Truchas is a small town that one might overlook. It’s well off the beaten path and it hasn’t changed much since I first visited in the mid 90’s. The Main Street is now paved and the Old Road to Taos has been usurped by highway near Santa Fe. But the stunning mountains and houses speckled across the high hills at their base are pretty much the same.
I try to remember how I came to find Truchas twenty some years ago.
I believe I was just exploring.
The High Road To Taos was far too seductive a road name for me to ignore. So I followed it. And at a bend in the road, an unpaved dirt street passed through a small village. It was that unpaved road that led me to the adobe home of Barbara McCauley and Alvaro Cardona-Hine. Here art, philosophy and an international perspective on the history of humanity merge, as Alvaro explains:
The small gallery, a tiny adobe building on the property, and a separate studio farther back on the property, held many paintings. Alvaro held classes in the studio where he taught many young artists, and the work of one took my breath away. It was as if someone had, somehow, put into form all my doubts and questions at that period of my life, on canvas:
“Presence” by Nancy Orenstone
The painting had a profound impact on me. It touched my soul, and I simply had to have it.
It was by a young artist Nancy Orenstone, who has since opened her own gallery with her husband, artist and writer Pierre Delattre, in Taos. Nancy is drawn to landscapes, yet it is her use of figures in some of her paintings that I find most intriguing. Pierre says of Nancy’s work:
Nancy Ortenstone’s art evokes the ambiguity between change and constancy, between natural forms—skies, oceans, landscapes—in their observed transformations, and the ageless, timeless white-light source from which they have emerged and to which they will return.
…How best to describe this white-light stillness that underlies the flux and flow of color in her paintings? Collectors have often said that they never grow tired of her art. One couple called her painting “an inexhaustible experience.” Why is that?
Because, it seems to me, that her paintings are not fixed images in space or time; they belong to the ageless and the timeless; they evoke a process of continuous change. This mystical relationship between the source of all created beings and its most beautiful manifestations is at the heart of her work.
And so it was, in the studio, buying Nancy’s painting, that I got to talking to Barbara and Alvaro at the Cardona-Hine Gallery.
I’d go on to house sit for them and for their bulldog, Tess. Tess snored horribly (as bulldogs sometimes do) but we became great friends. I have a soft spot for bull dogs and Tess was a doll of a dog. We walked everyday, into the forest at the end of town where towering trees shed their needles on the forest floor. At night, we’d look across the Rio Grande valley to the twinkling lights of Los Alamos, far away on the hill.
Truchas in 1995 was a bit rough around the edges (it still is, which is part of its charm). My first night housesitting, there was a knock at the door. I went to the door and opened it.
And there stood a man with a very large knife.
I opened the door to be confronted with a man with a very large knife!
I looked at him.
And he looked right back at me.
In silence.
For what seemed like an eternity.
I stood frozen, not sure what to do; not sure what was happening. What had I gotten myself into? I remembered Alvaro saying “we trust people” before he left. Why did those words suddenly come to mind?
The man at the door looked at me. He looked at Tess.
And then he smiled.
“Here,” he said, offering me the very large knife, handle end towards me. “I wanted to return this.”
I think I thanked him.
***
It’s been some years now, but I recently met up with Barbara again. Alvaro passed away some years ago. Not much has changed, except for a beautiful, spacious new gallery addition that allows many of the larger paintings to be properly displayed. The studio has been converted to a small AirBnB. There is a new bulldog. And there is a new road, this time paved, but potted with plenty of potholes to retain that certain authentic je ne sais quoi that is rural New Mexico.
Tess’ replacement
An old truck on the Main Street of Truchas, NM, which is now paved.
Fall in Truchas is simply stunning. The craggy mountains, the groves of golden aspen, and the small town come together in a breathtaking panorama. It was here that Milagro Bean Field Wars was filmed many years ago. The town is nearly identical to the one portrayed in the 1988 film. Except of course. that Main Street is now paved.
Here are some outtakes from my trip to Truchas:
If you go to Truchas…
Map from Santa Fe to Truchas, NM, by way of Chimayo
It’s a beautiful drive to Chimayo, then up the hill to Truchas.
Chimayo is a world renown sanctuary, with a reputation as a healing site. It’s often referred to as the “Lourdes of America”, referencing the famous French religious site.
Beads hung in remembrance of loved ones at Chimayo
Local families have continued the Spanish Colonial weaving traditions. You can visit the shops of the Ortega and Trujillo families and browse their beautiful creations.
Chimayo is also famous for its heirloom chile, Capsicum annuum “Chimayo”, a chile that embodies both sweet and hot, which you can sample from the various vendors in town and at the James Beard award winning restaurant, Rancho de Chimayo.
Chimayo is famous for it’s local heirloom Chile. Eat more chile, the sign proclaims!
Rancho de Chimayo was awarded the James Beard Foundation America’s Classics Award in 2016 for their attention to the history and rich culture of New Mexican food.
