Deaf Pagan Crossroads

Those of you who visit regularly here at the Crossroads may recall that not too long ago I put up a series of posts which focused on my visit to Kirby Cove this past Spring.

This series, entitled “Healing By the Bay” introduced readers to my friend, Ginny Anderson… who describes herself as “a psychotherapist, ecopsychologist, a pagan involved in feminist spirituality, and a shamanic practitioner.”

Ginny, who resides in the Bay Area, is the author of a book titled Circling San Francisco Bay: A Pilgrimage to Wild and Sacred Places. As explained on her website, this book

lights the way for readers to forge a deeper link between themselves and the natural world, as it explores the meaning and connections between sacred place, personal space, open hearts, and intent.

 In this book, Ginny introduces us to seven sacred sites found in the mountains surrounding San Francisco Bay… and encourages her readers to develop their own special connections with the natural world.

Recently I sat down with Ginny and asked her to share a bit about herself for a post here at the Crossroads. Here’s what she had to say:

Exactly how did you get interested in the field of ecopsychology?

A peak experience climbing Oregon’s Mount Hood laid the foundation when I was 18. Under a starry canopy we began to climb, and as the hours passed, I watched the light of the sky begin to shift into a mantle of lavender light. The sky color slipped down onto the snow, into all the valleys, over the forests, enveloping even my companions – it seemed to permeate the very air we breathed. We were swept into a oneness with the planet and sky, with the trees and snow, with one another. My heart opened, and I felt that there was no boundary between myself, the mountain, or any other part of the environment. I didn’t know then that the experience would travel through time as well, and become the message of connection with nature that has seeded my life.

Ecopsychology expresses the point that our own well-being is intertwined with the health and well-being of the entire planet. Among its many forms, ecopsychology offers an approach that allows me to integrate my background as a licensed psychotherapist, as well as a deep involvement in feminist spirituality and shamanism. It’s a weaving of my identity as I move through the world.

Issues such as global warming, species extinction, the water supply for a planet full of Beings… are the “elephants in the room” – immanent, bewildering, overwhelming, and terrifying to address simply from a cognitive human experience.  When we go into the natural world, and find ways to meet with honesty the powers of nature (whether they are plants, animals, or the elements), we can begin to forge partnerships that are based on mutual recognition of needs and capacities. Solutions to some very personal issues may be discovered as we learn to perceive more fully the natural world. Peak experiences similar to mine on Mt. Hood allow us to have an experience of the web of life that no one has to teach us about. The life forms we encounter are both our partners in creating the future, and the Beings whose lives we have a role in sustaining.  Learning how to receive the gifts, and to respond with our own gifts, is the reciprocity that sustains all life.

How did you become interested in the idea of sacred sites around San Francisco?

Some twenty years ago, I’d gone to Peru to observe the last full solar eclipse of the century. A dream in Cusco made it clear to me that I was in the Andes to learn how to witness the transformation of life as we know it on the planet.  I opened my heart to shamans and ordinary people who live in close relationship with Nature, and over time learned how to interact with the Stone People, the Plant and Animal people, the Spirit of Place.  Often in my travels, I heard people say, “Isn’t this paradise?”  I agreed – but realized that I, too, live in paradise. I wondered what comparable sites to those I visited in the Andes might be involved in sustaining the truly unique qualities of living in the Bay Area. With a group of friends, we assembled a list of possible sites – the mountains, the sources of water that feed San Francisco Bay, places where we’d had peak experiences that had opened our hearts. We began to Circle San Francisco Bay, a wonderful journey of discovery that I continue to share with others.

What kind of criteria is used to determine those places which you’ve identified as sacred sites?

Mountains and water sources are traditionally places that are power spots. Some places feel especially permeable. A stone formation may have a particularly powerful voice – evoke deep feelings, communicate something of importance by virtue of its shape, its geological history, its relationship to the environment surrounding it or another life form in close proximity.   It may “tell a story” – perhaps markings or shape have a particular message. The shape of the land itself may evoke an experience that communicates to one who has learned to extend senses to receive and relate to it. The way an element is present at a site (wind, for instance, or shifting light) may be particularly meaningful.

Much of what we perceive is as much a function of the way we approach it, as it is with the site itself. We look for the places and aspects of nature that are prepared to receive us, and ways that we can approach the sites to be receptive. Being quiet, setting an intent to be fully present, asking permission of the Spirit of Place to be there – all these are equally important to sites that others visit without being aware of the power present there.

All of the sites are communicators – aspects of nature willing to interact with us, offer wisdom or council, help stir the pot of our thoughts, memories, hopes, and feelings.  A site may open a door to journeying, meditation, or conversation about something relevant to our lives and to our place in the Web of Life. It may offer a healing of some present issue in a person’s life, or something from the past. So at Kirby Cove on the Marin Headlands, its position on the planet may invite someone to explore a new beginning, or its history and location may evoke issues of protection.  At Ring Mountain, ancient petroglyphs, as well as the shape of a particular boulder, may lead to meditation or healing about fertility or creativity.  At  San Bruno Mountain, where there’s habitat for 3 endangered species of butterflies, we’ll soon be doing a workshop on “Being the last of your Lineage” – with the notion that this place, where intense work is done in sustaining these parts of the web of life, may hold information about what else is important if you yourself are not going to bear children.

Any other thoughts you would like to share?

We live in the middle of a force field, capable of amplifying personal visions, and enhancing the capacity to bring them to fruition. In the turmoil of economic, political, and environmental concerns, it offers true gifts – capable of keeping us grounded and calm… of nourishing us profoundly.  In these wild places, we can explore full partnership with the forces of nature toward the preservation of life on Earth.  Circling San Francisco Bay is a recipe for falling in love with the paradise we live in. Moving quietly, approaching with an open heart and a sense of gratitude, we can learn to shape intent and find our place in the Web of Life.

Ginny and I have spent several wonderful moments together exploring some of these sites… and in the process exploring ourselves as well. I always come away from a day spent with her having gained a new perspective, and a deeper understanding and appreciation for the lessons which Nature has to teach us. Sharing these perspectives and passing on these lessons has been the basis for my past posts on Kirby Cove, as well as my upcoming posts on San Bruno Mountain. It’s my sincere hope that together we will visit all seven sacred sites, and I will be able to tell you about them here at the Crossroads.

Thanks, Ginny.

Ginny and Ocean are now working on developing some workshops to share the lessons of these sacred sites with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community. If you would be interested in participating in or interpreting for these workshops, please contact Ocean at oshginva@gmail.com

For those of you who have yet to read my Kirby Cove series, here are the links:

HEALING BY THE BAY

Part One – Beginning the Journey

Part Two – Examining the Layers

Part Three – Seeking the Elephant

Part Four – The Path of the Mushroom

Part Five – The Nature of Being Woman

Part Six – Meeting Mother Ocean