Walking with the Ancestors

I've been reading more and more about Celtic Wisdom. As I have progressed on my health journey I have come to the conclusion that healing happens not just in the body, but in many other elements such as mental and spiritual. The body is the manifestation of the other elements--those which we think so much about that we solidify them in our bodies. The Juice Feast is a tremendous boost to heal my whole person because it stops putting solids in my body. In practice this leads to me living a more fluid life.

In the beginning of my healing journey I could only see the physical limitations. I sought (at times desperately) for simple physical solutions to my problems. These physical solutions did not provide overnight success so I wavered and kept practicing somethings and let go of others. I began to see my approach to healing had to change.  I started with  Healing Thoughts. As I began to change my negative thinking, which likely manifested my problems, I then found out how to do inner work.  As Louise L Hay tells us in You Can Heal Your Life: "The word incurable, which is so frightening to so many people, means to me that this particular condition cannot be cured by any outer means and that we must go within to find the cure."

I've gone inward and I've done a lot of work. Now I seem to balance the inner work with nature walks. One fascinating book on Celtic Wisdom has taught me about self-healing in nature. Frank MacEowen's The Mist-Filled Path: Celtic Wisdom for Exiles, Wanderers, and Seekers speaks deeply about Celtic Shamanic healing. One way to retrieve my soul's "missing parts" is to perform a Scottish Omen Hunt through hillwalking.

I live in Northern Virginia and hills are hard to find. Nevertheless I am always looking for ways to adapt to what is in front of me. Last month I traveled to the land of enchantment or New Mexico. I went for work so any moments I could break away to soak in the surrounding culture were considered what made the trip worthwhile.

The 2 mile trek through the 40 degrees Fahrenheit morning chill was amazing. I texted my coworker whom I shared a rental car with and we packed up early for a quick hike at the Petroglph National Monument on the way to the airport.  Our hands were freezing but digging my Vibram Five Fingers through the cool sand felt wonderful. Immediately, we were on a petroglph hunt.

 I felt the powerful presence of the ancient ancestors with each step. This was a bit of a training session for Omen hunting. Although I walked with another person, at times I felt his presence and other times I felt hugged by the knowledge in the cool rocks. MacEowen believes we are never at a loss from the information of our ancestors. It is always there. We must, if we want to understand the ancient ways, uncover those messages waiting for us.