Tears Of The Forest

TEARS OF THE FOREST

by Lori Mellott

As I slowly walk in this warm-blooded, vibrant, lush ,green forest fragrant with the scents of cedar, pine and a plethora of flowers all lovingly kissing me, I inhale the pungent, pleasing scent of earth enfolding me in Mother Earth's loving embrace. All that surrounds me pulsates and ripples with the melodious rhythms of life.

As I strip and stand contemplatively in the midst of this unending beauty, my senses pause, absorbing the exotic, erotic, beauty of it all. Hugging sister cedar tree I feel her heartbeat bursting with rich, robust life! She is strong and happy! Gazing at her I see her uncompromising strength, her magnificent size speaks to my soul telling me she has stood sentinel here for many, many moons

Listening to all her voices, I hear my feathered relations singing and nesting, bringing new life forth from the safety of her luxuriant hair. Her sweet, gently spirit speaks to my soul of spiritual freedom and honoring of the spirits. "Protect and treasure it" are the words and feelings flowing into my soul

Breathing deeply of the acoustically scented air, the sacred cedar's breath calms, cleanses, blesses and bolsters my spirit, giving me clarity of thought and renews my inner being. Contentment and connection flow within my spirit. All is walking in beauty

The harmony and tranquility of this sacred, honored place is suddenly shattered by the horrific, thoughtless intrusion of modern technology! An ominous sound echoes throughout this sacred haven, a sound that promises death! a chainsaw! Big. Loud. Deadly. It is here to keep its deviant promise Its mechanical teeth, honed to razor sharpness glint in father suns brilliant light, flashing its message of death to all Mother's children. The mechanical blood of this steel demon drips silently onto the ground below polluting all it touches, finding yet another way to kill

The human force guiding this instrument of death's construction tightens its ghastly white grip and stands in front of my beloved and beautiful sister with grinning anticipation. It cannot wait to destroy this Mothers child!

The sharpened chain teeth bite viciously, mercilessly into her soft, yielding, tender flesh

I feel my spirit weep and shudder with anger, pain and disbelief as sister cedar calls out to me in unendurable pain and agony, "why, Why do they do this to me?" She shudders, cracks and stumbles as she sings her death song and dances her death dance. She is falling, falling to Mother Earth below. Before she strikes the ground I weepingly watch as her body slowly, painfully sheds the tears of the forest onto Mother Earth. Cascading down as if in slow motion, they know the end is here. Gentle as a feather they alight on the forest floor.

A final unforgiving crack, groan and thunderous roar and my vibrant, beautiful sister cedar lies on a soft bed of moss, silent. Still. Still. Blinded by my tears, I find my way to her side and gently, lovingly stroke my fallen sister and feel her strong spirits fire fade. Oh, sister, I feel your pain and muted sorrow! I only I could stop it, change this path!

The human creature again grasps the instrument of death and destruction and gladly walks on to its next condemned victim. And the next... the creature smiles maniacally, finding in these mindless, needless deaths, perverse, sadistic joy

Sister cedar, I cry for your death and the death of all the children you will never bear! Barren sorrow crowds my spirit, darkens my soul! You have stood watch over these majestic woods for centuries and now your wise, sweet voice is quelled. Forever,

How do I stop the many human creatures from delivering deaths swift blows? Oh, I cry dear, dear fallen sister, I , too, shed the tears of the forest onto Mother Earth. For you and all Mother's children, whose lives all to the human creatures deadly white mission

"What can I do sweet sister?" I feel as if my hands are chained, poverty, inaction shackle my spirit. Beseechingly, I pray to the Grandfathers, Grandmothers and sister cedar's spirit as the wind blows gently from the East. "Much" whispers east wind, "Much"

The Path Of The Ancients

The Path Of The Ancients...the path to the beach.I call upon our people to join us;I ask for the voice of the drums to speak softly. I ask for the fire to be built and set aflame,That you may see with clarity the greater picture of your mission.
Panther arrives and stands between us,while the Dream-Dancers move to the soft beat of the drums. From afar, a flutes fragile sound weaves throughout the music-first so soft and low,then higher and powerful.
We wait for you to dance the depth and breadth of your pain,thereby releasing it's awesome burden to the ether.
Slowly,you lift your arms toward the night skies. A profound silence comes quickly to embrace all in attendance;then,a single drumbeat-slow,steady; and emphatic rises up to encircle you. The many prisms of light emanate from you;and, you begin to dance slowly,and with measured clarity.
The drumbeat increases,and so your dance quickens. The Dream Dancers move around you, in a weaving fashion. You seem unaware of them.
Tears fall silently from your closed eyes,but your step is sure and steady.
A voice from afar begins to chant, and you chant as though in answer.You continue to dance among the Dream Dancers. The pain,the tears,the passion flow freely outward,and is gathered elsewhere to be dispersed,and gone from you.
The Drums slow and become muted. You begin to tire.The Dream Dancers withdraw. Once again,we are alone on the beach.We sit on the sand.Panther lies between us. The soft hush of the surf is like an Ancient lullaby. We sleep,while Panther remains between us with her strength and warmth.

The Illuninarie's

The Illuminarie's...this phrase has whispered it's presence for several days...then comes a definition..."that which bears light."
People come to mind...Akasa Wolfsong being the most brilliant,the most prismatic,the most gentle.
" That which bears light." The light of a candle easily depresses the darkness,and lends a sense of warmth and tranquility.
An Illuminary also depresses the darkness, and also lends warmth and tranquility.Yet, it does ever so much more.It branches far into the universes. It embraces the now and yet to be,until both merge into eternal oneness,thus rising in exquisite glory, to scatter myriads of grace upon all who see and honor,"That which bears light."

Grandfather is in shadow tonight,yet I feel his silent presence-that ageless,gentle,loving presence.
About a half hour ago,I was outside,and heard an Owl's call several times. Oh,how glorious a sound. How haunting,and primal. How utterly compelling; and,re-assuring-for what reason,I don't know.
I am of the night. I am most in my element at the hours after night has settled in. I feel a deep vibration that resonates with who I am. The silence,the wondrous stillness is nourishment and vitality for me.
there is a night fire-unearthly,and equaled only by the power of the ocean's ever-moving waters. There is a solitary path which only I may walk with Grandfather.
He comes in many forms,but always,it is he-beloved son of the Ancients-who walks with me.

