Great Gathering Blue Moon Experience.

I haven’t written in a few weeks mainly because I was busy getting ready for our Blue Moon Great Gathering.  Unlike other gatherings; which we host every year in our home Province Quebec – this particular workshop held cosmological importance.  8,000 years ago ancients from all over our planet talked about the Blue Moon of 2012. We’ve yet to understand why this particular Moon was important to them; but we figure it may have something to do with an unusual planetary alignment.  According to astronomers by late 2012 (starting with the Blue Moon) all planets should be aligned and pointing towards the center of the Univers. The Mayans predicted the end of their calendar by 2012 and where most may believe it implies the end of the World, I tend to predict it’s more about the beginning of something unexpected.  Certainly our experience last week at the Great Gathering supports the idea that we are stepping into a new reality.

There are legends; which speak of huge populations of First Nation people literally disappearing from the face of the Earth at the start of the European invasion.  Some have said that these people “simply walked through the veil between worlds” and continued their experience within a new reality.  Some of the participants last week spoke of experiences where they were completely “invisible” to the people around them.  Others shared moments where they could identify a mirrored image of themselves and touch some kind of parallel dimension.  Certainly everyone was able to bridge perspectives, behaviours and actions as if they were guided to walk from one realm to another. 

The question remained at the end of the weekend: “What does it mean to step out of one reality and walk within another?”

Last week’s event was the most powerful and memorable experience I’ve ever had and that says a lot considering the countless phenomenal moments I’ve lived through in my life. There is so much that occurs during a Great Gathering Workshop: 

·      Processes geared towards healing;

·      Prayer and ritual which lead to the unexpected;

·      Initiations which challenge individuals and helps in the development of trust, intuition and team work;

·      And moments of humour where laughter and stories entertain us.

The food is always good during such workshops and even though accommodations can be somewhat rustic; I’ve come to realize that discomfort and adaptation is crucial in the making of a shamanic experience. 

Every year participants are usually quick to share their experiences often because they fear loosing the profound connections or memories they’ve made during the workshop.  Yet, this year something is obviously different.  So far everyone has remained still and devoted to integration. 

There’s a sense that we don’t have to let this experience die.  We can choose to continue to feed it and keep it alive…

All summer I’ve been asking everyone to devote to their higher self.  I’ve been saying: “Come to the workshop as heroes rather then dysfunctional humans.”

Eight Gates:

The presentation of the gates at the start of the workshop was impressive.  Every gatekeeper took the time to really connect to the animal and to the theme relating to each gate.  With the help of ritual and prayer; dance and music; sketches and humour; as well as costumes – each gatekeeper invited the participants to journey along with them.  Whatever gate each individual would eventually chose to cross and devote to for the next 3 years we all surrendered in the moment, one by one to the 16 gates: Their challenges and wisdom.

It was Will who started us off with the Bison gate in the South of the Medicine Wheel.  For this Blue Moon, the Bison gate is the collective gate; which means that everyone had to eventually cross this particular portal along with one inner and one outer gate.  Will invited us to journey with the notion that “we need to be worthy of the sacrifice of others.”  He guided us through a dance where he reminded us that we are family – committed to one another:  Honourable, respectful, faithful and trusting.  As we pounded the Earth like the Buffalo, Will explained that we needed to have each other’s backs and that it was crucial to be committed to each other’s empowerment. 

“Like the Bison” Will told us while cloaked under a white Buffalo blanket, “we may have to deal with moments of weakness but we are called to always walk with strength.”

I’m hoping that in the comment section of my blog, --- Will takes a moment to give us some feedback.  It would also be great to collect some stories from some of the participants relating to the BISON GATE and it’s impact on our lives.  I personally related to the motto of “walking in strength.”  I’ve been following the Medicine Wheel teachings for over two decades and I’ve learnt through those years that “life may throw at us all kinds of challenges; but never to hurt us; only to help us learn, heal, and walk with strong, positive attitude and in gratitude.”

