Rocks… we use them to build houses, structures that reach the sky. They serve as containers for rivers and lakes, they have been used to create weapons, and tools… they come in all kinds of shapes and colors, and sizes. Some are clear, some are dense… but they all have been around longer than any of us put together. They are the Keepers of Wisdom; they are referred to as the Ancient Ones. I will share a little of the stories I have been told with you.
The People have told a story that in the beginning everything was in the mind of Creator. All things which were to be existed only as spirit. The spirits moved about in space seeking a place that they would be able to manifest and become. They traveled until they reached father Sun, but that was not a good place for Creation to begin for the heat was too extreme. Finally they settled on earth, and the Great Mother welcomed them. She was without life, but covered with the great waters. There was at that time no dry land for life to begin upon.
Soon out of the waters came a great burning rock…it rose so high that it created dry lands as far as the eyes could behold. Then the clouds appeared and formed from the rivers and streams that were created. Then life on earth began. This is why the Rock people …Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks’ are to be given so much respect, for they are the oldest ones. The Keepers of the Wisdom’s of our time here, back to our very beginnings they take us. We respect them within the sweat lodges, as when they are placed there and water hits their surface, steam rises again recreating that moment of Creation.
Crystals have always seemed magical to me, they are used for gazing, they can hold energy and power, they have been used by Seers and mystics, Shaman and Medicine people of all races and religions for as long as time can be recorded. I will share with you now the “Legend of the Crystals”
In times long past, we lived in harmony with Nature. We spoke the same language as the four-legged and the plant people. We hunted for food only to satisfy our hunger and needs, always offering prayer of thanks for what was had taken from Nature. As time went on, we lost this innocence, harmony and balance. We became greedy and took more then we needed. Forgetting prayers of gratitude, we began killing animals, and each other, for sport and pleasure.
The Bear Clan, Chief among the animals, called a meeting of all the animals. They decided that something had to be done. The bears suggested that they shoot back when humans shot at them, but the bow and arrow required too great a sacrifice, for one bear would have to give up his life so that his sinew could be used for the bow string. The bear’s claws were too long for shooting a bow anyway, and would become entangled on the string.
The deer Clan offered another method of dealing with the problem. One of their clan said, “We will bring disease into the world. Each of us will be responsible for a different illness. When humans live out of balance with nature, when they forgotten give thanks for their food, they will get sick.” and in fact the deer did involve rheumatism and arthritis; each animal then decided to invoke a different disease.
The Plant Clan was more sympathetic and felt that this was too harsh a punishment, so they volunteered their help. They said that for every disease a human gets, one of them would be present to cure it. That way, if people used their intelligence they would be able to cure their ailments and regain their balance.
All of nature agreed to this strategy, One plant in particular spoke out. This was Tobacco, the chief of the plants. He said, “I will be the sacred herb. I will not cure any specific disease, but I will help people return to the scared way of life, provided I am smoked or offered with prayers and ceremony .But if I am misused, if I am merely smoked for pleasure, I will cause cancer, the worst disease of all.”
The close friends of the Plant Clan, the Rock Clan and the Mineral Clan, agreed to help. Each mineral would have a spiritual power, a subtle vibration that could be used to regain perfect health. The Ruby, worn as an amulet, would heal the heart; the emerald would heal the liver and eyes, and so on.
The chief of the mineral tribe, Quartz Crystal, was clear, like the light of creation itself. Quartz put his arms around his brother Tobacco and said, “I will be the scared mineral. I will heal the mind. I will help human beings see the origin of disease. I will help to bring wisdom and clarity in dreams. And I will record their spiritual history, including our meeting today, so that in the future, if humans gaze into me, they may see their origin and the way of harmony.” And so it is today.
I hope that you take a moment from your day and listen to what the Ancient Wisdom keepers have to offer, and that you find the information helpful and insightful as you walk your journeys.
Many Blessings to You All,
~ bear Medicinewalker
*Feel Free to Share my Posts. And catch me Live every Tuesday on the Ghost Dimension for some Reads and Insight with the Spiritlands!
To Our Brothers and Sisters Around the World… Happy Indigenous Day!
