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Visiting Eddie / Shaman Stars -- October 2023 Eddie is my cousins boyfriend that has property in St. Johns Arizona. I have been invited up to see the property many times, and finally the stars and moon aligned and off on the adventure I went. The reason I am putting a recap of my visit with Eddie in the Shaman section of this website is because something really amazing happened on the second night while I was playing my drum. Its worth the read for sure!!! Actually throughout my entire visit I was noticing alignments of things that were just too coincidental. I had pre-knowledge that on Eddie’s land there is a sinkhole which serves as a entrance to a lava tube that was made back in the basalt lava flow days. The hole goes quite deep and the bottom can be seen from the top, however Eddie has not yet been in the hole to see what else is down there. That’s the extent of what I knew about Eddies property. |
Marty and Eddie
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Ruby
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So I packed my climbing gear, and my Shaman sage kit and drum, and headed north traveling the route that goes through Payson Arizona. I was following no time schedule and I felt very very peaceful. There were no expectations that I had for this trip, and I could feel that there were no expectations of me coming from Eddie. I felt great! Perfect day, perfect temperature, amazing Arizona landscapes! Eddie is in process of downsizing his world and selling the property, so it was like a camping trip within a small house. I was super glad that at the last moment I packed my coat and hat not realizing the night temps were dipping down into the low 40’s. A generator gave occasional power to the house, a well supplied the water, small solar lights lit up the house exterior at night, no TV and no radio, as Eddie and his dog named Ruby enjoy life’s peace.
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The moment I stepped out of my vehicle onto Eddies property I felt great balance in the land. I wasn’t even searching for anything that felt “off” so to say, but it was apparent that all was really Blessed. As Eddie showed me around the property a Blessed feeling contained me the entire time. That was super cool for me! Maybe I have been in the city so long that any time being outdoors in nature will bring me this feeling, but this was different. I even mentioned a few times to Eddie the feeling of the Blessing I am receiving from his land. Within a hour of me being on Eddies property, I knew my Shaman Sage Kit was not needed for any clearing.
After a good meal, the night was filled with high level spiritual conversation that went on for hours. Many lit candles cast dancing shadows on the walls and ceiling. Ruby had no problem with me being there as she was enjoying the extra snacks she was receiving. The next day we didn’t waste any time as we prepared the ropes for our descent into the unknown hole. We used Eddies truck bumper as the main anchor, and a drilled bolt served as a secondary anchor and directional. Two ropes were placed in case one of them failed. “Don’t want to be stuck in a hole you can’t get out of.” And down we went! The overall first drop measured to 70’ and there was a great flat landing spot to get off of the ropes. We instantly noticed a snake moving around which was a perfect reminder for us to remain in caution mode the whole time we were down there.
A beautiful cave/tube went in one direction, and a massive cave was in the other direction. I mean hundreds of feet massive like a amphitheater. Sharing a few of the photos taken.
After a good meal, the night was filled with high level spiritual conversation that went on for hours. Many lit candles cast dancing shadows on the walls and ceiling. Ruby had no problem with me being there as she was enjoying the extra snacks she was receiving. The next day we didn’t waste any time as we prepared the ropes for our descent into the unknown hole. We used Eddies truck bumper as the main anchor, and a drilled bolt served as a secondary anchor and directional. Two ropes were placed in case one of them failed. “Don’t want to be stuck in a hole you can’t get out of.” And down we went! The overall first drop measured to 70’ and there was a great flat landing spot to get off of the ropes. We instantly noticed a snake moving around which was a perfect reminder for us to remain in caution mode the whole time we were down there.
A beautiful cave/tube went in one direction, and a massive cave was in the other direction. I mean hundreds of feet massive like a amphitheater. Sharing a few of the photos taken.
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There were peoples scratched in initials on a few cave walls where some of the dates went back into the 1920’s (If those are real?). Also down there were pieces of a old ladder that possibly served as a way into the hole from a past land owner. I burned some sage at the flat landing spot at the bottom of the rappel asking for protection/safety for anybody that goes into this hole. Overall it felt like we rappelled down the stem and into a giant upside-down mushroom. 70’ climb back up the ropes using ascenders, and another successful experience lived!! Wow that was…. So AWESOME!!!
