The Free Radical

This is the 113th post of the Daily Forest Report… not bad considering that I only began it in late June. At that time I had become completely dissatisfied with the quality of the “news” I was receiving through both mainstream and alternative media channels. The only thing that was perfectly clear was that most of what I was encountering was predominantly bullshit.

I have always believed in the adage “As above, so below.” With this in mind, I decided that the Natural World (i.e. the Forest) could do as good or a better job of keeping me abreast of whatever I needed to know during this unique time of evolutionary transition. The principles of holography or fractalization ensure that my experience within the microcosm is a symbolic reflection of what is occurring in the macrocosm. And from there I began issuing these missives through the many voices of the Forest.

Early on I found that foraging along the way helped me to tune into the vibe of the Forest Life. I was utterly shocked by the amount and variation I discovered as I satisfied my tastebuds and curiosity.

I ate a crapload of flowers, mostly dandelions and alfalfa blossoms… and I suppose I must mention wild onion too, as I ate nearly a thousand of them before the ground finally froze.

The interesting thing about my foraging activities was that everything I picked and ate was either directly on or directly adjacent to the path I walked. I didn’t ever have to stray from the main path in order to find the incredible bounty I encountered. I can only imagine how much food is really out there!

The two most notable forageables would be high bush cranberry– because of its superb uniqueness and rarity– and juniper berries. Now juniper berries are not often considered too remarkable, but back in 2011 I had noticed that they were radically altering their flavour. Late in 2011, the juniper bush I frequented had shifted the familiar gin flavour of its berries to something I eventually identified as tasting exactly like guava. It was a pleasant change for sure, but a bit odd too. And then this year, Juniper shifted the flavour again… to one of cinnamon with a hint of clove… very nice! I have no 3D explanation for why this might happen, so I’ve conveniently concluded that this is a fifth-dimensional expression of juniper berries… leading us into the New Age.

Once the frequent trail-nibbles had fully attuned me to the Forest, the animal encounters came thick and fast. Over the past six months I encountered Deer, Elk, Rabbit, Fox, Cougar, Bear, Coyote, Bobcat, Moose, Snake, Squirrel, Chipmunk, Ground Squirrel, Frog, Raven, Eagle, Woodpecker, Grouse, Hawk, Vulture, Owl, Dragonfly, Wasp, Spider, Grasshopper, Inchworm, Butterfly, Caterpillar, and Ant among others. Many of these were rather perplexing encounters, and never did I leave the trail to go in search of these critters. No, it was more like they were searching for me!

Of particular note were the encounters with Cougar, Moose, Snake, Frog and Deer, and the uncharacteristic lingering of a lone vulture I named Richard. Ten years ago I was convinced that to meet up with a cougar in the forest was a sure death sentence, as these lions are quite capable of remaining undetectable until they are literally upon you. Well, I’ve had two very close encounters with mountain lions now, and am happy and privileged to share these tales… as I have.

Moose was just such a rarity that I never would have guessed that such a thing was even remotely possible. But lo and behold, one autumn day, there he was standing directly on the path waiting for me. He casually sauntered off, allowing me the opportunity for a quick shot with the GoPro… thankfully, as I thought no one would believe me! He’s been hanging around ever since.

Snake gets honourable mention because I encountered Snake twelve times this season. Again I must reiterate that I didn’t go looking for Snake. All twelve of these encounters occurred directly on the path. Twelve times is a lot in just a few short months by my reckoning!

Frog checked in with me twice, which was very encouraging since I hadn’t seen a frog for about three years prior. I didn’t have to venture into the swamp either, as Frog came out to greet me on our route.

Now Deer is someone we encounter around these parts on a nearly daily basis. They tend to hang out in our townsite. Town deer can become very aggressive though, especially if they are with fawns. One particular incident I had in the forest however was rather surprising. First the two Deer came right up to me as I walked by. Then, as I dug out my camera, I feared they were turning to leave, but that wasn’t the case. One of them promptly laid down in the grass virtually right beside me. That kind of acceptance feels good!

