this is summer: june and july plans

if anyone's interested...

my itinerary for the next couple weeks:

this weekend= "ancient and innovative foundations training" with luz elena morey in brattleboro, vt

next week (last week of june)= either camp in woodbridge, ct with justin or visiting friends near northampton, ma

1rst week july= "gaia nature arts camp" for 5-7 yr olds with luz elena morey in brattleboro, vt

that weekend= maybe red tent in hartford, ct; or camping on keith's farm near northampton, ma

2nd week july= housesitting/exploring near brattleboro, vt

3rd week july= "gaia nature arts camp" for 8-12 yr olds with luz elena morey in brattleboro, vt

final week of july= still open

and then aug is mostly open, until aug 20 is women's herbal conference... and i think i will hitch around maine for a bit and explore some mountains i haven't touched yet, check out a high point, dip in the ocean for a few days, etc (mount desert island...!)

pow wow!

the order and preservation of indigenous cultures 

a gathering of tribes, really

disconnected yet (re)connected

the rhythm of the heartbeat drum just sets my heart beating faster

and then slower again

as we attune to the drum 

and attune to each other 

we begin to notice 

our voices coming from a shared breath

of the same quality of air and breathing 

into the nose, down into the belly, out thru the mouth

to be shared some more 

with the trees and fields surrounding

and the eagle soaring above 

riding on that same air current 

of precious breath

gift friend air wind 

take us as we soar 

on air currents of drum song

old songs, new songs, so many songs!

i recorded most

but it will take quite a while for me to really remember them 

for now, three are stuck in my head

seems like every other moment though

i remember another song

and find myself humming yet another pow wow tune

as i toodle around the woods and observe mosses growing

(that same beat thrums in you too huh?) 

many of the songs don't have a literal meaning 

but the feeling that the song evokes

that is what is important 

that is what is intentional

not the words

the words come secondary to the feelings 

yes!

and then at night we women gathered around 

the red clover womens' drum 

for me, it doesn't quite matter who i'm drumming with

so long as we get attuned

and the magic happens 

but there's just something about all us women gathered together

with a drum without a drum 

but ooh that night yes with a drum 

and drumming and singing and laughing and sharing

shining eyes reflecting the stars

with shared hands beating the sacred ancient drum 

something magic

is still here 

and reawakening 

yes!

questions

to hitch or not to hitch?
that is the question
in a state of too many cars and not enough real people
real
people
i have many questions

ji-ling

my family name is lin

which means forest

my given chinese name

my "real name" is 

ji ling

ji is from an old family poem

each generation gets the next

word in the poem 

ji also means basic, foundational,

grounded

ling is the sound of bells

ethereal and abstract

ji ling is like grounded ether

sky and earth melded into one

being

ji ling also means spritely, flexible, nimble

like a fairy

lin ji ling

forest sprite

i am now going by my chinese name

ji ling 

(that's me... as well as a compendium of joyce, jaz, crow... and all the other names along the way. but now, back to ji-ling. hello, again)

raccoon

i just saw all seven of the chickens sprinting past the kitchen

with a raccoon in hot pursuit

he wasn't afraid to run into the bushes 

and watch me with big bandit eyes

remember

chalk art 2

chalk art