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Thirty feet away from Eddie’s house is a 12’ tall basalt boulder, and a smaller boulder nearby. I did bring along my climbing shoes and chalk bag, so my curiosity lead me to investigate if the boulder provided a climb or two on it. To my amazement the rock was totally solid and there are climbing holds all over it. “It is like it was made to be climbed on.” I didn’t just find one climb on it, I found nine and all nine were super fun routes. This was like unreal.
V1 Ruby's Fav
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And as I look across the landscape for miles, these are the only two boulders that were present. Even the smaller boulder produced a interesting route to be climbed. Right there I felt so Blessed and I returned to and climbed on the boulder 4 or 5 times going through the routes over and over. I was climbing in the morning, in the afternoon, and at night! I even drew up a guide for the boulder which shows route ratings, route names, and route starting positions. The boulder is named in dedication to the dog Ruby, referred to as The Spirit Guide Dog, and Eddies and Ruby’s names are included within the name of the routes. Marty just gets… The First Ascents glory!! Ego blast””” Boom!!!
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V1 The Gnome
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But late afternoon Eddie was developing a headache so I let him rest and I went for a hike. Yes Eddie’s land is at the base of a really long mountain that is maybe 200’ at its tallest point. The base of the mountain is covered with all sorts of cool colored rocks, and the hillside is covered in desert flora within crumbled piles of Basalt rocks. No set trails were present so basically I was roughing it through the tall grass and across the landscape keeping my fingers crossed for no rattle snake visitors to find me. I hiked probably two miles and it was just non-stop beautiful. Blue skies and puffy white clouds that hovered above a painted desert that went on as far as the eyes can see. And then the multi colored sunset. Wow!! |
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Okay I am at the Shaman stuff that I really feel I need to share. After my spinach and chicken dinner, and snacks for Ruby, it was already dark outside. The only lights outside are small solar lights that are not very bright but are positioned around the exterior of the house. Eddie mentioned that his headache had gotten worse and he felt that he was better off trying to sleep the headache away. At that time the clock read 7pm. There was no radio or TV, but I had my writing pad with me which I have no problem getting lost into that for hours. But then I felt like something stopped me and then reminded me that I had my Shaman drum. I became really excited.
Testimony to the Great Spirit here: “I state that there are no lies in this compilation.” Outside there was a cool breeze that was blowing with slight occasional gusts. ”I filled a glass full of Snoop Dog Cali Red wine, took two small puffs of weed, and then started looking inside my drum for any rhythm that came forward. I hadn’t played the drum in a long time other than drumming within a few sage-house clearings. I was having trouble getting a rhythm going but then I figured that maybe the slow meditative rhythm that was coming trough the drum was to assist Eddie in getting to sleep. So I stayed with the slow rhythms for 20 minutes or so, and then I heard a voice within me which was recognizable being my teacher, Teacher Paramahansa.
Testimony to the Great Spirit here: “I state that there are no lies in this compilation.” Outside there was a cool breeze that was blowing with slight occasional gusts. ”I filled a glass full of Snoop Dog Cali Red wine, took two small puffs of weed, and then started looking inside my drum for any rhythm that came forward. I hadn’t played the drum in a long time other than drumming within a few sage-house clearings. I was having trouble getting a rhythm going but then I figured that maybe the slow meditative rhythm that was coming trough the drum was to assist Eddie in getting to sleep. So I stayed with the slow rhythms for 20 minutes or so, and then I heard a voice within me which was recognizable being my teacher, Teacher Paramahansa.
I was psyched that Teacher Paramahansa's presence was coming in so strongly, and he was with me simply for the entertainment. And then things started to change. He told me to phase out Eddie since the drumming experience I was going to be with was for me personally. So I walked a little further away from the house and then he instructed for me to look at the sky. There was no moon, and the sky was filled with a million billion trillion of stars. Wow such a treat! The amount of stars that can be seen at night from at my house in the city is probably around 50. Good times!!!
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Teacher Paramahansa stated that “I will be in concert with the stars this evening.” The wind was blowing cold, but I really didn’t feel the temperature since the only thing I was in want with, was my drum. My drum became a precious life. I and the drum became great partners. I could really feel this beautiful connection!
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I restarted playing the drum and I was now fully in tune with it. I was with the song, and I even felt like I was living the song. The feeling and excitement was becoming more and more powerful. The solar house lights were forming images on the underside of the drum head, and after a few songs I came to the realization that there were energies in the sky within the stars that were sending me the vibrations of which I was the conduit of bringing their song through my drum. A few times I could see 5 or 7 of these invisible(?) energies pulsating as I was between songs, and they were asking or begging me to pick their song of what will be next to be played. They were being very playful. I was even picking up on these energies having their own personalities as they differed from each other. Looked like almost transparent oval football shaped clouds sitting slightly below the universe of stars. But they were not clouds and they were present for over two hours.