I learned of these teachings through the Anishinaabe’ people here where I live… it is a teaching that reaches within to my very core… and I would like to now share it with you…
Many Anishinaabe’ view the Seven Grandfather Teachings as traditional knowledge that represents what is needed for everyday life and survival, or simply put to walk the Red Road… a Good way of life. The origin of the teachings is unknown but my elders have shared that they are important and have long been a part of the language and handed down through generations of the People. These teachings have become known as the “Seven Grandfathers” once the Anishinaabe slowly began to control their own education during and after the American Indian Movement. As Our Elders began to retell stories they had heard as children it was realized once again that it was a connection from the present to a past when these values were a way of life.
The Ojibwas story of the seven grandfathers’ teachings was passed down from parent to child for many generations. The story goes…
The Creator gave the seven grandfathers, who are very wise, the responsibility to watch over the people. The grandfathers saw that the people were living a hard life. There was all kinds of illnesses and bad things around. The Messenger was told, “Go down there, look around and find out what is happening. Bring back someone who we can tell about what life should be, with the Peoples” He left immediately and went to all places in the North, South, West and East. He could not find anyone. On his seventh try, while he was looking, he saw a baby. The grandfathers were happy with the choice made by the helper.
So the messenger brought the baby back to where the Grandfathers were sitting in a circle. He was still very tiny and wrapped inside His cradleboard. One of the grandfathers looked at the baby very carefully. “This is the one. Messenger, pick up the baby. Take him all over; teach him carefully the way the People should lead their lives.” The Messenger picked him up and they travelled around the earth.
Seven years later they returned to the Grandfathers. By then He was a young man. The Grandfathers noticed that this boy was very honest. He understood everything that was taught. One of the grandfathers took a drum and started singing. Each of the grandfathers instilled within the boy a teaching telling him “These are the ones you will take with you, and share with the Peoples.”
The boy, because of all the time he had spent with the Grandfathers, was now an old man. So he returned to the Earth and gathered all the people around and shared his story of the journey to the seven grandfather’s lodge. He explained how to use the gifts and that it was now up to the people to try to follow the path of a good and healthy life using the seven grandfather’s teachings.
He shared each of these teachings and explaining that they must be used with the rest, and that you cannot have wisdom without love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility and truth. You cannot be honest if you only use one or two of these, or if you leave out one. And to leave out one is to embrace the opposite of what that teaching is.
Now to the Teachings…
The Beaver teaches us WISDOM
Nbwaakaawin pronounced Nbwaa kaa win
The ability to make decisions based on personal experience and knowledge and to cherish that knowledge is to know WISDOM.
We can acquire more knowledge by being open to others and applying these teachings to our own lives, and in turn it is also about the ability to value your own knowledge and share it with others.
The building a strong foundation in our lives is about the teachings shared with us by the creator and how we in turn use and share these gifts in our lives. The Beaver’s example of using his sharp teeth for cutting trees and branches to build his dams and lodges expresses this teaching. If he did not use his teeth, the teeth would continue to grow until they became useless, ultimately making it impossible for him to sustain himself. The same can be said for human beings. One’s spirit will grow weak if it is not fulfilling its use. When used properly however, wisdoms shared help bring about a peaceful and healthy life.
The Eagle teaches us LOVE.
Zaagidwin pronounced zaa gid win
LOVE must be unconditional. To feel true love is to know the Creator. Therefore, it is expected that one’s first love is to the Creator, the Great Spirit. Creator is considered the parent to all children, and the giver of human life. Love given to the Great Spirit is expressed through love of oneself, and it is understood that if one cannot love oneself, it is impossible to love anyone else.
To know LOVE is to know true peace. To be able to get along with others, sharing and being kind, willing to show that you care for others/self through sharing, being helpful and understanding the feelings of others; doing something that makes the day better for someone. To be accepting of each others’ differences.
The Buffalo teaches us RESPECT.
Mnaadendimowin pronounced Mnaa dendi mowin
Respect is the condition of being honored. The Buffalo, through giving its life and sharing every part of its being, showed the deep respect it had for the people. No animal was more important to the existence of People than this animal, and its gift provided shelter, clothing and utensils for daily living. Native people believed themselves to be true caretakers of the great herds, and developed a sustainable relationship with the Buffalo resulting in a relationship that was a true expression of respect.
