no solid ground called me, no name giving. Only the movement of the wind, the water, the earth, the trees, the winged ones, the four legged ones. Where everything speaks to us as if in a dream, full of meaning and life and vision and blessing. Do nothing, be quiet and let this land fill you. As a pigrim in a holy land let this land move through you even though it may appear you are moving through the land.

Where "we who have forgotten" become "we who have remembered". No more than simply "Ah, I remember". Becoming the Land is taking the teachings of presence with our own personal human energies and expanding the circle of space we inhabit to extend into all that is around us to the very horizons and step into the web of life that connects all things. To become the eagle or the rock or the fallen leaf adrift in the creek is to enter it and let its message and energy enter you. It is a back and forth movement like breathing. This goes to the core of native spiritual practice whether on a vision quest or stalking a four legged brother. So when you contact me just tell what theme or direction you are drawn to. We'll do it! for more on Becoming go to the bottom of this page. I no longer offer this as a separate experience. For it is part of the experience of everything that is offered. Even my Healing sessions are about Becoming The Land Within. Keep in mind that all my offered experiences are private. They are tailored to your interests and needs. So feel free to tell me what you are drawn to. My service is to serve your intent. Blessed be . . . . Clay

Stand At The Center Bearcloud gallery

Soul Journeys On the Land

Soul of Nature and other Journey Writings

Sedona Tours | Quest For Vision | Shamanic Soul Healing | Private Spiritual Retreats | Earth Energy Vortex

Hi Sue, Ah, you picked my most difficult experience to describe. Everything has a certain texture. Now we normally think of that word in reference to touching with our hand. So if you touch Levi jeans they have a different texture than a wool sweater. That's easy right? Well think of touching in a different way. When you touch with hand you normally have to extend it. In a way all of your senses have the ability to touch, but they are just different ways of touching. When you smell a rose there is a part of you that is extending out to make contact, to touch. And in that touching/smelling, the more your mind is at rest and the more you open up to the scent, the more you become that rose. The scent is a doorway into becoming the rose. You can become a river by moving into its sound and the play of light on it, and even its smell. The senses are just the first step of becoming, because really in its purest form everything is music, even you. And everything within you is mirrored in the world around you, natural and unnatural. But the world of trees, rocks, water and animals tends to bring us closer to the essence of life, Takuskan, That which gives movement to all life. And so in opening ourselves up to the music of the earth we open to to our own core and truth. And not always an ecstatic up beat movement. For nature too can sometimes connect us with our anger and our sadness, but in a purifying and cleansing way if we open to the music that it awakens within us. So Becoming The Land is going into The Little Grand Canyon along Sycamore creek and taking in the music of nature in all its limitless forms and in some ways letting it speak to us as the images of a dream will speak to you and then moving even beyond that to where you are extending yourself out as much as possible, becoming . . . both within and without and what you become ultimately is Present. Now that may not make much sense for you, but if it speaks to a part of you it doesn't have to make sense. On a practical level, what it means, is I pick you up at the bottom of the mountain where I live, about thirty minutes out of Sedona. We ride in a four wheel drive to The Little Grand Canyon where we hike down to the bottom, about fifteen minutes, and we spend several hours becoming present. But the fact is, we can do what ever you want and spend more time there. So take another good look at my site. You'll get even a better sense of who I am and what I do, particularly in the Soul Journey sections. I can also do just straight guided tours. The Shamanic Counseling is the inner counterpart to Becoming The Land. I do a deep sounding of your own inner landscape so that you may reclaim your own music/truth. Price varies with the length of time. The way I work is whoever books a tour first on a given day, that is what I will be doing that day. I just require a small deposit for no- shows. But if you let me know in advance it is refundable. Sometimes others of like mind will join us. Let me know what your plans are and feel free to call me if you need to talk to a live person. Clay Miller.