I have just returned from a month in Peru. Having spent my entire trip between Cusco and the Sacred Valley with a one day stop in Lima I have a deeper appreciation for the life and existence of the place, the people and the practices of this land that holds so much, gives so much and is learning so much. There was so much that happened on this trip that I want to share. Having said that, I will warn you in advance that this is a long article.

The Majesty: As I began this journey my first look at the majesty of Peru is of the mountains from the window of the plane as it approaches Cusco. The view always causes my heart to skip a beat. This view continues as I stepped into my journey on my first full day in Cusco with the view of Apu Ausangate from the top of Sacsayhuman at Q'enko on the morning of the Solstice. It is said that on this day, June 21st, the streets of Cusco are lit by the rays of the rising sun. This starts at the head of the Puma and by the time it is done the light has traveled down the spine to the tail and the Puma is awakened. This is an auspicious beginning to a journey that will be an awakening of awareness on many levels.

The last look I had at the majesty of Peru was in Lima where I had the opportunity to view the remains of more than just the Inca culture and people. Due to a strike and closure of the airport in Cusco my return was delayed by a day and I ended up with an unplanned day in Lima. All of my trip had been synchronistic and magical so this day was no different. I wanted to go to several museums and ended up at the Archaeological Museum (Museo Arquelologico Rafael Larco Herrera) and then the National Museum (Museo Nacional de la Cultura). This unplanned visit opened my eyes to the depth of the culture of the land that has held me and pulled me for the last seven years.

Over the last seven years, as so many others like me, I have been focused on the Inca traditions and history. As I walked through the Archaeological Museum I was clearly aware that there is so much more. Artifacts from before the birth of Christ, from so many cultures and villages from the North to the South that amaze and confound the mind. These are pieces of lives that I cannot even begin to comprehend. There are head- dresses, ceremonial attire, jewelry, bowls, vases, whistles, and depictions of villages, cultures and lives lived in conscious alignment and engagement with the earth, the heavens and the elemental forces.

The number of pieces that have been found astonished me. This museum is more of a storehouse and depository than a museum. There are several rooms where floor to ceiling there are shelves of pieces that represent the many cultures and expressions of them, of the life and times of the peoples that have traversed this land through many thousands of years. I now have a deeper appreciation for the depth and mystery of this land and its people than I have ever had before.

The Magic: There is so much tradition and history in this land of the Children of the Sun. It is hard for me to fathom the depth of this history as we do not live with this kind of past in the United States. People of Peru walk a land that speaks a different language and holds an energy of tradition that infuses every breath and vista. Each step they take, each corner they turn, the things they learn from their oral tradition reminds them of a past that is deep and vast. It is no wonder that those of us who have not been claimed by the land in this way, gravitate to the magic that is held in every morsel of earth, every drop of water, and molecule of air of the Andean mountains, Amazonian Jungle, and coastal Peru. It awakens within us the desire for the connection that we feel and observe here. It awakens within us the awareness that our lives may be full of creature comforts but that we yearn for the comforts and connections of the soul that exude from the peoples of this land.

On this journey I had the opportunity to do ceremony on Wayka Willka (the mountain that gives mesa's). As I began doing my despacho, the creation of which was being held by my mesa, with the wayras (wind/air) speaking volumes, Inti (the sun/fire) shining bright and Pachamama (the earth) reaching out to touch my heart, tears (water) flowed unchecked down my face as I recognized that this land was reminding me that my heart had been claimed by this land many years ago (maybe lifetimes ago). All of the elementals were present in this ceremony along with teachers and wise men and women. It was a magical day that served to align the whole of my being in a new and incredible way.

The magic of Peru and its people are everywhere. It is certainly in the sacred sites but more in the energy and beauty of its people and the way in which they live their lives on this land. It is so easy to romanticize in this place. This trip brought me to a new awareness of the reality of the people who have taught me and the people that they serve in their homeland. An interesting fact told to me by a friend is that a Q'ero Pampamesayoc who is doing a reading for a local person would receive 2-3 soles for the coca leaf reading.

The Reality: During my journey I encountered and observed the open and generous hearts of the people who come to Peru from many different corners of the world. Their were two such visitors that impressed me. They were both young women whose lives had been touched in some way by the struggle that they perceived in Peru. One young woman from Florida had decided that she would be of service by raising money and asking others to contribute to providing food, clothing and school supplies to the village at the base of Ausangate. She and her mother worked, arranged and delivered these incredible gifts to the people and children of the mountain on their trip. From what I heard it was one of the most memorable days of their lives, both for the villagers and for the mother and daughter.

