Nature Meditations( How to Meditate in Nature)

These meditations are done outside in natural surroundings. They help to enliven the basic intelligence of nature in our awareness and physiology. Our being resonates with the sight of a flower, sound of birds, feeling of the breeze. These experiences wake something up inside of us, and help to set our lives into a more natural rhythm. Nature lovers have discovered this secret without ever studying meditation! In the nature meditations, we focus our awareness on the experience of nature — sight, sound, touch, smell (and perhaps even taste). As with every meditation on our website, when the mind wanders from the focus of the meditation, bring it gently back. There are several different ways that this meditation can be done. Experiment and find what works best for you. Basic Nature Meditation — Eyes Closed Find a comfortable position sitting or lying down. Begin with a few deep breaths, breathing deep into the belly, to help you relax and to bring you to the sensations of the present moment. Now close your eyes and be present to what is being experienced with your eyes closed. Notice how your body feels, as well as the activity of your mind and emotions. Experience whatever is present without resisting anything or trying to change it. Do this for about a minute. Now bring your awareness to everything that you can experience in your surroundings. Feel the temperature of the air on your skin, the feeling of the breeze and the sun. Notice the sounds around you — birds, bees, crickets, flowing water. Listen to the symphony of nature. For the rest of the meditation, continue to experience these feelings and sounds. Whenever your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the experience of nature. As you meditate, you can see where your attention is naturally drawn, or purposefully scan for different experiences. You can also focus on one experience and notice the experience in greater detail. If it is a bird’s song — notice the quality of the sound — as if you are going more deeply into the sound. (It may seem to have a shape or texture.) Don’t analyze the sound and label it with your mind — simply notice the quality of it. Once again, whenever you notice that the mind has become absorbed in thoughts, easily bring it back to the sounds and sensations of being in nature. At times both awareness of the sensations from the environment and thoughts will be present. That’s fine. Just easily favor the experiences of nature. Listening Meditation — Variation of Basic Nature Meditation Begin as described in the Basic Nature Meditation, but focus on sound only. Let your awareness be with all the sounds in the environment, noticing them in great detail. You can also focus on one particular sound, such as that of flowing water. Continue to bring your attention back to that particular sound when your mind wanders. Nature Meditation — Eyes Open This meditation can be done while sitting, standing or walking. Time spent in nature can always be a form of meditation when we put our full attention on what is around us — the earth, trees, flowers, animals, fresh air, the breeze… To intensify this experience, allow yourself to experience the sights, sounds and smells without labeling them and becoming mentally involved with them. Notice the tendency of the mind to name and evaluate everything — “Oh, look at that beautiful bird. What kind is it? Is it here all winter or where does it go?” When these kinds of thoughts come up, let them go. Simply experience the colors, shape, sounds, movement of the bird or whatever else you are experiencing. Let it be an experience without meaning and without reference to any other experience. Experience everything with an open awareness, as if you’d never experienced anything like it before. As always, when the mind wanders and becomes caught up in thought, simply bring it back to the experience of nature.

"The Skiff"

I grew up spending part of my summer vacation and other school vacations with my Aunt and Uncle in North East Harbor on Mt Dessert Island in Maine. A quaint little Island community, where life was slow and easy in the winter until the, “Summer People” arrived.
My Uncle did outside repairs, got cars ready for the summer, (spit shined to a high gloss) and picked the Summer People up from the airport when they arrived. My Aunt cleaned their Mansions and got linens ready for their arrival. I was blessed to be able to see all these places first hand and play in them while Auntie readied them for summer. I remember pretending I was rich and she was working for me. I was every beautiful rich star I could think of. Some of the summer homes were so big I could actually lose myself in them. I would call to my Aunt and when she responded, I followed her voice to find my way back to her.
Each summer I was taken,” Down Street” to one of the high end clothing stores where my Aunt purchased a full ensemble for me ,head to toe…
I remember a time when I got into a bit of a quandary. My Uncle had taken me to the dock many times where he had a little skiff tied up. He would row me out into the bay and we would have our lunch out there as we watched the boats come in and leave. I asked several times if I could row the boat,” Not this time, you’re hardly strong enough to handle it yet,” he would say. What I heard was a challenge. I didn’t have to prove anything to him but I had to prove it to myself.
I had a friend named Diana who lived a few houses down and asked Aunt Doris if I could go and play for a couple of hours.” Yes,” she said,” But don’t go anywhere else.” I won’t!” I exclaimed. As soon as I was out of her sight, I headed for the docks. I sauntered up to the skiff, untied it and jumped in; I took the oars like I knew what I was doing. It was my luck that there were not too many boats moored there that day and I rowed out into the bay with ease. I made a few tiny circles, my arms felt like jello! I sat there for a bit to rest and realized I had just passed two boats that were moored. I had no inkling that when I took the skiff…The tide was going out, and me along with it! I knew I had to muster everything I had in my little body to get this boat back to the dock! I could see a man standing on his sailboat watching me and I could see the concern cross his face. I rowed with everything I had but I wasn’t making any progress. If anything…I was losing ground. I was bawling like a newborn baby and I just couldn’t row anymore as the boat slipped further out into the bay. Is that a motor I hear? Up beside me in a boat comes the man from the sailboat. With tears running down my cheeks and the hiccups to boot, I look into his eyes with a,” Please Save Me,” look. He nods with a slight smile, takes the rope on the front of the skiff in his hands and tows me back to the dock. I tie the Skiff up and as I look back at him he leaves with a wave of his hand and returns to his sailboat. That man potentially saved my life. I never said a word to anyone about my adventure; I knew the price I would have to pay would be too big. I learned that day that I didn’t have to prove anything to anybody not even myself and that it is ok to be weak, we are all weak…until we become strong.

