Sunday, August 2, 2020

Amidst the turmoil of Covid-19 isolation, monument toppling, and urban unrest in LA, I decided to take a vacation. Where do you go during a world-wide pandemic? My husband and I decided on a covid-free option: An RV trip to the Big Horn Medicine Wheel in Wyoming.

A few days before our July 20 departure date, a set of CD’s on the Kabbalah arrived. I listened to these discs throughout our CruiseAmerica trek to Zion National Park, Grand Teton National Park, through Yellowstone, to the Big Horn National Forest in Wyoming. En route, I learned that Kabbalah discourages new beginnings during the last two weeks of July and first week of August. Presumably, not a good time for a road trip or pilgrimage to the Big Horn Medicine Wheel.

The first day of our ten day trip was spent waiting for our RV at the Carson CruiseAmerica office. Despite our reservation for the first appointment slot, we were the last to leave at 4 pm. A prediction of things to come? No details will be shared here but if renting a CruiseAmerica RV, avoid the Carson office, arguably difficult if requesting a compact RV.

Our first destination: Zion National Park in Utah. Perhaps the most popular but paradoxically spiritually charged site is the Narrows. Paranweap Canyon, reputed as the most powerful vortex location, was closed to the public for archeological purposes. We waded through the Narrows with the crowd of Covid-weary vacationers. I imagined the Anasazi, ancient ancestors of the Puebloan tribes, whom folklore cites came to the canyon with the “Star Visitors”and mysteriously departed with them. Their presence could not be discerned that day, perhaps due to the flow of hikers, but the etheral beauty of the canyon was palatable, once considered to be a “doorway to another dimension.”

That night at our RV campground, we discovered that the sewage had backed up and overflowed, due to a problem with the trailer hoses. Though tragic when it occurred, I later speculated that it was the result of our “reactive behavior and accumulation of Tikune from former lifetimes.” Listening to the Kabbalah CD’s had revealed Tikune to be negative energy that needs spiritual correction. Would this energy continue to haunt our trip?

The next day, we departed for Grand Teton National Park with a stop at the Salt Lake City CruiseAmerica office for a service check due to a faulty parking break. We were told it was safe to proceed but we resolved not to park near any cliffs. Resuming our journey, radio reception was poor but a brief connection with “Relevant” radio proclaimed it to be the feast day of St. Brigid of Sweden, Christian mystic. I hoped that her mystical powers would protect us from further mishap.

Grand Teton National Park is magnificent and provided a welcome break from the hot weather of Zion. The following day, I discovered my “cosmic spot” at Jenny Lake.

Jenny Lake is surrounded by snow-tipped mountains and as I waded though the water, I could understand why the Plains Indians would choose this site for their annual Sun Dance Ceremony, until it was prohibited by park officials in the 19th century.

“The Plains Indians believed that unless the Sun Dance was performed each year, the earth would lose touch with its ability to connect with the creative power of the universe, thereby losing its power to regenerate.” 1 (native-americans-online.com/native-american-sun-dance)

As I waded through Jenny Lake, my proclaimed “cosmic site”, I “regenerated” the negative energy from the months of Covid and the travel mishaps so far.

Prior to the 19th century, the Sun Dance was held each July at Jenny Lake. “The Sun Dance chief offered the prayers from the sacred pipe to the four directions, earth and sky, before and after the ceremony. Medicine Bundles were opened and ritual objects placed on elk skins in the middle of the floor. Heated coals were brought into a lodge built from a Cottonwood tree with a forked branch in the middle. Twelve poles were placed about 13 paces from the outside of the circle to the inner pole. The visual effect was a wagon wheel.”(1)

After the ceremonial dance, which was very rigorous and sometimes included forms of self torture, the participants came forward to be healed. The leader blew from a hollowed out horn of an elk. Feathers and skins were used for healing, as well as herbs and prayers. A sweat lodge for final purification followed the ceremony.

