An Inexplicable Joy

Igluik, an Eskimo shaman describes his shamanic enlightenment:

"I endeavored to become a shaman by the help of others; but in this I did not succeed. I visited many famous shamans, and gave them great gifts... I sought solitude, and here I soon became very melancholy. I would sometimes fall to weeping, and feel unhappy without knowing why.

.. I am so sorry, but this post has been moved to my new website, Feathers and Bones hosted at shirleytwofeathers.com, and can be found in its entirety here: A Shamanic Enlightenment

Morning Meditation - Crying to the Spirits

Crying to the Spirits was the name of the photo. An amazing image full of mystery, and grief, and power. And I thought, "I'm doing that too, but in a really watered down, milk-toast kind of way.

This person - so intent - so sincere - is calling on the spirits having fasted, having dreamed, having taken it all really seriously, and now he's crying to the spirits about matters of life and death and the soul and the after-life.

I, on the other hand, come into this room with the air conditioner on, having just downed a Monster Java energy drink, and I sit in this comfortable chair, wrapped in this knitted blanket, well fed and secure, and I piddle around with small matters like my to-do list and my issues witn money and children and time.

It's so petty in comparison.

~what's this?

Morning Meditation - Dust Devil

This morning, I came across three Navajo people looking off into the distance at a point of interest. They totally ignored me, seemed uninclined to speak, so I tried to catch a glimpse of what it was they were so totally engrossed in.

What I saw was a dirt devil in the distance, which soon became three and then coalesced together to become one big female devil, devouring everything in her path, uprooting trees, causing devastation. Then I said, "Wait a minute here. If that's what they are really looking at, wouldn't they be more freaked out? Less relaxed? Wouldn't they be exhibiting some sort of nervousness or fear?" And I began to totally doubt what I was seeing.

But still the people weren't the least bit interested in talking to me, and when I looked into the distance again, I saw the same thing. Only this time, I kept on watching, and saw that the "dust devil" was putting the trees back into the ground.

Then it occurred to me... just because something off in the distance looks dangerous and scary, that doesn't mean that it is.

~what's this?

Morning Meditation - Salmon Again?

Today, I got the salmon fisherman again. he didn't have anything "new" to say. So I took it to mean that it would be good to take a relaxed but alert attitude with me to my friend Daniel's as I helped him move.

That was the plan, the reality unfolded somewhat differently, and I can't really say that it came anywhere close to a successful salmon spearing expedition.

~what's this?

Healing Mandalas of the Navaho

The Navajo art of Sandpainting began as a spiritual healing system rather than art for art's sake. Traditional Diné healing incorporates ritualism, prayer, ceremonies, and herbology to increase wellness and promote harmony with the universe. Sandpaintings are part of religious chants in which "Earth People and Holy People come into harmony, giving healing and protection."

Many Sandpaintings include yéi figures (see below), which are Navajo spiritual beings. The healing ceremonies involve medicine men chanting particular songs and simultaneously creating a Sandpainting on the ground. The medicine man asks for the yéis to come into the painting and help to heal the patient by restoring balance and harmony.

Once a healing ceremony is complete, the Sandpainting is destroyed. The Sandpaintings one sees in shops and on the Internet are commercially produced and contain important errors. As the real Sandpaintings are considered sacred, should one come into possession of a correctly completed Sandpainting, the Navajos fear that evil would befall the person in possession of what "amounted to a never-ending cry beseeching the Holy People's appearance."

(commercial sand painting depicting the 5 yéis)

~via Mandala Madness

Morning Meditation - An Amazing Experience

I had the most amazing experience today!

I turned to a picture of a medicine man and his wife standing beside their "medicine tipi." It was painted red, and there were symbols drawn on the front of it.

He smiled at me and invited me in. I went into the tipi and was immediately struck by the smells - rich and thick - of skins and herbs, smoke and dirt. There was a small central fire pit encircled by round stones, bags and stuff hung from the sides.

We sat across from one another and he lit his pipe and passed it to me.

At this point, I questioned the validity of what I was seeing, saying "Wouldn't there be talk and other protocol before the pipe?"

He smiled and waved his hands as if to brush my doubts aside and said, "We meet here in the dream world. I do what I want here. If I say we smoke - we smoke."

And so we smoked the pipe and I wondered about smudge and sage, but there was none in evidence, so I let that go.

Then he had me lie down. He then put a thick white paste on my forehead and either he said, or I knew, that this was for better seeing. He put a big lump of something dark that seemed like clay or moist earth on my heart, and I could feel it pulling the toxins out of my body right away.

My hands were at my sides and he turned them, palms down, so that they rested on smooth round stones. I felt that this was to keep me grounded.

He uncrossed my ankles and proceeded to sing songs and blow smoke and sometimes spit, or blow some kind of liquid at me. Then I had this feeling of being strangled, not real intense, but still pretty clear.

And I saw that a hangman's noose was around my neck and I saw my body being pulled up to hang from the top of the tipi.

The medicine man pulled me down, and now there was, in addition to the noose, a white cloth bag over my head, like muslin. Later, I wondered if I was accessing a previous life memory of being hanged. In the moment, I was just interested and curious about this turn of events.

The medicine man worked quickly to untie the knotted rope which he then threw into the fire. It flared up and sizzled and then turned into a snake and slithered away.

He then pulled the cowl off my head and threw it into the fire - it took the white paste on my forehead with it and when it hit the flames it blazed up and a flock of black birds (crows?) flew out.

Around my neck there were still the ligature marks, and it occurred to me that maybe my eyes were bugged out as well.

The medicine man reapplied the white paste and then went to work carefully peeling the marks off my neck, but it was slow going as they kept reappearing. Finally he took a kind of sponge soaked in some sort of healing liquid, and what he did was roll the ligature marks up a little at a time. Then he'd swab behind it and the skin would heal.

As he was working, I realized that the soil or clay on my chest had burnt and was shrivelled, dry, and black. The medicine man stopped what he was doing with my neck, and took the charred earth and threw it into the fire where it flared and sizzled and then transformed into a number of dark spiders which scurried away.

He put another mound or earth on my chest, and then went back to working on my neck, peeling the ligature marks off and swabbing behind, going slowly, making sure the flesh was healing. When he came to the front of my throat, there was a hole underneath, out of which flew a big swarm of screaming butterflies. The screaming wasn't audible, but it was understood. Very weird.

He looked in the hole to see if "everyone" was out, and back in a far dark corner was a frightened, big eyed, skinny being. He (the medicine man) said, "Do you belong here?"

Both the being and I said, "Yes." simultaneously. I did not want him to pull her out, nor did she wish to leave. Whoever she was, she was clearly malnourished and scared, having been hiding in dark corners for so long.

The medicine man unrolled the ligature marks just enough to cover the hole and then he started working on the other side. It was really odd, watching the marks on my throat, which looked like bruises and shrivelled skin being rolled up just like masking tape. He worked slowly rolling and swabbing the skin underneath, making sure the new skin healed before moving on.

