A TIME FOR GATHERING
As I sat at my breakfast table this morning, I
happened to glance around my sunny kitchen, and I spied wonderful mason jars on
my counter filled with the delicious harvest of a dear friend of mine, an avid
gardener. She always sends me the fruits and vegetables she so painstakingly
nurtures and harvests, and then preserves and pickles them in these darling
jars. I meditated on the essence of Fall, and I know that this season is one of reckoning,
of reaping the harvest we have sown all year. We reap the benefits of our Acts
of Power, as well as gather our thoughts and our creativity that blossomed in
Summer. If we think about it, we hold onto our thoughts and creativity, and
dream during the colder months of the year, allowing all we have gathered to
settle deep within our hearts.
I pondered, for a moment, the meaning of gathering. How my friend gathers her
crops and then transforms them, keeping and storing them in the mason jars for
use during the winter months. I saw some movement out of my peripheral vision,
and I noticed the hummingbirds flitting in and out of the several feeders I
have hanging outside of my window. One little bird in particular caught my
interest, as she darted quickly, tasting first one nibble from one feeder, and
then on to another one. Her iridescent wings of green and gold flashed in the
sun, and suddenly I was transported back into the Yucatan. I was startled to
see the face of one of my teachers, a member of the Sisterhood of the Shields,
and an extraordinary woman of power, Amy Hummingbird Wing. Amy had gifted me
with an example of true Gathering, the way a true Warrior of Spirit gathers
wisdom. "I wrote about Amy Hummingbird Wing in my newest book, 'Coming
Full Circle - Ancient Teachings for a Modern World."
Hummingbirds are great warriors; they fly vast distances, north to south and
back again. Amy Hummingbird Wing is like a hummingbird, and is known as ‘The
Wanderer’. She travels all over collecting wisdom from one village and then
shares what she has learned with another village. Amy also is a bee-keeper of
extraordinary bees known as the Melipona Bees, which some people thought had
become extinct.
Amy is the keeper of the Melipona, and uses their honey for medicinal purposes.
I wrote about my initial meeting with Amy in my latest book.
I was in the Yucatan, in Southern Mexico, visiting Zoila, another of my
teachers from the Sisterhood of the Shields. One day, Zoila said to me, “Lynn,
let’s take a walk, there is someone who wants to meet you.” Curious, but
knowing better than to question Zoila, I followed her down a path through the
jungle. We came to a little hut, which I would have just walked past had Zoila
not pointed it out to me. It was cleverly disguised with thatch and leaves, and
the sides, which looked on closer inspection to have come from a large green
truck, perhaps a pick-up truck, were painted a green to match the leaves of the
large plants all around us.
A woman approached us on the path. She wore a colorful embroidered blouse and
skirt. Her earrings were silver, and they dangled and touched her shoulders,
swinging back and forth as she moved toward us. I knew her, but had only before
recognized her in my dreaming with the Sisterhood.
“I see you,” I said to her, “I know you!”
She laughed and said, “I see you too, little wolf!”
Zoila hugged Amy Hummingbird Wing, and quickly departed, back the way we had
come. I stood there, staring at Amy for a moment, not knowing what was expected
of me.
Amy pulled out a kind of netting out of her shoulder bag, which was woven and
decorated with big red and pink flowers. She placed the netting over my head,
and pulled it down to my feet. She placed one just like it over herself, and,
off we went, down the trail.
We came to a clearing with several logs placed together like pyramids. I could
hear a buzzing and noticed hundreds of tiny bees flying in and out of the logs.
I began to wave my hands in the air, fearful of getting stung.
Amy took my hands and said, “Little one, do not fear. These are special bees. They
are the Melipona, and they are stingless.”
I stood absolutely still as I watched Amy go up to the log pyramids. I could
feel her gathering her intent, as she moved into the space around her navel,
the shaman’s center of power. The bees landed on Amy, seemingly caressing her
as they calmly walked over her arms and legs. I’d never seen bees act like
this. They were truly amazing as they gently touched my elder teacher.
Amy moved only after the bees had flown away, and then she slowly and
deliberately approached the hives. Amy was reverent as she collected the
honeycomb created by these ancient bees.
After she completed the honey collection, she motioned for me to follow her up
the trail back to her hut. We sat down in the cool interior, and Amy fed me the
honey. It was so dark, and tasted so sweet. I felt better within myself,
centered, after having eaten of this sacred nectar.
“The honey from these bees is special. The ancient Maya used it for healing
purposes. The Melipona were greatly treasured, and the exchange of the bees or
of the honey was like the exchange of money in your world today. They were
highly prized.” Amy continued, “You see, the Melipona do not collect nectar
like other honey bees, they take only what they can and only from certain flowers.
They gather with intent. The Melipona are so tiny, only they can properly
pollinate the orchids that we use to make Vanilla. You see, vanilla comes from
a type of orchid in this part of the world, and no other bee can pollinate this
flower correctly. The Melipona are small enough to climb inside, and they know
just how to gather that pollen!”
Amy looked at me, smiling, and I realized she was waiting for me to ‘get it’. I
thought for a few moments before I answered her.
“You mean to say that we need to be like these bees, to gather our wisdom, but
to be careful, to gather with intent, the wisdom, the knowledge, that will
serve us and enable us to pollinate, so to speak, to create a beautiful and
sweet ‘honey’ for our souls?” Amy’s earrings jiggled back and forth as she
nodded her head, “Yes”.
I came back to the present with the sound of the breeze as it played across my
wind chimes hanging from the porch. I thought of how much we gather in our
lives, and the importance of sharing what we have taken in. Amy travels vast
distances in an old green truck, going from one village to another, sharing the
‘honey’ of her wisdom. So, we must also, in the Fall, gather our emotions, our
thoughts, and move inside of ourselves, into a hive, so to speak, to fill our
hearts and our souls with all of the wisdom and experience we have harvested
throughout the year. As Amy does, she shares, or discards what is no longer
suitable; this is also part of gathering. We empty out that which does not
serve a purpose for us or is no longer relevant to our growth.
As the sun moved higher into the sky, I noticed the hummingbirds began to fly
away, to seek new vistas, and new nectar, elsewhere. I looked at the jars of
preserves and jellies, and I thought of the coming months of Fall and Winter. I
know that I use this time to go within, to dream, and to work on other planes
of existence. Fall is a time of reckoning, of seeing what you have harvested,
and of allowing yourself to let go anything that does not add to your growth.
Fall is truly a time of transformation and change. So, as you move into the
Fall months, think about what holds you back from your own enlightenment and
your true power in the world. What is it that you still need to do to reap the
abundance of the universe that is meant for you? Pull in all of your energies
and thoughts that lay scattered around you like leaves falling to Earth. Begin
to dream and collect your strength for the coming months as you collect your
personal sacred honey to feed your marvelous soul all that it deserves!
So much love to all,
Lynn V. Andrews 9.7.12
