IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE ANCESTORS

Ancient Wisdom Teachings at the Sacred Sites of Northern New Mexico

APRIL 26 – MAY 3, 2019

 

 

Gathering of Nations; Cliff Dwellings of the Anasazi; Ancient Petroglyphs;The Milagro

Sanctuario of Chimayo; Kasha Katuwe Mountains; Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs

and Pueblo Corn Dances

 

 

“Come walk the ancient paths with me in a sacred manner. Feel the red earth in your hands, sit in the stillness and listen to the heartbeat of the Mother beat in rhythm with your own. This visionary journey is a remembrance for the soul and a celebration of the heart!     Cynthia

 

NEW MEXICO, THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT inspires the soul and deeply touches the heart.  The high mountain air is infused with an energetic vitality and a frequency of light that is palpable, and the sky is painted in colors so vivid that it takes your breath away!  

This journey lifts the veil into a timeless culture of ancient traditions and unparalleled natural beauty. We will walk the land held sacred by the Native tribes that have guarded and preserved their life-ways, their ceremonies, their natural shrines for thousands of years. The Native people call this area of the United States the Heart of the Mother Earth!  It is part of the four corners region protected by four breathing mountains where the earth pulses with a resonance of nurturing, healing and restorative balance.  We are called home again to our true essence and core connection with the seen and the unseen!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

This is not a tour. It is an experiential immersion in ancient wisdom teachings and sacred traditions to open and connect more deeply with our original blueprint and purpose. The teachings and ceremonies coupled with the energies of these sacred earth sites accelerate our own soul awareness.  Reciprocally our collective prayers are magnified for the earth and all of humanity.  (The Importance of Sacred Travel).

On this journey, we will learn traditional life-ways as we visit Pueblo communities and meet with Native artisans and tribal elders who will share their ancestral knowledge and culture with us through teachings, ceremonies and original stories of Turtle Island (the original name of North America). To enter the domain of the unseen world, to open to the heart wisdom teachings of the ancestors, to cross the boundary of ordinary awareness and perception requires an itinerary that is open to divinely inspired encounters and the ability to flow as Spirit leads us!  

Our home will be based in SANTA FE,  New Mexico, one of the world’s most extraordinary places!  It is legendary for its flavors and colors; its art and culture; and its deeply rooted history and traditions.   Once you are lured by the charm of Santa Fe, it is a never-ending love affair!

One of the many blessings on our journey is the opportunity to attend a  CORN DANCE and Pueblo Feast Day celebration!  The corn dance goes back to a time beyond time, to origin stories when the people lived in harmony with the animals and supernatural beings and their earth mother, Corn Maiden. These traditional dances are prayers in motion that express and fortify our relationship with all of creation.  They  keep the world together!  After the dancing, our group has been invited by special invitation to share a traditional meal with a Pueblo family! 

We begin with THE GATHERING OF NATIONS,  the largest POWWOW Native Festival in North America! Over 700 Tribal Nations from the United States and Canada come together for this annual event unlike any other, to share, celebrate and preserve their sacred dances and traditions.   The Gathering of Nations is a window into the very soul of the Native world and it is an experience that will remain in your mind and heart forever!   We will also visit The Indian Traders Market that is part of the powwow, the ultimate shopping experience of all things Native!  There is an exhibition of Native artifacts and crafts that feature over 800+ artists, crafters and traders from around the world. 

KASHA KATUWI (Tent Rocks) are awe-inspiring natural formations with incredible caverns and canyons to explore.  They are sacred to the Cochiti Pueblo people who are the guardians of these natural shrines and privately continue their ancestral rites here.  We will take part in an “inner vision quest”, an individual practice to open to higher guidance and deepen into our true purpose. 

Drum-making is an important tradition in Cochiti, and an art that has been handed down through generations. We are honored to be guided in Kasha Katuwi by a respected elder of Cochiti pueblo, who is also a master drum maker!  He has invited our group to his home for a drumming circle, where he will teach us drumming songs, how the drum is made and the great meaning it holds in Native American spirituality.

