Saturday, January 31, 2009

The Yurt Dream

The Yurt Dream

Story by Hanne Moeller
Artwork by Ross LewAllen

Ross and I shared a dream about a yurt. We envisioned this round space with a view to the sky and the spectacular Sangre de Christo Mountains would be perfect for clients, ceremonies, circles and guests. Ross does shamanic healing work plus his artwork – jewelry, painting and photography. I do sound healing with a collection of quartz crystal bowls plus other instruments. We live in Ross’ adobe hogan just outside of Santa Fe, NM. It is beautiful, but small. It sits on 10 acres though so we did have the land to build.
A day early in the building process Ross and I went to a Chinese restaurant downtown Santa Fe. The message in my fortune cookie said: ”Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory”. So very true, as it turned out! Coming from the world of sound and words I was definitely not ”born to build”. Our friend Marvin came up from Texas with that proclamation boldly on his T-shirt. And he is! He was the mastermind behind building the platform of our yurt. Ross has built several houses and loves to do things with his hands. So these two longtime friends were hammering happily all day long in the sun while I was struggling with pots & pans, shopping & gofer jobs plus some varnishing & painting. Boy!
And just for the record - I am a mechanical illiterate. Never being taught this aspect of life – my dad died when I was 9 and he was even more mechanical illiterate than me because of his bad eyesight – it has always been a mystery to me. Mechanics do give me many good laughs though – by myself and with Ross – when I observe my own awkwardness in the material world.
Well, what can I say.... I stuck with it and miracles do happen. Good friends with construction skills came and helped us put the yurt up, basically in one day. With a little help from our friends we even got a wood stove donated and installed.
  The yurt is a dream come true built between Santa Fe’s four sacred mountains. For every session this sacred container gathers more spiritual and healing energy. People who come here feel it. Ross and I enjoy it whether we are doing healing work with clients, gathering circles or just having a tea by the fire. The sound, visual beauty and feeling of our yurt is a wonderful gift to my practice. I am truly enjoying ”the exhilaration of victory”.


About Ross

“I am an artist on a walkabout –
an adventure in the landscape of my imagination”, Ross (also known as Hialoakapua) says in one of his poems. He is still on a walkabout in his life and art and his creativity is a wellspring – a master jeweler, photographer and painter. His shamanic healing practice has brought him on walkabouts to indigenous medicine people and sacred sites all over the world. The landscape of his imagination is full of many colored adventures. You will find their origin on the spiritual path at that special point where art and healing have a meeting place. The results are truly magic as you see in his yurt paintings. I met Ross on the destiny path and I am fortunate to walk with him on paths of the heart through the world.