South Africa-Wind Walker Makhosini/Peace Chamber and Ceremonial Land 2017

Simunye Ngothando - We are One in Love

Elders: Fritz & Elba Duminy

Holy Cow!!! After 36 hours of travel from Colorado to South Africa, I hit the ground runnin', as I thought might be the case, offering to be of service to the Sun Moon Dance on the Simunye Ngothando (Zulu for We are One in Love) Land , where the Wind-Walker Makhosini (Peace Chamber) rests peacefully among prickly plantings, and a labyrinth of lavender.

WHEW!!! The Sun Moon Dance is a tremendous ceremony to pull off!!! This was only the second year of this complex dance being danced on the Simunye Land and there was chaos and many challenges to weather!

I played many roles, Dog Soldier, Kitchen and Towel Angel, dressed and undressed the dance arbor with tarps and fluted every morning at 5am and every night to 'put the dancers to bed'. Not much sleep was had, and it felt like being in the One Time, in the 'Zone'.

I met an amazing Woman, our Alpha Dog or Wolf, as she preferred, originally from Ireland! Eidin (eh-dean) Griffin , is her Irish name. There were a TON of challenges throughout the dance and Eidin's humour and energy was delightful to have around. After being moved, heavy luggage, flutes and all, 4 times in less than 24 hours, Eidin invited me into her three bedded room and was willing to make it work no matter what. It all worked out in the end. ;o)) Quite fun actually! Much gratitude for her flexible and fun-loving spirit! Thank YOU, Sista’!

The energy of the Dance was interesting to bear witness to. It rained quite a bit...it was quite cool for October in South Africa, actually! Saturday evening, the third full day of the dance, the sky opened up and a wild down-pour ensued! There was lightning and thunder...the whole works...IT WAS FANTASTIC! The dancers embraced this heavy liquefying and it was beautiful to witness...THEN...the sky mostly cleared, and as the sun was setting, a fantastic full-arch double-rainbow delighted us with incredible beauty! I wish I had my camera. No photos of ceremony allowed! Throughout the dance I witnessed blue heron, white sacred ibis, black ibis (which I think are just as sacred, and not called so here), hawks, plovers and plover bebes, all gracing us with their presence and medicine! Quite remarkable and striking in the moments that they were visible!!!

Before the feast', the last day of the dance, I had the opportunity to REALLY experience SOUTH AFRICA! I connected with Zulu Sangoma, Gogo Nomzemane, two Zulu womyn and the children they brought to the Simunye Ngothando land! I was taking photos of them in their beautiful beaded regalia and then asked them if they would sing me a Zulu Song! What followed brought sooooo much joy to my heart! They all sang and danced in a row, and one by one they came out front and did a special individual dance, with the rest as back up dancers and singers! I put the camera on the sports setting and 'let her rip'! IT WAS FAAAAANTASTIC! If I wasn't so exhausted, I might have thought to put the camera on the video setting...ohhhh brother!!! C'est la vie!

After the Sun Moon Dance, I organized, cleaned and prepared the Sound Chamber for Sound Journeys. There were 12 Sound Journeyers in all, and a few had cathartic experiences while the others seemed to enjoy the relaxing sounds of the Native American Flutes and what was offered!

I met my Fire Twin-Sista’, Marion, during the Sun-Moon Dance. Marion’s role in the dance was as a Moon Mother apprentice and she and Elizabeth, the other Moon Mother apprentice, displayed big hearts of compassion, loving kindness and generosity. I am deeply grateful for these special Womyn. Their presence and compassionate hearts took the sting out of the challenges! Namaste, Ubuntu and Thank You, Beautiful ONES!

Over the four years of dancing the Sacred Drift dream awake, a vision for Circular Communities evolved. I gave a presentation of this vision to a handful of open heart-minds and planted some seeds. As I sensed, there were aspects of this vision already in motion. Sacrednicity in action, eh! Understandably so, given the two-legged history of before and after Apartheid, there is still much separation, anger, poverty, violence and BIG TIME FEAR in South Africa, so, I simply planted the seeds and time will tell if they germinate or not.

The last night on the Simunye Land, the community held a Sweat Lodge in the Twisted Hairs tradition, the primary path of this community, and, I joined Elder and Sun-Moon Dance Chief, Grandmother Sammye-Jo, in ‘holding space’ for those in the lodge. She told me a charming story, as Elders do so beautifully, about Grandfather Joseph Rael-Beautiful Painted Arrow. The winds of change began bellowing, thunder pounded and vibrated the air and earth and lightning illuminated the sky in increasing intervals. Quite exciting! Then I smelled rain. I asked Grandmother if she would like to mosey on into the Makhosini and continue to ‘hold the space’ for the Sweat Lodge in the protection of this Peace Chamber. She said yes, and we spent the remaining 1½ hours in silent contemplation (Zazen for me), being one with the sound of the heavy rain fall on the grass roof of the Chamber. When the Sweat was complete the community held an intimate sharing council and closed the sacred pipes.