My
journey to the cave of bones becomes evermore fascinating. Yesterday
when I met the Cailleach I was aware of La Loba – The Wolf Woman.
La Loba's sole work is the collecting of bones. She collects and
preserves that which is in danger of being lost to the world (Pinkola
Estes 1992). Her speciality is the bones of wolves. When she has
collected and assembled an entire skeleton she raises her hands and
starts to sing. She sings the bones into being. When the bones once
again become living breathing flesh the wolf opens its eyes, jumps up
and runs. Somewhere between running, whether by the speed of running,
splashing through the river or the glint of sun or moonlight on its
coat, the wolf is transformed into a laughing woman running free
towards the horizon.
Bones
are a source of ancient knowledge, they vibrate to the whispers of
the ancestors. Within the ear are three tiny bones – the malleus
(hammer), incus (anvil) and stapes (stirrup). For some reason when I
think of these bones I think of the Norse god Thor hammering out his
wisdom across Universe to create those lightening flashes of
inspiration in those who are awake and receptive. When these tiny
bones resonate to sound waves they convey information to the auditory
nerve that divides into three or more pathways deep within the brain.
Clarissa Pinkola Estes in her book Women who run with Wolves recounts
how ancient dissectionists spoke of how these pathways enabled a
person to hear on three levels. One pathway was said to hear the
mundane conversations of world. A second apprehended learning and art
and a third existed so the soul itself might hear guidance and gain
knowledge while here on earth.
Our
ancestors and the shamans knew bones were sacred. They knew they
provided a pathway to connect to the Universe and the great mystery.
When a shaman becomes a healer he or she must become like a hollow
bone – a conduit for the source of all creation. Fools Crow a
revered Lakota holy man said “We are called to become a hollow bone
for our people and anyone else we can help. We are not supposed to
seek power for personal use and honour. What we bones really become
is a pipeline that connects Wakan Tanka (Great Mystery), the helpers,
and the community together.” Fools Crow believed he went through a
series of steps in becoming a hollow bone.
Firstly
he called in Wakan Tanka to rid himself of anything that would impede
him in anyway – doubt, questions or reluctance. He would then
vision himself as a clean tube ready to be filled with hope,
possibilities and anxious to be filled with power. Clear of any
impediments he would experience the power surging into him. Once
filled with power he would give the power away to others knowing that
as he was emptied out the Higher Power would keep filling him with
even greater power to be given away.
Drumming
is important in opening up the portals to the spirit world and in
becoming a hollow bone. Shamanic drumming corresponds to OM, the
primal sound from which the Universe constantly emanates. Scientists
are beginning to recognise that the sound or the Universe is linked
to the organisation of matter. The mass of the Universe like our
bones is not randomly scattered through space. Forces such as gravity
drive the organisation of matter so stars get grouped into galaxies,
galaxies herd together into galaxy clusters and on an even larger
scale scientists think matter in the Universe is arranged into a
structure resembling a web with vast regions of emptiness in between
strings of galaxy groups. As I try to comprehend this vision
an image of Indra's web comes to mind.
So
back to bones and something my mind can comprehend. The human leg
bone when viewed in half from thigh to knee reveals what might be
described as a microcosm of the Universe. At either end is an
intricate web of bones connected by a hollow tube. Perhaps within our
bones exists an imprint of the Universe. When we drum maybe those
intricate web structures resonate with the vast healing energy within
the universe and the energy is channelled through the hollow parts of
our bones to heal ourself and others.
Oh so
many revelations and mysteries from one journey to the cave of bones,
something tells me the bones still have more to reveal. Interesting
and intriguing that on the day I journey to meet the Cailleach I am
also guided to an ancient cup and ring mark on a stone in an old
boundary wall close to where I live. I always felt in my bones that
the land where I lived was sacred. Interesting too that I should
discover Kirkcaldy is an ancient funerary site and a tumulus is but
a short walk away from my garden gate.
