Author: Shekhina

Singing Ocean Prayers

Author Shekhina | Posted on

Some days seem to begin better than others… sometimes I feel in sync with life and other days things just go awry. I wake up and the toothpaste winds up in my eye while I brush my teeth looking into the mirror trying to decide who I am that morning.

When some days are not the best I remember to open to my daily prayers. I see prayers as a way to connect to the All That Is, which is everything in nature for me. So I decide to wash the stinging toothpaste from eyes and take the bus to the Ocean Beach. This is where I will do my prayers today. I make my way to the bus on Fulton which goes straight along the Golden Gate Park. I get dropped off with everyone at the beach. A foggy morning, typical for SF. It is warm though and I am glad for this.

I breathe in the cleansing ocean air and it is wonderful to be here. The waves are extra big today riding high with white caps. The sound of the waves sliding onto the sand is centering and healing. Throughout time there has always been the rhythm of the waves touching onto the beach. Like a heart beat itself. The heartbeat of the Ocean Mother. I start to sing my prayers to Yemaya, Goddess of the Ocean. I sing her name as a chant over and over to Her. I can feel Her presence in the mists and she likes that I am honoring Her. I ask Yemaya to cleanse my soul of all that hurts. I ask Her ocean waves to take away my salty tears back to her salt waters. Let them mix into you I tell Her. Allow your healing waters to renew me.

Yemaya’s waves say yes to me with Her sea foam resting at my feet. The bubbles have rainbow colors in them reflecting like a prism: orange, yellow, purple and blue green. I pray for loving myself more deeply. She answers with seagulls flying overhead and then two children run into the ocean laughing. See how the children run to me She says? You run too, run like you mean it. Let your heart run with my waves as the children do. I start to put one foot in front of the other until I am going faster and faster, running. My heart is beating as the waves beat onto the beach loving the earth. Yemaya I run for you. We run together. I fly with Her.

The Kissing Tree (A True Story)

Author Shekhina | Posted on

The Kissing Tree ( A true story)

It was Saturday morning and the sun was out brightly casting its rays onto all it could see. I decided it was a perfect day for a walk on Grizzly Peak.I dressed myself and made my way to the Berkeley Hills. You could see for miles on either side of the Peak. One way faced the whole bay where you could see the green hills of Marin and the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco. Over the other side there were numerous hills, big and small, spreading to Orinda and beyond.
I picked a path to walk that wound itself in and around the trees. There were white birch intermixed with fragrant eucalyptus. As I walked along the path, the trees began to talk. They creaked and squeaked in the wind. I heard them say they were glad people came here so we could enjoy one another. They appreciated being acknowledged for all they gave. They danced in the wind back and forth while their branches became arms accentuating their graceful movements. One tree would send out a squeaking sound as it bent one way and then another would answer. Sometimes it was me they talked to. I knew this when the creaking happened when I approached a particular tree. The trees knew I could hear them speak. They told me in simple terms, “Welcome to our home. We are glad to see someone who can talk with us and understand what we say. Please rest yourself  here in our shadows we cast to cool you .“  So I sat down on a rock and did. After sitting with them, enjoying the whispering as the wind tickled their leaves in midair, I resumed my walk. I approached each tree along  the path asking first if  I could touch them. They all said yes, yes! The trees enjoyed my warm hand gently running along their smooth cool bark. One tree said I gave her a tingle all the way to her toe roots!
I felt especially drawn to one birch tree that stood closer to the path than the others. I stepped up to it and found myself compelled to bring  my cheek to it’s wide trunk. I could feel the suede softness of its beige skin against mine. I was seduced by this tall handsome tree, my lips desiring to kiss it’s softness. I stepped around to the front of the tree, closed my eyes and gently placed my kiss. Then slowly I opened my eyes, as one does after a first kiss, and what I saw was a complete surprise.  Next to my pink lipstick trace as proof of my kiss – were many, many more kisses! I swiftly pulled my face back to see that this was in fact a kissing tree! There were over twenty lipstick traces imprinted here and there on the birch’s smooth bark! I thought I was the only one, but there had been many who found the magical love in this tree. The tree then spoke to me and said “ I am here for all of those who know how to find me. The secret is knowing how to listen and when you do, the magical realm may open up to you.” I realized that those who hear the trees speak will be blessed in finding the exuberant joy of the kissing  tree!

Sweet Waterfalls Ritual

Author Shekhina | Posted on

I am at Harbin Hot Springs a wonderful healing place in Northern California. It is a place of opening to relaxation and spiritual possibilities. I love coming here to come back into myself – my deeper self. I start my Shamanic practice that I do every day. It is a magical way of life for me.

Shamanism is seeing that all is alive. All trees have spirits of their own, the rocks carry their own wisdom of what has taken place in their surroundings of the land. They know who has walked here and who has stopped to hear the messages of the Earth. Who is listening to their whispers?

I begin my ritual at the sweet waterfalls surrounded by the lush fig trees whose roots grow entwined like thick strands of gentle white hair, their complex root system taking over the 20 foot tall earthen walls where they lay naked. They wrap themselves around the boulder rocks, holding them as if in a nest and the smooth pale rocks the eggs of the brown Mother.

I bow to the crisp clean waterfalls and behold the opening into the Mother Earth from where She spouts life giving essence. I feel humbled by her gifts as I lay my body against the soft rocks covered with a blanket of wet verdant moss. I feel the tingly waters flow over me – what joy! I gently place my head under the falling water, experiencing the sounds of an urgent gushing of exhilarated whooshes and then a tinkling of silvery drops in the pond below. I giggle out loud with delight!

I turn my head up to the sun and through the light see a perfectly round spider web. The strings of the web light up golden as the small spider moves her legs. A symphony of orange, gold and red colors shift and move as she plays each strand carefully. She sits at the center of the web, her domain, proud of the masterpiece she has spun.

I am witness to the spiders songs of light. I am witness the Mother Earths’ songs of the waters cascading in complete knowingness of Herself. I am blessed by Her. My inner senses are renewed in finding the truth of my connection to the Earth – this is the coming home to my deeper self. Thank you Mother Earth. I am so much a part of you and all your wonders!