I find it quite uncanny that the coulds seem to roll in when I soak a full elk or deer hides in water in preparation for making drums. The process begins with i
immersing an elk or deer hide into a large barrel of water. Then the hard, dry hide will begin to hydrate into a soft, pliable skin.
The more I reflected back on the last decade in honoring this sacred craft that works with such a powerful animal, it either rains during the time of preparation or during the time of actual crafting the drums. The last spurt of drum making in October, Coyote howled in the distance as the hides began to surrender to the water and the following day the Thunder Beings made themselves present while I was cutting hides at a location called Rabbit Run. Quite an appropriate name during an oncoming Thunder storm!!
I’ve been asked if I get creep out by handling the wet skin of an animal after it has soaked up the water and begins to smell of primal life. Funny….I hadn’t thought about it until the question was posed to me and upon reflection I get a bit of a charge of life reborn and my creativity begins to awaken once again.
So, as I craft and prepare for drum making in this timing of 2012, in the tradition of the Quero Apache, the first full moon of the year was Black Water Dragon greeting us into a New Reality. I will be soaking hides tonight after I complete this writing and there are clouds in the distant mountains.
“We prepare for the births that will carry our heartfire into the depths of true nature. Water flows brings the activation.”
***I invite you to visit the Indian Store in Vista on Feburary 18, 2012 from 12pm to 5pmish where I will be preparing hides, lace and hoops.***
In Gratitude and Love,
Lisa