In the meantime the Bedouin tent had been prepared for our 'learning space'.
Once everyone was settled in their 'luxurious' rustic accomodation, we officially 'opened' around 16:00 on 31/05/2007 with a snorkeling course presented by Courtney.
Some of Us looked quite strange with Our diving goggles:
Then we had our original fire ceremony - birthing fire like the Bushman did. The original fire then lit the candles and 'fakkels' to enable everyone to at least see Courtney, while presenting her Dolphin talk on the code of conduct and sharing some interesting aspects about the swimming with the dolphins.
After supper the presentation 'opening' was held, just to:
- set the scene for the next couple of days,
- determine our buddies through telepathy,
- 'differentiate' our 4 swimming groups and
- appoint our 'keeper of the flame element'.
And already some of the 'learning experiences' started to flow: responsibility and free choice and how it influence each one of us differently...
Some found the mix of raw nature and technology quite interesting...
And then while some went to sleep, others listened to a recorded Dolphin channeling by Michelle Ellof - each one according to their own free choice.
Friday morning and the first launch is preparing in the dive center , all in anticipation of what lies ahead...
And then it's out to sea to go and meet our friends:
And then the second launch went out, and what an amazing encounter they also had...
Both launches' encounters were so amazing that when we eventually started with the 7 Initiations after a long break, some who did decide to attend, was almost completely 'spaced out'... With providing absolute free choice and taking our friend (Chronos) 'time' out of the equation, the next 'learning experiences' again started to flow... trusting the process to Be where (and when) you want to Be... not an easy adjusment for Us to make so quickly... Just Be-I-ng.... right Here... right Now! Observing in our Time and Space...
Even my own 'learning experiences' started with managing the energy changes with every change in the group participation - every person coming or going - putting two of my personal aspects into opposition: My personal Guidance ‘As we In-volve further it is part of the lesson to learn that no One is allowed to interfere in any Way with any One else’s free will.’ versus my Life mission to manifest Love through the Unity of humanity. In the end 'We are One' had to be compromised for Free Choice...
The evening Courtney and Paulus took us on a very special Sound Journey, bringing very old original music technology to the party... the oldest probably the didgeridoo originating from the Australian aboriginees...
The next morning (Sat 2 June 2007) we set out again to meet our friends the wild Dolphins, but what a different experience from the previous day... overcast, rough seas with huge waves, no dolphins - not even just showing themselves to us... and another lesson gets integrated very solidly: The first miracle of a Dolphin encounter is just to see them in the waters, the second miracle is for them to come close, out of their own free will, the third is to allow us in their space without leaving and the fourth miracle is if they actually interact with Us with playing or eye contact. We had our sum total of 4 miracles yesterday and today just made us even more grateful for the privilege we had...
The second launch did not even happen...
Then we went to our 'learning space' again to learn more about the 7 Initiations. By the late afternoon I real-I-zed again how our Guidance can be spot-on if we just listen... although quite a bit of time was spent in the 'learning space' and I could not 'understand' my 'preparation Guidance', I trusted it and here we have actually made it to exactly that spot... the 4th Initiation... 'the bridge'...
And again I could trust the flow when the weather interfered with all our nice plans to have a specific meditation around a nice open fire... the less arduous road is to just flow with life, no resistance and everything will work out perfectly... all the 'planning' in the world does not come close to listening to our Guidance in the Now... The rain coming down so hard that it even 'prevent' some to attend the last ceremony...
Gratefully the tent got 'held up' with all the rain water until we all were safely out from underneath it... and then it teared and collapsed.
Late that night my 'cat story' got a new turn, when the Giant Bushbaby came to our tent again and me and Glyn could lie and observe him for quite a while through the mesh of the tent door.
Sunday morning the sea was even worse than the previous morning. Probably after the previous night's rain and in the end we did not even launch at all. The sharing on the beach and the real-I-zation that Ria went through the 4th Initiation and did get her life-purpose confirmed, made everything worthwhile.
Courtney organized all 26 of Us to get togetger and then gently did some of her magic to let everyOne just open up. The sharing which ensued 'warmed the cockles of my heart' and gave me a couple of connection sessions. Thank you again to everyOne... In the end We were One...