To honor all of the Creations is to have RESPECT.Respect for yourself. To treat others how you would want to be treated. Making sure your interactions with others are positive by showing positive manners, speaking kindly and honoring a person’s human right to be who they are. Accepting feedback as helpful and considering different outlooks on things.
The Bear teaches us COURAGE.
mangide’
Courage is the ability to face danger, fear, or changes with confidence and bravery.
The Bear provides many lessons in the way it lives, but courage is the most important teaching it offers. Though gentle by nature, the ferociousness of a mother Bear when one of her cubs is approached is the true definition of courage. To have the mental and moral strength to overcome fears that prevent us from living our true spirit as human beings is a great challenge that must be met with the same tenacity and intensity as a mother Bear protecting her cub. Living of the heart and living of the spirit is difficult, but the Bear’s example shows us how to face any danger to achieve these goals.
We learn to deal with challenges positively without worry about the outcome. To work through and give all aspects of your life your best effort. Being able to accept responsibility for your behavior. Be willing to be a role model by standing up for your values/beliefs. Accepting challenges (conflicts) and learn from them.
The Sabe teaches us HONESTY.
Gwekwaadiziwin pronounced Gwek waadi ziwin
Honesty is speaking and acting truthfully, and thereby remained morally upright.
Long ago, there was a giant called Kitch-Sabe who walked among the people to remind them to be honest to the laws of the creator and honest to each other. The highest honor that could be bestowed upon an individual was the saying “There walks an honest man. He can be trusted.” To be truly honest was to keep the promises one made to the Creator, to others and to oneself.
The Elders would say, “Never try to be someone else; live true to your spirit, be honest to yourself and accept who you are the way the Creator made you.”
HONESTY in facing a situation is to be true to self. It is not backing down when the situation seems too hard and you know that it needs to be dealt with to make your life better. By looking at what you do and realizing how it affects you and others either positively or negatively. To approach life situations and challenges with an open mind and heart.
The Wolf teaches us HUMILITY.
Dbaadendiziwin pronounced Dbaa dendi ziwin
Humilityis being humble and not arrogant Recognizing and acknowledging that there is a higher power than man and it is known as the Creator is to be deemed truly humble. To express deference or submission to the Creator through the acceptance that all beings are equal is to capture the spirit of humility. The expression of this humility is manifested through the consideration of others before ourselves. In this way, the Wolf became the teacher of this lesson. He bows his head in the presence of others out of deference, and once hunted, will not take of the food until it can be shared with the pack. His lack of arrogance and respect for his community is a hard lesson, but integral in the Aboriginal way.
HUMILITYis to know yourself as a sacred part of Creation. To be able to know that we are equal regardless of age, race or sex. Being able to be assertive, positively making your needs known, without becoming angry or withdrawn. Being able to listen to others with an open and non-judgmental mind.
The Turtle teaches us TRUTH.
Debwewin pronounced Deb we win
TRUTH is to know and understand all the seven teachings have been given to us by the Creator and we are to remain faithful to them. To know truth is to know and understand all of the original laws as they were shared with us. It is said that in the beginning, when the Creator made man and gave him the seven sacred laws, the Grandmother Turtle was present to ensure that the laws would never be lost or forgotten. On the back of a Turtle are the 13 moon, each representing the truth of one cycle of the Earth’s rotations around the sun. The 28 markings on her back represent the cycle of the moon an of a woman’s body. The shell of the Turtle represents the body real events as created by the Higher Power, and serves as a reminder of the Creator’s will and teachings.
TRUTH is to know all of these things. Be true to yourself and your fellow man. Be able to speak the truth. This is considered the final and last teaching because to live this teaching, one must achieve and understand the first six teachings. By being honest with those around you with your feelings and behaviors; by loving yourself and others; by respecting others with what they say and do; by being humble – knowing that everyone around you deserves your respect as you theirs; by being brave when facing new challenges and by accepting your own and others wisdom.
These are the seven Sacred Teachings as were taught to me…and now I have shared them with you….it is not so much that you all don’t know these teachings from what ever background or culture you walk in. but I hope it has served all as a reminder of how we all need to walk as Humans.
“I am Dedicated to Educating and sharing culture and our stories with the World. It is not enough merely to teach the ways of our Elders. We must honor those traditions by sharing and educating the World. Inspiring others …Inspiring our Youth. Through the Music… the Arts…the stories…” Blessings, ~bear Medicinewalker
Today the Honey Bee stops in the 7th spot to remind us to keep on pace and listen to our inner voices in order to stay in that positive place. Often times outside chatter of the world fills our heads and causes us to loose our pace of normalcy, because of that we need to slow down our selves in order to hear our own rhythm…To not be affected by the outside influences that throw us off track.
It is so easy to get caught up in other things than what we should be focusing on… so the Honey Bee shares with us that we will remain productive and in control by simply shutting the outside off today. So focus on positives and keep on task.
The Honey Bee serves a very specific purpose in life, it’s job is to pollinate plants and collect nectar to make Honey. It is what drives the continued life cycle of all the plants we see and use in our daily lives. It has been said that Bees are so important to our ecosystem that if they become extinct, humans would cease to exist as well soon afterward.
Honey Bee reminds us to continue to be (no pun intended) productive in our lives while at the same time remembering to enjoy the results of all our hard work. Bees should not be able to fly for their tiny bodies are not designed aerodynamically, yet they don’t dwell on it rather they just DO. Bees also teach us about community. As they move from plant to plant, they help to continue the life cycle.
Honey Bee teaches balance with our lives, even though they are amazing workers; they also slow down to enjoy life. Reminding us that otherwise life’s purpose holds no meaning.
“Across the country and the world, many pollinators are in decline or at risk of extinction. It’s a serious issue because forests, prairies, meadows, wetlands, seashores and croplands all depend on a diverse and healthy pollinator community to thrive. Globally, nearly 85 percent of all flowering plants require help from animals to produce seeds and fruit. Without them, neither humans nor wildlife would have as much to eat and as a result the planet’s biodiversity would plummet.” ~ Gene Brandi, Bee Keeper
We need to be mindful of the Bee’s and assist them in thriving and continuing their work. We need to plant gardens, flowers that will assist the process for all the Creatures of the Great Mother Earth. WE need to become the Caretakers we are meant to be, and stop destroying the very ground we live upon.
I am Dedicated to Educating and sharing culture with the World. It is not enough merely to teach the ways of our Elders. We must honor those traditions by sharing and educating the World. Inspiring others …Inspiring our Youth. Through the Music… the Arts…the stories…
Many Blessings to you All
~ bear Medicinewalker
Music provided by Chris Ferree and available at http://www.chrisferree.com as part of the Wolf and the bear Network @2022
The 7th card drops and out from the shadows comes the amazing Black Swan, telling us to look beyond the shadows and enable yourself to understand that life is multi facetted. Much of life is about change and the Black Swan encourages us to stay the course moving forward on your paths with confidence. It is YOUR walk… no one else’s. So you choose right or left, backwards or forwards because you are in control of what comes next. Don’t allow the negatives of the world to shadow all that you are, because you are better than that and need to lead by example.
The Black Swan brings us from the shadows to tell you that we all are unique and different, and sometimes it is that uniqueness that makes us stand apart from others. So today is the day to shine and let people see the different in you but in positives, in healthy ways, productive ways. So Today… stand in Sacred, stand in Beauty!
The Black Swan represents mystery and the unknown. It represents something that is alluring, perhaps even forbidden. They remind us that there are two sides to all things, the Yin and Yang, black and white, polar opposites. They remind us to remember to know that dark side in order to balance the light within.
Black Swans help us to hone and strengthen our intuitive abilities and altered states of awareness. Bringing with them knowledge of new ways of thinking, breathing and teaching us to move with the flow of life for there is reason behind that flow.
Wherever the Black Swan appears expect unexpected and unpredictable and be prepared for what will follow. The Black Swan does not mean good or bad, it is about paying attention as events unfold… events that seldom occur or have never occurred in our life prior.
They bring in the subtleties of life to our attention. Causing us to use the intuition we have to better understand our feelings and process them in a healthy way. The Swan itself teaches us grace through movement and longevity through inner knowledge. They remind us to look at the beauty of life, even in the darkness to see that ALL life is indeed Sacred.