The second example of this generosity was a young girl from California who was touched by the fact that most children in villages do not have the money to buy shoes. This young girl set out to bring shoes to children. She and her mother took four large duffel bags of new shoes to a village and touched the lives of the children there in ways beyond our imaginations.

The next reality that hit me was as I sat and listened to the current head of the Q'ero nation, Don Sebastian, speak about what he was doing to change the circumstances in the Q'ero villages by petitioning the support of the Peruvian government. He spoke about what their needs are: a road that would come to the villages, medical assistance, and schools with teachers. I observed that the group that was listening to him speak immediately wanted to do something to help. One woman asked "What would it cost to have a doctor come to the village for a year?" Again, the beauty and generosity of heart was present. What I wondered was what happens after the year is up? How do we assist these people in creating a way of having what they need all of the time? How does our experience with the material work to assist them, in the way that their experience with the spirit world has helped us to grown and learn?

In the past, I had heard that the villages were going to disappear. As I listened to Don Sebastian I realized that they don't want to disappear. They want to create a life of sustainability. I continued to talk to people about what we could do to assist them in a way that will help them to step into a new time and age in a way that honors their traditions, way of life and desires to create a life with more comfort, education and diversity.

A Peruvian friend and I were talking about this dilemma. She said that the way she saw the situation was that in the past the people of the high mountains and villages had always put their Spirituality first. Now what she was seeing was that they were putting Materialism first. As I thought about this I realized that for a good number of us that are visiting and working with these people we are doing exactly the opposite. We have been enmeshed in a society that has put Materialism first and now we are bringing Spirituality into balance in our lives. It is reminds me of the principle of Yanatin and Masintin, of complementary opposites. We are so much alike and yet different. We have so much to offer each other and to learn from each other. Hopefully our engagement with each other can be beneficial and an exchange that is rewarding in every way as we come to the table realistically with awareness and heart.

It is clear that as I journey in this majestic and magical land and I observe the people who visit here that everyone tends to be generous. In fact, maybe too generous. I had a real sense on this trip that we tend to throw out money with deep gratitude and very little thought. So, I began asking how it was I could be of service in a different way. One very wise Peruvian friend said "You can give a weaver money to buy wool or buy them a lamb that they can raise so that they will have their own supply of wool. This promotes responsibility and pride in their lives. " There are many charities helping in Peru. There are many projects in the cities and in the villages. One that I am aware of is a woman project in small town close to Pisac. The woman doing the work in this town, Leela, is educating the women about health issues, about natural medicines, and working with them to create a cottage industry of making clothing. Several of us decided after some investigation that they needed an industrial sewing machine. So, we arranged for the purchase of one and repair of several others to help them get their project going. There is so much that we can do but more than anything this trip made me aware that we must do it thoughtfully and consciously. More about this next month.

I celebrate your exquisite nature in all that you are and do. Be the magic and miracle that you are in every moment. Stevi

Finding her rhythm has been a long and dangerous journey.
She traveled...beyond the streets of oppression, the valley of inauthenticity, the forest of despair, the river of regret and the desert of self judgement.
She crossed the sea of change, the mountains of transformation and finally, she arrived!
In the meadow of possibility she claimed her life song.

It has been a busy week since I returned from Peru. I have received about half of the items that I bought on my trip and more will be arriving this next week. Items will be going live as I get them photographed and described.

This picture is just a taste of what is to come. Some new rattles, archetype carvings (jaguar, eagle etc.), bells, whistles, meteorite chumpi stones, quartz crystal six pointed stars, and more. So, be on the lookout for what is new on the website!

FYI - The store will be in Santa Barbara from September 6-9 at Casa de Maria. If you are wanting supplies please call to let me know you are coming (505-770-2810).

Stillness is a gardener. She spends her days tending vegetables and wildflowers. Even on the grayest of days, you will find her outside, close to the earth, listening to the flowers grow.

She has these moments of clarity and calm when all sense of separation dissolves and she feels the oneness of all life. She breathes as the ocean roils, as trees sway, as being die and are born, as tears and laughter gather in her own breast, as the earth spins through space. Still she breathes. In her bones and her sinew, in her tender heart, in the marrow where she makes her blood. Stillness feels the hum of life and knows we are one.

