There are moments in life when something ancient and deeply meaningful finds its way into your life.

Two years ago, I was seated in the doorway of the Sun Temple in Ollantaytambo in Peru. I had climbed the ancient steps, communed with the spirit of the mountain, and gazed out over the landscape.

Settling into a quiet doorway within the temple ruins, away from the crowd, I called upon the ancient medicine people.

Immediately, I received a response. It was physical, energetic, and visual. I was rearranged in a few short moments with an intensity and efficiency that left me breathless, and deeply, deeply grateful.

As I settled, I asked if there was anything I might offer to the ancient ones. I received a simple response: “Seed the light.”

Later that afternoon, following a despacho ceremony in the home of a local shaman, we had the opportunity to speak about ways to work together. The first Seeding the Light Gathering was quickly arranged, and the shamans arrived in New Jersey to offer a beautiful week of ceremony and friendship.

Over many years, I have had the privilege of sitting in ceremony with these wisdom keepers in Peru, Italy, and New Jersey.

Each gathering, ceremony, and transmission of wisdom reminds me that I need only show up to receive. And that my participation matters. There is no effort or pressure to learn something in the usual way.

Sitting with the shamans is something to be experienced directly.

There is a simplicity to the experience, and also a depth that is difficult to put into words. A sense of connection arises that feels both personal and universal at the same time. As time together unfolds, something within you softens, and a way of living in harmony with your world begins to feel natural and supported.