In a similar vein, in a video summarizing the summer’s adventures, Chipmunk can be seen hanging out in a tree which was only inches from my face as I filmed him. He seemed utterly determined to look me in the eye, and so he did!

And I guess I should mention again the incredible proliferation of butterflies early in the spring and stretching into summer. This seems rather appropriate during a year I’ve described as a transformational one. A short film I compiled during the summer features those same butterflies… along with some of their forest pals.

To me it’s been an amazing year! I eagerly look forward to deepening my connection to Mother Earth through her local emissaries. I truly feel like I belong to something amazing. Just try to imagine what could be if humanity was to ever fully align itself with the cycles and systems of Nature instead of squandering so much energy containing, destroying and fearing the very arms which embrace this One Shared Life!

Happy New Year… Happy New Age!

We’ve actually been back in action for a couple of days already. There were four days over Christmas when Sitka and I were out of town. The local Forest had been informed of our absence and upon the first day back I was somewhat surprised to see that very few animals had tracked our route during those days. The snow was untouched and pristine… except for a few deer tracks here and there.

By our second day back, once the Forest had learned of our return, our usual frequent interactions resumed. No sooner were our tracks laid down, then immediately followed those of Rabbit, Deer, Coyote and Elk among others. Here’s Sitka with an Elk’s foot she pulled onto the trail:

Elk’s calling card here wasn’t really enough to make much of an impression… although I did note that Elk had been largely absent from our adventuring so far. Perhaps that was about to change…

When we got to the Mesa on the second day the sure signs of Elk were everywhere. I know that my readers must be tired of all the tracks in the snow… so here’s an alternative sign:

There were also tracks criss-crossing all over the Mesa, and a few bedding down sites where the snow had been removed and the grass underneath flattened. It was rather obvious that a small group of elk had spent the better part of a couple of days on the Mesa.

Astute readers may recall that I had just recently buried a declaration of alliance with the Nature Kingdoms on the Mesa the week before. Elk’s desire to speak to that agreement was writ large in the snow of our favourite Power Spot.

“It is certainly a time of alliances and agreements, of co-operation and communication. The Wapiti Nation is powerful because of our natural tendency toward collaboration. We group together to share the duties and pleasures of Life.

“Throughout the year we tend to remain gender segregated– males with males, females with females. In the late autumn, our time of power, we come together for obvious reasons. We understand and honour the male/female dichotomy, knowing that it is sourced in egalitarian values.

“During the rut, the neck of the male thickens for impact. The neck symbolizes the Bridge between head and heart… between the body and Spirit.

“The time of the rut is done… the Bridge this year however, lingers in a new permanence. The Spirit refuses to withdraw or recede. We are all less “flesh” than we once were… We are a fresh new breath in the winter chill, warming to our further union.

“Invitation accepted.”

(The next Forest Report on Dec. 31 will be a look back at the previous year. Then on January 1st– the day of the New Moon– intentions shall be initiated… within the new framework of co-operation.)

Christmas is a time for family… and… er… single malt scotch. Therefore, the Daily Forest Report will be on hiatus for the next few days.

Within the week I plan to offer a summary of this year’s forest adventures (which was really only 6 months since I started the Forest Report in late June). What an incredible time it’s been!

Sitka and I promise to get back out in the woods in just a few days, renewing our connections and communications with the Real World.

Happy Holidays all!

Happy Solstice everyone! Finally the days begin to get longer again… but barely at first. This time between the Solstice and Christmas challenges us to shoulder a portion of the Sun’s burden… enlightening the world. Shine brightly through your open heart– it’s easy and rewarding.

Among the New Age Lightworker community this Solstice is heralded as The Return to Innocence. Surely we’ve languished in the unsavoury and corrupt places long enough; we’ve explored separation to the max; the Old World has nothing left to offer us– if soul growth is our Intent. We might as well re-establish our stance in innocence and begin this New Exploration in Unity…

As you’ve likely noticed, most of our wintertime interactions are with tracks in the snow. For the most part Sitka and I are content with that.

