Have we lost our way?...
We must return again to the call of nature ...
This call is muted with the hurts around us ...
Destruction of the good and bad ...
We must return, not as aliens, but as Keepers of all
things that are a part of us ...
Some are forever gone ...
Others are crying out in despair ...
Just as our Ancestors kept the faith with all things
Great and Small ...
So must we be the guardians of the Sun, the Moon
and the Stars ...
It is because of them, and our respect for their
powers
that we must raise our voices to be heard ...
We are not just the Red Man, we are THE PEOPLE ...
Our fathers before us worshipped all things of nature
...
This is good, for Nature is the Heart of all things
...
All of us spring from Mother Earth and must return to
her bosom ...
If we poison Her, so will our future be poisoned ...
She will rebel against the hurts and we will be the
losers ...
We must return ...
~
~
Earth Keeper
~
The forest speaks,
The prairie speaks,
In wind murmers
through the high oak,
Through the short grass.
~
Glory to the seven cardinal points.
To the East, to the South,
To the West, to the North,
To the Upper, to the Lower,
And to the Inner,
The circle of incense smoke
that joins them in breath;
~
Glory to the Earth of
walking feet,
To the Sky of leaping
asperations,
And to the corn seed
That joins them in
fertility.
~
We are
The Keeper of the circle;
We are
The Keeper of the fire;
We are
The Keeper of the Earth.
Finding An Animal Helper
Monday, December 3, 2007, 06:31 AM [General]
Finding An Animal Helper
In many cultures, each person has a
"totem" - an animal or bird with which they have a special
relationship, in both the physical and spirit worlds. Finding our
animal totems or helpers can help us connect with the natural world
around us, as well as giving us insights into ourselves and others.
Sometimes animals can give us warnings that things aren't right about
another person, or that natural disaster is imminent.
A Spell for Finding Your Animal Helper
You will need:
A few dabs of patchouli oil
A handful of catnip herb - fresh or dried
A handful of catnip herb - fresh or dried
At the time of the New Moon, dab some
of the oil on your wrists and feet. Take the catnip and go to a place
where you can see the night sky - outside or at a window. Sprinkle the
catnip on the ground around you or on the windowsill saying:
'In spirit or in flesh, I summon thee,
In love and trust, my wild totem kin;
Thy untamed and ancient wisdom share with me,
And may friendship, never ending, now begin.'
~ Liam Cyfrin ~
In love and trust, my wild totem kin;
Thy untamed and ancient wisdom share with me,
And may friendship, never ending, now begin.'
~ Liam Cyfrin ~
Take notes of your dreams or thoughts
for the next three days and nights after casting this spell. You may
find yourself suddenly thinking of a particular animal, or you may see
one on a documentary or in a book and feel an affinity with it. You may
also find that you experience an unusual sighting of an animal on your
walks or near your home, or have an unusual encounter with a particular
animal, or that a certain animal appears frequently.
~ From "The Girl's Guide to Spells" by Antonia Beattie and Amargi Wolf ~
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A Different Christmas Poem
Monday, December 3, 2007, 06:28 AM [General]
A Different Christmas Poem
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest,
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight,
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve,
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest,
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight,
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve,
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold,
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, my wife and my child,
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold,
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, my wife and my child,
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts,
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "It’s really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts,
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "It’s really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my father s before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my father s before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home,
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother,
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home,
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother,
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?”
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long,
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?”
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long,
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
PLEASE,
do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can.
Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our
U.S.service men and women for our being able to celebrate these
festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we
owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who
sacrifice themselves for our freedoms back home, protect us from
terrorists and countries creating weapons to destroy America and other
free countries!
LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq
"The ground on which we stand is sacred ground. It is the blood of our ancestors."
