Odyssey of the 8th FIre

"When humans participate in ceremony, they enter a sacred space. Everything outside of that space shrivels in importance. Time takes on a different dimension. Emotions flow more freely. The bodies of participants become filled with the energy of life, and this energy reaches out and blesses the creation around them. All is made new; everything becomes sacred."

- Sun Bear

Day 184 - Saturday December 23, 1995 – With base camp established in Sandy Ezrine’s back yard in Cornville, Arizona, the Sunbow pilgrims continued their prayer walk down through Oak Creek Canyon toward Sedona.

Coming out of Oak Creek Canyon - and heading down the road into Sedona, Arizona. The Sunbow 5 walk makes progress toward the Western Gate.

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Meanwhile, Phil Kratzer continued his efforts to set up a conference call to help resolve the issues that have split our walk.

Phil has been a consultant to our walk since the beginning, and has helped enormously with internet logistics and general organization. He sent out an e-mail today to make sure that we have a shared understanding about this phone conference.

E-mail Subject: Conference Call

A conference call has been set up for Dec. 25, Monday at noon EST. The current known attendees to the call are: William Commanda, Jim Gordon, Tom Dostou, Charlie Commando, Jim Duncan, and me.

Farolitos - Marking the pathway with traditional southwestern luminaries.

My hope and desire is that we will find a way for Joe, and three more representatives of the 30+ walkers will find a way to be included on the call (with at least one woman since we are heavily male weighted).

I've spoken with Joe for only a few minutes. He was uncertain as to their availability to be on the call.

The call will occur with or without them, and it will be tape recorded.

If the walkers are unable to be on the call then an additional call will be scheduled that does meet for everyone's schedule and availability.

Purpose: To speak of any issues which need to be resolved in order for the groups to come together and walk as one.

From a distance, these seem to me to be some of the issues:

1. How are decisions to be made on the walk which effect the whole such as: a. actual roads or routing to take; b. meetings & events with people along the way; c. how the money is to be used and who is responsible for this.

2. What does it mean that Tom is the "head" man? What does this mean in way of authority and responsibility?

3. What is Grandfather William's advice regarding these issues?

4. What is at stake if the walk continues the way it is, and never puts the pain and separation behind?

5. What will be the effect if the walk is "artificially" joined in Los Angeles just so that the walkers can end together?

- Philip A. Kratzer

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Read Day 185 -- Odyssey of the 8th Fire