The OTG Daily #67 River Gods

For almost 30 years I lived overlooking the Hudson River in NY state and still have the ability to do my daily walking there when I am in state.  Our home of 25 years looked over the river and the New Jersey Palisades which are balsalt cliffs that have not been developed or built on and represent a unique geologic formation in the world. We can still see these cliffs due to the efforts of the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs who fought to preserve them as a park in the early 1900s when quarry companies were mining the huge rocks known as balustrades. https://njsfwc.org/

I always felt the river was a powerful spirit and that the balsalt cliffs, which look like striped obsidian teeth, were like the jaw of a powerful Algonquin warrior god.  

My favorite animated movie is by far "Spirited Away" by Hiyao Miyazaki in which Haku the river god takes the shape of a boy and befriends a small girl Chihiro who has been trapped as a servant of demons in the spirit world.  He is also enslaved by a stink spirit that pollutes the river. They work together to free each other, when he tells her "don't look back" as a parting message ensuring that she does not get pulled back into the spirit world and can be human again.  Haku then returns to his dragon form and she must say good-bye.

River spirits or gods are ubiquitous in almost every culture, often taking the form of dragons or serpents.

In China, the dragon spirits are said to be a component of chi or spiritual energy

I have always felt the pull and spirit of the Hudson river gods and their positive energy.

What are you grateful for today?