Holy and Steadfast

Quote of the Day:  

Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

1 Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
    Who may live on your holy mountain?

2 The one whose walk is blameless,
    who does what is righteous,
    who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
    who does no wrong to a neighbor,
    and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
    but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
    and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
    who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things
    will never be shaken.

Mary at the Medicine Wheel, in the Big Horn Mountains.

Sacred Ground

The Advent Photo A Day word for Dec. 10 was Holy. I had thought of skipping that one because Holy seems like a word to describe God or Heaven. I thought of church hymns like Holy, Holy, Holy. If you grew up in a Lutheran Church you might be singing that song in your head right now. Then, I thought of another song from the Psalm I quoted above with the line Who shall dwell on that holy mountain. That got me thinking about holy, or sacred, ground, and our bike trip last year to the Medicine Wheel. When the Biker Chef started the walk up and around the wheel, always to the left first, the wind swept up and over the mountain, blowing steadfastly over the sacred ground, carving the path, bringing fresh air. I thought of the people who have walked that path before us. I looked at the tokens they left behind. I felt the solemnity of their prayers, their grief, and their hope.

Hope is what keeps us steadfast in our journey to the Holy place. May your path blow with new life today.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Have you ever been to a place that felt holy, or sacred?

Spirits of the Medicine Wheel

Quote of the Day:  Everything the power of the world does, is done in a circle. The sky is round, the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls...the sun comes forth and goes down in a circle. The moon does the same...even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were before. The life of man is a circle...and it is in everything where power moves. The words of Black Elk, a Lakota Sioux elder, from the book Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neibardt

After we left Yellowstone National Park on our Western Motorcycle Tour, the Chef and I rode over the Big Horn Mountains, making a stop at the Medicine Wheel. You have to be intentional about finding this sacred place, located between Lovell and Sheridan, WY, and be willing to make some effort to get there. The walk, uphill from the parking lot, is about a mile and a half. Motorized vehicles can drive on the road and pass the site, but not stop there. We walked it. It was a warm, sunny day. This site is only open during the summer as the roads are not passable in the winter and it would be covered in ice and snow.

You can read about the Bighorn Medicine Wheel at several sites on the internet. According to this site it is estimated to have been constructed between 300-800 years ago by the Plains Indians. Many people from Native American nations and beyond visit this site. Some come just to see it. Others are here for healing. And, some people are drawn to the power of this place.

 

Totems are left, prayers are said, offers for healing, forgiveness and guidance.

 

 

 

When you enter the perimeter of the wheel, the sign asks you to walk to the left, making your circle from left to right, a slight incline at the most powerful point where you can feel the wind pushing over the ridge and blowing through you. The Chef said he felt the power there was the strongest. At that point, I noticed these little shoes.

 

I wondered who left these tiny moccasins.

A mother?

What happened to the child who wore these little shoes?

I felt sad when I was here.

 

As I stood up and walked towards the wind, and rounded the bend, I heard the voice say, "You have to be open." (to the spirits? to what lies ahead? to something unknown?)

 

 

 

Then, we saw this little guy, standing guard, a sentinel, and that's where I heard the voice say, "Remember who brought you here."

Does that mean the Chef because he physically brought me there?

Does it mean me because I felt drawn to this place and experience?

Does it mean the Holy Spirit, or whatever you want to call the spirits?

 

All three, and maybe something more.

 

Go. Create. Inspire!

 

Journaling Prompt:  Have you ever felt drawn to a place and/or an experience, like it was a strong pull you couldn't resist? Have you felt a presence or a power in such a visit?