la volcano, Mama Tungurahua

Hi all this entry is about the acceptance of the duality of women. I know I open a rats nest on the traditional perceptions of how (they=men and cultures) view women. In this case, this concept was described and explained to me about our volcano, Tungurahua. Those people that live here fall, in love with her, it is something very hard to describe because I love her too. She is marvelous.
Anyway, I was innocently walking with my lady friends, both non-Ecuadorians, when they introduced me to a local vendor of touristy stuff. I have met and known this Ecuadorian for a while but never really had a chance to get to know him. As in life, often we pass something or someone and never really getting to know them for the special persons that they are. He appears, for the masses of public, as a mild mannered verdor of stuffs you buy for remembance of your vacation only to create a destination for dust to gather on, but if you look closer you find out he is a shaman. I guess even if you work with the gods, you still have to make money too to support their family. And here I thought his wild colorful and perhaps challenged fashion choices were meant to attract the tourists, it turns out, it is an indicator of his spiritual beleifs...... silly me. Oops, the fashion police came out in me..... Sorry, I digress. Fortunately, my friends were with me and they both know, said shaman, quite well because I couldn't understand a thing he said in Spanish. My friends translated with wisdom. He was referring alot to "olas buenas." Direct translation: good waves=good vibrations. Over the years, I have had the priviledge of knowing some awesome and special people. In their enlightened state, some of the enlightened ones are so light and spiritual that neither foot touches the ground and they develop a different vocabulary and method of communication as they connect with others. Of course, some of those people seem flaky and light headed but I quite like them, their messages and their "olas". It does ,however, take me a bit of time to shift my head over to the "spiritual" talk and this time I had to shift to spiritual talk and then translate it from Spanish to English and still make sense of it. My girlfriends, knowing him for much longer, and having superior Spanish and could see by the confused look on my face were quick to translate. Both of these wonderful ladies have had experiences that have lead them into amazing journey's of growth and understanding, so it is no shock to me that they are so adaptable and so open to so much, that they made the translations with kindness and wisdom. They both are just so good at loving and supporting I feel very nurtured.....
Sorry, I digress once again, I must be in one of those ADD head spaces today, sorry.
Okay....., so I ask my friends about the my most curious question of Banos..... where is the Virgin? The lady of Miracles, the lady of inspiration, forgiveness, protection and love, where is she? Everywhere you go in Banos and Ecuador, the people talk about the "savior", the Virgin of Banos. I have been looking for her for quite some time. I mean, really, how many times in your life do you have the opportunity to be with something so special and life altering. I was not going to let the opportunity pass me by. So I have been looking, I have issues, needs and curiosities that cannot be dampened. My obsessive compulsive nature cannot let this one pass without answers and a meeting.
So, they have the church, a Cathedral, in Banos, good place to look right? But after much looking, there are only the traditional Catholic effigies, paintings and stories. Next, around Banos, there is a marble statue and alter destination atop a steep mountain, but that was built in the last 20 years or so and that can't be the "Virgin" that performed the miracles for all the ages gone by longer that 20 years ago.
So this is the explanation that was given to me: ......it is the volcano herself......
Okey dokey, now this is where the story gets interesting and gripping, hang in there and be patient I promise this will all make sense if you stay with me. According to the shaman, the indigenous peoples here know that volcanoes are much like people: They have personalities, characters, moods and gender. As it turns out, Tungurahua is a female. Actually, she is a saucy flirty thing, and is described as a very beautiful woman with long flowing black hair and a black feather up her skirt. Translation for those who are curious, the black feather means a woman of loose virtues. In protection of her person, I much prefer "a woman who can love many people". Tungurahua apparently, is married to the volcano Cotopaxi and even has a child with him called .... Wallapincha....(??not sure of exact name or spelling??) She then had an affair with the vocano, Chimborazo. When Cotopaxi found out, in a jealous rage, he fought with Chimborazo and created twin mountains that stand between them (??again spelling and exact reference??) That is that part 1 of the lesson.
Apparently, when there is a bit of an eruption in the smoke of Tungurahua, you can see the demons trying to get out and wreak havoc with the world, but Mama Tungurahua forces them away and protects us all. A geography lesson here, the smoke tends to blow to a city called Rio Bamba. Just of the legends alone, I would never move there as she blows the smoke/demons to Rio Bamba and keeps that smoke and ash and demon there and not in Banos. A part of her territory/home is Banos and one that she lovingly protects and those who live within Banos.
Here's where things begin to shift. When the Spanish came in, they couldn't deal with the whore/loose woman aspect of the volcano, but they couldn't deny the fact that she was performing miracles when you asked for her help and love. The old world aspect of a female miracle worker must be pure, hence the Virgin. So to get the population of "convert" they changed Mama Turnguahua to...... The Santa Maria de Agua. Yes, instead of the mountain they changed it from earth to water. Interesting hey. Personally, I prefer the multidimensional indigenous female than the flat and catholic saviour, sorry if I offend, but I do. I find the Mama more real and personable. I like people with "godly flaws" and I can respect that, maybe because I have so many, that if a goddess can have them it gives me permission to have some too.
As being a woman, supposedly, she gets cranky and occasionally fights with other volcanoes and sends lightening to them to smarten the others up. This shaman and other people, as well have witnessed this. She sends the lightening, horizontal, in the air to the other volcanoes. I am trying to describe this as best that I can.... the lightening begins a top of the volcano travels overhead to only touch the top of another volcano. Apparently, this is spectacular to see. Imagine if we had this ability to shoot each other with lightening, there would be electricity everywhere, and we could power up the world with our negative but socially acceptable electrically harnessed anger. So here is a woman, Tungurahua, venting her displeasure, and still everyone loves her. It is so amazing that people here can love her unconditionally, through all sorts of so called character flaws. The Catholic populace embrace her as the virgin, but underneath and quietly they honor the Mama. You can't hide the true nature of her, who she is and what she does. You just accept and love.
Hmmmmmm, makes you think doesn't it.
Talk with you all later.
Be gentle with one another
Robin

single once again.

