It has been a week since my last post and I decided I should try to post a quick status update in case anyone is worrying/wondering about where I am and what I am doing.
On Sunday, after a beautiful retreat experience, I returned to Valladolid to my favorite little hostel. The five days of ceremony and ritual were an incredible experience—one which I will never forget—an experience for which I will be eternally grateful.
As I previously suspected, I had absolutely no internet access in the area where I was at, and I would not have had any time to write even if I did have access.
I fully intended to jump right into writing as soon as I returned to Valladolid, but a small hiccup snuck its way into my life.
Friday evening, while participating in a beautiful dance ceremony in the jungle near Ek’Balam, a large jungle tick (I’m told it was not all that big, but it was huge to me) decided to use my left foot as a source of food. As soon as I felt the bite and realized that the little bug was firmly attached to the skin—I sat down on a rock and asked for help.
I had no idea what was biting me—no idea if it was poisonous—and fear and panic found their way into my heart.
A lovely man—a Zapotec healer—jumped up to help me. Being unable to find anyone with a cigarette, he grabbed what he thought was the next best thing. He ran over to an incense burner and picked out a piece of glowing hot charcoal (he grabbed a non-glowing end) and held it very close to my ankle—right above the back of the tick—never touching my skin.
The pain from the heat was excruciating. I felt like a marshmallow being roasted, but I trusted this dear sweet man—and given the circumstances of not knowing what was going on, I let him proceed.
A few minutes later he gave up because the tick had not backed out of my skin. A large two-inch-diameter patch of white charred skin remained. As he wiggled the tick—now a very hard and crispy tick—he pulled it out and declared success.
I continued to sit on my rock, crying with fear and pain—but mainly fear. Another man, an Olmec Shaman jumped up and took over while several other native healers simultaneously worked on me with various healing techniques.
Somehow, in the midst of this experience I was able to maintain an attitude of love, and to remember that everything happens for a reason.
I was sure that the intense heat had cooked and charred my skin to a crisp—but miraculously, probably through the energy of the blessings I was given, the burn is only a large and ugly two-and-a-half-inch diameter second degree burn.
I would not wish what happened to me onto anyone—yet I feel deeply blessed by the experience and would not change a thing. Overall, I learned a great deal about unconditional love, surrender, and trust—and the experience had a powerful way of bonding me with all who were present.
I have spent much of the past two days resting, seeking medical attention, and even getting my laundry done, but today I finally began writing.
There is so much that I want to share about last week. I will probably be posting four or five long blog entries over the next week or so just to catch up with today. I am not ready to post today’s writing, but I wanted to give everyone a quick update. Actual postings with full details should resume tomorrow.
If anyone reading this wants to send loving and healing energy my way, it would be greatly appreciated. I will be staying in Valladolid until I am fully healed—probably a couple of weeks.
I love you all so very much.
With deep gratitude and love,
-Brenda
Copyright © 2009 by Brenda Larsen, All Rights Reserved