Finally he had both sides rolled up, and it looked like a scroll stuck there on the front of my throat. I had a fleeting thought, wondering what might be written on it, and I knew that to unroll it and read it would be to undo all the work thus far.

With a flourish, the medicine man pulled the scrolled up ligature marks and tossed them into the fire. It melted into a whitish worm shape and crawled away. He then reached a finger into the hole and pulled that dark skinny big eyed being up to the light.

Again, he asked, "Do you belong here?"
Again, the answer was, "Yes."

And he said, "Well, OK then, but it's time you occupy the space in a good way. Build a fire, make yourself comfortable, go hunting, and feed yourself properly."

When he said, "Go hunting." I had a momentary vision of a warrior in full regalia mounted on a winged war horse. It occurs to me now that the hunting wasn't just for food and nourishment, but for power as well.

The medicine man then showed the being how to travel to and through the heart and how to see out of the third eye. I had some qualms about it at this point, was I really sure I wanted this dark skinny almost gollum-like creature to remain within me?

But, it didn't seem right to evict her either, and it occurred to me that this must be a deeply neglected, thoroughly repudiated part of my self. I also wondered about allowing her to move through my heart - worried this might cause "damage" or "leakage" of some sort.

And I was reassured with a knowing that this part of me needed to be fully expressed with heart and vision, not just spoken or verbalized in a superficial way.

The medicine man worked with that dark spirit to rebuild the hole in my throat, building it out of living tissue so that it was a "real" fix, not a temporary patch.

When that was complete, I had a realization of who that newly empowered part of me is. And almost as soon as I "knew" it, I "forgot" what I knew. Interesting... huh?

With that completed, the medicine man turned his attention to the lump of earth on my chest. As he pulled it off, it was as if a dark netting or web was pulled out of me. It felt really good to have that ripped out, like an "aahhh" and my whole body relaxed. He tossed it into the fire and there was a huge explosion. Kaboom! There was thunder and lightning and stars. The inside of the tipi turned a dark indigo and the stars and the lights settled into it so that it looked as if it had been painted to resemble the night sky.

He took the rocks from under my hands and placed them just inside the circle of stones that ringed the fire pit. They turned red as they heated and purified.

He then painted the soles of my feet red, and told me that I would/could now walk the "good red road."

He moved to my head and pulled off the white paste. It flared up into red and orange flames when it hit the fire. Then he proceeded to wrap me up in a cocoon of light. As soon as he was done, my eyes spontaneously opened - and I knew it was complete.

Wow!

~what's this?

It is not the critic who counts

It is not the critic who counts;
not the man who points out
how the strong man stumbled,
or where the doer of deeds
could have done better.

The credit belongs to the man
who is actually in the arena;

whose face is marred
by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly;
who errs and comes short
again and again;

who knows the great enthusiasms,
the great devotions,
and spends himself in a worthy cause;

who at best knows in the end
the triumph of high achievement;
and who at the worst

if he fails,
at least fails while daring greatly;
so that his place shall never be
with those cold and timid souls
who know neither victory nor defeat.

~Theodore Roosevelt

Morning Meditation - Do what's in here!

I turned this morning to a war party getting ready to head out. The one in front looked down at me and tapped me sharply on the chest with his finger and said.

"Do what's in here - Not what's out there." and he indicated the other people standing around. "No! Do what's in here," again with the tapping, "and do it in a good way."

With that he wheeled his horse around and they rode off whooping and hollering.

~what's this?

The Bear Totem

The Bear has many myths and legends surrounding it. They have played an enormous role in the Native American Indian culture and their skins were often used for protection from the cold in the form of coats and blankets; their claws were used for making jewelry and necklaces and their heads provided masks for Shaman. Native Americans believe that the Bear has strong medicine magic and many tribes consider bears to be Shaman themselves. They are known to American Indian tribes and their Shamans as “Keeper of Medicine” because they keep all the ancient healing secrets of the Indians and the spirits of the Earth.

The large powerful paws of a Bear contain, hidden within, long, sharp claws. They use their claws for catching one of their favorite meals, fish, and for climbing trees. Bears are good swimmers and surprisingly fast runners. Although many people see Bears as threatening most are content to mind their own business and only use force when absolutely necessary. They are not man eaters as many people believe, and, in fact, get most of their nutrition from, fish, plants, berries, herbs insects, and yes, even honey.

The Bear is a reserved and powerful animal. They signify leadership, family values and lunar magic. They are a spiritual and medicine Totem providing insight and calm grace and words of truth to those who seek their spirit council.

Bears are said to possess Lunar magic and many myths and legends depict the Bears special relationship to the moon. They are devoted mothers, raising and protecting their young from danger, teaching them to forage for food and fish in streams and providing them with all that they need until they are able to care for themselves properly. A Mother Bear will fiercely protect her offspring from any harm or threat of harm.

Bears come in different colors and types, but most of them display similar spiritual and physiological characteristics. There are Asiatic Black Bears, American Black Bears, and the Magnificent Brown Bear which can be found throughout Asia, Europe, America and Canada. There is also the enormous Polar Bear, which can be found in colder regions of the world.

Bears are honored and respected by spiritualists the world over. Bears are known to impart pure and right wisdom and nothing profane will ever come from the noble Bear. Therefore they are trusted advisers in the spiritual world. The Bear possesses many animal virtues that are powerful and valuable and which any person would be wise to emulate or divine. One who has the power of the Bear will see enhanced leadership abilities, wisdom and fearlessness in defense; a better sense of self control allowing one the ability to use will-power to not speak when angered. Balance, harmony and strength are also all part of this noble totem’s magic.

The Magnificent Bear Totem possesses the following virtues: Right words and advice, calm reflective-ness, leadership abilities, courage to do what is right, medicine magic, shamanistic abilities, strong family values, devotion, reserved power, fearlessness in defense, and introspection.

The Bear animal totem is a strong spirit indeed and its magical properties are one of the most influential of all animal totems. Strength in leadership, Shamanistic energy, the wisdom to know when to speak, higher self-esteem and so much more.

Morning Meditation - A Bear Story

So, today I talked to an old story teller. He told me the following story:

One day Bear, who was a very large bear and very hungry, went down to the river to do some fishing.

On his way, he came to a small round house in which lived a brother and a sister.

"Aha!" said the bear, "Here I have a nice big nut to crack!"

He clapped his powerful hands together and crushed the house between them. He was so forceful that the house was crushed. But with the force of the blow, the two siblings flew right out of the top of the house and landed - quite by accident - at the top of a very tall tree.

Bear was not to be deterred, he thought these two "kernels" might be tender and tasty, so he climbed up the tree.

The tree, however, was unable to bear his weight and broke in half, sending the twins flying. They landed in the river and were immediately swept downstream.