Another full day pilgrimage will take us to TSANKAWI, home of the Anasazi,  “the ancient ones” to see some of the most amazing ancient structures of the Southwest. Stepping back in time, we will walk the ancient paths of the ancestors where ceremony was practiced as part of everyday life, and the people lived as one with nature and the gaurdian spirits of the earth. 

The ancestral Puebloans made their settlements on the mesas and made their homes at the base of the cliffs. We will explore these well preserved CLIFF DWELLINGS, the ceremonial kivas and the many   PETROGLYPHS (rock drawings) that were left by the ancestors.  We will walk the trails on this incredibly beautiful  land of deep canyons and high mesas.  Our group will be guided by a tribal elder whose ancestors lived in these dwellings.  He will share stories passed down through his lineage that cannot be found in any travel guide book! 

We will also visit another amazing natural wonder, THE VALLES CALDERA!  This is one of the largest prehistoric super valcanic craters in all of North America. It is an incredible site to take in the vastness of its wild and natural beauty of tall grasses, meandering streams and herds of wandering elk! 

 Our journey together will also take us to OJO CALIENTE Mineral Springs, legendary for its healing and rejuvenating waters!  For centuries this was a site of ceremonial purification to the Native people. Today, it is a unique destination Resort and Spa in a remotely beautiful area of northern New Mexico.  But the waters know not time, and continue to source and flow with the same healing properties as in the days of the ancestors. This will be a full day experience so that we can spend time in each of the mineral pools, have a delicious organic lunch, and for those who wish to indulge in the pleasure of an added spa service there is time!  AAHHH! ( https://ojocaliente.ojospa.com/)

THE SANCTUARIO OF CHIMAYO – We cannot leave Northern New Mexico without a visit to this shrine  known as the Lourdes of America.  Countless miracles have occurred here and thousands of people from all over the world make a pilgrimage to this holy site. Cynthia will share the story of how this small church came to hold such powerful healing.  Inside the sanctuary is a very small room, and on the earthen ground is a small hole filled with healing sand. Adjacent  to it is a prayer room filled with disgarded crutches, braces and photographs of pilgrims who have been healed. We can take a handful of this miracle sand for ourselves and to share with our loved ones!  After our visit to the Sanctuario Cynthia will treat us to a delicious New Mexican lunch at her favorite restaurant in this picturesque village, Rancho de Chimayo!  We will visit the local crafts people and the weavers who are famous for their rugs made with natural dyes.

IF THIS CALLS TO YOU, JOIN US!  This journey is open to a small and intimate “soul family” group that is of the same heart-centered intent.  We will share lodging in a wonderful New Mexican “home away from home”, within walking distance to the historic plaza in the heart of Santa Fe.  In the evenings we will gather in the living room by our kiva fireplace to share experiences and Cynthia will share stories and teachings entrusted to her by wisdom keepers of Native traditions.

 

This eight day journey includes ancient wisdom teachings with Cynthia and the priceless experience of being with Native wisdomkeepers who will share their ceremonies, their traditions and their heart with you!  This journey is about understanding and deepening into true relationship with yourself, with others and all of creation!

 It includes shared lodging and ground transportation by car or van, all entry fees and gratuities. Also included is a delicious welcome dinner in Santa Fe, lunch at OJO CALIENTE SPA, lunch at the regionally famous RANCHO DE CHIMAYO and a private invitation for a traditional Native American feast with a family at the Santo Domingo Pueblo.   For meals that are not included, we will have fun cooking and sharing some meals together in our fully equipped kitchen, or choose to dine out at any number of New Mexican restaurants!   And don’t worry, there will be plenty of free time to enjoy the wonders of Santa Fe, The City Different!

 If you feel called to be part of this soul family group, please contact Cynthia now to reserve your space and for further details.  Make your $250 non-refundable deposit to  secure your place as long as there is room.  (If you make your deposit and there is no longer space available on this journey, you will receive a full refund.  We would love for your to join us for this transformational experience!