There was no expectation going on, just a sudden amazing concert that I was a part of. It was filling my soul completely with warmth. I didn’t feel ego within me but I do know that I very much was in full attention mode with the drum to get the notes as perfect as I could. I even started a few songs over asking for assistance to get through some of the complex beats that were coming through in the vibration. So complex that at times I exclaimed that it was too much for me to keep up with. Let’s modify the beat or go to a different song choice. The next song was just that. The drumming didn’t just go into the next song, it went back to a choice, the energies wanting me to pick their song. I even became in conversation with them as they were talking and joking with me as I was performing.
There was no expectation going on, just a sudden amazing concert that I was a part of. It was filling my soul completely with warmth. I didn’t feel ego within me but I do know that I very much was in full attention mode with the drum to get the notes as perfect as I could. I even started a few songs over asking for assistance to get through some of the complex beats that were coming through in the vibration. So complex that at times I exclaimed that it was too much for me to keep up with. Let’s modify the beat or go to a different song choice. The next song was just that. The drumming didn’t just go into the next song, it went back to a choice, the energies wanting me to pick their song. I even became in conversation with them as they were talking and joking with me as I was performing.
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I am pretty sure Teacher Paramahansa was the one that was the energy connector that made the connection happen and remain for its time. I could feel that he was enjoying watching me within the experience that he set up for me. As the music was playing, he shuffled around the front landscape and turned and smiled and was laughing in joy.
Suddenly this beautiful song came forward and it was amazing, like it was telling a story. So enjoyable to perfectly control the sound being a thundering roar, and bringing it down to a whisper that leads into silence. I played two more songs that had a faster beat, then asked them again to please tell me a story. This time something different happened. I got so deep into the story that I noticed that the head of the drum totally disappeared. I was seeing the ground and any rocks there of, even my feet through the drum. Like looking through a unstrung tennis racket, or magnifying glass. The drum became a outlined circle of which the center was a easy drum stick hit target. I was amazed yes, but I purposely resisted and told myself to stay in the story. Suddenly I saw a young reindeer being the center piece of the story. Like I was watching a movie on TV. I could feel the woods, feel it’s heartbeat racing as it was scampering away from unknown sounds, feel it’s peace, and feel it’s appreciation to nature. This song also ended in a whisper that lead into silence. But not full silence, since it ended with a tear running down my cheek. Wow, I love my drum!!
All evening I was trying to get the basic Apache rhythm in the drum moving, but it was not showing up. I eventually was determined to get the Apache rhythm going, and then I could feel the presence of the Indian Brave that came to me and taught me how to play the drum in the first place. I felt like I was connecting with a great friend!! He stood to my right side and was instructing me how to bring the proper note out, and it worked. But the wind was really picking up and it was throwing me off of keeping the proper rhythmic drum beat. So I laughed at the Brave and told him that it may be getting a little too windy to keep the concert going.
Suddenly this beautiful song came forward and it was amazing, like it was telling a story. So enjoyable to perfectly control the sound being a thundering roar, and bringing it down to a whisper that leads into silence. I played two more songs that had a faster beat, then asked them again to please tell me a story. This time something different happened. I got so deep into the story that I noticed that the head of the drum totally disappeared. I was seeing the ground and any rocks there of, even my feet through the drum. Like looking through a unstrung tennis racket, or magnifying glass. The drum became a outlined circle of which the center was a easy drum stick hit target. I was amazed yes, but I purposely resisted and told myself to stay in the story. Suddenly I saw a young reindeer being the center piece of the story. Like I was watching a movie on TV. I could feel the woods, feel it’s heartbeat racing as it was scampering away from unknown sounds, feel it’s peace, and feel it’s appreciation to nature. This song also ended in a whisper that lead into silence. But not full silence, since it ended with a tear running down my cheek. Wow, I love my drum!!
All evening I was trying to get the basic Apache rhythm in the drum moving, but it was not showing up. I eventually was determined to get the Apache rhythm going, and then I could feel the presence of the Indian Brave that came to me and taught me how to play the drum in the first place. I felt like I was connecting with a great friend!! He stood to my right side and was instructing me how to bring the proper note out, and it worked. But the wind was really picking up and it was throwing me off of keeping the proper rhythmic drum beat. So I laughed at the Brave and told him that it may be getting a little too windy to keep the concert going.
