The Great Healing Circle

~zee-zee-zee-zee-zoo-zee~ 

My eyes slowly open as I wake up to the Black-Throated Green Warbler sing their gentle yet powerful song. Not yet fully awake, I stretch backward, forward, to my left, and finally to my right. The tension in my body melts away, and sweet relief washes over me. I am so grateful to be alive another day thanks to Mother Nature. 

I swing my legs over my hammock and make my way to the door in the hut. The walls are completely made up of mud which have been strengthened by the mighty sun for thousands of years. The roof consists of woven leaves, forming a protective barrier for any kind of weather. One step forward, and I am now outside surrounded by towering trees that go as high as my eyes can see. The Warbler that woke me up glances down at me, perched on a branch. It spreads its wings, ready for flight.

 ~zee-zee-zee-zee-zoo-zee~ 

It takes off and flies towards the clouds. I feel the damp dirt beneath my feet from the early morning dew. I take a deep breath in, close my eyes, and smell the fresh start of a new day.

  ~zee-zee-zee-zee-zoo-zee~

 I hear the song one last time. My mouth inches into a smile. Indeed, I am so thankful to be alive. 

“Dear oh beautiful Mother Nature, thank you for giving me life on this planet to experience this wonderful day.” I stop. There is something special today, that I want to tell Mother about, but I can’t quite remember. It is in the back of my mind, like the top shelf you can’t reach. I think back to what Great Elder Palea said, “Now, don’t forget Aisha. Tomorrow is-” she cuts off. Gah! Why now of all times? I dive into the memory once more. She looks into my eyes and places something in my hand. There, in my hands, is a single yellow bead. The bead! Of course! Today is the annual Healing Circle! How could I have ever forgotten? I must explain- this is no ordinary bead. It is an indicator of the number of Circle rituals you have attended in your lifetime. Carved from clay, it is one of many grounders used to connect to Mother Nature. I continue, “We are honoring you today, Mother Nature. We will be doing our yearly Healing Circle to give back to you for all you have done for us. I am excited; I can’t wait to help out the Earth again this year.” I open my left eye to check the time by quickly looking at the sun. “I must go now. Everlasting love, Mother Nature!” I kiss the ground to end my prayer. I unroot my hands from the ground and bush off the earthy dirt clinging to me. 

I stare at the 4000-year-old closet that was carved from the very trees above our village by my ancestors. I run my fingers across the smoothed wood. It has a marbled look; some rings have a light chocolate color while others have dark hues of brown. Hand on the knob of the closet, I swing it open and see the gorgeous Spiroot dress. It is colorful in appearance and has all the colors ranging from turquoise to burgundy to emerald. Great Elder Miro handwove and dyed it with various natural plants such as safflower and marigold. I only wear it for this special occasion. It represents our chakras and provides spiritual alignment to Mother. I quickly change into it and put on my necklace that contains the yellow bead as I hear the rest of the village beginning to emerge from their slumber.

“Great Elder Palea!” 

“Ahh, Aisha! How are you today, dear?” 

“I am feeling excited for tonight's Healing Circle!”

“Of course. This year has been quite prosperous.” She looks to the sky. “We all owe it to Mother Earth,” Great Elder Palea chuckles, eyes sparkling.

“Aren’t you going to the Voice this year?”

 “Yes, honey. I haven’t been the Voice, in let me see here… 20 years!”

 “I hope I can become the Voice one day.” The truth is, I have wanted to be to Voice ever since I attended my first Circle ritual. I was entranced by Elder Dion’s passion and power in every word they spoke to Mother Earth, beautifully showcasing their gratitude.

She leans in and whispers, “I will talk to the Council and see what I can arrange for next year. But fret not, I am very convincing.” She winks.

Really? Me of all people? Next year? Aren’t I way too young? Most people who have spoken have at least been 40 to be the Voice. I am only 23!

“Thank you, but I can’t. I am too young. And what if-” 

“Now, I wouldn’t have said anything if I knew you were not ready.” 

“I-” 

“I’ve known you ever since you were born. You are ready.” 

My eyes start to well up with tears. I. Am. Going. To. Be. The. Next. Voice. 

 “I… I don’t know what to say- Thank you so much, Great Elder Palea!” We embrace, and I couldn’t feel happier.

“Now then, would you be so kind as to place and line up the rose quartz, tiger’s eye, and jasper around the drawn circle at Sprits Glade?” 

“I would love to,” I reply, eager to help out in any way I can. 

“527, 528, 529!” I finally finish placing all the crystals in their delegated places. During the Circle ritual, everybody will hold one of the three crystals to create an enhanced spiritual connection to Mother Nature. I bend down to take a better look at rose quartz. It is pastel in color and flits between hues of light pink. I smile. It is coarse in texture, not yet polished and cut. The natural yet subtle energy vibration of the crystal resonates in my hand. This is going to be the crystal I hold for the Healing Circle. 

Nearly the entire village (the kids and sick folks are unable to participate) is here, ready to start the Circle ritual. We all sit in a circle (obviously), arms linked, holding our precious stones. Stil linked, we root our hands in the dirt to ground ourselves, just like how I did in my morning prayer. I am excited, filled with energy yet emotionally calm. Mother Nature has this effect when one is spiritually connected to her. “We have all gathered today to thank, heal, and celebrate our wonderful Mother Nature,” Great Elder Palea announces. From the start of time, to the creation of the Terramatr village, to the guidance she brings to those who are lost, her spirit has always been entwined with ours.” She pauses to look at everybody and nods her head to me. I nod back. “She has been there when we needed her the most. We must never forget the Great Attack 5000 years ago. More than half of our people’s lives were taken then. Just when we thought it was the end of us, our community was graced with the Rain, which gave the Men a  disadvantage. We utilized this to defend our precious territory. For this, we thank you, Mother Nature.” She pauses to bow her head to the ground. “And moving to the present day, we thank you again for healing Elder Arch, who is now fully recovered and continues to be part of the Council and provide wisdom to the young. And finally, we thank you for this year’s plentiful harvest again along with the good rains. 

“Here we are, at the Healing Circle where we will give back to you. Too often we see evil and darkness spread across the world. Let us heal and rejuvenate this Earth by cleansing these fowl energies.” Great Elder Palea closes her eyes and begins to “ohm.” Everybody else follows her lead. 

“Ohm.” My body starts to tingle as I focus on filling my body with pure heavenly energy from the mighty sun. Once everybody achieves this feeling, we focus this spiritual energy into a collective orb, gathering more and more energy. And I sense it. Our bodies in tune, I just know that we have created a huge magnificent ball of pure energy. We then imagine it spreading across to all the places polluted with contempt, loathing, anger, jealousy, and all emotions that are hateful. We rid of these negative energies and replace them with our own energy ball full of high frequencies resonating with love and healing. This is what the Earth yearns for, and this is what the Earth needs. A new rush of energy envelops me and the ball grows bigger. This is her Grace, blessing us. A wave of gratitude washes over me as Mother Nature envelopes me with her love. And as with every year, a new era of peace and harmony begins...