. . . . . Chief Plenty Coups
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"Circle of Life"
Monday, December 3, 2007, 06:25 AM [General]
"Circle of Life"
Everything and everyone is connected in some way and we all go through the circle of life. Animals and plants provide us with nourishment. Trees provide us with shelter. Eventually, we return to the earth to provide nourishment for all of them, When we harm the earth and water, hunt animals to extinction, we are only hurting ourselves and showing disrespect for what God created for us. Native Americans have a saying, "I walk in beauty". What they mean is that all of God's creations are beautiful and we should appreciate it's beauty and when we do....we walk among beauty.
To start the life cycle is the South which is white, purity, natural things born into innocence. This is the direction we, our spiritual beings born into the flesh. Knowing this, children should be treated with respect, protected and nurtured in the knowledge that it is the children that are closest to knowing the wills and ways of the Father.
The West is black, because of the early teachings of the darkened
land. This is where the sun sets. The West represents our physical
life. Our bodies, our competitive urges, the things that become sacred
in our lives and absolutely our "helping others" in every physical mean.
This might be thought of as our adolescent years. This is where we
are growing up after discovering the ways of the world and trying to become
a part of it. Beauty and ugliness of the physical "skin deep" theory
are gathered in by us as individuals. If we aren't taught correctly
before and during this stage in life, these bad things will enter in and
have more of an impact on that which could disrupt the harmony needed to
live a balanced life. The West also brings out our competitive nature.
It brings on humility in the areas where we don't excel in and in reverse,
gives
us a little ego boost where our strengths are. Through
this, we will learn where to apply ourselves, how best to put ourselves
forward and know what to avoid.
The North, represented by the wonderful relaxing bluish colors of the snow while Mother Earth rests, brings us to the area/time of our lives...our adult years, This is where wisdom first begins. This is where we begin to learn and apply what we have learned then begin to share our lessons in life with others, teaching them our own lessons in life to help them with their paths. This is where we first become relaxed with ourselves and to begin to realize what our true purpose in life is to be and start applying it to our lives.
The East is of course where the sun rises and associated with
fire,
represented by red. It represents the spiritual aspect
of our circular path. The East actually refers to our "spirit"
and the growth of our personal spirit. It is believed to be
the direction from which our spirit first enters
into this world to be joined with our bodies. The Cherokee begin
their prayers of a morning..facing East, in this way acknowledging our
spiritual direction and the Morning Star from where could be gathered wisdom.
If the prayer time is more in depth than the morning prayer of thanks,
then they would turn and face each direction praying for whatever guidance/strength
they need.
It is from Father sky that rain comes to cause things to grow on Mother Earth and provide us warmth and enables all of nature the ability to prosper and be nourished. The sky is represented by the color yellow, as in the sun. It represents happiness and peace. The sky envelops the world in full, surrounding it on all sides and even reaching to the ground.
The Earth is represented by the color brown, the color of the ground. It is the Earth from where we find out life sustaining needs, especially the plants and animals. The plants are here to provide medicine, shelter and food. The animals provide food, shelter and companionship.
The Sacred Fire is represented by by the color green, This is how the Creator talks to us. The Sacred Fire resides in us, teaching us through our conscience, leading us away from wrong and into the right. Many times, we must stop and listen in a quiet place, being as one with the Creator's work. When we stop and really listen, we can hear his voice better. We should listen to his voice. The Sacred Fire touches every part of our lives, every part of the circle of life. That is why the Sacred Fire that burns in the Cherokee lands should not be allowed to go out. It is representative of God and his fire.
The sky, the heavens, are represented by the color yellow, while the Earth is represented by the color brown, representative of the ever changing world and the Sacred Fire which resides in us is green. Once the circle is completed by the spiritual aspect., then the journey starts again as pure, forgiven, fresh in the South and then we continue on through the circle of life enduring to, yet never completely reaching perfection in a balanced life. And in all this, the heavens, the Earth and the Sacred Fire all intertwine with every area of our lives as we are striving for harmony with all creation. And from here, we continue on the circle of life, starting again in the South, working with natural/pure, the physical, the mental and the spiritual and bringing them all together in harmony, understanding each of them and always being influenced by the Sky, Earth and the Sacred fire that resides in each of us.
