I cannot tell you how many times I have passed this gray hill. From a distance it looks like a temple or natural pyramid. It is located very near the entrance to Interstate 17, which I travel on several times a week. So this should have jumped out at me long ago. But I didn't see it until now.
Thanks to my new friend Jerry at Friends of the Forest, I saw it. I learned that this sacred hill was once a great pueblo where many hundreds of people lived many hundreds of years ago. Located near the Wet Beaver Creek, it was home to a settlement of Sinaguan people. It is reputed to take on a special golden tone in the light of the rising sun on special days of the year. Once I saw it, I could recognize the sacred nature of this place. The fact that it had been hidden in plain sight, increased its allure. Once I saw it, I knew that I would visit sometime soon.
The road and the trails that lead to this site are very rocky or covered. In fact most of the base of the mountain is surrounded by barbed-wire fencing. I got lost several times trying to find the entrance. However, since I was visiting during the shadow period of the Full moon, I felt that I couldn't leave without visiting the top, leaving an offering. I found prints of horses' hooves and followed them until I saw what looked like an entrance. There was a special "gateway" stone, but it too was covered by the barbed-wire fence. I decided to make an offering of red silk. If I didn't find a way in, at least I would show my respect to the spirits of the people who lived there so long ago.
Maybe it's a trick of the mind, but I felt some slight shift in my perception after I made that offering. I turned to my right and found traces of a path that had been grown over with cactus and holly bushes. I had to keep moving along the path. Even if I risked climbing the fence, a dry creek bed stood between the fence and the base of the hill. Dangerous indeed. My perseverance was rewarded after 20 minutes of walking when I found a narrow opening in the fencing. As far as I could see, it was the only way in. It led to a path that skirted the northern base of the hill and ascended upward. It was clear that very few people came this way.
As the top of the hill started coming into view I heard a strangely familiar scream. It was repeated over and over again. I looked up and saw some agitated ravens.I have seen many ravens in my life, especially around Sedona, but I have never seen a ravens' nest. They tend to avoid people. So they clearly didn't like me being so close to their nest. They kept yelling at me even as I walked past the place where they could see me. In my mind I hoped they could perceive that I had not intentions of going anywhere near their nest. And then, I thought, with their symbolic connection to the underworld, they just might be guardians for this place.
I eventually made it to the top and saw pottery shards here and there, as well as outlines of dwellings. The view was spectacular and I imagined it must have been a wonderful place to live. I walked around the top until I found the remains of a flat grinding stone. Maybe it was a cooking space or a working space for handicrafts. I don't know, I only know that this spot felt special. So, I stood at that point and meditated, connecting my feet to the Earth and opening my 7th Chakra to the Sky. I relaxed and said a blessing for the spirits of the people who once lived there. Then I laid a handful of Cedar needles on the grinding stone. The minute the last needle hit the stone, those ravens flew up, but this time making sweet sounds like the of their jay cousins.
What a pleasant surprise! I laughed and smiled. I admired the golden flowers growing up there. I opened my arms and felt the wind sweeping over my body. I paid my respects and began my descent. When I finally reached the bottom, I covered myself with lavender oil and gratitude. When I followed the rest of the path, I realized it had been very near my car, but somehow I missed it. I hope that this experience would help me remember, to see the gifts and opportunities hidden in plain sight.
