In the great Northwest with beautiful weather, I had an opportunity to do a ritual that was commanded by my “mythic mentor,” Greening Man.” The following is my report.  (This is part of my writing of the book, “Adventures with Greening Man”)

For my “Commitment Ceremony,” I went up to Snoqualmie Falls which is a sacred place of the Snoqualmie indigenous people here in Western Washington. In their legend, the Falls are the place where First Woman and First Man were created by ‘Moon the Transformer’ and where prayers were carried up to the Creator by great mists that rise from the powerful flow.  The mists rising from the base of the waterfall are said to serve to connect Heaven and Earth.

The Falls were closed!

Not the Falls themselves, of course, but the trail down to them.

The first and maybe most important part of the Ceremony was this ‘setback.’  As you know, for seeds to succeed they must be determined to break out and not give up because of bad soil or weather, or, or…This was the first test of my commitment – not giving up, I realized that to green and sustain it’s about seeing opportunity in adversity, rebounding and not reneging, resilience and not resignation.

So, I started driving down the road, took some kind of hidden turnoff, went up another road, and there, there was the river, with a little green trail down to it.  And there was my ritual spot, a small moon-shaped sandy beach. And there were no people to be seen.  Perfect. Had the Falls trail been open, I don’t know, maybe too many people and distractions.

I made a medicine wheel of stone, blessed the four directions and dedicated to the “green way of growth” my Eastern rising-sun spirit, my Northern airy inventive mind, my Western ocean of emotion, and my Southern earth body for carrying out the intention.

My prayer was that all the peoples of this Turtle Island called Earth grow in peace and happiness and health forever. Aho!

I confirmed this pledge with a jump into the emerald waters of the river. It was like freezing, but it was good. I was charged!  Life will never be the same. It was a baptism for a life of perpetual renewal.

I went back off the river into the forest and called you. There was silence, except for my joy and laughter. You were there. Thank you Greening Man.

Had 3 great northwest wonders in 3 days. What a trifecta! Started in Portland watching the “Swifts” (small birds alot like swallows, but not).

Thousands and thousands of these Swifts each year in September return to an elementary school chimney in Portland where they nest.

Before hundreds of onlookers at the school, sure enough, at 7pm the Swifts began to gather and swirl and circle and dive at the chimney, but not into it.

Around 7:30, the Swifts start diving into it. A blanket of birds going into a chimney ( i kid u not), until a perrigrine falcon shows up.The birds disperse.

The crowd goes crazy as the falcon goes after some of the Swifts. Soon, the birds begin the circling and diving process, over and over again.

It was somehow all so mundane and yet so freakin’ amazing! And this school was only 4 blocks from New Renaissance where I was working.

The next day, which I had off, wrote on my Green Man book (and thanx, thanx to Peri and Ryan for offering art and poetry in support of the project).

In the afternoon, took off for Sauvie Island in the middle of the great Columbia River. Beautiful, rural, like the San Juan islands.

And on one side of the island, a “clothing optional” beach! Just like the hundreds of such beaches in California. Wow, what a place.

Beautiful, spacious river banks, perfect temperature of water, gets deep fast, thick sand, lots of wild driftwood… miles of my place of relaxation!

And lots of people, naked people, and then a huge, huge cargo boat goes floating by on the way to the open ocean. I rate this a five-star beach.

Got plenty of sun… you gotta grab it up here when it’s out. Beyond the river, Mt. Hood and Mt. St.Helens were viewable. Spectacular!

Yesterday, drove up to Seattle and met with my friends who had come to my Hawaii retreat years ago. Got on a boat and cruised Lake Washington.

Still spectacularly sunny and clear and warm (not today as i write this at my desk in East West bookshop waiting for a Reading client to show up).

We cruised up along Bill Gates’ casa. Not a trophy home but nicely, feng shuely, tastefully built into the banks of the lake surrounded by trees.

And then to the only place on the entire 30 mile lake where boats can anchor and find peace on the water without any speeding craft.

Having some wine and food on board and then all of a sudden I see a guy with a homemade paddle boat kind of thing. Reminds me of Burning Man.

Hailed these 2 young engineer builders of the boat aboard and had a mighty party blast. Talked trash,their dreadlocks and invention. Memorable.

Here at East West, just found the book I’ve been looking for..”Writing Spiritual Books” by Hal Bennett. Good stuff for some of you to check out.

