MYSTICS IN FURRY BODIES
Sacred ground is a way of life, not a destination
It is not a time but infinite
All who reside here are eternal
Our divine path inevitable
Together we are one being
Living in a myriad of forms
And every day here we are reminded of what it means to walk in a sacred way.
At Sacred Ground, the Buffalo are our teachers.
Mystics in furry bodies Tanah (their guardian) calls them.
Their lessons are both subtle and absolute.
When they decide to do something, it is done.
There is no hesitation.
They show us how to remember who we are and then test us every step of the way to ensure we never forget.
Their lessons are unexpected and full of tough love.
They will not accept anything other than our absolute commitment and courage.
They help us to rediscover our power.
And our divine pride.
This writing took a few days to unfold. I had to practice patience just like the Buffalo.
So let me share a real story with you.
Right from the mouth of the mountain
Last Thursday we rose early as we always do at Sacred Ground.
After coffee and morning prayers, we dressed and prepared for ceremony.
Today was a harvest day and Don, our sacred hunter participated in the blessings as he had done many times over the last 13 years of practicing the sacred hunt.
After smudging and hugs, we left to find the herd and we went back inside to await the outcome.
Then a neighbour called.
The Buffalo had left the ranch.
On a mission of their own, they had jumped fences and journeyed to the West towards a mystical area of the mountains called the Pryor Gap.
Don returned and rounded up help to chase them.
The whole day, Don and Blake worked to coax and herd the Buffalo back into the mountain pastures and fix the fences behind them.
The Buffalo resisted all the way.
They refused to be swayed from their destination
The dusk came.
And it became dark.
Tanah left to go up the mountain and I waited in the house with the dogs watching headlights flashing in high mountain pastures.
Humans and vehicles twisted and turned in the snow and mud.
Buffalo broke through fences.
Intentions turned into decrees.
Voices raised.
Exhaustion and anger.
Sadness and confusion.
And then calm.
Acceptance.
Patience.
Meditation.
For two days, the Buffalo roamed West.
Until their destination was reached, and they were found by Blake laying down in the gap between the mountains, calm and serene.
Their mission accomplished, they followed him and his son home through pastures and timber forests until they once again returned to the home grounds.
And we were left bemused, wondering what had come over them to cause such a fuss.
The Buffalo know more than we do most of the time.
And often we must wait patiently for the teaching to be revealed.
When asked, they simply said “things will reveal their meaning in time”
Or one cow communicated to me in meditation “have faith and trust that all is well”
Easier said than done when 200 Buffalo are leaping and breaking fences.
Yet trust we must.
And we do.
Repeatedly.
Mystics seldom reveal their purpose until it is time.
Their teaching is subtle and challenging.
Especially to the human mind that expects immediate answers.
But this is the way of Sacred Ground.
Respect and honour for all life.
And we will continue to practice that until we too, fade beyond the horizon like the Buffalo.
Only to return another day in another form.
Sacred Ground is a way of life.
Not just a place.
A way of life that demands we step into a bigger version of ourselves.
And remember that we are all family.
In the great story of all things.
So, the Buffalo continue to roam the lands and teach us as they move.
To learn, we must look both within and without.
For the two are ever linked.
We must know that it is not what happens but how we choose to respond to it that matters.
How are you choosing to respond to life?
Do you have faith and trust that all is well?
Are you listening to all that is unfolding around you?
With the patience of a Buffalo?