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The Brave then said to me. “You must command the wind.” “You are Apache and command the wind to stop.” I found this to be pretty wild but what the heck, I did it. I exclaimed aloud that I was Apache and I command the wind to stop as I play my song.” And the wind instantly stopped. I mean it was going from like 20 miles an hour continuous and gusts too, down to instantly hardly a breeze. It didn’t slowly stop, it stopped right when I told it to stop. I could feel a tingle throughout my body as I said, WOW!!
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The Brave then asked for me to play his song. It started out very beautiful and then it went wild. I never played the drum like this before. I never knew anybody could get the sounds out of the drum like he showed me. Extra beats that are made by rolling the knuckles and the end of the drumstick previous to the drumstick head hitting the drum. It was incredible and very complicated, but I was getting it. I still felt like I was failing to hit and contain all of the higher sounding pitches, which only come forward by hitting specific spots on the drum. Then he showed me and explained that the drum is me and I am the drum. That is how close our relationship is. There is no difference between me and the drum.
He said to identify the individual spot of where the drum needs to be hit to produce the sound, and see the spot being gray, or any different color than the drum head. So I slowly tapped around the drumhead searching for the pitches I wanted and then saw them as grey and it really was working. The gray spots were actually remaining as targets of proper sound. My drum around its edge had a kettle drum appearance. He offered for me to once again play his song, and it was life changing. I was able to contain his entire song without one mistake and while I was within the song, I had no clue that I was at Eddie’s house or anybody’s house. I was lost into the drum and was fully connected as one and just wow!!
He said to identify the individual spot of where the drum needs to be hit to produce the sound, and see the spot being gray, or any different color than the drum head. So I slowly tapped around the drumhead searching for the pitches I wanted and then saw them as grey and it really was working. The gray spots were actually remaining as targets of proper sound. My drum around its edge had a kettle drum appearance. He offered for me to once again play his song, and it was life changing. I was able to contain his entire song without one mistake and while I was within the song, I had no clue that I was at Eddie’s house or anybody’s house. I was lost into the drum and was fully connected as one and just wow!!
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Once the song went into a soft fade out at the end. I gave my drum a big warm hug and felt a few tears of confirmation of togetherness. A few breaths later I exclaimed to the sky in a loud voice, “Now that song was TOTALLY AWESOME!!!” I played one more song that was slow, and then checked on what time it was, and three hours had passed without even a drumming break. I feel that I played 31 different songs, or 31 different songs a spirit played through me.
Eddie told me in the morning that the drumming helped him with his sleep. He felt that he journeyed a little within the music. Eddie also mentioned he heard me at times talking aloud to the sky. In a weird way I feel Blessed that Eddie had that headache, otherwise what I experienced would not have unfolded as beautiful as the way it did. Thank You Teacher Paramahansa, Thank You The Brave, Thank You energies within the stars!! |
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The drum was made by: Z-Toya in 2013, and has been played at 7 Shaman sweat lodge ceremonies.
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The next morning Eddie and I had some fun doing a little target shooting. I got Eddie to sit on top of Spirit Dog Guide Boulder, I climbed a few of the routes on the boulder again, packed up my vehicle, and gave one last Blessing to Eddie’s land.
Wow I packed in a lot of fun in the 48 hours I was at Eddies house! Besides the cave, I was having so much fun I forgot to take photos. Big THANKS and HUGS and lots of LOVE Eddie! You totally Rock!! You are the Rock!!
Drove back to Phoenix Arizona via the route that goes to Globe Arizona. Beautiful blue skies, amazing Arizona canyon landscapes, stop off at Seneca Falls, stop off in Queen Creek Canyon, and then home.
Wow I packed in a lot of fun in the 48 hours I was at Eddies house! Besides the cave, I was having so much fun I forgot to take photos. Big THANKS and HUGS and lots of LOVE Eddie! You totally Rock!! You are the Rock!!
Drove back to Phoenix Arizona via the route that goes to Globe Arizona. Beautiful blue skies, amazing Arizona canyon landscapes, stop off at Seneca Falls, stop off in Queen Creek Canyon, and then home.
Eddie and Spirit Guide Dog Boulder
Tracie contemplating the lava hole