I arrived home from Cae Mabon, no ordinary place. It lies at the foot of Elidir Fawr, in the North of Wales, amongst the ancient and wild oak forests, by the side of the most beautiful river. It reaches down to the lake of forgotten truths, where much mystery and dreams are awakened.

How to share what has opened up, in a way that could possibly describe our work? So many beautiful people bringing their work to be witnessed, such a blessing to see their stories and their dances create the beauty that they are. I am lost for words in so many ways.

Privileged to be working alongside these dancers, as we find our way together. I am witness to their truth, to their longing, to their hunger for honesty, power and humility. Their understanding of what it means to be a fulfilled human being.

I have dreamed in my own ‘Hollow Bone,’ emptied myself of mundanity and traveled to the far shores of upper and lower worlds. And from this place I immerse myself in truth and the opening of hearts. There is no great plan to head into or even unfold except the divine plan, the knowing field, the ‘gathering’ I like to call it. And for sure we journey deep, and many dreams come alive and dances are danced, poetry is written and the mystery unfolds itself.

Trust is the key, trust in myself, in others and in the landscape and territory. I know my own journey and wisdom will make its way into the arena and this I must trust. I trust in Great Spirit ultimately, implicitly and fundamentally, for the greatest teacher knows itself as the inevitable soul-work that it carries.

And on this journey, a young being came into our field, our place of work, looking for solace and acknowledgment, looking for love! Could I refuse that love? Not in my most negative of states could I refuse. For that being, that young character, though troubled and lost, was in need like any other, in fact more in need and my work meant saying ‘yes’ to any negative force. To invite in that negative force and dysfunction and say ‘yes, you too are of value!‘ For sure we would go through some rocky moments and this force would shake us up somewhat. But knowing things will turn around, as they must, all is settled and woven into threads of healing. But rock we did, for some time on those shores. Greeting fear and death and life all in one fell swoop! 

We cry we laugh we hide our shame until it bursts forth with the support of the fire and reaches into the hearts of others, we spill out from the container that holds us and life is as only we can make it.

Our new friend begins to take those broken threads crying them into dust, making the decision himself to end this journey of self-hatred, to take that old mask of dysfunction and surrender to the story that must unfold. Burying the mask, it ritualizes an end and love flows with more energy than before.

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Healing takes time, and we give time and watch those discomforts becoming part of our own story, our own healing and our own manifestations of love. And as all our journeys unfold, we step into that place of ceremony and make our intentions known to all, to spirit and mostly to ourselves. We open up to something so much greater than ourselves, the drums play their melodies and songs emerge from our hearts. We are reborn.

And my prayers head out every hour to that lost young soul. I carry his small amethyst to my heart, and I pray that he may return and once more tread lightly on the path he chose, for I have seen the strong ally he is and all that he carries and my love extends to him in his youth, his naivety and his broken heart. For now he sits in a dark place awaiting his conviction, doing the time that is necessary. And this will make him a man for sure. A rite of passage that takes courage particularly if it is our own choice. If we give ourselves up and surrender to the inevitable.

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My heart was wide open as I wind my way homeward, back to the familiarity of my feline friend, my covers and bed linen, my garden. Carrying with me a tale that would make a film script for sure, a magical experience that I could not even have dreamt up!

One day you may wish to join us on this ‘Hollow Bone’ path, but for sure you cannot tread onto it with a mere speaking of frills and light, for you will enter into a dark place inevitably, and why would you not wish this? For in that dark cavern lies a gift of treasure to take home with you, but you must be prepared my friends, this is no fairy tale, no sleeping relaxed state of bliss. Your focus will be required, your concentration and at times your wits, we will laugh for sure, we will dance for sure and we will play for sure, and we will cross a bridge like no other, to come to this most sacred of landscapes. There is no escape from Nature once she holds us in her arms, she knows the journey into her soul and she will treat us with the firm hand of the mother who knows. No bullshit, no excuses, just a desire for the truth, to meet her eye to eye, heart to heart and gracefully abide to her spirit, her poetry and her voice that says ‘treat me with care, treat me with grace for I will love you unconditionally, nourish you with good food and support your every move. But if your intent and wish is to destroy me, I will send the most deathly of hurricanes to your door; do not take me for granted!’

And we breathe, and we meet with this Life and we meet with the Allie we call Death, our most faithful of comrades and we will surely see our existence, just as it really needs to be. For Death is a patient being, knowing death always wins in the end. There is so much to learn, no time like the present, no time to waste, no time to indulge in niceties.

For sure there is an adventure to be had, if you wish to walk this path. The path of the Hollowed Bone, where magic, mystery and intention, are our food and water. The greatest necessity to Middle Earth Medicine Ways

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The next Hollow Bone on-going is in South Africa, and after that 2017 Ongoing group UK. In Berlin April 2016 and in-between there will be shorter introductory workshops, see website for more details or be on mailing list for updates. http://www.alchemyinmovement.com

I will meet you there, body, heart and soul, if the time is right for you, but only if…….

with love Caroline