Some mesas keeping warm by a fire – Photo: L.Weikel
Full Moon Bath
Nope. Not for me. It’s frigid outside. (And contrary to what a certain someone might have you believe, I’m not a Fridgit.)
I’m sitting here in my living room, a fire making it so toasty and cozy that it’s hard to keep my eyes open. Because the sole thermostat for our entire home is in this room, the rest of the house takes on a noticeable chill when we have a fire going in the winter months. But it makes for great sleeping.
As I sit here on the couch, I can see the brilliance of the imperceptibly not-quite-full moon shining in the front window of the dining room/library. Without being able to see the moon itself from the angle where I’m sitting, I can nevertheless see her glow bouncing off the limbs of the trees in the neighbors’ front yard across the street.
It’s the glow that’s calling to me.
Or perhaps not.
Call of the Khuyas
I thought it was the glow calling to me, but I actually think it is my khuyas. Khuyas (pronounced koo-yahs) are stones contained in my mesa, my sacred bundle. Khuyas are the integral cast of characters in my mesa who work with people to effect healing, in whatever form they may require.
I would say khuyas start out as simple stones or crystals, just regular Joe Schmoes who’ve been hanging around in and on the earth for millennia. But I don’t feel that’s true. Sure, perhaps some of the stones or crystals that end up in mesas are newbies, meaning this is their first gig as a team member in a healing mesa. But I truly believe most of these beings maneuvered their way into being discovered by, or coming into the hands of, a person who is called to learn these ancient ways because it is their service.
These stones know what they’re doing. They carry knowledge and experience accumulated over millennia; vast stores of hidden knowledge and wisdom. And they are remarkably powerful.
Regardless of whether they have been carried in mesas of generations of healers or this is their first assignment working with the human realm, these stones have a unique and treasured relationship with their people. (And by ‘their people,’ I mean those who bundle them in sacred cloth and work with them on behalf of their own healing and, in some cases, the healing of others).
From as early in my life as I can remember, I’ve delighted in noticing and picking up stones that have caught my attention. (Same with feathers and other treasures I’ve discovered in nature.) But stones! I think I have stones from every place I’ve ever visited. (And believe me – when I was backpacking around Europe as an 18 year old, this meant I had to exercise immense discernment – and restraint.)
Who Initiates Whom?
But none of those or any other stones I collected over the years could technically be called a khuya. Not until it worked with me on a soul level, one-on-one, and developed a personal relationship with me. Indeed, when I was first building my mesa, the initial set of stones I worked with ended up being initiated into the Q’ero tradition I was learning before I was. The Q’ero elders and those who had been working with and had received rites of initiation from them made a point of initiating the stones– making them khuyas – before even considering initiating me.
But as I have done this work through the years, I have wondered: Did it take an initiation by a human to shift a stone or crystal to the status of a khuya? Or do they know Who They Are and, as I mentioned earlier, present themselves to (or allow themselves to be discovered by) a person when that person is on the path to be initiated by them?
I’m perhaps heading off into the weeds a little here; possibly contemplating the origin of my sacred allies in ways that might not interest a lot of people. I can tell you, embracing the consciousness of my khuyas has brought me immense joy, which I guess is why I love just chatting with you about this stuff.
And all of this originated with my observation of the moon’s glow as I started to write this post.
Yearning for a Full Moon Bath
That’s because, as cold as it is outside (and I can hear the wind causing the chimes on my porch to clatter and clang in more of a cacophony than usual), I hear my khuyas calling me. They’re asking to be set out in the moonlight tonight. They’re nearly giddy with the thought of being exposed to the brace of freezing temperatures and the kiss of a stiff breeze, perhaps even some snow flurries. Most of all, though, they’re yearning to bask in the light of Mama Killa, Grandmother Moon, and be cleansed and revivified in the process.
Yikes. Now that I’m tuned in, I can hear them bitching at me a little bit. They’ve been doing some amazingly powerful work for quite a while and I’ve not been as devoted (there’s a word!) to them as they would like. I’ve neglected them by not allowing them the cleansing serenity of a Full Moon Bath in far too long. And yes, this is true, even if I have cooed over them, kumayed them with florida water, and expressed my gratitude every time I’ve opened my mesa.
So I am off to open Sacred Space, unfold my mesa, and set her out in the glow of tonight’s full moon. May my khuyas dance and be joyful!
(T-1013)