Rancho de Chimayo is on the road to Truchas.
If you’re looking for authentic, pass on the cooking classes and tourist places in Santa Fe, and head to Chimayo where the foods of tradition continue today.
Just up the hill, Truchas has numerous small art galleries. A tour each fall opens the galleries to the public and it’s a fun way to visit this village and enjoy some local art. From there, back to Santa Fe is about an hour. Up the road, the High Road to Taos, of course lies magical, mystical Taos.
More On Truchas and Chimayo and Environs
Chimayo is worth a visit on its own. The church, the grounds and the town are world famous. Walking about, however, one might develop a bit of an appetite. Do head up the road, around the bend and enjoy lunch at Rancho de Chimayo.
If a personal visit isn’t in the cards, and should you get a hankering for some good New Mexican food, here are some items to help you recreate some of the culinary legacies of the Land of Enchantment:
From Amazon:
Situated just 30 miles north of Santa Fe off the High Road to Taos, the highly acclaimed Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant has been serving traditional New Mexican cuisine in a beautiful setting for half a century. The atmosphere at this traditional Spanish hacienda, surrounded by mountains, is rivaled only by the fine, native cooking served in the grand early tradition by generations of the Jaramillo family. In 1991 the restaurant published a modest paperback cookbook for their silver anniversary. Twenty-five years and 50,000 copies later comes this beautiful new edition, just in time for the 50th anniversary celebrations. All recipes are completely revised and updated, with more than twenty delectable new dishes added. As an extra bonus, the book also features charming archival images as well as stunning full-color food and location photography, making this a beautiful keepsake of a special place as well as a mealtime companion to turn to again and again.
If your preferences go to red chile, here is one option.
And of course, if your preferences are green:
Or if you’re like me and simply cannot make up your mind, go for both, AKA Christmas style.
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out MasterClass All-Access Pass for on-line excellence:
[et_bloom_inline optin_id=”optin_10″]
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Autumn is always a spectacular combination of color, scents and scenes. In New Mexico, the aspen groves cover vast swaths of the mountain sides. Ranging from golden to almost red at times, the mountains take on an autumn palette.
With a new camera in hand (my old one is having focus problems) I naturally had to hit the road. And what better road to hit than Route 68 which heads north, along the Rio Grande, to Taos.
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out MasterClass All-Access Pass for on-line excellence:
[et_bloom_inline optin_id=”optin_10″]
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Using sound for healing is an art thousands of years old. Sound, after all, is energy and it was discovered long before X-rays and sonograms and many other modern medical wonders.
And sound can heal.
A chance meeting brought a form of sound therapy into my life. In addition to the omnipresence of lymphoma always lurking in the background, I’ve been dealing with Dupuytren’s Contracture which is causing my fingers to curl and become severely crippled. I am quite concerned about loosing the use of my right index finger, and thus the use much of my right hand.
The medical options include needle aponeurotomy, steroid injections, and enzyme injections. These interventions tend to last only for a short period of time. Surgery does not offer any good statistics or guarantees either.
In short, these options address the symptoms, but not the underlying disease. Welcome to modern medicine.
So I’ve been on a lookout for options. That’s when travel serendipity struck yet again.
I was invited to give a talk about CancerRoadTrip. Afterwards a woman came over and introduced herself: Laurie McDonald.
Meeting Laurie is so Santa Fe. Here is a highly educated and accomplished woman with a resume that would kick butt anywhere. She has a BFA, from the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design; an MA, from the University of Houston; has studied sound therapy in New Delhi/Chennai, India with the Nada Centre for Sound Therapy (and earned a CNCMT); and is a Certified Acutonics Practitioner, in Santa Fe, New Mexico (www.soundtherapysantafe.com). And an author (Travel for STOICS). And a pioneer in working with sound therapy and vets for PTSD; and a film maker with clients such as the Whitney Museum of America Art in New York.
For me, the combination of acupuncture with the energy of sound made sense for a connective tissue issue. I’ve had superb results from acupuncture over the years. I’ve used it for tennis elbow; for general well being; to manage horrific chemo side effects.
As a result, acupuncture is among my first line choices for healing. Combined with the energy of sound, it made sense to me for a connective tissue problem. So I thought I’d give it a go.
Laurie warned me to keep my expectations low; she made no promises. But I’m a few weeks into this now and I’m seeing real improvement, particularly in my right hand. If I can just stay the progression, I’d be happy. But progress! Beyond my wildest dreams.
But it shouldn’t be. Over time, through travel and travail, I’ve come to look for healing disciplines that treat the cause, as well as the disease. It’s here that modern medicine bats .500. I’m on a quest for the other half of that equation. And sound for healing may be part of that equation for me.
To discuss sound for healing, let’s start with a look at acupuncture, because my current explorations are combining both.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture
The history of acupuncture goes back over 8,000 years, long before modern medicine even existed. Think about the centuries of practice and experience in this tradition. The Chinese use it for everything from healing to anesthesia during surgery.
