I had the pleasure of joining the Diamante Valley community at EcoMaste when the indigenous Mamos elders arrived. Masters at listening to nature and creating harmony with earth’s energy, this year they made offerings to the earth and held an open circle discussion for our heart tribe community. You could really feel the change in energy. As a frequent visitor of EcoMaste, I always love the family vibe, relaxed setting and abundance of nature. On their last visit the Mamos determined negative and positive stones on the property. They explained that all lands embody both masculine and feminine, positive and negative qualities. Negative or positive not being especially good or bad rather holding a specific charge. The co-founders of EcoMaste Amanda and Jose were instructed to not move the stones, acknowledge both the negative and positive and create a deep relationship with the land. On this recent visit they moved the negative stone, explaining that the stagnate, heavy energy of the land had been shifted and the land was calling for rock to be moved and erected. The positive stone was also positioned upright. The Mamos said that these areas were ready to be activated so their energies could flow harmoniously without obstructions.
I could feel it the moment I walked through the doors, the feeling was lighter. That’s one thing I’ve learned from Mamo's visit to EcoMaste, that each land has positive and negative energies. We don’t have to evade or cover up the negativity of the past or pain, but rather sit with it and listen to how the earth and what our bodies are telling us. There isn’t a lesser or better energy, they both need to be honored and given space to be fully expressed. Also, there is no need for excessive conversation about right or wrong, but rather the Mamo’s delivered a message of radical simplification and deep listening to self and land.
Famous for their role as “Big brother” and guardians of the heart of the spirit of the world, they told us that we as “the little brothers” are not lesser or bad, but simply the younger siblings who choose to travel the lands. They believe we have been gone too long and have lost our way home due to confusion. As members of the community asked questions of diet and why they are drawn to this place, the Mamos reminded us gently, if you ask the question you already know the answer. Don’t weave in confusion and doubt. Learn to listen to yourself. Even the most skeptical can learn to listen to our mother earth for she is telling us what she needs, what we need to survive.
We are all one family, the big brother, the little brothers, the waters and earth. We are earth people and this is our home. As little brothers we must learn to integrate and guard the spirits of the earth instead of just taking from our mother. We can stop weaving the ideas of profit, productivity and fear. When we think these things we create them in our physical reality. As humans we are thinkers and we are the creators of our own realities. We all will find peace and harmony as we return to the natural laws of our earth and live in alignment with our mother’s call.
Simplify, Listen, and Be Empowered were the main takeaways from the Mamo's message. As a community we made beautiful organic meals, some brought black bean cake, others made music and many just sat by the river and listened to her sing. It was simple and happy. We came knowing we have a lot of ups and downs to work through, to create the healing communities and destinations many of us envision, and we left united knowing that our careful thoughts and words could be the thread that can weave our visions together.
By Natalie Bankhead