Waipi’o Valley - the Sacred Healers

Valley of the Kings - Part II

My journey down the valley and meeting with a baby blue whale | January, 2011

In today’s blog post I am sharing Part II of my incredible journey on the Big Island, my travels down Waipi’o Valley.

When I was flying into the airport on the Big Island I was mesmerized by the ‘fields’ of black lava rock as far as the eye could see. Driving up to the sugar cane cottage on the cliffs, I couldn’t help noticing how completely different the landscape was compared to the other 3 islands I had spent so much time on. Having just flown in from a week spent in Kauai, a tiny island in comparison, it was a bit little intimidating.

Once I arrived in Kukuihaele, to the greenery and cliffs overlooking the majestic ocean, I knew I was in the right spot. 

The anticipation on this trip was already a little more intense because I was told outright that I would have a training. What that training would look like, I couldn’t even begin to imagine. Although, being the human that I am, I had already made up a few scenarios hahaha

Kukuihaele sugar cane cottage cliff over ocean.

I unpacked my suitcase immediately, made friends with the geckos that would be my roommates for the next week and wandered across the elaborate property. I didn’t want to waste any time, this trip felt very different from all of my previous to the islands. I planned my morning hike down Waipi’o, Valley of the Kings. I didn’t want to keep ‘anyone’ waiting!

There was limited parking in the Valley and a shuttle, but I decided to take my time and hike down the way I imagined they did in the old days. I also thought it would be the best spot on the Big Island to do a photoshoot, so I loaded up my backpack with all my gear. Preparing everything the night before, I woke early, had my coffee and breakfast overlooking the ocean cliffs and then headed out.

While this property was close, it wasn’t that close. I feel like it took a good 45 minutes to arrive at the entrance of this sacred valley. There was a relatively steep dirt road that I needed to hike down. It was fairly narrow, just wide enough for cars to go down. I debated if it was smarter to walk on the inside or overlooking the cliff side. I chose the road center. Luckily there were few people traveling down at that moment and I was able to soak in the 360 degree views as I made my way down. I was surprised how lush and forested it was for a valley. It felt a little wild, untouched is more like it.

It’s hard to convey now how excited I was on this trek, the anticipation I felt as I moved forward. It’s strange too, because this was a spiritual journey of mine that wasn’t connected to any living teacher, program or school. It wasn’t ‘approved’ so to speak by any ‘valid’ group, so in a sense, I was completely on my own. Hard to announce to the world, ‘Hey, I am receiving a sacred training on the ancient Hawaiian lands!’ Crowd: ‘By who?’ Me: ‘Oh, you know, Lady Eagle and Emerald Lady.’ Me, the Hungarian girl from New Jersey :D.

All I could do was quietly follow my truth, and trust that truth. That is way easier said than done. And it was strange not having an established voice or language for it. I know I am very connected to Hawaii, it is the most at home I ever felt in the way that is impossible to convey. Traveling to Kauai four years before was the first time I ever felt my body and spirit rest simultaneously. Like the most huge exhale. And spiritual things were a daily occurrence wherever I traveled. I had a number of Hawaiians tell me, for various reasons, that Hawaii ‘liked me’. That’s pretty cool, I smile now as I write these words.

Cozy magical space of my sugar cane cottage in Kukuihaele.

What does a Spiritual Path without an Earthly Teacher look like?

My hope with putting these words out into the online world is that someone may be inspired to follow a path that is ‘off the beaten path’. I think these days it’s a little more open for people to go their own way, but if you don’t have a physical teacher, no big deal! Follow your own truth and inspiration. Take a random trip somewhere that maybe came out of nowhere and there’s no information why it would apply to you. Who cares, that is the best part. Because the story is yours because you followed your heart.

It was during this time or shortly after where my spirit guide indicated that I would have no more formal designated earthly Teachers. I remember feeling devastated when I learned this. I wouldn’t have that comfort anymore, I would have to stand on my own in my own knowledge. Me being the free spirit that I am, you’d think I would have been excited. But it was really difficult for me to process at the time because of all the incredible experiences I was having and I had to navigate it mostly on my own with a couple of dear friends and family.

I had gone out to Colorado to do some spiritual land and ancient family cleansing with a Hopi guide and was essentially told the same thing. We were in a ceremony and that was the first message that came through. Again, I wanted to stick my head in the sand. It was as if the stakes got exponentially higher and I was simultaneously required to answer my own questions, go to my interior Heart and Self to discover my path going forward.

