Me in "Desert Mode" - Or One Of Them, Anyway

 

That actually is my favorite hat.

I got that hat at Alien Fresh Jerky in Baker, CA. 

That actually is a recent pic of me, jazzed up in an old-school local TV station test pattern jazzed up with my own design and a watercolor media effect, courtesy of Gemini AI.

I did see a UFO once, here in Temecula, but it just flew by overhead. I've seen a couple of strange things in this life that were pretty "out there." Stuff happens, and it's a big universe. Who knows?

To me, the universe seems a lot bigger in the desert, especially at night. You sure can see a whole lot more of it at night out there, that's for sure.

I wore that hat when I was covering High Desert, which means up the 15 from San Bernardino and out along the 40 almost to Needles. 

The clerk at Roy's in Amboy asked me if I wanted to trade for a Roy's hat one night. I said no, but I told him he could find one of his own over in Baker.

I've seen the End Of The World in Wonder Valley, too. 

One of my favorite things, though, was the Chili Hot Dog Lady at Roy's on Friday afternoons. I got lunch from her a couple of times. I always wondered what the back story for those fantastic chili dogs was. I love hearing the stories of folks out there in the wilds of the Mojave. 

I want to interview as many of them as I can for the YouTube channel. What brought them to the desert? What mysteries do they think about out there? How did they get started doing what they do? What would they have to say about life in the desert if they could? What little hidden gems of history do they hold.

That's what I most want to do with the channel. The desert isn't just cool historical places and mysteries. The desert is really the People of the desert.

If some of them went out there to vanish into time, that's OK, too. But what can be saved should be saved. THAT is the "desert spirit" that I really want to chronicle.

Keep looking up at those stars at night, but keep an eye on the ground around you, too. And carry water.

Peace, and warm night breezes to you.

Dan

Randsburg, CA Facing Decimation If Off-Roading Ruling Goes Through

 Check out SF Gate's excellent reporting on this issue at:

 https://www.sfgate.com/california/article/randsburg-california-town-lifeline-22265400.php

Original image attribution: "inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons" - Converted to Watercolor by Gemini AI

The town of Randsburg, CA - surviving by a thread on income from visiting off-roaders, faces complete economic devastation from a federal ruling to protect an endangered species. 

There's plenty of locals with grit, but the question is one of scratch.

According to Google, Randsburg is about 1h 11m (67.6 mi) drive time from Victorville, CA coming from the South - you can add about 30 minutes to get there from Riverside, most likely.

I'm wondering about maybe three yearly festivals; Arts & Crafts in the Spring, Country & Western music in Summer, and Blues in the Autumn. Maybe Winter could be a film festival? Just thinking out loud here. 

Maybe they could get lucky and find an alien base under the old gold mine. ;-)

Randsburg Festival Committee?

I hope they find a way.

Dan

Google Map for Randsburg:

Climbing A Local Mountain To Drum...

Somewhere in Temecula Valley, there's an amazing trail to an incredible Sunset lookout point. Mother Earth is a wonder.

Went up here with a friend this afternoon. His spot. I did a little drumming up here after this video, and we picked a little bit of fresh sage (After giving Mother Earth some coffee, paprika, and Italian herbs. Things she can eat.) Enjoy the above 44 second short.

I also said prayers to bless the people in this valley, to bless the ancestors who walked the lands before us, and the first people who lived here for thousands of years. I was praying for peace, healing, prosperity, blessings, and for the health of the lands under our feet, the rivers and the lakes that sustain us, and all life in this valley.

For my friend, I explained the most basic aspects of shamanic cosmology, and that the drum was supposed to help us enter the spirit world.

It was a beautiful evening, just long enough.

Thank you for reading.

Dan

Episode 9: My Travels Through The Mojave In 2023

 

Thank you for watching.

Regards,

Dan

Episode 8: 03-15-2025 Drum Journey - Giza Plateau and Ancestors (Video)

 

Model of the Great Pyramid at Giza

Amber incense from India

I asked my guide Charlie (big raven, very wise) to help me talk with the Great Pyramid at Giza today.

It was interesting. The Pyramid was a very old spirit. It thought of me as an infant.

The Pyramid was talking to and through the black hole Sagittarius A at the center of the Milky Way. 

Apparently, there are ancient Pyramids on planets all over the galaxy that are communication and energy channels. 

The Pyramid had little to say to me. I'm too young and uninteresting to it.

My guide Charlie told me that the Sphinx is an interesting character, but we didn't get to talk to it today. 

I spoke with my Sicilian grandmother a bit. We were in our old kitchen from when I was a child. She told me that a time was coming where we would have to learn to grow things like the spices she used to grow outside our kitchen window.

