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Fire, camphor, rice and ghee...
Feb. 7th, 2009 10:39 pmWoke up early this morning and went back over to the Brahmananda Ashram for the morning Vedic fire homa ceremony, which was a beautiful start to the day. Before we left, Marcello was kind enough to talk with us on the background and meaning of the ritual offering, and he set it up and had me perform the homa all over again, with Henri there also backing me up chanting the mantras. One thing to show up and learn, another entirely to suddenly be the pujari, the one leading the offering. I also feel like it was a synchronicitous preparation to deepen my familiarity and understanding for Sunday morning's Chandi Homa. So grateful for the incredible learning opportunities the universe has presented me with in the past 6 months, all unfolding and spilling over into one another.
It was great to get a tour of the ashram, it's a very scholarly environment, and they have classes in Sanskrit as well as an immersion program that interests me, I'll add it to the growing list of amazing possibilities for the year after I've finished my yoga teacher training.
Henri and I drove out to Muir Woods for the afternoon, did a bit of hiking, and I paid my own tribute to Andy Goldsworthy and my own creative essence by creating a spontaneous bit of organic art with lichens in a perfect tree crevice, following the natural line. An offering to the fey spirits and the creatures of the woods, and I love how it came out. Here's a closeup photo, which captures the texture and the cavernous quality of the redwood burl.
Here's an image from the other side of the ravine, to give the natural context and a sense of scale.
Continued our hike up to the side of a small waterfall, found a gnome shrine and spent some lovely meditative time with the trees before coming back to the city for a tasty vegetarian Japanese dinner and a dessert crepe.
Ran errands, got the flowers and fruit, directions written out and car rental picked up, and I leave bright and early to head up to Napa for the day's adventures. May the Divine Mother bless my journey and my offerings, and help me to accept Her will at work in my world.
Jai Ma!
Later.
-Me.
It was great to get a tour of the ashram, it's a very scholarly environment, and they have classes in Sanskrit as well as an immersion program that interests me, I'll add it to the growing list of amazing possibilities for the year after I've finished my yoga teacher training.
Henri and I drove out to Muir Woods for the afternoon, did a bit of hiking, and I paid my own tribute to Andy Goldsworthy and my own creative essence by creating a spontaneous bit of organic art with lichens in a perfect tree crevice, following the natural line. An offering to the fey spirits and the creatures of the woods, and I love how it came out. Here's a closeup photo, which captures the texture and the cavernous quality of the redwood burl.
Here's an image from the other side of the ravine, to give the natural context and a sense of scale.
Continued our hike up to the side of a small waterfall, found a gnome shrine and spent some lovely meditative time with the trees before coming back to the city for a tasty vegetarian Japanese dinner and a dessert crepe.
Ran errands, got the flowers and fruit, directions written out and car rental picked up, and I leave bright and early to head up to Napa for the day's adventures. May the Divine Mother bless my journey and my offerings, and help me to accept Her will at work in my world.
Jai Ma!
Later.
-Me.
