White Horse Energy
Leigh
Shambo,MSW
The horses in my life
have consistently taught me that dreams really do come true.
Like seeking the buried bounty in a treasure hunt, horses give
me loads of practical guidance in the art of following the
subtle promptings of Spirit and intuition in order to arrive –
eventually – at my bliss. On my recent trip to the British
Isles I discovered a treasure of experiences, relationships and
growth beyond my expectations. My heart and mind are still very
full of the wonderful people, animals and landscapes we
encountered.
....
My
visit to the
UK
was occasioned by an invitation to present my 3-day workshop,
“The Horse-Human Connection: Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and
Learning”, at the Stepps Rehabilitation Clinic in
Gloucestershire (http://www.steppsrehab.co.uk/).
My traveling companion and workshop assistant was Val Hampson,
editor of EquusSpirit magazine. Val deserves the badge of
courage for driving—on the “wrong” side of the road —the entire
trip, while I navigated!
Prior to the
workshop, Val and I had almost a week for sightseeing. Our
first destination was an area called the Vale of the White
Horse, whose ancient treasure had first called me overseas. On
a hillside there, prehistoric tribes (~3,000 BC) built from
native chalk the gigantic outline of a white horse, so large
that the whole figure can only be seen from the opposite flank
of the sweeping valley. This is the White Horse of Uffington,
near the site of an ancient hill-fort castle and an astonishing
conical burial mound called a barrow. The ancient ancestral
connection between human and equine species created a palpable
energetic sensation as I knelt in the dewy morning grass above
the giant White Horse.
But I also felt the
magic of this spot in a much more personal way, having been
guided to it in so many ways by two white horses, horses that I
knew in life who now dwell in the Spirit realm. These guides
were with me in this moment on the grass next to the White
Horse, as they had been with me eight years earlier, when my
best friend showed me a picture of the White Horse in her
archeology text. I could vividly recall feeling the intention
that dropped to the core of my being: I want to go there.
On this sunny England morning, my white horses danced in my
energy field as I let gratitude fill me. I gave thanks for all
of the dreams that have carried me to this place—not just to
this worldly place, but the inner place of wisdom that sources
my visions.
From the White Horse,
Val and I traveled south, taking a day to wander among the
ancient stone circles and barrows of Avebury. What dreams came
true for my ancestors here? Like me, their dreams must have
been full of horses! In their day, horses helped them
transcend the limitations of physical being. I too, know what
it means to sit astride and suddenly find myself elevated,
fleet-footed and strong. In our modern world, horses now guide
us back through time, on an inner journey where we seek harmony
with nature. Did my ancestors also know this yearning? Did
they too discover that to master a horse, one must master one’s
self first?
Val and
I traveled on through the New Forest, where feral ponies wander
the roadways along with pigs and cows. The tangled forests,
colorful heaths and crooked-street stone villages fairly dance
with nature spirits and divas. A hard overnight rain gave way
to a brilliantly sunny morning, and our much anticipated visit
to Isle of Wight, the home of Kim Brown, my workshop organizer
and a strong supporter of equine-assisted therapy in the UK.
We exchanged excited greetings at the ferry dock, and piled
into Kim’s SUV—a farm vehicle deluxe in which I felt right at
home!
We toured the
brilliantly picturesque west side of the Island,
then convened a hilltop meeting with Kim’s two horses, Leo and
Roy. Leo is a tremendously dignified aging Lipizzaner, a former
movie stunt horse whose past holds some fairly dramatic and
abusive “training”. His devotion to Kim is palpable, as is her
respect for him. What an experience to stand in the aura of
these two lovers, on a windswept down viewing the white cliffs
and the sea in the distance! In contrast to Leo who was all
dignity, Kim’s newer addition,
Roy, is a black Fell pony
(think miniature Friesian!) with an interactive, mischievous
nature. I left Kim and Val in the company of Leo and Roy, while
my own white horses guided me to the center of the pasture to
bask in the energy of this lovely place. I picked a spot of the
sweet forage and placed it in my mouth, chewing slowly. My
spirit horses held their heads high, smelling the salt air and
feeling the birds wheeling in the strong wind.
On the Isle of Wight,
Val and I had the treat of staying in a farm bed and breakfast
run by Jackie and Todd, former event riders who now manage a
diversified farm with sheep, cattle and crops. We shared horse
stories, and I was especially moved by the story of Turk, a
horse that Jackie and Todd had owned for many years. He was a
difficult horse and a great teacher, and emotion was evident in
Jackie’s voice as she described what Turk taught them . His
picture adorned the wall, along with other distinguished equine
family members.
A night
in the pub at Mottistone allowed us to meet some of Kim’s local
friends. I thoroughly enjoyed the ambience of a good-hearted
community with strong ties to the land, to the animals that
sustain us, to the web of life in which we all belong. The next
day Kim took us on a trek to visit the Longstone, a hilltop
standing stone in an area rich with conical burial barrows- an
ancient site of spiritual significance. A rainstorm that blew
me sideways and soaked my jeans and boots only added to the
delight!
After the weekend, it
was time to head north to Gloucestershire for the upcoming
workshop. I was very happy to meet Sam Quinlan, a manager of
the EAP/L programs at Stepps Rehab Clinic, whose warm and honest
personality supported an atmosphere of nurturance and safety for
the psychological work with horses that we were ready to
explore. The next morning, I met the participants who
previously were only known to me as names on a list. I was
thrilled to find that my group consisted of experienced EAP
practitioners and serious students, eager to explore the HEAL
method which is grounded in the Epona Approachä
and which stresses an integration of methods that promote the
psychological well being of the person and the horse together.
Together we created a reverent and thoughtful learning
community, enhanced by the skills, experience and fund of
knowledge that each participant brought with them and shared.
For three days, we opened our hearts, minds and souls to each
other and to the horses at Stepps—discerning the subtle clues to
finding our own inner treasures and studying how we can best
guide our clients to find their treasures as well. I feel
enriched by the friendships I made in three very special days at
Stepps.
A few
more days of sightseeing after the workshop, and it was time to
let my white spirit horses guide me back home, to be with my own
herd again. But there is one more thing I have learned about
dreams—they really don’t end! Even as one treasure is
uncovered, more clues are revealed, hinting at future treasures
and possible dreams to come true. Which means—I know I will
return to the magical Isles! My visit to this beautiful and
mysterious land could not have been more fulfilling, except
perhaps to add a good gallop across one of the majestic downs!
Next time!
Many
thanks to Kim Brown and Sam Quinlan for all of their hard work
in bringing this workshop to the
UK,
and to all of the participants who made it such a success. I am
also deeply grateful to those who keep my home fires burning and
care for my animal family while I am away!
