Camel &: 2010

Sacred Camel Herd Visits Jelly Baba's Grave
On Friday August 13, Jelly Baba, the large black bull of the Sacred Camel Herd, passed away. Jelly was born March 13, 2004 and left behind him 13 camels. He was six years old. It had been decided to not breed Jelly Baba anymore so we decided to geld him so that he could join the herd and live an enjoyable herd life once again, rather than live horny and apart from the others. The main bull of the herd is the great, white, Everest, one of the top white Bactrian bulls in North America. During Jelly's simple gelding procedure, while under sedation, he quietly passed out of the body.

A ceremony was done shortly after the time of his death and another later in the day, and he was buried like a saint.

When I visited the herd the day following Jelly's passing I found the whole group sitting together right on his grave-site, quiet, calm, peaceful, connected, contemplating. They do like to sit on soft, freshly turned, earth, but there was more too it than just that. I sat down among them. I lay across a couple. Google Mama reached out and touched my hand... Imperceptibly, I gradually felt like I was on Jelly's back... yet with him already gone over and me still here... all the camels staying connected through his passing... feeling deeply, as they always do... and drawing me there, too...

They've continued visiting and sitting together on the grave at random intervals.
Please read the short tribute story about Jelly Baba at the bottom of this post. Also scroll down through the two previous posts to see a photo essay of Jelly Baba reclining under a tall oak.

Inspiration for Camel Temple
Some form of shrine was in the plans soon after Jelly passed away. Seeing the camels sitting over the body of the great Jelly Baba gave vision to a layout that will make the Temple fully usable by them. A spacious elemental shrine will be developed above Jelly's grave that the camels can enter, hang-out and "odalisque" in... a unique Sacred Camel Temple that they, and we, together, can use and serve.

Peaceful Baba and Jingle Baba, when living in the original Zoo compound in the central core of the Sanctuary, often connected bodily with the Sacred Temples of All True Things Park. I've written about this elsewhere.

Set within a grove of old-man oaks, the basic design of the shrine will include an 80' diameter circle of boulders with one or two entrances. Inside this circle will be a bed of sandy gravel that the camels can roll in. At the rear of the circle will be a higher wall of boulders set on a raised area of concrete with a flower pattern inlay. A ceremony will be engaged here daily to potentize the location, invoking and concentrating benign, positive, Spiritual energy there. The camels will be able to come and go, rubbing on the interior rocks and the boulder circle, and reclining on the sandy gravel pad. The Temple will be open above to sky and trees. As much as possible we will use raw, natural, materials, including boulders and rocks from within the Sacred Camel Gardens. A formal Temple Name is in consideration.

In the wild setting, non-humans move throughout their range for food, water, mineral and herbal sources, and other survival needs. They also interact with their own kind and other species for a variety of reasons, not least including the exchanging and transmission of energies that serve their psychic life as well as their potential for Full Awakening. Non-humans are also drawn to visit and interact with certain natural features in the environment, through which their contemplation is served and supported. This shrine for the Sacred Camels will enhance their already evident connection, and naturally lived process, with the Free, Living, Divine.

This Temple will be a gift from human beings to the non-humans, for the sake of these camels and for non-humans everywhere. And for our sakes too.

Building the Camel Temple
Some aspects of the Temple construction will take time to complete, such as the cement pad, floral inlay (and possibly a sculpture) but the first phase can be done relatively quickly. Installation of the boulders and sandy gravel pad will cost about $3000 USD completed.

Please Join Us to Create This Unique Sacred Camel Temple

Choose from among these payment methods:

- send checks to Sacred Camel Temple, 12040 Seigler Springs Road, Middletown, CA 95461
- online: via Paypal - indicate for Camel Temple Project

The Little Girl and the Camel (in tribute to Jelly Baba)

The little girl enjoyed the large camels, but was nervous and shy. The young mother reassuringly held her daughter's hand.

The large black bull, Jelly Baba, approached them. He looked down at the girl, leaning slightly toward her. She shuffled back a little.

The bull stood tall again, and quiet. He gazed across the field. Then he pressed his face toward the mother and brushed his great, soft, muzzle against her cheek.

He looked down at the little girl again. She leaned away. He leaned away, too, for a while. Then he brought his face down to the mother and daughter's joined hands.

Jelly Baba opened his mouth around their hands, gently holding them, keeping one eye on the little girl. She was starting to relax.

Jelly Baba gently brushed his whiskers across the mother's cheeks again, and held hands with the pair once more.

Again he stood tall and silent, and calm, for the little girl.

After a while his long, woolly, neck drew right down to her. And this time she drew toward him.

They brushed cheeks and he snorted warm breaths in her ear until she smiled and petted his nose.

Then Jelly Baba looked up, turned and wandered across the field to rejoin his herd.

Sincerely,
Stuart

It's been too long since my last post. Have probably lost all "my" readers by now...!

Rather than go back and try to catch up I'll just pick up with current events.

Baby Bactrian Camels! Lots off of them! Well, actually, four of them. Two have been born already, and we are expecting two more in the next month or so.

A handsome little white bull was just born from Everest (his very first offspring), and Google Mama (her fifth baby.) No name yet for this little guy - but soon. And already several weeks old is our first calf of 2010, the little grey bull named, "Sage", who was born onto a bed of spring sage, beneath flowering manzanita bushes. Both are strong, robust, babies with a lot of vitality and curiosity. They will be fun to "train"...

Enjoy the pics below....