Again, I should have been so excited, but it was around that time I had been gifted so much knowledge of the world and universes, and where the earth fit into that and I was not prepared to continue my life purpose, so to speak, without a physical teacher (or someone I could potentially hide behind when things got too intense). I wasn’t even aware that it was a thing, getting kicked out of the spiritual nest!

Did I mention I had the craziest experience with two wild horses, wandering along a cliffside I should never have. Luckily it ended all good. For a minute there…

Reflecting on Beauty amidst the Trails & Trials.

I am able now to look at my younger self from those 15 years before with a deep love, care and even admiration of what I had accomplished up until that point and where I now know that it was headed. I have such a different perspective now and still can feel the uncertainty of myself in that time, in the person I was becoming. And also feel the awe as if I am witnessing something separate from me and be like, holy moly that girl was brave! hahaha

When you feel like all you’re doing to keep your head above water is putting one foot in front of the other, not knowing from one moment to the next where you’re headed, know that that is exactly right. The surprises that come out of allowing to feel unsteady are beyond anything you could ever dream up. It is so worth it. And people will appear in your life at exactly the moment you need for whatever is occurring, a true collaboration of spirits. So I say, Dream Big! We owe it to ourselves and this beautiful earth. It’s happening through us, and that is the most amazing thing ever!

Back to my Waipi’o Journey: I made it down with only a few people around, I was excited to get started. I had to walk across a stream running into the Pacific, that was created by the incredible interior waterfalls to get to the far side of the enclosed beach. It was the quieter area because not everyone wanted to wade through knee deep water with squishy sand to navigate as water rushed past.

I was determined to have as private a spot as possible and the far side lent itself better to the photoshoot and a possible training. I finally settled on the perfect spot, set up my gear, dolls and horses and went to pull out my camera. 

Waipio Valley Overlook, that’s where I was hanging out, that tiny spit of sand.

How do you know if you are on the Path of the Spiritual Warrior?

My camera. Hmmmm. Where is it tucked? My casual search quickly turned frantic when I started coming to the realization that there are only so many places I could have stored it. I tore everything apart. Nothing. Nowhere. That denial slowly turning to the reality that I had left it back at the cottage. 

Yes. I traveled halfway across the world, hiked down the Valley of the Kings where I was supposed to receive a spiritual training and I forgot the camera to do my Landscape Installation photoshoot. One that I was so proud of before I had even completed it. 

Looking back now, I can laugh at myself a little having assumed the photoshoot and the training were intertwined. I was determined to show I was prepared and had diligently planned for this special day, even though it turned out to very much be a ‘no plan’ event, at least not by me! :D

I don’t remember for how long I was in shock, but I imagine it was a good hour. I told myself I would climb back up and return tomorrow or the next day. It was sort of a consolation prize. Because a training doesn’t really have a do over, does it? What do I know. 

I convinced myself it was no big deal and I grabbed my outdated Ericsson phone with its sad ‘camera’ hoping to capture the proof that I had, indeed, come to the Valley of the Kings for my special training. (I wasn’t feeling very kingly :D) As I tried to figure out how the ‘camera’ worked, I was feeling even more lame that I had so proudly resisted joining all my friends in nyc with their fancy iPhones. 

It was 2011 and I was still holding out as the true artist, or so I thought! “For what?” I now earnestly questioned. I looked at my dated button phone and shook my head at the irony of my resistance.

I had only just arrived with the whole day ahead of me, so I packed up my art stuff and my sad-phone-lame-camera and tried to shake off what had just transpired. 

*As my teacher used to say, half jokingly, ‘Expect surprises!’

Can you see my ancient phone under the macadamia nut bag!? hahaha I guess it’s not even the flip phone.

Incorporating the Spirit in Everyday Existence.

Sitting on the beach in a sort of reverie, surely questioning the meaning of life, when I noticed a man with an elaborate camera setup facing the ocean. ‘Good for you’, I thought sarcastically. I watched for a long time wondering what it was he was doing. He had the setup, a telephoto lens you would see on the north shore wintertime, easily 50k worth of equipment. ‘Really rubbing it in are you’, I couldn’t help thinking, looking again at my sad 25KB picture-taking-capability vintage Ericsson phone. 

