Class Cancelled - What Now?

These photos are of me last November doing my final project for my Wisdom apprenticeship. I led the class in the making of despachos, or presents for the earth, which we then sailed down the river and buried at our special grove of yellow "snake" birches. We blew our intentions into apple and oak leaves, and tied our bundles of intentions in gigantic burdock leaves. It was an amazing weekend that I'll never forget.




So now it's March, and I just got word that my Nature and Wholeness class has been cancelled for 2007. Say what? No 8 month journey through the seasons with Annie and George? I was so looking forward to it!

Then again, this is how things go sometimes, so I have already started to look into what to do instead. First of all, I'm freed up to attend the International Herb Symposium at Sage Mountain and maybe will apply for an apprentice week with Susun Weed so that I can get initiated as an herbal shaman. I can also now travel to LA to see Katy more easily with fewer time limitations, and I can see Artie at his retreat, too, and invite mom, dad and the Davises to visit anytime. Then there is all the extra hiking and swimming with Greg to do this summer, and the work I'd like to do at the Healthy City Farm. I can also spend a Saturday or two picking herbs and flowers at Open Heart Farm, our CSA dejour this summer. I'm also looking forward to laying in my new hammock in my new yard under my old new tree. Maybe I'll even attend those beekeeping workshops I keep googling.

Hmmm... so many options suddenly, so many fun things to do. But I sure will miss Annie, George and the grand ol' gang, with their dreadlocks and celebacy vows and kind hearts and breezy, giggly ways, and all that time spent, lying on the earth. Then again, I am always there with them, in those beautiful, wild places, always praying to the mountain, always watching the goldenrod and joe pye and boneset swaying. It's like Jesus said, "Paradise is all around you - can you see it?"

Step 1: Stop snowing.