It's a Wander-ful Life

For years I've written about playing what I've termed, "galactic chess": attempting to place ourselves on the "chessboard" (planet Earth) relative to our unique gifts, so that where we live is where we can best serve in this ripe moment of co-creative possibility. A few weeks ago, while preparing to leave the mile-high desert of Prescott, Arizona and return to sea level in California, I came across this astonishing confirmation in Phil Cousineau's 1998 book, The Art of Pilgrimage. Cousineau, a seasoned world traveler and tour guide to sacred sites, writes that, "In ancient Sanskrit, the word for chess player was the same as for pilgrim. Try to see yourself on a chessboard. What is your next move?"

Here's what Sedona-based Aluna Joy has to say about various environments and their effect on our evolution. You can also read her missive online for the next month, at Center of the Sun News.

The Living Elements - Nature & Healing
Aluna Joy and the Star Elders - May 2006

"As we get closer to the shift, we will feel more and more uncomfortable with environments that are not in alignment with natural law. We were bored and uninspired before..., but now we have hit a level of intolerance that we cannot ignore. Basically, the loving universe is slowly and methodically pushing us out of places that no longer serve us or are unhealthy for us. This is for our own good and safety. We are finding that we want to be outside more and indoors less. We have become painfully clear about what is not beneficial in our lives, our relationships, our jobs etc. But most of all, we have become very aware of all the little programs and tapes that we have running inside of us that want to run the show! AND THIS we cannot tolerate anymore.

We are finding that is taking more effort and focus to maintain the same level of consciousness at this time. It is taking more work to stay healthy and strong in our bodies...and the world is feeling wobbly and unstable.

All these symptoms can all be made lighter and painless if we learn to loose attachment to what has been...and begin to listen to what is right outside our back door. NATURE! In fact, nature is the only thing that will make sense during times of huge planetary shifts!

Nature is a holistic healer. It uses the gamut of natural elements: air, water, fire and earth. Nature is emotionally neutral, not adding definition to what we feel. It heals us because it gives us space to feel ourselves clearly so we can discern what needs to shift.

Nature is not mechanistic but is fluid and undefined; so it does not hold us in our programming or our patterns. Nature supports positive shifting. The human world rarely gives this to us.

Nature has various geological areas. Each one helps us in different ways and at different times in our lives. Over the years, the Star Elder have shared with me how these geological areas can heal us. Here they share some clues to where we can go to heal different aspects of our bodies, minds, and spirits. This is by no means to be a complete listing...They said that they are just clues to get us to think about how Mother Earth can heal us. There are more ways than we could possibly write about in this article.

High altitude areas. When we go above 6,000-7,000 feet, we are above the psychic plane of most of the collective consciousness. So if you find yourself confused, higher altitudes can clear your space of issues that are part of the collective, but will not clear out your personal issues that need to be healed. If you go up to about 7,000 feet, and you still have issues, they are your issues, and it is time to clear them out.

High altitude areas are above the psychic plane of collective consciousness, but they are closer to ascended realms of consciousness. This is why we feel so tuned in with God, Angels, and Masters when we climb a mountain top. If you want to awaken the master within yourself, get HIGHER. High altitude spaces within sacred areas like Mt. Shasta, The Tetons, the Andes and the Himalayas are especially helpful with personal enlightenment. Thus you can understand my attraction to the Andes in Peru.

The Star Elders feel that anything lower than sea level is not beneficial to your body or spirit...unless you are wanting to sabotage your life.

Ocean areas emit negative ions that can heal trauma and abuses, and can quiet a busy mind and nerves. Ocean areas can instill peace when we cannot find otherwise. This is why Hawaii is adored as a healing environment. Coral beaches are especially calming and clearing. Waterfalls also are part of this category. Silicon sand beaches can amplify your issues in a calming environment (see more below on Crystal areas).

Volcanic areas on the Earth can shake things up to be cleared. If you feel stuck, spend some time near a Volcano. Living near a volcano can be a perfect environment for you if you are in a hurry to get to the bottom of your issues that keep you from enlightenment. Volcanic areas can burn you into an egoless state, but can also unground you very quickly. This can make it hard to create in the physical reality as you may find it hard to put your feet down and anchor. Volcanic areas attract spiritual speed junkies. I know...I lived at the base of Mt. Shasta for 12 years. I got burned up and transformed for sure! I couldn't stop the process even if I wanted to.

High iron content areas anchor your work into the world and hold memory in place. Earth is known to drop its magnetic field at times of a planetary shift, and this effects your memory. Short-term memory being the first thing affected with magnetic drops. Do you remember what you had for breakfast? When the Earth drops magnetics, people gravitate to high iron locations. If you are spaced out, a high iron environment can ssencesr ethereal worlds into useable forms. In other words, you can mentally understand ethereal worlds. The downside is that ego can exist in high iron places and can influence our work if proper attention is not given to impeccability. Sedona Arizona, Zion National Park Utah, Alice Spring - Uluru in Australia, to name a few, are high iron environments.

High Crystal Areas sound like real pretty places to be, but they wreak havoc on all those issues you have conveniently hidden in the closet! Silicon sand beaches, granite areas and many types of sandstone contain crystal or silicon. Silicon is what makes your computer remember all those things you stored in there. So being in a high concentration of silicon or crystal can amplify any issue that needs clearing. The sandstone in Sedona is loaded with crystal. You might want to check this out: Discovery of the Largest Crystals on Earth.

Desert areas can isolate you from any outside influence so you can get clear about who you really are and why you are here. Deserts can help you face what is inside of you so you can heal. Deserts are also vast and uncluttered. They can make you feel your vulnerability and can also stretch you bigger so you can hold more truth and light! Jeshua used the dessert to face his demons before he began his mission.

Jungle areas activate primal life energy with your body and spirit. It can awaken the shaman within you. Jungle areas heal you with life force. Not feeling strong? The jungle will help you remember this.

These are some examples of mono-environments. However, most places on the Earth are a combination of environments. Finding the combination that is right for you is the trick. Example: Sedona is a sacred site, high iron and silicon (crystal) area with a criss-cross of rivers running underneath the earth. Mt. Shasta is a sacred site, high altitude, volcanic area. The beaches in Mexico are coral beaches and are very calming. However, the beaches of California are silicon based and can drag up inner issues. So you see...finding just one environment can be a challenge.

Once you have arrived at the environment of your choice, just listen to the area and do what feels best to you. I remember one time many years ago when I was called to the rivers near Mt. Shasta. I camped there for several days. One day I felt a terrible depression come over me. I was called to the rivers edge, and I picked up a few big stones that had been heated by the sun. I went back into my tent and laid down and placed them, still hot, up and down my back. The depression left instantly. Then I was called to return the stone to the river to be cleared. It was one of the first times that I was aware how quickly nature could heal.

Now that all this has been said, The Star Elders remind me to tell you to simply go where you feel better. If you search for a healing environment with your head, you might not find just the right place for you. Just go where it feels good to you. For me...right now it feels pretty darn good to be right in my own backyard garden."