Something was missing after the Chinese New Year as if I had forgotten something somewhere. I told myself it would come back to me then I would know what’s missing. It’s that weird feeling of having probably forgot some object inside the room as I had to dash off somewhere else. This year the flying stars (Chinese Feng Shui’s expression on energy traveling in various directions) gave me lots of concern as negative or fierce energies seem to be moving in my favourite locations.
Certain small things started to go ‘wrong’ after the second week of February. My gardener had a painful accident and hurt her toe so she couldn’t walk around properly. Ten days later I had an accident with my bicycle. The flying star of accidents and mishaps stays in the sensitive location of my house. I had been rather late thus year in placing Feng Shui cures in vulnerable spots in the house. Time just flew by too fast for me this year, normally I would have the cure-objects placed just before changes in energy flows. Life has been getting more complicated and stressful lately. My mind needed to be cleansed of all the worrying thoughts and fuzzy emotions.
It took some effort to focus on an hour of praying which I should have done more often. Then during my praying, a voice flew into my mind telling me that I forgot the annual ritual of paying my respect to the land spirits, local guardians and Nagas under the river. This was something I had misplaced after the Chinese new year. How strange that I could completely forgotten about this very important ceremony of showing respect and gratitude. So, as soon as I arrived in the countryside, I told my gardener that we forgot about the annual new year ceremony.
My gardener was very glad to hear my request for her help with this small ceremony. I asked her to get some sweets and fruits, flowers and incense for the day. In the past we used to invite the elderly villagers to join our ceremony. But most of the oldest ladies from the local village had left for other dimension and some became too weak to walk far from their houses. Time really did change everything and nothing stayed the same. But we still had to continue our tradition and local custom as the land spirits and local guardians were waiting for our acknowledgement.
As my gardener still walked around in pain, so I asked her to scale down every thing and to prepare very simple offerings. The prospect of this ceremony cheered her up and she told me that her painful injury would be healed after she has prayed at the ceremony. Villagers in far away countryside still believe in that all living things have spirits whom one should try not to offend. Before cutting branches of big trees, we would have to ask for permission from the tree spirits and tell them why we needed to trim some branches. When mowing the tall grasses and weeds, my gardener had to tell the land spirit that loud noises should be expected. Once she forgot to inform them of noisy work, she was confronted with a big cobra. Older villagers are definitely very superstitious and believe in old folklore.
My gardener would get some banana leaves to make ‘bai-si’ or traditional flower offerings on banana leaf stem and some containers of sweet, snacks and fruits. Local people believe that red colour soda is very suspicious so you could see this red drink bottles at most shrines around the country. Then, drinking water should be on the list as well as a bottle of water for pouring on the earth as we share the merits of the ceremony with all sentient beings and spirits all around the different dimensions. To me this final act of the ceremony seems like the sharing of loving kindness around the globe and under the earth in all dimensions. It’s customary to share merits with all hungry ghosts and wandering spirits too. So, when we had to travel to strange places, local spirits would be kind to us and help us on case we were in some difficult situation.
We had to pay respect to the land spirits at the small shrine in the garden. Over the years, the forest trees have grown so tall and strong that the shrine has been shifted to one side. One day, we would have to do something about this! Just waiting for the right moment in time. The gardener was very solemn throughout her prayer; she used to be the village medium when she was young so she could feel invisible things in the garden. I was always very grateful to the land spirits for leading me to this land many years ago. An elderly English healer who lived in Bangkok told me that they had been waiting for me for a long time. I wondered how all the psychic people I used to know had been up to after the two years lockdown. Life was so dynamic!
Then, we made our way towards the riverfront to perform our little ceremony. This year there were only two of us sitting on the mat, instead of having five to six people joining in. The sky was bright blue with such wonderful energy all around me. The weather was simply beautiful and atmosphere was very light and joyful. Though the level of the river has hind very low, the river was quite bubbly with energy. I could hardly believe the sensitivity of Mother Earth in that area. I told myself I was so lucky and that I really should do more good karma to deserve such blessings.
The wind was quite strong from time to time making it difficult to light the candles. I had to use an umbrella to shelter candles from strong wind. I played a special prayer of Nagas on my iPad so that they could notice us more easily. A few years ago, an old villager who used to be the medium for village’s trance of ancestral spirits joined our ceremony and she could see a dancer in old costume and ornaments rising up to the surface of the river. I could also see her on my meditation; she looked just like stone carving in old Khmer temple with high head dress and long arms.
This year, it’s rather quiet and I was getting disappointed that nothing extraordinary took place as in the past. Then, as I closed my eyes for my prayer, I saw a small Naga with golden head and shiny green body emerging from the river with a message for me. He seemed to be a high ranking court official, like a minister of foreign affairs, coming to accept our offerings and told me that the Royal Highness Nagas were in other dimension for a religious function. I couldn’t believe what had happened in my mind. But I saw him in broad daylight before he disappeared from my mind. That was very gratifying even if it turned out to be my own imagination. It was spontaneous and natural to me.
I forgot to thank him for his trouble to come all the way for our small ceremony. Looking around the place, I felt that everything was so beautiful and kept saying it till my gardener looked at me. To local people, they took all the natural surroundings for granted and they seemed a bit boring to them. For me, I could see these simple natural surroundings as if they were all new to me everyday. So I could feel the fresh air and lively vibes anew every time I walked along the riverfront. Living in the present and be awakened to present reality without the burden of past memories is how to be within the presence of Mother Earth and receiving her blessings. I made my wishes and asked the river guardians to make them reality one day at the right time. Meanwhile I should try to practice mindfulness and become more contemplative as future time is full of challenges.
Wishing you peace, good health and prosperity.
Stay strong and cheerful.