Mystical Journeys and Sacred Initiations (eBook)

Chapter 2

Sedona, Arizona, USA

“Beneath the endless beauty beats a healing heart.”1

Sedona is a city in Arizona, in the southwestern United States of America, known as one of the most beautiful places on Earth, for good reason. Surrounded by Yucca trees, cacti and grand red rocks that tower over this ancient land, Arizona is also home to the Grand Canyon. However, its “beating healing heart” is found in Sedona, a sacred and powerful place that people visit in search of the vortex experience; a place where the earth seems alive with a mysterious energy that inspires, recharges, uplifts, soothes and restores. Vortexes are sites with enhanced energy that emanate from the rocks that people visit to facilitate prayer, meditation, enlightenment and mind-body-soul healing;2 a place where the soul can journey for answers.

Drive quickly through Sedona and you may not feel much impact. But if you stay for a while, you can focus on connecting with this spiritual energy by meditating in silence and being at one with your higher self.

My friend Ginny and I have always wanted to visit Sedona. And so in November of 2002, I flew to Boston, where I met up with Ginny and her friend Pam, and the three of us flew to Phoenix. On arrival, we stayed at the Enchantment Resort in Sedona, which is built right next to a vortex site at Boynton Canyon. We could not wait to explore the area and decided to start with the Grand Canyon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was a phenomenal experience to see such magnificent scenery from the window of the small 4-seater private plane that we had hired. The large, lush pine trees thriving amidst a desert landscape were a joy to behold. On the way back, it was only then that I noticed how quiet and frightened Ginny appeared to be; she looked petrified. Our plane had hit a few air pockets and swerved from side to side, and even though I had experience flying through air pockets, I even felt a bit nervous at times. This was, of course, much different from my days as a flight attendant. Ginny said, “I didn’t want to frighten you, Susie, but the biggest mistake I made was to read an article in the hotel magazine, which said many planes and helicopters crashed going into the Grand Canyon because of the high winds between the mountains.” I was relieved she had not told me beforehand, even though I knew intuitively that all would be well.

The next day, we boarded a helicopter for the first time in our lives and flew all the way down to the floor of the Grand Canyon, where it landed. I was amazed that I wasn’t frightened at all, especially as I had to overcome a fear of heights my whole life. I loved every moment of it, as I stood in awe on the edge of the Colorado River. I was totally absorbed in the positive energy that was all around as we boarded the boat to cruise this mighty river. The air was so fresh and clean that I breathed in this pure oxygen that filled my lungs to over-flowing. We did not talk, as we were immersed in the beautiful sounds and sights of nature while the boat sailed silently along the river; a soothing change from the loud noises of the helicopter.

Eventually, it was time to head back to the hotel. It was a memorable day and I thought that the word ‘Grand’ was inadequate to describe this magnificent canyon. We turned in early, as we had a busy schedule in the morning to visit the vortex sites.

Our hotel was located in the spiritual heart of Sedona, surrounded by towering red rock walls, known as the Boynton Canyon. The resort combined the rugged grandeur of the southwest landscape and Native American culture with plenty of activities and panoramic views of the red rock formations – it was breathtaking. After breakfast, we headed out along the easy route to Cathedral Rock, one of the most scenic vortex sites in Sedona, as we did not think we could handle the challenging climb of more than 650 feet up the rocks along the main route to Cathedral Rock. This vortex is said to have contemplative power that can enhance memories of past lives. It is a powerful, yet subtle form of energy that has a calming effect. With this in mind, we found a lovely spot to sit and meditate, and just before I went into a state of meditation, I stated, “I am ready to accept anything you want to give me.” However, little did I know what the outcome of that statement would be when I engaged with the mighty vortex energy.