The basic principle, derived from thousands of years of use, study and observation is based on Taoism which promotes a balance between yin and yang. Using over 2,000 acupuncture points that have been identified in the body, fine needles are used to adjust the flow of energy and restore health and balance. Acupuncture is also used in pain management, as one New York Times reporter learned from personal experience.
Richard Nixon’s opening of China opened the door for acupuncture to be introduced to the U.S. But is was when New York Times reporter James Reston successfully used it for surgical pain during an emergency appendectomy while in China, and his ensuing articles about his experience, that mainstream America started to notice.
Over the centuries, acupuncture has become a vital part of healing for many people. Given my experiences, the idea of accessing the acupuncture points using sound vibration made enormous sense. Particularly in dealing with the connective tissues issues in my hands.
Sound For Healing
Using sound for healing is part science, part art, and part ancient tradition.
Sound is simply the vibration of matter. And humans are systems of vibratory matter.
Matter tends towards harmony. The process is called entrainment. Entrainment explains why metronomes synchronize and why people can bond deeply over a conversation. Humans vibrate in resonance with their surroundings.
The ancient Tibetans and other cultures understood the importance of sound. The Tibetans used the deep rich song of singing bowls in their healing practices; the shamans of Peru use the repetitive beat of drums to bring on a deep meditative state. In our own culture Martin Luther King, knowingly or not, used the sound of his voice and the cadence of his speech to resonate with his audience.
Sound is energy. How do we use it? What impact can it potentially have on our lives and health?
From Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, MD
Sound can change our immune function. After either chanting or listening to certain forms of music, your Interluken-1 level, an index of your immune system, goes up between 12 and a half and 15 percent. Not only that, about 20 minutes after listening to this meditative type music, your immunoglobin levels in your blood are significantly increased. There’s no part of our body not effected. Even our heart rate and blood pressure are lowered with certain forms of music. So, it effects not only our soul and our spirit, but it effects us on literally a cellular and sub-cellular level.
Sound transcends time and traditions. It brings up memory and emotion.
And if both the ancients and the neuroscientists are to be believed, perhaps sound is a channel to the mind and the body’s memory of emotion.
Photo Credit: Fancycrave, Manali, India
Sound and Harmony
Researchers have discovered that cells resonate at particular harmonic frequencies. When these cells are healthy, they vibrate at “optimum balance,” like tuning forks. Obviously, disease is dissonant or disharmonic, having a negative effect on cells.
Cancer, like many other diseases, may reflect an imbalance in the body. Modern medicine often does an excellent job at fighting disease, but finding deeper personal, emotional and psycho-spiritual healing is what many cancer patients need.
I have come to believe that finding peace and harmony is a critical part of healing. Cancer fractures your life. Futures are gone; relationships may change; physical after effects may impact your ability to do things.
The need to heal, and to regroup, is a need for harmony.
To my mind, it’s about finding that energetic balance, whether it’s through the coherence of meditation and heart such as HeartMath; through acupuncture or yoga; through massage or sound.
Everyone is different and everyone resonates (no pun intended) with different modalities. The key is finding something that suits you.
So it is I’m on an exploration of sound for healing, at least for my hands.
Laurie McDonald uses a system called Acutonics, which uses vibrational sound on acupuncture points. This system was developed by Ellen Franklin, PhD and Donna Carey LAc in Taos, New Mexico.
Acutonics brings together the wisdom and efficacy of Oriental medicine, psychology, science and the arts, with the energy of sound. Precision engineered tuning forks are chosen for their specific vibrational frequency and are placed on the various points in the body. The harmonic combinations and the use of acupuncture points are used to manage, move and rebalance energy.
The idea behind using sound for healing is simple, while the execution is more complex.
Practitioners may study for years to develop the fine sensibilities of providing vibrational sound healing. The tuning forks provide feedback. Is the sound moving smoothly, or encountering resistance? Is the harmonic frequency the right one? Are the acupuncture points chosen wisely?
Is sound healing?
***
Synergy in Sound for Healing
Sound does more than simply resonate within the body. It has the ability to touch deep into one’s psyche and emotion and it is here, science is coming to believe, that healing occurs. Neuroscience is catching up to age old wisdom, recognizing that mind and body are one.
Candace Pert was a scientific leader in this quest. Her book “Molecules of Emotion” chronicled her successful quest to show that neuropeptides linked the mind and the immune system. Her research showed that your thoughts impact your biology.
The mind and body, she argued, are one.
If thoughts are energy that release neuropeptides, what of sound that touches an emotional chord within?
From Dr. Gaynor’s book, The Healing Power of Sound:
“According to Beverly Rubik, a leading expert on energy medicine, energy fields form inside and outside the body carry information that changes and perhaps even regulates cells throughout our bodies. …Sound waves are yet another form of energy that can conceivably influence neuropeptides and their cellular receptors. And if we recognize that our own biological healing systems are influenced by energy fields, we can begin to understand why sound and vibration are important new tools for healing.”
