Westward Ho!
Good Lord. From the sometimes carnival yet arcane streets of Glastonbury and always sacred heart of Avalon, I take my leave and return to my homeland – specifically to the sacred heart of the ancient Appalachian mountains – Asheville North Carolina. Homecoming. There was mention it would be glorious. But leaving? So soon?
Well soon is arbitrary when you live in a timeless portal such as Glastonbury, where lifetimes can be lived in what would otherwise be measured as a short span of time, and where others might float, and feel lost in an endless state of limbo somewhere between life and death. There are many layers to being, and living in Glastonbury. I wouldn’t change my experience. Well, at least not the part of being there. The outer expression of my constant challenge with governmental visa and local governmental regulations and contradictions as an American, belies the personal and collective confrontation with – and potential transmutation of, an ancient archetype of control and oppression. Other archetypes – generous, welcoming, and wise are also present. I figured on being a local Avalonian at least 5 years given my natural rhythm of movement but I should not take measure!
Once an Avalonian, always an Avalonian. The outer world gives us the message of do more, want more and more of it more quickly – the stress of trying to keep up within our measurement of time is anti-life. We’ve no way to keep up with time – it too is changing and the stillpoint in our center remains the only constant – this timeless position allows our experience to be full and complete – outside of time, or in mythic time. We touch on this place when we splash paint on a canvas, sing an aria badly or in tune, throw clay, bake bread, meditate, gaze into someone’s eyes, feel the soul of an animal …
In Asheville North Carolina, people talk about the boomerang effect – once you’ve lived there, you often return. I understand there’s a similar effect in Glastonbury – once having lived there, you usually return. As I’m able to maintain a home in Glastonbury, but now on my way back to Asheville, it seems I may travel between the two for a while! SoulBiscuit’s primary home will be in Asheville, and beginning spring of 2020 the house there will open for events and gatherings.
A few weeks ago I saw the brilliant Manhattan skyline come into veiw from a ship’s deck at 5 a.m. – like shimmering diamonds on the horizon – it was a welcome rush of glorious homecoming – my voyage back to the states.
I also had multiple pieces of luggage with me – so many musical instruments came along – though one guitar didn’t show up in my cabin at the start of the trip. Throughout that week on the ship I practiced the letting go of my beloved guitar – while, simultaneously intending its return back to the fold! – there was much sadness at its potential loss, and surrender. When gathering my luggage that was spread across the warehouse on disembarkment however, I saw the missing guitar case in the thousands of pieces of lugggage – how it ended up in a fellow passengers compartment for the week is another story, but this return – a blessed welcome home gift.
I’m in New York a few more weeks in its frenetic and endlessly exciting environment – in my stillpoint of transition. I’ll miss Glastonbury, but I feel ushered to the Americas. And I’m happy to be here.
