Today I mowed the lawn. It was sunny and almost 60 degrees and I wanted to mulch the leaves one more time. I must have looked funny out on my John Deere with shorts and sunglasses, but it felt good to be in the sun. 10 years ago I was living in Kansas. We lived on a 400 acre farm that was mostly in natural grass. The government was paying my landlord 100 dollars an acre not to plant corn or other crops. The land was under government contract for 10 years to allow the native grasses to grow.
I was driving another lawnmower back then. It was an old riding mower that I fixed up to mow our 2 acres of grass. I enjoyed riding that mower each week and had a system for mowing. We had a large tree that held our bench swing. When I got close to the tree, I would push the swing out of the way and then hurry around the tree before the swing came back and hit me. One month during my busy time, I had a project that made it hard for me to mow the lawn. Pearlene wanted to help me out so she mowed for me. She had watched me mow around the tree and thought she could do the same thing. She gave the swing a push and hurried around, but when she came around again, the swing hit the mower and caught the back fender, it raised up the mower and bucked her off. She wasn’t hurt, but there was a problem with that old mower, the safety switch on the seat wasn’t working. Pearlene watched as that mower took off down the grassy hill mowing a path with no one driving. She was able to catch the mower before going into the ditch, but I decided after that, we needed to buy a new mower to be safe.
Summer in Kansas was beautiful. The days were warm and the wildlife was everywhere. We had hills and streams and fishing ponds and chiggers. Chiggers are one the things that we didn’t like. They are tiny 6 legged microscopic insects that bite and wait on tall grass to attach themselves to any thing that has blood to feed on. They usually go to the warm moist places on your body to dig in and can cause a lot of discomfort where the sun doesn’t shine.
We loved to walk the land but with the chiggers waiting for a meal, it was not very pleasant. I got the great idea to mow a path around the land, so I scouted out a path and took my riding mower out for a trek in the native grass. It ended up being a 2 mile path and each week I would mow the path with my regular mowing. It took me most of a day. I didn’t care because I found the mowing enjoyable and relaxing.
One week as I was mowing I noticed a circular patch of grass that was different. I got off the mower and investigated. It was nearly 100 feet across, on the top of the highest hill. While standing in the middle of the circle had another idea. I went back to the house and got a roll of string and a stake. I went back to the patch of grass and laid out a circle, within a circle, within a circle. It took me about an hour. I used the mower and mowed the wheel in the grass. When I was finished mowing I was amazed at the sight.
I brought Pearlene out and showed her what I had done. We had studied Native American Medicine Wheels and felt this would be a good place to construct one. We knew that there were other items we needed and looked around the area until we found them. We located a black, yellow, red, and white rock to mark the 4 directions. I found a pole to place in the middle then took 4 smaller poles and attached colored material to match the colors of the rock at the 4 directions. There were other items that we placed to represent elements of fire, water, earth, and air. The medicine wheel also represents the 4 stages of life. Childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and elders. We spent many sunsets there on our medicine wheel.
Our friend John, asked if he and his wife could use the medicine wheel to pray. We said yes. When He got back to the house he told us what happened to him there on the hill. He said that as they were meditating, some figures materialized, they looked Native American to him. They didn’t seem to care that John was there and looked like they were involved in some kind of ceremony. John said he didn’t feel frightened or concerned for his safety and then watched them disappear from the hill.
I have thought about that place many times over the years and I have wondered about those that lived before me on that land.
Did I rediscover an ancient location of a medicine wheel? Did these visitors simply recognize a sacred place to do ceremony? I was humbled that they would visit this hill.
I found many other sacred sites in that area. I traveled with others who were searching for the sacred and we were led to places like Vesta, Nebraska and Adam-On-Diahman, Missouri. The mounds of Cahokia, Illinois was another special place we visited on several occasions. The caves of Missouri held a special place of reverence. Hundreds of years ago the Pawnee Indians used the stars to lay out their villages, they recorded these star charts on an elk hide. We found one of these old village sites, it was marked by a giant silver maple tree. It took 5 people holding hands to go around it. An eagle also used that tree for its nest. It was a very special place where we discovered some answers and truths about ourselves.
There are many sacred sites around the world that are used by people, past and present. When you are near them, you can feel the special feelings. Some of these sacred places are on hills, or near springs, sometimes they are in a valley. Trees can mark these places.
I pay attention to the feelings that I have when I am in a new place or traveling old places. I am always grateful to be in these sacred places.
There are times when I need to find answers to my questions. Sometimes I go to the mountain tops to contemplate in the quiet of nature. It is in these places that I am able to connect.
I used to go to the temples and chapels of man to find God. I found him there, but there was often a price to pay for using those places of worship.
One day I was praying in the woods. I looked around me, making sure I was alone. I often pray out-loud and on this day I was sitting. I had my eyes closed and was pouring out my heart and soul. I heard a noise and opened my eyes. 5 feet in front of me was a skunk who was sitting too. He was watching me. I lost the moment and jumped up and ran back some distance. I laughed at myself and wondered if the skunk was laughing too.
I have found many sacred places in my life. Some were man made, some were natural places and some were the creations of my own hands.
Going within my own heart and mind has been the most sacred of all. It has been in this sacred space where I have felt the most peace. In this inner place of peace I have been able to face the challenges and find the courage to blaze new trails in my walk through life.