Pictured above are the easily recognizable tracks of Rabbit. He was all over the scene down by the river. And there was one other whose tiny footprints overlaid our previous journeys too. The other tiny canine paws (much smaller than Sitka’s) most likely belong to Fox. Being a nocturnal animal, Fox has ever eluded me during the day.

The interesting thing about Fox and Rabbit teaming up like this is that they are both “ambassadors” to the Faerie Realm. Alice followed Rabbit into Wonderland, while Fox has mastered living between the Worlds– unseen.

After the recent establishment of the Earth Coalition of Animal Nations, Plant Kingdoms and the New Humanity, Rabbit and Fox are reminding us to acknowledge and connect with the Devic Realms too. All the Nature Spirits and Elementals have held themselves aloof from Human Consciousness long enough. It is time for us all to be reacquainted with one another… now that we can find a place beyond our immediate survival needs where magick is still able to reside and flourish.

Our progress through this long year of Transformation has not been exactly smooth– but that’s how Nature operates. In fits and starts, in leaps and bounds, we build our own personal level of trust and then dive into a New Exploration, immersing ourselves in the Unknown… again.

Rabbit speaks to our fecundity– but not mere procreation which brings the past forward. Today Rabbit speaks of Brand New Life… our ability to create what has never been before. Fox brings the lessons of invisibility and cleverness to our mission. We will get there– are getting there– despite our doubts and misgivings, in spite of ourselves… suddenly we find we have indeed arrived!

Rose hips on naked branches in the midst of winter… reminds me of a Charlie Brown Christmas…

I still make a point every day to gather whatever foodstuffs I can along the route of my forest explorations. When everything is blanketed white in snow it seems that somehow I’m cheating Old Man Winter every time I find a handful of rose hips, juniper berries or bear berries… but they’ve become essential to my identity here.

If I walk my path without foraging a few nibbles along the way, I feel disconnected… like the snow serves to insulate me from the Forest Life lying beneath. But as I suck on hipcicles and frozen berries a portion of that Life awakens immediately within me. The difference is rather profound. I’m very grateful for these paltry but consistent offerings… served for my attunement.

Sitka likes to share in the bear berries, having learned of these hidden treasures beneath the snow. I pick them for her, otherwise she’d just eat the whole plant– leaves, stems and all. She tends to get a little jacked-up on the sugar though! She’s not interested in juniper berries at all– not even their oh-so-cinnamony 5th-dimensional expression. She allows me to hog most of the rose hips too, as she’s rather content to chew on the woody parts of the rose bushes– despite the thorns.

There’s something about these exotic flavours free for the taking in an otherwise desolate season that makes these excursions magical. Rose hips, once they’ve been thoroughly frozen on the branch, boast a flavour that is a wonderful combination of apple, cherry and strawberry. They’re also a rich source of vitamin C. The outer flesh is soft and just melts in your mouth, leaving a core of hard seeds to spit. The New Juniper berries hint at more tropical climes… perhaps a change which is yet forthcoming?

Be grateful for the gifts and treasures which dance continually at the periphery of our burgeoning awareness!

The Oracle Report had tipped us off that messages from birds could figure prominently these days. After so much interaction with Cougar and Moose recently, that came as a bit of a relief.

The first avians on the scene today– and most days– are the representatives from Raven Nation. There are two ravens who keep an eye on Sitka and me nearly every day. They always chatter freely along the treetops, keeping mostly out of sight. I usually tell Sitka that they’re talking about her… and it’s true; they’re always talking about us… but never to us. Raven is like the Forest’s own interspecies internet; they keep everyone informed.

The previous day we had been out to the Mesa to perform a little ceremony. Simply, it was a declaration of allegiance between the various Animal Nations, Plant Kingdoms and the New Humanity. Upon the unrelenting Winds of Change a tight little contract was read aloud. My intention thereafter was to burn the piece of paper, consigning it to the Spirit Realm… but alas, the wind was too fierce, so I buried it upon the Mesa instead– in the frozen ground.