Bear shook himself and thought about what to do... there was the river full of fat big fish, there were the two "kernels" disappearing downstream. He looked at the fish swimming under the water - he looked downstream - he looked bat at the fish, right there, almost underfoot. I'll just have one or two for a snack, he thought, and next thing you know he had a full belly and was taking a nap.

The twins were very frightened, the river carried them over rocks and around bends... they had many adventures... and they never stopped running from the bear who had long since forgotten all about them.

~what's this?

Stillness

Direction: The Center
Image: Shell and Quartered Circle
Key Words: stillness, center, joining, co-creation, balancing, reconciliation, plurality, destiny
Color: purple
Element: Will

At some distant point in mythological time, the living being which we call the planet Earth joined together with the Great Spirit of All That Is to co-create humankind. As the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, so is every child more than a joining of two parents. Distinct from the rest of creation, humankind achieved self-awareness and by so doing gained the right of free will.

Because we are children of form and spirit, we have access to both the Earthly and the Divine within ourselves. Further, every individual is a collection of many parts: emotional, mental, spiritual, physical. Each part affects the rest in invisible fashion. But there is a way to achieve balance by seeking the center point of stillness where all parts will merge. If we learn to move from that center, responding not to the various insistent voices of body, heart, spirit or mind but acting from an awareness of the greatest good, then all four are served. They may not receive all their wants, but their real and essential needs will always be met.

By seeking to balance the plurality of our existence, we have the ability to balance the entire planet. This is the challenge that faces us. But there is no way to point at humanity and say, all right, take responsibility for your actions, make these realizations, because humanity is a collection of billions of individual beings who have lived, live, and may yet live. Our movements as a whole are difficult to perceive. But the awareness of a few can profoundly affect the rest of humanity through the invisible but powerful winds of change. Humanity can evolve through movements in individual lives.

The Earth as Gaia, a living being imbued with the spirit of All That Is, is faced with the same challenge that we face as individuals seeking to balance our plurality. If we choose of our own free will to accept our destiny, releasing the weakness, inadequacy and resistance that binds us to our old vision and world view, then yield to our greatest potential, we can be the wielder of will for the Earth as well, making the decision that will end this cycle and allow a new one to begin.

The gift of free will gives us the right to choose any direction and any path. Somehow the gift seems most powerful if it is used to do other than what is expected. Destruction appears to us so much more powerful than creation, taking so much more powerful than giving, controlling so much more powerful than yielding. But this is a distorted view. The other side of the gift of free will gives us the right to choose to be what we are intended to be. While non-human beings accept their roles without choice, we are given the freedom to choose to take our part. From here we make our own paths, then choose to walk upon them, taking responsibility for every choice that we make.

No one is going to tell us what we have to do. No force outside us is going to provide an easy solution to our global crisis. No ultimate authority is going to deliver an absolute truth in which we will all finally be able to believe. No relationship, no religion, no acquisition, no achievement, nothing that we find outside us is going to make us whole.

As we journey within ourselves, searching for the center point of stillness, we may discover it is a place we can only approach empty-handed and alone. But turning our backs on the world we may find, to our endless joy, the whole world waiting there for us to arrive and our empty hands holding everything we need.

~Judith Pintar

Morning Meditation - Not so different

Talked to a guy sitting on top of a huge rock in the desert. He said, "We are not so different, you and I." And I spend the rest of the time wondering how that could possibly be true, because while I could think of a few superficial ways in which we were the same... I kept coming back to how fundamentally different we are.

One thing, that did come to me, however was that waiting and watching is what meditation is.... which is what I do every morning... I sit and listen... and I wait.. and I watch... in that way the two of us are not so different.

~what's this?

Morning Meditation - What Happens Happens

Today I came upon a warrior making an offering, a prayer to the Sun. I hesitated to interrupt him, so I just stood there and watched for a while.

Then, quite suddenly, he said, "You make the offering and then you do whatever it is that you do. Better not to second guess after that. And if the Gods smile on you and the offering was good, all will be well. And if the offering was unacceptable, or the Gods don't smile on you, things may be difficult. Most important is that you are doing what you believe is right. Things go well ... not well ... doesn't matter. Make the offering, get centered, do what seems correct and what happens happens.

~what's this?

Morning Meditation - Balance

Met with two girls carrying water, balancing big jars on their heads. I could sense that they would have much rather have been care free, running, laughing, dancing, playing with friends. They were shy, and wouldn't talk to me... not in words... I spent a fair amount of time trying to have some kind of dialogue... here's what I came up with:

It's all about balance.

If you hold yourself still and stand tall, and carry your burdens in a vertical way, they are much easier than if you "shoulder" them or "handle" them or lug them around. I couldn't imagine how they would have been able to carry those large pots full of water if they'd had to carry them the "regular" way. It's like the balance and the centeredness of carrying something on your head... well... there's something there... some metaphysical notion... that I'm not able to verbalize.

~what's this?

Morning Meditation - Take Your Time

I spoke with a wonderful woman today. She was painting a hat. She said. "Of course, if people come to you for help, you should help them. But take your time and be meticulous. No need to rush anything. And when a dream comes or an idea, yes let it flow through you, and express it. Just be sure to pay attention to the details."

Interestingly, this came right on the heels of an idea I had for a kind of "dial a shaman/healer" hot line.

~what's this?

Thunderbird

The Big Hawk Who Hides Behind the Clouds is a very important symbol to Native people. To some, Thunderbird calls the Thunder Beings, to others, they are one and the same; to others still, the Thunderbird is the servant of the thunderers, the symbol and messenger of these beings of fire.

The thunderbird is said to be the biggest hawk to have ever lived on earth. This magnificent hawk was not only good and kindly but very powerful as well. He could sing beautiful songs that would gather others to counsel. He could also sing a song that would draw the rain clouds near. His songs made small game surrender to his mighty talons.

Alas, this mighty bird fell prey to his own ego. He got swept up in his own greatness and became awed with himself. In his dance of arrogance during his last time on earth he was raised to Spirit in a burst of fire from a thunderbolt. Creator gave him another chance by making him a servant to the Thunder BEings, where he gained pleasure by serving others and learning his place in the universe.

Thunderbird lives in Spirit now but comes sometimes to teach us about goodness, kindness, cleansing, and healing. He also reminds us of the fiery pain of displaying too much arrogance. Thunderbird teaches us to rise out of our arrogance and go to serve and heal the people.

~Sun Bear

Morning Meditation - Thunderbird comes dancing

Thunderbird comes dancing to his bride. That's the image for today. And all I could think of was the little birds I'm getting on Sunday.

~what's this?

The Bright Mother

Creativity. Nurturing. Productivity. Intimacy. Sheltering.

She is the Bright Mother of us all and knows that life - all life - is a miracle. The Bright Mother is constantly amazed at its perfection-in-imperfection. She rejoices in its being, sorrows for its growing pains, and exults in its successes. This great lady is both Earth Mother and the full, bright Moon, pregnant with the future of all growing things. She feeds us and provides us with air, water, and shelter in an amazing, complex world. She sees to it that we are challenged enough to grow but not so much as to be overwhelmed. If we want more challenges than she provides, we have to give them to ourselves....

