07 Oct The Western Gate
When I heard there was a portal for souls passing through to the other world north of Santa Barbara, I had to go. The Western Gate (Humquaq) is a sacred place for the Chumash – a gateway where the dead enter the heavens on their way to paradise (Similaqsa). I trust 100% that when Native people identify a place as sacred, it will be a powerful energy vortex.
The Western Gate sticks out as the farthest point west on the Western Hemisphere, and is the natural divide between northern and southern California. The location is so important to the Chumash that they identify themselves as “The Keepers of the Western Gate.” At the eastern-most point of the continent on Long Island, NY, is Montauk, the Eastern Gate.
Chumash souls went to what is now called Point Conception and ascended to the Milky Way. As the soul entered the gate of heaven, it is said that a loud noise was heard. The entire 100-square mile area is sacred and mysterious: There are rumors of Chumash ruins under the water below the Point, where the sea is teeming with schools of dolphins, seals, sea lions, whales, and sharks, all communing together.
Turns out it’s not so easy to get to. At the time I heard about it, The Western Gate was a private ranch, fenced off so you can’t get there by car. The closest you can drive is Jalama County Beach, so I drove the almost 3 hours it takes to get there, parked, and walked the 10-mile round-trip on the beach toward the lighthouse at Point Conception.
On the drive up, I fantasized about this place with so much sacred power, this portal to another dimension. Were the people who owned it ignorant of its identity? Were they Black Magicians harnessing the power for personal and/or nefarious use? What if the landowners were instead powerful White Magicians, standing there at the farthest west point of the Western Hemisphere, performing rituals to keep the loving world turning?
The area has long been contentious for developers as have many locations once belonging to Native people. Over the years the land has been owned or fought over by Spanish and Mexican ranchers, real estate developers, gas and oil companies, and of course, someone who wanted to build a golf course. The Federal Government confiscated the furthermost tip and built the light house in 1856. In 1978, hundreds of Chumash and their supporters staged a year-long occupancy to prevent the building of a natural gas facility. (They were successful.) In 2007, the land was bought by a hedge fund which was really scary, but when real estate prices nose-dived in the 2008 crash, they sold it and got out.
Turns out I was right – the land today is controlled by powerful white magicians doing good with their money and the metaphysical power of the Western Gate. In 2017, Jack and Laura Dangermond, tech billionaires, bought the land for $225 million and donated it to the Nature Conservancy to be permanently protected. Their mission as a couple is to encourage other 1% -ers to leave their wealth to conservation efforts. When I watched their interview on YouTube I realized, this is what angels look like: Baby Boomer gazillionaires — who knew? The stewardship of the Nature Conservancy may be a step toward eventually creating public access to Point Conception and thus, the Western Gate.
Personally, I had strange, inexplicable, metaphysical experiences at the Western Gate. I considered sharing them with you, but decided I’d lose my credibility. Suffice it to say, the Western Gate is without a doubt a portal to another reality. I’m cautious about going back, but I will. Maybe you and I will see each other on the trail. Burn some sage, leave some tobacco, and say a prayer for all.
© 2020 Catherine Auman
This is an excerpt from Catherine Auman’s book Guide to Spiritual L.A.: The Irreverent, the Awake, and the True
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.