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.