Night Walkers
In the twilight between two worlds, I was rudely awakened by the covers being flung off the bed. I knew myself to be awake, but in an altered state of reality. I also knew this was another visit from the Night Walkers. TaTa, my Huichol friend and powerful Mara’Akame, shaman, had shown me the truth of what I was experiencing. There are realities beyond our ordinary awareness.
While he was staying in my home, I had been awakened in this gray realm where no color existed. In this reality, consciousness could move without form. It seemed very much like a dream, but an eerily different experience. That night a shadowy Jaguar-man and other forms without substance emerged, and TaTa had to “escort” them all out of my house. But they were back, playing this nasty prank.
TaTa and Sauleme, his traveling companion, had been gone only a week, and I was quite alone with this dilemma. They felt certain the night visit was due to an ancient Indian burial grounds being disturbed. I am not a shaman, although at one time I studied it and was fascinated by the teachings. However, I did not learn how to take care of myself in this kind of situation. TaTa had been an apprentice for 35 years before he was considered by his tribe to be a Mara’Akame. I couldn’t tell anyone about this, as it would not have been helpful to be considered crazy. I was not sure I wasn’t. Only my shamanic study kept me from falling into self-doubt.
The last few summers on the northern Baja coast had been plagued by dense fog, so thick there was no sense of time. No sunrise, no sunset, no stars or moon. It was depressing. I felt certain it allowed the Night Walkers to leave their dark hiding places to move into the gray shadow of this world.
Several nights later, I had just fallen asleep when this time I felt physically attacked. My consciousness was awake in this gray realm without form, yet my body experienced being held down. It was a lustful male energy. No matter how I struggled I could not get out of its grip. I called out to God and all help from the spirit realm. An actual sexual attack was impossible, yet it certainly felt that way. It was disgusting. I leapt from the experience back into wakefulness and turned on all the lights. An uneasy feeling persisted.
I waited until morning to call Sauleme. I begged him to ask TaTa for help, telling him I had not been strong enough to prevent the Night Walker’s attack. Sauleme assured me he would help. He reminded me how TaTa honored me by making a Muwieri for me. A Muwieri is a ceremonial wand with two eagle feathers that a Mara’Akame uses in mysterious ways; none of which I knew. Before hanging up he said “Nekuri, it is very important that the sun shines for this ceremony.” Nekuri, in the Huichol language, is regard for an elder wise-woman. I appreciated this, only I wasn’t feeling all that wise.
Fog continued to swirl, stealing all color and warmth, at times so dense one could not see the ocean. I began to prepare anyway, praying it would clear. I created a Medicine Wheel in the middle of my living room. I fasted and gathered together all the things I needed. I created tiny food offerings thoughtfully arranged on small plates for the spirits of the four directions, the Great Spirit and Mother Earth. I tied red ribbons around the base of five white candles. These were to be placed with each plate of food and left burning all night. TaTa had instructed me to begin just before sunset
The next day, I entered the sacred wheel. Sunshine burst through an opening low on the horizon. I smiled at the blessing. I lit the five candles, and then sat sitting cross-legged in the circle of light. As instructed, I took the Muwieri in my right hand and the gourd rattle in my left. The eagle feathers fluttered as I gently moved the Muwiéri, and the sounds of the rattle created a subtle shift in consciousness. I invited the spirits of the four directions, the Great Spirit and Mother Earth to the circle. I asked Father Sun to take all the Night Walkers with him. This was the only place I did not follow TaTa’s directions exactly as I was told. I thought it rude to make Mother Earth hold ugliness in the underworld. Instead I asked that the Night Walkers be given a choice to return to the dark, or be liberated and transformed into the light
I focused on my gratitude to Father Sun and asked to be assured that he was taking the Shadow Walkers with him. Surprisingly, the request was granted immediately. An inner vision opened and the Jaguar-man appeared. Its form was stretched out against the horizon’s blazing light. As if something had hold of its foot, it was pulled into the light like long dark taffy. The lustful thing was another matter. It did not want to go and stubbornly remained. I asked Father Sun to offer it the light and spare the Mother Earth’s burden. With great difficulty it began to retreat. Much like the Jaguar, it was pulled into the golden horizon, stretching out until it disappeared.
That night I slept soundly. In the morning I crept downstairs to see the sacred site. All the candles had burned down; I felt a great weight had lifted, and that the ceremony had cleared the house. Maybe I was a shaman after all. However, this “Nekuri” was just as happy to leave the true Mara’Akames to do the work in the twilight realms.