It is hoped that park officials will some day allow this annual ceremony to be resumed, despite protests of “disruption of the ecological balance.”

We drove through Yellowstone National Park the next day, and although we stopped at several locations, time did not permit overnight stay. We had toured Old Faithful years before and did not want to experience crowds. Native Americans consider the entire park to be sacred and “a place possessed by spirits.” It was created by fire and water in the cradle of an ancient volcano. We particularly enjoyed the solitude of the Lake Butte Overlook, despite a recent fire.

The next day, while shopping for provisions at a Wyoming Walmart on our way to Big Horn National Forest, Bill’s keys fell undetected from his pocket in the RV. A locksmith had to be called when we emerged from the store. Tikune was still with us!

Our next destination was Porcupine Falls in the Big Horn National Forest. It is considered to be a Native American power spot. Not just the 75 foot falls, but the rigorous trail leading there.

Just as I had done at Jenny Lake, I waded through the pool beneath the falls and settled on a large rock to feel the energy. It was quietly transformative. Though the hike back was uphill and hard, the beauty of the spot was worth the effort. I felt as if a shift had occured from “reactive” to “proactive” energy. That night, we stayed nearby at Porcupine Campground.

The next day, we reached our final destination: the Big Horn Medicine Wheel, considered to be the “Stonehenge of the West.” Located close to Porcupine Falls, it required a 1.5 mile hike to reach. Ceremony was being performed that day so we waited at an overlook for it to conclude. While we waited, a jeep pulled up with two flags flying, one the flag of Wyoming and the other for Trump. The ranger insisted that the two retired military men walk the rest of the way. I joked with the men and told them that they could never fly a Trump flag in LA without being assaulted. The ex-colonel solemnly turned to me and replied,”Let them try that here.” A shadow passed over his face and it reminded me of the conflictual times ahead.

We reached the top of the clearing and there was the Wheel. Entering the Medicine Wheel, I walked around twice in the mid-day sun that was pleasantly accompanied by cool winds from the elevation of Medicine Mountain. I tied an offering to the fence surrounding the Wheel, along side of other’s prayer stones and bundles. The ranger at the jeep site had explained to us that the tribes who had inhabited the area were frequently at war with each other, but the Wheel was a place of peace where no conflict was tolerated and disputes were settled. In addition to it being a place of religious ceremony, it is also an astrological one.

” Constructed 300-800 years ago by surrounding tribes, it is 80 ft. in diameter and has 28 spokes radiating from the center. The number 28 is thought to have sacred significance due to the 28 day moon cycle. It is 10,000 feet above the Bighorn Range and is known as “The Place Where the Eagle Lands.” Pairing up two points on the Wheel match with points in the sky where the sun rises and sets in the longest day of the year–the Summer Solstice. Bright stars such as Sirius rise in correlation with the sun and the Solstice.” 2 (Wyoming, July 23, 2017 by Lisa Jensen)

This is a place of pilgrimage where offerings are made and answers to prayers are sought. I prayed that the upcoming election , regardless of the outcome, would lead to the end of the widening gulf between the middle-class Trumpsters and the Progressives of the coastal cities, capitalism vs socialism, and racial unrest. I envisioned a new era of tolerance that did not seek to erase history. One that would have potential for a spiritual evolution for this country. I absorbed the silence of the Wheel and the regenerative energy, despite the intensity of the mid-day sun. I was at peace.

Two days later, driving back home outside of Barstow, we stopped at a Jack in the Box in the middle of nowhere. As we pulled up to the window to order, a woman came running out yelling, “No don’t go any further.” If we had proceeded, we would have hit the top of the overhead concrete canopy, causing untold damage. Our Tikune, at least for the time being, had been transformed.

One Crow for sorrow, Two Crows for mirth, Three Crows for a wedding, Four Crows for a birth, Five Crows for silver, Six Crows for gold, Seven crows for a secret, never to be told.

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