1000 Ovaries United in common intention is indeed good medicine...
In this years Kava Temple at Spirit Weavers Gathering, we created Ojo de Dios talismans to ground our Kava Meditation experience and emerging intentions in the act of creating a physical object that can serve as energetic shorthand and reminder of what was made clear within our time together. To make things with your hands from a prayerful frame of mind engages more of the senses and more parts of our brain simultaneously, anchoring our experiences more deeply in our being.
Although most well known on the west coast as expressions of Native Mexican spiritual culture, these God’s Eye forms where chosen as the focal point for our intentions because they have simultaneously arisen as expressions of spirit in many different cultures around the globe. Our classes attract highly mixed groups of women from many different parts of the world and ancestral backgrounds, all of which are welcomed. Both Kava and community ask us to look for the common thread that unites us across perceived differences. God’s Eye forms are just one such common thread.
For thousands of years, Kava has been used as a means of coming together as a group to discuss topics of shared interest to the community. Over the course of the last year, I have received so much conflicting, and not necessarily helpful advice around the need to maintain many layers of boundaries and protection. I had taken everyones advice and had ended up with a totally impenetrable fortress around me, from within which intimacy with others was not possible. I was lonely and exhausted, and needed to find a better way. I initially hoped to find different ways to feel safe, but ultimately realized that safety is never guaranteed. I have come full circle back to my early Buddhist days of understanding that the need is not to find what could make me feel safe, but to become really spacious and comfortable with the reality of life’s uncertainty, while also allowing myself to use my words to navigate towards my personal preferences when possible.
And so I invited 15 women to join me in a discussion the concept of spiritual protection, and what those words mean and evoke in us. Although "protection" is essentially a neutral word, even the concept can evoke a defensive stance, which constellates the same in others. Although maintaining the integrity of our personal energetic container is essential, for me, the best "shield" I have found is mindful awareness in the present moment. I feel most safe when I am relaxed but curious, attentive, and aware.
Together we chose colors intuitively to conjure a relaxed awareness of whether or not we where aligned with our intentions in a moment to moment way, and we wove our Ojos together in community, to be worn and enjoyed throughout the year as a reminder of the sisterhood and belonging that we experienced when cradled in the arms of our temporary redwood cathedral home. Thank you all for showing up, for bringing your breath and hearts, your presence and your prayers. It is an honor to hold space for us all to put our puzzle pieces on the table and help each other understand what role our individual experiences play in the creation of the big, beautiful picture that is this moment on planet earth!