“Bring Us Rain”

“As the sun rises above the distant mountain range, its life-giving light begins once again to warm these ancient images. The rocks start to glow in the early light and a breeze begins to stir along the canyon wall. Hidden in the cool shadow of the warming rock, lichen seems to float at the surface of an imagined pool of clear water, and just below the surface, suspended vertically in time, drifts a collection of spirals and concentric circles.

This sacred place was created long ago by a shaman who recognized the presence of rain spirits and selected this as a place of prayer. All of these images are related to the necessity of precious rain fall. There is an image of a shaman supporting an intricately etched rainbow with a terraced cloud design and rain descending from his outstretched arm. There are deer with what may be power lines linking them together, and at the same time these lines appear to depict the rippled reflections of this animal standing in water. The bats are a powerful symbol of rain and rebirth and their appearance within petroglyphs are rare. Their rarity may by due to their potent supernatural powers, and that only a well seasoned and spiritually strong shaman, would dare to enlist the powers of these nocturnal creatures.

During the long life cycle of these ancient works, other symbols and images are added by migrating clans. Sometimes these additions are simply messages saying “we are here,” and other times these embellishments enhance the magic and power of the original prayer. The latter is true with this site, as another interesting image appears here. At first glance it appears as a crack in the rock surface. Unlike all the other etched petroglyphs this one is painted on the rock. This wonderful and sacred pictograph illustrates the transformation of a shaman into a bird. This painted image may depict the need for soul flight or it may be a record of a certain shaman achieving soul flight and personally bringing this prayer for rain, to the spirits.”