It was an unforgettable summer. In 2005 I was traveling in British Columbia, Canada. It was my heart\u2019s desire to be part of a sweat lodge ceremony with only real \u2018natives\u2019, and to connect with Leonard George, the son of legendary chief Dan George. What was to happen later exceeded all my expectations. I ended up in a stream of wonderment with a lot of synchronicity, that literally showed me that everything is connected to everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the tourist office in downtown Vancouver I told an associate about my work and my heart\u2018s desire. After a while she said \u2018I never do this but I happen to know someone who can help you get Leonard George\u2019s phone number.\u2019 I walked out the door totally \u2018uplifted.\u2019 I made the call and Leonard\u2019s phone number was given to me. However, it didn\u2019t feel like the right time to call Leonard until two weeks later when something special happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After literally seeing more bears on the road than people I wound up in the coastal town of Tofino on Vancouver Island. I was spontaneously attracted to a building that had a large eagle painted on the side of it. I\u2019ve always been attracted to eagles and hawks. When I was 14 years old I created my signature featuring a sun and two eagles, which I use to this day. Years later I found out that according to Mayan astrology I was born on the day of Double Eagle (tone 11)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I went inside, I naturally walked over to an old canoe and held the edge of it with my hand. Without thinking about it, suddenly a wave of emotions came over me. The only thing I could think was: \u2018I\u2019ve been in one of these things before.\u2019 The feel of the wood, the scent, what it looked like, I just knew it. I was so deeply touched that I wanted to know whose building this was and who had created all this art. It was Sir Roy Henry Vickers, a chief of the Eagle clan.<\/p>\n\n\n A new desire was born: I wanted to meet him. Except, he wasn\u2019t there but somewhere on the mainland and nobody knew exactly where to find him. After I went back outside, I sat for a while overlooking the bay and I decided now it was time to call Leonard George.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lo and behold, I got a hold of him. We talked for about 20 minutes and I indicated that I\u2019d like to meet Roy Vickers and participate in a sweat lodge. In response he told me: \u2018Just follow the spirits.\u2019 Two weeks later it seemed like the impossible was about to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After driving for about three hours from St. Rupert eastward into the mainland, we suddenly saw a black bear cross the road, going to the left. At that moment I remembered the words \u2018follow the spirits\u2019 and I decided to make a left turn, deviating from the original plan. After about an hour I came to a small village called Hazelton. Looking for \u2018natives\u2019 I ended up in a large bingo hall where I inquired about a sweat lodge. I was referred to band member Mike who was the day-to-day manager of the reservation. He was reserved at first, until I told him I had spoken with Leonard George. The next day a sweat lodge was organized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mike led us to the sweat lodge, set up a few yards away from the salmon-rich and roiling Skeena river. Mike turned out to be a member of the Eagle clan, just like Roy Vickers. I had just met another pair of figurative Eagles! Just before the ceremony started two actual Eagles flew past the entrance above the river! But that wasn\u2019t everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After round two I heard a quad arriving and being parked in front of the sweat lodge. Mike invited the new arrival to be in charge of the ceremony, and the man sat right next to me near the entrance. It was Roy Vickers! Of all places! How was this possible? How could it be that in all of Canada I happened to be sitting next to Roy, whom I\u2019d been looking for, while I didn\u2019t even know where he was?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n My heart\u2019s desire to meet Leonard George, to participate in a genuine sweat lodge and meet Roy Vickers had all come to pass. \u2018Just follow the spirits.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I returned to Holland, I looked up what day the sweat lodge had been according to Mayan astrology: It had been my birthday of the Double Eagle (tone 11)! How was this even possible? For me this was really a sign that coincidences aren\u2019t just coincidences. And that on a spirit level we are always connected. Roy beautifully and powerfully put this into words in a message to me: \u2018Friends in spirit.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/martinthoolen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/MartopReis2-kopie-scaled.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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