This happened at Towards Eden Festival, in the Interior of BC, this summer. I was a performer at fest, and this was the last night, after I was done with my many shows.
I knelt at this beautiful altar on the ground along the campground pathway at fest, around 3am last night. I only saw the altar for the first time last night walking in the moon and starlight, after an ecstatic hour dancing in the crowd to Adham Shaikh's DJ music.
I had fallen asleep early in the night, and missed most of the show. I got up and caught the last hour from 2am. All my friends had gone to bed, so I danced alone in the crowd, with the music moving me in the darkness. A sweet man that I did not know, who was clearly very attracted to me, danced close to me a couple of times, then danced away.
Later he came and respectfully asked me to slow dance with him at the end of Adham's set. Without fear, but with containment...without desire, but with respect and honor for his tender feelings, I danced with him, enjoying his male energy fully, yet with care and containment...and feeling myself female energy fully.....unafraid of a man's attraction to me...in fact witnessing it with love, enjoying it, and feeling no guilt or shame, no anger, no closing off to protect.... I felt healed by the love that was present. it was very special. We finished our dance and all was complete. I was free to go and danced alone awhile with this small miracle gift from a stranger. I felt he understood everything without me needing to say words.
Afterwards, when all the music was done, I walked to the forest, feeling blessed, and stood alone in a small grassy clearing, looking at the stars. Amongst the myriad stars, and the brightness of the moon against the indigo sky, my eyes eventually fell upon a strange moving light far above the trees, that looked like a star, but was not a star.
It was moving independently, like a firefly, but was not a firefly...like a bird but as bright as a star, looking the same size as a star, but just above the trees. It was not a plane, because it flew straight for stretches, then changed direction whimsically and meanderingly. It made no sound. I had the impression it was very happy. Behind it was the blanket of stars.....I have not seen true night sky for a long time. It was magical and dark and sparkling and I felt very blessed to watch the light. I remembered I had heard in the day before, that others had been seeing moving lights in the forest and in the sky. I watched it a long time. At a certain moment it disappeared, and it was time for me to go.
Afterwards, I walked along the path past the tents in the edge of the forest. I was walking toward the big sky beside the hills on the plateau. Most people were in bed by this time. I came along the path to something I had not seen before. It was an altar to the Ocean, just on the ground. Someone had left a few shells, an assortment of curious objects, a small notepad with paper you could tear off, and a pen...This was just beside the path, at the edge of the small pine trees that the sandy path wound through. There was a gently glowing lantern there made of sticks and a tiny l.e.d. light inside.
People - both adults and children, had written prayers and poems to the Ocean on it, and left them on the sandy ground for others to see, and as offerings to the Ocean. The notes were short and very moving. Here are some. I copied some intending to write this story in my first website blog, about Towards Eden Festival.
The last note below is a poem that I wrote to my lover there, at the ocean altar, under the stars, on the sandy path amidst the pines.
________________________________________________________________
Love Messages to the Ocean:
(a few favourite ones that i copied from the many, before i wrote my own prayer, and left it there...)
"Dear Sister Oceans...I love you so much and am eternally grateful for the life and unconditional love you give effortlessly. I apologize for the disrespect you have received in return".
"I love you with all my heart. xoxo "
"I trust the flow"
"Life causes change. We will change for the better"
"Sorry
We love you"
"You're forgiven. I love you and believe in you"
(-from some caring person back to the people who were writing the apologies, I think)
"With every breath, all the stars in the cosmos expand and contract
with the same rhythm as the stars in your body."
"Thank you for this small beauty, which is a miracle" (I wrote this and left it at the altar)
Then I wrote this poem, for the man I love,
~
You are a tender flower
that is helping me to open
the petals of my heart
Do not be afraid, please.
I remind myself to hold you lightly, and touch you deeply.
I thank you.
I love you and I thank you.
_________________________________________________
I later heard that the altar I found, and its Love Messages To The Ocean were written by participants from a daytime workshop on this principle: The healing work of Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, from Hawaii - known as 'Ho'Oponopono'. The Ho'Oponopono work is similar to the work of Dr. Masuru Emoto from Japan, famous for his water research documented in the books 'Messages from Water', which shows scientific proof that water molecules respond instantaneously to our thoughts and feelings.
The Ho'Oponopono prayer is said to be a clearing' technique that can be applied to any and everything in life. It consists of saying the following: "I am sorry. I love you. Thank you. Please forgive me.'", spoken to anything or anyone, with the understanding that we have connection and history with everything that comes into our experience, that we co-create it as it is, and that we can heal it and ourselves in the process, in a moment.
