I make it clear and known again, I am not indigenous, I am not traditionally initiated into one tribe and culture, but I am self-initiated, over a 10 year journey and this is my translation of the oldest wisdom in human existence… the dreaming.

By now most Australian people have a concept of the indigenous way of listening deeply (dadirri in some indigenous language groups). It is in this place of deep listening, of profound meditation that one can grasp the transmissions of Earth and sky, or in most traditions, mother earth and father sky. This is an important ability for us as people of the Earth to behold, it is critical for the survival of our spirit. Sadly with the impact of colonisation, our elders who have the deepest connection to the dreaming are rare these days. It is up to us as individuals to regain our ability to listen deeply and to honour and support the indigenous culture that exists.

Wisdom is always conveyed more fully through story and metaphor, as our critical brain… well it is less critical. When we are less focused on facts our intuitive and deeper abilities take in more information. So, here is my story…

I felt called into the desert, I felt the exact time I was to go and could feel an indigenous spirit calling me in. In the space of two months I had found my life partner and connected to a woman who was holding a special woman’s gathering in Uluru the very month I felt drawn to go, April. The first night I was in relationship with my wife she turned to me and said, “would you like to go to the desert in April with me”. That night I felt profoundly in connection with the dreamtime, and indeed, from that moment on, my ability and trust to listen deeply and follow intuitively took on a whole new strength.

Most of us actually connect to the dreaming in childhood, before we are taught how to learn and take in information. It is a popular belief that our ability to see the non-physical, or spirit, comes through our crown chakra and third eye (pineal gland). This is limiting, as it shuts off our other senses, that involve our whole body, from our feet, to our head and to the far stretches of our energetic field, we receive important information. Now that we have remembered this, lets go back to story…

With a four-wheel drive loaded with food, water and some bare essentials, my partner and I embarked into the unknown. No timeline and no itinerary, I felt as free as a child. We met with our fellow women at Uluru campground and unbeknowningley all left our previous life and previous ways. After four days of full immersion in ceremony with local elders and lore holders we became part of a “New Way Dreaming”. Under the direction of Auntie Nelly Patterson we painted an enormous canvas in traditional way dots and symbols. With little information conveyed we understood on a deeper level, what this meant, what our place was, and what our commitment was to ensuring the dreaming lived on.

In this same timeless space and capacity my partner and I continued on our journey, listening and following our way across the country. Profound connection to Earth and spirit became the norm, with little contact with mainstream culture, let alone people of any sort, we journeyed with all of our senses. Immediately after the gathering in Uluru we received from a male elder the dreamtime story of the seven sisters. As above, so below, the Pleiades star constellation was said to be a songline deeply imbedded in the land. It was not long before we realised, we were following this very songline. Our trip became a modern day walk-a-bout.

So what is the dreaming? It is a state of profound connection to Earth and sky, one that is intuitively heard and followed. It is conveyed through story, art (mainly paintings), dance and song. It is deeply integrated into ones being through the process of an initiatory walk-a-bout, where survival is dependant on close connection to land and stars.