When Grandfather comes in Dream Time,sometimes I see things out in deep space,things mans telescopes never see. I walk effortlessly far beyond our planetary systems. The sense of being home is awesome.
Every step offers yet a new bend in the road; and, wondrous are the things I see. I know that Skippingstone's return to my life has opened a path I must follow,until I leave the earthly plane.My very soul trembles to contemplate this journey thus far; and that, yet to unfold before me. We make the journey together,there is no other way.
We have been thru many incarnations,so shall we remain connected;thus, where one is,there the other will be. How wondrous, how gracious is our Creator.

The Wild Flowers Of North America - How Native American Indians Put Them To Good Use

I would normally post a blog such as this on my Wild edible and medicinal plant blog but for today ...I wanted to share it here.
In my opinion, if there ever was a society or group of people who had and showed a true love of the land; hands down my first choice would be Native American Indians,my people.
Living off of the land and taking only what they needed, Native American Indians have always been known for their ingenuity and due to their ingenuity, Native American Indians found a bevy of uses for the wild flowers indigenous and non-indigenous to their regions.Take for instance the plant life. Native American Indians used a bevy of the flora of North America for a variety of purposes.


Listed below are twenty such flowers (plus one) and what they were used for:


1. Twinleaf (Jeffersonia Diphylla) - a member of the barberry family; the roots of this now too rare to harvest plant was once used by Native Americans in tea form. The tea was used to treat spasms, cramps, kidney stones, and urinary tract infections. In addition, it was applied externally for rheumatism, ulcers, and sores.

2. Cardinal Flower (Lobelia Cardinalis) - a member of the bell-flower family; the roots of this bright red flower were stewed into a tea, which was used for stomach-aches and typhoid. While the leaves were stewed into a tea used for headaches, colds and rheumatism. However, this flower is considered potentially poisonous.

3. Purple Trillium or Stinking Benjamin (Trillium Erectum) - a member of the lily family; the root of this attractive yet unpleasant smelling flower (hence its alternate name Stinking Benjamin) was once used medicinally by Native American Indians as an aid during childbirth, and to treat the problems that occurred during menopause.

4. Indian Pink or Pink Root (Spigelia Marilandica) - a member of the logania family; both early physicians and Native American Indians used the plant to treat worms - especially in young children. However, in some cases unpleasant and serious side effects can occur.

5. Canada Lily/Wild Yellow Lily/Field Lily (Lilium Canadense) - a member of the lily family; the roots of this plant were traditionally made into a tea to treat stomach problems, rheumatism, and dysentery. In addition, a poultice of the roots were applied to snakebites.

6. Common Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus) - a member of the aster family; this bright yellow flower was used in a variety of ways. Native American Indians obtained a dull blue dye from the seeds and a yellow dye from the flower heads for use in their traditional weaving and basketwork. In addition, they ground the seeds to make bread flour and used the oil to dress their hair.


7. Yellow Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton Americanus) - a member of the arum family; the underground stem of this smelly plant [its smell resembles the odor of a skunk] was baked and used to supplement the winter diet of the Native American Indians.

8. Yellow Pond Lily/Indian Pond Lily/Spatterdock (Nuphar Lutea) - a member of the water-lily family; Native American Indians made a tea from the roots of this aquatic plant to treat ailments such as blood diseases, chills with fever, heart trouble, and poultices for boils, wounds, and swellings.

9. Common Buttercup (Ranunculus Acris) - a member of the buttercup family; the roots of this shiny, bright, yellow flower was once made into poultices for boils and abscesses. The irritant effect of the sap was used to burn the boils and abscesses off.

10. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia Hirta) - a member of the aster family; the roots of these daisy-like flowers were used to make medicinal teas to treat colds and worms, and as a wash for snakebites and sores. Even the juice from the root was used to treat earaches.


11. Water Plantation (Alisma Plantago-Aquatica) - a member of the water plantain; the roots of this aquatic plant were used by Native American Indians to make poultices to apply to swellings, wounds, and bruises. Here's an interesting side-note: scientific experiments show that this plant may lower blood pressure and reduce glucose levels.

12. Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis Margaritacea) - a member of the aster family; this perennial plant with a thick, white, woolly stem, has been used to make medicinal teas to cure coughs, colds, and throat infections. Poultices for burns, bruising, and sores were also concocted from it.

13. Indian Hemp (Apocynum Cannabinum) - a member of the dog-bane family; Native American Indians used the berries of this plant to make a weak tea for those suffering from heart problems, and the stem fibers to make cords and cloth.

14. Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia Nudicaulis) - a member of the ginseng family; this leafy plant was made into a pleasant-flavored drink, used as a tonic, and a poultice was concocted from the roots to relieve burns, boils, and sore, and reduce swelling and cure infection.

15. Pipsissewa (Chimaphila Umbellata) - a member of the wintergreen family; the leaves of this small plant was used by Native American Indians to make a tea to treat kidney and bladder problems, backache, and as an astringent.

16. Wild Lupine (Lupinus Perennis) - a member of the pea family; Native American Indians used the leaves of this plant to make a tea to treat nausea and internal hemorrhaging.

17. Great Lobelia or Blue Cardinal Flower (Lobelia Siphilitica) - a member of the bell-flower family; the roots of this potentially poisonous flower were used to make a tea to treat syphilis and for fevers, colds, and stomach problems.

18. Wild Bergamot (Monarda Fistulosa) - a member of the mint family; the aromatic leaves of this perennial was made into a tea to treat colic and flatulence.

19. Nodding Oninon (Allium Cernuum) - a member of the lily family; this unique looking plant was used by Cherokee Indians to treat colic, colds, and croup. In addition, a poultice of the entire plant was applied to the chest for respiratory ailments.


