FireEarth: Volcanic Tuff

FireEarth: Volcanic Tuff  

by Sammy Castonguay, M.Sc. Geological Science

View from top of Timber Gulch peering into Leslie Gulch with Mahogany Mountain on the dark horizon. The yellowish rocks in the foreground are the Tuff of Leslie Gulch. 

       Happy Summer Solstice! Following the peak luminosity of the Sun – we will soon enter the season of the Sun-Fire: SUMMER!

           In the May HedraNews^[1] , I discussed the sediment association with AirEarth, which can be volcanic ash, fine silts, or even vesicular volcanic rocks (pumice and scoria). Some ash blows into the sky and falls to the ground as deposits (ash-fall), but some large, violent pyroclastic (“fire sediment”) eruptions form dense ash clouds. The density of the ash overcomes the ability to stay in the air, thus collapsing down onto the landscape as a pyroclastic ash-flow or nuée ardente (“glowing cloud”) that devastates the landscape with 1000°, sharp glass shards moving at hundreds of miles per hour. As the ash settles and loses heat, the base may re-melt and weld to form an ignimbrite, while the upper portions form a softer tuff rock. These types of volcanic origins invoke a FireEarth archetypal association.

           The Owyhee Mountains of southeastern Oregon, southwestern Idaho, and northcentral Nevada are a volcanic plateau dominated by this style of eruption. There are numerous caldera-style volcanoes ^[2] from which voluminous pyroclastic eruptions originated. For example, once such eruption nearly 14 million years ago was at least 600 times larger ^[3] than the Mt. St. Helens eruption that occurred in 1980. Known as the Tuff of Leslie Gulch this extensive ash-rock has spectacular natural beauty. The weathering pattern of this FireEarth is an ominous and impressive mix of towering spires and cavernous cliffs. It has been said, the spirits of the place reside on the tips of towers while the souls occupy the shaded caverns. 

       Beyond the archetype of fire, we at ThisMagickalEarth have made other archetypal associations: The yellow color, hot desertous biome, the gently curved hills and mounds, and the deep riparian slot-canyons invoke a feminine divine. The hot, yellow Sun is astrologically associated with the zodiacal constellation Leo. Thus, use this exotic yellow sediment to invoke:

Fire – Sun – Leo – Divine Feminine – Ancestors - Lust

           Though ThisMagickalEarth does supply respectfully collected^[4] samples of the sediment eroded from this tuff (Tuff Leslie), we highly recommend those in the Boise area to visit the site for the maximum FireEarth healing benefit. It is a great landscape for hiking to a secluded spot for some hot yoga under the sun, meditation in a cavern, or tai chi on a ridge. The local conservation group Friends of the Owyhee^[5] can help in navigating to the area or suggesting places to visit in addition to offering guided hikes and camping trips to the gulch every year.

              This sunny June, show your summer spirit by visiting your public lands and working with the FireEarth energy of the Owyhee! 

ThisMagickalEarth.com

Science. Spirit. Practice.  

¹ AirEarth: Pumice HedraNews, May 2019 archived at ThisMagickalEarth.com/writing

² Caldera-style volcanoes: make a caldron like depression rather than a pointy mountain

³ [2016] Benson and Mahood, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research

⁴ see Notes on Sediment Collection at ThisMagickalEarth.com/silts-sands-and-gravels

⁵ friendsoftheowyhee.org 

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Tuff is a volcanic rock that consists of silicic ash particles (glass). Here at ThisMagickalEarth, it is very important to us to provide ETHICALLY SOURCED and RESPECTFULLY COLLECTED material. As pictured above, we use pumice that was hand collected from BLM land (public land). 

Tuff Leslie is the volcanic tuff sediment that we provide. Please visit this link to the ThisMagickalEarth Store to learn more about this product. 

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Reproduced from HedraNews June 2019, with permission.

Other articles archived at thismagickalearth.com/writing