Mt. Shasta Full Moon ceremonies

Saturday morning about 8:45 there was coffee perking on the grill when I arrived up from the parking lot having slept in my van, my usual custom. Many already were gathered in the morning coffee camp. By magic cell phone we knew of many others who were on their way from some distance. They would be with us in time for the afternoon purification in the stream running down the mountain.

We chose a spot close to the camp and an easy walk that everyone could manage. We walked just a little way down the grade from our camps alongside the glacial Panther Meadows stream.l In August, the watercourse is lush in summer violet fire weed banked along the cascading water, next to golden rod daisies in colorful clumps, mountain heather further from the water and blooming their star-like blue violet flowers were michaelmas daisies. Finches and nuthatches flitted chirruping among the taller trees, ancient alpine specimen some of which might be 1000 years old yet stunted by harsh mountain weather conditions.

We stopped at Charlie Tom's now vacant fire pit: both men and women had walked down to this spot together. Now the men would group and walk further down to the place called "The Mother's Breast" where they would begin the purification ceremonies: putting up a tapestry barrier tied to the trees and bushes, then their own words of dedication before plunging into the stream to wash, slosh or even dunk body and head into the running waters. The women sitting above heard their shouts all the way up the hill. As they returned, we, in turn, spiraled down the trail to the mountain creek.

The water was i-c-y, my feet were numb in about a minute. I splashed about finally flinging about a dozen handfuls of water up over my head, shoulders and chest before I quickly returned to creekside beside the flowers. The children flopped and lolled in the waters defying the chill while the rest of the women, mothers and visitors, also flung water over themselves or sat down into the stream. After pulling down our tapestries, we returned all the way up the path to the camp.

Our camp, now nearly 30 people, would make and eat a meal before we left for the topmost part of the parking lot and vista at Panther Meadows a little later in the afternoon to begin the medicine wheel circle. We rested during our afternoon repast anticipating the night long full moon dancing to begin about dusk.