(1) Sacred Ground

Amherst County has to be one of the most beautiful places
in Virginia, bordered by the James River on its southeastern
corner and on the west by the crest of the Blue Ridge
Mountains. In its midst there's lush green farmland and
small villages. And I grew up in one of those villages.

Following many years working as a park ranger, and later
as a naturalist, I have decided to tell a curious story which
I will call "Gaia's Guard." My name is Jason Byrd, and I
have served in a number of majestic national parks where I
experienced some special visions. From the very beginning,
through these visions, I felt that I had tapped-in on the Spirit
of the great American Indian tribes who once called these
holy places their home.

As to why I am writing this story, I guess it's mainly a story
for myself. All along I have been aware of spiritual guideposts
and curious synchronistic events in relation to these visions.
Hopefully, writing about my experience might help me see
more clearly why these visions have come to me and what
might they mean.

Trying to remember when I first experienced these visions,
I am guessing that I must have been a boy about ten years
old. After school I oft would go and play in the farmlands
near my village. Sometimes when I was alone, I would take
pause, laying down on the grass, staring at the clouds,
just dreaming small dreams. And it was on such a day
that I had my first vision.

Looking up at the clouds, suddenly a face looked down
from the sky. Startled, somehow I wasn't really afraid.
It was the face of an ancient Indian; and he said to me
"do you know that you are resting on sacred ground?"

Suddenly the Indian's face was gone, and I was left with
the clouds. I laid on the grass for quite awhile, wondering
if I had perhaps fallen asleep for a moment and had
dreamed this encounter. Even so, I felt a deep urge to
try to find out what this dream or vision meant.