Saturday, June 24, 2017

The Between Places

Last weekend I trekked to the V Bar V Ranch for Summer Solstice. This little-known site, in the Verde Valley near Sedona, is one of the largest and best preserved petroglyphs in Arizona.


But I go specifically on the morning of the longest day of the year.

The sun rises over the top of the rock wall, and an annual miracle occurs. Bands of light pass between two rocks and illuminate specific points in the figures permanently etched in the stone. The petroglyph art is positioned so that when the sunlight hits a specific line carved in the rock, it coincides with the start of the planting season. 

For the Sinagua Indians living in this arid land nearly a thousand years ago, this was their calendar.

The growing season was tricky. Plant too soon and the corn crop would shrivel and dry before the monsoons. Plant too late and the kernels would not have time to ripen.

Timing was everything.

My visit to V Bar V on the day of equal light and dark reminds me to keep a balance in my own life. To resist wasting my time auditioning for others: parents, teachers, employers, lovers, strangers, and friends. To stay true to myself and to Nature.

I yearn to balance dark and light, the way the earth balances day and night. The shadow has its reasons and seasons, and brings us important lessons to learn. We must know when we are way out of balance, have had enough, are stagnated, or need emotional rescue of a practical nature.

Maybe you are oriented on your path by a set of rules you didn’t make. Or maybe you coast along because it’s so difficult to change course, regardless of what strongly held beliefs that course is violating.

Can you can recall a moment when you stood at a crossroads, a point where opposites met and a choice was required: dark or light, joy or sorrow, right or wrong, be silent or speak out. Fight or flee. Do--or don’t do.

According to Goddess Mother Nature, we are now standing at one of those crossroads. Next week, the world will literally begin filling with darkness, as the wheel turns toward winter. Today we stand at the world’s still center and survey which path to choose.

The Sinaguas had their map, revealed to them at the proper time. Like the ancients, I don’t look for paths, they will seek me out. That’s what is so exhilarating about these in-between days. They are the creative nexus at which vision and craft come together.

Feel your power! Create. Let your poetry, song, art, new love or inspiration uncoil from its hidden domain and fill your core.

The between places are not horrible or frightening. They are thresholds for awakening, if the soul is alert and watchful for omens of change.

And yes, timing is important.

So look in the mirror. Meet the eyes you see there directly, because they belong to the only person in this world you can truly change.  Be attentive to the thresholds and boundaries of your life—the places where metamorphosis occurs—and find the lines you should erase and re-draw.

How will you transform in the remaining year?

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Sandy Wright lives in Arizona with her husband, a super-smart Border Collie/Aussie mix named Teak, and two huge black panther cats (18 pounds each), named Salem and Shadow Moon. Their daddy, Magick, was even bigger! He's featured in her debut novel, Song of the Ancients, the first book in her paranormal suspense series, Ancient Magic.
Her debut novel involves witchcraft and Native American medicine magic. It's set in the energy-laden town of Sedona, Arizona.  
Sedona is but one earth "power site" in the world. The Ancient Magic series will travel to unravel mysteries at other sacred sites. The second book, tentatively titled Stones of the Ancients, takes us to the ancient standing stones of Scotland, where the author gets to trace her own heritage next month while researching the book. The series continues to Hawaii to learn about Pele, the Goddess of fire and volcanos. Book four  will conclude the Ancient Magic series somewhere along the ancient icy land bridge of the First People, either in Newfoundland or Alaska.  
Book 1, Song of the Ancients is available now on Amazon, in both print and ebook. Book Two, Stone of the Ancients, will be available early 2018.


5 comments:

Maureen said...

What a lovely post!

Diane Burton said...

Loved this post, Sandy. So much to think about. This phrase really hit me: "wasting my time auditioning for others". I've never thought of that before. Finding balance in our lives is so important. I have to really work on that. You've packed this post with so many great observations. Definitely a post to reread.

Francesca Quarto said...

Thanks Sandy for this post filled with good insights on balance in one's life and relationships. Choosing a path in this mortal realm determines our life story start to finish. Wish life came with a map for Italian mothers and her offspring. Wonder where I'd be...

CJ Burright said...

Loved your post, Sandy. :)

Sandy Wright said...

Thank you for the comments. These days I catch myself beginning to slip into "auditioning for others" and say, "stop that!"
If you live in AZ and have a chance to visit the V Bar V, it's worth the trip and the short hike. The glyphs were on private land until about 6 years ago, so the experts are still studying them for interpretation. There is a "sun" wall and a "moon" wall. And it's all well-preserved and clear. On weekends there's a docent lecture.