Vision Quest Blessings IX: My Loving Community

Samantha and I share water as she drives me home. I share many of my Vision Quest accounts with her. She is a great listener and a beautifully powerful presence who is escorting me back into my daily world with grace and love. When I arrive home, my beloved Arttemis is waiting for me with a beautiful hug and his bright smile. I am grateful for my loving welcome! I enjoy a very refreshing shower and rest quietly until inipi time.

As evening washes the landscape I journey to our inipi site. Our elders held two rounds of inipi (Lakota Sweat Lodge Ceremony) with Dan and I as we began our vision quests. Now it is time for the final two rounds.

I am participating in preparations by the fire, and am staying out of the lodge for our final two rounds. I started my moon today and am honoring Lakota tradition: women on their moon stay outside of the lodge.

I am here to share my gratitude and my gifts. Then I will go home while Dan, our elders, and our fire-keepers hold the final two rounds and share the pipe. I am feeling disappointed about not participating in our lodge. I am also grateful. My moon cycle is a powerful cleanse and requires my strength. I feel staying out of lodge at this time is a wise decision for me.

As we gather around the fire, Yellow Horse and Cloud Dancer welcome Dan and I back from our journeys. They share beautiful words of wisdom and support. Then Yellow Horse asks me to share some of my experiences and gifts. Dan will share his experiences in lodge. I share my gratitude with Yellow Horse and Cloud Dancer for holding space and supporting my journey as my elders. I thank my brother Dan for embarking on his journey at the same time I experienced mine. I share my experience of trusting my inner guidance as I hiked to my Vision Quest circle. I share about the bear in the waterfall and my hues of compassion.

When I finish, some of our fire-keepers share their journeys and experiences as they tended fire. My beautiful friend Ariel shares that on her watch, she saw me on the mountain in my space. She felt that any people or animals who entered my space came as visitors, guests, and messengers. Each time she 'checked in', she saw me safe and secure. Ariel also had her children with her while she tended her watch. I feel this brought a beautiful element of innocence, purity, and love to my Vision Quest. Ariel's sharing is a beautiful complement to Krysa, who says she came to the fire to see for herself that Dan and I are alive and safe!

As my friends are sharing their experiences by the fire, I notice they are mirroring some of my and Dan's experiences. They also faced some of their fears and transformed their shadows into their Divine Light. I recognize I am blessed and supported by my friends' and spiritual family's honesty, strength, courage, and confidence. I receive with deep gratitude each person's respect and support.

I have a new understanding and recognition of my blessings. I recognize the vast current of love that flows through all of our hearts. I am blessed to be a member of this loving community.

I worked at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center front desk for 1.5 years. This position allowed me to experience interactions with everyone in our community, and our guests. I noticed most of my interactions with community and staff were brief. Sometimes I wondered if my interactions were complete - sometimes I even wondered if they were meaningful. I desired to be fully present within each interaction and to see each conversation in its Divine expression and perfection.

My Vision Quest experience is revealing my truth. My love is real and infinite. Every interaction, however short or long, is meaningful and perfectly Divine. Standing around the fire and seeing love in everyone's eyes, I see my blessings clearly. I embrace every interaction's full Divine expression and perfection, and I am grateful for every interaction and every conversation I share.

I completed my Vision Quest four months ago, and I continue to integrate my experiences on new levels. For example, I now understand that embracing every interaction's full Divine expression requires my commitment to being fully present. I recommit to being fully present in all of my interactions! I continue to remember my blessings and my gifts. I still require corrective lenses for now, and as I see my blessings clearly and fully embrace my joy in my life, I see transitioning out of corrective lenses into my clear, natural vision. I embrace my renewed strength, courage, confidence, and faith.

This is my final entry in my Vision Quest Series. I am grateful to all who participated in my Vision Quest:

• Yellow Horse - Thank you for seeing my truth and supporting my journey at the Tree and on my Vision Quest. I love you and I respect you.
  
• Cloud Dancer - Thank you for helping me make my first gourd rattle. I discovered beautiful messages from my soul in that endeavor. Thank you for feeling my love and shining your light...and thank you for your Bear Hugs! I love you.
  