... I am so sorry, but this post has been moved to my new website, The Powers That Be, hosted at shirleytwofeathers.com, and can be found in its entirety here: Bright Mother

Morning Meditation - Taking Care

A Hupa woman, beautiful and serene in her womanliness, smoothed the hair away from my face, cupped her hand under my chin, and said,

"You must take care of yourself. Take care of yourself first. What happens is you don't have anyone else really to take care of, so you don't stay in your body. You spend too much time in your mind, and the household things, and the care of the body suffers. When you get up, take that time to take care of yourself, save that other for later. Groom the body, feed it properly, take better care and you will have more strength, and more energy. Alone it is harder to do this, so the effort must be made."

~what's this?

The Story of False Face

The story of False Face
as told by Mad Bear Anderson.

I will tell you his story - who he is and how he came to look like that. But he is gone on now, evolved beyond this. These Beings have graduated and gone to a higher world - and they are high, high, high, beyond us. Yet we keep the False Face in this form and we pay honor and respect to it. It reminds us of a lesson far ahead of us - a hard lesson that we have yet to learn.

I call him False face even though that wasn't his name at his time. That was never the name of him or his people but that is how we refer to it. False Face had studied and learned all the basic things in the universe. Then he had prepared and developed himself in all the medicine ways. It took centuries of hard work, but eventually he developed all the spiritual powers known on this Earth. He knew all the ways of the Creator.

One day False Face stood out in a large field looking at the skies and at the mountains in the distance...

... I am so sorry, but this post has been moved to my new website, Feathers and Bones, hosted at shirleytwofeathers.com, and can be found in its entirety here: The Story of False Face

Morning Meditation - False Face

"Take your false face off.
There is no need to throw your hands up in despair!"

~what's this?

Ah to be alive

Ah to be alive
on a mid-September morn
fording a stream
barefoot, pants rolled up
holding boots, pack on,
sunshine, ice in the shallows,
northern rockies.
Rustle and shimmer of icy creek waters
stones turn underfoot, small and hard on toes
cold nose dripping
singing inside
creek music, heart music,
smell of sun on gravel.
I pledge allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the soil
of Turtle Island
one eco system
in diversity
under the sun -
With joyful interpenetration for all.

~Gary Snyder

Morning Meditation - Salmon For Dinner

So today I learned about spearing salmon. The person I talked to seemed very relaxed and at ease yet focused and intent.

He said, "You just watch and wait, then when the time is right - BAM - spear the fish. No hesitation. Quick and easy. And if he gets away, that's ok, another one will be along soon enough."

And I wondered what this all had to do with me here and now, and he smiled at me and said, "I don't know. All I know is that if you want salmon for dinner, this is how to do it."

He had such a relaxed easy confidence about him. Reminded me of what a friend said recently about how if we just stopped trying so hard, we'd be able to manifest whatever we wanted.

~what's this?

Snake Bite

The Lotuko-speaking Lango of Africa believe that "to dream of being bitten by a snake is a very bad omen. Here is the cure:

Immediately on waking, bite a piece of charcoal and spit it out and then prick yourself with a thorn. This will avert the omen and even if you meet a snake, it will not bite you."

Morning Meditation - A Stormy Day

It was a stormy day at a Flathead encampment. Squalls moving through. When I turned to it I had to laugh. I had just gotten into an arugument with my oldest daughter. We were both angry.

As I meditated on the picture, "This too shall pass," is what came to me.

~what's this?

Arms of The Beloved

Let me stand in the Soul of the World
Let me feel all the radiant colors of Life
Let me merge with the Spirit of the Beloved
Let me hold your gaze and journey skyward

Let me immerse in Ever-after with you – Here, Now
Hold your arms out, catch the soft snow
Kisses from the sky, winter flowers from Heaven
Dance with me, let your spirit flow

I look into your eyes and find your Soul
A realm of everlasting romance, a universe of secrets
What can I say, how can I describe such beauty?
With so much life, wonder, and majesty?

What words, what language can possibly describe you?
Hold your hand over your heart, listen to the hidden music
Gentle, healing, soothing, like sweet ocean waves and violins
Do you see me whirling and dancing within?

My dear Beloved, let us bloom in this astounding place
Expand with the galaxy, unveil new Truths
Sit by me on the hilltop, here is my art
Belonging to you, flowing straight from my heart

Hold my words close, embrace them with your Love
Let them dance in your heart, let them become a mirror
And show you your blessed Lover, who walks endlessly with you
Let this Luminous Love shine like the Divine Light from above

I would pray you a good night, my mystic beauty
I would wish you the sweetest of dreams, my brilliant flower from the east
I would recite a prayer for angels to comfort you tonight
I would wish you all these things only if separation were reality

Our Love is the portal to Union
Come Here, in our Field, let us embrace the eternal moment together
Let us meet in sweet dreams, let's live those wonders
Let's rejoice in the presence of Angels
In the eternity of awakened Life

Forever, you and me,
And Allah almighty
Never alone

I Love You Habibty


~JehanZeb~

Morning Meditation - My "Inner" Mom

A warm moment with an Ogalala woman. So much like a mom - the feeling was - she hugged me and I saw her doing her work, keeping her tipi clean and tidy, the cooking fires going, etc. and I saw me doing my work when my kids were little - and it was the same and I had this strong feeling that she was "in" me, and her energy was going to be with me and help me today.

It was a very nice meditation. Really comforting. I love my "inner" mom.

Side note: This nice energy stayed with me all day, and I was able to do an astonishing amount of stuff around the house! It was just great! I should revisit her more often!

~what's this?

What is the third eye?

After omming with Hamatsa, I thought it might be interesting to do a little research and find out more about the third eye. Here's what wikipedia has to say about it:

The third eye (also known as the inner eye) is a metaphysical and esoteric concept referring in part to the ajna chakra in certain Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. It is also spoken of as the gate that leads within to inner realms and spaces of higher consciousness. In New Age spirituality, the third eye may alternately symbolize a state of enlightenment or the evocation of mental images having deeply-personal spiritual or psychological significance. The third eye is often associated with visions, clairvoyance, precognition, and out-of-body experiences, and people who have developed the capacity to use their third eyes are sometimes known as seers.

In Hinduism and Buddhism, the third eye is a symbol of enlightenment. In the Indian tradition, it is referred to as the jnana-chaksu, the eye of knowledge, which is the seat of the 'teacher inside' or antar-guru. The third eye is the sixth chakra. This is commonly denoted in Indian and East Asian iconography with a dot, eye or mark on the forehead of deities or enlightened beings, such as Shiva, the Buddha, or any number of yogis, sages and bodhisattvas. This symbol is called the "Third Eye" or "Eye of Wisdom", or, in Buddhism, the urna. In Hinduism, it is believed that the opening of Shiva's third eye causes the eventual destruction of the universe.

