Washing a rock, one finds rocklike presence within.
“Zen Dust, Zen Sweep” Dominique Leigh, Mothering Magazine.
Ursula K. Le Guin on rocks:
In general, rocks aren’t living in the same way or at the same pace that we are. But you can find a rock, maybe a big boulder, maybe a little agate in a streambed, and by looking carefully at it, touching it or holding it, listening to it, or by a little talking and singing, a small ceremony, or being still and quiet with it, you can enter into the rock’s soul to some extent and the rock can enter into yours, if it’s disposed to. Most rocks live a long time. They’ve lived a long time before we pass them, and they’ll live a long time after. Some of them are very old, grandchildren of the coming to be of the earth and sun. If there were nothing else to be known from them that would be enough, their long age of being. But there is much other knowledge in rocks, there are things that can be understood only with the help of rocks. They will help people who handle and study and work with them with pleasure and respect, with mindfulness.
Always Coming Home by Ursula Le Guinn, p. 309
Always Coming Home by Ursula Le Guinn, p. 309
[The above quotes were gratefully received from Susan Wiseheart, a fellow rock lover!]
A note on collecting rocks
The urge to collect is the natural response of the human psyche to an aesthetic object that speaks directly to it, stirring memories that lie deeply within. Collecting confirms the indigenous belief that the human psyche reads and understands symbols and that attraction to beauty is a function of psychic awareness.
Malidoma Patrice Some. The Healing Wisdom of Africa.
Malidoma Patrice Some. The Healing Wisdom of Africa.
In nature there are so many things that attract the eye and elicit the urge to collect and arrange - flowers, leaves, twigs, stones, feathers, seeds - and rocks. Andy Goldsworthy's natural and ephemeral outdoor sculptures are an extraordinary example of this.
Whilst we should take care not to do damage by picking wildflowers before they can seed or removing fossils from special reserves, many items are just calling to be noticed and appreciated in this very human way. It's also a way to remember a wild place you've enjoyed.
Here is a 'Stone Walk' from a book called The Artist Inside by Tom Crockett which contains many intriguing ways of cultivating your creative self. I used this often with guests at my previous retreat and many of them went home with rocks that they (much) later wrote me about!
Go Find a Stone
You are looking for a stone that you can hold easily in your hand. Anywhere outdoors, even in a city.
When you arrive at a suitable place, take a few deep breaths. Close your eyes and use all your senses to experience the environment. Now begin to walk slowly scanning the ground ahead of you. Soften your eyes. Rather than looking hard at things, see if you can be aware of your whole field of vision. When something pulls you out of the soft vision, if it is not a stone, just continue. If it is a stone, stop for a moment.
Before you pick the stone up, notice where it is lying. Is it part of a pattern you can discern? Is it pointing in a particular direction? Is is partially buried or covered up? Is it lying flat or on its edge? Is it moist or dry, clean or caked with dirt?
Next, still without picking it up, try to identify what it was about the stone that attracted your attention. Was it a pattern or a marking on the stone, or was it the placement of the stone in a larger pattern? Was it the glint of quartz or metal vein running through the stone? Was it the shape of the stone itself? You may not know for certain, and that's OK. It's enough to ask yourself the question. This information will be useful in understanding your stone and telling it's story.
Now you are ready to pick up the stone. Hold it in your hand and examine it more closely. If it is dirty, brush some of the dirt off. You might choose to rinse it off in nearby water. Hold it in your hand and feel it's weight and shape. Does it nestle in your palm? Do you like the shape and feel of it? Does it feel the same or different if you hold it in another hand? Close your eyes for a moment and clasp the stone in your hand. Ask yourself 'Is this the stone or should I keep looking?' Accept the first answer that pops into your head. Think of this as the voice of the stone or your intuition.
If the answer is Yes, kneel down as if you were picking something up, touch the ground briefly with your fingertips and thank the earth for bringing the stone to your attention. Return home. If the answer is No, repeat the process as you continue your walk. Carry the stone you picked up until you are drawn to another one. When you pick up the new stone, exchange the one you have been carrying for it. Continue until you find the right stone, the one that answers Yes. Finding the right stone quickly is no indicator of your ability or affinity for stone or of highly developed skills of attention and intuition. Sometimes the right stone demands that you work for it.
When you return with your stone find a place where you can sit and be with that stone some more. If you are with a group, you might like to share stone stories with the rest of the sacred hunters. If you are doing this alone, you can write your thoughts and feelings in your journal. Put the rock on the bedside table when you sleep, carry it in your pocket as a charm, add it to an artwork or collection you are making, give it as a gift, or just return it to the earth when the time feels right.
You are looking for a stone that you can hold easily in your hand. Anywhere outdoors, even in a city.
When you arrive at a suitable place, take a few deep breaths. Close your eyes and use all your senses to experience the environment. Now begin to walk slowly scanning the ground ahead of you. Soften your eyes. Rather than looking hard at things, see if you can be aware of your whole field of vision. When something pulls you out of the soft vision, if it is not a stone, just continue. If it is a stone, stop for a moment.
Before you pick the stone up, notice where it is lying. Is it part of a pattern you can discern? Is it pointing in a particular direction? Is is partially buried or covered up? Is it lying flat or on its edge? Is it moist or dry, clean or caked with dirt?
Next, still without picking it up, try to identify what it was about the stone that attracted your attention. Was it a pattern or a marking on the stone, or was it the placement of the stone in a larger pattern? Was it the glint of quartz or metal vein running through the stone? Was it the shape of the stone itself? You may not know for certain, and that's OK. It's enough to ask yourself the question. This information will be useful in understanding your stone and telling it's story.
Now you are ready to pick up the stone. Hold it in your hand and examine it more closely. If it is dirty, brush some of the dirt off. You might choose to rinse it off in nearby water. Hold it in your hand and feel it's weight and shape. Does it nestle in your palm? Do you like the shape and feel of it? Does it feel the same or different if you hold it in another hand? Close your eyes for a moment and clasp the stone in your hand. Ask yourself 'Is this the stone or should I keep looking?' Accept the first answer that pops into your head. Think of this as the voice of the stone or your intuition.
If the answer is Yes, kneel down as if you were picking something up, touch the ground briefly with your fingertips and thank the earth for bringing the stone to your attention. Return home. If the answer is No, repeat the process as you continue your walk. Carry the stone you picked up until you are drawn to another one. When you pick up the new stone, exchange the one you have been carrying for it. Continue until you find the right stone, the one that answers Yes. Finding the right stone quickly is no indicator of your ability or affinity for stone or of highly developed skills of attention and intuition. Sometimes the right stone demands that you work for it.
When you return with your stone find a place where you can sit and be with that stone some more. If you are with a group, you might like to share stone stories with the rest of the sacred hunters. If you are doing this alone, you can write your thoughts and feelings in your journal. Put the rock on the bedside table when you sleep, carry it in your pocket as a charm, add it to an artwork or collection you are making, give it as a gift, or just return it to the earth when the time feels right.
