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Greetings Kin,

The following  information relates to the personal observance of the Vision Quest, begun on 1 Night/AKBAL. Below are suggestions and further insight for discernment of the daily aspects noted in the 13-Day Trecena Guide.

VISION QUEST: A DANCE OF SPIRIT

The Offering of our Self that we bring to a Sacred Ceremony is a Time and Place we Choose to be Conscious of our Communion with the Creator. Our Purpose is to be Open to Receive Divine Inspiration. The Intention in the Dance is to exist as the “hollow bone” – the open channel, separated from the influence of our Human flesh for a Wholly Divine Experience.

A daily Time and Place for Inner Silence might be spent building an Altar in Spirit. We could drape our altar in the Color Blue to represent the calling of our own Spirit for a Divine Experience. We might place an offering to represent the Element of Water that holds the Ether of Spirit. Listen to what Spirit may ask you to bring to the Altar, and obey your own Intuition – allowing the meaning to unfold in its own time. We could purify with sage, the candles and each item we place there. It is worthy to include a remembrance to Honor the Old Ones who shared this Sacred Wisdom. In Spirit, hold and observe each item for a moment to think of what it means to you and dedicate it to a Sacred Purpose. Make a daily ritual of lighting a candle or burning sage and sweetgrass. If you are unable to burn aromatics, you might create your own sachet to keep close at hand as a tool for connecting to Spirit. A drop of Cedarwood essential oil rubbed onto the bottom of each foot, is an aid to a restful sleep.

As we retire to the Dreamtime, we might Initiate our own visit to the Sacred Hearth. We could bring our log to the Sacred Fire and take our place among the Ascended Masters. We can crystallize our Vision of the Fire that burns in the Night, so we will remember that we can return there when we are suffering in the dark. Sitting there in reverent silence, we can drift into the Journey of our Dreams.

The tradition of the prayer ties is making a physical representation of your prayers. A pinch of tobacco is held to make a prayer and tied in a small bundle to remain on the altar and offered to the fire at the end of the ceremony. The same thing can be done by noting prayers on a small piece of paper. Whatever you choose will be a prayer you can see and remember is shared with the Creator.

Each day will be a Dance. When you layout your clothes for the day, Acknowledge them as your Sacred Dance Clothes. You might add a color to remember the direction of the day. As you enter the world, be conscious as your feet connect with Mother Earth. Make each step a sacred exchange of Love. Make an Intention of silence. Be more intent on listening and devote some time each day to silence. You may choose to spend time at the altar, or maybe your way is a Nature Walk. Don’t worry about the times you forget. Instead, look deeper into the experience of your Unconscious Dance. Allow everything to Be.

Vision Quest is traditionally a time of fasting. We might choose to give something up in the activities or food that we ordinarily consume, or choose healthier living food. Corn is always meaningful to our experience of the Tzolk’in. The shaman prepared a drink made by “brewing” fresh sweet corn and water offered at mystery schools. This might be something that could be made ahead as a Sacred Offering to Self. Everything that we consume is Blessed as Sacred. With each meal, we Honor what is before us – that it came from Mother Earth, remembering and Blessing the hands that tended it, and all the hands that delivered it to the table. May we remember where it came from and that it was created solely for the Purpose of Being Honored Here Now on behalf of the Whole Crop and its Next Generation.

Keep a Vision Quest journal to make note of your thoughts and experiences. Vision Quest is a time when we can be approached by our Spirit Totem animal, in person, in vision, or as something we see in the clouds. Acknowledge the Spirit in Nature and share your Gratitude with Mother Earth. Keep these experiences to yourself for a time. We can never fully describe our deepest experiences without losing something in the translation. They can lose their Spiritual “steam” if we share them too soon. Instead, save them close to the heart and look even deeper into the experience. One inspiration is meant to lead to another. Make Divine Spirit your primary direction of communication.

Sacred Ceremony is a gift that is meant to be accessible to everyone. Every ceremony can be carried out wholly in Spirit. If you are not in a place where you can physically create an altar or burn sage, create an altar in Spirit. The water in the shower can be claimed as a purification of Descending Light.

