Uncle Alan Parsons
Welcome to Serpentine Ridge
Nestled just 27 minutes from Gympie, where the Widgee Mountain Range unfurls like an ancient serpent across the horizon, Serpentine Ridge invites you into a sanctuary of story, ceremony, and connection. Formed from serpentine rock and steeped in ancestral memory, this land breathes with purpose.
At the heart of our Welcome Center, a sacred carving stands—a testament to resilience, reverence, and renewal. It was lovingly researched, designed, and created by Aboriginal Elder, artist, and storyteller Uncle Alan Parsons, whose spirit infuses every groove with meaning.
Born with brittle bone disease, Uncle Alan has long championed the term “different ability”, reminding us that true strength lies not in conformity, but in the courage to live fully and give generously. His life is a tapestry of advocacy, artistry, and healing—spanning disability reform, cultural education, and deep community work across Queensland. A proud Bidjara Elder from Carnarvon Gorge, Uncle Alan discovered his Aboriginal heritage in his thirties, and has since become a beacon of wisdom and inclusion.
In the photo shown, Uncle Alan has just finished painting traditional Yellow Ochre into the carving’s grooves—a sacred act of connection. Since then, more colours have been added, each layer deepening the story.
The carving itself was inspired by the stringybark tree trunks that hold our building tall and strong—milled locally in Widgee and now standing as sentinels of place. Uncle Alan wished to honour these trees, the Ancestors who walked this land, and the timeless knowing they carried. His work is a signpost for future generations, calling us to awaken, unite as rainbow people, and live in harmony with the land, its creatures, and each other.
Uncle Alan Parsons – Melbourne 2023
Walk in 3 Worlds Podcast – Uncle Alan Parson
Serpentine Ridge 50 acres where we call home) where the mountains ridges come to rest in the fertile plains, kangaroos & wallabies follow their dreaming pathways right up into the higher country, following juicy sweet grasses & the warmer wintertime resting places.
Serpentine so called because the pattern of the rock surface resembles patterns on serpent’s skin. The Serpent also connects to Rainbow Serpent Dreaming stories of creation of the land, the waters & the living creatures.
The Serpent is also symbolic of the yogic healing Kundalini energy that flows through the chakras around the human spinal column helping us to grow & heal and to open up to our higher spiritual senses.
Geologically speaking ‘where the earth’s crust collides, Serpentine is born’ was formed from processes that began 440 million years ago deep within the middle of the earth’s mantle, underneath the bottom of the ocean, working it’s way to form mountain ranges, & out crops (very brief description of a very involved process). Puts a huge element of awe in our minds when we look over the land realizing how ancient it is. AWESOME !!…somehow imagining ocean waves rolling in, ancient aboriginal man looking out…thoughts & feelings in the realizing, the earth is alive!! Is still slowly forming, changing & growing gradually over time…… & how deeply the original people understand this, the land…
Turning into Serpentine Ridge’s gateway, passing through forest areas of cabbage tree palms, eucalypts. she oaks, native hops, bunya nut trees, all attracting many species of birds including red & yellow tailed black cockatoos, white cocatoos, bee-eaters, nectar eaters, insect eaters, spangled drongos, king parrots, lorikeets, pale cheeked rosellas to name a few…..then kookaburras, crested hawks, majestic wedge tailed eagles, magpies, crows, currawongs, peacful doves, pidgeons, willy wagtails, faintails,…….the list is endless.
Kangaroos & wallabies hop past, ( many differing types to identify, feeding on the native grasses. Echidnas, barking geckos, goannas, monitors, skinks, bearded dragons, we are in the Australian bush so there are snakes, you just leave them be. Observant, bushwalkers will see Koalas & many more other species….
When you look further to the mountain, beyond our ‘Welcome Center’ the ridges are peppered with ancient grass trees, xanthorea being the botanical name, growing in unique (symboitic like) conditions that suit them so well, because of the serpentine, loving the high mineral content that the rocky formations bring to the area.
You can go for a bushwalk into these spectacular ridges where you will come across more grass trees, cycads, native orchids, jacksonias, & way up on the ridge lines, there are totally different species of trees that grow only in those places.
Aong the pathways of the kangaroo trails, you will experience the most stunning views of surrounding deep ridges & valleys, eagles flying high in the sky. The grass trees also grow right along the top of the highest mountain ridges.
These grass trees witness everyday, with regularity cycles of sunrise, sunsets, stars of the milky way that no city lights outshine their beauty, (and living in the city you never see the stars in the magnificence that they are meant to be seen ). This is truely a star gazer’s paradise!!
Every month the phases of the moon cycle, every season, the comings and goings of the winter cold and the wet summers, the comings and goings of humans visiting the land, they have been there as witnesses for a very long time……..as you arrive you will feel the sacredness, the quiet of this land. Others who have come, say they feel the land as they are coming closer to their destination.
Serpentine Ridge, your destination, your reward, enjoy all that the land offers us, leave nothing but your footprints behind!!
Xanthorrhoea – The Ancient Grass Tree
These iconic Australian plants are more than just striking—they’re elders of the landscape. Some species can live for over 300 years, growing only a centimetre or two per year. Their fire-blackened trunks and dramatic flower spikes are symbols of resilience and renewal.
