Mother Church of Our Shining Light
Arts of Initiations in Oak Flats
If You are not here, You are Not…
Photography Credit1
I was never gifted a home to my own spirit. To truly know my body – within all of its feelings – pains of abundance and the joys in desecration. In an upbringing of enforced participation within the Catholic Sacraments – Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Also known as the sacraments of initiation, I was in the throes of these ‘religious participation trophies’ - detached from my real senses of my soul’s involvement to the meaning of these sacraments – I was told how to feel within these ‘ways of the Lord’, with no room for understanding. I chose to be christened by the name ‘Saint Francis of Assisi’. Self-decided, as this was one of the only real saints I knew by name, and the best connection I had to an inner realization of ‘betterment for the world’ – albeit still dictated by another’s representation in their own holy life. Without being given respect to my own spiritual becoming, I became resentful of the apostolic community, lost to my spiritual senses, and I fell silent to the living-word.
Gaps in the story – key points – diving into the curious world of Buddhism and meditation – years of using psychology to expand into the spiritual – aiming to understand Zen and its place in my world – these links leading from my reality by my interior lands of violation, to guidance experiencing ‘All I can be’ by removing layer after layer of societal demands.
As all time leads to pass – Nature took a hold on me, held me to this spiritual loneliness. Using me to uncover my radical reflections in wild places…
This being, Oak Flats has held me to initiations no other has been able to hold in my purest of moments. Within my personal loneliness, this land supports the burden of my balance upon a sphere of youth, blossoming up from the soil that says :
“You Be You
I’ll Be Here
And We Shall…”
Here - I am held to my own baptismal. Renewing ever.
(Climber : Cydney Sea (Insta: seawandering - Substack
)I came to Oak Flats for the hobby of Rock-Climbing and a desire to practice photography…
It was an easy stepping to, but not an easy ‘clamber up’. The community can be found at any of your local rock gyms (if you eavesdrop hard enough, like I do) – mine, Phoenix Rock Gym in Tempe AZ, an institution in the Phoenix East Valley. By invading other conversations and exemplifying interest in doing the real thing – invitations are easily found in this open, acceptive community.
Driving through Superior, AZ, the last town before rising higher into the cliffs that create these opportune routes – seeking out today’s car-camping situation – and our hiking to today’s favorite climbs (as each climb becomes our favorite of the day) – felt like a pilgrimage to some other way of life that I was breaching.
Taking on the safety equipment to tackle these rocky giants, as you make your way up, the heights make one tremble and shake – as your nervous system takes in an unknown air – as your heightening of senses equate to the heights themselves - as can only be remembered as the first encounter. There is an emanant possibility of belief – and walls of absolute terror – your limbs lock, your heart pumps, and your muscles concrete with adrenaline in eyeing the ever-falling landscape. Is this sweat from stress or exertion? Whether you make it to the top-out, or not – lifted to the sky by our own bodies’ vitality, you are eventually brought back down to the groundwork – fractals of our selves left atop the rock – awaiting to be creviced into history for pleasure.
We descend with the Sun, our shadows surging time – packed in and packed out – ready for our restful bodies awaiting for ease to our aching… everything.
Overnight influences of communal fire with food, stories, songs, and memorial services to the day’s venture– our little victories that only our bodies and the Earth’s body will credit. The dark nights reverie influenced by the shining lights of the Resolution Mine in nights activation – churning away on the silhouetted hills, excavation lights shining brighter than the stars.
Mornings – back to it! Fuel, fire, foraging the mind maps for the next great roped scramble before the days end… another day, another way to reach the skies. Before long…
Weekends over, head home.
Amongst this lifestyle, this was a stepping to ‘How-I-Can-Be’ - a way of life no longer enforced by dictation. Stone hands directed with keenly attentive toes being raised step by step upon a cliff-face – the body raising by its own strength - lassoed to the communal praise below – ebbing a victory for your Oneness to the air above us all –an air where we all breathe Reverence… we stand taller than we would have without the landscape.