Gotta find an agent/publisher for my Adventures With Greening Man book and ultimately my Green cards. The stars are lining up, sans work here tho.

From the golden deserts of the southwest to the green lush of the northwest. We are out weather… I am a person of contrasts.

Synchronistically, am working on my “Adventures with Green Man” book. This “mythic mentor” has me writing about my contrasting nature.

Spending lots of time on this manuscript because it’s “plan B,” because don’t have that much work (Readings) here in Portland!

Instead of moaning and groaning about the lack of work and the rain, I’ve relished the time, the time and space to get this book done!!!

But today have a full schedule of Readings at the Village Pearl in Vancouver, WA. This is the most eclectic new age store I’ve seen.

The biggest seller now at the Village Pearl is the fudge they are making in the store. Btw… there’s more great health stuff coming out about chocolate!

Doing a Reading today for one of my winners of the Voyager Connection email newsletter. It’s amazing how some winners never cash in.

New Renaissance, the store I work at here in Portland, has just the most amazing set of books on sale for half price.

Bought a bunch to get more conversant with plants, subtle energy, wild animals, nature mandalas, and the shadow side.

I prefer not to read too much about the subject that I’m working on because it becomes too much of an intellectual thing, not personal and experiential.

Am tackling at the moment the quality of living in balance, seeing as though nature is all about balance and finely tuned balance.

For balance in my life on the road, it’s about getting alone time, getting physical (walking walking), taking photos, and sleeeeeping (trying to).

Off to the Pearl for breakfast with the owners, Readings all day, dinner with Fellows of the Intuition Institute in Santa Fe, breakfast tomorrow with Alan.

Who is Alan? An organization professor here at Portland State. Great guy with shamanic interests. Amazing who you meet on the Tarot Trail.

Yesterday, had lunch with a Voyager who now has a baby. She’s the one with the Voyager DNA tattoo on her backside(seen in Voyager Connection)

In the evening upon doing a shamanic journey with the Kaiser Fellows, one shares with me her blue Aegean Greek trip.

That blue my mind! The blue, blue Greek waters have always called my soul, and out of the blue sparked a new/old longing.

Then of course I recalled the “blue spot,” the blue that stays on the retina of your eye after “sun gazing.” To me, it’s the 3rd eye.

This morning, Leland Kaiser, uber-guru of the Institute, talks of how we can see the “dreamworld” we live in thru the 3rd eye.

Following his talk, I present a class on IMPULSE!, how to access your intuition by going with your first impulse and inclination.

I had everyone standing up (we think faster on our feet!!!), picking a Voyager Card and picking the image that first caught their eye.

Then the Fellows did all sorts of other intuitive work impulsively. It was a highly energized phenomenon!

Neuroscience has shown that most of our decisions are impulsive, so the idea is to be aware of those and trust those.

Trust your impulse however only when you are balanced. Any kind of stress of heightened emotional state makes you stupid.

What was I wearing for this presentation? A boffo arrowhead necklace with red shirt. My impulse said this is impulse wear.

Maybe the first intuition impulsive choice you make in a day is the clothes and their color that you decide upon. Color rules the eye!

Had most of Sunday free before starting work as faculty at the Kaiser Intuition Institute, which meets in Santa Fe twice yearly.

Decided to find “The Hidden Spirituality of Men” book by Matthew Fox. It was recommended. It has lots of Green Man work in it.

As a diligent “hunter-gatherer” man type, I went hunting for the book in Santa Fe. Had an intuitive hunch about a bookstore.

After many “wrong” turns and “wrong” roads, I found the right store, Garcia Ave. Books. “Wrongs” lead to “rights.”

To my astonishment (really!) they had this book! They also had the artsy eyeware I bought at this place in February. Bonanza!

No doubt I was a “hunter-gatherer” in a past life, or at least have that male DNA skill. I am the Charioteer, wayfinder, wayshower!

So, I get the book and decide to find a place in nature to check it out. Went out of town on a road called the “Old Santa Fe Trail.”

The trail took me to some mountains and dirt roads. Picked a turn off, found a rock to sit on, and began to read. Just what I needed.

I wanted this kind of book for my research on the “Greening Of Yourself” book I’m writing. A new fresh approach to Green Man.

Of the many sacred male archetypes, Fox has a chapter on “The Blue Man.” I have seen the “Blue Men” theater group, but not this.

It’s about blue as symbol of imagination and blue oceanic deep spiritual work. All as I sit below the blue, blue southwest sky.