Mystical Moments in Sedona

One of the pieces I didn’t share is that the night Betty got stolen, I was at the hotel bar trying to eat and sweet Deb texted me, “There is a forest fire in Sedona- be careful.” As I sat there I really couldn’t help but wonder what the universe had in mind for me. What I thought was going to be a grand adventure, was turning out to be a different kind of an adventure altogether. When I shared with Deb the car jacking, her next text was, “Omg! You want me to come get you?” Don’t we all need friends like Deb! I don’t know what I would do without her by my side. Her question allowed me to sit with the idea of home or journey on… as you know I decided to continue.

My first evening in Sedona was beautiful. The desert heat. The sun streaming through the clouds. The hummingbirds whizzing by and stopping to sit on a flower. I stayed outside and soaked it all in. As I wandered through my apartment, I was looking at their books. I no longer had mine with me. And in all the books I could care less about, there was my favorite book by one of my favorite authors! Animal Dreams by Barbara Kinsolver. It was like a little welcome note left behind. The next day I decided to rest. I even took the luxury of ordering groceries so I didn’t have to go anywhere. When was the last time that you truly took a time out? For me, it had been a long while. I closed the shades, watched three movies, ate chips and salsa for two out of three meals. It was lovely.

The next day, I had booked a massage at the Hilton nearby. I had stayed there before and knew they had a nice pool. When you book the massage, you get access to the grounds for the day. Luckily, I had this booked prior to leaving Greenville. A massage and day by the pool sounded just right. The funny thing is that they called to tell me the spa was under construction and was I okay with that. When I arrived, they had transformed hotels suites to massage rooms. The living room was the greeting area, the bed and bathroom your massage space. There was a patio and even a little fire place! It was awesome. Now I am spoiled when it comes to massages. We have some gifted people here in Greenville. I wasn’t sure how a hotel massage would be, but it didn’t matter. I was just excited to have some relief and release.

The woman who came to get me had long silver hair. She wore turquoise and jewelry that reminded me of feathers. She seemed really cool. As she started she shared my shoulders were carrying something. So I shared with her the brief story of Betty. She laughed and said, “It’s the start of your book… my joy ride to Sedona!” She was not the first to tell me to write the story. I shared that with her and her reply, “When spirit speaks, you’d better listen.” After that we were both quiet and I tried to soak it all in. She shared a bit about alien rock and some of the wild theories that live in Sedona. It was kind of fun to suspend my disbelief and take it all in. At the end of our session we stayed and chatted. Turns out she has a little shop called Raven’s Call right across the street from where I am staying. (Some of you know I have a love of crows. My kids and I used to feed them every Monday when they were little. We’d have adventures driving around trying to find crows!) Of course that’s the name of her shop. I had to know more. We exchanged numbers and agreed we’d see each other again soon.

Then I got to be a true lady of leisure and head to the pool. The desert heat feels like it can take away all that ails you. I definitely felt my body decompress. As I was there, I saw a woman who looks like a former teacher here, Susannah Mele. I knew it wasn’t her even though she lives in Sedona, but it reminded me to reach out so we could say hi. We exchanged a few texts as I sat there baking in the sun and we agreed to go to yoga together before I left town. As Sedona would have it- we realized at lunch a week later- that WAS Susannah! She teaches yoga at the Hilton and gets a free pool membership! We were literally sitting across from one another and didn’t realize it. Seriously universe?

Joy becoming the theme of my trip, I started wearing a bracelet that I was given at a concert long ago that says FIND JOY. The rest of my trip was filled with little mystical moments that did just that...

I met with my massage therapist for a sound healing. Visions swirling in my head. Interesting words flowing through. At the end she tells me she saw lots of blue and my throat chakra needed to open. I needed to speak more. She also shared that forgiveness seems to be what I need right now. She didn’t expand but let me sit with it. Then she showed me how to use tuning forks and got me set up with my own set. The kids and I have fun with them each day even now that I am back home. The dogs love it too!

Arden texts me and says to check out this little yoga place. Well, they have no classes, but there is a healing session with JOY! Yes, please. As I was hiking to the top of Bell Rock my phone rings. It’s 1:11. I answer because I was worried it was my apartment host telling us to evacuate (remember those fires!). Lo and behold it was the yoga studio calling to confirm my appointment with Joy. I knew this would be good.

My appointment with Joy… guess what she tells me? She says she sees that I have a lot to say. I have a big amplifier and a tiny microphone. She says I need to open my throat chakra. The synchronicities didn’t stop there. She told me I’d be writing a book. But it wouldn’t come out in a traditional way. It would come out little bits at a time. (Just like this!) And that I would need to keep learning about and practicing forgiveness.

The lady at the impound lot who tells me I have to fly to Memphis to get my car. She hears me crying because I don’t want to do this, but we already have over $1200 in fees from the time the police brought the car in. She takes pity and give me her friend Chris’s number. He tows for Hertz. He takes me through the process step by step. I mail him my key. He pays the impound lot, tows my car to his house, and gets it running again. All without asking me for a dime!

Waking at night thinking the fires are close. Thinking I hear sirens. Only to go out and discover the red rocks lit up by the moon and the coyotes filling the empty space.

My last night, laying on the warm stones of the patio watching the milky way emerge. I see a line of stars that don’t look quite right. In Sedona, there’s a lot of belief about alien activity. I figured if they are right, that’s the direction I should be looking. In that moment a shooting star streaks across the sky. Tears stream down my face. I hear myself saying, “Thank you,” out loud. How am I so lucky to see the wonder of the world like this?

Susannah and I trying to meet up a second time before I leave. We can’t make it happen. I decide to go to a few last places before I depart. I pull into the parking lot and there is Susannah!

A woman giving me a spray as I walk out of the store. Sedona water that has been blessed and has essential oils to get rid of unwanted odors. I think this is perfect for my car. I ask, “How did you know?” And she simply smiled.

I walk to my car and pass a beautiful bronze statue in downtown / uptown area. Her title, “Changing Woman.” I am not sure how, but I know this to be true.

I get in my car to drive back to Phoenix / Scottsdale. I am staying the night there to relax by the pool and head home in the morning. The song playing, “Cellular Upgrade.” The distance to Phoenix, 111 miles. My arrival time, 2:22pm. Again, I hear myself laughing and saying aloud, “I see you universe! Thank you!” I smile the entire way down the mountain.

The intention of this trip was liminal space for me to let go of my old life (marriage, divorce, raising kids) and discern what comes next. But what I found was ordinary mysticism at work all around us. Since I’ve been home, life has been in overdrive. But when I stop and ask for support or signs, they are always there. The whisper to wake up. I remember the Perseid meteor shower. I take a blanket and pillow to my driveway and watch a light show like I’ve never seen for two whole hours in the middle of the night! Or the dimes and feathers that keep appearing randomly everywhere I go. Even when the world feels heavy and hard, all we have to do is ask for support, get quiet and listen. Even with life happening…. If you are feeling the weight of things, give yourself a sacred pause… get still, get quiet and see what arises. May it surprise you and allow you to connect with mystical moments that are just waiting to be seen!