In the Upanishads, a human being is likened to a city with ten gates. Nine gates (eyes, nostrils, ears, mouth, urethra, anus) lead outside to the sensory world. The third eye is the tenth gate and leads to inner realms housing myriad spaces of consciousness.

According to Max Heindel's Rosicrucian writings, called Western Wisdom Teachings, there are in the brain two small organs called the pituitary body and the pineal gland. This last gland is also called by medical science as "the atrophied third eye"; however, these teachings describe that none of them are atrophying: the pituitary body and the pineal gland at the present time are neither evolving nor degenerating, but are dormant. It is said that in the far past, when man was in touch with the inner worlds, these organs were his means of ingress thereto, and they will again serve that purpose at a later stage.

According to this view, they were connected with the involuntary or sympathetic nervous system and to regain contact with the inner worlds (to reawaken the pituitary body and the pineal gland) it is necessary to establish the connection of the pineal gland and the pituitary body with the cerebrospinal nervous system. It is said that when that is accomplished, man will again possess the faculty of perception in the higher worlds (i.e. clairvoyance), but on a grander scale than it was in the distant past, because it will be in connection with the voluntary nervous system and therefore under the control of his will.

Instant Mantras

These mantras may be chanted anytime to instantly work on you. They work on individual chakras. If you cannot identify the problem but still need healing, you may try you these mantras one by one chanting each for at least two or three minutes. The mantra that heals you and makes you most comfortable is the mantra for you, and the problem you are facing is the one written above it.

1. Are you feeling mentally lethargic with a feeling of spaciness?
   Are you emotionally unstable ?
   

   Get secure with: the LAM mantra.
   
   Chant "Lam Lam Lam Lam .... "
   silently or loudly .. just for a few minutes ..
   See how you are filled with security?
   

2. Are you gripped with fear and insecurity?
   Do you have addictions which you need to get rid of?
   

   Face the fear and let go with: the VAM mantra.
   
   Chant "Vam Vam Vam Vam .... "
   silently or loudly .. just for a few minutes ..
   See how you are filled with courage?

3. Do you have anger because you feel victimized?
   Are you feeling loss of self esteem?
   Are you stressed and depressed?
   

   Stop your worries with: the RAM mantra.
   
   Chant"Ram Ram Ram Ram .... "
   silently or loudly .. just for a few minutes ..
   See how you calm down?

4. Are you hurt emotionally?
   Are you feeling lonely and depressed?
   
   

   Heal your heart with: the YAM mantra.
   
   Chant " Yam Yam Yam Yam .... "
   silently or loudly .. just for a few minutes ..
   See how your heart is healing by itself?

5. Are you stressed out due to jealously?
   Do you constantly compare yourself with others?
   Are you feeling negativity welling up in you as you see the success of another person?
   
   

   Realise your own uniqueness with: the HAM mantra.
   
   Chant "Ham Ham Ham Ham .... "
   silently or loudly .. just for a few minutes ..
   See how you turn your energy inwards?

6. Do you feel you are very serious, rigid and often stubborn?
   Are you unable to accept others ideas easily?
   Do you have difficulty making decisions?
   

   Accept the flow of life easily with: the AUM mantra.
   
   Chant "Aum Aum Aum Aum .... "
   silently or loudly .. just for a few minutes ..
   See how it opens you up?

7. Are you feeling depressed and alienated?
   Are you are gripped with obsessional thinking and/or confusion?
   Do you feel discontented often and feel negativity towards life in general?
   

   Open yourself up with: the SHREEM mantra.
   
   Chant " Shreem Shreem Shreem Shreem .... "
   silently or loudly .. just for a few minutes ..
   See how it effects positivity over you?

Why Chant?

• We chant to join our voices to the voices of countless seekers, worshipers, mystics, and lovers of life, in every time and in every place, who have shared in sacred song.
  
  
• We chant to fill our hearts and fill our homes with loving and peaceful vibrations of sound.
  
  
• We chant because it's fun.
  
  
• We chant to help the stress and freneticness of our busy lives melt away.
  
  
• We chant to spread our wings and let our soul take flight.
  
  
• We chant for the sheer joy of letting our God-given voices sing out.
  
  
• We chant for the heartful communion that we feel with others when we come together in song.
  
  
• We chant our prayers to God, so that our lives may be graced by more intimate Presence of the One known by so many names.

~Robert Gass

Morning Meditation - Omming with Hamatsa

Today I did Omming with Hamatsa, a very cheerful guy!

He had me make a mudra and then look up into my third eye and intone the mantra "omm". I sounded quite terrible, and he laughed and ruffled my hair and said, "try again." So I did it several times. And each time I was terrible. He laughed and said, "Well that needs some practice."

~what's this?

About Pan

His name simply means "All".

Pan is the Greek God of the wild. The god of woods and fields, of flocks and shepherds, he dwelt in grottos, wandered on the mountains and in valleys, and amused himself with the chase or in leading the dances of the nymphs. He was fond of music, and invented the syrinx, or shepherd's pipe, which he himself played in a masterly manner.

Pan, like other gods who dwelt in forests, was dreaded by those whose occupations caused them to pass through the woods by night, for the gloom and loneliness of such scenes dispose the mind to superstitious fears. Hence sudden fright without any visible cause was ascribed to Pan, and called a Panic terror.

As the name of the god signifies all, Pan came to be considered a symbol of the universe and personification of Nature; and later still to be regarded as a representation of all the gods of paganism itself.

from Bulfinch's Mythology

There are a fair number of words that begin with "Pan." This is because, as a prefix pan is derived from the Greek παν which means 'of everything', 'all' or 'involving all members' of a group.

Morning Meditation - Evil Spirits

I'm sick today... my sinuses are totally stopped up... my eye feels like it's about to fall out of my head... pretty miserable. And so it was really fun and interesting to turn immediately to a little medicine man... a snake dancer and hugger... He poked a finger at my cheekbone and said, "You need to get those evil spirits out of there!"

~what's this?

I am like a bear.
I hold up my hands
Waiting for the sun to rise."

~Ute Saying

Morning Meditation - Being Open

The first page I turned to was titled "The Oath" - it was very quiet and sacred. When I made myself open for whatever communication I might receive, I was met with: "Shhhh. Can't you see how important this is? We do this so we can live."

So I turned to another page and got an image of baskets and a message, "Just be open to receiving."

~what's this?

