The Vortex....

We went out to Sedona Arizona recently and have been there many times. Sedona is, as far as I'm concerned, the most typical example of "The West" I envisioned as I grew up. Tall mesas, desert, cactus, and Native Americans in abundance. The air was clear and vistas remarkable. One of our "missions" on this trip was to go to the Vortex's, of which there are around five said to be in the area. I didn't know what to expect. Rumors of energy, enlightenment, and peace within each Vortex, and even some with powers that applied to men more so than women and vice-versa. We were able to even find a map listing each location and a brief description of what to expect....we hit the road.

Vortex number one was at the top of a pretty tall mesa, and somewhat of a challenge to get to. Once on top we had a great view, air was fresh but......felt no energy. We climbed down, and consulted the map. Number two.....sort of an instant replay...nice area.......no buzz.

Number three was located in a State Park, we paid our entry and started to walk along a well worn path. Really nice stream, I took a few shots, and we continued to walk. As we were getting near a bend in the path I noticed a stack of rocks, one on another about a foot tall. My mind flashed back to one of the Glaciers I saw in Alaska last September. To the side of this massive sheet of beautiful ice was a structure of rocks bearing a resemblance to this foot high piece. The one by the Glacier was about 5 feet tall. Kinda strange...but remarkable.

We rounded the bend and walked into an open area with a pink sandstone base rock and an incredible view of Cathredral Rock and the stream that ran beside it. There were about 60 people moving slowly going through the motions of Ti Chi. I stopped in my tracks, The last time I had seen this was early in the morning as I was leaving for Baghdad in Tokyo, Japan. Groups of people were in a flowing unison of motion communing in the spirit of exercise. As I surveyed the area I noticed that some were sitting with their arms folded and heads bowed, others were sitting with their legs crossed and arms out-streached, silent and looking toward the rock that loomed in front of the stream in the distance. A man was playing the flute and the sound seemed to fill the entire area. Depressions in the red sandstone were filled with water which reflected the blue sky.........and there were more stacks of rock.

We progressed across the sandstone and wandered down a path that ran next to the stream. The further we went, the more stacks appeared. We had found the Vortex. I can't possibly tell you of the feeling of being surrounded by the statements made by the piles of rocks. There were thousands of them and each one was made by someone, powerful proof of their existence. The quiet was, on reflection, almost total. The sound of footsteps, quite flute, the water bubbling, and the wind was about all I can remember. Nature has taken its course with some of the stacks, blowing them down, or rain causing them to slip, or an animal brushing against them causing the structure to become just another pile of rocks. I really don't believe there was any human intervention in the collapse of the monuments. They seemed too precious. I became a believer in the Vortex from this trip, and I feel certain that they are all over the world. They aren't an avenue to another place per se, but instead I think, a communication between individuals speaking the common language of humanity. "I Am"