20. Sessile Bellwort or Wild Oats (Uvularia Sessilifolia) - a member of the lily family; Native American Indians used the root of this plant to make a medicinal tea that was used to help broken bones heal, and to purify the blood.

21. Broadleaf Cattail/Common Cattail (Typha Latifolia) - a member of cattail family; Native American Indians used the roots of these plants to make poultices for burns, sores, and wounds. In addition, the fuzz from the female flower-head was used to stop chafing in babies.

No matter how beautiful; wildflowers today are often thought of just that - pretty flowers, nothing more.

True, individuals decorate with them; adorn their homes with them; or possess a garden full of them.

Nevertheless, it was Native American Indians and other early settlers who truly knew the versatility and importance of these often under-appreciated, trampled under-a-foot specimens of nature.

* What This Lesson Of Conservation Teaches Us.

Much like the history of a people, earth's natural resources posses a history of their own as well.

It stands to reason then, if these wonderful and useful plants held such rich meanings and uses back then, imagine what they can tell us, show us, and do for us now.

With this said, using the history lessons of Native American Indians and their methods of conserving, imagine what perfect conservation will do for us today.Imagine the immense benefits we can achieve by going back to the simpler things of life; carefully using the bounty this earth has to offer; and living a wiser, waste-free lifestyle.

The Web

One afternoon, my husband and I were cleaning the house with a high-pressure hose and along the way battering the top of a plastic watering can.
“This hose is cleaning the house,” he said, “but it won’t budge this.”
In the mouth of our watering can were strands of a cobweb that would not break even under the force of the water. The silk is so tough it can last for years if undisturbed, which is why cobwebs seem to appear wherever you look. In fact, there are all kinds of spider webs practically everywhere. Our deck on summer mornings looks like a construction site, with guy wires strung from house to chair to geranium plant.

These wires are the initial bridges of the familiar spiral-shaped orb webs. To set one up, the orb-weaving spider trails a strand of silk from a prominent spot like a grass tip or a deck chair, and the breeze catches it and tacks it serendipitously to another blade of grass or corner of the house. The spider then walks this bridge back and forth paying out silk to reinforce it. When the bridge feels sturdy and taut, the spider ties another line to it and drops down to secure it below. Next, in a methodical, craftsmanlike process, the spider builds radial spokes and two sets of spirals – one temporary scaffolding, then one permanent — until the day’s web is complete and ready to snare flying meals. A black and yellow garden spider takes a half-hour to an hour to complete the engineering of an orb web 1 to 2 feet in diameter.
I’ve never seen the whole building process from start to finish, but I watched an Araneus diademetus spider ride an orb web fastened between the outside mirror and the door of my car unharmed through 55 mph wind all the way to my house one evening. When we stopped in the dusk light in the garage, the spider fussed with some threads for a minute or two, and then in less than five seconds dismantled the whole thing and retreated under the mirror for the night.

Orb weavers are programmed by instinct — whatever that is — to construct orb webs, while other spiders make cobwebs, sheet webs or funnel webs, which you can see on the lawn covered with dew in the morning. They’re a few inches or a foot wide, and have a funnel in the center where the grass spider, for example, waits for insects to get tangled up, then darts out to capture them. There also are minimalist “reduced webs” that may be only an H shape or even just a single strand.
The silk of an orb-weaving garden spider is about .00012 inch in diameter; at this size, it’s stronger than steel and more difficult to break than rubber. Spider silk can stretch up to 15 percent of its length before it breaks, and in some cases more. This toughness has been compared to Kevlar, which is used in bullet-proof vests and stretches to about 4 percent before breaking. The strongest natural fiber known is the silk of Nephila genus spiders in the South Seas, which islanders make fish nets out of.
You’d think a fiber like this would be manufacturable, but so far no one has been able to figure out how to farm it. To produce the silk in sufficient quantity, you need a lot of spiders, but it turns out you can’t keep too many spiders together in one place because they eat each other.
Spiders’ silk, which is a protein, is produced by glands in their bodies and dispensed through spigots mounted on spinnerets on their abdomens. They spin tiny threads together into single strands, and can generate seven different kinds of silk for different purposes, including insect traps, as well as shelters, egg cases, and nests for mating and in some species nursing their young. Some spiderlings throw out a line of silk from a high place, let the wind take it like a sail, and go “ballooning” off to seek their fortunes in parts unknown. Great clouds of voyaging spiderlings have been reported miles out to sea.
I’ve watched garden spiders carefully making repairs to webs, working the claws at the tips of their legs as dexterously as if they were sewing or knitting. It seems there must be some consciousness of what’s happening in an operation that intricate — the spider clearly makes judgments about strength, tautness, elasticity and shape. Some orb-weaving spiders are more attentive to symmetry and perfection when young, then get a little sloppier as they age. Are spiders aware of what’s functionally necessary and of what’s decorative, or beyond?
How you would ever know the answer to this question, I’m not sure. What spiders think of their silkwork, I do not know, though I’d like to. At least, it’s my instinct to wonder, and I’ve left those cobwebs practically everywhere in one form or another.
Here is one of the stories of Grandmother Spider:

When the Universe was still so dark that not even shadows could be seen in the night, Grandmother Spider sat in her web in the Sky World, waiting and watching. No one knows how old Grandmother Spider is, or how long she sat waiting for the Universal Mind to awaken. But, every Creature Being who has ever lived knows her song and dance as the weaver of the Web of Life.

From her web, Grandmother Spider observed the first thoughts as the Universal Mind awakened from the dream. Seven energy beings floated out from the shining light in the center of the Universal Mind and solidified into bright, shining stars who went out to take their places in the Sky World. Grandmother Spider took a very deep breath and softly began to sing her weaving song while she danced across the Sky. As she spun her thread, Grandmother Spider envisioned the Web of Life. Within moments, she had woven her web connecting the seven stars and creating the Spirit Doorway through which all of the rest of life would enter.Art by Lyndia Radice

The seven stars reflected the spectrum of all colors within their glow. Dancing with the colored light, shadows came into being as the darkness took form. More thoughts flowed from the Universal Mind, entered through the Doorway of the Seven Stars, and took their places in the Sky World. These became more stars, suns and planets. Then, many other thoughts entered the Universe, each one taking a specific place according to the universal dream of harmony.

Each thought was a spirit essence who dreamed an individual dream for manifesting life. Grandmother Spider spun her web around each new energy being and the Universal Web of Life shimmered in the reflection of Great Mystery's light.

Singing her song and weaving the Web of Life, Grandmother Spider continued with her work. The Sky World filled with light and life as her creative process unfolded. As the stars, suns and planets prepared to give birth to their children, Grandmother Spider spun her cord even longer, so that all of the newly born could be included in the Web of Life. Grandmother Spider continues to weave the Web of Life throughout every cycle of creation.

All life everywhere in the Universe is connected by the Web of Life. We are not separate beings. We are each a part of the Great Mystery, manifesting as an individual awareness in a separate physical body, but sharing the same energy as all other life. The energy web is anchored within our center and is our connection to the Great Mystery.

Along with Grandmother Spider's web cord, we carry within our center our dream for living that includes a promise and a purpose. Before we came into the Earthwalk, we chose the gifts and talents that help us create the reality that we envisioned. We also chose the lessons and challenges that motivate our learning and growth.

Our dream for living carries a specific vibration of sound and color that guides our spirit essence in it's flight from the Universal Mind, through the Sacred Cave, and into the womb of our physical mother. During our Earthwalk, we live our choices and lessons, and develop our talents and gifts, as we meet each situation and challenge of our growth. We must remember our purpose and promise and focus our life in this direction if we are to be happy and fulfilled.

Grandmother Spider weaves the Web of Life around us when our spirit essence enters its physical body inside the womb of our mother. From feet to head, our spirit essence is woven together with our physical body as Grandmother Spider sings her weaving song to us.

When she completes her weaving, Grandmother Spider does not cut the cord, but leaves an energy trail with her weft thread that goes out from our center to connect with the next Creature Being that will enter the Web of Life.

The gift of Grandmother Spider is the personal energy web that we walk with throughout our entire life. This energy web allows our spirit essence to experience our senses, emotional feelings and physical pain and pleasures. This connection also allows our physical body to develop an intuitive perception of Universal Wisdom. Through the web, we can work with energy for creativity and healing. Our personal energy web maintains our connection to the Web of Life and the Great Mystery. This gift of Grandmother Spider insures that we are never alone, for through it we always share the love of All Our Relations.

Our energy web surrounds our physical body, enveloping it with a vibrating energy that is our personal rhythm. Our energy web is connected to our physical body through energy centers that are the communication channels between our physical body and spirit essence. Our mind is the link between body and spirit essence, interpreting and directing the flow of energy back and fourth. Breathing and movement enables our body to direct energy and our thoughts to affect our physical health. To live in comfort, we need to maintain a balance of body, mind and spirit within our personal energy web.

Grandmother Spider is always busy with her work, as the creation of life is happening at every moment. After connecting each Creature Being within her vibrating threads, Grandmother Spider goes on to the next, spinning out a continuous cord in her never ending dance. A Creature Being enters the Earthwalk, then a Plant Person, a Stone Person, a Water Person, a Four-Legged, a Two-Legged, and on and on. For each of these, Grandmother Spider weaves a personal energy web and extends her cord out from this Creature's center to continue on with the weaving of the Web of Life.


The Web of Life is a beautiful braid that holds the energy of all life together. Grandmother Spider's dance of spinning and weaving continues indefinitely, as new patterns within the web are being woven every moment when each new life enters the Earthwalk.

At the other end of Grandmother Spider's tapestry, the web is always unraveling, as every spirit essence travels back through the doorway of the Sacred Cave to the Spirit World when life is complete.

All life shares an equal place within the Web of Life. The gifts and contributions of each and every Creature Being are very important for the survival of MotherEarth. Each Creature Being, in following through with the performance of their specific life task, affects the welfare of all the other Creature Beings in the web. Without the benefit of even one Creature's work, the Web of Life would lack the energy of wholeness necessary for the circle of life's cycles to continue on with their rhythm.

Altair

Suspended over the fir trees out my door on summer evenings is the star Altair. It’s the brightest in a flat diamond of stars poised at an oblique angle over the trees, making up part of the constellation Aquila.

It’s also one of the three bright stars in what’s called in recent times the Summer Triangle: Altair, Deneb and Vega. To see the triangle around 9 or 10 p.m. this time of year, look toward the top of the sky — the brightest thing you see is Vega. Sweep left, and the star not quite as bright as Vega is Deneb. Altair toward the southern horizon is the apex of the equilateral triangle.

For quite a long time, the stars in this part of the sky have been associated with birds, or so the scholars say.

The name Altair comes from a phrase in the seventh- or eighth-century Arabic name for the constellation, Al Nasr al Ta’ir, the Flying Eagle, and means roughly “the rising one.” The Babylonians and Sumerians 3,000 years or more ago probably called it the Eagle Star, as did the Greeks later on. Aquila is Latin for eagle, the constellation’s name in Roman times. The easily visible star just above Altair is Tarazed, and dimmer just below it is Alshain, both taken from an ancient Persian name for the whole asterism, Shahin tara zed, meaning in one translation “the star-striking falcon.” Anyway it’s an image of sweeping power rendered there in the stars.

Aquila still flies there summer nights above the treetops in Maine. And higher to the east is Cygnus, the Swan, an easily spotted cross of six stars. Deneb is the top of the cross and the tail (al dhanab, in Arabic) of the swan. The central star is Sadr, the breast, and the lower star of the crosspiece is Gienah, from the Arabic al janah, “the wing,” of the swan or also the Hen for Arab astronomers. The Greeks also called the constellation Cycnos, the Swan, and simply Ornis, the Bird. Whatever you name it, that kind of grace is unmistakable there, in those stars.