At the Elk gate Michelle and Chris showed us what it means to walk the trail of no choices.  Wind chimes and dream catchers dangled from the trees as the wind whispered prayers to the ancestors.  Chris smudged to the four directions and called in the Elk with a whistle.  Suddenly, our two Beagles started to howl.  This gate presentation called in the unexpected.  Through the Elk gate, I understood the Biblical statement “We are all children of God.”  Each of us called by Creator to walk in sacredness; in prayer; and strong in Spirit.  Michelle and Chris invited us to return to our basic nature and remember our commitment to God/Goddess energy.  Whether it’s about devoting to a higher purpose; or exploring our personal story; or even committing to the empowerment of others – the ELK invited us to accept and surrender to those moments beyond our control. 

At the Turtle gate, I invited everyone to shift perspective and see their life story as an archive of choices rather then constant tragedy.  A step away from the Elk gate where surrender and acceptance seemed to lead the way  -- here I stood, at the Turtle gate reminding everyone about responsibility.  We are involved in every occurrence within our life story.  Presence, consciousness, and strategic moves are no doubt at the roots of who we are.   I reminded everyone that if they chose to cross the Turtle gate – they needed to leave guilt, regret, shame and jealousy behind…

At the Wolf gate, Jihad and Aurélie greeted us.  Both Aurélie and Jihad experienced some challenges prior to the Gathering; which lead me to believe they weren’t quite ready to hold the gates by themselves.  Jihad needed to grow stronger in his personal abundance.  To be Alpha of a pack you have to be able to hunt and to feed your wolves and Jihad wasn’t quite there yet.  Aurélie needed to understand commitment and sacrifice.  She was easily distracted by personal needs and expectations.  Again, an Alpha protects his or her own.  So, I invited Chris to take the Alpha role along with me.  It was important to create a “pack experience.”  Who would have guessed that the Universe planned it out this way so that we could understand the main theme of this gate…

We often understand the Wolf gate as the “path finder;” but at this Gathering it revealed itself as much more then that…  The idea of the pack repeated itself over and over again.  How many of us can say that we are blessed to be with people who love us; care for us; and commit to us unconditionally just like blood relatives?  Wolves help the Bison, the Elk and the Deer stay strong by eliminating the weak, the sick and the old.  There’s a reverence; which exists between these animals that makes them not prey and predator – but “relative:” Crucial to each other’s survival.  As Jihad and Aurélie spoke about the Wolf I understood that these animals were not only pack creatures amongst their kind; but also pack creatures with all animals in nature.   On a few occasions through the workshop the “wolves” of our community proved that it’s not only about caring and protecting for our own; but also realizing how others contribute to our growth, our learning and our healing.

Denis was the Keeper of the Thunderbird gate.  The whole time he presented his gate the wind was whistling and spiralling around us and through the trees.  For a moment we even stopped to listen.  It was incredible the way the weather seemed to respond to the Thunderbird energy.  Like Denis explained as he introduced his gate: “Don’t present yourself at the door if you are not willing to let go of resistance and bring forth change.” 

Louise and Krystel followed with the Orca and Eagle gate.  Both these gates were simply presented.  Louise used water, shells and a lot of the colour blue to give us the feeling of the Ocean in the middle of the forest.  She talked about determination as an insatiable effort towards a given goal.

“The Orca is not without compassion,” she said with a blue shawl draped over her shoulders, “do not let mistakes and errors stop you from reaching your goals.” 

A few of the participants connected to the “compassion reference.”  We sometimes forget that determination is about faith, trust and courage. 

I had the impression that each of the inner gateways like the outer gateways connected to each other somehow.  Between the Orca’s compassion and the Eagle’s clear sight, I understood that strength could be acquired through different perspectives.  It was quite beautiful to watch everyone at the Eagle gateway follow Krystel’s guidance as she invited them to take flight and meet up with Guides. 

Finally our first presentation on the first day of the workshop ended up with the Dinosaur gate.  I loved Mary Rose’s t-shirt and dinosaur toy.  It brought up the importance of symbolism.  I had the feeling we were being asked to explore the dinosaur through rattling the old bones of our family tree.  There’s no doubt that as the weekend continued the Dinosaur did end up bringing us to explore our origins. 

Interestingly enough there was “how we prepared for our gates” and what our gates ended up being in the end…   No matter how different both experiences were I found that one depended on the other nevertheless. 

I’m definitely open to publishing some of your stories if anyone would like to share.  Looking forward to hearing some feedback on the Great Gathering – Blue Moon Experience.