“I am Dedicated to Educating and sharing Culture with the World. It is not enough merely to teach the ways of our Elders. We must honor those traditions by sharing and educating the World. Inspiring others …Inspiring our Youth. Through the Music… the Arts…the stories…”
Today the Salmon is in the 7th place and tells us that if we want something in our lives… we should and need to fight for it! Don’t let things detour you from your goals. Sometimes in life we just have to work and push through the negatives and twists that life throws at us in order to achieve things. That is okay, for it is through the journey that Salmon shows us it can be done….
Just like us in the human world the Salmon run upstream against the odds to continue to thrive and exist. That is the lesson Salmon teaches us for today… and remember you have got this whatever it may be, work hard and push through it. Life can be an amazing thing filled with adventure and positives, but only if we get off our butts and move forward.
Salmon brings with today’s lessons family values and connections with our communities and friends that are in and around our lives. Reach out and strengthen the ones that are staying, let loose with love the ones that are not, and be in the moment with those that are balanced. So today the Coho Salmon want us to listen to the little voice that resides in each of us and follow the path of positives that bring us back to our family and foundations.
Coho Salmon bring to our lives and teach us ways of abundance, fertility, prosperity and renewal of both the physical and spiritual. Guiding us with transformation, intuition, instinct, and urging us to examine your life considering any of the obstacles we may have on our paths as we walk forward.
Coho Salmon teach us that the most valuable and sacred things in life must be fought for. Although it may seem the odds are impossible and the struggles have worn you out, your needs, goals and dreams are near, and that the most resistance normally occurs just before we succeed. So do not stop and give up now. This is not time to go with the flow today… ignore what outside pressures are placing on you and go with your own intuition, follow your instincts they will not fail you.
Like the Coho Salmonwe also go through several transitions throughout our lives, so remember if you are feeling stuck it may be time to transition into newness of self, leaving what is not needed anymore behind. Return to your Soul’s intent, feel the Sacred of you and honor that as you push ahead to reach your goals.
Enjoy the life we are here to live and experience, honoring the Sacred within! Our spirits have been given the energy to renew and transform…so take hold of our own power that comes from deep within our core! allow the abundance and fertility of ideas and creativity to blossom into positives your life… your path, your journey has been acknowledged and listen to the sacred from within and around your life and allow it to push you into the positive steps of life!
“I am Dedicated to Educating and sharing Culture with the World. It is not enough merely to teach the ways of our Elders. We must honor those traditions by sharing and educating the World. Inspiring others …Inspiring our Youth. Through the Music… the Arts…the stories…”
Many Blessings of the Day
~bear Medicinewalker
Music by Chris Ferree as part of the Wolf and the bear Network and is available at http://www.chrisferree.com and on Itunes
The story of White Calf Buffalo Woman was handed down long ago and is shared to this day. I revisited it once again this morning and had validation I needed to share it once more from an unlikely source that I was participating in earlier today. The reason I was reminded was that often people only remember part of the story, or even tell part of the story…. But it resonated so loudly today as Women (and Men) are rising everywhere and calling out their abusers. They are finding voice that will allow them to heal.
Why some might say does this have anything to do with the true teachings of White Calf Buffalo Woman? Well because she came to the people as Teacher/Prophet/Ancestor to teach All the Sacred way to Pray and walk the earth as Human… and we must remember that once again for so many are lost as they walk their journey among the chaotic world we live in today.
The story begins …
In the time of the Ancestors, two young men had left their village to hunt. As they walked to the hunting grounds they came upon a beautiful young maiden dressed in white buckskin. Upon seeing her, one of the hunters looked upon her and recognized her as a Sacred Being and immediately lowered his eyes. The second hunter did not and moved towards her with lust in his eyes, desiring to only take her as a woman.
White Buffalo Calf Woman beckoned the lustful hunter to her. He was happy to comply and quickly moved to her, but as he did a whirling cloud of dust arose engulfing them and causing them to be hidden from view. When the dust settled, nothing but a pile of bones lay next to her. She then moved towards the respectful young hunter, explaining that she had simply fulfilled the other man’s desire, allowing him, within that brief moment, to live a lifetime, die and decay.
White Buffalo Calf Woman then instructed the young man to go back to his village and instruct them to prepare for her arrival for she would teach them of the way to pray, the way to live as Sacred. The young hunter obeyed.