Near the zenith on summer nights is Vega in the constellation Lyra, the Lyre, with one of the oldest continuously used star names from Arab sources. Indigenous Arab people called Vega Al Nasr al Waqi, variously translated as “the eagle the falling one,” or “the swooping eagle (or vulture),” or also “stone eagle of the desert.” The word Vega after a millennium of use seems to derive from waqi. The Romans called the constellation the Lyre, and the bird and music imagery were synthesized by the time Galileo turned telescopes skyward around 1610. The blue beauty of Vega, like a large bird in flight or like music, or both, is a force of grace and harmony there in the stars.

For being stationary, these powerful birds reflect kaleidoscoping wheels of motion, and they are not alone. Shot from the bow of the archer Sagittarius — who is low on the horizon (behind my firs) in these parts during July and August — and flying on a trajectory that has missed the eagle and will in some mythic future just miss the swan, is the arrow, Sagitta. Its trajectory skirted Scutum, the Shield, where one of the most graceful of all star clusters dots the sky (also obscured by trees at my house), known in the 1700s as M11 and later the Wild Duck Cluster. In a small telescope it looks, if your mind rises to its level, like a distant flock of ducks scattering, or so W.H. Smyth thought in the 1800s. The feel of it, at least, mirrors the other powerful flight taking place in the summer stars.

The ancient astronomers couldn’t see the Wild Duck Cluster, having no telescopes. And the truth is, the only constellation of all those named here whose dots connect to an image anything like its name is Cygnus. Even then, what we see there literally at a glance is a cross, not a swan. But like everything else in life, the more you watch the triangle of Aquila, Deneb and Vega, the more there meets the eye. A lot more.

Even though they’re fixed, these stars are in a special kind of flight relative to the season and the pointed firs. It’s not just that they’re enormous nuclear furnaces — so are the stars of Orion and the Big Dipper. These are revealing some cosmic motion peculiar to them that inspires a peculiar kind of awe. The awe you feel is your detection of that motion. An underlying motion, like powerful birds on the wing at night.

Thank You Grandfather

Aside from the gift of you in my life,the old one is so precious to me.He is here with me often and we share countless moments in silence,and wanderings;while others sleep,we watch,and dream,and wait.His presence is calming,his vision refreshing,his gift so priceless,so beyond words.Thank you Grandfather.

Journey of ,"The Young One"

From the furthest reaches of all the countless universes,there comes a soft whispering.It's vibration moves in wave upon wave of light.It's silent passage shall find it's destination. It's purpose shall be realized.Finally,the light descends,and comes to rest at the entrance of a cave.Within the cave,sits an old one.The eyes reflect the light hovering outside.
To the right of the old one rests a young one sleeping.The old one nods his head,and awakens the young one.With eyes full of sleep,the young one arises and approaches the cave's entrance.The light takes the form of a woman.The young one goes to her and receives that which rests upon the palm of her extended hand.The young one nods in respect and thanksgiving.The woman speaks,"Look at the ring. Allow it to touch your inner-vision. It will speak to you with great clarity."
The young one looks at the ring,which then begins to form a spiral of light around the young one.Still focused on the ring,the young one notes gems of diamond,garnet,jade,and pearl. Again the woman speaks,"Within you are the elements of each gems power...it's voice and it's vision.Hear it's voice and behold it's vision.Both will guide and sustain you." The young one answers with a smile,as the light ascends back into the deep night skies.Returning to the cave,the young one finds the old one gone;and,in the stead of the old one wait two pillars of fire.
The young one places the multi-gem-ed ring between the two pillars. A sudden vortex lifts the pillars of fire,with the ring,and carries all to the outside of the cave.
The young one runs to the outside of the cave,finding only silence and rocky ledge. The young one falls to trembling knees,crying out to the night skies,"Where is the old one? Why am I left here alone?"
Again,a whispering reaches the young one,"You are not left alone. Never is mine left alone. Sleep. The dawn comes soon. At first light begin your journey. Find your way to where the multi-gem-ed ring will lead you."
The young one lay prone at the entrance of the cave,drifting ever deeper on wave after wave of light . The old one sits near the sleeping one...softly humming.

"The Dance"

Hear me whisper your name. I am here on the cliffs-the moon rides silently high above...It's light dances with reverence upon the slow moving waters.There is sweet stillness here. The mingling of pine and cedar with the salty air cleanses every particle of our beings,and the glorious power rising from the depths of the mighty sea surges on and on-rushing ever deeper in each of us,flowing in and tru us. It is so right and so good to be here,beloved Sister.
Your smile says as much as you begin the dancing.So aligned are you with the resounding heartbeat rising from the deep living waters below.
I would dance with you,but,for now it is sufficient for me to watch.So awesome is the life energy emanating from you.The graceful movement of the higher you comes forth,until I no longer see the physical- only the ecstatic fire building-rising above the earth,moving outward over the waters;and the sound of your tears decends with incredible tenderness upon the earth. The hushed sound of tinkling bells echo with each tear as it touches down.
In the distance the sound of drums,(barely audible,)drift upon the waves.You turn toward me. The light in your eyes are actual torches of camp fire,and the drums echo a Thank You to you for your visit.

Full Moon Names and Gardening By The Moon

Full Moon Names and Their Meanings

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names. Since the lunar month is only 29 days long on the average, the full Moon dates shift from year to year. Here is the Farmers Almanac’s list of the full Moon names.

• Full Wolf Moon – January Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. Thus, the name for January’s full Moon. Sometimes it was also referred to as the Old Moon, or the Moon After Yule. Some called it the Full Snow Moon, but most tribes applied that name to the next Moon.

• Full Snow Moon – February Since the heaviest snow usually falls during this month, native tribes of the north and east most often called February’s full Moon the Full Snow Moon. Some tribes also referred to this Moon as the Full Hunger Moon, since harsh weather conditions in their areas made hunting very difficult.

• Full Worm Moon – March As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon, and was considered to be the last full Moon of winter.

• Full Pink Moon – April This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names for this month’s celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

• Full Flower Moon – May In most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time. Thus, the name of this Moon. Other names include the Full Corn Planting Moon, or the Milk Moon.

• Full Strawberry Moon – June This name was universal to every Algonquin tribe. However, in Europe they called it the Rose Moon. Also because the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June . . . so the full Moon that occurs during that month was christened for the strawberry!

• The Full Buck Moon – July July is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, for the reason that thunderstorms are most frequent during this time. Another name for this month’s Moon was the Full Hay Moon.

• Full Sturgeon Moon – August The fishing tribes are given credit for the naming of this Moon, since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, were most readily caught during this month. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because, as the Moon rises, it appears reddish through any sultry haze. It was also called the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon.

• Full Corn Moon – September This full moon’s name is attributed to Native Americans because it marked when corn was supposed to be harvested. Most often, the September full moon is actually the Harvest Moon.

• Full Harvest Moon – October This is the full Moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox. In two years out of three, the Harvest Moon comes in September, but in some years it occurs in October. At the peak of harvest, farmers can work late into the night by the light of this Moon. Usually the full Moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night, but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the Moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the U.S., and only 10 to 20 minutes later for much of Canada and Europe. Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice the chief Indian staples are now ready for gathering.

• Full Beaver Moon – November This was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Full Beaver Moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now actively preparing for winter. It is sometimes also referred to as the Frosty Moon.

• The Full Cold Moon; or the Full Long Nights Moon – December During this month the winter cold fastens its grip, and nights are at their longest and darkest. It is also sometimes called the Moon before Yule. The term Long Night Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter night is indeed long, and because the Moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full Moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low Sun.
Gardening according to the phase of the Moon is a centuries old practice, practiced by ancient cultures the world over. It has been long known that the Moon has a strong effect on our planet and its’ inhabitants. Its gravitational pull guides the ocean tides as well as our own inner tides. Plants are no different, as with the sea and our bodies a plant’s water content is affected by the pull of the Moon. People long ago lived by the cycle of the Sun, Moon and the seasons. In today’s busy world many choose not to track the Moon phases and instead opt to purchase a farmer’s almanac. The Old Farmer’s Almanac and The Farmer’s Almanac both contain useful gardening sections that do all the planning for you. With these you have everything you need for growing a successful garden, flowerbed or orchard.

There are two methods of practice, one is by the Moon’s phase and the second is by the Moon’s phase as well as its placement in an astrological sign of the zodiac. The Moon’s month long cycle can be separated into two halves, the waxing and the waning. The first half of the monthly cycle is from just after the New Moon to the Full Moon. The Moon grows larger and brighter and it is this lighter half that stimulates growth in a plant. One common practice that has been used for centuries is to plant just after the New Moon as this gives the seed, plant or transplant two weeks of increasing, moonlight and gravitational influence to encourage germination and growth. Plants that flower and/or bear fruit above ground are best planted during the first quarter which is roughly a one week period from the day after the New Moon (or so) to the first quarter Moon. The first quarter to the Full Moon is the ideal time to plant brambly fruits such as blackberries, raspberries and the like. This first half is also the best time to water your plants. As the Full Moon nears harvest any juicy berries, succulent leafy greens or other veggies for their optimum water content. It is also best to harvest herbs at the Full Moon as their essential oils are strongest, fragrant flowers will have stronger scent too.

The waning Moon is the period from the day after the Full Moon to the New Moon, when the Moon grows smaller and the night skies are darker. This half of the Moon’s cycle discourages growth in plants. The third quarter, which is from just after the Full Moon to the last quarter, is the best time to plant trees, vines, as well as flowering bulbs and plants that bear fruit under ground (root vegetables). This phase of the Moon is beneficial to those plants which rely on strong root systems like trees, root vegetables and strawberries. The last quarter is best used to weed, till, thin seedlings and rid your garden of pests, take this last week to mulch your garden and get a handle on those weeds. By following this method you will find that once the garden is established you will be spending less time in the garden having to water and weed.

The second method of gardening involves planting and tending the garden according the zodiac sign that the Moon is passing through. For anyone unfamiliar with the astrological zodiac it consists of twelve signs/constellations in which the Moon passes through and spends a day or two in each sign during the lunar cycle, or month. The four elements each rule four zodiac signs. Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are considered “water signs” and are the best time to plant most seeds and plants. While Cancer is the best, above ground plants put in at the time the Moon passes through any of these three signs will yield the best results. Air sign Libra is said to be best for planting flowering plants. The Earth signs of Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are the second best choices for planting. Plant your root veggies when the Moon is in Capricorn or Taurus, Virgo is best left for weeding and tilling. Fire signs Leo, Sagittarius and Aries are also ideal for weeding, tilling, cleaning and ridding your garden of pests. Air sign Aquarius is good for harvesting and Gemini is also good for working the soil.

If all of this makes your head spin, then you can do what many people over the last two centuries have done. Pick up a copy of The Old Farmer’s Almanac and head to the Outdoor Planting Table section. Right there, at your fingertips, is a handy chart that tells you when to plant what. This method is also a great science experiment for you or your children. Plant two plants or seeds one at the ideal planting time and the second at a more “undesirable” time. Watch to see how these plants grow in comparison over the season. Will your plants wither and die if you plant them at the “wrong” time? Probably not. Your garden will still plug along, but you will lack the abundant harvest and lush growth that you could have had planting by the Moon.

Waxing

* Sow plants that flower or bear fruit above ground (1st quarter)
* Plant blackberries, raspberries and other caned plants (during 2nd quarter)
* Water Plants
* Feed Plants
* Transplant
* Nearest the Full Moon-harvest juicy fruits and greens. Herbs for optimum essential oil content, flowers for strong fragrance.

Waning

* Sow root vegetables (3rd quarter)
* Plant Trees and Saplings (3rd quarter)
* Plant strawberries (3rd quarter)
* Weed
* Mulch
* Thin seedlings
* Divide plants
* Harvest
* Pruning
* Hoe
* Pest Control

For Akasa Wolfsong

>You are so intricately woven into my life,I cannot recall when you were not.I could no more walk without you than I could stop breathing.I know and I understand that we've always walked together...as do you.That is how it is,and will always be.I know we'll always be there for each other;and,you know it as well.
There's no explaining this awesome gift,it just is.I can merely whisper,"Thank you God,for this timeless friend,as often as possible.Please know how much you have given into my life...all of which is a Sacred Privilege for me.