OFFERING OF TRADITIONAL TOOLS

The following “Daily Ritual” is offered for your consideration/inspiration. There are an unlimited number of ways to carry out a Vision Quest of Divine Consciousness. The guiding principle shared by the Elders is to bring an Offering that Reflects what you Expect to Receive.

MORNING SUN GREETING:

Our first direction of the day can be to Greet the Sun. On the mornings of Sacred Dance Ceremony, we led at daybreak to see the horizon and to make a Cornmeal offering, giving thanks for a new day. We can greet the East remembering our source of Life, Light and Inspiration.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE KIN:

Draw attention to the Kin of the day – the Tone number and Day Sign. Honor the inspiration of the day. Follow the Intention of the Kin. Look to the Day Sign for the best way how.

Each Kin (Tone and Day Sign) Kin is illustrated on the “trecena wave” illustration, which also notes Portal Days, on the 13-day Trecena Guide.

DAILY RITUAL:

Decide what your Sacred Ceremony will be and set a routine. You might decide to light a candle during your time of silent reflection. You may want to incorporate the Blessing of your food. If you spend time in Nature, you might find something meaningful you’d like to add to your altar. (Always ask permission and leave a fair exchange of yourself (hair, spittle), or an offering of cornmeal, tobacco, or personal object. You can make a ceremony of anything you do. Ritual grounds our connection to Spirit.  If you work, you could make a practice of “brushing off the world” when you return home – either through smudge, or just by physical movement. It’s YOUR Dance. Discover it as you go.

TRACKING THE MIND:

Make note of your dreams and waking thoughts. Check in throughout the day to what is on your mind. If you don’t see how they relate to the day’s energy, maybe it hasn’t happened yet. Something will begin to occupy your thoughts. The periodic check-in will help you recognize when it happens.

The Directions and Elements offer “food for inspiration.” You might see the synchronicity in the context of your experience, or an influence for discernment.

Directions: The direction suggests whether your experience might center around.

• East (Red) is about Inspiration. “What am I Inspired to do?”
• South (Yellow) is about relationships with others and the natural world.”What would my friends tell me, or what is common knowledge?” “What’s the condition of my personal relationships?”
• West (Black/Blue) is about facing life’s unknowns. “What am I feeling about something going on?” “Where does my fear suggest need of Higher Discernment?”
• North (White) is about learning from experience, the place of the Ascended Masters and the Collective Wisdom. “What have I learned from past experience? What would the Elders tell me to do?

Elements: The aspect reflecting properties and ways of being.

WATER: Healing, Purification, Baptism of Spirit. Water is the Element that holds the Ether of Spirit. Water encourages going with the Flow and receiving the Descending Light of Spirit.

EARTH:  Grounding and Forces of Nature. Earth offers the strength of standing in your own foundation. The Forces of Nature are within us as we are made of elements of earth. Earth relates to motion – employing an “active” versus “passive” approach.

AIR: Breath of Spirit and the Breath of Life. Air is a healing force that can be directed within. Wind calls us to Sacred Breath and encourages us to listen for the Creator’s Voice. As the Element of Mind, Air encourages us to use our Intellect, and seek Wise Counsel. Air is about a disbursement of communication.

FIRE: Life Force itself and the Power of Spirit. Fire represents everything we call Sacred. Fire is the Element that can change the form of ALL the Elements. Fire is the Inspiration of “Knowing” – the service of all our Spiritual Gifts.  Address a situation holding the Truth of your Spiritual Intention. Use Spiritual Tools and Sacred Ritual to call on Divine Intervention.

These are all ways to connect with your thoughts and feelings and discernment what they may be about, or trying to tell you. (This doesn’t have to be a daily ritual for review, but something to turn to if you need help figuring out what a situation is about and what you might learn from it.)

END OF THE DAY:

Acknowledge the sunset as ending of another day, thanking the Day Sign of the Kin. The Elders said to let our worries of the day go down with the setting sun.  (Make note of how you feel. Sunset is often a time when you can feel a shift of energy to the next Day Sign.)

KEEP NOTES. PAY ATTENTION TO INSPIRATION AND FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION. GO WITH THE FLOW OF SPIRIT. HOLD THE POWER OF YOUR INSPIRATION TO YOUR SELF SO THAT THE DREAM REMAINS UNDEFINED AND OPEN TO FURTHER DISCERNMENT.