When White Buffalo Calf Woman arrived with the sacred bundle (the prayer pipe) she taught the People of the seven sacred ways to pray. These prayers are through ceremonies that include the Sweat Lodge for purification; the Naming Ceremony for child naming; the Healing Ceremony to restore health to the body, mind and spirit; the adoption ceremony for making of relatives; the marriage ceremony for uniting male and female; the Vision Quest for communing with the Creator for direction and answers to one’s life; and the Sundance Ceremony to pray for the well-being of AllPeople.
When the teaching of the Sacred Ways was complete, White Buffalo Calf Woman told the people she would again return for the sacred bundle that she left with them. Before leaving, she told them that within her were the four ages, and that she would look back upon the People in each age, returning at the end of the fourth age, to restore harmony and spirituality to a troubled land.
She walked a short distance and looked back towards the people and sat down. When she arose they were amazed to see she had become a black buffalo. Walking a little further, the buffalo laid down, this time arising as a yellow buffalo. The third time the buffalo walked a little further and this time arose as a red buffalo. Walking a little further it rolled on the ground and rose one last time as a white buffalo calf signaling the fulfillment of the White Buffalo Calf prophecy.
The changing of the four colors of the White Buffalo Calf Woman represents the four colors of man–white, yellow, red and black. These colors also represent the four directions, north, east, south and west.
The sacred bundle that was left to the Lakota people is still with the People in a sacred. It is kept by a man known as the Keeper of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe, and today that man is Chief Arvol Lookiing Horse 19th generation keeper of White Buffalo Calf Woman and spiritual elder of Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people of the Dakotas tells of the White Buffalo prophecy and caring for Unci Maka Grandmother Earth.
So let us go back to our roots of who we are supposed to be…who we are supposed to walk as in this Human world, and remember we are all equal, we all need to walk with Respect, Honesty…share Wisdom’s that have been passed down to us by the Ancestors, to Love each other, to have Humility, to rise with Courage, to Own our Truths as positives and as Sacred…
May we All learn to walk in Peace…from this moment forward.
The White Buffalo brings with it the Ancestors that speak to us reminding us it is time to open ourselves to what should be, not what Greed is directing it to be, Not what Ego’s are directing us to. It is a time to rise above it all, as the Ancestors that walked this Earth before us were taught….so it is up to us to remember. Wisdom… Honesty… Truth…Respect…Humility…Courage and Love. It is Time to restore the Faith we have in Human. It is time to reconnect to teachings of Old. It is time to embrace All that is Sacred and look closer to the things we feed our souls with. It is Time once again to walk in Balance of Light and Shadow…
White Buffalo shares with us that it is time to honor all that is sacred in and around us. It is about the power of Prayer. It is time to feed our souls, our spirituality. That in order to allow abundance into our lives we must walk the Sacred Path, but also be open to the fact that all life, all that has been shared with us no matter how small …how large, is Sacred.
The White Buffalois connected to the teachings of the original people, the things that often are forgotten by us in this modern day world that is filled with material and greed. The White Buffalo warns us and gently nudges to remind us that we must not forget to be grateful, thankful, and take care of our Sacred Hoops.
To talk to the Universe and God Creator often, to share with others the simple positive things such as prayer, ritual, ceremony, traditions. To slow down so that we do not forget the lessons of old and where it is we come from. When we honor that process we will assist in manifesting our dreams, our goals in a more positive light.
White Buffalo will help to keep us grounded and on the right walk, allowing us to realize that when we are walking correctly the path is much easier to move upon.
Honor Self, Honor Creator, Honor All Life as Sacred.
Blessings,
~ bear Medicinewalker
Music Provided by the Big City Indians and used with permission @ 2022 Buffalo Thunder by Big City Indians and available thru bigcityindians.com
Today I call for Snake Medicine… teach us that we are Universal beings… and that through accepting all aspects of life you can help us bring about balance and light the fire so we can cast the shadows out.
Definition of DARK ENERGY
: a hypothetical form of energy that produces a force that opposes gravity and is thought to be the cause of the accelerating expansion of the universe
The dominant component (about 70 percent) of the universe. Its nature is not well understood, but it differs from matter in being gravitationally repulsive. Dark energy is detected by its effect on the rate at which the universe expands. Many explanations have been proposed for dark energy; the simplest is that it is an energy density inherent to empty space.
