Maria Yraceburu shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Maria, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me is getting up, making coffee, taking the dog out. Then we do morning prayers, followed by feeding the horses and barn clean up. At that point it’s about 9 am and I start seeing my students 1:1. By noon computer time is over, there’s lunch, and working out on the land with whatever seasonal chore is at hand.
On ceremonial days, things switch around some and the hours are replanned for the gathering of the community. Sometimes ceremony is online. That takes less get ready. When it’s here at the ranch we get the grotto and medicine wheel area all spruced up. Get the offering materials together and anything else, so we’re ready to begin around 1pm. Sometimes we’ll go into the evenings, and shorter ceremonies like TurtleWomyn’s Moon Lodge, we end around 4 pm and have potluck after with some joyful conversations.
In the evenings there’s either the continuance of ceremony that started that day, or there’s down time with the family, just being quiet and getting ready for the evening of rest.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a Native American idealist, author and ceremonialist. I’m the Spiritual Director of Yraceburu EarthWisdom, an earth-based spiritual church in Ramona, outside of San Diego. We observe the cycles and work with the teachings and ceremonies that bring us closer to healing ourselves and our planet. Yraceburu EarthWisdom has been an active community since 1996. We received our not-for-profit status as a church in 2001. We work globally and locally.
I began working with the general public in 1972 in a form of ancient eco-psychology. This became my apprenticeship program SpiralDancing Life, which eventually evolved into the ordination process for the church as well. Students become licensed Spiritual Practitioners, and start their own practices and communities when they complete the apprenticeship that walks them around the medicine wheel teachings.
We address healing simultaneously on four levels – emotional, physical, mental and spiritual. A lot of invested time is put into our community members, and one of the greatest accolades we have consistently received, is how the indigenous extended family role model comes into play and makes everyone a tight spiritual family. This is key to our success through all these years.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My grandfather. He saw me from the moment I was born as a spiritual teacher and storyteller. He was a holyman himself, which is a type of medicine person that works more with cyclic ceremonies and helping us align in the energies of the planet. This is what I do. I help people see how the energies are in a certain lunar cycle, and how their energy aligns. We can devise strategies from that on how to work with challenges, if we can take time off and do a little celebrating… re-turning life to a postive forward momentum and sense of individual fulfillment.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There have been a couple of instances in my life when I tried to step out of a traditional earth lifestyle into mainstream contemporary America… and it nearly killed me. I lost my self esteem because I couldn’t orient to the linear gogogo and how people are accountable to illusional beliefs. Near death experiences, unfortunately, or fortunately, proved to be my reset button for those instances.
When I was struck by lightning in 2004 that was the last attempt at living in a different way than I was brought up. The physical pain made me near suicidal, and the lack of empathy because I was still alive, was crushing. The psychic gifts however, were amazing. The clarity of messages, and direction to what I was to do, finally brought me back to leveling.
These days, life is good, and all because I don’t attempt to be anything other than what I am. A simple person living in the protocols of Earth’s cycles.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes. I’ve been called a character that is true to myself, no matter what pressure might come. I speak my truth, am open and friendly… and strong in my belief that everything we do comes from our connection to the Earth Mother’s spirit. I don’t work a job, I live my life, that is all that is expected of me, or anyone. To fully engage without the sense of victimization, strong in the fact that I have value… this comes from mutual confidence and humility in who I am.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I’m not looking for everlasting fame. I am working towards a world that lives by the principles of EarthWisdom & Spirituality that I perpetuate. The gift that I received from my family lineage… Apache snake clan… is that EVERYTHING changes. My name may fade, but the teachings are continuous and my students have demonstrated, even after walking their own path for many years, that the structure of life provided in their time with me… continues strong within them. They are my legacy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yraceburu.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yraceburuearthwisdom
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EarthWisdomSD
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGzhTxpTI3QPzvl02nmrgbQ
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