• My brother Dan - Thank you for holding this amazing space with me. I appreciate your kindness, your strength, and your BEing. Thank you for being you and for sharing you with me. I love you.
  
• My escorts and dear friends, Samantha and Krisanga - Thank you both for your support and guidance during my transitions into and from my Vision Quest circle. I appreciate both of you and love you both dearly.
  
• All of our fire-keepers - Wow! I thank all of you for holding your loving space by the fire. I felt your love, support, and encouragement while I was on my journey. I am also grateful for your experiences you shared with me. Thank you for journeying with me. I love you!
  
• My beloved, Arttemis - Thank you for supporting me in just the way I required during this time. I honor you for listening to your inner guidance. I love you and thank you.
  
• My elder Keith: Thank you for participating in spirit, and for priming me for this moment - simply by being who you are! I love you.
  
• Anthea, Philip, Jillian, and Kaia who nurtured the Tree of Life frond desk while I was on Vision Quest. Thank you Beauties! I love all of you!
  
• My sister Santi: Thank you for being exactly who you are. Thank you for knowing your truth and listening to your heart's guidance. I love you!
• My community members who supported me: Thank you for your prayers and blessings. I love you!
  
• Uncle Tim and my sister Angela: Thank you for sharing your messages of love, support, and guidance. I love you.
  
• Toot (my grandmother), Mom, and Dad: Thank you for bringing me into our world in love. I love you!
• All who have read these words: Thank you for continuing to support my journey with your own experiences and insights. You offer me a forum to further integrate my magical experiences. I love you.

Blessings and Love to our beautiful planet Earth. As we all experience our transformations, I am enthusiastic to witness our planetary transformation as well. I am honored to take part in these amazing times of transforming our shadows into Our Divine Light!

Krystalle Keszainn

Vision Quest Blessings VIII: My Journey Home

After receiving my gift at Turquoise Canyon, I continue walking down the mountain. I am noticing more footprints on the path than I recall seeing in the past - animal and human! I wonder if Krisanga and Samantha have been hiking here to hold space with me? I am warmed by the thought of my friends supporting my journey.

These footprints could also belong to "migrant workers" who travel this trail. Before I began my journey, I was aware of two fears: wild animal attacks and interactions with drug traffickers. Now I no longer fear. My faith is strong, especially after feeling my intense experience of love's power this morning at the waterfall.

As I am contemplating my beautiful transformations of fear into my faith, I hear footsteps behind me. I turn to see whose feet I am hearing, and feel my lips spread wide into a wide, penetrating...smile! I turn around, smiling, and see two Mexican men dressed in jeans and sweatshirts. They have no backpacks or equipment. I continue smiling, then I wave hello, and offer a greeting.

The first man approaches me and says, "Hello. My name is Alejandro." Thank goodness he speaks English!

"Hello Alejandro. My name is Krystalle." Alejandro asks if I live close by. I tell him I am hiking home, and I still have a long journey ahead of me. As these words come from my heart, my head wonders how safe it is to tell these two men that I am far from home.

He introduces me to his friend Alberto and tells me they have work in the mountains here. Then he asks how long I have been in the mountains. "Three days."

"With no tent?"

"Yes. I have been sleeping under the stars and it has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life."

"Have you seen anyone else here?"

"No. Just you two."

Then Alejandro asks me if I smoke. I hold back a giggle and tell him no. I find it amusingly ironic that he asked me if I smoke when I am a live-food-light-bearing-water-priestess who is now on my 4th day of my Vision Quest in the desert. Of course, he has no way of knowing this!

Then he asks, "Do you want to smoke?"

"No, thank you. I am ready to go home now."

"OK. Bye."

With that, Alejadro and Alberto walk back up the mountain. I continue towards home, reflecting on how friendly our conversation has been. I am at peace.

I imagine it is 9:30 or 10am now. Samantha agreed to meet me on the trail around 11am and hike back with me. I am at the crossroads where I can either go up a mountain or around by way of the creek. I desire to meet Samantha on the trail, and I choose to know which route she is taking. I decide to wait here for a while. Regardless of which route she takes, we will certainly meet here at the crossroads.