Definition of LIGHT
1a : something that makes vision possible
b : the sensation aroused by stimulation of the visual receptors
: a source of light: as
a : a celestial body
a : spiritual illumination
b : inner light
c : enlightenment
d : truth
Fear…darkness… evil… shadows… demons…hell …the devil… all labels given to bad things that as humans we may witness throughout our lives. If you don’t think they exist, or don’t want to believe they exist, that is your choice. But myself…I feel that we are better prepared if we understand it…so that we can walk in balance and stay the course of light.
As our voices are heard for good…and as they grow louder…we are often challenged with doubts and fears, sometimes we are challenged by the darkness itself… and when that happens we need to be true to who we are…and allow that energy no place with in our lives. I am not a Preacher…or a Prophet… But I am not naive in thinking that the darkness will not grow if we allow it to seep and flow into our lives….
Story of Two Wolves
Here is the same story, but it is called “Grandfather Tells” which is also known as “The Wolves Within”
An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, “Let me tell you a story.
I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times.” He continued, “It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.
But the other wolf, is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger for his anger will change nothing. Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit.”
The boy looked intently into his Grandfather’s eyes and asked, “Which one wins, Grandfather?”
The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, “The one I feed.”
So should we be scared of darkness? My answer to that is now…we must be aware of it… we must understand it… so that in turn we do not feed it.
Let us join spiritual hands to offer prayer.
I call to the sacred winds…to carry my words
To the Grandmothers and Grandfathers of the North, the south, the east, the west, Above …below and within…
I call to the sacred winds to carry my words to the Winged ones…the Four Leggeds…the Plant People…the Crystal Keepers, the Thunder Beings, the Angelic Realm…Mother Mary and Magdalene…my Brother Christ and all the nations that love us.
I thank you for all the many blessings that you have shared with us today and beyond and I ask that you hear our prayers whether spoken our held silently within our hearts.
Today I ask that you hear our prayers as we stand humbly before you, small and human.
Help us to remember we are all but a tiny part of a great universe, that we are all connected as one…
Bring us the strength we need to walk our paths without ego or judgment…
Allow our hearts to hear what our ears are missing
Teach us how to allow forgiveness for others and ourselves
Fill our being with the unconditional love that you so freely offer all.
I call that we be reminded we are all no better than or less than one another.
Guide us through our days, to help us with our humanness…that we learn to reconnect with others in a gentle and positive way. Offering smiles when they are needed without thought, shoulders or ears to help ease another…and words that will uplift or soothe.
Keep our children safe and strong in this troubled world… I ask that on this day and days to come…guidance is shared with our children to help them as they walk their paths. Help open their eyes so they can learn and see the right way of things, teach them to respect all life no matter how small, open their ears and minds so that they may understand things that are being taught to them in a good and gentle manner…open their hearts so that when the harshness of the world falls at their feet, they can cope and handle it with compassion and understanding.
I ask that today and all days ahead, that we are held in your loving Grace Creator…that we are able to understand the darkness that shadows parts of our world and allow the light to shine upon those very shadows. May we feed the good in ourselves and others. May we be protected from the very shadows that challenge the lights we all carry…Knowing that in the end… shadows will exist no longer when light shines through.
I thank all those who have walked with us and answer our calls…this day and in days to come…and honor you …
Blessings
So my wish to you all today is that you feed the light, with an understanding of the darkness…the shadows… use that knowledge to move forward and into a better space of mind, body and soul… and remember we are in control of the energies…the things that can affect us… be a positive to a world filled with negatives…and let yourself outshine all the shadows…and stop to think…which one will you feed? Many blessings to you and yours…
And May Your day be filled with blessings from this moment and beyond. And today ask yourselves… Which Wolf is it that You are Feeding?
“I am Dedicated to Educating and sharing culture with the World. It is not enough merely to teach the ways of our Elders. We must honor those traditions by sharing and educating the World. Inspiring others …Inspiring our Youth. Through the Music… the Arts…the stories…”
I learned of these teachings through the Anishinaabe’ people here where I live… it is a teaching that reaches within to my very core… and I would like to now share it with you…
