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You know, most years when I come back from Thresholds I promise that I'm going to do a full right up of the event in my LJ, but very rarely get around to it. This year, I'm actually feeling drawn to write some observations down.
For me, this Thresholds was very much about Family. It was also in many ways a repeat of the flows of 2000 (WtT3) for me, and not just because my car died, though I know others see more parallels with the very first Thresholds. It also seemed to be more about healing than any Thresholds since WtT3 has been, IMO.
This year, a great flood ravaged four quarters, changing some of the topography and greatly altering the feel of the land. The Cairn was destroyed and rebuilt, and its flows are vastly different from what they were, though the original flows feel to me like they are still trying to reassert themselves and will if given a proper avenue. I did what I could to help provide such an avenue. The main hearth is gone, that field is now the leeching field for a septic system due to local ordinance. The showers have been moved to the crossroads at the bottom of the hill, and been given far greater prominence than they have ever had before. Many trees are gone. The very bank of the river has had its structure altered. The "cave" depression I remember being there is gone now.
There was, despite the happiness of this gather, an undercurrent of mourning for what had been lost in the flood, and a feel that Thresholds would never be quite the same as it had been. This also reminded me of the tone of WtT3, though obviously what was lost and being mourned was quite different.
I found some interesting things out at this gather. I found out that the reason I chose to incarnate where and when I did was that it was the life that would give me the most chances to connect the most deeply with the largest number of those who are spiritually family to me. I found that someone I have long considered a good friend has, at some point and entirely without my conscious realization, slipped into the category of those I consider my chosen family, what the hawaiians would tern 'ohana. I also unexpectedly found my ties to someone else I consider family, who I had drifted away from for some time now, reaffirmed and strengthened. It was a very healing experience for us both, I think.
I also did more healing work this year than I've ever done before at a Thresholds, and not just for the Cairn. A number of people came to me and asked for healing, or expressed pain to me and accepted my help when it was offered. With the exception of Sylvaerina's toothache, I think I managed to help them all, even if only slightly in some cases. I also had some interesting perceptions during certain healings, which I might need to poke some people on later once I've digested them more. Might need to reassess what connections I may have to certain worlds as well.
All in all, I came away from this gather feeling very good. (With the exception of the car thing, which is being worked out quite nicely IMO... certainly better than I was expecting it to be.) I have a renewed sense of focus in many areas, and some new avenues to explore have opened up for me. I was also... "gifted"... with a new book on Hawaiian huna practices. I say gifted in quotation marks because I actually bought it myself, but I do feel as if I was led to it and that counts as a gift to my mind. It's a little more new-age than I'd like in many areas, but there is a core to the material that is *very* good (the introduction alone moved me to tears) and it explores some aspects of Huna practice that I have not managed to delve into very deeply before, especially variations of the Ho'oponopono technique, which is far more than just a forgiveness exercise. It also begins to get into some of the information on Akua, particularly Pele, that I have been interested in exploring and relates this material to some of the material on Aumakua. Pele is, in fact, considered the Aumakua of certain families in Hawaii, and she is believed to protect them and is considered very much a living part of their family. Very very good stuff.
Edit: Oh, forgot to mention, I am also feeling somewhat drawn at the moment to the concept of "lost kin"... may end up becoming more involved in the lostkin project, may focus energies elsewhere, not sure yet. Also, new otherkin filk is coming. Sooner or later, the filk is coming. It's already been written, it just needs to be typed up and posted. And it is to the tune of an Elton John song. You have been warned.
For me, this Thresholds was very much about Family. It was also in many ways a repeat of the flows of 2000 (WtT3) for me, and not just because my car died, though I know others see more parallels with the very first Thresholds. It also seemed to be more about healing than any Thresholds since WtT3 has been, IMO.
This year, a great flood ravaged four quarters, changing some of the topography and greatly altering the feel of the land. The Cairn was destroyed and rebuilt, and its flows are vastly different from what they were, though the original flows feel to me like they are still trying to reassert themselves and will if given a proper avenue. I did what I could to help provide such an avenue. The main hearth is gone, that field is now the leeching field for a septic system due to local ordinance. The showers have been moved to the crossroads at the bottom of the hill, and been given far greater prominence than they have ever had before. Many trees are gone. The very bank of the river has had its structure altered. The "cave" depression I remember being there is gone now.
There was, despite the happiness of this gather, an undercurrent of mourning for what had been lost in the flood, and a feel that Thresholds would never be quite the same as it had been. This also reminded me of the tone of WtT3, though obviously what was lost and being mourned was quite different.
I found some interesting things out at this gather. I found out that the reason I chose to incarnate where and when I did was that it was the life that would give me the most chances to connect the most deeply with the largest number of those who are spiritually family to me. I found that someone I have long considered a good friend has, at some point and entirely without my conscious realization, slipped into the category of those I consider my chosen family, what the hawaiians would tern 'ohana. I also unexpectedly found my ties to someone else I consider family, who I had drifted away from for some time now, reaffirmed and strengthened. It was a very healing experience for us both, I think.
I also did more healing work this year than I've ever done before at a Thresholds, and not just for the Cairn. A number of people came to me and asked for healing, or expressed pain to me and accepted my help when it was offered. With the exception of Sylvaerina's toothache, I think I managed to help them all, even if only slightly in some cases. I also had some interesting perceptions during certain healings, which I might need to poke some people on later once I've digested them more. Might need to reassess what connections I may have to certain worlds as well.
All in all, I came away from this gather feeling very good. (With the exception of the car thing, which is being worked out quite nicely IMO... certainly better than I was expecting it to be.) I have a renewed sense of focus in many areas, and some new avenues to explore have opened up for me. I was also... "gifted"... with a new book on Hawaiian huna practices. I say gifted in quotation marks because I actually bought it myself, but I do feel as if I was led to it and that counts as a gift to my mind. It's a little more new-age than I'd like in many areas, but there is a core to the material that is *very* good (the introduction alone moved me to tears) and it explores some aspects of Huna practice that I have not managed to delve into very deeply before, especially variations of the Ho'oponopono technique, which is far more than just a forgiveness exercise. It also begins to get into some of the information on Akua, particularly Pele, that I have been interested in exploring and relates this material to some of the material on Aumakua. Pele is, in fact, considered the Aumakua of certain families in Hawaii, and she is believed to protect them and is considered very much a living part of their family. Very very good stuff.
Edit: Oh, forgot to mention, I am also feeling somewhat drawn at the moment to the concept of "lost kin"... may end up becoming more involved in the lostkin project, may focus energies elsewhere, not sure yet. Also, new otherkin filk is coming. Sooner or later, the filk is coming. It's already been written, it just needs to be typed up and posted. And it is to the tune of an Elton John song. You have been warned.
