by April Rameé | Feb 22, 2018 | Antler Alchemy, Ceremony, Fire
Three days dedicated in prayer, focus, and intention on a vision I had months ago during my last last vision quest. I saw myself as a fire keeper, tending the fire, hauling fire wood, splitting wood, and creating a space of sacred prayer through the purification of the flames. The vision included others around the fire releasing their prayers, the Sacred Seeds Portal, and wholistic integration of ancient wisdom with herbal medicine.
This vision is now fueled by a prayer of a new Native American inspired smudge fan. Prayer fans are used to smudge with cedar, sage, sweetgrass, copal, and many another beautiful cleansing scents. The fan is used to infuse every day with prayer and has healing powers to dispatch a prayer into the heavens and draw the healing power from the sky.
In this moment I am drawing down the vision of continuing my learning and study on being a fire keepers. I know so little but have learned so much from the fire since a little girl tending fire in my house. I learned how to build a fire by the time I was 7years old. Every day and night in winter it was part of my task to keep the fire burning in my home and now I am returning to this vision.
Photo of Native Prayer Fan by April Rameé
In my current studies, I have learned the importance of having a fire fan to fan the flames. I look forward to fanning many fires with this new tool I made out of geese feathers and parrot feathers all that were gifted to me from my community who supports me more than I could ever imagine. The geese represents community and the family unit, making them a priority with a vision and the parrot represents understanding all sides of life and being a good mediator. I think these are good traits for a community fire keeper of purification.
We are all built upon our ancestors and the company we keep. Look around and take a moment to give gratitude for those who support you, your ancestors who worked hard to make sure you are here, and for the earth who gives so many gifts for free, asking only in return that you remember their power.
Here is to the expanding knowledge of the fire I have tended within my heart, performing with fire, and for the community since I can remember. Here is to returning to the learning with a beginners mind, humble, and reverent to the element of fire.
by April Rameé | Jul 17, 2017 | Antler Alchemy, Ceremony, Mystical, Poetry
I go off today to embark upon my second year of a vision quest. I go with the intention to commune with mother earth more, to test my spirit, and receive knowledge while being immersed in awareness and out of those moments come the visions. Am I a quester because I am searching?
I like to think I am a quester to align myself with the divine by offering my spirit through an exchange of the greatest value..my time and full attention. Therefore, I am not searching, for I already am, but I am humble enough to know there is more to discover within.
I have sacred seeds planted at this moment to offer the world. I am at a phase where they have come up and like the pre-bloom of the echinacea below, they are beginning to turn into flowers.
Photo by: Pedro Gil Rosas
APRIL…WHAT IS A VISION QUEST?
A vision quest can be lead in many different styles and traditions. In this particular vision quest I am going up on the mountain to be within a small space on earth without food or water for four days and nights. This is an intense rights of passage. However, I do not feel the lack of food or water as one might think. In fact after a couple of days I do not desire anything. I will say that last year one of the most challenging aspects was all the time and sitting with myself.
Would sitting there for 4 days.. 24 hours available for you to contemplate all of life be challenging? It is rewarding but challenging.
In the end a vision quest is a time spent away from everything where one is able to receive knowledge and messages from their higher self, or god if you will. I plan on asking for more guidance on my next offering of Plant Meditation Integration Consultations. The offering combines my knowledge of herbs, access bars, sound healing, yoga, pranayama, and the past two years of experience in integration of the realities of plant medicine to the realities of our world.
At this time I see many people diving into the wonderful world of plant medicines and the integration period is one of the most important aspects of this work. How does one have the realities uncovered be reflected in your day to day world? I aim to offer grounded guidance, tools, and therapies to help you walk your talk, ground you into your truths, a ear to listen to revelations, and the encouragement necessary to step into your dreams.
In the spirit of vision quest, I will be unreachable from July 17th-July 26th and will be slow to respond to emails until August 1st as I am going to spend some extra time integrating and my first family vacation in 15 years!
