We Love Weather, and Weather Loves Us.
“The devotion and commitment to what gets thrown your way, that's an important offering. It may not be something you put on the altar, but it's you you're putting on the altar.” — a statement we heard from Grandfather Fire to the Nahua-tradition weather workers, spring 2020
Last night, I dreamed about a bird. I was standing outside on the deck on the third floor of our home. Our home is located high in the sky on the side of an Appalachian mountain.
A dark gray falcon that I had seen before flew to a nearby tree. It was small, but fierce, trim, vital and beautiful in its cloudy gray feathers. I could see its hooked beak and its yellow eye. It flew nearer, to a branch I could almost touch.
I held out my hand, wishing it would come to me. In the dream, this focused, beautiful bird, this gift from the Sky flew the short distance from its branch to my hand. I could feel its weight, its taloned foot gripping my hand firmly but with gentleness. What is this new gift that had delivered itself to me?
A few days prior, last Saturday to be exact, the traditional group that I'm a part of led our annual Harvest Festival ceremony to honor the Rain, Clouds, Lightning, Winds and Sun of our region. Unlike so many other areas far and near, our region has been enjoying beautiful, beneficial weather for a while now.
But this past week, a hurricane that human beings had named Ian was heading our way. Interestingly, it was pointed at us. It was on-target to arrive just in time for our scheduled outdoor event.
Who in their right mind would show up for this ceremony?
Yes, the ancestors have passed this sacred way of honoring Weather down to us. By their examples and our own experience, we see that it's an important celebration that gives back to the Weather Beings in the ancient way, in the dance between human communities and Weather that helps keep the balance between us.
But...a hurricane?! After all, the modern invention, The Radar, brought into our homes and into our active minds images of the storm pointing at us. We could see the beast on-screen: a giant gyrating monster of destruction. People in other places were suffering great harm and loss in its wake. Through the screens, we felt something of their pain.
As we all tracked its progress, Lisa, the Firekeeper who hosts this event at the Sacred Fire Council House in our region, said to me a few days before the ceremony, “You don't seem worried about the storm.”
We had had some major upheaval recently, but we had done good work around that. We had worked it out. I felt great about that. Because we were in alignment, I noticed that, indeed, I was not worried.
Of the sixty people registered, forty people showed up on Saturday, full of courage under foreboding dark clouds. Perhaps they trusted their weather workers. Or perhaps they were just up for whatever ride Weather might take us on.
The ancient dance commenced: We placed the sacred items. The people assembled. The leaders were ready. My husband lit the glass votive candle on the altar to provide us all with a spiritual heart, igniting the ceremony, a reflection of the sacred fire burning in the Council House nearby.
And…the Weather was optimal. Chilly breezes reminded us to come closer under the shelter at the altar as we gathered and prepared.
A quick, sparkling shower blew in and touched us in answer to the calling of directions.
The breezes turned gentle as the ceremony progressed.
The Sun broke through the cloud-cover as we enjoyed our fiesta.
The blue sky illuminated us as we brought the ceremony to a close.
There was lots of laughter that day, as there often is when people feel that unbridled heart-joy of living courageously. Everyone who attended participated in an adventure. And the adventure continues, as my husband and I head toward our next sacred engagement with community, Sky and fire. Who knows what will happen next?
For many of these engagements, we are joined by the courageous hearts — fierce and focused — of people who keep coming back because they notice their lives transforming as they deepen their relationships with these traditional human ways.
Like the gray falcon coming to my hand, like the gray clouds holding back heavy rain so we can all celebrate, we receive this gift. Perhaps, together, we are becoming courageous warriors with vision. Our ancestors are helping us re-forge a beneficial, nourishing relationship between us fiery-hearted people of Earth and the sacred, soaring Sky.
Disturbed but not broken by the distractions of these times, the love affair between human beings and Creation continues to deepen, to compel us forward to the next chapter. For all who participate, nourished by Rain, ignited by Fire, we are living the daring journey that reveals life's inner meaning.
We are husband-and-wife team Adam Laufer and Erin Everett. Following the wise guidance and teachings of our elders, don Lucio Campos Elizalde and don David Wiley, we are tradition-holders in the timeless lineage of graniceros (also known by our traditional titles quiaquepiz and quiatlzques). In English, people of this tradition are known as weather workers. We are also traditional tepahtiani healers in this age-old lineage. Read more…