The gift of you is one of the most precious gifts I have ever received.I treasure this gift always and,The Giver.We have been brought together for reasons reaching far beyond ourselves.What a glorious journey !

From your Flannel Robe Sister

Harvest Prayer

You, O God, are the Lord of the mountains and valleys. You are my mother and my father. You have given rain to make the corn grow, and sunshine to ripen it. Now in your strength the harvest begins.

I offer you the first morsels of the harvest. I know it is almost nothing compared with the abundance of the crop. But since you have provided the harvest, my gift to you is only a sign of what you have given to me.


You alone know how many suns and moons it will take to finish reaping. You alone know how heavy the crop will be. If I work too hard and too fast I forget about you, who gave me the harvest. So I will work steadily and slowly, remembering that each ear of corn is a priceless gift from you.

Native Women

Native Women

"The honor of the people lies in the moccasin tracks of the woman. Walk the good road.... Be dutiful, respectful, gentle and modest my daughter... Be strong with the warm, strong heart of the earth. Be strong and sing the strength of the Great Powers within you, all around you." --Village Wise Man, SIOUX

The Elders say the Native American women will lead the healing among the tribes. We need to especially pray for our women, and ask the Creator to bless them and give them strength. Inside them are the powers of love and strength given by the Moon and the Earth. When everyone else gives up, it is the women who sings the songs of strength. She is the backbone of the people. So, to our women we say, sing your songs of strength; pray for your special powers; keep our people strong; be respectful, gentle and modest. Oh, Great One, bless our women. Make them strong today.
Famous Native Women

Rebecca Adamson (1950-) Native American Advocate

A member of the Cherokee nation, in 1980 Adamson founded the First Nations Development Institute. This group has established new standards of accountability regarding federal responsibility and reservation land reform and has an operating budget of about three million dollars. Adamson has aided indigenous peoples in Australia and Africa also and has received many awards for mobilizing and unifying people to solve common problems.

Ada Deer (1935-) American Indian and Civil Rights Activist

Deer was the first member of the Menominee tribe of Wisconsin to graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned an MS in Social Work from Columbia. Deer led her tribe in gaining passage of the Menominee Restoration Act, which restored their land and treaty rights as American Indians. At the national level, Deer became Deputy of Indian Affairs and is now the Director of the American Indian Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

La Donna Harris (1931-) Indian Rights and Civil Activist

Harris, member of the Comanche tribe, has served since 1970 as president of Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO), a multi-tribal organization devoted to improving life for American Indians. She has served on the National Rural Housing Conference and the National Association of Mental Health. Harris has expanded the AIO to include the "American Indian Ambassadors" program, which provides one-year fellowships for Native American students.

Winona LaDuke (b.1960) Author and Environmentalist

Winona LaDuke has worked for nearly three decades on the land issues of the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota including litigation over land rights in the 1980's. She currently serves as the Director of Honor the Earth and Founding Director of White Earth Land Recovery Project.

Queen Lili'uokalani (1838–1917) Monarch

The last reigning monarch of Hawaii, Lili'uokalani inherited a difficult situation in 1891. Foreigners forced through a new constitution which took away voting rights from most Hawaiians. A revolution, encouraged by the American government, forced Lili'uokalani to abdicate in 1893 and in 1889, the Hawaiian Islands were annexed by the United States. Among her legacies are over 200 songs she composed, including the very popular Aloha Oe.

Belva Lockwood (1830-1917) Lawyer, Women's Rights Activist

Lockwood graduated from the National University Law School in Washington, D.C. in 1873. In 1879, she was the first woman admitted to practice before the Supreme Court where, in 1900, she argued and won $5 million for the Eastern Cherokee Indians. She ran for president in 1884 and 1888 as the National Equal Rights Party candidate. Lockwood joined the Universal Peace Union, and in 1889 was a delegate to the International Peace Congress.

Wilma Mankiller (1945-) American Indian, Civil Rights Activist

Mankiller lived in San Francisco in 1969 when she and friends from the Indian Center successfully occupied Alcatraz and brought national attention to the needs of Indians. She returned to Oklahoma and became deputy chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1983. She was elected principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma in 1985, the first woman to be elected to this position. Mankiller served for 10 years and in 1991, she won with 82% of the vote.

Maria Montoya Martinez (1887–1980) Artist, Potter

Martinez lived in the small, ancient Tewa Indian village of San Ildefonso, New Mexico, where she learned the traditional Pueblo way of making coiled pottery from her aunt, Tia Nicolasa. She and her husband rediscovered the ancient techniques of firing polychrome and black-on-black pottery. These fine designs are highly praised today, and this blend of the old and new has helped produce economic self-sufficiency for the Indian village.

Sacajawea (1784-1812) Frontier Guide

Sacajawea was a Shoshone woman sold to a fur trader, Charbonneau, when she was fourteen. Lewis and Clark hired Charbonneau as an interpreter; Sacajawea was a translator and guide. She traveled with her two-month old baby nicknamed "Pomp." She saved the expedition when she met her long-lost brother, a Shoshone, who prevented conflicts with unfriendly tribes. Lewis named a "handsome river" in Montana for Sacajawea, this trusted interpreter.

Buffy Sainte-Marie ( 1941-) Singer

A Cree Indian, Sainte-Marie has supported Native American rights through her songs. Her intense political songs in the folk style of the 1960’s, like Universal Soldier and Now That the Buffalo's Gone, established her solid reputation as a songwriter and vocalist. Her first album debuted in 1964, and her latest in 1991. Sainte-Marie has written over 300 songs which have been recorded by her and more than 100 artists in seven languages.

Susette La Flesche Tibbles (1854- 1903) Indian Rights Advocate, Author

Tibbles taught at an Indian school after being educated in the East. In 1887, her Indian tribe, Ponca, was forcibly removed from their land on the Dakota-Nebraska border. Tibbles lectured in the East and made many converts to the cause of Indian rights, including Helen Hunt Jackson. In addition to writing Indian stories, in 1881 Tibbles addressed the Association for the Advancement of Women on "The Position, Occupation and Culture of Indian Women."