Cultural Significance: Known as balga in Noongar language, grass trees are deeply sacred to many Aboriginal nations. They’ve been used for food, tools, fire-making, and resin—an ancient glue and waterproofing agent2.
Spiritual Energy: Their slow growth and fire-adapted nature make them powerful symbols of endurance, transformation, and connection to ancestral time. They’re often seen as guardians of sacred places, and their presence around your Vision Temple feels like a spiritual embrace.
Ecological Role: Their towering flower spikes feed birds, bees, and butterflies, and their root systems support mycorrhizal fungi—making them keystone species in many ecosystems.
Serpentine Rock – Earth’s Healing Skin
Serpentine is a family of green-hued minerals named for their snake-like patterns. Found in ancient geological formations, it’s often associated with tectonic activity—just like the ridges of Serpentine Ridge.
Geological Beauty: Formed deep within Earth’s mantle, serpentine rock is rich in magnesium and often found in areas shaped by volcanic or tectonic forces
Spiritual Qualities: In crystal healing, serpentine is known as a stone of transformation, protection, and kundalini awakening. It’s said to:
Cleanse and align chakras
Connect heart and mind to nature
Encourage emotional release and spiritual growth
Symbolism: The serpent is a universal symbol of healing, rebirth, and wisdom. In many cultures, it represents the life force rising through the spine—mirroring the energy of the Bunya Trail winding through Country.
Energy Muse – Serpentine Meaning & Healing Properties
Moonrise Crystals – Serpentine Meaning & Geology
Alglenite & Asteroid-Altered Serpentine
Alglenite is a rare and uniquely Australian creation, reportedly formed when an asteroid impacted the Sunshine Coast region of Queensland billions of years ago. According to Crystal Box Brisbane, the asteroid fused with serpentine rock, crystal, and vegetation, creating a one-of-a-kind mineral blend. Each piece is said to be distinct, with a deep connection to both Earth and cosmic origins. The name “Alglenite” comes from its discoverers, Al and Glen, who began carving and polishing the stone in 2011, attributing to it powerful healing properties.
The Many Facets of Serpentine Ridge
Welcome Centre. Car Park & Grandmother Rock
Art Womb Gallery Studio & Shop
Vision Temple Mountain Retreat Stay
Sunrise Yoga & Star Gazing Area
Camping Area & Camp Kitchen & facilities
Bunya Trail & Bush Tucker, Bush Floristry & Bush Medicine Walks
Nursery & Nursery Care & tree planting learning area
Yarning Circle
Future Temescal Area
Sacred Earth Immersion area
Sacred Fire Circles
Women’s Gathering area
Mens Gathering Area
Men’s & Women’s Gathering area
Serpentine Ridge: A Living Dream Between Earth and Stars
At the heart of Serpentine Ridge, A sacred pulse beats— A rhythm woven from the land, the stars, and the souls who walk here.
The Art Womb Gallery is more than a space for paintings and sculpture. It is a creative womb, a portal of dreaming, Where visions gestate and emerge into form. Its walls hold the stories of the ancestors, Its entrance a threshold between worlds.
Adjoined to this sacred chamber is the Studio Gallery, A vibrant sanctuary where creation flows freely. Here, the energy is palpable— A dance between brushstrokes and breath, Between silence and song.
Marc and Milly, custodians of this land, Are themselves a work in progress— A sacred union of masculine and feminine, Dreaming together, building together, Listening to the whispers of the land And the songs of the stars.
Their collaboration is not just practical—it is ceremonial. Each garden planted, each trail carved, each stone placed Is part of a larger ritual of becoming.
Visitors feel it. They arrive and are enveloped in the energy— Of creation, of balance, of sacred possibility. They walk the land and feel the presence of the Grandmother rock, The invitation of the Bunya Trail, The heartbeat of the Temazcal yet to come.
Serpentine Ridge is not just a place. It is a living dream, A constellation of earth, spirit, and story Coming into form through love, intention, and sacred union
The Womb as a Sacred Portal of Creation
The womb is not merely a vessel—it is a temple.
A sacred portal between worlds.
It is where spirit meets matter,
Where the unseen becomes seen,
Where dreams take form and passions find breath.
In the ancient rhythms of the Earth,
The womb echoes the cycles of the moon,
The tides of the ocean,
The pulse of the stars.
She is the cradle of life,
Not only for children of flesh and bone,
But for visions, songs, stories, and sacred purpose.
She births not only bodies,
But movements, healing, and transformation.
And beside her stands the sacred masculine—
Not as dominator, but as protector,
Not as rival, but as co-creator.
His seed carries the spark,
Her womb holds the flame.
Together they dance the ancient dance,
Of balance, of honour, of sacred union.
In Indigenous cultures, this union is revered—
The man and woman as custodians of life,
As storytellers of the Dreaming,
As keepers of the land and the spirit.
The masculine holds space,
The feminine flows through it.
He builds the fire circle,
She sings the song that calls the ancestors.