Be Kind to Mother Earth

Kindness is not just about showing respect and care for humans, but for creation and animals, as well. Caring for the environment is a way to show kindness to everyone else who lives in it. Teach your children how pollution and trash affect the environment, and find a way to protect it together as a family. Ideas include:

• Plant a tree.
• Make a birdhouse together as a family project, then place it in your backyard. Or make a simple bird feeder using a pine cone, peanut butter and birdseed.
• Recycle. If your garbage pickup service doesn't include recycling bins, find a local drop-off center.
• Be energy-efficient. Turn off lights when not in use, don't waste water, consider car-pooling to work and school.
• Call a local animal shelter and find out what they are in need of. Then have your family help them out -- it may be simply donating a few bags of dog food, or it may be donating time in caring for the animals.
• Set aside a time each day to play with your pet. Get your whole family involved in running around the back yard with your dog or playing with your cat. Be sure your animals are clean and healthy.
• In the summer, notify authorities immediately if you find a pet left in a hot car.
• Cut up plastic six-pack rings before disposing of them so that animals don't get caught in them.
• Participate in beach cleanups.
• "Adopt" an animal through a local zoo, aquarium or other organization.
• Switch to a pet-safe antifreeze. Those containing propylene glycol have an appealing taste to animals; however it is fatal in very small doses (such as leaks on your driveway).
• Clean up trash and refrain from littering. If you smoke, use your car's ashtray, not the road, to dispose of your cigarette butts.

~via the prosperity project

Morning Meditation - Each One Helps The Other

Young men bringing willows to the Sun Dance Sweat Lodge. I could hear them milling about whooping and hollering. And I asked then, "What does this mean for me?" And one of them said, "We do what we can to help the others. We are all connected. By helping them, we help ourselves." Something like that, it was more of a picture and a feeling than actual words.

And I thought about Daniel, and how I'm going to help him today. Which brought to mind a Bible verse I really love, "Each one helps the other, saying to one another, take courage."

~what's this?

Morning Meditation - Plan of action

The chief of the souts, returning to the main party, tells what he has seen and experienced. While the he speaks, the war leader stands slightly in advance of his man and carfully listening to the words of the scout quickly forms his plan of action.

Wow!

My plan of action for today - relaxation is the focus, interestingly, bloodletting was also involved!

~what's this?

Thought for the Day - Starting the Journey

"Journeys start from where we are. Everything starts from where we are. Where we are is where we're supposed to be."

~Evelyn Eaton

The Nalu of Sight

As you begin to focus, you may discover just how little you know about focusing. Consciously and intentionally keeping your mind on one thing for an extended period (for some people ten seconds is an extended period) is a rare skill, in which nalu is designed to train you.

It's easy to keep your attention on something exciting, interesting, habitual, or important. It's just that for most people focusing the mind is neither exciting, interesting, habitual, nor important. Well, nalu won't be exciting unless you are using it to focus on something you consider exciting; it will be interesting if you keep the positive expectation and open awareness; it won't be habitual until you establish the habit; it will be important only as long as what you are using it for is important to you

In the nalu of sight, you maintain your focus by keeping you attention on the subject and by gently bringing your attention back each time it strays. If you get verbal chatter while you are looking at something, that's okay. Just use the words to help you keep your focus. One way is by using words to describe the appearance or the qualities of the subject to yourself. That will keep your verbal part busy and helpful at the same time. Eventually, as you relax more, the words will fade away and you will just be with the subject, learning more than you realize at the mind-body level.

~Serge Kahili King, via The Prosperity Project

Morning Meditation - Spear Fishing

Found myself watching a spear fisherman. He wanted me to be very quiet and still. Explaining that as the mud in the water cleared the fish could be seen resting at the bottom.

So I sat very still, but my mind was as restless as the leaves on the cottonwood tree outside my window. And it occurred to me that too much sugar, too many too late nights on the computer were acting to cause sludge and turbulence, making it hard to see what I am looking at.

Patience is needed. And stillness. Quiet persistence. Focus.

~what's this?

The Drum is Female and Human

For Native people, the drum represents the universal heartbeat of Noo Halidzoks (Mother Earth) - the universal goddess and mother to us all. Her heartbeat on the drum can be done in a variety of ways, here are two suggestions:

Tsimshian: Four steady beats, followed for two quick beats - one, two three, four, one/two, two three four, one/two, two, three, four.....

Anishinabe - two rhythmic beats - one/two - one/two - one/two.....

The first sound that was heard in the world was the heartbeat of Mother Earth. Native people manifest this heart beat through playing a special rhythm on the drum. This rhythm facilitates healing and realignment of the four realms of human existence (Mental, Spiritual, Emotional, Physical) because the Creator revolves around the rhythm. The drum when combined with the voice, creates a hum that rests between the voice and the drum and is thought to be the spirits of the Ancestors.

Therefore, Native hand drums are not percussion instruments per se or a toy, they are considered female and human because of their direct tie to the earth.

When playing a drum, it should never be hammered in an aggressive way, this suggests giving it a 'beating' and one must never 'hit' a woman in this manner! The teaching goes even further by stating that the drum mallet should not be referred to as a 'beater' because of the suggestion of aggression contained in the word. Ms Thunderbird refers to all her drum mallets as 'Feather Joe'.

The Big Drum was a gift from the women to the men a very long time ago, so that men could experience a resonant connection to the Earth Mother that naturally occurs with women. Therefore, it has been tribal custom for the most part, that women not sit at the big drum or play it. As Native history has evolved, this practice has changed from tribe to tribe, and there are more and more instances where women are taking back the big drum, and raising their voices in joy. Also, this in some part has been borne out of the fact that many families who had only girl children, continued to pass down the important teachings.

~via Mandala Madness

Morning Meditation - Drumming and Dancing

So today a Klamath grandfather said to me, "Well come on. Let's do some drumming... some dancing."

So I did. I felt really awkward and stupid at first, dancing around with my little remo hand drum, but then I put the drum on the top of my head, and I could feel the vibration spilling down into my body and it was very invigorating.

Cool!

~what's this?

What is dark

What is dark clings to what is light and so enhances the brightness of the latter. A luminous thing giving out light must have within itself something that perseveres; otherwise it will in time burn itself out. Everything that gives light is dependent on something to which it clings, in order that it may continue to shine.

Thus the sun and moon cling to heaven, and grain, grass, and trees cling to the earth. So too the twofold clarity of the dedicated man clings to what is right and thereby can shape the world. Human life on earth is conditioned and unfree, and when man recognizes this limitation and makes himself dependent upon the harmonious and beneficent forces of the cosmos, he achieves success.

~I Ching

Morning Meditation - What matters...

First, I turned to a straw house and a sweat lodge. I thought about how it would be so nice to sit in a small mild sweat with healing herbs and healing songs. I wish I could. And if I built a lodge, and got the wood and the rocks, it would indeed be possible.

Next, I turned to an old Cheyenne warrior. He looked very ... I don't know... weary would be a good word.

He put his arm around me and I felt the love. Like grandfather love. He said. "All that matters is that you do the best you can, that you live a good life."

And I said, "But what if I haven't lived a good life, what if I haven't done the best I can? What then?"

Then I saw behind me a vision of the past, and I saw a long river and deep mud, and fog. And he said, "And yet you have come this far."