I sit on a large rock and take my backpack off. Both of my water bottles are half-full. This is probably enough water to get me back to the car. I rest for a while and drink in the warm sun. Ahhh - I feel amazingly alive.

After a while, I receive my inner guidance to continue my journey. Where is Samantha? I call for her to see if she is near enough to hear my voice. No answer. I call again - and hear silence.

I have faith in my inner guidance, so I continue hiking along the creek. I decide to draw large arrows in the sand, depicting my journey. If Samantha finds them she will see where I am going. I am also enjoying drawing arrows in the sand! I giggle as I recognize I feel as though I am on a treasure hunt - or in an Indiana Jones movie. Perhaps I am the treasure!

I hike down the creek to my turn-off point. From here, I am required to follow my inner guidance and knowing. The trail to the car is not clearly marked. The last time I hiked here with a group of friends, our directives were to cross over two mountain ridges, go to the top of the third, and look for the trail there.

Keeping these guidelines in mind, I follow my inner guidance. Periodically I call for Samantha to see if she is in range of my voice, and I continue my journey towards the trailhead.

Wow - I am really appreciating my inner guidance right now! I keep finding small trails and pathways that allow my journey to be easier and more graceful than my past ventures through this area.

I also notice that listening to my inner guidance and hiking up and down two mountain ridges requires my full presence - here and now! I am fully engaged with my journey home, so when a question of "I wonder where Samantha is?" comes in, I stop, give a couple of identifying vocal calls, listen, then continue - fully focused and present - with my journey.

I am aware that I can direct my energy towards what-if's, fear about whether Samantha is okay, and concern about finding my way back, or I can direct all of my energy to my journey home and my faith that all is in Divine Order. I opt for my Divine Faith!

Finally I reach the third mountain ridge. I know I am where I desire to be. I recognize it by its feel and its familiar scenery. I turn to look behind me and congratulate myself for coming this far. This is certainly an amazing journey!

From this ridge I know there is a trail to follow down the steep hillside, then up another very steep, rocky ridge, to the place where we park our cars...to where I'm assuming Samantha's car is parked. My next task is to find the trail. I am surprised I have yet to see Samantha.

I walk along the mountain ridge until I find the trail down. My body is physically tired. I drank all of my water and have about three ounces of my green drink/bee pollen tonic left. The nearest water is back at the creek. Where is Samantha? Breathe, Krystalle...

I choose to focus on my breath and remain fully present as I walk with care down the steep, rocky hill side. Whew! I feel a sense of relief as I reach the bottom - mainly from my shaky legs! Now I have a stretch of relatively flat, well-shaded area to traverse before my final big climb up to the car. I enjoy this flat, shaded part of the hike. I greet the large cottonwood and oak trees with gratitude for their shade and shelter from the increasing wind. I am in a beautiful valley!

I round a corner and stop in my tracks. Am I seeing clearly? Is this an illusion? A big smile spreads across my face. About 50 yards in front of me is Samantha's car! She drove down that crazy steep rocky hill so I have reprieve from hiking up it! YES! I am so very blessed! In my internal reality I am turning somersaults and jumping from treetop to treetop! My physical body simply walks warily and gratefully towards the car, my smile beaming from ear to ear.

I am so happy to know that Samantha is here somewhere! I call to see if she is within reach of my voice... I hear silence. Well, at least I know she is here somewhere! She will be back to her car at some point - perhaps in a few minutes...or a few hours.

I am grateful for my opportunity to rest. I take a sip of my green drink, lay my poncho on the ground, and close my eyes. Within about 10 minutes I hear Samantha's call. I call back. I hear her call again, and see her run around the same corner I rounded earlier! As soon as she sees me, she yells, "You scared the crap out of me - Thank you!"

We both laugh and share a great hug. We talk about what an amazing exercise of faith this has been for both of us. When we are satisfied that we are both well, safe, and secure, I point excitedly to her car and say, "Thank you for driving down here. I am so grateful!"

I am also grateful it is Samantha who is here during this part of my journey. I can feel she has been holding a solid resonant vobration of faith. Even though our meeting is not happening in accordance with our conscious plan, all is in Divine Order for us to return home safely. Thank you Samantha - I love you!

Stay Tuned for Part IX: My Loving Community