Circle Of Light
I'm not right
And you're not wrong
I don't know what this love
of ours is built upon
We are shadows
Tiny sparrows
Safe inside
Clear blue sky
Of another storm
Moving in and out of time
In and out of the Circle of life
We are children of the angels
Keepers of the fire
We are children of the angels
Reaching for the light
We are not Strangers
We are all brothers
I know we came here to love each other
Here, in the circle of life
Each one thinks
He has the answer
Each believes that he can see
The way, the only way
Truth lies waiting
Was always waiting
Like a love
A peaceful dove
Right there inside your soul
From another place and time
Moving into a circle of light
The Walela Group
Native American Spirituality is to strengthen
ourselves, our relationships with our families, communities,
nations and the Earth itself. The beliefs are for everyone "native" and
"non-native" alike. We are all Earth's children with varying nationalities
and ancestry. This is an invitation to be good people in this life,
to respect such teachings along with honoring and respecting other "family"
members and other's beliefs, all cooperating to work together for
a united vision of peace.
Peace is also seeing others with the eyes of the heart (Cante
Ishte) - spanning race, color and religion. The Spirit
considers all things sacred, we are all One, all connected. So what we
teach our children will be carried into generations to come.
Mitakuye O'yasin.....We are all related !
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Summary of the Seven Natural Laws of Love
Monday, December 3, 2007, 06:16 AM [General]
Summary of the Seven Natural Laws of Love
* Love is its own law. Let love be your guiding principle. When in doubt, listen to your heart. Don’t allow mental concepts, beliefs, or assumptions that are not based on love to dictate your behavior.
* The law of source. You are the source of love. The love inside you is abundant and eternal. You don’t need to beg, control, or compromise in order to be loved.
* The law of attraction. The more you focus on love and gratitude, the more you will be surrounded by love. If you complain, blame, and dwell on fear, you’ll attract others who are also resentful, angry, and fearful.
* The law of unity. Love knows no borders and no boundaries. Love includes everyone and everything. Love takes no position, rising above separation. Find unity within by resolving the conflicts inside yourself and you won’t have to act them out with another.
* The law of truth. Let telling the truth about who you are and what you are feeling and thinking be your foundation. Vulnerable self-disclosure allows for empathy and understanding. The more truth is shared the more love grows.
* The law of consciousness. Love is a state of consciousness available only when you’re willing to relinquish your defenses. Protection is a barrier to love. Love cannot be given or taken but it can be shared. The vibration of love in you is often stimulated when you come into contact with one who carries it.
* The law of forgiveness. It’s ok to make mistakes. Very few humans are able to love perfectly. Forgive yourself and others generously and you’ll always have a second chance. Focus more on giving than getting and you’ll have much less forgiving to do.
* Love is its own law. Let love be your guiding principle. When in doubt, listen to your heart. Don’t allow mental concepts, beliefs, or assumptions that are not based on love to dictate your behavior.
* The law of source. You are the source of love. The love inside you is abundant and eternal. You don’t need to beg, control, or compromise in order to be loved.
* The law of attraction. The more you focus on love and gratitude, the more you will be surrounded by love. If you complain, blame, and dwell on fear, you’ll attract others who are also resentful, angry, and fearful.
* The law of unity. Love knows no borders and no boundaries. Love includes everyone and everything. Love takes no position, rising above separation. Find unity within by resolving the conflicts inside yourself and you won’t have to act them out with another.
* The law of truth. Let telling the truth about who you are and what you are feeling and thinking be your foundation. Vulnerable self-disclosure allows for empathy and understanding. The more truth is shared the more love grows.
* The law of consciousness. Love is a state of consciousness available only when you’re willing to relinquish your defenses. Protection is a barrier to love. Love cannot be given or taken but it can be shared. The vibration of love in you is often stimulated when you come into contact with one who carries it.
* The law of forgiveness. It’s ok to make mistakes. Very few humans are able to love perfectly. Forgive yourself and others generously and you’ll always have a second chance. Focus more on giving than getting and you’ll have much less forgiving to do.
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