Frolicking in the Woods.

I do sincerely apologize for neglecting the grove of late. Green man has been frolicking in the woods, high in the Rocky Mountains for the waning days of Autumn. We have some friends who live up there in a secluded cabin on a chunk of land that is hidden and guarded by a phalanx of strong, noble, pine trees.

They are a couple of good ole hippies who we have somewhat adopted (my wife and I) as part of their family. It's very meaningful to us because our own families are conservative, Mormons who we just can't relate too very well (my parents are awesome -- it's my siblings where the tension rises).

They are conservative, and we are liberals (Social Democrats of the European style, actually). They are Mormons and we are Zen Buddhist Pagan free spirits. They wouldn't touch coffee let alone pot and we're neo-hippies who praise the heavens when we are blessed with sacred marijuana. So, to have an adopted family where we can be ourselves is worth, so much to these two, young, recovering, ex-Mormon outcasts. They let us come up to their land all the time and camp out to wash the "conservative crazy" off our skin from living in such a conservative town down in the valley. There's nothing like the whisper magic of the pines to cleanse you of that chaos.

So, we were honored to watch their cabin for them while they went down to Arizona to visit family. It's a cozy, warm, inviting cabin that feels like a mountain cottage. Green man enjoyed getting back to his pagan roots by unleashing the fire breather within. You see, I am mesmerized by fire being a fire sign (Sagittarius). I must admit (a bit sheepishly) that when there's a forest fire here, my first concern is for everyone's safety but another part of me stands in awe at the awesome show of power from the twisting, roaring flames. It's a beautiful show from Mother Nature, and while I mourn the charred trees, I must say that I find the beauty in the process of destruction. And, it is also a process of rebirth because the soil left behind by forest fires is very rich and fertile ground for new life to grow and thrive.

I believe that when we are fully, awakened (in the enlightened sense) that we learn to see the beauty in everything--even shit. Yes, shit. My Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh sees the beauty in shit because without it he wouldn't be blessed with his lovely rose bushes. The first time I heard that, it changed my whole view on things. However, I digress.

Our friend's cabin is totally "off-the-grid" meaning they haven't paid a utility bill is years. They get their energy from two wind turbines on the property and a stand of next-generation solar panels from Abound. So, they look at wind a whole different way; when everyone grumbles about the anxious wind--they celebrate all the free energy they're saving away in their battery banks. So, it was cool to know that the internet we were surfing up there was wind and sun powered. Thank-you Mother Nature!! See, how nice life would be if we lived with Mother Nature instead of against her like a naughty neighbor? No, that will never do!! Bad form to treat a lady of her experience and sophistication in such a manner.

So, we cozied up in that hippie haven for four days and even got to enjoy a mystical rain shower that saw the etheral, ghost-like clouds sink over the mountains and hang around like the smoke trailing off a wizard's wand. It was so nice to stoke up the wood burning furnace, throw on a blanket and read away the day. After we went to bed we woke up around 2a.m. to the sound of a mournful coyote crying at the full moon, and he/she wasn't very far away. I've grown up around wild animals from living in the Rockies my entire life, but it's always a gift to hear their calls. A few minutes later the coyote cried out again and this time it was much closer. I was sure it was on the property itself. We just curled down deeper under the blankets and dozed off again knowing we were safe and cozy inside that toasty cabin.

It was a very spiritual experience, and being a Pagan nature worshiper I saw that coyote as one of nature's shamans coming to us and announcing his presence. It was a reminder that we are just along for the ride when entering the sanctuary of nature. Despite living around wilderness for decades it never ceases to give me a sense of awe and spiritual reverence upon entering its sacred spaces. I often feel much deeper spiritual energy in nature's temples than in one's made by man. I am so blessed and honored to live so close to the spirituality of the wilds.

~The Green Man has Spoken~