This is one of my favorite moments…it’s me and an Orca (“Killer”) whale off of British Columbia about 15 years ago. I was on a kayaking trip with about 12 other people in an area where whales are known to frequent. But this is the wild, so there were absolutely no guarantees that we’d see or hear anything. We had been out there for a couple of days in this gorgeous part of the world, kayaking and camping and enjoying life but not seeing any signs of whales, when one afternoon we heard it…the unmistakable WHOOSH of a whale coming up to breathe! My heart sped up. Sure enough, a pod was in the distance heading towards our boats! We were told to hold still and stick together: that usually the whales dive and go under or around the kayaks, so we had nothing to worry about. Break Away From the PackMy intuition told me to slowly drift away from the pack. No one really noticed me floating away, they were all too intent on the approaching pod. It was one of those times when the magic in the air is palpable. And then it happened: 3 whales jumped out of the water almost simultaneously, surrounding my boat!!! Everyone gasped. It was shocking in one sense, but my soul was somehow not shocked. I felt such a deep heart connection with these beings, how could they not feel it too? Of course love can travel through water, in fact I’m guessing Ocean is a happy and willing conduit. This lasted for only a few seconds in time, but it has lived on in my heart every day since. Recently, you might have read about the orca whale mom in the Pacific Northwest who carried her dead baby above water, with the help of her family, for 17 days in a stunning act of grieving. Orca Whales are ThreatenedThese whales are at risk of extinction, due to a combination of human induced problems including plummeting salmon stocks, increasing toxic chemicals in the water and communication disruption due to the din of shipping noise. If your heart can not fathom a world without whales, please join us for a Council of All Beings, where I will honor whale and 7 other humans will honor other non-human beings. Council of All BeingsThis is a ceremony based on the work of Dr. JoAnna Macy in Deep Ecology. When an indigenous elder was asked what we in the west could do to help the planet, he said the most important thing was to:
That’s exactly what this council will be about. We need witnesses to the process to help up dream a new world into being. Sometimes you need to step away from the pack and try something new. If this sounds intriguing to you, click here to learn more and to join. May our gathering benefit all beings. much love 💛, Erin |
