My Blog

nomads united

gracystar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:03:11 GMT

hi everyone... i just found out about this caravan!!! if you haven't checked it out please go to www.nomadsunited.com it looks amazing and i hope you enjoy!!! yahoo!!! maybe i will see you there!!! xoxox melanie

its been a long time...

gracystar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 06:52:22 GMT

wow...so it's been a while since i have been on here and much has happened...after the burningman vortex i traveled around cali for a month and am now back home...have been working in the mountains and been thinkin alot about what is going to happen next...i feel so much love and energy and community it's amazing and wonderful and magical!!! yahoo!!! i had a great chat in the circle today about our community and coming together...and how small this world truly is....hahaha thankyou all for being a part of this amazing family and stepping up!!! it's so exciting to be alive and awake with all you wonderful souls!!! thankyou thankyou thankyou!!! xoxoxo melanie

do you know wwoofing?

gracystar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 06:47:46 GMT

hi everyone... so i'm interrested in wwoofing in new zealand...do you know someone who has done this or knows about it... xox melanie

come say hi at burningman

gracystar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:26:59 GMT

hey all..i'll be at "area 47" this year at 7 and esplanade....and inside that camp i'm with camp obnoxious...so come say hello!!! see you on the playa!!! xoxox melanie

My friend looking for first Burning Man ticket- he's a virgin!!

gracystar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:32:29 GMT

I have a great friend down in LA who's an amazing painter and he needs his first NBurning Man ticket, but needs to trade. Anybody interested? He sent me this post-----> PLEASE HELP!! Also, check his profile on tribe, his name is Colin Day........... LOVE!!!!!! Hey there Burners, I am seeking to break my Burning Man virginity (that's right, I've never gone) and I really would LOVE to go. I need one ticket. Thing is, I am, like many of us, low on funds. Sooo, I am putting it out there that I am in search of a trade. I am a painter, you can see some of my work to get a taste for it at: http://www.myspace.com/studiodaybreak , as my website is being remade right now. I am no amateur, I have some really strong paintings and they usually sell for quite a bit more than the price of a ticket. Please do look... >Love to you all! Colin Day 310.403.2637 colindaylives@yahoo.com

need a ride from los angeles to san francisco today sunday the 10th?

gracystar — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:02:10 GMT

HI all... this is pretty last minute! i'm going from la to sf today around 12 or a little later is anyone would like to ride up with me...we would split gas :-) also after i leave sf...on monday the 11th i'm driving to arcada...so that ride could go due north for you if you would like....please call a.s.a.p. if you are interested 917 514 7678 blessings melanie

off to peru!!

gracystar — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:20:40 GMT

so my mom and i are taking off tomorrow!! yipee.......i encourage you to all come visit us in the astral plane!! yipee...sending you good vibes from down south!! xoxo melanie

our new home!!

gracystar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:03:41 GMT

Well...now Emilee and I are living in our faery tale house in Trinidad California...It was everything we have envisioned!! and what a magical place it is.....when we first got to northern cali we wanted to live on the water, in trees...in trinidad...hahaha...well it was a process since it's so hard to find housing up here....just when we about ready to give up on our living together plan...the universe answered our prayers and manifestations...it was 10 at night and Emilee had the idea to check craigslist randomly (because there is not much on there) and she found our dream goddess house!!! we went the next day...applied and got the house the day after that and moved in that day!! hahahaah it was so amazing and everything we had ever hoped for.....we are living on a cliff that overlooks the ocean!!! in the trees!!! .we plan on holding goddess retreats here, pimping this place out with lots of fun toys including a swing a zip line (in time) and a kewl birds nest made of webbing!! yipee!!! yahoo...what a dream!! i love it in humboldt....what a beautiful place to be....if you find yourself here...let us know!!! sending you all lots of love!! xoxox

