SHASTA PEACE GARDEN & MINERAL BATHS

My last day in Shasta began with another walk and mineral bath.  But before I tell about the waters of Stewart Mineral Springs Retreat I go back to the day before and the Peace Garden.

Beginning of Peace Garden Mount Shasta In Background

The Peace Garden is located outside of Mount Shasta City on the way up the mountain. A tiny sign topped with a dove marks the path to the garden. Parking along side the road in the shade I got out of the car and stepped onto the path.

Labyrinth

The peace garden does invoke peace.  Pathways wind through the garden leading to small alcoves containing statues and sculptures.  As I rounded one curve a labyrinth made of grass mounds and dotted with large crystals and geodes invited me to step in.

Peace Pillar

There were colorful strips of cloth containing the thoughts of previous visitors in many different languages hanging from the bushes and trees.  In the center of the garden a tall metal pillar declared peace to the world in several languages.  On a small bench under a tree sat a tool box.  Written on the tool box was an invitation to open it, take out one of dozens of colored markers, a strip of cloth and write a message.  Aha! This is where the strips came from!

St Francis

I wrote my message on a purple strip with green marker and hung it behind the statue of St Francis of Assisi. My message?  “Embrace the mystery wherein all possibilities exist and then the world will be at peace.”

Back to the mineral baths:

The waters here are purported to be the most healing waters in the world!  Who can pass up an opportunity to indulge?  Not me!!!

Each bath is in a small private room containing a claw foot tub, chair with a sheet and a towel and hooks for your clothes.  The tub is partially filled with the 180 degree mineral water and it is up to the bather to add cold to make the water comfortable.  The room is mine for 1 1/2 hours.

The recommendation is to soak in the tub for 10 minutes, get in the sauna for as long as you can, then either take a plunge in the natural pool made by the river outside or take a cold shower. The pool is clothing optional. This procedure repeats a total of three times.

I don’t do nude in public anymore and the thought of putting on my swim suit each time I needed to “plunge” didn’t appeal either, so I took the cold shower.

Each time I returned to my room I added a little more of the hot mineral water so that by the third soak the water was almost all mineral. I could feel the toxins leaving my body.  AHHHHH!  What a wonderful way to end my Shasta experience.

As I write this I am still here in CA. Yesterday, the day I was scheduled to fly to Cairo, British Air sent me a text announcing, with regret, my flight was delayed 5 hours!  Cat & I were already by the airport having lunch in a hotel.  She wanted to go back to her house, but I know better than to try to sort out the connecting flight to Cairo over the phone.

I persuaded her we needed to go do a face to face. Jeffery at bag drop was fantastic.  We all joked around about the few to no alternatives for me.  Then Cat asked if I could fly the next day. She also mentioned it might be great if I could be upgraded to business class since I was being so flexible. I made the comment that I needed to call the Executive Club to do that and would do once I left the airport.

Jeffrey made all the necessary changes to get me on a flight the next day and then handed me the new itinerary. Looking at it I gasped, I’m in World Club! He smiled and handed me my boarding passes in business class all the way! He had checked me in so all I need to do today is show up and drop off my bags! What a gift.  We did an air hug and I left feeling so grateful and blessed.

Skulls forming child size heart

It occurred to me that you might like to see pictures of the 13th skull.  These are screen shots from Susan’s website.

Male and Female halves separated

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara