We found our home in Ashland, Oregon. It didn’t take long since we moved here 10/19 to settle in to the great vibe here – one of creativity, manifesting, inspiration, and oneness.
I have a home with the Goddess Temple of Ashland. In the last two weeks of their season I led a sound healing circle and co-led a Day of the Little Angels ceremony, during Day of the Dead ceremonies, to honor all children who have died. Last week for 11-11-11 I started the Priestess Training with Graell at the Goddess Festival in beautiful Mendocino, CA. I’ve bonded with my sisters, found a spiritual mother in Grandmother White Deer, and joined a sacred music band with the harp goddess Indeara. It’s been truly magical. The Goddess brought me here, and is giving me many gifts.
Grandmother White Deer adopted me at the start of the Goddess festival, before she led the opening ceremony, focused on all of us being of One Tribe. We immediately resonated and discovered her connection with Jason is also very strong. She lives on Medicine Creek in Laytonville, CA, and we will be visiting each other. She loved the viola and asked me to play during the Water Blessings ceremony at the closing of the festival. It was long and very special, and I was honored to serve. My viola is happy to be playing again, making others happy! This week my viola is getting a special treat, getting spruced up and bow rehaired, and getting miked for electronic amplification!
I’m blessed with such beautiful nature here – the mountains surrounding the valley, the rivers, beautiful downtown Lithia Park, the hot springs. Hiking on the mountain paths is magical. The snow up the mountains looks so beautiful and close, but doesn’t accumulate where we live and drive, what a blessing. The fall colors have been so beautiful, I didn’t have to miss New England! Visiting the mystical ocean in Mendocino was such a gift; I know the ocean is not too far when I want to visit. I had a special connection with the cliffs, the crashing turquoise waves, the Dr. Seussian kelp, sounds of seals, grazing mother and baby deer, and the sunrise mist on the beach where I collected pieces for my altar for the new era.
I feel a shift since 11-11-11, since the end of the Mayan calendar. There is almost no resistance left on my path, following my truth as a Spiritual Guide, helping others connect with their Spirit Guides. I am working side by side with Jason, who is doing major clearings and activations on everyone who makes an appointment.
Our small studio apartment has amazing energy; the woman we are renting from (from the Ecstatic Dance community) went away 2 months to lead a spiritual journey to Peru for 11-11. I am also renting a healing space in a farmhouse (also from someone in the Dance community!) that is special, and gives me the private quiet space I need to do my work on the phone and in person. We will rent the house starting in March after our Jan-Feb trip to Costa Rica; finding our home has been effortless!
The Ecstatic Dance Community also hooked me into coming to Ashland over the summer. I am reminded of how special the dance community was for us in Massachusetts. Sunday morning Dance is my church. I go to commune with Spirit, with Love, with One-ness, inspiration, passion, and bliss. We warm up, we circle up and connect with community, we hug, we massage, we dance, we drum, we do sound healing with our voices and crystal bowls, we share announcements and celebrations. There is a dance event almost every night, including Thursday night with Graell, my priestess teacher.
There is an abundance of spiritual groups and events in Ashland. The Zen center is two doors down from us (we had our meditation training, it’s a beautiful space), and Dances of Universal Peace is a couple of miles up the road (nothing is far in Ashland!). Kule discovered the Deeksha blessing and a special Satsang teacher (Bob Nickle). We haven’t even gone to the bigger guys, James Twyman and Neale Donald Walsh, yet. There’s so much here.
I immersed myself in sound healing as soon as we arrived, attending a special event by a didj wizard (Scott Miller), sharing sound healing with the Goddess Temple and the Dance community, jamming with a percussion sound healer in his studio with his friends, and finding amazing sacred musicians everywhere here. The Tuvan throat singers from Russia (Mongolia) were an amazing performance, and perfect for 10/28, last day of the Mayan calendar. Indeara and I will be performing and recording improvised sacred music. Skya Indigo, a beautiful Japanese drummer from LA that played with me at the Goddess Festival and was one of the men who held a great space for the festival, invited me to record sacred music with him. There will be many opportunities for me here.
There is an abundance of creative people and events in Ashland, especially with the Shakespeare Festival that runs March-November. We attended some world-class performances, and enjoy the financial wealth (a result of the Shakespeare festival) of the small town, with its wonderful restaurants and stores. I discovered a great hemp clothes store, and I also have benefited from great finds at the Goodwill store down our street.
 |
| Ashland bike path |
Ashland is sustainability and health-conscious. The bike path through town along the railroad tracks is amazing, and there are buses every 20 minutes! We have the best, cheapest whole foods store Shop ‘n Kart a walk from our house. We buy our shampoo, olive oil, teas, and almost anything in bulk. It’s totally awesome! There is yoga, zumba, massage, healing, etc galore. We just finished a massage-for-couples class and are enjoying each others’ massages even more now!
Kule is making some good connections with green builders and university folks interested in solar energy, and he is inspired to launch his growth facilitation work here. We are both inspired to do the work we love, making the money we need, following a simple healthy lifestyle here in Ashland. It’s more expensive to live here than up north, but there are more opportunities here, and the weather is much more sunny and beautiful here!
We done good moving here. I am so grateful. Come visit us! Best time is after March when the weather gets good, the snow melts, and the Shakespeare festival comes alive with free outdoor concerts.