Lifting the effervescent skies of my own craving – a bodies way of bodies sweat inclined by rhythms to a union unclaimable – I revel in my Humankind… a creature of the Earth, wired for Desire and comfort, succumbing to the liveliness amidst stone cathedrals.
Flesh becomes thin – as we can only become what we call
Air
not knowing how far we are lifted until
we have forgotten
(Model: Maddie Masarksy)
There is much capacity for the artistic expression…
I have always beheld inspiration as the flaming force in my life. As I have been continually called to the next emphasizing influence of activity (hobbies, crafts) – invigored by some interior visage for a compact representation of ‘life-feeling’. Oak Flats has beheld these intuit arts that only keen (and kin) eyes grant. Finding the freedom to ‘not-think’ – to become the dream awakened flowing within this Self.
In all life, this is palpable – through a lens, the shadows cast a story larger than my self. In the playing of light and shadows cast, our forms become less of what we wish to be, and merge into what we are – becoming Un-hidden. By this vision, I have been witnessed to the enraptured, the desiring, the hungry, the beautiful – the ways we are when soul meets flesh.
In the unity of (A) acting as model, photographer, choreographer within the (B) limitations of my human psyche and body – plus (C) the land as it’s pure form – there has been a solution of capturing ‘what it means to be transformational’. That – as we play exploration, we slowly succumb to losing our encumbered societal self – and begin to tread as Art – an awakened nature in our bodies form. In these creations, there is to be found an invitational language – birthed by the real form of air abundant in my lungs to the ashen, eternalized dust my feet crave. Awaiting within a deeper Earth - I know to be the vision(ary), and I am intimately forgiven to this forgetfulness (and forgiven to overabundance of worthiness called vanity).
It is by this, my capacity for beauty was birthed – grown – cultivated – matured… ever ready to be welcomed home.
By the embrace of this green-armed-congregation I am welcomed to the interior of my gifts, as all becomes gifted in the Earthly Mother Church.
What I create, is For Me*
“and shall be given up, for You”
*not From Me
In this resuscitation of my wrought out, wringed out, hung up to dry spirit – Oak Flats gifts a ‘life-found-living’ – life as deep as the roots bury and as high as the branches crown. Shedding our pasts – by words, by thoughts, by feelings – what remains enshrouded by our own burdens of daily living – the land cradles; if anything…
This land
asks of us
to curl in
to be held
seed sprout root
this eucharist of eons growth
… we return to our own land, facing life’s necessities with renewal… whole - healed – holistic. For your neighbors, your people – from your love, your abundance. To Be the sensational Being that lives as You, to carry others Home.
By this state of creation
Being named the Home of Admiration
This is a world that holds spirit – letting me know
I am More
(Self-Portrait)
All Beheld – wherein lives our poisons – the path in and out to our preaching of Humanness. In initiation – stepping-forth-out-to-and-from-our-Self-found – we become our own pastoral congregation! Our Multiplicity Shines! We are the Father, we are the Son, we are the Holy Spirit – flesh.
By this named Holy Site – reflected in that of Our Creator.
This Land is Mother – as we become Fathers
This Land is Father – as we become Mothers
Body to Sacrament.
Blessed
How you can support the fight against the Resolution Copper Mine Expansion Project:
· DONATE TO THE APACHE STRONGHOLD:
o Paypal: Apache Stronghold
· Write a letter to ADEQ
· SIGN THESE PETITIONS:
o https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/i-support-oak-flat
o https://actionnetwork.org/forms/calling-faith-leaders-to-help-protect-oak-flat
· Email lbrown@becketlaw.org to participate in an amicus brief (permitting to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case)
· Pray for the Land – in the way you know how to pray
o The Land Listens
· Bring Visibility to Oak Flat
o Visit
o Experience Being on the Land
o Go Support its Protectors
o Repost News Stories and Resources
All Photographs by Author