Welcome, friends.
I'm so happy you're here.
Because if you are, it means that you received a token of love.
Maybe you received it at the magic that is Arkadia.
Or maybe you received it from someone who *is* the magic of Arkadia.
Artwork: Olivia Steele
And in any case, welcome.
I believe you're here for a reason.
It's about the story.
When Aubrey led off his opening comments Thursday night, he said 'it's about the story'.
And if I was looking for a sign I was exactly where I was supposed to be, that was it.
The first of many that magical weekend.
You see... 10 years ago to the day that Arkadia wrapped in Vegas, I received a download from the Universe.
A 4am, shake me out of my sleep, sit straight up in bed and look around the room in wonderment like, what the hell was that?!... kind of download.
The message?
It's about the story.
I was never someone who knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was really good at helping others achieve their dreams, but I didn't feel a pull, or have a knowing of my own, so to speak.
Until that morning.
And what you're holding in your hands is a physical representation of that download.
A dream I've carried with me.
Nurtured.
Sat with.
Prayed over.
Listened for.
And listened to.
And to say thank you for being here, and for being so willing to receive - both of the essence of Arkadia and that which you hold in your hand - I would like to explain the meaning, intention and symbolism of the gift that brought you here.
What you received is a token of love.
Full of intention.
Meaning.
Hope.
And blessings.
I created the first version of these emissaries of love for my first Burn in 2017.
Each morning I would ride my bike out to the Temple with a fresh batch and say a prayer...
...that they would land in the hands of those with whom they would resonate.
Burning Man, 2017 - 18thTemple incarnation, representing life out of balance.
Then I would spend the rest of the day into night, listening, looking and feeling for the next someone who was to receive one.
Sometimes I knew with my eyes.
Most times, it was like a whisper. A pull.
A dance, of sorts.
An exercise in giving. In trusting my intuition. In listening.
And it was beautiful.
The reverse of the first series pendants.
Gallifreyan for, "We're all stories in the end."
The second series of pendants I made to take with me in 2019.
Only this time I wanted to do something a bit different.
I wanted to convey the idea of forgiveness.
Without using words.
And as it happens, I had just met a special soul in Portland - a textile artist named Sally Kathren - who had a beautiful idea. Four of them, actually.
On the reverse of your token of love, you'll find one of 4 heart-opening asanas she created.
Placed intentionally, to keep forgiveness close to your heart.
What you'll notice on the front of the clay pendant are four hearts, facing the four winds, embodying a globe.
Criss-crossing the hearts, you'll find gold paint which represents the Japanese art of kintsugi. In the art of kintsugi when a vessel is broken, rather than throw it away, the cracks are filled with gold. What results is a vessel that is stronger, and one whose cracks are honored for the beauty they hold.
I believe the same is true for our hearts.
Next, you'll notice a piece of serendipity and what happens in a circle of contribution...
While in a circle of very dear friends who were helping me paint these (the kind of friends that will tell you when things look like crap and make the suggestion of how to improve it in one breath - :) ) one suggested the gold paint form an 'x' and the exterior of the shape form an 'o', for a kiss and a hug. What the friend didn't consciously realize at the time, was they they had inadvertently created the man )'(.
Only the heart made the head.
An invitation to think with one's heart.
At which point I immediately starting crying, because that's what I do when I feel an attunement. :)
This legend, so much more aesthetic than that of the twin souls, occurs when it is discovered that the ulnar artery connects the heart with the pinky finger (which is the same reason why in many cultures promises are made by two people crossing their pinkies). The thin vein running from heart to hand extends through the invisible world, to end its course in someone else’s heart. But unlike other amorous superstitions, the Japanese one isn’t limited to couples, or a single person who one is destined to find. It speaks of a type of arterial ramification that emerges from a finger toward all those with whom we will make history and all those whom we will help in one way or another.
Excerpt from an article on Faena Aelph"The Legend of the Red String of Japan"
And friends.
Like, holy whoa.
As I was sitting, soaking it all in and waiting for Poranguí to start, it occurred to me that the group that was in the room, that brought this energy and this magic to Vegas... it an incredibly energetically connected group. Destined to do something incredibly significant, both together and in their own way.
Why?
Because the red threads of the pendants I brought to share, though individually made, kept clustering together.
I would slowly separate and comb them apart, and moments later... they were interwoven again.
I believe that those of us who shared this space are going to do some amazing things together.
Like, ah-mazing.
And I'm so excited to see what that is.
Next, you'll notice the piece of pink tourmaline.
If you received a pendant, you'll notice the tourmaline was placed on left side to be closer to your heart.
If you received an amulet, you'll notice the tourmaline holds the circle of the red thread.
I was taught, by a dear friend who introduced me to stones and their magic, to wander among them. To listen to those that speak to you, then research their properties and healing powers - as the one that calls to you... does so for a reason.
That was how I discovered pink tourmaline even existed.
I was in a warehouse full of beads and stones and findings. The warehouse was so massive that the lights were on motion sensors that lit the way, row by row and aisle by aisle.
I wandered up and down. Listening. Looking. Wondering.
And when I found the strand that caught my eye, the tiny tag read pink tourmaline.
When I looked up the significance: a stone of love, compassion, emotional healing and self love - I started crying in the middle of the warehouse. Because attunement. :)
The silver disk I chose because (although it's technically aluminum) Nevada is the silver state, and because silver is the most reflective of all the metals.
And I believe we are reflections of one another: I see love in you. And I believe you see love in me.
This serves as a gentle reminder to take that reflection of love with you wherever you go.
On the reverse side of the disc, you'll find a milagro.
Perhaps a rose, to remind you of the divine feminine. Perhaps a heart.
A milagro honors my paternal ancestry and is a charm often used for requests, for protection, and for good luck. I hope is brings you everything you wish for in this lifetime, and that which you didn't know was possible.
On the silver disk you'll also notice, in teeny tiny print, the latitude and longitude found on the exterior of Area 15.
My intention in including that is to serve as a reminder.
That we were here.
Imagining a beautiful new world.
At this location.
At this point.
That we were at Arkadia.
That we are Arkadia.
And the QR code and the heart of the silver disc was meant to bring you here.
To a place where I could share this story.
My story.
(Which I was so honored to learn that so many of you wanted to hear in person when receiving these gifts. It took me by surprise in the most beautiful, affirming way. Thank you so much for that).
And to more fully introduce myself.
And tell you why I'm here.
And what I'm up to.
My name is Alicia Mejia.
I believe in love for a living.
It's my mission in life to raise the vibration of love on the planet.
One love story at a time.
And if you would like to learn more about that project, I invite you to have a look at this video and if it resonates with you in any way, please click the button below to find out one of the 5 ways to be involved.
Love you,
Alicia