My trip to South Carolina came with several special moments and places of which I’ve had to sit with and process.
This was more than a family trip. It was also my first trip with the Sunstone Pipe to a place of an ancient shell ring created by the First Peoples of this land plus where I was first introduced to Osprey.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
The first came with memories of a special place … or more specifically a special tree … that I found near the start of my spiritual journey.
Of course, that one was back in North Carolina and was back around 1990.
There was a tree on the edge of the Pamlico Sound, and a tree shaped by wind and tied with both shaping and giving that tree its form.
I was part of a circle of a group centered around a Pipe carrier, aka. Carolyn Means, who also happened to be a teacher of ours.
She’d hold full moon ceremonies and had brought her Pipe with her on this particular college retreat.
Looking back, that tree I’d bonded with had more lessons for me than I’d realized at the time.
When I got to where we were staying, I was instantly drawn to a place near our lodge that I like to call ‘the point.”
At this place there is a special live oak that like that previous tree looks out over the water and has been shaped by wind and tide.
The tree seemed to call me and spoke to my spirit in a special way.
Not with words, but with an overwhelming sense of peace and patience.
It became a spot I would try to visit each day just to spend time looking out over the water … and being.
“Being in the Moment” is something I’m sad to say I don’t do quite as often as I need to and something that helps with remaining grounded with both natural world and the flow of the moment as it flows around us.
Kind of like the concept of “Indian Time” … at least as a Lakota once explained it to me.
Shutting the mind off, being away from the moment and letting your spirit let you know when and how to do something.
When the day came to do my vision walk, I parked the car, slipped my backpack with the Sunstone Pipe on my back and grabbed my staff.
Since this was the place where the Osprey first appeared to me, it felt right to follow the shore of the various small lakes.
So, that is what I did.
At a place after passing two of the lakes and on my way to the third, found a bench and sat.
THIS is when I woodpecker began knocking in the forest just across the creek from me.
I swear to you … It sounded like someone playing a drum.
Then it seemed to echo almost like additional drummers joining in rhythm with the first.
It felt like the drums of a ceremony calling me as I sat on that bench looking in the direction of the lake where on the other end Osprey had first appeared.
So, it was to that drumming I continued.
Reached the point the Osprey years before had literally crossed my path (just a foot or two in front of my face) and literally looked me in the eye … as did the first he carried.
I could still feel the spray of water coming off both from those years ago.
Sat nearby and looked out over that lake … but no Osprey.
Instead, a lot of calm anticipation pushing me onward.
Visited both a nearby point and an observation blind.
From the latter, I felt called towards a place called “The Rookery.”
But before I left, felt led to attach the rattle that travels with Sunstone to the top of the staff I walked with.
And when I got there, I climbed the steps up the platform and realized instantly that for me, it was the spiral not unlike that in a spiral labyrinth.
And once at the heart and on top of this, I heard a call from above.
Looked up to see four bald eagles circling and rising higher and higher into the sky.
Two pealed away from the others and dove in unison from on high keeping pace with one another with incredible speed until falling out of sight behind a neighboring forest.
The other two followed suit but at a slower pace.
It was a moment.
Remained for a time in reflection, even holding the Pipe and shaking its rattle as an auditory offering.
But did NOT feel led to smoke the Pipe at this place, instead feeling strongly that it needed to be performed instead back at the Point.
Did feel it was time to visit the sacred Shell Ring, however.
Just as I left the Rookery and returned to the main trail, a large immature bald eagle flew out of the forest on my right and took a flight position just in front of me.
It led the way down the path with slow easy beats before after several long moments disappearing into the forest on the left, but in the direction of the Shell Ring.
It was definitely time to visit the Ring.
At the Shell Ring, walked the circumference of the Ring and spoke to the ancient spirits of this place … especially the spirits of the First Peoples who once lived and used this sacred space.
This was their place, not mine, yet I felt I’d been honored in being invited in … so to speak.
I felt led to leave an offering and knew it needed to be something of meaning to me.
So I felt led to place the Sunstone (the stone that travels with the Sunstone Pipe) within the Ring … without disturbing the physical site of it.
It had to be something of meaning for me, and giving up the stone was not easy.
But something I gladly did to honor that place and the spirits there.
From there, returned to the car and back to the lodge, going immediately to the point.
Here is where I smoked the Pipe in prayer.
This was the place I felt drawn to just as those of the Ring had felt drawn to that place a few thousand years ago.
And it was about forging a connection for myself … a new connection with the natural world of that place and that island.
Ceremony went well with the form of a raptor having settled on a post out in the water off shore … easily seen, but it had coloings of black (or dark brown) on head, back and wings and white on body and tail.
Next day, visited a local crystal shop and guess what I found …. Another Viking Sunstone that would replace the first.
Honestly, had no idea it would be there as it’s not something that’s as common as other stones … or at least I don’t believe it is.
But I felt honored to find the new stone almost as if I was supposed to.
A couple days later, I felt led to yet again return to the place where I’d originally met Osprey.
Arrived this time to find Osprey offshore hunting fish in the lake.
Would circle and then dive into the water in quest for fish.
It was a moment.
After spending time watching this, I felt led to return to the Rookery.
Again, climbed the steps of the spiral to the top and felt led to bring out the Pipe to honor the Osprey I had been watching.
The Rookery felt sacred because of the bald eagles the few days before.
As the Pipe was brought out of the bundle, Osprey appeared circling the lake and flying past several times before landing on a tree just across the water, on a branch facing me from an island in the lake.
When I reached the point in the ceremony that I finished honoring the directions, Osprey called out as if adding his voice to the ceremony.
And immediately, two other Osprey joined him on the lake and flew past the place of the Pipe ceremony.
It was a special moment and a special end to a special trip.
Oh … And the secret of the trees shaped by wind and tide?
It’s the challenges we face and life itself that shape us.
As long as our roots remain strong, we will remain standing and find our way towards the bright light of the sun and moon.
~ The Pathfinder
