We have so much gratitude for the kindness we have received from our community as our area has been seriously impacted by the massive Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fires. We want to thank all of you for your thoughts and energetic work on behalf of our home, the Mothership, our land, and the Peñasco Valley that has been our home for 22 years. A special thank you to our faculty who stepped up to take product inventory for future classes which greatly reduced what we had to move.
We officially evacuated to Sande's tiny house in El Prado, New Mexico (Taos) on May 20th and we returned home on June 2nd. You are never totally prepared for a catastrophic event. We consider ourselves fortunate that we had several weeks to plan for an evacuation of our home and office, should the massive fire move in our direction, which it did.
Three determined women, Ellen, Donna, and Sande, committed to keeping our business running, and saving what was critical from the potential ravages of fire. We removed computers, Acutonics inventory of tools and shipping materials. We had a temporary office running within 24-hours from Sande’s small home office. Sande packed products, generated invoices, and labels, we took orders to the UPS hub in Taos, and we found time to dip 250 tuning fork acuvators. Product was stored in a shed generously offered by David Mitchell, the developer who built Sande’s home and created her small house community. Sande's neighbors have been so kind, particularly Amy Phillips who generously offered assistance, meals, and something very precious, storage.
Despite the stress, we remain focused, relatively calm, and continue to be hopeful that the fire won't reach our valley. Although weather continues to be a major factor the energetic work being done by our community and the continued work being done by the fire crews working in our area gave us enough confidence to return. The fire has a perimeter of more than 650 miles and has consumed, nearly 318,000 acres. Today it is 65% contained and restoration work has begun in areas where the fire is out. However, an area of active fire still threatens our area, and parts of the Pecos wilderness, which is south of us. Active containment work is underway as well as creation of protective barriors to help with future fire activity. There is a current focus on the Santa Barbara Road heading into the wilderness very close to us.
There has been so much loss for so many, and the entire west remains tinder dry, in critical fire weather. These conditions will likely remain into July, although there is hope that we will have a genuine monsoon season which will help to reduce the severity of these conditions.
Thank you everyone for your thoughts, prayers, and kindness as we navigate this challenging time. We have so much gratitude and feel the love and interconnectedness from our global community.
We’ve had some time to reflect on fire in the context of the Chinese theory of Five Elements, which describes the fundamental interaction between the elements, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, representative of all elements of the Universe and the interactions that unfold when things are in balance or radically out of balance. As you work with the elements the first step is to assess imbalances and to understand the season when things went out of balance so that you can bring them back into proper relationship. In the Northern Hemisphere the season is Summer, and the Element is Fire. The emotion is joy, yet when the Fire Element is completely out of balance there is little joy to be found, and anxiety prevails.
Prescribed burns, a fire management technique is the cause of both the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires, which merged. Within five elements you have both a generating and a containing cycle. You might consider an example of the generating cycle to be a forest service technique of prescribed burns, used in theory to prevent large forest fires. (There is now a moratorium on this, as it has resulted in many large out of control fires such as the one here in Northern New Mexico.) The generating cycle nurtures and promotes relationships, elements pair and become deeply connected. Wood fuels fire, and from these fires Earth forms (think volcanoes), Earth contains metal, metal carries water, and water feeds and nourishes the woods, trees, and plants. Interconnected elements support each other in a symbiotic way, the old growth pristine forests of Northern New Mexico feed the fire, and the drought conditions and high winds, Earth and Water are unable to quench these planned burns but feed them instead. Thus, a fire generating cycle such as a prescribed burn, becomes a huge disaster.
Overcoming interactions are described as melting, penetrating, separating, absorbing, and quenching. Methods employed in fire containment. So, we find ourselves in the containment cycle of trying to overcome the man-made disaster of prescribed burns resulting in deep damage to our beloved Earth.
Fire melts metal, Metal penetrates wood, Wood separates Earth, Earth absorbs Water and Water tries to quench fire. But with high winds and serious drought, water is not available to contain the fire. It takes every element and strong, thoughtful, engaged human knowledge and intervention to quench active fire. Metal machinery is used to create dozer lines, axes are used to chop back trees, clear tree fall from the forest floor, shovels are used to stomp out small active fires, and water and fire retardant is dropped from helicopters and planes. Lines of hoses are laid to protect structures from burning. In the end it is Mother Earth who offers her assistance, with higher humidity, lower overnight temperatures and lower winds which aid the firefighting efforts. When planes and helicopters can fly, infrared cameras can identify hot spots that may have been missed, and water can be dropped on the earth.
During these challenging times it is critical to reignite our Shen, the spirit aspect of the heart, as we strive to living in balance with the natural world and recommit ourselves to service at a time with unprecedented global climate disasters and worldwide trauma.
We must find the time and energy to continue to use all our tools, especially Hygeia, to continue to support those in need, and to identify ways to restore the Earth to harmony. Sustainable living and farming practices as well as self-care to support those who have experienced trauma, are critical aspects of our work with Acutonics. Techniques for healing described in this newsletter can be employed to direct healing to the Earth with Sedna and Hygeia, as well as many other tools.
For those of you interested in Hygiea gongs they will be on their way to us from Germany and should arrive in the next few months, as soon as we have a price and time frame, we will send a special newsletter to let you know.
Also, on its way to us from Debra Kaatz is her new book, The Art of Spiritual Acupuncture Sacral Cranial Touch, Plant Spirits, and the Cosmos, which we will have in stock by the end of June.
May your fire be in balance, your heart open and receptive to the generosity and kindness of others. We hope that throughout these summer months you find rich opportunities to blossom and flower finding precious moments of joy, love, laugher, and warmth in all aspects of your life and wherever your travels may take you.
May this solstice bring you strength, stability, inspiration, love, and peace as your pure inner light shines forth to guide you forward.
Ellen & Donna