Experiencing a phenomenon can be lost in translation when trying to explain it.

Synchronicities that occur; coincidences that aren’t.  All of it gets stored away as a rare occurrence in our bank of memories as it expands our consciousness.

In 1998 I attended the 4^th International Herb Symposium, held at Wheaton College, Norton, MA.  The Symposium offered great Intensives, lectures and networking.  It’s was a fantastic educational venue for beginners to intermediate herbalists and best of all is the opportunity to meet world renown botanist, herbalists and authors.  I’m wearing my ripped, well-worn sleeveless tee from the Symposium as I write these words today – it’s my favorite kick-a-round top to wear when at home, and it’s literally in ragged pieces.  Why is this important?  Because the shirt is a material reminder of an experience.

On the first full day of classes, a huge roll of white runner paper was laid out on the floor of the registration area.  Participants were encouraged to choose a coloured felt-tip marker and write something.  It could be your name, a poem, or a drawing – it didn’t matter.  What mattered was making words real, concrete.  Clutching a pen, I wrote the words, “No matter what, the Truth is always the Truth.” Nothing earthshaking, but for me it meant claiming my power at the time and acknowledging who I am and what I would accomplish on the planet going forward.

Flash forward – the closing ceremonies are taking place.  We are all standing around a section called the “dimple”.  Google a picture of this thing – it’s a football length of grassy field that has been depressed with the giant thumbprint of a god.  All participants are standing around the outer rim.  We’re singing, I’m wearing my favorite tee shirt, all bright and new purchased from the vendor table.  I’m feeling good!  Great! I’ve studied with some of the best teachers, and met Rosemary Gladstar, James Duke, Susun Weed, 7Song, Christopher Hobbs and Ed Smith!  I. Am. In. Herbal. Heaven.

It’s been decided that to close out the Symposium the “welcome banner” we all signed at the beginning of the weekend has been taped and joined to all the previous International Herb Symposiums.  This gargantuan banner will now be unfurled, and we, the participants, will carefully hold it as it makes itself around, and around the dimple. Visually this is impressive.  Hundreds of men and women standing on campus holding, what seems like a half mile of white paper with signatures, drawings and words of wisdom and all of us feeling the emotional impact of how many students and teachers have participated in this event.

I look across the grassy dimple and can’t help smiling at the simple joy of participation in such an event.  It feels like the sixties again.  A Love-In.  Then I look down, and my smile stops.  I am holding my own words.  I am holding the words I wrote two days ago:  “No matter what, the Truth is always the Truth.” I am unnerved.  This banner is literally hundreds and hundreds of feet long.  It is years of the written word by others.  It’s real.  I can see it.  My hands are holding onto my own words!  This experience is mine; it’s in my memory bank.

After the banner gets re-wound I walk over to Rosemary Gladstar and give her a hug and tell her what happened.  “I ended up holding my own words!” She’s had plenty of crazies approach her, what’ s one more?, I think.  She smiled and hugged me back.

That was the moment I claimed another Ray of  Light as my own.

Now if I could just claim a less worn out tee for the rest of the journey.

Tags: 7Song, Christopher Hobbs, Ed Smith, herbalist, International Herb Symposium, James Duke, phenomenon, ray of light, Rosemary Gladstar, Susun Weed, synchronicities, Wheaton College