I thought, "Yes, that's true, I have come this far." And I looked toward the future as the river meandered on through more mud and fog and wondered where the journey would end, and even what it was all about anyway.

He said, "All that matters is that you are here right now."

Then I saw how tired and sore he was, and I helped him to sit down, and rubbed his feet. I remembered that I could send Reiki into the past, so I sent him Reiki, and also his horse.

~what's this?

The Story of Grandfather Peyote

This is how Grandfather Peyote came to the Indian people.

Long ago, before the white man, there was a tribe living far south of the Sioux in a land of deserts and mesas. These people were suffering from a sickness, and many died of it.

One old woman had a dream that she would find a herb, a root, which would save her people. The woman was old and frail but, taking her little granddaughter, she went on a vision quest to learn how to find this sacred herb. They walked away from the camp until they were lost.

Arriving at the top of a lonely hill, the grandmother made a brush shelter for herself and the young one. Without water or food they were weak, and as night fell they huddled together, not knowing what to do. Suddenly they felt the wing beats of a huge bird, an eagle flying from the east toward the west. The old woman raised her arms and prayed to the eagle for wisdom and power. Toward morning they saw the figure of a man floating in the air about four steps above their heads. The old woman heard a voice:

"You want water and food and do not know where to find it. I have a medicine for you. It will help you."

This man's arm was pointing to a spot on the ground about four steps from where the old woman was sitting. She looked and saw a peyote plant - a large Grandfather Peyote Plant with sixteen segments. She did not know what it was, but she took her bone knife and cut the green part off. And there was moisture, the peyote juice, the water of life. The old woman and her granddaughter drank it and were refreshed.

The sun went down again and the second night came. The old woman prayed to the spirit:

"I am sacrificing myself for the people. Have pity on me. Help me!"

And the figure of a man appeared again, hovering above her as before, and she heard a voice saying:

"You are lost now, but you will find your people again and you will save them. When the sun rises two more times, you will find them."

The grandmother ate some more of the sacred medicine and gave some to the girl. And a power entered them through the herb, bringing them knowledge and understanding and a sacred vision. Experiencing this new power, the old woman and her granddaughter stayed awake all night. Yet in the morning when the sun rose and shone upon the hide bag with the peyote, the old one felt strong.

She said: "Granddaughter, pray with this new herb. It has no mouth, but it is telling me many things."

During the third night the spirit came again and taught the old woman how to show her people the proper way to use the medicine. In the morning she got up, thinking:

"This one plant won't be enough to save my people. Could it have been the only herb in this world? How can I find more?" Then she heard many small voices calling:

"Over here, come over here. I'm the one to pick."

These were peyote plants guiding her to their hiding places among the thorn bushes and chaparral. So the old woman and the girl picked the herbs and filled the hide bag with them.

At nightfall once more they saw the spirit man, silhouetted against the setting sun. He pointed out the way to their camp so that they could return quickly.

Though they had taken no food or water for four days and nights, the sacred medicine had kept them strong- hearted and strong-minded. When they arrived home, their relatives were happy to have them back, but everybody was still sick and many were dying. The old woman told the people:

"I have brought you a new sacred medicine which will help you."

She showed the men how to use this *pejuta*, this holy herb. The spirit had taught her the ceremony, and the medicine had given her the knowledge through the mind power which dwells within it. Under her direction the men put up a tipi and made a fire. At that time there was no leader, no roadman to guide them, and the people had to learn how to perform the ceremony step by step, from the ground up.

Everybody, men and women, old and young, ate four buttons of the new medicine. A boy baby was breast nursing, and the peyote power got into him through his mother's milk. He was sucking his hand, and he began to shake it like a gourd rattle. A man sitting next to the tipi entrance got into the power and caught a song just by looking at the baby's arm. A medicine man took a rattle of rawhide and began to shake it. The small stones inside the rattle were the voice of Grandfather Peyote, and everybody understood what it was saying. Another man grabbed a drum and beat it, keeping time with the song and the voice inside the rattle. The drumming was good, but it did not yet have the right sound, because in that first ceremony there was no water in the drum.

One woman felt the spirit telling her to look for a cottonwood tree. After the sun rose, all the people followed her as Grandfather Peyote guided her toward the west. They saw a rabbit jumping out of a hole inside a dried-up tree and knew that this was the sacred cottonwood. They cut down the tree and hollowed out the trunk like a drum where the rabbit hole had been. At the woman's bidding they filled it with fresh spring water - the water of life.

On the way back to camp, a man felt the power telling him to pick up five smooth, round pebbles and to cover the drum with a piece of tanned moose hide. He used the pebbles to make knobs around the rim of the drum so that he could tie the hide to it with a rawhide thong. And when he beat the drum it sounded good, as if a spirit had gotten hold of it.

When night came, the people made a fire inside the tipi and took the medicine again. Guided by peyote power, the old woman looked into the flames and saw a heart, like the heart-shaped leaf of the cottonwood tree. Thus she knew that the Great Spirit, who is also in Grandfather Peyote, wanted to give his heart to the red men of this continent. She told the man tending the fire to form the glowing embers into the shape of a heart, and the people all saw it beat in rhythm with the drum.

A little later, one helper who was under the spirit power saw that the hide rope formed a star at the bottom of the drum. He shaped the glowing coals of the fire into a star and then into a moon, because the power of the star and the spirit of the moon had come into the tipi.

One man sitting opposite the door had a vision in which he was told to ask for water. The old woman brought fresh, cool water in a skin bag, and they all drank and in this way came under the power. Feeling the spirit of the water, the man who was in charge of the fire shaped the embers into the outline of a water bird, and from then on the water bird became the chief symbol of the holy medicine.

Around the fire this man made a half-moon out of earth, and all along the top of it he drew a groove with his finger. Thus he formed a road, the road of life. He said that anybody with the gift of *wacankiyapi*, which means having love and heart for the people, should sit right there. And from that day on, the man who is running a meeting was called the "roadman".

In this way the people made the first peyote altar, and after they had drunk the water, they thanked the peyote. Looking at the fire in the shape of the sacred water bird, they prayed to the four directions, and someone sprinkled green cedar on the fire.

The fragrant, sweet-smelling smoke was the breath of Grandfather Peyote, the spirit of all green and growing things. Now the people had everything they needed: the sacred herb, the drum, the gourd, the fire, the water, the cedar. From that moment on, they learned to know themselves. Their sick were cured, and they thanked the old woman and her grandchild for having brought this blessing to them. They were the Comanche nation, and from them the worship of the sacred herb spread to all the tribes throughout the land.

~ Told by Leonard Crow Dog at Winner,
Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota, 1970
~ Via shirleytwofeathers

Morning Meditation - A Mystery

Today, I spent time with two little girls. They were eating from an abalone shell - dirty, unkempt, seemingly uncared for. And I just wanted to scoop them up and wash their little faces and hands, and take care of them.