Sarah Winnemucca (1844-1891) Indian Rights Activist

Winnemucca, a Paiute Indian, was a liaison between the Paiutes in Nevada and the army in the 1870s. After the Bannock Uprising in 1878, Winnemucca lectured to publicize the injustices suffered by the Paiutes. She wrote a book, Life Among the Paiutes: Their Wrongs and Claims, which won wide popular support. She took thousands of signatures on her petition to Congress that passed a law giving land grants to the Paiutes, but the Secretary of the Interior ignored its provisions.

border of flowers

Elder's Meditations

"It is a paradox in the contemporary world that in our desire for peace we must willingly give ourselves to struggle." --Linda Hogan, CHICKASAW

The Grandfathers have taught us about sacrifice. We have been taught to pray for the people in a pitiful way. Struggle and conflict is neither good nor bad, it just is. Everything that grows experiences conflict. When the deer is born it is through conflict. When the seed first grows, it is through conflict. Conflict precedes clarity. Everything has the seasons of growth. Recognize - acknowledge - forgive and change. All of these things are done through conflict.

"Great Spirit, give me the courage today to see that struggle and conflict are here to teach me lessons that are a gift from you."

Sacred Fire

Grandfather looks heavenward at this hour. His gaze is steady and intense. I need to walk the path. Grandfather walks with me. The stillness is wonderful and refreshing. He hums softly. The vibration of the humming seems to open my sight to images of golden fields of wheat moving/swaying by the soft winds.
Raven calls. His graceful form moves effortlessly against a clear blue sky.He circles several times,then disappears among the grove of tree's nearby.
Now,I see a mountain range. It's slopes bare traces of snow. So silent,so massive.Eagle soars above it's summit.His call reverberates far and wide.Oh,how good to hear these blessed voices.I've missed their call.I've missed seeing them in their own respective element...such power and grace.
Grandfather and I walk on in stillness.He stops suddenly;and with a stick,traces a circle into the earth.He takes the pipe and moves it over the circle several times.He indicates to me that we should stand together inside the circle.As I step in to join him,the circle begins to move.Grandfather's eyes tell me to focus on his eyes,not the moving circle.I do. I feel the moving increase,even faster.He begins to hum again.The moving stops suddenly.I'm standing at the edge of the ocean. The waters are so calm.A voice whispers,"Little Sister,open your eyes." She stands before me. Her smile more radiant than the sun. "Come,she whispers." It's time to dance.The drums begin.She turns to the West. The sun is merely moments from setting. She whispers again,"Come," and takes my hand.The drums increase in pace and volume.I feel the familiar spiraling as it surrounds me.
She speaks,"We'll dance before the Ancients. We'll dance in the midst of the Sacred Fire. Come!"
Now,we're approaching a camp fire.The flames are so alive,so hypnotic,so timed to the drums.Several persons stand to receive us.She speaks,"Greeting beloved of the beloved.We come in answer to your call. We rejoice to be part of the Sacred Dance." We are made welcomed,and invited to enter with in the Sacred Circle. She turns her gaze toward me. She whispers,"Look deeply thru these portals, and enter with-in." Again,the spiraling begins and I am lifted up into the night sky.She whispers,"Listen to the drum. It is a single voice come to deliver a message.Listen closely, little sister."
I look for her, but see only the night sky.Suddenly,a single drum sounds.It's slow,steady beat comes ever nearer,until I feel a presence.Words fall gently and clearly before me.I can see the words take shape to form images. The words reveal wisdom and joy.
Each word and it's image reflects many life-forms,many seasons,many journeys.Unique and part of the whole message.I see a new world rising in the East. I feel a new life essence being poured out into and throughout the cosmos. I see dying suns and moons replaced by new ones.I see the skies tremble,and stars(unseen before,) appearing. All this wrapped in warmth,and light,and stillness.
The drum is now silenced,but I can feel it's vibration reverberating thru my entire being.She whispers,"Come,little sister."Soon it will be sunrise."I look at her,and see we are again at the waters edge."Please sing that song for me," I ask.She replies,"Sleep, little sister. I will sing your song.It is,after all,your song that I sing.
Again,I find myself on the path. As she sings,I'm met by Grey wolf. Within that song we are held,and walk in the wondrous stillness.As I make my way down the path to home,Grey wolf stops,lowers his head slightly,and walks away,back to the woods.Her voice continues to sing,somewhere deep within me.

Tall and Straight

Earlier today I was looking at this photocopy of a painting of my Great,Great Grandmother.I thought,"You suffered and endured so much pain,loss and agony at such a young age...Almost immediately,a thought,(her answer?)followed,"Yes,but I also knew goodness and love. I knew life as being kind and gentle,and hopeful..."
Unlike Grandmother,we(today)do not know the true meaning of persecution. We do not know what true deprivation is.We do not know the horror of ignorance and hatred based on color of skin,or ethnicity. She did,and so much more that even recorded history cannot relate.
Is there a defining line between resignation to fate,and the primal instinct to survive despite the hell and agony involved? I think there is a difference based upon the individual's perception;and innate ability to cope,even in the face of death and destruction.
Grandmother's brief account of her own experience(in my mind,) and as has been handed down thru generations,reveals no less.I cannot begin to grasp,(say nothing about appreciate,) what hell she endured as a child...the persecution of her existence,the loss of her dignity and life's purpose.The attempt by ignorance and hatred to reduce her,(and her own,) to less than human.
Yet,being who she is,she could tell us today,"I learned to love..." This woman's character,her vision of life,her very essence,is my heritage. Through me, she walks tall and straight. She walks with incredible dignity,with love I have learned to appreciate her with increasing clarity.
She knew what it meant to truly Live and love.
I Take my heritage with me trough each day,there-in is my shield of strength and wisdom,and vision of courage. I will walk tall and straight because she walks with me...Dancingfire

Stand By Me

Photo's I've Taken ...Around The House