Deaf Pagan Crossroads

This is the second in a series of posts I am writing about my experiences at Kirby Cove. Be sure to check back here at the Crossroads often, as I continue to write and post my thoughts related to this sacred site and the lessons it had to teach me. To read my other posts, check under Recent Posts on the sidebar at the right.

As we continued our journey down to Kirby Cove itself, I found myself fascinated by the rock formations one could see alongside the trail:

Ginny explained that these sea cliffs and road cuts can be found all over the Marin Headlands, and are examples of some of the finest exposures of pillow basalt and radiolarian chert to be found anywhere. Millions of years ago, these rocks formed around midocean ridges several thousand miles from the West Coast at the bottom of the sea. The reddish brown radiolarian chert I was looking at actually was formed from the skeletal remains of thousands of tiny microscopic protozoans which had collected on the seafloor.

There are many lessons which can be taken from studying the rocks…I found myself fascinated by the multiple layers, and comparing them to the multiple layers of myself. Each layer represents a different aspect of myself, a different experience in my life. I am the culmination of all of these different layers, which together create the formation we now see and know as “Ocean.” No one layer exists by itself, but as a meaningful part of the whole…holding up other layers, being held up by others.

Ginny added her own thoughts – that these rocks were all created by tiny micro-organisms, but look at the magnificence of what they have created. In the same way, our own magnificent creations are the result of each tiny step that we take, and the culmination of all of those tiny steps. Such creations don’t happen overnight…they take time, much like the creation of these rocks took time. But the results can be truly amazing.

These rocks also serve as a reminder of our inter-connectedness with the universe – just as these tiny cells are a part of the earth, so are we:

One way to think about human beings is that we are conscious cells in the body of Mother Earth!  So there’s hope for healing the Mother as we heal ourselves and our “cellular” relationship with her.

~ Ginny Anderson

I stuffed my pockets with pieces of radiolarian chert to place on my altar when I return back home, and continued down the trail.

The hike down to the cove is a little over a mile, and the view through the trees as I looked out from the cliffs to the waters beyond was awesome indeed:

But it was also a bit frightening. I found myself wondering what I had gotten myself into here, and if I was truly ready to begin this journey, truly willing to commit myself to it.

It’s easy to become narrowly focused in fear about what comes next – personally, for the country, for the whole human race. But as we look around and discover how to live in a caring way on the very planet that feeds, houses, clothes, and entertains us, it can be daunting to try to figure out how to move forward to change any of this.

~ Ginny Anderson

One of the things I have been struggling with recently is the whole issue of being here in California – if this is where I am truly meant to be, and if this is a place I really want to stay. As I continued down the sloping path, I felt as if I was descending into the Underworld, taking the journey into the darkness, delving into those layers of myself I wasn’t sure I wanted to examine. The thought of trying to figure out how to move forward, how to make those necessary changes felt very daunting indeed.

Then I noticed something that gave me a sense of peace and comfort:

Out of these layers of rock some beautiful flowers were blooming.

It was a reminder – an affirmation that while the journey can be challenging, and perhaps at times even terrifying…it can also be immensely rewarding. Examining those layers doesn’t have to be a negative experience. There is a beauty to be found in delving down into those aspects of myself. And in doing so, I can find my own source of strength and sustenance…

And those who seek me, know that your seeking and yearning shall avail you not, unless you know the mystery…

For if that which you seek you find not within you, surely you shall never find it without.