Let Spirit Lead You to Bali

We stand in snaking lines, up to our waists in the cold water, warmed by the gentle sun. As I wait my turn, I remember the night we came at the full moon, especially sacred to the Balinese. It was pouring rain, and the moon was merely a theory as we entered the pool at midnight, already drenched. I watched an exorcism that night, as two Balinese men dragged a hollering, thrashing woman under the spouts. Two more men stood guard as they puffed on huge homemade cigarettes, expelling clouds of smoke into the already thick air. Eventually, she calmed, the demon apparently moved on to easier lodgings, and they escorted her under stream after stream as she was cleansed.

Now I watch as the members of our group move into position, each in turn dunking his or her head under the first stream. We look like Orthodox Jews davening as our heads Tirta Empul Ceremony dip neatly under the rushing water, from four to thirteen times per fountain. Each spout has Sanskrit words carved into its mouth, embodying the meaning of that fountain. To know what the word is, the Balinese say, your “third eye” (the eye of mysticism or intuition) must be open.  The water passes over these sacred words just before it sluices onto our heads. I murmur a quick gratitude blessing and duck my head. As I immerse myself under the cold water, I am shocked into full awareness, clarity washing over me along with the stream.