INTRODUCTION
On Saturday, February 17, 2013, the third anniversary of beginning my 72 Days of God journey, Ricardo and I decided it was time to stop being roommates. I left Alameda, California, on February 25, unsure of where I was going or what I’d be doing. I spent a few days in Palm Springs, California, camping out in my van, and that’s when I decided to return to Phoenix, Arizona.
Ricardo had an apartment complex that needed some work. After a few over-the-phone brainstorming sessions, we both agreed that I could volunteer my time in exchange for a free place to live, allowing me to continue my work with the Hopi. It was a win-win for both of us.
Around this time, Comet Pan-STARES streaked through the heavens.
Ricardo’s nephew had managed the apartments for the last few years but moved out after finding another place to live. His nephew and I spent the next several weeks refurbishing a 200-square-foot storage space with a leaky roof and no bathroom in the back of the apartment complex., into an office/living space. During the renovations, I slept in the back of my van and moved into my new space in May 2013. Ricardo and I named the apartments The Avatar. (“The Avatar” equals the number 33 using numerology.) Strangely enough, this was my 33rd place of residence. I finished the studio with three glass bricks, which I had placed on the front exterior wall to represent the three mesas at Hopi, the three pyramids at Giza, the Three Wise Men, and the three stars in Orion’s Belt.
Four months later, on July 22, under a full supermoon in Aquarius, I celebrated my 52nd birthday. I was in the year of the “Strength” card in the tarot. On July 29, 2013, the Grand Soul Alignment, known as the 13th “Star of David,” occurred. This is when the Moon, Jupiter, and Mars (both conjuncts on this day), Venus, Saturn, Pluto, and Neptune align to form what is known in astrology as a Grand Sextile or Star of David. It was a magical time astrological.
A few weeks later, after having a heavy dinner, a friend and I decided to take a sunset hike at Dreamy Draw Park on the northeast side of Phoenix. A few days before that, while passing by on the highway, I noticed a cave on the side of a mountain in the park and wanted to look closer. We hiked up to the cave and continued beyond that to the top of the small pyramid-shaped mountain. We discovered a large rose quartz crystal embedded in the ground thirty feet above the entrance to the cave.
I stepped onto the crystal, held out both arms, and a sudden gush of wind passed over my friend and me. I turned to him and said, “Did you feel that?” He replied, “Yes! That was pretty wild!” Privately, I thought to myself, “Oh no! Here we go again! Another unexplainable adventure!”
My friend and I took in the most beautiful sunset that evening. Once the sun disappeared over the horizon, we returned to the parking lot, got in our vehicle, and drove away. After I returned home, I went online and consulted ©Google Earth to find the mountain’s coordinates. The small mountain was located at 33.33° longitude and 112° latitude. When I noticed the numbers in the coordinates, I knew my initial hunch was correct. There was work to be done here.
Over the next few days, contemplating everything I had discovered, I started receiving visions to return to this location regularly to lay down prayers. I was unclear about the type of prayers and patiently waited for more insight.
After receiving a small inheritance, I paid some bills, bought new clothes, and treated myself to a brand-new camera. On August 22, 2013, I received a text message from Ahote and Tuwa at Hopi asking me to come up and photograph their crops. In the spirit of sharing without conditions, I set out for Hopi during the afternoon of August 27. Before departing for Hopi that morning, I was awakened abruptly by a power outage. I knew the power had gone out when the temperature in my tiny studio apartment rose suddenly.
I walked outside to investigate the power outage, and that’s when I saw my friend, the Hawk, sitting beside a telephone pole directly beside my apartment. I ran inside, grabbed my new camera, and took this photograph.
I had not seen a hawk in over five months. Since I was scheduled to leave for Hopi several hours later, I knew that the Hawk had returned to initiate my return to Hopi and the start of this next adventure. When I arrived at Hopi that afternoon, I was given room number 123 at the Cultural Center, another excellent sign that everything was in alignment.
I spent the next few days photographing Ahote’s fantastic garden.
During my visit, Ahote asked me if I was still doing my prayers. I informed him that I had finished the journey I was working on when I met him in May 2012 but was about to embark on an entirely new project. After taking photographs of Ahote’s garden, Tuwa prepared dinner for us in their home in their village on the Second Mesa. It was a charming, peaceful visit. I felt very much at home.
The following morning I said good-bye to Ahote and Tuwa and the Second Mesa.
I returned to Phoenix and spent the next week working on the startup of “The Transfiguration of Christ” saga.