Spirits in the Dark.
We are back from our spiritual journey...the three-day freak out, that is.
The Long Dance weekend was really informative. So many interesting things went on that it seemed like I was living within a well-crafted documentary at times.
Our arrival on Friday afternoon had been preceded by a soaking rain the night before. The mud was pretty intense, as were the thunder and lightning in the distance. We pitched our tent, then wandered around and helped with the rest of the setup, which included building a sweat lodge and a dance circle. Aside from one woman from Latin America (where exactly, I didn't know) who was a Native American, there were no other full-blooded Indians at this dance. Everyone else was a long-time student of a Native elder and they were in fact considered elders, even though they were white. This is a highly contentious issue with Native Americans right now, but if I get on this line of thought I won't have the post that needs to be written at this moment. So...
My European progenitors no doubt carried on with highly ritualistic gatherings and dances. Thinking about Celtic peoples doing the kinds of things that I did this weekend was not a reach, at all. Deep down, the human race is so similar on so many levels. That was one lesson I came away with from the gathering.
Another really important message that I got was that everyone matters. Everyone has greatness, and everyone has a chance to be a part of something wonderful, no matter how insignificant their part may be. You might just be the person that gets two of the right people together that do something great. You might save someone's life because of a decision you made years ago. You could write something that changes somebody's mind for the better. It makes no difference. If your intentions for living are honorable and good, YOU will be a part of good and honorable events and lives. No matter how insignificant you might feel, you are here for a reason.
I still can't answer why we're here at all, but I am hopeful that I may have grace enough at some point in my life to understand that someday.
My husband and I both danced. We didn't know if we would even earlier that day, but after experiencing the sweat lodge, it seemed natural to continue on. The dance started right at sunset. It was delightfully laid back, and the thunderstorms that built and skirted around the night sky were a perfect addition to the moon and stars. The sky was as big a part of the dance as the earth was--and even though we got tired and went to bed fairly early, the drumming and dancing continued until dawn. Our tent was down the hill a way, and it was like a muted lullaby in the distance.
Another thing I learned this weekend is if you love somebody, go and be a witness to their life. See what moves them, what gets their gears grinding, what makes them passionate. I am so happy that I got to see my friends doing what they love, and what they have loved for so long...their way of talking to God, their church. Seeing them, experiencing this with them, was a great good gift as one the last things we'll do in Utah.
I can say with certainty that I am not converted, but I was struck by the sincerity of the participants and their love of the Native Americans that had cared enough to teach them the dances and ceremonies--one of whom was a Hopi woman that spoke at the United Nations a few years ago. She has since passed away, but her love lives on with these people. My husband and I both would like to do it again, we're just not sure when we'll be able what with all the moving and last-minute business things going on in our lives. I would guess that we may never have this chance again, so I'm glad we took it. I'm glad we danced.
The Long Dance weekend was really informative. So many interesting things went on that it seemed like I was living within a well-crafted documentary at times.
Our arrival on Friday afternoon had been preceded by a soaking rain the night before. The mud was pretty intense, as were the thunder and lightning in the distance. We pitched our tent, then wandered around and helped with the rest of the setup, which included building a sweat lodge and a dance circle. Aside from one woman from Latin America (where exactly, I didn't know) who was a Native American, there were no other full-blooded Indians at this dance. Everyone else was a long-time student of a Native elder and they were in fact considered elders, even though they were white. This is a highly contentious issue with Native Americans right now, but if I get on this line of thought I won't have the post that needs to be written at this moment. So...
My European progenitors no doubt carried on with highly ritualistic gatherings and dances. Thinking about Celtic peoples doing the kinds of things that I did this weekend was not a reach, at all. Deep down, the human race is so similar on so many levels. That was one lesson I came away with from the gathering.
Another really important message that I got was that everyone matters. Everyone has greatness, and everyone has a chance to be a part of something wonderful, no matter how insignificant their part may be. You might just be the person that gets two of the right people together that do something great. You might save someone's life because of a decision you made years ago. You could write something that changes somebody's mind for the better. It makes no difference. If your intentions for living are honorable and good, YOU will be a part of good and honorable events and lives. No matter how insignificant you might feel, you are here for a reason.
I still can't answer why we're here at all, but I am hopeful that I may have grace enough at some point in my life to understand that someday.
My husband and I both danced. We didn't know if we would even earlier that day, but after experiencing the sweat lodge, it seemed natural to continue on. The dance started right at sunset. It was delightfully laid back, and the thunderstorms that built and skirted around the night sky were a perfect addition to the moon and stars. The sky was as big a part of the dance as the earth was--and even though we got tired and went to bed fairly early, the drumming and dancing continued until dawn. Our tent was down the hill a way, and it was like a muted lullaby in the distance.
Another thing I learned this weekend is if you love somebody, go and be a witness to their life. See what moves them, what gets their gears grinding, what makes them passionate. I am so happy that I got to see my friends doing what they love, and what they have loved for so long...their way of talking to God, their church. Seeing them, experiencing this with them, was a great good gift as one the last things we'll do in Utah.
I can say with certainty that I am not converted, but I was struck by the sincerity of the participants and their love of the Native Americans that had cared enough to teach them the dances and ceremonies--one of whom was a Hopi woman that spoke at the United Nations a few years ago. She has since passed away, but her love lives on with these people. My husband and I both would like to do it again, we're just not sure when we'll be able what with all the moving and last-minute business things going on in our lives. I would guess that we may never have this chance again, so I'm glad we took it. I'm glad we danced.
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