Therapeutic modalities such as prayer, Healing Touch, shamanism, qigong, and transpersonal imagery are based on the premise that our spiritual connections and our oneness can be sued to heal, and forms of distant healing can be found in almost all cultures. Bur creating a measurable physiological change in another person without physical contact defies the biomedical paradigm. How can there be an effect, scientists ask, if there is no mechanism of action?

With high-tech tools at their disposal, medical researcher Jeanne Achterberg, Ph.D., and her team at North Hawaii community Hospital on the big island of Hawaii decided to test whether measureable biological changes occur when a healer engages with a patient with no physical contact.

The researchers recruited 11 healers whose skills were recognized by the communities that they served. Their practices included Healing Touch, Hawaiian pule, Peruvian shamanism, Reiki, sound healing, and qigong. Each healer chose one recipient with whom he or she felt some connection. In the study, each recipient spent 34 minutes in a functional magnetic resonance machine (MRI) while the assigned healer, in an electromagnetically shielded room, practiced his or her art in random two minute "send" or "no-send" intervals, as assigned by the researchers.

Significant difference between "send" and "no-send" periods were found in most of the recipients' brain scans. Areas of high activity during the "send" sessions included the anterior and middle cingulate cortex, precuneus and frontal superior regions of the brain. Most notably, there was a demonstrable result in all but one of the recipients, regardless of which healing modality was used.

"If the information from this research is conveyed and understood, it could change the practice of medicine," Says Achterberg who is best known for her work with imagery and transpersonal healing. "We can no longer deny the importance of the interactions and intentions we have as human beings." by Bonnie Horrigan

Note: Achterberg's 2006 study, "Evidence for Correlations Between Distant Intentionality and Brain Function in Recipients," can be found at liebertonline.com/loi/acm. One of the best books on the interaction of mind and matter is Healing Intention and Energy Medicine: Science, Research Methods and Clinical Implications, by Wayne Jonas, M.D., and Cindy Crawford. It cites more than 2,200 scientific studies of distant intentionality, including spiritual healing, prayer, energy medicine, and mental intention.

The Heyokah Retreat Center creates a safe, nurturing environment where one experiences unconditional love. This environment supports the creation and manifestation of each person's dreams through a variety of experiences that encourage living and speaking from the heart, trusting inner wisdom and loving oneself.

The Heyokah Retreat Center is an enchanting place located in the Sangre de Cristo foothills two miles outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. You are invited to stay at Buffalo House, a large, twelve-room adobe nestled among the piñon and cedar trees. Charming outdoor balconies provide a serene setting to encounter magnificent sunsets, starry nights, and clear pristine air. An Indian Tipi and Ceremonial Sweat Lodge are located on the grounds. Opportunities to experience ancestral ways, with an emphasis on the American Indian culture, are available on a daily basis, as are scheduled and specialized retreats and quests. The sacred connection, between Mother Earth and Father Sky, is felt as one walks upon this ancient land.

The Heyokah Retreat Center has hosted a variety of Native Americans. Among those who have come to share their wisdom are Ed McGaa, author of Mother Earth Spirituality; Buddy Red Bow, Lakota Sundance Chief; Dennis Banks, founder of American Indian Movement and Sobonfu Somé*, author and African Medicine Woman of the Dagara Tribe. Dr. Lewis Mehl- Madrona, M.D., PhD.*, author of Coyote Medicine, uses the Center's facilities while in the Santa Fe area to facilitate portions of his workshops.

For more information: heyokahcenter@heyokahcenter.org Heyokah Retreat Center 7 Avenida Vista Grande, #326 Santa Fe, NM 87508 USA 505-989-8981

Books of Interest:

Andean Awakening: An Inca Guide to Mystical Peru by Jorge Luis Delgado

Inka Initiation Path: The Awakening of the Puma - Evidences of Archeo-astronomy in the Andes by James Arevalo Merejildo

When The Stones Speak - Inka Architecture and Spirituality in the Andes by Juan Carlos Machicado Figueroa

Resource:

Glossary of Terminology of the Shamanic & Ceremonial Traditions of the Inca Medicine Lineage as Practiced in the United States. A new website written by Patt O'Neill, designed to assist you in understanding the Incan language and its history. A must-see for all students of the Incan tradition. http://www.incaglossary.org/

August 12: New Moon in Leo 4:02 PM PDT

August 28: Full Moon in Pisces 3:35 AM PDT and Total Lunar Eclipse 3:37 AM PDT

August 18-26 Sacred Journey for Summer 2007 to Mt. Shasta, California and Crater Lake, Oregon with Michelle Barrial of Healing Hearts & Minds. Lodging, transportation and entrance fee to the National Parks included in price. Also daily activities including: drumming, tai chi, yoga, meditation . Both are well known sacred sites to the Native Americans and to metaphysical students as the retreat center for St. Germaine (at Mt. Shasta). Cost: $818 per person based on double occupancy. Originating in San Francisco, CA and returning to same city. ( R/T Airfare to San Francisco not included). Space is limited, call to reserve: (786) 683-9700 or (954) 536-5925.

