Nestled in Spirit Valley where the magic flows year-round.
My name is Tony Salzarulo
I was raised in Concow. We had everything. We had nothing. Life was a great mysterious adventure waiting for me to set foot in it.
I was introduced to the sweat ceremony when I was 14
The tradition was passed on to me by teachers who had it passed on to them from time immemorial.
This is what I do. Everyone is welcome. I don’t care who you are, where you come from, what you have done. You are welcome here.
I have seen so many transformations happen, I have lost count. I have seen people healed. I have seen relationships strengthened. I have seen lives renewed. I truly believe there is no limit to what is possible in this sacred space.
I have been witness to it all. It is my honor and my joy.
I have traveled around the globe
My life has been a series of one astonishing opportunity after another. There was the Peace Corps. There were wonderful friends who invited me to join them on their adventures. I feel so much gratitude for these experiences and the people who made them possible.
Africa Was Unforgettable
I lived in Africa for several years with the Peace Corps teaching agricultural techniques. I was chased by an elephant all the while taking photos behind me. More than once. It was impossible not to see the value of these ancient, yet new (to me) cultures. My life was forever changed.
I returned HOME
I built paradise with my Beloved
And three kids!
For a time, everything was perfect.
We helped give birth to the Concow Wild Mountain Faire
Then the fires came….
New life rises from the ashes
There was seven years of grieving. My beloved passed on between the two devastating fires. He helped us survive the first one. The second one I had to survive without him.
There was a time of going inside and facing the dark night of the soul. But the dawn always comes again. Hope springs up in the strangest of ways. I met some new friends.
New friends, new horizons....
New friends, new horizons....
Jacob came into Tony’s life, saying, I would love to help create a community gathering with you. That was a new beginning in the making.
Jacob is a writer who has been working with cats big and small for decades. Jacob has always believed in the magic, even when the magic was hard to find.
Jacob came from a background of leading and training the Temple Guardians at Burning Man. Caring for sacred space from its inception to its transformation in fire, holding that space for all that it needed to be so that the community could draw strength and meaning from that space.
Transformation through fire already holds a rather significant gravity for this region after the devastations of recent years. Fire safety was always an important part of Jacob’s work with the Temple Guardians.
But most of all, Jacob wanted to be part of making the magic happen for people who come to have a transformational experience. He saw the beauty and value in Tony’s officiating of the Turtle Lodge ceremonies, the magic at Spirit Valley, and the beauty in Tony’s soul, and he yearned to collaborate and make something new inspired by what had come before.
Of course, along with Jacob came his childhood sweetheart, Mary.
Mary wanted nothing more than to support Tony and Jacob in creating the magic
She was more than happy to learn anything Tony was willing to teach, whether about plants or about the people who had lived in this valley for thousands of years, how they made their clothing and tools, how they communed with the Earth and all living things on it.
There is always a project that needs hands and hearts…
Many have come to lend their time and strength and ability to help build, and create, and support.
There is so much more yet to come.
Rebecca and her friends bring their talent to delight our gatherings….
We want to see your spark!
Music, dancing, storytelling, shaman journeys. Expressions of the soul, sharing, authenticity, connection to Mother Earth.
What will you bring?
There is magic in threes,
but we are looking for others also…
Others who are committed to staying. Others who are committed to building. People who will carry the torch after our time on Earth is done.
Come and join our tribe.
Heal.
We heal together. You, me, the Earth. We are part of one great whole. There is no beginning and there is no end to the Circle of Life. All are needed, no one is excluded from Wholeness. We have a lot of forgiving to do. Forgiving ourselves, forgiving others. May we see the way clear.
Participate.
It all begins with you. What do you have to offer? You have your own unique skills, your own unique experiences, your own gifts and attributes. The tribe awaits your offerings. What will you bring to the circle?
Thrive.
We are better together. We are more than the sum of our parts. Nature is enriched when biodiversity finds its own flow and balance. We are still a part of that, even if we have forgotten it. Share with us your faith that we can find it together.