I watched him for a while, in awe of his elaborate setup. He was standing, looking around, seemingly waiting for some shot but there was nothing there. I mean it was an enclosed cove-type area of the pacific ocean flanked on both sides by massive cliffs. Stunningly beautiful. 

After a half hour or so my mind drifted to nothing in particular, letting go of the morning shake up. While I was really annoyed with myself, feeling like I had somehow bungled a huge opportunity, it was hard not to be moved by the magic that surrounded me:

Enjoying the solitude of the quiet ocean, small waves, stream, sand, beautiful plants. I don’t know how long I was sitting and staring at everything around me, watching the perfect ocean, wondering how something so perfect could come into existence and how most people in the world have no idea it even exists. 

Does Your Spirit Automatically Process a Significant Spiritual Event?

Sitting, many thoughts floating, ideas into dreams, wondering about life - when I see a dolphin jump high in the air in the center of the water. Eyes riveted, I couldn’t believe it. I kept my eyes focused on that exact spot and a few minutes later it happened again. A single dolphin leaping straight up in the air so close to shore. 

When I say close, I’m wondering how he is not landing in the sand, is there a huge drop-off from the shore, I wonder? After the 3rd or 4th time I noticed that its shaped is pretty bulbous. 

Why does it look so odd? So I got up and walked closer to the shore area and waited. Some time passed and there it went again, jumping straight into the air. My heart leaped with recognition - that’s not a dolphin, that’s a blue whale!!!???!!!!! Better than that, it’s a Baby Blue Whale!!! I thought I would pass out. For a second I thought I was in a dream hallucination. 

There is no way…. But it happened again and again. As I watched in disbelief so many thoughts flew through my head, ‘Where did it come from, why is it so close to shore, where are its parents, is it safe?’ At some point I came out of my dimension and looked around, I wanted to share my excitement at what felt to me as lucky as finding a field of four leaf clovers in Antarctica.

Overview pic of the tiny beach area where I was sitting and witnessing the Baby Whale leap. Pure Joy.

How Does One Trust What is Experienced when Surrounded by Disregard?

What I saw was so odd. No one, not one person on the beach had any reaction. So I looked at the photographer, surely that’s it, he came here to photograph the whale. I look over at him, much closer to me now that I moved, and he’s still in the same bored stance staring at the ocean. I looked and the baby whale leaps again. I jump up and down all excited pointing to him and the ocean. 

He shrugs his shoulders like, ‘What??’ And I point as the baby whale jumps again. He looks at the water and continues to have no reaction as this tiny whale leaps over and over. Again, he shrugs his shoulders at me and makes a face like I am crazy and turns away. I watch and look around dumbfounded that no one seems to see what I am witnessing, a most magical delightful joy filled experience, my heart was in the sky. The perfection. And it was just me and myself. No camera, no lens blocking the energies of this miraculous event.

Looking back now on this time, I can see so clearly that I received ‘assistance’ from the other dimension to forget my camera. But in my spiritual crew’s humor they probably decided it would be good for me to hike down into the valley with a backpack full of heavy metal horses. You know, for fun :D

If you look closely you can see one of the horse-culprits! It’s cool because the land looks like it goes straight up to the ocean, but really there is a huge cliff to lava rocks and ocean, wild.

Letting in the Love of Spirit.

I sat at the shoreline for a very long time, watching this baby whale do its thing, while everyone else did theirs. My heart felt so huge. It was one of the most amazing animal spirit experiences I have ever had. After what seemed like days, I got up and decided to take a walk through the valley. The energy moving through me was completely different. I had left behind my life in new york city and was completely embraced by the beauty and energy of this sacred valley. Even more striking is that by then I had completely forgotten about any kind of training, I mean gone, poof, forgotten!

Inside the Valley, my afternoon exploring. Photos above taken by my nifty vintage flip phone :D

The Journey or Path that Brings Revelation.

I wandered down a path deep into the valley, walking by the most fragrant beautiful flowers and fields of taro. It was so quiet, no people, at some point I even forgot that I was carrying all my photo gear. 

I got lost in the smells and sounds. I continued deep into the valley wall, the beach sounds drifted away, alone, climbing over logs that were meant as road markers or barriers. I don’t know what came over me, I was moving around like I had been there before, no hesitation or thinking, no wondering if I was trespassing. 

Eventually I came upon a few old Hawaiian homes. It looked deserted, but there were a few trucks as well. I had no idea people lived down here. I kept moving without hesitation, I was drawn in by something much bigger than me, I love adventures and Jupiter was my guide. 