September 6-9: Inka Energy Healing with Jose Luis Herrera, Santa Barbara. Please Note: The format of this class has changed to include both the Inka Initiation and Energy Healing components (this is a new format that Jose is beginning this year). The Inka Initiation class was taught in February of 2007. The second half of the class Inka Energy Healing will be taught at the September class. We will conduct a make-up class (tele-conference) that will cover the Inka Initiation portion of the class taught by Stevi Belle for those wishing to join our Ayllu (community of mesa carriers). In January of 2008 the second session of the four sessions will be taught. This will be a 7-day class (as will each of the remaining two of the four classes) Class fee for September: $975. includes room and board. Call 760-773-5870 or www.deserthealingarts for more information

September 14 -16: Swami Kaleshwar's upcoming book tour on the "Channels to Mother Divine and Shiva" is now scheduled for in LA and September 18-20th in Santa Cruz. This historic book tour will include rare knowledge that has never been publicly revealed. www.kaleshwar.org or www.devagroupenterprises.com

September 15 - 29: Shamanic Journey to Sacred Sites of Peru Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Amazonian rainforest. Join Mann Partners on a magical journey of prayer, transformation and profound experiences. We will work with a variety of master shamans, including native healers from the Q'ero nation and from the Amazon jungle. For more information visit website, e- mail info@mannpartners.com or call Eva and Wallace at 415-944-8519.

September 21-23: Empowerment -A workshop for Healers -with Dona Flordemayo. She is a member of the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. Spirit will decide our itinerary but our agenda may cover; Working with Visions and Dreams, Protection Cleansing the Spiritual Body, Sacred Breath, Invisible Surgery (Please have no expectations of personal work). Cost $425.00. Some scholarships are available. Call 760-773-5870. or www.deserthealingarts.com

September 29: The Jesus Christ Channels The JC Channels are one of the crown jewels of spiritual mastery. Swami Kaleshwar says that the greatest spiritual masters throughout history practiced these 18 power channels. Jesus was the top person to win these channels. Because of this, Swami says Jesus' energy is deeply connected to these channels and his direct blessings go to those who win them.
Through these channels you directly understand the inner mechanisms of the divine reality, the truth about life and death and the mechanisms implementing that truth including how to perform the highest miracles and awaken the soul's capabilities. Furthermore, you can chart a person's soul character by directly feeling their soul's vibration. You can have a direct conversation with another person's soul and so can wash out their karmas very quickly.
Since 1997, Chinello has been under the direct guidance of Sri Kaleshwar, making numerous trips to India and having undergone intensive training to study and master the inner mechanisms of healing, activating miracle energy and soul development. This accomplishment has earned Chinello the equivalent of a Ph.D in spirituality.
1-6pm Palm Desert, CA Course Fee: $149. Learn more about Swami Kaleshwar http://kaleshwar.org, or contact Renee 760- 773-5870 or www.deserthealingarts.com

October 12: Eva Rose Geotz - Pachaworks: NEW Building a Medicine Body (formally called Medicine Wheel): A 16-Month Apprenticeship in beginning shamanism/April 4-6 West/September 19-21, April 24- 26, 2009. For more information contact: www.pachaworks.com or Eva@pachaworks.com,
207-756-0488

October 18-19: Anneliese Hagemann ~ Core Issue Class " TO OUR HEALTH" and Defining Your "Life's Path / Soul Mission" Class at Peaceful Meadow Retreat,Boulder, CO 303-442-2490 http://www.peacefulmeadowretreat.com For detailed description of classes and workbooks go to classes and sponsors.

This column will be dedicated to the community and its members. It is a space that will gives you the reader an opportunity to get to know other members of our community and to be known yourself. If you would like to be featured or know someone who would like to be please send a short article about what you do and a picture if possible. Please send your article in my the last day of the month. It may not be possible to publish all that is submitted but we will do our best. Also, if you have events that you would like to have highlighted please send them in by the last day of the month.