non-fiction, totally true book by krystalargo de Lindachrist

The subtitle of my book is: 

"A GRANDMOTHER'S 40-DAYS AND 40-NIGHTS IN THE UTAH DESERT CANYONLANDS ALONE"

horses@sacredhoopjourney.com

This is a true story by and about author and photojournalist Krystalargo de Lindachrist aka Linda Sue Russom Plant Powers...MYSELF. It is taken verbatim from the extensive journals that I was keeping from 1985 to 1995 but specifically addresses a time period in the year 1992. However, the SOJOURN covers fascinating material from other years and time periods, too. There are over 300 colored photos and graphics of different types that add great flavor and inspiration to the text and to THE TEST OF MY SOJOURN . 

AUGUST 23, 1992, SUNDAY, DAY ELEVEN OF 40-DAYS

ELEVENTH DAY...THE SHORT VISION QUEST

Late morning. The first thing alive that I heard and saw in the pre-dawn light as I huddled on the side of the hill was a glorious hummingbird coaxing nectar from the small, white, storm-bashed flowers beside me.

The second thing alive that I saw was on the right side, heading for me on the ground, a huge insect (1-1/2 inches long) that I know by the name of Child of the Earth, grotesque and yet elegant. I gently redirected its direction of path with my Redwood Walking Staff/Stick, and let out a big sigh!

What was I doing huddled on the side of the hill in the pre-dawn light??? Spirit sent me there, that's why! You know, the Force behind all Life, the Source which speaks sometimes in a quiet voice and sometimes in a resounding, thundering command!

This time it was the latter saying, "Pay Attention! It is time for you to 'go on the hill'. Take your Sacred Vision Quest treasures and Go. Also taking whatever you want for physical survival. Go, NOW, in the midst of the night storm, up the steep hill part way and be seated."

"I OBEYED!"

AUGUST 18, 1992, TUESDAY, DAY SIX OF 40-DAYS 

SIXTH DAY...THE GREAT FLASH FLOOD

It was so quiet and peaceful up there (on the slick rock mountain in the night), warm with a slight breeze. I had to have a talk with myself about mountain lions and snakes, and remembered the mountain lion was leadership and the snake was transmutation of poison, in the Medicine Cards. Decided I'd just say hello to them if they happened along!

Slipped my legs into the sleeping bag and laid a long time watching the stars appear as it grew darker. Very few small clouds in the sky now, and it seemed the perfect night to be up top. Found the Big Dipper easily and tried to remember how to find the North Star. Couldn't remember except that it isn't exactly part of the Big Dipper. Then just above me, the Big Dipper handle, I saw a circle of stars and then perceived another above and sort of part, making an 8. I've found several rocks in 8 shapes, so have been wondering about that. They, the circles (of stars), seemed so perfect and to be a Medicine Wheel going clockwise and a Medicine Wheel going counter-clockwise, like R___ had us do when going in and out of the sweat lodge--the other Sweats I've done made us go in and come out clockwise. These 8's were definitely a sign to me about following the Sacred/Good Red Road and Medicine Wheel philosophy. In my prayer/treatment work, I also declared signs, dreams and information from God/Spirit to be mine--and they were!

  (later)

...Having a magnificent thunderstorm with the lightning bolts and thunder claps doubling over each other and very close! Glad I'm not up top now! The rain is here now!!!!! SOLID and with wind. Surely glad I'm (tented) in a protected area. Well--Hopefully!! I can see water running off the slick rocks across from me, and one drip is on top of the tent rain fly. Waterfall is not dry now. Pretty awesome, in fact, THUNDERSTORM!! The rain has almost stopped here, but I suspect that the water could continue to run down all those gullies for hours. Actually, there is a huge flash flood down where my canyon begins, and it is coming back into this canyon also--

30 to 45 minutes later--did a bit of shoveling to keep water from bad flooding into my little island. Now the water is beginning to flow out of "my" canyon instead of in! Thank Goodness! (Note: At one point at the peak of the flood, the water was only 12 inches from my tent.) Barely missed my syrup and water storage. It is, however, still one raging torrent of water out there where I just walked to pee an hour or so ago! Have to admit that I never before had the pleasure of eating supper while watching a flash flood just 25 feet from my tent (now). I may forgo that pleasure ever again! The little hummingbirds seem unafraid and are already out there at the Indian Paint Brush, singing that peculiar counterclockwise song. God sent a gorgeous rainbow and I hope my pictures of it and the flood turn out good.

 THE PROMISE OF THE RAINBOW AFTER THE FLOOD!

,

SEPTEMBER 12, 1992, SATURDAY, DAY THIRTY-ONE OF 40-DAYS

THIRTY-FIRST DAY...SETTING FOR THREE DAY VISION QUEST

NOTE: THIS EXCERPT WAS WRITTEN IN RETROSPECT AFTER RETURNING FROM A THREE DAY VISION QUEST ON "THE LEDGE ON THE EDGE OF ETERNITY" NOTE: THIS IS A DIFFERENT QUEST THAN THE ONE IN AUGUST MENTIONED IN THE FIRST EXCERPT.