WHAT MAKES UP THE DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS OF OUR REALITY?

WHAT MAKES UP THE
DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS
OF OUR REALITY?


From "An Ascension Handbook" by Tony Stubbs

Your physical body exists in the 3rd dimension - it is matter-based. The 4th dimension is the astral plane - it is emotion-based. Together these two make up what we call the Lower Creation World. These are the dimensions where the game of separation is carried out. Only in these dimensions can the illusion of good and evil be maintained -and can You feel separated from Spirit and from each other. You've all became quite good at doing that. Its been a very successful game of separation but it is time for it to end. So, this planet is in a state of ascension. It is now vibrating at the very top Of the astral plane, right on the dividing line with the 5th dimension - the Lightbody dimension. As part of the ascension process, these dimensions will be 'rolled up into the higher dimensions and will cease to exist.

The 5th through the 9th dimensions make up the Mid-Creation Realm.
The 5th is the Lightbody dimension in which you are aware of yourself as a Master and a multidimensional being. In the 5th dimension, you are completely spiritually oriented. Many of You have came in from this plane to be Lightworkers.


6th dimension holds the templates for the DNA patterns of all types of species' creation, including humankind. It is also where the Light languages are stored and is made up mostly of colour and tone.. It is the dimension where consciousness creates through thought and one of the places where you work during sleep. It can be difficult to get a bead on this because 1 you are not in a body unless you choose to create one. Men you are operating 6th-dimensionally, you are more of an alive thought. You create through your. consciousness, but you don't necessarily have a vehicle for that consciousness.



The 7th dimension is that of pure creativity, pure light, pure tone. pure geometry, and pure expression. It is a plane of infinite refinement.


The 8th dimension is of group mind or group soul and where you would touch base with the vaster part of who you are. It is characterized by loss of sense of the "I". When You travel multi-dimensionally, it is this plane where you have most trouble keeping Your consciouness together because you are pure "we" operating with group goals. So, it may seem as though you have gone to sleep or, blanked out., (Ah-ha!)


The 9th dimension in the model that we use is the plane of the collective consciousness of planets, star systems, galaxies, and dimensions. Once again, it is very difficult to get a sense of "I" because you are so vast that everything is "you". Imagine being the consciousness of a galaxy. Every life-form, every star, - planet, and group mind of every species in it is you. If you visit this dimension, it can be difficult to remain conscious.


The 10th through 12th dimensions make up the Upper Creation Realm.
The 10th dimension is the source of the Rays, home of what are called the Elohim. This is where Light is differentiated and is the source of plans of creation which are sent to the MidCreation levels. You can have a sense of "I" at this level but it won't be what you are used to here.



The llth dimension is that of pre-formed Light, the point before creation and a state of exquisite expectancy just like the moment before a sneeze or an orgasm. It is the realm of the being known as Metatron, and of Archangels and the Higher Akashic for this Source-system. There are planetary Akashic records and galactic Akashics as well as the Akashic for an entire Source-system. You are in one Source-system of many. So, we are giving you a description of one Source-system only - this one. If you go to another Source-system, what you will experience will be different. As an Archangel, my home base is the 11th dimension. We come to you as messengers, that is what "Archangel" mans. It is one of my functions, I have many. I have an Elohim function which is not very verbal. We have many, many jobs.


The 12th dimension is the One Point where all consciousness knows itself to be utterly one with All That Is. There is no separation of any kind. If you tap into this level, you know yourself to be completely one with All That Is, with the creator force. If you tap in there, you will never be the same again because you cannot sustain the same degree of separation if you have experienced complete unity.



Spirit creates the illusion of separation up to the 7th dimension. At higher frequencies, distinctions become completely meaningless, and all is Spirit. A definite frequency band exists in all these levels which acts as a unifying medium, a common frequency. Just like the public channel on CB radio, except that you don't just talk on it, but you are part of it. If you match your consciousness to the frequency of this Unity Band, you experience complete unity with all that is. It is also known as the Christed Band and emanates from the Christed level. It throws off sub-harmonics into all the lower frequency planes. The energy in the Christed level is your energy. It is the level at which you existed as a Christed Being, above all separateness.

The Girl Who Silenced The World For 5 Minutes

To The Brook

Crunching sound,leaves on ground
Cool fall breeze,Autumn sneeze.

Dragonfly low, mushrooms grow
Warm sunshine, porcupine.

Rock wall,apples fall
Old big pine,fishing line.

Cool air cough,deer bound off
Rippling brook,lost my hook.

Old bear track,heading back
Stubbed my toe,cawing crow.

Up the hill,old saw mill
Path to house,jumping mouse.

Jacket hung,fishing done
Trout in hand,frying pan...Dancingfire


Also want to introduce a new member of our family Dunkin.

"No Rest For The Weary"

Long days,lazy ways,
Late day sun,harvest done.

Red leaf shine,pumpkin time,
Cold feet,wood stove heat.

Crying bull,freezer full,
Apples boxed,old wool socks.

Cold holding steady,flannel robe ready,
Preserves jarred for keeping,Mother Earth soon sleeping.

Wood piled high,Apple pie
Teapot steaming,old shed leaning.

Ready for snow window high,
Winter work is drawing nigh...Dancingfire

Healing Benefits of Sweat Lodge Ceremonies

The sweat lodge is a Native American tradition where individuals enter a dome-shaped dwelling to experience a sauna-like environment. The lodge itself is typically a wooden-framed structure made from tree branches. Hot rocks are placed inside an earthen-dug pit located in the center of this man-made enclosure. