We are the land dancin

This was taken from a discussion on the tribes discussion forums...
Chuchuhuasi is a Norte Americano vegetalista and chaman, both he and I had attended last years long dance ceremony in Oregon, we had since then been discussing how to intigrate the inspiration we gained from the sanpedro long dance into our own animist relationship with our bioregion and community...
The sanpedro long dance led by Miguel Kavlin has been a huge influence on the developement of my communicating my ideas on bioregional animism the process has been amazing, the land i learned in some ways to me at least taught me how to be a bioregional animist even though that wasnt the intention of the dance chief or even my intention... I later after danceing for 5 years would read a book by Beautiful Painted Arrow or Joseph Rael, the visionary that brought us the dance it self... he wrote...
We are the land dancing.
We live a life of prayer, of reverance for the land,
a life of ceremony,
so that we may stay alive
and connected to god.
God is present in the land:
the soil, the sky, the clouds,
the seasons, the climate.
And we are part of that design.
-Joseph Rael

And it is this that I found within myself, this is what brought forth the idea of bioregional animism in the first place... and I owe that to Rael and Kavlins hard work and dedication, as well as to the spirit of the bioregions in which they live and which we have done ceremony together...Our discussion...
LLB: So hear is what I have been feeling about the long dance... I feel that I have learned what I needed from Miguels south american inspired long dance ceremony... but we need a vision for the cascadian version of the long dance ceremony...
Chuchuhuasi you have mentioned the desire to host one your self.... I think that this is a great idea... to honor beautifull painted arrows vision however... I'm recomending that we spend some time dedicated souly to asking for a vision for this new ceremony itself....
what do you think?

Chuchuhuasi: It has been in my thoughts since last summer. I believe it will arise spontaneously by inspiration and that it will focus on Great Healing for the bioregion. Invocation of the wind spirits to blow clear the air of disease. Invocation of the animal clans to watch the region and invocation of the forest itself to help it clear the negative energy it is subjected to via forestry practice And a physical way to manifest these invocations using mind and body, movement and intent.
My feeling is that the details will grow from the practice and each dance leader will have their own incarnation of it they work with just as the curandero has his own mesa.
The thing is to begin having these rituals and having each person state there intent and how they wish to express it physically. My opinion is that those who can create and hold a circle should do so and let the land speak to the dancers of what form his dance should take.
The main thing is creating and holding a safe and holy space for the ritual to arise from, creating the intent of the ritual, and physically creating your intent in movement , song or both. Although the long dance was recently "created" it arose from thousands of yrs of tradition.And it did arise because it's time had come. Cascadero shamanism is young but all it takes is the work to be done for the land to bespeak it's form of exaltation. I ask each of you who can hold and keep a circle to begin to do so often with the intention of having the land express itself through the body movement of those in the circle and those in the circle to have the intention of moving to those expressions. From this the land itself creates the dance and not one man.
Remember it is will and intention which cause effect, not formalized empty action.
It is my belief that by the end of this summer if there are enough sacred circles held Cascadia will have it's own Bioregional expression arise all we need is the will, the intent, and the sacred circle to house it's infancy. The Land and it's allies will provide the details of our dance given the space for us to listen.

LLB: Brother exactly... spot on man!
Thats exactly what I have been thinking of as well...
"My opinion is that those who can create and hold a circle should do so and let the land speak to the dancers of what form his dance should take. "
Exactly....
"From this the land itself creates the dance and not one man. "
YES....this is how its allways been, this is how it works....
"Remember it is will and intention which cause effect, not formalized empty action. "
I have tried to get this across to many...
"It is my belief that by the end of this summer if there are enough sacred circles held Cascadia will have it's own Bioregional expression arise all we need is the will, the intent, and the sacred circle to house it's infancy. The Land and it's allies will provide the details of our dance given the space for us to listen."
I agree.... I think it will...
Some of the groups that started around the long dance I feel are still holding onto form, its a great ceremony... a really great one... but to really recieve and honor its medicine, you have to learn the path way to inspiration and vision your self...with your community and with the land and sky...
We are the land danceing!