THE HOPIS ARRIVE IN LA FOR AN INTIMATE GATHERING

After a long hard work week – a nice surprise happened. The white owl showed up – my Spirit sign that I identify with the Hopis. It started last year at the Return of the Ancestors gathering when Elder Ruben Saufkie of the Water Clan gifted me with a beautiful broad faced owl kachina doll – protector of all the other kachinas – and protector over the children – a very sacred blessing for Pals Around the World and what we are collectively trying to accomplish with this charity project and books– to help children around the world. As the day went on – more owls. I would see them out of the corner of my eye planted on buildings, I received a white one on a card in the mail and then I saw another white owl in a storefront window near my gym all within hours of receiving contact from Ruben that he was coming with his Uncle Alan and some of the other tribes to do the sacred White Buffalo Dance during the eclipse from January 16 to the 18th (my birthday) I was overly thrilled to say the least!!! What a wonderful birthday surprise. This was truly special for me – as I missed seeing Ruben and his wife Barbie and family when I visited Hopiland over Labor Day. Due to privacy – we are not allowed to post photos of visits and out of respect for the Hopis I honor that as a guest at their ceremonies, they are sacred and private – and are to be respected. One of the reasons why I never blogged about this past visit to Hopiland to see grandfather Eric and his wife Jane. This small intimate gathering with the Hopis took place in Santa Barbara – by invitation only, and was sponsored by the Sacred Earth Foundation’s founder – Patti Turner, who graciously opened her beautiful home to a select group of us for this wonderful evening. Though Ruben had invited me, Patti- was gracious enough to squeeze in an extra spot for me at this event. In the past, Patti has hosted Don Alejandro – head of the Mayan Council for North and South America and other wonderful and special indigenous elders at her home. It was a real treat for us to be together in such an intimate setting. The first round of festivities occurred upon the Hopis arrival from the 2nd Mesa. This mesa is where I lived in previous incarnations as a Bluebird and Bear clan member and is why I connected to Ruben and his grandfather Alan during our first meeting on Hopiland. My grandfather Albert in spirit told me to go be with them in Santa Barbara and to immediately cancel my birthday plans. He explained that their arrival was a “gift” from him – as he had been connecting them in spirit to be with me so that I would be with extended family on my birthday. He also explained that they were coming – as there was something very important for me to learn during the Hopis visit and to pay attention. So I went with my “eyes wide open” and my listening skills on. As part of this incarnation – the WORLD is my family – and there have been many cultures and people that I have felt quite at home with – but I was in “awe” of what my grandfather was telling me. As I arrived in Santa Barbara for the special event (only an hour and a half out of LA), It was good to recognize people from Return of the Ancestors – including Leland – some of you may remember him as the gentleman/volunteer with the “unusual” walking stick and wealth of information. He too, was excited for the Hopis arrival and for his special guest visiting him in LA– one of the top healers from Japan who he is bringing to Hopiland the following week. Leland explained that the bond/healing between both cultures is still prevalent due to some of the uranium testing/bombing that occurred on sacred Hopi land prior to WW II incidents/bombing of Japan. Though we are ALL connected – it explains why there was such a special bond between us (the Hopis) and the Japanese during Return of the Ancestors ceremonies last year. It was also the Japanese tribes who graciously hosted Ruben and others from the Hopi Water Clan in Japan in recent years. As the ceremony started, Vanessa Kaye – our hostess, gave us Chocomaca – a natural cocoa with maca and other rainforest ingredients to pray and give thanks for the rainforest. During our gathering, I had the pleasure of meeting wonderful new Chumash friends, a woman named Sylvia and her sister. Chumash comes from the word Chumock – which means land of the contented ones. Living on sacred Chumash land myself – it was special to connect with them. Since this gathering was in Santa Barbara on sacred Chumash land, I also learned how to do ceremony the Chumash way – with our prayer offerings from left to right. Before the festivities started, we drank water out of a sacred gord given to them by a woman who Ruben explained was struck by lighting twice. This rare occurrence of being hit by lighting twice and living to tell about it – made her a very advanced healer – with very special gifts. I learned that at ROTA of similar healers from Peru – like Rumi and the Condor Dancers – whose parents had similar “near death” experiences of lighting striking them and gifting them with miraculous healing capabilities. As a gift to the Hopis during a water run from Hopiland all the way down to Mexico City this woman presented them with a special gord. Inside the gord held the most pristine water from the Hopiland mesa, which the Hopis brought to share with us before we did sacred ceremony and the White Buffalo dance. We prayed for the balance of mother earth, for the people of Haiti hit by the devastation of their earthquake and we also prayed for unity and peace in the world– to stand strong together and unite – as without peace in our hearts – there can be no peace on earth. This time of year in January is called the water moon time. It is the time of year when the White Buffalo asks for blessings of snow from all 4 directions. It is also essential for us to plant our seeds and melt the snow with the sun to help plant the seeds so that they grow in balance in the springtime. That is why this White Buffalo dance is very important for mother earth. After the beautiful White Buffalo dance, we ate together and conducted sacred prayers/ and told stories by the fire. I was also amazed at the peace, love and unity that elevated each and every one of us leaving the event that evening. My grandfather was correct (as always) – there was a very important message to carry from this evening. One of spreading more Love and Peace in the world and in our hearts. The word Hopi means peace – but it is a “way of life.” And it is something they demonstrate lovingly by example – a way that if everyone followed – the world would be a much better place. Ruben had two kachina dolls waiting for me that night – this time I was “speechless.” It was the WHITE BUFFALO maiden kachina: who represents the snow dancer carrying the Sun on her back and the RAINBOW GIRL KACHINA– that represents fertility and abundance with the BlueGreen butterfly and the dragonfly as its messenger/protector. Though i have become accustomed to my hourly syncroncity that occurs for me over the past 4-5 years - this one was very special. You see, two weeks prior while attending a meditation - I had found an abandoned filing cabinet with the blue/green butterfly and the shining sun (like in both these kachina dolls) beautifully painted in the street next to a license plate “AL 313” – my grandfather’s name and the Detroit area code from which we come. The sun is also a shining symbol in my life, in the Pals books and is also on my mind these days given my connection to the Bolivians/Peruvians and their Beautiful Island of the Sun - Lake Titicaca.. This event was all shortly before my grandafther showed up in my meditation. I also had the dragonfly (the messenger from the spirit world) along with the rainbow synchronicity occurring and present in my home as a symbols displayed on my palm trees. It was amazing to see how “in sync” the Hopis were with me – and it was all because of my grandfather. (SEE PHOTOS BELOW) Upon returning to LA – I received a call from my book company overseas expressing the fact that we had room for two more FRENCH TO ENGLISH flash cards to include at the end of the children’s books from PALS AROUND THE WORLD. It was up to us – but if we didn’t create two more cards we would be “wasting paper.” Since we chose consciously to use an environmentally friendly printer that plants two trees for every tree used – I was not about to be wasting materials! It was right at that moment – that I saw the two Hopi symbols: PEACE AND LOVE etched in glass on a public window display- and I knew immediately that these were the two extra flash cards we would create as an addition for our PALS AROUND THE WORLD books. My grandfather was right – as always – there was something very important for me to learn being with the Hopis this past weekend. and it was their message of love and peace. It was a beautiful moment – as I knew right then, I was truly “home” in my heart and grateful for having the Hopis wonderful “footprints”/influence on the PALS AROUND THE WORLD project to help make the world a better/safer place for our children through their gentle kindness, compassion, wisdom, love and peaceful ways.