Gaynor relays a story of one patient, who finds peace with his cancer by delving into the pain of his adoption. Using sound for healing, he connects with his pain, and in connecting with it, he is able to release it. Years later, he is living with cancer, but otherwise healthy.
Anecdotally, I hear many, many stories of how deep healing impacts biology. What helps us to reach deep? Is sound perhaps one modality?
If mind and body are one, is the resonance of energy through sound part of the neuroscience of healing?
Can sound help us by-pass our social conditioning to find a deeper internal resonance for health?
What are the sounds in your life?
Photo Credit: Marius Masalar
***
CancerRoadTrip is a trip of curiosity, soul and deliverance.
Curiosity because I can’t help myself; soul because it’s what gives life substance; and deliverance from the constraints of my culture. I sense a deep need to see more, to experience more and to know more than the superficial tumult of the waves on the modern surface of our society.
My life has, and continues to be, a journey. Starting with the existential threat of cancer with all it’s emotional ups and downs; to discovering the transformative effects of meditation; to acupuncture; to sound; to other cultural perspectives of health.
Independent of cultures, certain healing traditions seem to emerge in my travels.
From the stories of the Tewe people, to the shamans of Peru, there is a story of soul, connection and harmony that is missing in our mass produced, consumeristic, judgmental society. The connection is deep, it is of the earth and it is spiritual in nature. The Ka Ta See talk of finding one’s song. Here the idea of sound becomes a metaphor for soulful exploration and harmony.
Barbara Culbertson (shaman, friend, and wise woman) said to me that our lives today are 180 degrees from the wisdom of the ancients. I agreed when she said that, but as time goes on, I wonder just how far we’ve veered from our connection to the earth and our place in the universe.
Photo Credit: Joshua Earle
What is it that opens the doors to deep connection?
What timeless modalities unite us with the wisdom of the past, to find the truth of the soul?
And what impact does this synchronistic way of life have on our health, our families and our communities?
More Reading on Sound For Healing
Mitch Gaynor, integrative oncologist and author of The Healing Power of Sound, sadly died recently. His insightful, out of the box approach to complimentary healing has much to teach all of us.
In this book, he explores the cultural traditions and techniques of using sound for healing and for soulful exploration. This is an amazing book. If the idea of using sound for healing intrigues you at all, this is a must read. And, as always, your purchases through this website are greatly appreciated.
Bernie Siegel, M.D., author of Love, Medicine, and Miracles, and the ground breaking Yale oncologist says of this book:
“This book is about healing your life through rhythm and harmony. Read it and learn how to orchestrate your life.”
As an aside, I’ve had the pleasure of having Dr. Seigel enter my life twice. The first time was in the eighties, at Yale. He gave a talk about the emotional and psychological aspects of healing. Needless to say, the neanderthal mindset of the surgeons in the room dismissed him (actually, they weren’t even that polite).
Some years later, I spoke to Bernie again. We talked about Anti-Cancer Club. He told me you can’t heal or effect change by being against something. It took me some time to see the wisdom in his comment.
He quoted Mother Teresa:
“I was once asked why I don’t participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I’ll be there.”
–Mother Teresa
It’s only now, many years later, that I truly understand the profound wisdom of this philosophy in life, in one’s soul and in cancer.
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out MasterClass All-Access Pass for on-line excellence:
[et_bloom_inline optin_id=”optin_10″]
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Zozobra, or Old Man Gloom as the creature is known, was created long before Burning Man was even an idea. Each year, residents of Santa Fe write down their woes on pieces of paper, which are then stuffed into the fifty foot figure made of wood, chicken wire, and papier mache. Everything from pathology reports, to mortgage papers to cremated ashes finds its way to Zozobra.
Then, on the Friday before Labor Day, Zozobra is set spectacularly ablaze. In the fire, all the gloom and doom contributed by residents, perishes for the year.
The event traces its roots back to William Howard Shuster, Jr. who, in 1924, started Zozobra with a private party. His inspiration for Zozobra came from the Holy Week celebrations of the Yaqui Indians of Mexico; an effigy of Judas, filled with firecrackers, was led around the village on a donkey and later burned. Shuster added some personal touches, like a costumed dog parade and the Hysterical-Historical Parade
Zozobra may have started as a bit of a spoof, but it’s now thoughougly ingrained in the Santa Fe calendar. Accompanied by the the Desfile de LosNiños––the Pet Parade––and the Hysterical-Historical Parade, Zozobra opens the celebration of Fiestas which date back to 1712.
This year for Zozobra, I avoided the crowds of 50,000+ people and watched from a nearby hillside house. It’s an annual event that allows your worries to go up in flames, with the hope of a bright and unencumbered future. What more could one ask for? Absolution from worry (if not sin) for the remainder of the year, wrapped in a Santa Fe party!
