ARAYA:
In my experience, the Activation really started the morning of the 28th with the Lunar Eclipse around 8:30 a.m. in Udaipur; the Sun and Moon coming into harmony exactly opposite each other. We felt the shift first in the Earth Element group which for 2 days had no cohesion, no groundedness, no stability (This makes sense with the realization that the Earth Star in the core of the planet is no longer deep within, but just under the surface since the 6th Gate.) And then on the morning of the Eclipse we found a loving unity immediately. For the first time, the Earth Element Dance was soft, loving, supportive and silent; a sharp veer away from the heavy, primordial, rhythmic chant style of dance it typically portrayed. This felt right as we are in the process of shifting into new ways of doing things and breaking out of old patterns.
The rest of that day and the next felt lighter, more peaceful and more joyful with new spectrums of lightness to my being. The day before the Activation, as I lay by the pool, 7 huge eagles came in over the lake-bed from extreme heights up in the sky. As I watched them circle, I realized that energetically they felt like the winged lions arriving.
The day of the Activation: Magnificence, refinement, splendor, ease all the way around. It started with the procession from the hotel to Jagmandir, complete with marching band, elephant, camels, white stallions, horse carriages and camel carts (this part was even an hour long TV program for the locals!!) to transport us. Then came the palace itself. Solara had me prepared for roughing it. My bag was full of water bottles, extra sandals to dance on the "dirt / rock" surface, extra clothing, toilet paper, flashlight∑. I was even chiding myself for forgetting my pillow. What a surprise beyond my wildest imagination to discover the wonder of Jagmandir with lovely gardens, flower mandalas, candlelit courtyard, fountains, birds, a pavillion of pillows, blankets and soft cushions... It felt like Disneyland!!
And indeed it had so much magic in store for us. The evening began with the Starry Processional, which was followed by a stunning Elements Dance complete with a Sun and Moon dancing. Shortly after, we were served an exquisite meal in five-star style with waiters pushing in chairs and lighting the real candleabras.
And then the energies really started kicking in. We began the Greater Central Sun Dance and I think everyone felt the energies starting to build softly. The ensuing Lotus Dance felt them pouring in more steadily. Finally, when many people were pulled away from the circle for whatever reasons, the remaining 15-20 people rocked softly, rooted to their spots, unable (and unwilling) to move because of the magical energy flowing in at this point. In retrospect, it was almost a divine formation of so few that somehow intentionally created a magnifying lens effect for the energy flow. It was like being in the flow of a river that you can't swim away from - powerful yet subtle, SO loving, refined, tangible - like being showered with grace and lasting several minutes.
We were off the map now - no leader, no direction, just swaying together softly, arms around each other feeling this gentle energy pouring through us and filling the earth. With my eyes half open, I lifted my hands to the sky as we transformed into the smaller circle and for the first time in my life, the blinders were lifted, the dust cleared and I could behold the vastness of the universe. For the first time, I could see the infinity beyond the moon, thus making the moon feel close enough to touch. The color of the sky was deeper and more brilliant than ever before and my being was ecstatic with expansiveness and joy. As I looked around the circle to the faces of beloved family, I could tell they were feeling it too, but part of me wanted to shout out loud „Do you see what I see?‰ And the nods as they caught my eye, the knowing looks on their faces, the joy beaming through their expressions told me that indeed we had just activated the 7th gate; the Diamond of the Unseen.
The energy continued to (and still continues to) ripple in all night in a softer, more subtle way ˆ especially each time we danced the lotus dance. The whole palace became a dance moving softly with these energies; people sleeping and dreaming, drifting to the tea table, gliding over to replace guardians, being drawn to a spontaneous dance in the circle, sitting huddled silently together in blankets watching the dancers, the stars∑ the grace.
Above all of this was a magnificent moon and our guardian Orion ever present through the whole of the night.