Field Notes: A Highly-Strange Estes Session
A blog post from Gabrielle for a change.
This is a raw field note. We don’t think we’ve ever shared a full, unedited Estes session on the site before, so allow me to set the scene for you.
We are at "The Church", our local hotspot that we visit often. The sun has just set, and the darkness is creeping in fast. To be completely honest, I had just chickened out on staying out in the open because of what I saw the last time we were here at night.
What We Find on the Path taken by Gabrielle Mayer
We arrived about twenty minutes before sunset, but under the canopy, the light was fading quickly. We took our usual walk: leaving our offerings, checking on the flora, and taking photos of the moss. The entire time, acorns were dropping around us, frogs were scattering, and the woods felt intensely, unmistakably alive. It hadn’t felt this active in a long time, and it immediately raised my hackles. I couldn't calm myself down (and honestly, how could I when every few steps brought another unexplained rustle or crack from deep in the brush)?
Jody suggested we sit at our usual spot and just tune in for a bit. We stayed there for about ten minutes, grounding ourselves in the quiet. Sitting there, I started worrying about the land itself, the spirits, and the animals that call it home. So much of the surrounding area is changing so fast, and it feels like we are actively watching a wild, sacred place become domesticated.
That was when I turned to Jody and said I had an idea, though he had to promise to agree to it first. I suggested we run our Estes Method session from inside the car. He agreed, though he made us take what felt like the slowest, most agonizing walk ever back to the vehicle.
Once we got inside, we set up the gear. I didn't actually tell Jody the real reason why I had insisted on retreating to the car until after the session was over. However, I did record my reasoning on audio right at the very start.
Below is the full Estes session we recorded from the car that night. We hope you enjoy stepping into that space with us. If you like this type of raw, unedited content, please let us know in the comments. We have plenty more sessions we can share, and we’d even be open to trying a few live sessions if there's enough interest.
Give it a listen, and let us know what you hear, or what you feel, while tuning in. It’s best listened to with headphones.