skunk medicine

gracystar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:30:05 GMT

so thanks to pheonix and my mom...i have received a deck of animal medicine cards...every time i picked a card...soon there after the animal would appear....you could imagine my surprise today when i picked the skunk card!! hahahaha :-) well..it was quite funny...i have maybe seen a skunk once or twice before....one of those being dead on the side of the road.....today Emilee and I went for a walk and on our way back we looked far ahead and saw several people standing still...we wern't sure what was going on till we looked down and saw a sweet little skunk hopping it's way along the trail...heading right towards us....we were looking at each other and wondering what we were going to do...we could let it chase us down the rest of the trail...or stand to the side and let it pass us by...lucky for us there was a bench and we hopped up on it...as it ran towards us...like 4 feet away...hahahah we were standing still and sending it love vibes and it stopped near us...we were holding back extream laughter...you know the kind...when your in chuch and you get the giggles....and your not supposed to laugh...but it just makes you want to laugh even more...heheheh it was so hilarious...us on top of this bench...and holding back tears of laughter..and an occational snort...hahha..anyway...the skunk passed by...and we laughed our ass's off... here is what skunk medicine means...we can all learn from our dear friend the skunk!!! enjoy..xoxox skunk medicine go ahead and laugh. this furry little animal has a reputation that contains a great deal of power... (as we found out when we were standing on that bench!!) due to it's distinctive behavior, humans gfive this tiny smelly creature a wide berth. the key word here is respect....unlike other predatory animals, skunk does not threaten your life but threatens your senses. you know this to be true if you have ever been in the vicinity of it's spray. in observing the habit patters of skunk it is easy to notice the polayfulnes nad nonchalance off it's natural behavior. the I-dare-you attitude of this four legged creature commands you as the observer to respect it's space by mere reputation alone. skunk is teaching you that by walking your talk and by respecting yourself, you will create a position of strength and honored reputation. the carriage of your body relates to others what you believe about yourself. there is no need to bully aggravate torment or overpower other beings when your sense of self is intact. as with skunk, the resonant field of energy around your body is relayed through the senses. self esteem permeates the bodys energy and is instantly recognized on an extrasensory level by others. learn to assert without ego what you are. prespect follows. your self respectful attitude will repel those who are not of like mind and yet will attract those who choose the same pathway. as the odor of skunk attracts others of it's kind it repelse those who will not respect it's space. skunk medicine people have the ability to attract others, and they are very charismatic. at the same time the other side of their natural power is to repel those who seek to take energy from them without recycling the gifts they have taken.skunk medicine people also know how to use the energy flows that will attract a lover. some people call this sexual magic as it is akin to the musk scent that animals excrete to attract a mate. it can be dangerous to leak sexual energy if you are not looking for a mate. itt puts you into a games condition that may feed your ego but not how others feel about you. if you are attracting others who have an interest in you , you are in a sense saying i'm available. this can cause hard feelings when the truth comes out. it also leaks energy that you could have used in a more constructive way. in skunk medicine it is good to learn how to handle energy flows. modern psychologists call this body language. in tribal teachings this is your personal medicine which you are showing to others use your medicine well and know that you are known by your reputation. how you use your enegy will attract either honor or disgrace. you may want to examine what energy you are putting out that creates your present sitioution. if you have chosen this symbol you are being asked to notice the kinds of people who are attarcted to you. if they emulate favorable characteristics have enough self esteem to recognize those characteristics within yourself...walk tall and be proud of the accojmplishments you have made..bear in mind that what you believe about yourself is your ultimate protection...project self respect!!

renegade the movie...

gracystar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:29:43 GMT

ok...so this movie is fantastic....it's called Renegade..you can find it in the shoot-em-up western section of your local video store... (surprisingly enough) though it's completly not what you think the movie is going to be about...it's a mix of native american shamanism with peruvian shamanism....the meeting of the eagle and the condor baby!!! here is a clip from the movie....on the heading it says payote vision...but it's really an aya vision.... enjoy... xoxox melanie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lnJ0uvbSK8&feature=related

Prayer to the Four Directions

gracystar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:00:08 GMT

I pray to the four directions.....hear me. I pray to the West which gives us rest and reflection. I thank you for these gifts for without them we could not live. I pray to the North which gives us patience and purity. I thank you for these gifts for without them we could not live. I pray to the East which gives us energy and emotions. I thank you for these gifts for without them we could not live. I pray to the South which gives us discipline and direction. I thank you for these gifts for without them we could not live. Grandmother, share with me your wisdom, and I thank you for this gift. Grandfather, share with me your strength, and I thank you for this gift. God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Our first day in Peru...

