Forest Yurt Retreat Day Three: Walk the Labyrinth

walk the labyrinth photo ©2013 kimcrayton

After a long sleep with some very intensely vivid dreams, I woke up and wrote my dreams down, ate a light breakfast, and headed out for one last walk  before catching the ferry home.

I set out to walk a labyrinth.  The first time I walked a labyrinth was about 11 years ago at a retreat center while participating in a workshop on Touch Drawing through an expressive arts course during my undergrad studies.  Ever since then, any time I have the opportunity to walk a labyrinth, I always do. This one was especially lovely because it is right off a forest path, and you can tell that it is infused and created with loving intention.

After the labyrinth walk, I returned back to the Grand Forest for one more quick hike up and down the trail. This time I took a different route and ran into a beautiful collection of cairns arranged atop a mossy boulder. What a treat!

I’m glad I went back to the trails before leaving the island and heading back home.

mossy rock cairns @2013 kimcrayton

Gratitude and Love for 2012: Many Thanks, Many Blessings

On New Year’s Eve, I am reflecting on the past year in awe and wonder.  It has been a beautiful, gentle year, with a lot of my time spent on intuitive work and quiet listening of nature and spirit.

My 2012 tarot year card was 18 “The Moon,” and my personality card for 2012 was 9 “The Hermit.”

The Moon Over Water (named in The Wildwood deck) speaks to my delving into my intuitive development. I prioritized my dreamwork, reiki healing, and shamanic journeying, strengthened my relationship with tarot, listened deeply to messages in nature, and cultivated relationships with some very wise trees.  You could say the moon and I were very close in 2012.

I am grateful to have experienced such stillness in my “hermitage” (and those who have seen my latest home know it has space for peaceful retreat!)  I call my hermit space “up in my nest,” as an owl’s nest of intuitive work.  I was indeed “The Hooded (wo)Man,” but at the same time, had time to take part in joyful gathering in celebration throughout the year.

I also had my first close encounter with an owl this year! A barred owl dropped out of a tree and landed on the grass in front of me.  I sat with that owl for about 40 minutes, and watched it and another owl up in the tree communicate with each other and just be owls.  As an amateur birder, this was so awesome.  I also visited wolves at Wolf Haven, and saw my first wolves, and heard them howl.  That was a sound I will never forget.

My two tarot cards for 2012 could not have been more accurate to my experience of 2012.  I experienced many quiet walks, a lot of grounding meditation, reading, and energy work.  I tuned in deeply to stillness, and I am so grateful for this year of rest and quiet moments.

 

I am truly grateful for the beauty revealed to me this year from spirit guides, nature, tree beings, wise human beings and angels. Thank you. I am blessed.

I wish many blessing to all in 2013.

With Soulful Intent

When I started “to the forest,” I began a formal journey of intention to explore the lush life behind things unseen, unknown,dark and misunderstood.

I am still on this journey. This journey is a healing journey.

The tree people have been so generous with their wisdom.  When I become quiet and receptive, they have a lot to say.

Last time I walked through the forest, I felt a song emerge from my roots and soared out of my mouth.

As a gift of gratitude to the tree people, I offered a song.

I offered a song, and light from the heart.