In his brilliant new book, Listen to the Land Speak: A journey into the wisdom of what lies beneath us, Irish author Manchán Magan shares this wisdom.
…the land has always existed. It just is. It needs no help from us. In every speck of its being it is fully present, fully manifested. The choice is ours whether we wish to engage with it in a meaningful way or merely accept it as a backdrop to our lives. From the land’s point of view, our choice is irrelevant; but to us, from a psychological, spiritual and physical health standpoint, it can make all the difference.
One of the most profound insights that landed for me from my Stone Nation encounter in Colorado is that I had set no intention for this. I had done no preparation or meditation or ceremony. The encounter just arrived. When we surrender to and welcome sacred relationship we are not always in control. OK. We are rarely in control.
I could say that I wasn’t prepared for what happened in that rock shop. But I was. I’ve long known that the natural world is not a backdrop in my life. I know that in opening to a relationship, an alliance, with the natural world there are no boundaries. The veils become thin and the energies of liminal spaces are ever present.
My spiritual practice, my spiritual journey is my preparation.
This is one reason I so cherish my time in Ireland. As an island and with the ancient sacred ways that still vibrate in that landscape, the liminal spaces are ever present. There is no backdrop. There are no boundaries. It makes all the difference. And I dance with the magic.
No boundaries and no backdrop. This is also the intention of the gatherings I offer in Ireland. If this calls to you, I would welcome you to join me. The link for the Doolin Gathering next September is below.
Some of you have seen this story. Edited a bit here for clarity. I hadn’t thought I would share it publicly. But I believe those of us who wander around in other realms need to share these stories. If for no other reason than to show that although we may be considered weird, we are not alone. Well, perhaps we are weird. But we are not alone.
So. Here is the story of my time in Colorado visiting my sister over the holidays.
I recently connected with a biological ancestor who was a mystic in Ireland lifetimes ago. Although we are just beginning to establish our relationship, she did give me her name and a few insights including that her magic was/is working with the Water and Stone Nations. I was wondering when I might receive more on working with the Nations. I didn’t have long to wait.
I was in Boulder, Colorado, visiting my sister when we decided to take a drive up a canyon to a small rustic town where of my nieces works at a rock shop, Nature’s Own. Jaimi is something of a rock science nerd as is Sam, a close family friend who has her degree in geology and also works there. Both young women, who absolutely resonate with the scientific focus and sensibilities of the owner, were working that day along with a woman named Jo.
As soon as we entered the shop, the vibrations landed as a cacophony of sound and sensation. I immediately had trouble maintaining my balance. Deep breathing and grounding helped but the vibrations continued to amplify. It was overwhelming and overwhelmingly clear the Stone Nation had something to say…many somethings, it turns out.
I was drawn to a side room and found myself standing with a piece of amethyst. Small in stature by comparison to many other stones, her voice was the loudest. She was speaking for the stones and she had my attention. Her message, their message, was clear.
The stones wanted me to tell those working at the shop that they deeply appreciated the depth of knowledge held and shared about the geological structure, nature, and origins of the stones. However. The stones also wanted me to tell these humans that the geological structure and origin are not the only aspects of their stone nature. They wanted me to tell these humans to please share information about the energetic nature of the Stone Nation.
Having heard stories about how Jaimi, Sam, Jo, and the owner are not at all into that aspect of the stones and are actually rather disdainful of the many people who wander into the shop claiming a spiritual connection, I wasn’t sure how I would approach the subject and how this would be received. Just another fuzzy haired woman claiming a spiritual connection. Right. But I promised the stones I would give it a shot. By this time I was so altered I just surrendered to what was coming to and through me.
I approached Jaimi, Sam, and Jo separately when they had the space between customers. I began with the message of gratitude. The women were pleased and deeply appreciative. I sensed they were receptive to hearing more.
I explained that everything has an energetic and vibratory signature and that is what was happening here. I also explained that my relationship with the Stone Nation is not about using them as a tool for my own purpose, as is the intention of many who claim to work with stones. It’s about stepping into a relationship, an alliance, that honors the intrinsic energy together with the geological nature and origin of the stones.
At this point Jo got tears in her eyes. I wondered if I had touched a deep knowing in her.
I then offered a specific example. The shop carries Moldavite, a blue greenish vitreous silica projectile glass formed by a meteorite impact that occurred about 15 million years ago. In that fiery impact, the sandy soil was fused into a different composition. I had been told, with abundant skepticism, stories of some women who came to the shop wanting to buy some because it would activate the third eye chakra. I suggested that it was more likely that an alliance with that stone would hold the energy of fiery and powerful transformation. Jo, Jaimi, and Sam totally resonated with this.
Apparently my time with them was impactful. I understand they talked about this from the time I left the shop until closing and then through their shared commute back to Boulder. They were excited to share this with the owner. I have no idea where any of these conversations took them. As with Jo, I hope it touched a deep place of knowing.
Speaking for the Stone Nation. A gift and insight from my ancestor. I was humbled and deeply grateful. Stoned in Colorado. It was a glorious experience and inspiration for much deeper contemplation.
I could say that I wasn’t prepared for what happened in that rock shop. But I was. I’ve long known that the natural world is not a backdrop in my life. I know that in opening to a relationship, an alliance, with the natural world there are no boundaries. The veils become thin and the energies of liminal spaces are ever present.