In a nutshell, the gist of the ceremony was to hasten the manifestation of a more egalitarian world which honours all of Earth’s inhabitants. Among the clutter of messages from angels and masters and various discarnate spirits here in the New Age, the Animal Nations are too often and too easily forgotten. Earth’s journey must honour all who live here!

The following day we returned to the Mesa and were greeted immediately by Bald Eagle. He flew directly over the site where I’d buried the declaration the day before just as we arrived again. I captured him as he flew off southwest, just barely discernible above the ridge line here:

Eagle is the mediator between Heaven and Earth. Our contract was ratified.

Next, as we headed home, Sitka had the opportunity to playfully chase a woodpecker around a little clearing among the trees. Woodpecker swooped low from tree to tree just out of Sitka’s reach. Once Sitka was tired of the game, Woodpecker drummed upon a trunk, affirming that we should go in confidence that new rhythms and patterns had been set in place… and that we should trust their unfoldment.

A few minutes later this was reinforced by Grouse. Sitka really wanted to chase Grouse too, but the snow was inconveniently deep and Grouse had flown too far.

Sitka’s puppy enthusiasm has been at an all-time high these last two days in the Forest. She doesn’t complain anymore, and is mostly interested in expressing unbounded joy for most of our walks. She seems to think we’ve entered a wondrous New World… one that we all might want to explore with puppy dog eyes.

For synchronicity buffs, the last DFR– which I labelled the most significant one yet– was the 222nd post on this blog.

The last full moon of this transformative year occurred already in the wee hours this morning. Its energy and illumination will linger for the next few days. It’s time to get things right!

I’ve been called out. It has become clear that I am invited to organize and co-ordinate a collaboration among the various Animal Nations… to test and demonstrate a new solidarity in creating a New World that works for all of Earth’s inhabitants.

After our spectacular brush with Cougar, Sitka and I returned the very next day to the place of the encounter. Sitka had to face her fear. She was visibly nervous as we re-entered the dense forest where Cougar had earlier visited us. She sniffed out the prints– ours and the lion’s– to briefly relive the sudden angst of the day before. I talked her through it the best I could, and she seemed content when finally we moved on.

What became clear as our journey progressed was that the Animal Nations (the totemistic archetypes) have been trying to garner my attention. Very consistently they continue to overlay significant portions of my path with their footprints (invitations).

This print belongs to Moose. In the past two weeks he has travelled all portions of my regular route again and again.

And this is a new path laid down by Mountain Lion on top of the Mesa. Mountain Lion’s prints were all over the place… but especially prominent on the Mesa. I’ve spoken of the Mesa many times previously. Every human whom I’ve taken there has remarked upon its special energy– its sacredness. I refer to it as a power spot. Others might call it a sacred site or a multidimensional portal. Whatever; it’s a special place; I know it; the animals know it… even the plants know it! (The ashes of my former dog companion Jazz are buried there– in a hole she dug herself while she still lived.)

Cougar’s voice was clear and powerful today:

“You have been called… to this Sacred Partnership… because of your obvious willingness and lack of crippling fear.

“Humanity has played the role of the masculine to the Earth Collective’s feminine. To date, it has been overplayed– something we allowed for your own growth and development. The time for balance is well nigh.

“It is the Divine Feminine who taps into the Void. She holds the access to the raw energy of Creation. You could say that She holds the keys to the kingdom.

“It is the task of the Divine Masculine to give shape, structure and purpose to the raw energy of Creation. It is the male prerogative to define (to make finite; to establish limits and boundaries) for the actual expressions of the infinite potentials offered through the female.

“In our interspecies reality, humanity plays the part of the male; the Animal Nations and Plant Kingdoms take on the role of the female. We hold the access to raw power; you will give it shape. It will be done now in such a way that honours and respects all who dwell here.