She also said Mom was doing better, but that she'd had a really rough exit.

Nono has apparently moved on to his next incarnation.

Aunt Felicia popped in briefly, just to say hello.

I have to admit, I have a tough time focusing on the journey while I'm drumming.  I feel distracted, somehow. It's easier for me to journey if someone else is doing the drumming.

Rune Casting: 03-15-2025: Past = Mannaz, inverted. Present = Sowilo. Future = Kenaz. Obstacle = Othila sideways.

Past: Mannaz inverted - Mankind, the Self, Friends, Enemies, The Social Order. (I see this as society not being on the same page I'm on, not seeing the same big picture as I do.)

Present: Sowilo - The Sun, Success, Goals Realized, Honor. (I see this as some successes I've had at work and in my personal life)

Future: Kenaz - Torch, Vision, Revelation, Creativity, Technical Ability. (I see this as both learning new skills at work, and as getting better at my chosen spiritual path - which is uniquely my own.)

Obstacle: Othala, sideways - Heirlooms, Heritage, Land of Birth. (I see this as the utter chaos the USA is being subjected to. It's like the country I grew up in is being dismantled, torched, axed, and sledgehammered. It will need rebuilding.)

03-15-2025 Runecasting - DS

Dan

03-15-2025 Episode 7: Rain Falling On Raven - Shamanic Journey Meditation

 Shamanic Journeying, what I consider a very spiritual and ancient form of guided meditation, is a great way to get answers from the universal subconscious mind that we all share. 

I prefer to enter an altered state - "non-ordinary reality" in shamanic tradition - by using monotonous, droning drumming. This is a classic tool for entering a trance state. It also doesn't involve substances most societies are not willing to let pass. 

Of course, there's more to journeying than I can cover in this video. This will get you started. There are many books, magazines, and other materials on shamanic journey work. I encourage you to read up on the topic. However, actually practicing it is often the best way to begin learning.

I've included three drum sessions with call-backs here, back-to-back. A lot of people fall asleep on the first try or two. It's natural, especially when most of us don't get nearly enough sleep in modern times. If that happens, roll with it, and continue trying. You'll get there eventually, and get a good power nap or three in the process.

Note: A shaman's drum is often called their "spirit horse." They ride the sound of the drum into the Otherworld. In shamanism, inanimate objects have spirits just as much as people and animals do. A drum is a special spirit, and a shaman's trusted friend.

Find somewhere quiet and comfortable, lie down, and listen.

01-11-2025 Episode 6: Murrieta Hot Springs Resort

An overview of the history of the Murrieta Hot Springs Resort in Murrieta, California. Includes things to do at the resort, some information on the pools, where you might need reservations and where not, as well as my personal take on the waters of the pools themselves. I hope you enjoy!

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My second favorite view at the resort - the bathhouse & fountain

Things to do at the pools

History of the resort

Resort history on its home page: https://www.murrieta-hotsprings.com/springs/history/

Thank you for visiting and watching.

Please consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel, and liking this video on YouTube.

May you find serenity and joy in the mysterious quiet of the desert.

Dan

SFGATE: The race to save seeds of California's disappearing Joshua tree

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/saving-california-joshua-tree-seeds-19954009.php

2024-12-11 Episode 5: Anasazi Palaces For Marsha

 

Episode 5: Anasazi Palaces For Marsha

Author John Hindle recounts another of his journeys into the Mojave with Marsha in 1997, visiting Chaco Canyon, and pueblos.

John Hindle, Anasazi labyrinth

John Hindle, Anasazi ruins

John Hindle, Bandolier National Monume

John Hindle, Bandolier National Monument

Marsha at Anasazi labyrinth

Marsha at Anasazi labyrinth

Marsha, at Bandolier National Monument

Marsha, Chaco Canyon

Marsha, caves at Bandolier National Monument

Marsha, caves at Bandolier National Monument

Marsha at the Anasazi Palaces of Chaco Canyon, in front of one of the kivas

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and happy holidays!

2024-11-29 Episode 4: DSC Interview With Author John Hindle

Desert Spirit Chronicles host Dan Stafford interviews author John Hindle regarding a trip he took across the Navajo and Hopi reservations on the way to the Grand Canyon with his late wife in the mid 1990's. Filled with interesting details about the reservations and the Grand Canyon, this interview is a spiritual tour of some fascinating places that are a part of the beating heart of the Southwestern USA.

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Dan Stafford Interviewing John Hindle

John Hindle books on Lulu.com: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/goldenmyst

Grand Canyon

John Hindle circa 1996 - taken by Marsha

Grand Canyon

John's late former wife Marsha

Grand Canyon

All photos courtesy of John Hindle and used with permission.

Thank you for visiting Desert Spirit Chronicles.