Carpe Diem #1282 Sacred Stones

Good day my dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What a joy creating a new episode in our luster month. Five years of CDHK awesome. We have visited a lot of different places and we have walked on the path of Arjuna, but we also walked the path of the Shaman straight through the Altia Mountains while reading The Zahir by Paulo Coelho. What an awesome month that was and what a joy it was to create it.

Today I love to go back to that month, November 2015, by re-doing an episode from that month. That prompt was "sacred stones" (or Ovoo). An ovoo (heap) is a sacred cairn found in Mongolian shamanic religious traditions, usually made from rocks with wood or from wood. Ovoos are often found at the top of mountains and in high places, like mountain passes. They serve mainly as Tengriism religious sites, used in worship of the mountains and the sky as well as in Buddhist or Shamanist ceremonies, but often are also landmarks.

Ovoo (Sacred Stones)

In our lives we have all places we have sweet memories at, we have points in our life that are our milestones, our sacred stones, our Ovoo. Isn't that a nice idea that the Ovoo stands also for the milestones in our life? What were your milestones for which you would build an Ovoo? In my life there are several. Let me tell you a few milestones in my life.

I once said after the death of my brother, more than 20 years ago, "I will be an oncology nurse". In 2011 I reached that milestone. In that same year another dream I had came through. Eleven of my haiku were included in a worldwide anthology "Spasms of Light". Of course there were the milestones in my life as I became a husband, a father  and a grandfather. And in 2007 I published my first novel, followed by a second novel in 2009.
The most important milestone in my life was however the launch of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai and all what it has given me. My warmhearted family of haiku loving family members of CDHK and the warm colloboration with one of the most renown modern haiku poets, Jane Reichhold. Of course there were all the others, next to you all my dear Haijin, great spirits I had the privilege to work with. For example Michael Dylan Welch, Jim Kacian, Garry Gay and the renown musician Karunesh.

Stepping Stones the Milestones of our life

All wonderful milestones in my life. I am so grateful that I can and may do this for you. It's really a joy to be your host and mentor, or as several of you have said yous sensei. I bow ... to you all ... I am just a humble guy with a big heart full of unconditonal love.

sacred stones
built like a memory on the way
high in the mountains

© Chèvrefeuille

deep silence
taking the right path ?
stepping stones

© Chèvrefeuille

I hope you did like this episode.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until October 25th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our next episode, on our way home, later on.