February 15, 2014
Kerala, India

Today here in the jungle was amazing beyond words. We took a several hour jeep ride high up onto the sacred mountain in the center. The ride was both rough and dangerous and very very steep.
When we reached the end of the track, we got out and climbed up a steep path for miles, continuously going up until we could see for a hundred miles. The trail was carved onto the edge of a cliff that dropped off thousands of feet. It caused me to have vertigo when I looked down. Eventually, we came to a small cave surrounded by a ledge and dense growth. It was the site where an ancient saint became enlightened over five thousand years ago. Myself, Simon, and Katrina entered the cave one by one in a row and crawled on our hands and knees deep into the earth. It was very tight and very low and very dark, with tiny shimmering little bats fluttering against and around us.
Simon led the way with me second and Katrina last. Eventually, I was on my belly slithering like a snake. It was so tight and deep in the womb of the Mother. We had only a penlight and almost no way to hold or point it, mostly it was pure darkness.

We turned the light off when we reached our minds limit, which was the point where the cave went on, but the sense of claustrophobia became to much to bear. In that absolute darkness and total silence, we each experienced an amazing transformation. It was deeply spiritual and very ancient, very hard to describe.
Turning around to go back out was also very difficult, and I thought for a moment that we might well have come to the final end of our journey, trapped there. But we eventually made it and the tiny growing pinpoint of light that eventually became the exit, was a most welcome sight.

I can’t speak for the others, but things were different for me after the time in the cave. Deep thoughts and whispered answers now accompany me since. I don’t know if I’ve become enlightened or not, but something has shifted and I will never be the same.

We met with a holy man performing ritual with an ancient carved idol near the entrance and he blessed us and tied an orange cord around our wrists to mark our initiation. It was a profoundly moving day.

Blessings to All,
Patrick