“If humanity still insists upon an agenda of domination and control– a paradigm of elitism– access to the raw power of Creation will be swiftly and irrevocably denied. Such is not currently foreseen. The time for balance is gaining recognition.

“You have been called… think well on your answer.”

One thing that was very clear from our encounter with Cougar a couple of days ago was that if Cougar had had a mind to take our lives, there’s absolutely nothing Sitka or I could have done about it. Again it’s been suggested to me that I should carry a gun for just these types of occasions. Believe me, a gun would have made no difference; there simply was zero time to react; the whole thing happened so incredibly fast!

I have known for many years already that I move through this forest with permission. This isn’t luck or coincidence– two worthless concepts in the reality I inhabit. I am accepted and wanted here… and for that I am very grateful.

Today I will head out to the Mesa again. I’m not a very ritualistic kinda guy… but I intend to conduct a little ceremony, affirming this “new” allegiance with my Forest friends. You are free to join your intent to mine– in whatever way makes sense to you. I hope you’re beginning to realize that we really are all in this together.

Oh so very much can happen in just a few seconds!

I’m just going to tell the narrative of what happened… and then anyone who is metaphorically inclined will be able to discern the “message” for themselves, having understood what the principles in this tale truly represent. I’ll give you some hints and clues along the way…

First, this was an initiation experience for Sitka. She was very instantly and dramatically initiated into the Forest Life. I believe that it impacted her deeply… hopefully in a good way.

The weather had finally gotten mild, and Sitka and I were on our fourth day in a row of making our daily forest rounds. On the colder days Sitka spent a lot of time complaining, especially during the latter half of our walks. Today however, she was supercharged and enthused, snuffling through the snow banks on a continual mission of discovery.

We were perhaps a half hour into our journey when a voice called from the far-off distance. My first thought was Owl… but when it repeated continuously and rather insistently, I couldn’t fathom an owl carrying on like that in the middle of the day. What could it possibly be hooting at?

After a few minutes the sound had come closer and I was able to definitively identify it. It was the barking of a dog or two… and they were headed in our general direction. Now, having roamed these hills for decades already, I quickly figured out why dogs might be racing through the forest barking. That is precisely how cougars are hunted. (I have witnessed this spectacle previously.) The dogs chase the giant cat until it becomes exhausted, climbs a tree to rest, and then the owner of the dogs comes and shoots the mountain lion in the tree. (Very sporting, don’t you think?)

My immediate concern was for Sitka’s safety. I didn’t know how cougar-hunting dogs might react to a 3-month old puppy encountered during a hunt… and I wasn’t very keen on finding out. The “other possibility” in this situation didn’t even occur to me. I listened very closely to the “progress” of the dogs. They weren’t particularly near…

We continued down our regular path which at this point was winding through some pretty dense forest. Sitka alternated between being a few feet ahead of me to being a few feet behind me, snuffling out all the tantalizing smells. Then, during one of the most surrealistic few seconds of my life, the most extraordinary encounter occurred.

Sitka was right at my heels when I suddenly heard her yelp in distress. I immediately turned to see her picking herself up from the ground while I swivelled my head in the opposite direction to trace the movement out of the corner of my eye. Dumbfounded I watched an adult mountain lion bounding effortlessly through the forest toward the river valley.

I believe that the cougar’s collision with Sitka was accidental. I can’t even say for sure that they physically collided; perhaps Sitka just threw herself to the ground with a yelp as the lion leapt directly over her… but I thought I’d heard the smack of two bodies colliding. It happened so fast!

We were both completely unscathed; not a mark on us! I muttered out loud at least a half dozen times “Holy crap! Holy crap!” The lion had been magnificent! Sitka was somewhat scared and confused; I was in total awe. My next order of business was to dig out my camera to document what I could.

Sorry that all I can offer are these tracks in the snow and moss. Although this cat was an adult, it was considerably smaller than the one I encountered nine years ago with my dog Jazz.

Still, it was a remarkably magnificent animal nevertheless… and one that I wouldn’t want to tangle with. Thankfully we had no quarrel with each other.