Then I began to wonder what it all really meant because they didn't speak to my mind, just to my heart. Did that mean that I needed to take better care of me? Or, maybe dirty and unkempt doesn't arbitrarily mean unloved and uncared for. Maybe they were happy and content to be eating what they were eating, to be as dirty as they were, and who am I to judge?

Did it mean that nourishment can be found where it's offered and not to judge the form in which it comes?

It's a mystery.

~what's this?

Morning Meditation - Be a bowl?

Turned right to an image of open bowls. This is the second time I've gotten this image, so I'm thinking it's significant. The other time I took it to mean "be open to what you hear" and I didn't even put enough significance on it to think it merited a note... so... here it is again.

So, what does it mean, I wonder?

• Be open and empty?
• Go hungry for a day?
• Are you ready to receive?
• Make a bowl?
• Fast?
• Be a bowl?
• Meditate on the image of a bowl?
• Draw a bowl?

I'm not sure, maybe some or all of the above. Whatever it is, I'm sure if I don't "get" it today, I'll "get" it when I'm ready.

~what's this?

Emotions Are Energy In Motion

"The key is to not resist or rebel against emotions or to try to get around them by devising all sorts of tricks; but to accept them directly, as they are."

~Takahisa Kora

Emotions are energy in motion. They bring us information if we are willing to experience them. Unfortunately, many of us are afraid of the energy of emotions and so we automatically resist them. And when we refuse to experience our emotions, we block them up. They become trapped and that entrapment drains our energy and brings continuing discomfort.

Don't let emotions push you into action or reaction. Just STOP and PAY ATTENTION. Allow them to be and to speak to you. Once they are acknowledged, their energy is released.

Sun Salutation

This mantra invokes the healing power of the sun. When using it, for maximum benefit spend some time in the sun each day. You will achieve optimal results by practicing the mantra between ten and twenty minutes each day for forty days....

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, Meditation, and can be found in its entirety here: Invoke The Healing Power of the Sun

Morning Meditation - Hello to the Sun

A pueblo Caique, Duck White, motioned for me to come into his lodge. And we sat in silence. Sage was burning.

We looked out towards the sunrise. The sky was pink and pale yellow. The sun not peaking over the horizon quite yet.

He said:
"Every day we greet the Sun and we make an offering. In this way we make a connection to the Sun that helps us live. And in the evening we say goodby, and come again."

I could feel the sun shining on my face. I felt the warmth and the energy. A wondering thought came, "What if you don't wake up until later in the day?"

He said, "When you first see the sun, that's when to greet the day. And when you first see that evening has come, that is when to say good bye. No offerings needed then, just a goodby for now and an invitation to return."

~what's this?

Celestite

Ok, so yesterday I went on a shopping spree and bought some really cool rocks. One of which was an awesome chunk of Celestite.

So, here's the scoop on Celestite:

Celestite, a beautiful translucent royal blue crystal, is highly prized by energy workers, crystal healers and meditators. Metaphysical rockhounds say that celestite helps synchronize the egoistic mind with higher aspects of your Divine Nature. Celestite is said to promote mental balance -- a peaceful, tranquil mental state. Celestite is said to facilitate clairaudient communication with the angelic realms and with your Spiritual Guides and Teachers.

Celestite can elevate the energy within its environment. According to: "Love is in the Earth: A Kaleidoscope of Crystals", "blue celestite seems to cleanse the area of affectation, transmuting pain and chaos into light and love."

Celestite is good for mental activities. Celestite can synchronize the egoistic mind with higher aspects of your Divine Nature, promoting mental balance and helping you to achieve a peaceful, tranquil mental state. This blue crystal always imparts a feeling of well being. It can help in cultivating a more intense spiritual practice, and can be a powerful tool supporting the diligent work involved in attaining the highest spiritual goals.

Celestite has "stories to tell". It can provide for access to, and transfer of, information from the purity of the angelic realms. It assists in clairaudient endeavors, affording lucid, distinct, and articulate verbalization of the messages received. It also contains an innate wisdom which is accessible to the user... It is a stone for astral travel... it is a bright hope in days of despair...inhabited by the fairy of good fortune..

~via shirleytwofeathers

Morning Meditation - The Morning Star

The "sad girl" today wasn't sad. She flashed me a smile, and there was a sparkle in her eyes not evident in the picture.

She showed me how she weaves her baskets. Her fingers were just flashing, she worked so quickly. Then she covered the basket with mud! I wasn't sure why.

She then took me to where the strips the bark off the trees in long thing strips, and I remembered the time when, during a shamanic training class, I was given a task to make a bag out of bark but couldn't figure it out because the bark was too brittle and stiff. I don't normally give up on things, but I did give up on that. When I told her that story, she laughed at me and threw the older bark away after crumbling it in her fingers. Then, she showed me how to get to the green part underneath.

I tried, but I couldn't weave a good basket. Mine was weak and flimsy. So, she laughed again at me and we went berry picking. She gave me a small round tightly woven basket for my berries, and we'd eat 2 or 3 for every one that went into the basket.

Then a big bear rose up behind the bush and I was reminded of a story of the berry picking woman who was killed by just such a bear. But the girl I was with raised up her hand and the bear stopped in it's tracks.

And she said, "It's good to play and have fun. If there's going to be a bear he will come even if you are being serious and unhappy. That wouldn't stop him. he comes when he comes, so play and have fun."

When she said that, I looked at her and I said, "Who are you?" She said, "Morning Star." I said, " The Morning Star?" Her reply, "It's the same star."

And she took my face between her hands and kissed my forehead, leaving a star, and she said. "Play and be happy." Then she took the bear and left.

~what's this?

Circle of Life

Everything the Power of the world does is done in a circle... birds make their nests in circles, for their's is the same religion as ours.

~Black Elk

Morning Meditation - Feeding the Ducks

Today again I pulled up "Waiting for the Snake Racers" and again I can see that my mind is just racing around - here and there and there and here. So I sat with it for a little while and focused on the Leaf Dancers. Which was helpful.

Then I flipped to another page and found a shaman in the midst of a Duck Ceremony. And he said, "I'll pray for you." As he began to speak the words of the parayer, I let them flow over me. My mind was still racing, and so I worked on really trying to be "in the moment" with it.

Everytime I stirred or tried to ask a question, he put his hand on my heart, pushed me back and said, "Shhh. I'm praying for you."

Finally it felt complete and he seemed to be unzipping me to let the energy out.

Then I asked him what could I do, and he said, "Three days in a row feed the ducks." and I got a visual image of my pond. And when I said, "But I have no ducks," he just smiled and said "Feed the ducks."

So, I grabbed a bag of sunflower seeds and headed out to the pond. And it was so much fun! I fed the illusive invisible ducks, and it really settled me down. Then I saw a huge school of baby goldfish swimming close to the surface. That was really neat. All in all, it was a very centering, peace building experience.

~what's this?