After what seemed like days exploring every nook and cranny, crisscrossing properties, horses, streams, a waterfall and more hidden homes that resembled clapboard shacks, I came upon a man. My memory is vague, we had an abrupt conversation, what am I doing here, not allowed that sort of thing. But it transformed into a light hearted exchange at some point. 

I was very moved by this exchange, I felt like it was back in time, another era. I don’t remember much except I felt like I belonged there. I felt no fear. I felt close to the land. Like a spiritual home. I wished I could stay, almost as if I should have been born Hawaiian. How could I feel such a deep connection on every island, including this one, having been born halfway across the world.

Picture #4: Deep inside the Valley during my exploration I came across this Waipio Valley sign nailed to a tree with the words ‘ALOHA, Waimanu Jack’ scrawled on it :D

What Purpose does it Serve the World to Connect to the Ancients?

At some point I came to and realized my wandering was completed and that it was time to hike back up out of the valley and return to the cottage. I used my flip phone to take a few grainy shots as I made my way out. Proof to myself that this day had really happened. 

Part of me knows the familiarity of that valley was an ancient part of myself. And my physical body in this life reconnected to a place in Hawaii that was relatively untouched in these modern times, special, energetically complete. If nothing else significant happened on this trip, I would go home content. Happy. Embraced by baby blue whale love. 

In retrospect, it’s easy to look back and recognize that the sacred warrior training was not at all related to the photoshoots. This first day was the beginning or initiation of a week long miraculous journey that, to this day, I have still not completely understood its purpose or fully embraced as part of who I am.

somewhere by the Waimea ranches ??? I think. But look at that fuzzy rainbow!!!

After Valley of the Kings:

I had been creating these photoshoots all over the country for many years. And there were a number of times that the photoshoots didn’t happen or changed location at the last minute. I’ve covered this in other writings. But this one, this is the first time I Forgot my camera. I had a camera break mid photoshoot, but forgetting, never ever. 15 years later and I still shake my head. How???? does Monica forget her camera. 

Of course now, so many things have unfolded and what was lost on me at the time is so clear I smile and laugh a little. If I had my head buried behind the lens creating my ‘story’ I would have missed the actual story and the experience of hiking down to the place of sacred healers. There’s much more to that story but I still have a lot to cover and this post is getting long!

I feel lucky to have been corresponding with family and friends throughout this trip regarding the happenings. I would never remembered the level of detail and now, all these years later, actually piecing together huge revelations and experiences that have far more meaning as a whole rather than the segmented way I have captured them in my experience and memory.

Robin Hood at Volcano

A few framed photos for a show in Brooklyn, the two bottom are from the Volcano photoshoot. Check out the doll size contrast. I love playing around with perspective. And light!

How do We Reflect on our Spiritual Journey While We are Still in it? How do we Stay True to our Destiny when only we can Determine what that Destiny is?

I’m floored by the depth of some of those moments and how lightly I moved through all of it. I am grateful for so much but also for my lack of analyzing at the time. Or trying to make it something. If I had, I would have stopped many important things from coming to fruition. I still have more to the Waipio Valley land protection part of this experience and the horses, I cannot forget those horses!!!

As I lay out the stories and weave together the many journeys, a new picture emerges or is emerging and that is the inspiration to continue digging and putting out to the world as much as I can. I truly believe we are all coming together on another plane or have for many years and other lifetimes and many of us are now forming in the earthly realms, bringing to fruition very special energies for this time. 

Keep doing what you’re doing and most of all Do Not let anyone or anything around you stop you or hold you back from bringing your part into this reality. As we get closer to this culmination there will be many energetic experiences that can deplete us or hold us back. But the incredible thing is we are able to shake it off more easily than in the past. We can do that now. The hold is slipping. I have another post coming soon called ‘Vajra Pride’ that touches on many aspects of recognizing your spirit’s greatness. Your greatness.

And what we are doing is very very real no matter what you may otherwise hear. Plus, it’s So Much fun!!!!! This earth is amazing, the Gold World has arrived. We hold it, the true one and we are creating an awesome merging or glowing. There it is happening. 

Okay I’ll stop for a minute. Went on an unexpected tangent. Big Island Volcano story still waits for her telling!

Storefront window ‘collage’ in downtown Hilo, a very unique place!

Related Blog Post: Eternal Fire Pit - Halemaumau Crater Hawaii Volcano