And then the goodbye's started... and some 'buddy hugs' were exchanged:
Then the time was perfect for some to go to the top of the dune to the 'sacred' spot, while I could exercise my free will to at least spent a little bit of time with my 'family' over breakfast at the restaurant and thank them for their support over the weekend before they had to leave again.
A relaxed day followed for the 11 of Us who remained - some swimming, Penny re-affirming her life purpose, Alita getting a footology sessions from Mariette and some just relaxing and chatting away... Until we resumed with deep interactive discussions on the 3 remaining Initiations at sunset, closed off with a 'community supper' with some nice local prawns and wild rice, braaied by Oupa in the dive camp.
The evening was closed off on the dive camp deck with trying our hands and mouths at different musical instruments, finding our own 'notes' in a Courtney 'cuddle buddle', doing some interesting free dance moves on drumming rhythms provided by Courtney and Paulus, while the fullish moon kept on peeping at us through the cloud cover.
My friend 'Bushy', the Giant Bushbaby, came to visit me again at my tent even before I got into my tent and just displayed his absolute trust in me by walking by very close to me and allowing me to openly observe him. A very nice relationship starting to develop...
The next morning (Monday) I had another very nice sungazing experience and could contemplate the other participants who started practising this earlier during the re-treat.
Another boat launch was organized for the remaining group and some exercised their free will to not partake.
And then the first miracle happened again... we saw our friends the wild Dolphins frolicking in the waves while we had to stay slightly further out. They were totally aware of our presence and entertained us with their presence, their tummy turn jumps and general playfullness for probably about 40 - 50 minutes, but choose not to come closer or interact. My own personal 'learning experiences' just ran through me like a torrent on this trip, ranging from trusting my intuition and Guidance, clarity on my way forward with Dolphin trips, trusting the less arduous road, trusting the allowing of free will for All of God's creation, getting a re-affirmation on our manifestation capabilities: 'if you have infinite patience, you will receive immediate results'...
And then it was time for the next set of goodbyes as everybody else left and just myself, Courtney and Paulus stayed behind. The rest of the day I just spent on my own mostly walking or meditating on the beach trying to integrate everything that happened over the previous couple of days... not knowing that my integration processing will continue for the whole next week...
The evening my encounter with Bushy reached a very pleasant climax. When s/he came to visit, I called him and he actually came closer. I touched his paws through the canvass roof and then offered him a small piece of fresh date. He took it from the roof with his little paw out of my hand. I then called him closer and offered him another piece on the waist high railing. This time he even increased the trust level and took it out of my hand with his mouth and just moved away about a meter while nibbling away at it. I just had to make sure of our relationship and offered him another piece, which he again took with his mouth and again just moved away about a meter while looking me straight in the eye. What an amazing bonus to end off a superb re-treat...
Was I really utilised to create a miracle for Bushy (and perhaps some participants)? Or are these just my own 'Why? Stories'? May-Be, May-Be not... Who will ever know? But all my 'learning experiences' stay with me; Just Be-I-ng... Here... Now... for the rest of my time here on Earth....
So, how do I feel about the whole experience?
Every Thing worked out perfectly...
- If there are any disappointments, we did not get the 'expectation lesson'... expectation is the thief of gratitude...
- If the 'learning sessions' were too long, we did not get the 'free choice lesson'.... and elected to still feel a victim...
- If something was 'missed', we did not get the 'trust the process lesson'... and perhaps still want to 'Do in Chronos' instead of 'Be in Kairos'... And I quote:
"Chronos is clocks, deadlines, watches, calendars, agendas, planners, schedules, beepers. Chronos is time at her worst. Chronos keeps track. ...Chronos is the world's time.
Kairos is transcendence, infinity, reverence, joy, passion, love, the Sacred. Kairos is intimacy with the Real. Kairos is time at her best. ...Kairos is Spirit's time.
We exist in chronos. We long for kairos. That's our duality.
Chronos requires speed so that it won't be wasted.
Kairos requires space so that it might be savored.
We do in chronos. In kairos we're allowed to be ...
It takes only a moment to cross over from chronos into kairos, but it does take a moment. All that kairos asks is our willingness to stop running long enough to hear the music of the spheres." -- Sarah Ban Breathnach
And 'So Be It!'