I knelt at this beautiful altar on the ground along the campground pathway at fest, around 3am last night. I only saw the altar for the first time last night walking in the moon and starlight, after an ecstatic hour dancing in the crowd to Adham Shaikh's DJ music.
I had fallen asleep early in the night, and missed most of the show. I got up and caught the last hour from 2am. All my friends had gone to bed, so I danced alone in the crowd, with the music moving me in the darkness. A sweet man that I did not know, who was clearly very attracted to me, danced close to me a couple of times, then danced away.
Later he came and respectfully asked me to slow dance with him at the end of Adham's set. Without fear, but with containment...without desire, but with respect and honor for his tender feelings, I danced with him, enjoying his male energy fully, yet with care and containment...and feeling myself female energy fully.....unafraid of a man's attraction to me...in fact witnessing it with love, enjoying it, and feeling no guilt or shame, no anger, no closing off to protect.... I felt healed by the love that was present. it was very special. We finished our dance and all was complete. I was free to go and danced alone awhile with this small miracle gift from a stranger. I felt he understood everything without me needing to say words.
Afterwards, when all the music was done, I walked to the forest, feeling blessed, and stood alone in a small grassy clearing, looking at the stars. Amongst the myriad stars, and the brightness of the moon against the indigo sky, my eyes eventually fell upon a strange moving light far above the trees, that looked like a star, but was not a star.
It was moving independently, like a firefly, but was not a firefly...like a bird but as bright as a star, looking the same size as a star, but just above the trees. It was not a plane, because it flew straight for stretches, then changed direction whimsically and meanderingly. It made no sound. I had the impression it was very happy. Behind it was the blanket of stars.....I have not seen true night sky for a long time. It was magical and dark and sparkling and I felt very blessed to watch the light. I remembered I had heard in the day before, that others had been seeing moving lights in the forest and in the sky. I watched it a long time. At a certain moment it disappeared, and it was time for me to go.
Afterwards, I walked along the path past the tents in the edge of the forest. I was walking toward the big sky beside the hills on the plateau. Most people were in bed by this time. I came along the path to something I had not seen before. It was an altar to the Ocean, just on the ground. Someone had left a few shells, an assortment of curious objects, a small notepad with paper you could tear off, and a pen...This was just beside the path, at the edge of the small pine trees that the sandy path wound through. There was a gently glowing lantern there made of sticks and a tiny l.e.d. light inside.
People - both adults and children, had written prayers and poems to the Ocean on it, and left them on the sandy ground for others to see, and as offerings to the Ocean. The notes were short and very moving. Here are some. I copied some intending to write this story in my first website blog, about Towards Eden Festival.
The last note below is a poem that I wrote to my lover there, at the ocean altar, under the stars, on the sandy path amidst the pines.
________________________________________________________________
Love Messages to the Ocean:
(a few favourite ones that i copied from the many, before i wrote my own prayer, and left it there...)
"Dear Sister Oceans...I love you so much and am eternally grateful for the life and unconditional love you give effortlessly. I apologize for the disrespect you have received in return".
"I love you with all my heart. xoxo "
"I trust the flow"
"Life causes change. We will change for the better"
"Sorry
We love you"
"You're forgiven. I love you and believe in you"
(-from some caring person back to the people who were writing the apologies, I think)
"With every breath, all the stars in the cosmos expand and contract
with the same rhythm as the stars in your body."
"Thank you for this small beauty, which is a miracle" (I wrote this and left it at the altar)
Then I wrote this poem, for the man I love,
~
You are a tender flower
that is helping me to open
the petals of my heart
Do not be afraid, please.
I remind myself to hold you lightly, and touch you deeply.
I thank you.
I love you and I thank you.
_________________________________________________
I later heard that the altar I found, and its Love Messages To The Ocean were written by participants from a daytime workshop on this principle: The healing work of Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, from Hawaii - known as 'Ho'Oponopono'. The Ho'Oponopono work is similar to the work of Dr. Masuru Emoto from Japan, famous for his water research documented in the books 'Messages from Water', which shows scientific proof that water molecules respond instantaneously to our thoughts and feelings.
The Ho'Oponopono prayer is said to be a clearing' technique that can be applied to any and everything in life. It consists of saying the following: "I am sorry. I love you. Thank you. Please forgive me.'", spoken to anything or anyone, with the understanding that we have connection and history with everything that comes into our experience, that we co-create it as it is, and that we can heal it and ourselves in the process, in a moment.
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