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out MasterClass All-Access Pass for on-line excellence:
[et_bloom_inline optin_id=”optin_10″]
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
I have been waiting to write about Ghost Ranch and Georgia O’Keeffe. What can one say?
It’s stunning; it’s beautiful; it’s inspiring?
That the landscapes O’Keeffe painted are equally awesome in person?
Art lovers plot their pilgrimages to view the landscapes of Georgia O’Keeffe. But they are limited to (a very good) tour of the ranch where the guide matches up O’Keeffe’s paintings with the landscape.
Because, alas, her seven acre house in Ghost Ranch is off limits to the touring public.
Guided van tours take visitors to various locations to view some of the vistas that Georgia O’Keeffe made famous in her paintings.
Or at least it usually is.
But as serendipity would have it, I was able to visit the interior of both of O’Keeffe’s houses, at Ghost Ranch and at Abiquiu.
***
Ghost Ranch captivated me from the first time I drove down the long, unpaved drive. A steel gate with the name of the ranch opens discretely at the roadway. From there the road climbs, as the motion of the tires kicks off a dust cloud that moves along with the car.
Washboard, dust and rock wind through the desert in a semblance of a road, up the hill. And then, the landscape that inspired O’Keeffe emerges.
Moonrise at Ghost Ranch
The beauty is astonishing. My first visit was in winter, and winter may remain my favorite time. The cottonwoods have no leaves; the stream, the Rito del Yeso, is meager and partly frozen; but the landscape stands out, immutable through seasons and time.
Cottonwoods line the partially frozen stream through Ghost Ranch in winter
I find myself drawn to the area; I can totally understand what O’Keeffe saw in this landscape. But the sheer guts it took to relocate here and live twelve months a year at Ghost Ranch is quite astounding.
In the 1930’s Ghost Ranch was only accessible by a dirt road that wound its way from Abiquiu. There were no signs or markers except for a skull mounted on a fence, which would later become the ranch logo. Yet this remote locale attracted the celebrities of the day, such as Charles Lindbergh, Ansel Adams and John Wayne. Later it would host scientists from Los Alamos. And included in the mix was Georgia O’Keeffe.
The old road to Ghost Ranch
Here is some short video on Ghost Ranch (complete with bugs on the windshield!). You’ll notice not only her house, but the red hills–the Chinle formation –that appear again and again in her art; the towering cliffs; and of course the iconic collections of rock and bone.
Visiting both the O’Keeffe houses is an opportunity to see behind the scenes, into the artist’s daily life and perhaps catch a glimpse of her vision. What surprised me most was how different the houses were.
Had I only visited Ghost Ranch, I would have had a very different sense of O’Keefe. I would not have seen the serenity and extraordinary sense of place she created at Abiquiu.
Had I only visited Abiquiu, I would not have understood the true grit her life at Ghost Ranch exemplified, nor her camping and painting forays into areas such as Bisti Wilderness.
Together, both residences offer a glimpse of the incredible range, curiosity and talent of Georgia O’Keeffe.
Georgia O’Keeffe’s introduction to New Mexico was through a visit to Taos in 1929, and later through her stays at Ghost Ranch. It was love at first site, and she would return and eventually resettle in New Mexico until her death at age 98 in 1986.
The American West, Ghost Ranch
Ghost Ranch comprises 21,000 spectacular acres in northern New Mexico, about half an hour north of Abiquiu.
And as history has it, it’s haunted.
It was originally named Rancho de los Bruos (Ranch of the Witches) by the Archuleta brothers, a pair of cattle rustles from the 1800’s. The brothers would steal cattle, lead them up through the stream to hide any tracks, and tuck them away in Box Canyon which was the perfect corral. The sound of the wind whistling through the rocks were rumored to the the wails of men who had sought to reclaim their stolen cattle.
Needless to say, while the property was avoided, it was not haunted.
Nor was it to shunned for long. In 1928, Roy Pfaffle won the deed to the ranch in a poker game. Carol Stanley, his wife, recorded the deed in her name and named it Ghost Ranch. When they divorced, she moved to the property and created an exclusive dude ranch that attracted a celebrity clientele.
After O’Keeffe’s first visit in 1929, she returned again and again, renting a house from Arthur Pack, writer and editor of Nature Magazine, each time. Pack eventually purchased the ranch from Carol Stanley in 1935, and in 1940 O’Keeffe purchased Pack’s house and made Ghost Ranch her home. In 1945, she purchased a house in Abiquiu, about 20 miles south, where she could enjoy a garden and establish her studio. Ghost Ranch then became the “summer house”.
The Abiquiu house is open for tours; the Ghost Ranch house is not.
Not usually, that is.
However as luck would have it, I was able to tour the property that is otherwise closed to the public. I wasn’t able to take any any interior pictures. But to have the experience of walking in her home, seeing her environment as she saw it and to have stories and art come together was truly a special experience. All my thanks to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum who made this possible.
The power of Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings draw from the deep soul of the landscape as well as from her imagination. To walk in her steps, to see the views from her house much as she saw them, was an experience that touched me deeply.
