In March this year I visited Moloka’i for the first time in 10 years to assist on a training there.
I knew it was going to be a profound trip for many reasons, some I had been given glimpes of, such as meeting native Hawaiian culturalist and spiritual teacher Lawrence Aki ( that’s a story for another day!), others though I didn’t see coming.
Moloka’i, the ancient land of the Kahuna, the island of powerful prayer, the island holding a lot of emotion and pain, caused primarily by the haole – the white people. Kalaupapa where those with leprosy were exiled and still live today.
On this particular day, which I realised later that evening happened to be Friday 13th, our group was having a day off to go to the beach. We were supposed to go the day before however it had been raining so the trip was postponed. All very symbolic as it turns out. We arrived at Papohaku Beach, me along with the 6 other Aussies and an assortment from around the globe, excited by the prospect of an ocean swim. Being a beach loving Aussie I ‘knew’ as did the others from Downunder, which was the safest and most appropriate area to swim. However, our trusty leader and facilitator said that they always go around further. We all reiterated this was the best spot and where he wanted to go had a heavier feel energetically and not as light as where we had been guided. He persisted, so going against my na’au, my knowing, I followed. Joey and I exuberantly went straight in to swim with much joy and aloha, and whilst the ocean was rough we are both strong swimmers and used to much rougher conditions. I have always had a healthy respect for the ocean and often use it for my energetic cleansing ritual. There we were having a lovely time laughing, swimming, floating, enjoying the now moment in the ocean. In a nanosecond I suddenly felt a clear shift in the energy of the ocean and said to him we need to get out of here now. Joey later shared that at that moment he saw a shift in my demeanor and knew something was wrong.
The ocean was angry. The ocean was about to spit us out.
The waves grew in such size, frequency and strength that as we tried to swim to shore, we were constantly pounded and hammered by this powerful onslaught. I went under at least 6 times, I really lost count of how many.
Using all my shaman skills to stay still, aware, focussed and not fight the tumbling each time I went down, but to wait for the stillness, using all my strength to climb to the surface, snatch a second of a breath before being pummeled down again. Being aware the whole time also that I may be being flung toward the rocks to my left, having my eyes open and arms out to protect myself physically if that was the case. I was aware of being what I call Poliahu- one of the Hawaiian Goddesses who was able to not be defeated by Pele when her anger raged by staying calm and centred. Her energies are one I work with a lot. Also expanding my energy and telling those of the unseen realms that we could really use their help. It really is remarkable what goes through your mind in a few seconds. At one point whilst tumbling under the water in the washing machine spin cycle, I did have a thought “ you know, you might not get out of this one”, however being calm during the whole thing and having no fear. At the same time too, always being aware of Joey and the aka cords that were connecting us. Oddly enough what should have been dragging us out to sea, was throwing us to shore, even though there was an incredible undertow. Finally, after I have no idea how long, I got to a point where I could stand and saw Joey was safe and Danae had come as far in as she could to try to help, wanting to but being unable to. Yet another wave and under I went again, but this time with a force of strength made it to the shore- with my bikini still in tact, gotta be happy with that!!!
Exhausted and heaving for breath, I made it to a rock to sit on, and with Joey standing next to me we both bent over, gulped air in to our strained lungs, regained our breath and burst out laughing.
The rest of the day, every time we looked at each other we would snort with laughter, something the others thought was a sign of trauma and wondered if something was wrong with us, but it wasn’t. There really was no trauma at all for me, it was totally a reminder in surrendering to the moment, trusting and not fighting, whilst being present to do what needed to be done.
It was however a life changing event and a massive clearing of energy. What the Hawaiians call a pi kai, a salt water spiritual cleanse ( externally and internally in this case!). You don’t come out such an experience unchanged.
A few of the group on the shore had been watching the whole episode, having seen and felt the shift in the ocean also. They kept watching us and ‘willing’ us in to shore. The next day I realised their contribution energetically and shamanically in ‘drawing’ us in to shore. With the undertow, we should have been dragged further out to sea. What a powerful reminder of the power of focus and intent and aloha and that combined focus of energy.
Later that night when I finally had space to be with my thoughts and ‘hear’ – one of the messages was that Moloka’i held so much wounding and anger for what happened to the Native Hawaiians and the ‘aina and Lawrence’s words from a couple of days earlier came to me – ‘ I forgive but I will never forget’. That a big part of my journey was to assist in the healing of the ‘aina and the energies there. The past has been forgiven by the native Hawaiians, that’s who are they are and how they live – ho’oponopono, making right, working with forgiveness as a daily process.
The elements still needed some kala, some release.
Joey and I went in to the ocean filled with Aloha, love and joy and I recognised the comparison with clients. When healing is happening, the old emotions and wounds can come to the surface with a vengeance to be cleared and healed. Sometimes when offering aloha and love, the anger and rage has to surface in order to be released. This is certainly what happened that day. It happened to me as I knew how to handle it. All was in perfection. As with clients, family, friends and loved ones, often when they are in a place of anger and other emotions, when you give them love and aloha, it brings up their old ‘stuff’ from the deeper layers even more, so it can be released. Joey and I were there to do a job that day, to let the ocean express what was needed, as we were the ones who could handle it. It allowed for some release of 150 years of wounding. We also had the support of other incredible beings on the shore that also had a job to do that day.
In Hawaiian culture and ‘ohana), there is a phrase ‘no-one gets left behind’. That was one of the big lessons for people that day. Each time I came up for a breath I would make visual contact with Joey to make sure he was ok. We were either going to get out of this together or not - together. I could feel the cords connecting us strongly. Danae shared also that she could see each time we surfaced, that we looked for the other – that neither of us was going to leave the other out there alone. No-one was getting left behind. Those on the shore were helping to ensure that with their energetic ‘pull’.
We had also had a group session of Ho’oponopono – to make right, often called the Hawaiian code of forgiveness, a couple of days previously, so again all was in perfection. Many forces spiritually and energetically came in to play that day.
Other lessons- Wayne later apologized for not ‘listening’ to and honouring our knowing and to the messages we had been getting, however no apology was needed, it was all meant to be. It was a lesson for the rest of us in honouring ourselves and our knowing, our guidance, and not to be swayed by others.
I came out of the ocean that day, not only with my bikini in tact, but with a cleansing, strength and renewed sense of purpose. I realised life was too short and I needed to follow my own advice to so many others. I had spent so much of my life prioritising others feelings, being loyal to people when that wasn’t reciprocated and doing what was ’ the right thing’ for others. It was time to prioritise me, my ‘knowing’ and going after things that I know at the core of my being are right for me personally, and in doing so, being of a greater service to the planet. I’ve always done this with my quest for honouring as much as I can of Hawaii nei, na aumakua, na akua, na kupuna, na kupua and sharing the aloha spirit, however not always for myself personally. This has led me to an incredible journey and connections with the beauty, serenity, powerful mana and energies of the Halawa Valley on Moloka’i and the special beings who live there…..that’s a story that will have to wait another day.
:)