As you can see, I did not write in my Journal once I entered the Spiritual Space of the Quest. Oh, I also had the book, "Avalanche" with me; I didn't open it. I took some of these kinds of things, because I thought at first this was just a mini-VQ--try it and see if you like it (that site). As soon as I got to the site,  I knew I was in for the real thing. I took a few pictures when I first got there, and a few as I was leaving three days later on the eleventh. I also took a few of the moon the night of the 10th /11th which I believe was when it was full--the 11th. Other than that, I meditated, thought, considered, cleared my mind, filled my mind, prayed probably every way there is from Spiritual Mind Treatment to beseeching, to wailing, to orderly prayer for other people, to Sacred Red Road prayer using the Medicine Wheel (see what I copied from the Sacred Path book about the Pipe), to God for World Christ Spirit. And, oh, how I cried--not because I thought I should, or because it was expected in a Vision Quest, but because it was necessary to my survival at that point in time. 

You say, "Survival?" I say: "Yes, Survival!" There were things I had to deal with in order to be rebirthed/ reborn/transformed, and that was why I was there. Plus, I was there to pray for the people of the World, for Vision, clarification of what to do with my Life. Yes, I cried--great, rending, racking, sobbing and crying into the days and into the nights! 

I prayed in gratitude, in thanks, in delight for my life, for people I know, for good things that are happening in my small world and in the world at large. I smiled. I laughed. I shouted for Joy, Joy, Joy! All this in a very small circle on The Ledge on the Edge of Eternity. I mean this literally, because had I not been extremely cautious, it was many hundreds of feet down an almost perpendicular wall South. The West side I could have climbed higher without a backpack; the North side was solid rock almost straight up, up, up; the East was this very steep incline I had come up to get to my Power Place (Place of Empowerment). The large, wide, very thorny bush on the West and the smaller one on the East blocked my view and also provided a wonderful tight space to stay within.

You can purchase it as both a printed, large paperback and in a Kindle version. The paperback version is amazingly expensive due to the cost of printing a book with so many color photos & graphics. However, a person can almost just go through the book looking at the illustrations and understand the story. Very fun to compile this book! The publishing price was dictated to me and not by me! When you purchase this book, I am certain that you will consider it one of the best gifts and treasures that you have ever given to yourself or to someone else! Aho!

TELL ME YOUR QUESTIONS. I WILL FIND ANSWERS FOR YOU. CALL KRYSTALARGO AT 707-257-7678 OR WRITE TO: sacredhoop5@hotmail.com

FOURTH EXCERPT FROM MY BOOK: "SOJOURN OF MY SOUL ON SITE/SIGHT"

AUGUST 27, 1992, THURSDAY, DAY FIFTEEN OF 40

FIFTEENTH DAY...AN AWESOME NON-DRAMATIC DAY IN CAMP

...Sitting in the shade on the blanket eating beans with bulgar wheat, garlic, olive oil, salt and onions for lunch, left over from last night, and the last ashcake--really good and crunchy with the polenta in it. And I'm contemplating the clear blue sky; it is so striking that I got my camera from the tent and took a couple pictures.

I'm used to contemplating clouds, but the blue sky--that's different. Peaceful and clears my mind. At times as I lay on the ground and contemplated the total blue sky "covering" me, I felt like I was inside the blue eyes of God--a very unusual feeling. 

My food here is excellent, and I can't seem to get the pastrami sandwich out of my mind that I had for Brunch with B.O.S.S. on Sunday, August 9th at the Burr Trail Cafe! ! (That was just after completing the week long outdoor survival training.) Gosh, that was soooo sumptuous! I had to eat it very slowly. Stomach was not used to that much or that kind of food, meat, that is. I've been on vegetarian food except for that meal since July 7th. Oops, I also had pizza once when Dr. F. honored my 40-Day Trip plans with lunch. I was thinking of having a pastrami sandwich on the day I leave, but since I'll be fresh from eight days of fasting, I'm not sure it would be good for my body. So I've decided to have WallWalker and HorseHair bring one in the next time they come (to camp on horseback to check on my well-being per the BLM requirements). More sky-watching! So phenomenal! 

Wonder what the daytime stars and constellations are?? I remember earlier this summer at a planetarium show on "Skies Over Antarctica" to learn that there the stars go around and around instead of across the sky as they do here!

More idle, or not so idle thoughts. Laid on my belly in the fine, clean, beige sand and took a picture of a Moqui ball about that big (inch across) which was caught hard between two other large lava rocks. I shall entitle the picture: "Even a Rock can get caught between a rock and a hard place!"

Then I just laid there thinking about ants and other small creatures which must be extremely physically fit to do all they do--just to get across a big space of land, or to the top of a rock. I think the flying creatures may have it made! Challenging looking at the world from Ground-eye level. I am blown away by the limitlessness of the blue sky today. Clouds seem tangible; I mean, I've flown above them. But the sky and the word "infinity" seem synonymous to me today. Even the jet airplanes are not marring the blue with vapor trails today. And the Green Twinkling cottonwood leaves are shimmering and singing with the sun and the breeze!...

MOTTO OF THE SACRED HOOP JOURNEY, SOME OF WHICH CAME TO ME DURING "THE SOJOURN"

   ALL CHILDREN SAFE
   ALL PEOPLE FREE
   ALL LANDS HOLY
   ALL CREATIONS HONORED
   ALL THE WORLD AT PEACE!
   ALL MY RELATIONS
   HO! MITAKUYE OYASIN!

horses@sacredhoopjourney.com