I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.– Georgia O’Keeffe
Cerro Pedernal, viewed from Ghost Ranch. This was a favorite subject for O’Keeffe, who once said, “It’s my private mountain. It belongs to me. God told me if I painted it enough, I could have it.”
This is the actual view from the courtyard of her Ghost Ranch house, taken during my visit, July 2018
O’Keeffe expressed her love of Ghost Ranch in a 1942 letter to the painter Arthur Dove:
“I wish you could see what I see out the window—the earth pink and yellow cliffs to the north—the full pale moon about to go down in an early morning lavender sky . . . pink and purple hills in front and the scrubby fine dull green cedars—and a feeling of much space—It is a very beautiful world.”
In addition to the artistic legacy of Georgia O’Keeffe, Ghost Ranch also includes the Florence Hawley Ellis Museum of Anthropology and Ruth Hall Museum of Paleontology. It is the site of numerous retreats and workshops. Plus horse trails, hiking trails and a wonderful labyrinth.
Labyrinth at Ghost Ranch, NM
Plus of course the house where City Slickers was filmed:
“City Slickers” was filmed here, at Ghost Ranch
Unbeknownst to many, New Mexico is one of the leading sites for film projects, attracting major stars for major productions. Most people are amazed at the breath and sheer numbers of film credits associated with this state. From traditional western to sci-fi, New Mexico is the location behind many well known films. Talk to the locals, and nearly everyone has a film story to tell, as an extra, as a worker on the set, or as an observer. Here is a small selection of films set in Ghost Ranch, New Mexico (click the image to learn more about the movie):
Ghost Ranch is not just for film buffs. It’s for everyone with an appreciation of history and beauty, whether you come at it from the perspective of geography, outdoor adventure, art, film or travel. It’s a special, timeless place, immortalized in rock and stone, paint and film, with something of interest for everyone.
From Santa Fe, the road winds north through Espanola, to Abiquiu and then to Ghost Ranch. Ideally, if you have time, stay at either Ghost Ranch or the Abiquiu Inn and explore a bit. There are also several AirBnB’s in the area.
From Santa Fe to Ghost Ranch
If time is tight, here are a few thoughts:
Are you into the outdoors or horseback riding? If so, plan to spend the bulk of your time at Ghost Ranch. Stop at The White Place (Plaza Blanca) outside of Abiquiu on your way to or fro.
The White Place
Into art? Spend a bit more time in Abiquiu, visiting O’Keeffe’s house and connect with The Abiquiu Art Project. Plan ahead for both. House tours for the Abiquiu house are very limited and the Abiquiu Art Project requires reservations and for the artists to be available.
As one starts to explore New Mexico, one discovers the extraordinary depth of culture, history and outdoors. Ghost Ranch is part of that exploration–have fun!
More Reading on Ghost Ranch and the Legacy of Georgia O’Keeffe
Georgia O’Keeffe’s ladder at her Ghost Ranch House
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out MasterClass All-Access Pass for on-line excellence.
[et_bloom_inline optin_id=”optin_10″]
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
“Labyrinth” according to Merriam-Webster, is defined as a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one’s way; a maze.
But the labyrinths in my travels are not mazes, but uni-directional paths that offer a very soulful, and some would say spiritual, experience.
Labyrinths are said to date back to the Greeks in Knossos where designs started to appear in the 5th to third century B.C. Later, in the 12th century they would start to appear in Europe and elsewhere. From Egypt to India, to the Hopi Mesas, to English village greens, the labyrinth became a world wide architectural and artistic phenomena. Perhaps one of the most famous is at Chartres which measures 42 feet in diameter and whose construction dates to 1201.
Labyrinths, often constructed of simple stones, create a path that twists and turns, seemingly doubling back on itself, while always moving forward. The meandering walkway follows a precise path, offering an opportunity to take a journey within and reflect upon whatever arises.
The experience of walking a labyrinth is simultaneously thoughtful and mindless. It is mindless in that you are not required to think, but just to be in the moment and follow the carefully laid out path before you.
It is thoughtful in that it is essentially a silent meditation.
Walking is a chance to pause, to reflect, to not think if you choose.
And in entering this space, time disappears. Here, now, one’s focus is simply on the present.
***
There are many theories about these curious structures. They appear in drawings, mosaics, as imprints in coins and art, in gardens and on land. The Greeks used a labyrinth symbol in their coins on Knossos:
Labyrinth on a Knossos silver coin 400 B.C.
The famous labyrinth in the Chartres Cathedral, 1750
This coin is an example of the seven circuit style, aka the classic labyrinth (versus the Medieval labyrinth). The Medieval pattern was often embedded in church floors such as at the Cathedral at Chartres, and was said to represent the intersection of faith, life and philosophy.