In our tradition we do not speak of our visions as there is power in keeping them sacred and to yourself, but I do hope to unleash the new offering when I return home full of vigor and guidance.
If being grounded and guided with tools to integrate from Plant Medicine or begin your journey with Western Herbs is an interest, please respond to this email to begin the discussion.
From your deer vision quester,
April Rameé
Warrior of the Light & Founder of Antler Alchemy
Photo by: Pedro Gil Rosas
Untitled Poem
By: April Rameé
Psychic transmissions through telepathic means.
Sound carries through wind and heals where words have hurt.
Traumas released and carried into the waves of the sea.
Soft petals caress the wounded body by the hands of spirit,
chosen by sacred souls on the path of love.
Reverse prayer, reverse age, reverse fear.
Walking deep into the quest, I will return soon, but never left.
by April Rameé | Jun 23, 2015 | Ceremony
I arrive clean in body and mind, ready to sweat, to cleanse the body from residual toxins. It is different this time, I didn’t have months of the Dharma Mittra yoga diet to prep me, I live in DC which means I pick up on others energy, I deal with more relationship realities instead of being alone in a jungle, and I am working non-stop on creative endeavors and tasks that grandmother gave me on the last journey through the jungles. I am ready for the sweat lodge to prep my body one last time before beginning with Ayahuasca. I love sweat lodges and been partaking in the ritual cleanse since my first introduction, read Sweat of Benevolence for my experience, as this time was very similar. The power of praying in a circle with others as you endure excessive heat for hours is surprisingly refreshing, obtainable, and not as difficult because of the souls surrounding you in a mutual desire to cleanse the body and heart.
The next day I spend prepping for Grandmother and ceremony. This medicine is called Dragonfly medicine as while it was being created there were dragonflies everywhere gracing the presence of the medicine. An omen of the spirit of the animal in conjunction with the plant world and our human existence. I bow down to Grandmother and give her my respects during the first cup. Not even more than two minutes in I am feeling nausea as the thick brew permeates internally. I sit there and think, “Oh, I am going to get well really quickly.” The second cup is offered and I go up, offer prayers, drink, and in less than one minute I get well. A vision of the sun with rotating cross emanating from the center and my power animal of the evening, a lion, leads me into the deep subconscious. Following the lions tale, he says he is going to show me how to play as a lion does with his cubs. Physically I lay down and drift off into the journey. There are no words to really ever describe the experience with aya. There is an internal conversation, sometimes abandonment of words, body, ego, visions, or sometimes just deep rest. I felt her work on me on a physical level, a restructuring, healing process, with her gentle hands she moves energy on a subconscious level. The lessons come in a secret language her and I only speak. Every meeting with her is different than the last, but the lessons continue as if no time passed. Just like a familiar lover or a best friend you may never see for years but when you meet no time has passed picking right up where you left off. At one point I rise up with the direction of Grandmother, pick up the flute, and play a song for all those journeying and for myself. I send love and healing energy, inspiration, and hope the song gives support to the journeys of my family.
After hours that seem like minutes the sun is rising and my journey with ayahuasca is coming to an end. I am left hearing her gentle voice in my ear saying, “Pay attention to the subtle. You are re-awakening to the truth of how sensitive you really are, focus on the goals we set out before, and stay the course. You are a soft, magnetic, kind, humble, and simple. Stay true to your nature. CONTINUE THE WORK!” I humbly accept the duty to heal the world through plants and be the voice, speak the truth, speak MY truth since that is all I know in this lifetime.
The main part of any Ayahuasca experience is the integration. This takes place after the ceremony where the lessons must be put into action. Life unfolds in ways to give you opportunities to release attachments, move forward in great ways, and put into practice what you want out of life. I decided to do a card spread with the Earth Magic deck. The question, “How does the work happen in the upcoming months for me?” As I ask this question and shuffle the deck a card pops out on it’s own, which means this card is a supporting value for the spread. I chose not to look at it right away and then did the rest. It is such a beautiful spread, sweet, innocent, kind, humble, and gentle just like the current journey and true to my spirit.
