In 2017, Paul (now my partner) and I visited Salt Spring Island, one of the Gulf Islands in the Salish Sea between mainland British Columbia, Canada and Vancouver Island, to attend The Three Principles School with Elsie Spittle and Chip Chipman.
It was my first time in North America and the funny thing is, I’m not really into crystals! But all is not as it seems….. read on!
The Crystal Shop in Ganges
I was on the other side of the world, with an American man I’d met in London only two weeks earlier, heading to a four day school to immerse myself in the understanding known as The Three Principles.
What was extraordinary was how easy everything felt despite the fact it was all very far from my usual life. From getting tickets for the School, the planning for the trip, arriving in Canada, getting from Vancouver to Salt Spring Island, it was as if we were in an alternate reality where everything just kept falling into place so effortlessly and easily.
The Crystal Shop
It was our first morning on the island. Walking down the street in the little harbour town of Ganges, we spied a crystal shop and went in for a mooch.
Looking around at all the lovely wares, we struck up conversation with the shop owner who told us the island was built on quartz and was considered sacred by the First Nation people. As she spoke, all the hairs went up on the back of my neck and everything became hyper-real.
As we left the shop, I caught sight of a facilitator I’d worked with in a prison in England who I’d briefly seen at the sea plane terminal. She too, was headed for the School. We waved and she crossed the street to join us. I stood between my friend and my partner, ready to introduce them.
Completely blank
As I looked at my friend, I couldn’t for the life of me, remember her name. Turning, as if in slow motion, to my partner, his name too, completely escaped me. I stood there, dumbstruck, struggling to say anything. Odd, I thought. Luckily they introduced themselves to each other and struck up conversation while I stood there in a daze.
After a brief catch up, Paul and I headed to a cafe with tables overlooking the harbour. As I sat, still bathed in this extraordinary, lighter than air reality, I could hear music floating through the air.
Was it only in my head, or actually happening out there? Turns out, there was a little covered bandstand on the end of a pier with a piano inside and someone was playing the most beautiful music I had ever heard. It sounded ethereal.
I was entirely immersed in this beautiful, floating feeling with no clue, really what was going on. It wasn’t disturbing but it was new for me. I was filled with love, for no apparent reason!
Miracle from within
After a little while the intensely beautiful feelings receded and I thought no more about it, until I was talking to Elsie Spittle in one of the breaks at the Three Principles School. I recounted my story, emphasising the meeting in the crystal shop and how the hairs had stood up on the back of my neck.
Without missing a beat, Elsie said, ‘you know it wasn’t the crystal shop, right? That feeling was coming from you.” I was speechless.
No, I didn’t realise it was coming from me. I thought it was the shop or the island or something.
A peaceful, easy feeling
Re-telling this story now, I’m appreciating the thought to share this with you because in doing that I get to enjoy it all over again, but more than that, in remembering that beautiful easy feeling, I inhabited for long periods through that year, I get to recognise, how that easy feeling is possible anywhere, anytime.
Sitting here on a rainy October day in West Wales, 10,000 miles from my partner, that feeling is just as available as it was that day in the crystal shop. Imagine that!
It is only ever our thinking that takes us away from a nice and easy feeling.
Including our thinking that there is too much wrong with: us, the world, other people (select all that apply) to enjoy a nice feeling. That’s a sneaky one!
Turning away from ill feelings, to find the easy, beautiful feelings, is not only possible, it is profoundly helpful for you, those you love and the planet as a whole. In fact it is only a giant ego trip that keeps us giving the ill-feelings weight and substance.
Shocking, I know!
I didn’t know this for the longest time and I want to invite you to consider the possibility it could be true.
© Juliet Fay 2021
The Eagles song, Peaceful Easy Feeling is swirling round my head, so I thought I’d share it, in case you fancy a listen!
