On the evening of the first moon, the Wise Woman – dressed in the colors of water and fire – asked Ana to open her hands and to place her palms down so she could see her ten fingernails.
“Notice how the top of each fingernail, near the start of your skin, is shaped like a half moon. Located underneath the skin is the other half of the moon.”
“Oh my … I never noticed that before, but you’re right.”
“A very special power exists between the Moon and Earth. This power keeps the Earth alive and balanced. The Ten Moons you see at your fingertips also hold a very special power. They not only tell you who you are, but when combined, they make you feel whole, strong, full of life, and most of all, balanced.”
Excited, Ana said, “Please tell me more.”
“The Ten Moons you see on your fingertips will help you understand who you are; why you are here; and how to connect with your Walking Spirit and our Creator.”
“Connect? I don’t understand.”
“You will. That is why we are here; so we may learn.”
“Oh,” said Ana, “like a big school?”
“Yes, life is like one big school. And just like school, we learn as little or as much as we want to learn. The Ten Moons are gifts from our Creator to help us learn.”
“Oh … now I understand. I think. Tell me more.”
“You’re catching on. We use the ten fingers on our hands to help us find and remember each of the Ten Moons. Once each ‘moon’ is found, time and patience are needed to really understand what each means. Each tells you something wonderful about you.”
Impatient, Ana asked “How much time?”
“As little or as much time as you need to learn everything. It does require patience.”
“What the heck does that mean?” Ana whispered and twisted her lip in defiance.
“Are you going to be stubborn, or are you going to listen and maybe learn something?”
“Sorry”, Ana replied sheepishly.
“Okay then. As you find and learn about each moon, one more piece is added until one day you can see and feel the whole picture of who you are and your life in front of you.”
“Like putting a puzzle together?” asked Ana.
“Yes, it is very much like putting together a puzzle. Once you connect all Ten Moons, you will see the whole picture of who you are and your life.”
“Wow!”
“Now, let’s take a look at your right hand. Your right thumb represents your Body. See how your thumb is separated from the rest of your fingers?”
“So it is.”
“That’s because our body is only needed when we are here on earth. Once we pass onto our next life, our body separates from our heart, mind, spirit, and five senses. While on earth, our bodies allow us to navigate, much like a car. Through our bodies, we can move freely in our world so we can explore and experience everything.”
“Sometimes, though, whether or not we are fully aware of it, we allow past pains placed on our bodies, either by our own infliction or by the infliction of others, to consume us. Out of fear of being hurt again, we unknowingly begin to ignore, abuse, or misuse our bodies even more.”
“I don’t have that problem,” said Ana.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Very sure.”
As they continued their conversation, they started a small fire along the water’s edge.
“Many years ago, a Native American woman developed a special water meditation exercise called the ‘Spiritual Bath’. While water relaxes and heals our heart, mind, body, and spirit, meditation expands our consciousness and heightens our five senses. Together, water meditation helps you to relax, producing a calmness that allows you to become more aware of your surroundings as well as with who you are.”
“Oh,” said Ana. “So you’re saying this Spiritual Bath not only cleanses and relaxes your body, but it also allows you to become more aware of your surroundings and learn more about who you are?”
“That’s right. And this calmness also allows you to connect with our Creator and with your Walking Spirit.”
“Mr. Owl?”
“Yes.”
“Hmmm…interesting. So tell me … do you need anything special to take one of these Spiritual Baths?”
“Well… I can talk you through it this evening if you like.”
“Here? In the stream?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know about that,” she says hesitantly. “What would I need to do?”
“Disrobe then walk carefully into the gently moving stream taking care to sit in the water with your back along the stream’s edge. I will then guide you the rest of the way.”
Ana did as asked, disrobing and making her self comfortable in the water.
“Now what?”
“Close your eyes then clear your heart, mind, body, five senses, and spirit of all the day’s emotions, thoughts, dreams, and desires. Then tell me when you are ready.”
“Ready,” Ana said a few minutes later.
“With your eyes still closed, envision your ten fingers as a drawing instrument and your heart, mind, body, five senses, and spirit as an artist’s canvas. Starting from the top of your head and moving downward, start to draw who you are by allowing your fingers to touch every part of you. As you do, you will begin to see and feel who you are.”
Ana started to ‘draw’, bringing both of her hands up to her head. Using all ten fingers, she slowly touched her soft hair then ran them across the top of her head to feel its shape. Moving downward, she touched her facial features, from her forehead to her chin and every feature in between.
Continuing downward, she moved her fingers over her neck both front and back. Her shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists, and each finger followed. As she drew, she started to see who she was with her mind as well as with her heart, five senses, and spirit.
Now, allowing her fingers to touch and caress each of her breasts, she took time to include each nipple. Moving downward, she touched all of her stomach area, including the sides of her body. She then allowed each of her ten fingers to enter and then slowly exit her navel. Further downward, she softly and slowly touched all of her genital area, inside and out. As she touched, she allowed herself to relax even more.
Her inner thigh areas came next, including each of her buttock cheeks. Her legs, including her knees, calf, ankles, feet, and each toe, were all that remained.
Now completely relaxed, she rested her arms and kept her eyes closed. Using her heart, mind, five senses, and spirit, she began to see and feel her self and her body from outside herself.
“Open your eyes and look into the flame on the water’s edge,” the Wise Woman said.
As she did, Ana recalled the time as a young child she innocently wiggled her hips and fanny, imitating Elvis Presley on TV. As she danced around the living room, she hummed a different tune from the one her mother played on the piano. While her mother smiled with glee at her daughter’s quirky, but free-spirited dance, the joy quickly diminished when her father came home. Seeing her dance, he screamed something she did not understand, spanked her fanny hard, and sent her to her room without dinner. Not knowing what she did wrong, she cried until she fell asleep.
Oh how all the memories came back to her; the quirky dance, the lively music, the yelling, the spanking, and the crying. As the memories flowed freely so did the tears. For a time she cried uncontrollably. Without knowing it, it was the last time she did that quirky “fanny dance.” It was also the last time she showed off her playful side. Since then she’d taken life so seriously. Uptight, she was self-conscious about how others viewed her, and became overly concerned with image – hers and others. Over the years, she cared too much about what other people thought and felt and did not dare disappoint.
With tears starting to flow freely, she looked up at the moon’s brilliant light for guidance as she slowly returned to shore. Once on shore, she stood close to the warm fire to dry off before getting dressed. As she did, she heard the Owl whisper from the nearby tree, “Ana … I walk with you always. Just speak to me when you need guidance.”
Looking up at the three-quarter moon, Ana reassured the Owl she would. She started to whisper to the Owl about all she learned this evening – about her self; her love of dance; of how confidence in body movement is linked to self-image and self-worth; and how wonderful it would it would feel to be that playful little girl again. “Why couldn’t she be?” she thought. She took a deep breath, started to hum, slowly, at first, as she clapped her hands as she danced to the light of the moon. In that moment, Ana chose to be that playful little girl she once was again. Reclaiming her body along with all its movements, calmness followed.
Ready to learn more, Ana searched for, but discovered the Wise Woman was no longer with her. “Where did she go? Have I learned all I need to know?” she thought to herself.
“Have patience,” the Owl whispered. “There’s still so much more to learn.”
Very weary from the journey thus far, Ana returned home to rest.
To be continued…