Creation is not a solo act—
It is a weaving of energies,
A ceremony of spirit and flesh,
A remembering of the old ways.
To honour the womb is to honour the Earth.
To honour the seed is to honour the stars.
To honour both is to walk in balance,
To create in truth,
To live in sacred reciprocity.
The Temazcal—or Temescal—is a deeply sacred ceremony rooted in Indigenous Mexican and Mayan cultures, and it beautifully complements the vision of the womb as a portal of creation. Here's a soulful reflection on its meaning and symbolism:
Temazcal: The Womb of the Earth, The Fire of Rebirth
The Temazcal is more than a sweat lodge.
It is a sacred dome, a womb of the Earth herself.
Its name comes from the Nahuatl word temāzcalli, meaning “house of heat.”
But within its walls, it is the house of transformation, purification, and rebirth.
Shaped like a rounded belly, the Temazcal invites us to crawl inside—
Just as we entered the womb.
We kneel, we bow, we surrender to the heat,
To the stones called piedras abuelas—the grandmother stones—
Heated until they glow red,
Whispering the ancient stories of the Earth.
Copal smoke rises,
Herbs are placed on the stones,
Steam fills the space like breath from the Great Mother.
We chant, we pray, we sweat,
And in this sacred darkness, we remember.
The Temazcal is a portal.
A place to shed what no longer serves,
To speak our truths, to honour our ancestors,
To be held in the belly of Tonantzin—Mother Earth.
In Mayan tradition, the Temazcal was used for healing,
For childbirth, for warriors returning from battle,
For spiritual cleansing before ceremony.
It is a place where the masculine and feminine energies meet—
The fire outside, the womb within.
The fire keeper tends the flames,
Nine steps from the entrance—symbolizing the nine months of gestation.
The guide pours water on the stones,
And the steam becomes the breath of creation.
We emerge from the Temazcal reborn.
Like a child from the womb,
Like a dream from the ether,
Like a vision ready to walk the Earth.
This ceremony could be a beautiful metaphor within your September Solstice event, or even inspire a sculptural piece or musical composition. Would you like to explore how to weave this into your Totem Gardens or the “Mountains to Mangroves to Ocean” documentary? I’d love to help you shape it further.
The Womb-Shaped Sweat Lodge
(Inipi – Lakota Tradition)
In Lakota tradition, the Inipi ceremony—meaning “to live again”—is one of the Seven Sacred Rites.
The lodge itself is dome-shaped, constructed from 16 willow branches, and covered with hides or canvas. This shape is deeply symbolic:
Represents the womb of Mother Earth: A place of rebirth, transformation, and spiritual renewal.
The fire pit outside symbolizes the sun, while the crescent-shaped mound around it represents the moon—together forming the cosmic balance.
Inside the lodge, heated stones (called grandfathers) are placed in the center, and water is poured over them to create steam—the breath of life.
Participants enter in humility, sit in a circle, and undergo four ceremonial rounds, each representing an age or stage of transformation. Songs, prayers, and sacred pipe rituals guide the journey. When the door opens for the fourth time, participants emerge as if reborn—leaving behind all that is impure.
Tipi Sweat Lodge Traditions
While the Tipi is traditionally a dwelling rather than a sweat lodge, some Indigenous communities have adapted its upright conical shape for ceremonial use. However, most sweat lodges remain dome-shaped, as this form is universally recognized as symbolic of the Earth’s womb.
That said, Tipi-style lodges may be used in intertribal or contemporary adaptations, especially in gatherings where the Tipi itself holds cultural significance. In these cases:
The Tipi’s verticality can represent the connection between Earth and Sky.
The central fire remains sacred, and the ceremony still involves heated stones and steam.
The circular arrangement of participants and the emphasis on prayer, song, and purification remain core elements.
Regardless of shape, the spirit of the sweat lodge is consistent: it is a place of healing, humility, and connection—to the Earth, to the ancestors, and to the divine.
Would you like to incorporate these symbolic shapes into your Totem Gardens or perhaps design a ceremonial space at Serpentine Ridge that reflects both the womb and the tipi as sacred architecture? I’d love to help you sketch that vision.
Description of the Yarning Circle in Aboriginal Culture
The Yarning Circle is a sacred and ancient practice used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for thousands of years. It is a space of deep listening, storytelling, and respectful dialogue, where all participants sit in a circle—equal, seen, and heard.
In the Yarning Circle:
There is no hierarchy—everyone’s voice carries value.
Stories are shared to pass on cultural knowledge, resolve conflict, and strengthen community bonds.
Listening is sacred—we listen with our ears, our hearts, and our spirits.
The circle itself is symbolic of unity, continuity, and the interconnectedness of all beings.
Yarning Circles are used for:
Healing and reconciliation
Teaching and learning
Ceremony and celebration
Decision-making and community building
They are often guided by Elders or cultural facilitators, and may include the use of a Yarning Stick, which is passed around to indicate who is speaking. The circle is a safe space, where truth can be spoken and received without judgment.
At Serpentine Ridge, the Yarning Circle will be a central part of gatherings—honouring Indigenous protocols, fostering connection, and weaving together the stories of land, people, and stars.