Well Rob is once again in Canada and has been for a week now. We, who are left behind, always have a bit of a tough go getting used to him being gone. This time was especially rough. I had a bit of a bump in my "lifes" road. Whenever, I have a tough spell, he has always been very supportive. This time when another life challenge occurred, he had been reading and working with a book which inspires higher insights, responding versus reacting and lots of meditation. I have to say it has really changed him and in turn also our relationship for the better and inspired me to work with this book and also created positive changes in me. (So, if you are looking for another helpful book, e-mail and I will send you the name.) I like the philosophy of the book especially of consciously responding rather than knee jerking and primally reacting. I have found greater peace of mind by giving myself time to think and feel what might be the best course of action and what might that cause as a rippling effect. It also helped me realize that I am only responcible for my actions and not the actions or reactions of others. I did find it a real challenge in taking responcibility for my past actions that were often my reactions to other peoples actions. I know that this is a mouthful but read that sentence again and ponder about it.
Needless to say, this book came to us from another wonderful couple who have blessed our lives. We have been very fortunate in our lives (my family and myself) to have wonderful inspiring people gracing themselves with their presence and kindness, quite regularly. I have, especially resently, had when I need, inspirational people to help guide me and give me direction. These people not only drop in when I need them but add to my life in ways I never thought possible. This couple (who gave the book to Rob) is like that for me. (I have to say "this couple" as I have not asked them for permission to use their names here and out of respect will only mention their names when I have.) The "she" of the couple, arrived into my life when I least expected it and didn't realize how much I needed her influence. She, like a fairy, inspires me gently, with kindness and a true unconditional loving and great nuturing (as well as her partner). Like a fairy, she is there when you need her and not when she is not. Her presence is light, reminding me to lighten up when I have this strong desire to root myself in thought. For me, I think that is important to have touches of influences because there are times when you become needy it is unhealthy. When I have felt needy, I have found that is the perfect
opportunity to get comfortable with independence and self confidence. At the times when I felt that I was left alone, (at first I was resentful of that and thought it was for a lack of that person loving me, thought it was rejection and who knows maybe it was but that is not really important right now ) was actually very important to teach me to let go and let my growing take place and not to blame. Blame is distraction for me from growing. Dependence on other people can be toxic sometimes and can create addiction of dependent /codependent relation ships,....... I think as well....... who knows. Pop psychology lives in me.
I kind of go back to the if you set if free and it comes back it was yours, idea. I am finding letting go, although very hard to do, is a huge loving act. It is trusting that the people, you love, will be ok and the universe will take care of them no matter what their destiny is. They might need the space to grow and continue on with their lifes journey and it might not best be done in your shadow. I think that my past neediness and resentments had created shadows for people that actually would have come back all on their own if they had been given the space, love and trust that I was not able to, due to my own relationship addictions and percieved idealisms of relationships. I had a very hard lesson in learning worrying about someone doesn't neccessarily show them that you love them, it could easily be misconstrued as distrust for them. It is a huge concept and one that can easily be argued to death much like the chicken and the egg debate. But as I get older and my teenagers become adults, I am starting to find strength in it more and more. I have worked very hard to raise responcible, happy, loving and open adults and don't regret alot about it. But of course, no matter what you do with raising children, we all make mistakes, will have to be open and honest about those mistakes, and willing to talk about them and allow even anger and other healthy emotions happen for a while so that they can take responcibilities for their own lives and do better that we did in carrying on with their universal path. I love that scene in "my Big Fat Greek Wedding" when the mother tells her daughter that, she gave her daughter life so that she could live. I choke up every time and try to find inspiration and hold that thought when my children are doing their thing and it doesn't and shouldn't include me.
Anyway I digress once again........ back to being fortunate in having marvelous inspiring people coming into my life and showing me and sharing with me other experiences and love. I have been soooooo blessed every time. And once again, very resently, and as always "bumbled" into another amazing person. A former US activist, spiritualist and inspiring human was walking down the streets in Quito only to "accidentally" come into our lives. She came to us for a visit with her brazilian puppy in Banos and spent an amazing and enlightening weekend. I love it when people share and seem of likemindedness that comfirms my own beleifs and principles. It sooths my soul when I find that "sameness" as I have felt so "different" all my life. (I think that one day I will have to write a book and share even more of these thoughts and discoveries that in this blog might be misunderstood, for example spiritual awakenings and knowings. ) Anyway, everytime I "happen"(there are never really accidents in this life) to run into one of these enlightened souls, a little more sadness leaves my heart, and helps it to glow and carry on in my journey. I have had even more of these "run ins" more and more in acceleration over the years. It really started picking up speed while we were still living in the Okanagan. Now these people (who feel like family) are "happening" into our lives more often. These people may be there only for a short time, regular visits or permanent influences in our life, but I am finding they are there when they are supposed to be there and not when they are not. The letting go of these wonderful friends/inspirations to do whatever they must do and whether it is to be in my life for whatever length of time, be it short or long and accepting the meeting of the souls with no expectations is very freeing for me, as it frees me to do what I must do to. We all have our paths and they converge and diverge as required. Acceptance of the fluidity of life and its relationships liberates us to share our experiences with others and comeback together , when the time is perfect, and share more growing. Isn't that what life is about......... growing.......learning...... experiencing....... and loving.
Remember these wise words a "fairy" once told me: "don't beleive everything you think".
Love with an open heart
Robin