Video of Sara and Diva demonstrating a Horse Dance at Silver Horse Retreat
Recently I led a three day Shamanic Horse Workshop intensive at Silver Horse Retreat at our location in southern California. For our first assignment, I took the group to a local, abandoned, black tourmaline mine in Cleveland National Forest. Each member of the group was instructed to find a rock which captured their attention. The purpose of this rock was to ignite hidden memories and skills; to access relevant information during a guided journey/meditation.
In the journey, as each person held their rock, I guided them to an inner landscape in which they were asked to identify a specific tree. This was to be the meeting place where their horse messenger would make an appearance. I told the participants to pay attention to the type of tree they saw and to identify the horse; what did their horse look like and what were the horse’s specific actions? Also what gender, name, color and size was the horse?
Whilst playing a hand drum to guide the group through this journey, I journied alongside them. In my journey I found myself in a snowy, mountain landscape, under a tall, fir tree, it’s heavy, snow laden branches, gently hovering against a white, sparkly terrain. From behind the tree appeared a large, black, Percheron, stallion. His breath cascaded out of his nostrils as he snorted puffs of steamy clouds, which hung silently in the cold, stark, midday air. I was in awe of his powerful stature and his lustrous, jet black, silky coat. His name was Zephyr and his message concerned Diva, (my black Percheron mare). He telepathically told me I should expect a breakthrough with her and it would be promoted through receiving a sound healing. At the time I didn’t understand in what context the breakthrough would happen. I imagined it was to do with Diva’s erratic behavior. She’d been acting spooky on the trail rides; bucking and having tantrums.
The third and last day of the Shamanic Horse Retreat is when everyone performs their Horse Dance. Each participant has the opportunity of dancing their personal ritual/ceremony with a horse, to honor and integrate the previous two days of process work. It’s important for the dancers to dress for the occasion, in an outfit that is not their normal attire and to dance to a song of their choice.
In order to support the participants in their dance, Diva and I demonstrated to the group an improvised Horse Dance. (Watch video). In preparation for my dance with Diva I realized the importance of pushing the edge of my comfortability, to take a risk per se. I chose a song which makes me feel extremely happy and motivated. I call it the 'runway song'. I picked out clothes I’ve owned for years, which have been hiding in the back of my closet, garments I’ve never worn in public! I wanted to give confidence and inspiration to the other participants, to really ‘go for it’ when it came time for their Horse Dance. The group participants held nothing back in their dances. I was impressed by how they immersed themselves into the project and at their willingness to do something completely out of the ordinary. The results were stunning and beautiful, to be cherished and never forgotten.
The following week I had the opportunity of experiencing two sound healing events. The first event was with Mark Mobley in Borreggo Springs and the next one happened a few days later at the Silver Horse Weekend Horse Constellation event with my guest Renne Beaux. Both events were exceptional. Allowing the sounds and frequencies of the bowls to transform my energy field felt way better than any drug/alcohol induced state I’d ever experienced, (and with no side effects or hangover)!
Shortly after, I was dumbstruck to notice the disappearance of a hard mass in Diva's udder. Diva had been dealing with this stubborn lump for quite sometime and I was about to go ahead with what my vet suggested which was to put her on a course of antibiotics.
I am at a loss to understand why and how Diva’s condition dramatically improved. This is literally a breakthrough, as the mass in her udder is no longer obstructing the release of her milk. I’m inclined to believe it was related to all of the experiences mentioned above, beginning with the horse journey. I’m content to let go of any need to have a logistical explanation. Some of you might consider this a co-incidence, and yes I would agree; there was a co incident resulting in Diva's relief of a troublesome illness.