Trail Guides

This is a story about my trail guides.

East of Portland, where I live, beyond the conifer and deciduous forests which bestow their presence on both sides of the Columbia Gorge of Oregon and Washington are the buttes and cliffs and hills adorned simply in grass and wildflower and oak at creek side.

No majestic fir or ever-present salal.

A solitary beauty reaching for the sky, stretching into the horizon.

Dalles Mountain Ranch Hike

These hills remind me of the rolling Osage hills where I grew up in northeastern Oklahoma.

My heart is filled with the breeze warmed by the sun for the first time this Spring.

And there is the grand view of the Cascade mountain peaks such as Hood, Adams, St. Helen’s and Jefferson.

In this place, I feel the earth and sky hold me in tender balance.

I hear bird song and waterfall. I see wildflower and lichen.

I smell freshness and taste the promise of this moment, here, now.

And on every ridge and in every valley, I sense the guardians of the land.

My trail guides.

My connection with the spirit of the land and the history of place.

A deep well-spring, giving life to all who enter, to all who dance, to all who love.

My trail guides lift me up and entertain with long-quieted story and steady whispers of natural energy.

They come as friends and hear my heart call out.

They respond with love and humor and more story.

These trail guides see deeply and offer long-held wisdom garnered from eons of land awareness and spirit connection.

I seek these hills in communion, in shared experience.

And though I meet them almost anywhere I explore and hike, in these ancient hills, I feel my trail guides closest.

They prepare me for my journey and offer insight for the path.

And every time I venture out, they are there, happy to greet me, happy to walk a while with me as I open my heart to the beauty around and my intrinsic desire to travel with them as my trail guides.

No need to hurry, no need to fret. Always here when I return, with ready story and open heart.

In truth, in trust. Amen.

A lot of my writing just comes in the moment. I feel an urge rise to put pen to paper. No outline. Not much forethought. Out the words come, all on their own. For me its always an act of mindfulness. A mindful moment.

Trail Guides is one of these mindful moments. Read more on mindfulness and my mindful moments.

Headshot of Cheryl Marlene, Spiritual Guide in the Akashic Records

Cheryl Marlene, Akashic Mystic, is unafraid of the tough, the raw, and the real aspects of doing deep work. She is the world’s authority on the Akashic Records and consults in the Akashic Records with clients around the world through readings, research, and Akashic Future for futuristic business leaders. Student learn to access the Akashic Records through ZENITH, her comprehensive four-level learning program, and her signature classic, Akashic Records Masterclass. In the field of consciousness, she is known as a futurist, innovator, and master teacher who delivers life-changing lessons with warmth and humor. Her powerful exploration is cutting edge -- providing you with deep insight today to ignite your vision for tomorrow.