gracystar — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:21:25 GMT

This is written by mattie on our first day in peru.....it brought back many beautiful memories..almost a year ago today!! wow how fast a year goes by....i love you guys!!! xoxox melanie "our first day in peru" wake up, check out and go to our new hotel the parthenon where the conference is being held it takes awhile to check in our espanol es no bueno and they are preparing for the conference and a fiesta (which is still goin on rite now yo!) finally we get our rooms and go to the yellow rose of texas to get some food we take our first ride on a autorickshaw, which is an experience in itself, we make it to the restaurant and get some grub, there we meet gerald, an ex-pat from texas who owns the restaurant he went to libya in 72 and then to peru in 83 and has been there since he introduces us to alan shoemaker and his wife mariella who are eating inside with our friend richard and the beetle guy from the iquitos airport richard offers to take us to meet his friend javier we pay for lunch and take off with richard to meet javier we get to javier's house and hang with his family while we wait for him we drink some purple corn juice and play with the kids and the dogs this is the 3rd world and people are happy javier shows up with his wife jessica and his gringo friend chuck, a tall man with white hair and excellent espanol, he is 57 and has known javier for years we chat for hours, with richard and chuck translating javier talks about what it is to be a good shaman you need a great heart, humility and LOVE that is muy importante, shamanism is not about power it is about corazon it takes a great heart a shaman sings and heals javier's father was a shaman, his grandfather was a shaman (a banko shaman in fact!), and his father and his father and so on and on javier is a beautiful and kind man and he speaks from his heart and smiles a lot, a wide and illuminated smile, brightened by his gold front teeth chuck brings over some weed and we smoke a joint while javier continues to talk we go get some dinner down by the river, fresh fish totally in tact we eat with our hands and take out the bones it is delicious, washed down with some inca cola and some type of banana biscuit at dinner javier's offers to be our teacher and teach us all he knows about ayahuasca dos annos (two years), our kind of medical school, living in the jungle following la dieta and learning how to become a healer and a singer we then go get some cerveza at a bar across the street overlooking the river this is the 3rd world and people are happy javier grew up in a small village. when he was 14, he drank ayahuasca for the first time. at 16 he came to the city for the first time his grandfather predicted that he would live in a big city and be a teacher of many people. javier speaks of how his grandfather was a real banko he could transform (shapeshift), was friends with animals of the sky, land and water he was a lover of mermaids and was a great man and shaman quechua is the language of javier's town. they believe in reincarnation, which is a fascnicating revelation, in fact it used to be a secret, but javier truly wants to share his wisdom and knowledge with the world LOVE and PEACE that is his message, ayahuasca and the icaros he sings are the keys to this transformation we then go to see "explosion" and continue to dance and drink and enjoy each other's company. on the way to see the band it begins to rain, a cool jungle rain finally we make it back to our hotel a long, beautiful, incredible, amazing day our first day in peru it is now 7/7/07 probably around 1 in da am there is a band playing outside, i took a shower and got into bed naked i am alone and so alive in peru thank you, muchas gracias

a great shamanism website

gracystar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:28:58 GMT

enjoy!! http://www.shamanism.co.uk/

hitler plans burningman

gracystar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:07:49 GMT

this is so friggen hilarious!!! thanks marco for posting it!! xoxox melanie http://youtube.com/watch?v=CV4i7dWeu0c

a picture everyday for 6 years

gracystar — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:49:23 GMT

so i saw this and was so fascinated by it... check it out!!! xoxo melanie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvDxUoadG6A

do you know bolivia?

gracystar — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:50:52 GMT

hi everyone... does anyone know some amazing spots in bolivia to visit? do you know any shamans....or very sacred places to visit and spend some time...or have any connections with the people down there?? please share if you do...blessings to you all!!! yahoo!!! xoxoxo melanie

the dark night of the soul.....

gracystar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:32:46 GMT

some poems i found on this tribe.... has anyone been going through this...or felt this in their life? xoxox We wait in the darkness! Come, all ye who listen, Help in our night journey: Now no sun is shining; Now no star is glowing; Come show us the pathway: The night is not friendly; The moon has forgot us, We wait in the darkness! --Iroquois prayer To go in the dark with a light is to know the light. To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight, and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings, and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings. --Wendell Berry You shall ask What good are dead leaves And i will tell you They nourish the sore earth. You shall ask What reason is there for winter And I will tell you To bring about new leaves You shall ask Why are the leaves so green And I will tell you Because they are rich with life You shall ask Why must summer end And I will tell you So that the leaves can die --needs reference, coming soon! Upon a darkened night the flame of love was burning in my breast And by a lantern bright I fled my house while all in quiet rest Shrouded by the night And by the secret stair I quickly fled The veil concealed my eyes while all within lay quiet as the dead CHORUS Oh night thou was my guide of night more loving than the rising sun Oh night that joined the lover to the beloved one transforming each of them into the other Upon that misty night in secrecy, beyond such mortal sight Without a guide or light than that which burned so deeply in my heart That fire t'was led me on and shone more bright than of the midday sun To where he waited still it was a place where no one else could come (from lorenna mckennitt, 'the dark night of the soul'