While I was meditating, I could not believe what I was seeing in a vision. I could see myself on a beautiful white stallion, as an indigenous Apache Indian chief. I could hear the sounds of tribal life; of drumbeats and people dancing and singing; I was looking down on the whole of Sedona. I vividly remember that I had a beautiful headdress filled with feathers of every colour. When I finally came back to earth and slowly came out of my meditative state, it took me a while to register what I had just witnessed. I realised that I had just experienced a past life as an Apache Indian chief; an experience that I will always remember.

Ginny had a vision of a beautiful tall angel, dressed in a long white robe, standing over her and blessing her. It is a well known fact that whoever goes to Cathedral Rock will have a past life vision, even if one thinks they are not intuitive. We asked Pam what she saw, only to learn that she was too frightened to meditate, as she was scared to see a past life and wasn’t ready for the experience. She just kept her eyes open the whole time.

We continued to walk along the trail and came to the Chapel of the Holy Cross that had been built into the red rock cliffs of Sedona. This chapel is considered one of the seven man-made wonders of Arizona and I could see why; the building evoked a sense of awe that enhanced the spiritual experience. Inspired by the Empire State Building, it was commissioned by local rancher and sculptor Marguerite Brunswig Staude who once wrote, “The doors of this chapel will always be open to one and all, regardless of creed.” 3

Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona

As we walked around this serene space, we made our way to the top deck of the chapel. The view was captivating. As I looked out onto this mystical landscape, I was in complete harmony with nature and it reminded me of Wadi Rum back home in Jordan.

Further along the trail, we arrived at the strong vortex energy site of Bell Rock, a towering natural rock formation that makes it easy to pinpoint. The scenic views from Bell Rock took my breath away, especially in the mornings when the sun rose over the mountains and lit up the sandstone valley in a magic array of orange and red with a golden sheen; it warmed my soul. While I was there, I felt a constant tingling sensation throughout my being, which gave me the energy to trek around this magical place for hours. By the time we returned to our hotel at the end of the day, we felt energised, uplifted and at peace. As it was our last night, we took a dip in the jacuzzi on the terrace, and while we were gazing up at the night sky, we were treated to the most beautiful display of falling stars as if they were saying ‘goodbye.’

When I tried to get out of bed the following morning, I could not stand up. “Ginny, Ginny, I can’t walk straight!” I yelled. It was so loud I must have woken up all the guests in the hotel. It was frightening. “Why is this happening to me on the day I’m flying home?” And then I realised what I had asked for when meditating at Cathedral Rock. I thought that I should not have ‘accepted anything you want to give me.’ Even at the airport, I could not stand on my own, and Ginny and Pam had to explain what had happened to me to the customs official. “You must be psychic,” he said. I was surprised. “How do you know I’m psychic? You must be psychic yourself to know this.” He laughed, “Have you been staying at the vortexes? Because most psychic people can have this reaction.” What I did not realise, however, is that the vortex energy would also amplify whatever I was feeling. It was this energy that hit me hard, especially as we slept on top of a vortex for a whole week. I felt that I was not within my body, half in and half out. I only later understood what the customs official meant because people who are in touch with their emotions and have developed their intuition and psychic ability, including energy healing such as Reiki and therapeutic touch, will consistently have a more potent experience in Sedona.

I felt quite anxious but did not want to worry Ginny, so I kept my feelings to myself. When we reached Boston, we visited Ginny’s mother-in-law, who took one look at me and invited us to stay with her. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I was shocked. I looked different - even my eyes did not look like mine.

The next day, Ginny took me to a hospital nearby, where they gave me an MRI and checked my ears for vertigo. I had all the tests possible, but they could not find anything wrong with me. Then we went to settle the bill and because I was a ‘foreigner,’ I was charged $10,000. I was shocked to hear this, and I explained I was a tourist and I did not have that kind of money. I felt a wave of tears running down my face and asked if there was any way to reduce the cost. I offered to make payments monthly and they agreed. With that, we left and I prayed for a miracle. The next day, I boarded the flight home and when the plane landed in Amman, the flight attendant kindly got me a...