So here we are, closing out the first couple days. Whether you dropped your son off or checked the weather after you put him on the bus, you know we had a muddy start. Fortunately, the sky cleared up in the evening by dinner time. It’s so amazing how different Flying Cloud becomes once the campers arrive. It finally feels like we are doing the work we came here to do.
On the first night of every session we jump right into a powerful ceremony. The opening ceremony of every session is called Friendship Fire. One of the most important parts of this evening tradition is for the Firekeeper, Sun Shower Hawk (one of our camper leaders) to start a fire by bow drill (a friction fire method practiced by numerous primitive and/or ancient cultures). With all the rain and the humidity, Sun Shower Hawk certainly faced a challenge as he worked to bring fire to start our summer 2013. As he worked his bow drill, the night started to grow a bit darker. The smell of cedar smoke drifted about our circle. We rallied our community around his cause through song. We started with a call and response and reached a crescendo in the chorus.
Love the earth…love the earth
Love the sky…love the sky
Heat a fire…heat a fire
Drop of water…drop of water
And I can feel it In my body.
In my spirit, in my soul.
As we all sang, we put the budding love of our community, our need for fire, our passion for this experience behind Sun Shower Hawk. We helped him provide us with the coal that will build into the fire in our village in the woods. Added to our song came rhythm, we sang loud, we sang quiet, at times we yelled, until, as if called forth by our song, a coal tumbled forth from the twisting spindle as it pressed against the fireboard.
Coached along by Autumn Lake, Sun Shower Hawk took that coal to its tinder bundle nest and, with his gentle breath, brought life to the coal by drawing a flame that we have lived by since that night. It was undoubtedly a powerful experience for all those involved and exactly what we need to power us through the next day’s rain.
It was certainly a hard night’s rain on our second night, but all the houses stayed quite tight. Fortunately, we have gotten plenty of sun to dry those items that did get wet. Our swim tests went great, and our activities have been amazing. This is just the kind of pattern I love to see as we start the first few days of summer.
Tune in next week to hear about what’s going on at Flying Cloud. Who knows, I might have a list of names for you all to wonder about….