As colonial influences spread, so did the labyrinth. But many labyrinths seem to predate these migration patterns. From Wikipedia:
Equally puzzling are the labyrinths found carved and painted on cave and temple walls in India and on tribal objects from Sumatra and Java – how and when the labyrinth reached these remote areas remains difficult to fully explain. Likewise the occurrence of the symbol amongst rock art in the American Southwest – was this an independent discovery of the design, or a European introduction?
A Trail of Travel Serendipity
Labyrinth at Ghost Ranch, NM
On a recent trip to Ghost Ranch I came upon a labyrinth; and then I met a woman in Santa Fe who was part of the Labyrinth Society. And on this summer day, the Labyrinth Society has a walk at Museum Hill. So I thought I’d attend.
Music accompanies the labyrinth walk outside the Folk Art Museum on Museum Hill
Serendipity seems to unfold before me. I walked up to the table where I was greeted. And I got talking to one of the women at the welcoming desk.
The woman, it turns out, also had cancer some years ago. “It changed my life for the better,” she confided. I knew what she meant. Knowing that one’s time is limited, makes us appreciate the great gift of life.
And labyrinths are part of that gift. They are an opportunity to stop, to reflect and to simply be. It’s a time out in a busy day. This day at Museum Hill, at mid-day, the leaves tussle in the afternoon breeze carrying the soft melody of the guitar, and twenty people or so slowly weave their way through the green and red pavers of the labyrinth in front of the Folk Art Museum.
The Labyrinth Society has an online labyrinth you can “walk” with your mouse. But if at all possible, I suggest you go exploring for a real labyrinth experience. As I got to. My chance conversation led to a morning with Santa Fe Labyrinth Resource Group founder, Marge McCarthy.
Exploring the Labyrinths of Santa Fe
The official list of labyrinths in Santa Fe includes about a dozen different sites. In addition to the public sites, labyrinths can also be found in communities and private yards.
Perhaps the most prominent labyrinth is the one at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, downtown.
The labyrinth at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi lies under the left(eastern) bell tower.
Evening light spreads across the stone labyrinth at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
A bench offers a place to pause at the church’s labyrinth.
This particular labyrinth is set off to the side so the casual visitor might overlook it. It’s a classic Chartres style labyrinth, that is found throughout Europe, Scandinavia, India and North Africa.
Labyrinth historians categorize these circuitous paths based on their shape, the number of circuits and the time period. They can be left handed or right handed; have 7, 9, 11 or more (or fewer) circuits. But all labyrinths have one thing common: the are unicursal, ie. a single path that takes an pre-planned and intricate path into the center and back again.
Labyrinth Construction
Labyrinth construction varies widely. Some labyrinths are more formal, made of carefully laid stone as part of a plaza. Some are casual, rocks in concentric circles in a field or even ridges of earth. Some are cut into turf. They can be permanent or temporary, as in the case of a labyrinth on canvas.
All labyrinths follow basic rules of construction, where the labyrinth is carefully measured and laid out, prior to building.
And, according to Marge McCarthy, a dowser should be employed to determine the location and entrance of the labyrinth.
Dowsing involves not water, but energy. The person or shaman doing the dousing is seeking to align the energetic center of the labyrinth with the energy of the earth. Marge tells an interesting story of having several dowsers out to a particular labyrinth. And each found the exact same location.
Once the center is established, the lines are carefully measured and laid out. Depending on the size of the construction team and location, hours (or even days!) are then spent bringing the labyrinth to life, as the concentric rings are carefully constructed. Exacting measurements at the beginning of the process insure a properly aligned end product.
If you’ve never walked a labyrinth, it’s something to put on your list of things to try. It’s experiential. The emotion of finding oneself “lost” while on the path; the turning points; the arrival at the center and the act of departing can have deep impact. I know that these curious pathways are now on my travel list. Here are a a few of my favorites from the Santa Fe area to date:
Aldea Labyrinth
Aldea is a residential community north of Santa Fe, and the labyrinth here was spearheaded as a community effort some years ago. Marge hadn’t been out recently, so we weren’t sure what we would find. But we found a well cared for labyrinth in a field with views of the distant mountains:
Aldea labyrinth was a community effort.
Aldea Labyrinth
There is something a bit magical about finding a labyrinth where one might not expect it. Who built it? Why here? Every labyrinth has a story.
Frenchy’s Field
The Frenchy’s Field Labyrinth is made of clay and straw. It requires frequent maintenance.
The Santa Fe Interfaith Council sponsored this labyrinth in 1998. This seven circuit labyrinth (there are seven concentric circles, thus a seven circuit labyrinth) is high maintenance. The combination of adobe type materials, hot sun and torrential downpours weathers the ridges that make up the pathways.
It’s located in Frenchy’s Field, on Agua Fria which runs along the river. The park has been owned by a host of owners, starting with the Pueblo people and more recently, many recall Frenchy’s Sunshine Dairy, which lent their name to the park. It’s a gathering place for everything from walks along the river, to laughter yoga, to Tai Chi.
Prayer flags wave from a primitive shelter at the start of the labyrinth.