Bhutan is calling..

gracystar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:08:26 GMT

so during a gathering today I learned of Bhutan....for some reason I have never heard of this small country between india and asia....in the past years i read that only 6,000 travelers were alloud in and it was very strict.....my friend said that the borders are now open to anyone...look up more information of the country...it is very much untouched...though i don't know how much longer that will last now that the borders are open..wow..i get chills just looking at the picturs!!! enjoy.... xoxox melanie

letting go....hmmmmmm........

gracystar — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:51:09 GMT

wow...so lib was great this year...i found once again that the land there sucked me in!!! it seems to have a gravitational pull on my body....hahaha last year i slept most of the time...especially when all the great music was going on at night...i thought maybe it was because i was tired...but not so much...it happened again this year...i slept alot...and danced a little......weird...but i guess thats what was supposed to be!!! one of the best times i had was sitting by the fire during the morning near the orchid lounge...and watching and connecting with the fire people....it was funny because i was there for hours..i think 4 or 5...hahahah but it was the best time for me!! heheheheh....yesterday i left...and it was hard...i felt sad all day yesterday...i don't know what it was....i just felt heavy...and was processing things that happened over the weekend and in the past year of my life .........my biggest thing that came through was letting go..letting go of what hapened in the past..and letting go of any expectations of the future......i'm at a cross roads right now.....last year i went to lib and left from lib to vegas...and this year i left vegas and went to lib..and now i'm off to arcata....something new...and completely different from what i'm used to...so i'm feeling a little strange...and excited...and weird....and confused....and a little nervous....but most of all...i'm very grateful for this experience.... the message of letting go has been following me for a while...but i find it's much easier to say then actually do....what are you experiences of letting go?? of trusting?? of going with the flow.......do you have any advise on letting go...sending you lots of love!! and how are you all feeling right now?? xoxoox melanie

Gong Workshop at L.I.B.......:-)

gracystar — Thu, 22 May 2008 04:59:34 GMT

HI everyone... I'll be holding a gong meditation on saturday from 9:30-10:15am in the temple.......Come and enjoy!!! Bring a yoga mat or pillow...(to lay down and be comfy) I hope to see you then!! Sending you lots of love!! YIppee...see you soon!!xoxoxoxoxo Melanie

happy mothers day mom!!!

gracystar — Sun, 11 May 2008 23:54:37 GMT

to all you mothers out there!! happy mothers day...and happy mothers day to you fathers...and sisters and brothers..and aunts and uncles...and everyone...happy mother earth day!!! i love you all.... and to the most amazing woman i have ever met!!! and have been so blessed to have as my mother...happy mothers day mom...i love love love you more then words can say!! i feel so honored to have you!! and to be a part of you!! i love you so so very very much!!! i love talking with you ever day about 4 times a day...i love snugling with you in your magical bed when i see you!!! i love hugging you...and love being around you!! you are so very special and important to me!!! thankyou for being a beacon of light for so many people!! you shine everyday...and grace us with your love!!! wow...thankyou so much!!! heheheh i love you more...no i love you more...no i love you more...i love you disnyland..i love you infinity..i love you infinity infinity...heheheh 13131313131313 xoxoxoxoxo i can't wait to give you a big hug!!! xoxoxo melanie

fuerzabruta!!!! must check this out!!!!

gracystar — Sat, 10 May 2008 13:17:10 GMT

wow...i just heard about this...it's awesome!!! Mom we are going to see this in the city when I come home!! no excuses!!! hahhaa!!! it's now playing in nyc..i think it started in argentina..and is still running there and many other places around the world!!! but not positive!!! this is a standing room only show..yahoo!!! xoxox enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taBAtxasWto&feature=related

Eye spy some UFO'S

gracystar — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:40:09 GMT

this happened on april 21st in pheonix arizona... this is exactly what i saw at burning man this past year...they were the same kind of formations although i saw 7....it's hilarious..my favorite line the little girl says..."Maybe it's a warning sign" only to be shot down by her father who says..no it's not sweetie....heheh parents..please start listening to your children..they have something to say!!! enjoy... http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=33132128

must watch this video

gracystar — Sat, 03 May 2008 19:07:28 GMT

its beautiful..and pure enjoy xoxox melanie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okLCurB1lJw

hopi message

gracystar — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:02:52 GMT

enjoy... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrPDQeNo52M&feature=related