The supporting card was none other than Dragonfly! This is truly a special gift to see this spread. The center card represents the question, seeing a rainbow let’s me know that after the rain, all the things I dealt with to get here is a underlining rainbow of blessings and abundance in the work I am doing. The card Dawn is the subconscious factors that I am not aware of effecting the question. Seeing new beginnings means to me that there are many new things starting in the work that I am not aware of and truly feel this energy from the ceremony. A new set of relationships are forming with people I already know and new people 🙂 The childhood card is external factors that I know are playing a part on my work. I feel this way all the time and really decided to bring my old child like nature into the work I do. I always love writing in journals, making art, and creating fun play time with people. This is like following the Lion’s tale into the play den. That memory etched in mind I flow into work with a certain joy, innocence, and play that I love to share with the world. The River card is showing what is needed for resolution. A river flows gentle but with a certain movement, playing it’s part as it trickles down to the grandmother ocean. Here I am learning that I do not need to worry about boundaries created because I flow through them, around them, and into them. The final card is the outcome of doing the work. A meadow is appearing a sense of vulnerability, being out in the open to explore 360 views around me. This idea that I share the truth doing this work, exposing myself to the criticism of the world. This does not mean criticism is bad, only a fact. I see being creative and sharing my soul as definitely a vulnerable position that I am ready to share. I am ready to share my story. All of this with the support of the Dragonfly. The dragonfly emerges from its nymph stage as a full adult Dragonfly sharing it’s colors with the world. It does not focus on growing but on being, on sharing truth!
I fly into the truth and spread my colorful wings for all to see exposing my vulnerability so that others can come join me in expression.
~April Rameé
Poem from the Dragonfly
Dragonfly…..
Breaks illusions,
Brings visions of power,
No need to prove it.
Now is the hour!
Know it, believe it,
Great Spirit intercedes,
Feeding you, blessing you,
Filling all your needs.
~Medicine Cards
by April Rameé | Feb 14, 2014 | Ceremony, Mystical, Poetry, Warrior
Today we set fire to you.
Yes you!
The heart that is cracked, broken.
We lit a fire into your dead pungent remains.
Burned down our regrets.
Purified the soul.
Honored the sacred directions.
Bowed to the full moon goddess of receptivity.
Yes today we set-a-blaze to the heart and sent it out into the river to flow into the infinite sea.
There you can be reborn.
Mother Earth carries your true purpose back into our hearts.
~April Rameé
A year ago on New Years Day my heart broke in a way I have never felt. I lost hope in love, pushed out into sea with no help, stranded, scared, and lost. Synchronistic events led to the physical representation of the heart through my crystal bowl to be broken as well. A crystal bowl I played representing the heart chakra, beautifully tuned, also cracked and no longer sang as if the bowl felt my pain and my heart fall into the abbess.
Finally, after a year, I offered the cracked heart chakra bowl into the river at Rock Creek. Under the full moon we head out through freshly fallen snow, guided by the light of the full Moon Goddess. In a circle of ceremony with dear friends, Mayrose, Anjanaye, Amber, Philly, and Aqeel, we set on fire our pain, let go of the past year, ready to move forward with love full in our hearts. We watched the fire burn within that broken bowl. I watched the letter I wrote to the past consumed by flames. Full moon shined down into our circle. The hands of the Moon wrapped around our hearts, pulling out the discarded sections. We offered the physical representation of the heart to the river in DC, returning crystal to Mother Earth. Into the womb of the all powerful. Mother Earth guides the broken love and transforms the pain, washed and cleansed by the river to flow through the heart of DC.
Let our act of letting go and mending be reflected into the city of DC and lend a healing hand to all beings. May the intentions flow to the sea, evaporate into the air and rained down throughout the world.
I love you. I love you all. Thank you.
