Roger Pye wrote: > In October last year I suddenly found I was reacting physically to > external energies. This had never happened before. When I walked over > land bursting with natural life and vigour, I felt great, but if the > lushness came from chemicals, I got sick. The last time the sickness > happened (earlier this year) I sought and received help from shamanic > and other practitioners and influences.
For the uninitiated, Landcare in Oz is a community natural resource management initiative funded by government and, to a degree, corporate sponsorship. I am the secretary of a regional landcare association and the treasurer of one of its members, a district landcare committee which had a half-million dollar turnover in 2001-02. Quite a management challenge. Upper Snowy Landcare (my committee) has a 'trial' project running at a small village called Dalgety on the banks of the Snowy River in SE NSW. The land is 60 hectares of a travelling stock reserve which has received atrocious treatment over the last century or so. The soil is compacted and weed-ridden, very little grass, some erosion, one intermittent water source. The project is comparing side-by-side revegetation by biodynamic agriculture, 'alternative' (ie compost-assisted with the compost being made from organic materials which would normally be sent to landfill), and conventional agriculture (chemical). The outcome we want is a benchmark 'best practice' method (no prizes for guessing what I personally would like this to be). I visit this site regularly. It isn't far from the one which caused the last lot of sickness. It was plainly obvious I could not go on in that way. Like it or not (and I do like it) it seemed the rest of my life was going to be involved with agriculture so I mentally resolved to seek out help. It wasn't long in coming. A week or so later I was 'troubleshooting' at a natural health fair in Cooma (not far from Dalgety). As I wandered past the indoor stage on a routine pass, I glanced up and saw a seer's tent with spangles and stars and devices twinkling at me. Feeling tempted, I walked up the steps. The tent was empty so I kept going. A little way on a younger woman than I glanced up and our eyes met. Something 'clicked' and I went to her table and sat down. She was a medium, she said in answer to my query, what would I like? Tarot cards? Reading? What? "Do what you will, whatever you think is best," I answered. She nodded, clasped my hands and bent her head. A moment later she began to speak in a lower tone and didn't stop for a quarter of an hour. I sat there mesmerised as she told me the story of my life. My present life, the one with energy and trees and soil and environment and bd and flowforms, nature spirits and devas. And sickness. At that time all I had told her was my first name. "Do you have a question for me?" It was the first time she had looked up. "How can I protect myself from the sickness yet still receive the message?" Her head went down again. Silence for a moment. Then "Before you enter in, ask permission of the natural custodians. Be sure they are aware of your reasons for being there. Always ask them what they want to be done, do not impose solutions upon them. Tell them if you become sick you will be unable to help. They will listen." There was more. Plus questions - what the sickness had entailed, colour and consistency of the output and so on. "Stomach-related both times," she said thoughtfully, head bent. "Digestive problems. You need to do something along those lines, perhaps. Ask on your next visit but go soon. Is there another question?" "How do you know all these things?" "It is not I," she said, looking up again. "It is my channel. That will be thirty dollars. Here, this is my home number. I don't generally give it out. If you need more help any time, call me." In all I consulted two mediums and two shamans. Basically they all said similar things - ask permission, ask what needs to be done, allow yourself to be guided. In terms of practical protection - wear a crystal or something similar, burn aromatics in a 'cleansing' ceremony and breathe in the smoke, give the nature spirits presents sometimes, usually tobacco and wild sage. There was more I can't talk about. The first medium didn't touch on my past and only mentioned my future once. The second said I had been an Aboriginal at some time. One shaman concentrated on healing and protection, the other responsibility. Except she didn't put it quite like that. According to her, I was once a native american tribal Elder and am again an elder-in-training. "With response-ability," she says very firmly. "That is, the ability to respond positively and helpfully." Also to act responsibly - did I ever catch it from her when I 'rolled' a utility (pick-up truck) a month or so ago. Fortunately it was in the paddock at the stock reserve and I wasn't hurt except for bruises. I've been back to the sick paddock several times. The first time I got an inkling what the sickness was about. Another time I 'received' a recipe for a healing spray. That has been made and applied and there has been a change in the energies. The healing isn't finished, however. I no longer have to ask permission to go in but I'm not allowed entry after dark. Interesting, that. More later. Roger
