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Joy like a Spring!

Marty rests in the shade of a madrone along the hike to the Sun Altar

So much new life, new connections and new ventures. I'm not sure where to begin. So, I'll follow the Heart of Now practice and begin in the present moment. It's a beautiful Saturday morning and I'm still reeling in joy from the Beltane festival at Nomenus last weekend and the amazing Heart of Now workshop the weekend before. I feel all warm and full of love.

See, a few of my friends came and took Heart of Now in April. I met Reid and EVie at Nomenus. Mitch also came. He lives in Eugene and he's my annual companion to the conference in Seattle every Labor Day weekend. It was a really great course. I was on the Flow team with ming san and Karly. I was focused on just making myself available to assist in whatever way to keep things in the flow. There were a lot of queer students in the course, and that made it so much more enjoyable for me. The openness and bonding really paved the way for the Beltane festivities.

I went to Nomenus on Thursday with Reid. We met up with EVie and Dean there. Dean is good friends with Reid and he and I had connected at Beltane the year before. So, it was quite a reunion! I re-met Reid's friend Bridge. On Sunday, Mitch showed up for an afternoon. Then beth came with Alex, Marina, Susan and Nick from Lost Valley. By then we had our own tribe within the festival.

The theme for the festival was set for me at the opening ritual. We all circled around the firepit as someone passed around a globe of light. I couldn't hear what was being chanted, but as the globe of light came to each person, that person said one word. I had no idea what was going on, but when the globe of light came to me, I said "Trust!" That's been my theme ever since. I am here for a reason. Other people cross my path for a reason. I have desires that motivate me and while I take action each day to pursue my dreams, I cannot control the world around me. When I can remember to trust myself and trust others, I let go of the need to "make things happen" and I allow room for the happening to become.

Back row: Marty, Nick, Reid, Delish, Dean and Susan. Front row: Bridge, beth, Marina, Alex, and EVie

Now, I am home again with my beautiful children. Sager and I are about to celebrate 14 years together next Wednesday. Reid came through here yesterday on his way back up to Vancouver. I got to witness a sweet connection between beth and Reid. It certainly is the lusty month of May. I had a crush on EVie. Dean was really sweet with me. Alex and my brother John are trying to figure out whether or not they can be lovers. Mitch fell for someone in the Heart of Now workshop. It can be intoxicating and distracting. But I am learning new things about myself every day.

One thing I know is that I am a social being. I thrive with people around me who share in a love, trust, and respect for each other. I am so appreciative of living in community and being in such beautiful natural surroundings. As I type, a soft rain is falling. It hasn't rained since the Heart of Now workshop two weeks ago. It makes me happy to feel the cool wetness and see the water refresh the parched soil. People are like that with me. We nurture each other with warm intimacy and showers of love.