I’ve been building a stone spiral near the river. It took me awhile to find just the right place. In the light of the full moon, I suddenly felt called to choose and take steps to begin. Unable to find any stones beneath the cottonwood trees, I sketched the spiral on the ground with sticks. Over the next few days, I collected stones in the red rock mesas.

While gathering Stone People, I was drawn into new terrain a bit further down the road. Driving past my usual turn that leads to the place where my dog, Jasmine, is buried, I sensed magic in the air. The spirits were conspiring to expand my world, nudging me to stretch beyond the familiar, and guide me toward what I was seeking. In her wild dog ways, Jasmine eagerly joined up in the adventure.

Once back home, I carried the stones, bag by bag, day after day, from my casita down to the river. With every step, shifting the weight of the rocks, stopping to catch my breath, finding my balance, the anticipation and excitement grew. My attention deepened into the task at hand. Ceremony begins long before the first stone is set in place.

I recalled the many times over the years when I’ve participated in building spirals in group gatherings and by myself. No matter the circumstance, this ceremony – like life – is never a solo experience. The earth, spirits, elders, companions, the guardians who are watching over, the ancestors who’ve laid down stones are communicating, connecting, and intimately involved.

The blueprint is the guide. The blueprint for the spiral lives inside the oral tradition which holds the knowing of the purposes for this sacred site, the particularities of the dimensions and orientation in physical space, the traditional ceremony, and the web of relationships involved.

As a builder and co-creator of the spiral, the quest is to bring the blueprint into physical existence. With purpose, curiosity, delight, and precision. Stone by stone. Step by step. Breath by breath.

Making the spiral involves seeing with the eyes of the heart, being rooted in the physical realm while sensing within and beyond. The blueprint and vision come into existence in a field of collaboration. Giving and receiving. Learning and exchanging. Respecting the vision and vision-holders. Appreciating the co-creators and co-creation. Weaving the spiral, fiber by fiber, into the web of life on our earth.

Walking the spiral path is a passage through changes, every step a subtle shift toward the center. Leaving behind what no longer needs to be carried. Finding your balance, over and over again, in each new place you arrive. 

Walking the spiral is a pathway to the remembering of the blueprint of who you really are, the purposes, passions, and particularities of your own existence. Being this, sharing this, reclaiming this, with every breath and every step you take. Discovering how it feels to stand centered in your heart. Weaving fibers of connection. Touching the universe of possibilities. Awakening Love that has no bounds.

Ceremonial healing stays alive when you carry this home, bringing the gifts of the spiral into the everyday moments of everyday life.