I’m holding the camera a bit crooked here, but the point is to show the distance between leaps of this incredible creature. There was on average 10 or 12 feet between each set of prints. This cat moved swiftly, silently and with perfect grace.

And now some notes on symbolism. I was merely going to report on the moose tracks which I’d discovered over the past few days beneath the freshest layer of snow, both down in the river valley as well as up above. The Divine Feminine (Moose) was asserting herself all over the place (even though this particular moose is a young male).

Mountain Lion is the quintessential Spiritual Warrior being the embodiment of perfectly integrated balance. Cougars are confident and self-reliant, capable of making firm assessments and decisions in an instant. Cougar usurping the spotlight from Moose is a sign of definite progress. Not only has the Feminine arisen, she has successfully integrated with the Sacred Masculine. The ultimate Spiritual Warrior is now on the scene!

There had been no time to be scared. Like I said already, my only concern was in encountering the hunting dogs– which we did not. Sitka, my little neophyte, was frightened and confused. I felt truly blessed for having the experience… and my heart immediately went out to the lion. I empathized deeply with the poor hunted creature. I gave freely my heart-energy… and I do believe that the cougar got away.

After a time I could hear the hunt had progressed into the river valley and that it was moving upstream. Good. There is a narrow, steep-cliffed canyon just upriver from where we were. Mountain lions are the masters of canyons. That is their domain where hounds cannot follow. After an hour I could no longer hear the baying of the hounds… and I never did hear a gunshot.

For the rest of our walk Sitka tried to walk directly between my feet and never strayed more than a few steps from my side. I’m eager to see how she’ll respond from here.

Many of us are hungering for signs and news of humanity’s spiritual progress during this apocalyptic moment. This brief encounter has told me everything I need to know. The lion’s confidence has rubbed off on me…

First we heard the far-off din of the hunt– the old order making a racket in its familiar careless ways. Then out of nowhere, beyond any reasonable predictability, the Spirit Warrior was right there on the scene in absolute glory! I felt not a trace of fear– just gratitude and excitement. My young charge, Sitka, was confused and frightened, having no context within which to place such an encounter… but together we live to tell the tale.

This Daily Forest Report is considerably longer than my usual indulgences. I consider this encounter to have been the most significant one to date. What happened… is truly astounding. And the message to me is clear. I hope you can find the same encouragement as I do.

I’ve definitely been feeling a “push from behind”… or perhaps a push from within. Certain natural– dare I say, cosmic– forces have coalesced and converged upon this window of time. Earth consciousness is fully unrestrained… and we are invited to find the courage to explore an unprecedented (to us) freedom.

Our normally orderly and rather civil path is now a jumble of twisted ice blocks where the river has escaped its banks once again. Fortunately, when it comes to ice and rivers, the process tends to be self-correcting. Actually, all of Nature’s systems are self-organizing and inherently balanced. From the sacred neutral perspective, the River asks us some pointed questions…

“Is your point of view truly your own? How much of your world view has been given to you secondhand? How much can you verify with your own experience?

“The illusory world is made from lies… all of it! There is no need to believe it or disbelieve it. Proceed from knowledge– the knowledge which belongs to you alone. Even if what you know, of what you are absolutely sure, is seemingly paltry, it is the only sure foundation upon which to create your future experience.

“Others will share their versions of reality– some in good faith, and others with an agenda to deceive. Look upon them as suggestions of where to further investigate; use your own innate curiosity as your guide… and the whole Cosmos will align to affirm or deny according to your personal experience.

“You need not have faith in yourselves, for it is not your prerogative to be hopeful. Hope is the mindset of reactionary slaves. All of love’s creations are proactive, never reactionary.

“Dare to outrun your own infinite streamings; lead yourself into the future you desire for all. Time can never get ahead of itself… but you can…”

Well, that seems to end on a bit of a mystery. The tick-tock of time appears to be the beating heart of the illusion. We will seek out further clarification…