Public and Hidden Labyrinths
Some of the better know labyrinths around town include the Christ Lutheran Church at 1701 Arroyo Chamiso Road, a modified seven circuit Chartres style; the labyrinth at the Museum of International Folk Art; the Railyard; the Santa Fe Community Yoga Center; Southwestern College and Community Church.
At a busy intersection, surrounded by trees is the labyrinth at Christ Lutheran Church, Santa Fe, NM
But tucked away, just to the north of Santa Fe is my favorite labyrinth. It’s small and nestles near an arroyo. The location I cannot disclose. But the pictures I can share:
The path to the hidden labyrinth
“Those that don’t believe in magic will never find it.”
–Roald Dahl
A small 5 circuit Labyrinth tucked away near Santa Fe
There is something magical about coming across a labyrinth in the middle of nowhere. Mind, body and spirit join the earth in a walk as old as the ages.
May you discover the wonder of labyrinth walking in your travels.
Labyrinth Walks in Santa Fe
Upcoming Labyrinth Walk in Santa Fe
Path of Forgiveness Sunday, August 26, 5:00pm Harp music by Kathleen Cosgrove
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, 131 Cathedral Place
A short Ted talk on the impact of labyrinths on one young woman:
More Reading on Labyrinths
Lauren Artress reintroduces the ancient labyrinth, a walking meditation that trancends the limits of still meditation, and shows us the possibilities it brings for renewal and change.
‘Walking the Labyrinth’ has reemerged today as a metaphor for the spiritual journey and a powerful tool for transformation. This walking meditation is an archetype, a mystical ritual found in all religious traditions. It quiets the mind and opens the soul. Walking a Sacred Path explores the historical origins of this divine imprint and shares the discoveries of modern day seekers. It shows us the potential of the Labyrinth to inspire change and renewal, and serves as a guide to help us develop the higher level of human awareness we need to survive in the twenty-first century.
The first time Helen Curry walked a labyrinth she was moved to tears and then “was filled with peace and possibilities.” Here, she shares her years of experience with labyrinth meditation and shows how others can find serenity and guidance by adopting this increasingly popular practice. Unlike mazes, which force choices and can create fear and confusion, labyrinths are designed to “embrace” and guide individuals through a calming, meditative walk on a single circular path. The Way of the Labyrinth includes meditations, prayers, questions for enhancing labyrinth walks, guidelines for ceremonies, instructions for finger meditations, and extensive resources. This enchanting, practical, and exquisitely packaged guide helps both novice and experienced readers enjoy the benefits of labyrinth meditation, from problem-solving to stress reduction to personal transformation. Includes a foreword by Jean Houston, the renowned author and leader in the field of humanistic psychology, who is considered the grandmother of the current labyrinth revival.
Laybrinths and mazes are found all over the world and have been a source of wonder throughout history. This work explores the many aspects of labyrinths from their architectural, astrological and mythological significance to their iconographical , mathematical and artistic fascination. It is an introduction to such different labyrinth forms as rock engravings on Trojan castles, medieval manuscripts, church labyrinths and Baroque garden mazes. He traces the origins, developments and changing meanings of this mystic form from the Bronze Age to the present day. The labyrinth’s dominant position in Western civilization is supplemented by explorations in other cultures around the globe, including those of Egypt, India and North America. By taking a close look through the centuries at different cultures and across the continents, the cultural and historical significance of the maze takes on a new light.
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out MasterClass All-Access Pass for on-line excellence.
[et_bloom_inline optin_id=”optin_10″]
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Inspiration, joy & discovery through travel. Oh, did I mention with supposedly incurable cancer?
What's on your bucket list?
Thank you for stopping by!
CancerRoadTrip is about making lemonade out of lemons.
As you read my story, you may want to start at the beginning to "grok" how CancerRoadTrip came to be. You can click here to start at the end (which is actually the beginning) and read forward! The posts are chronological, with the most recent posts appearing on the front page.
Mitch Gaynor, integrative oncologist and author of The Healing Power of Sound, sadly died recently. His insightful, out of the box approach to complimentary healing has much to teach all of us.
The first time Helen Curry walked a labyrinth she was moved to tears and then “was filled with peace and possibilities.” Here, she shares her years of experience with labyrinth meditation and shows how others can find serenity and guidance by adopting this increasingly popular practice. Unlike mazes, which force choices and can create fear and confusion, labyrinths are designed to “embrace” and guide individuals through a calming, meditative walk on a single circular path. The Way of the Labyrinth includes meditations, prayers, questions for enhancing labyrinth walks, guidelines for ceremonies, instructions for finger meditations, and extensive resources. This enchanting, practical, and exquisitely packaged guide helps both novice and experienced readers enjoy the benefits of labyrinth meditation, from problem-solving to stress reduction to personal transformation. Includes a foreword by Jean Houston, the renowned author and leader in the field of humanistic psychology, who is considered the grandmother of the current labyrinth revival.
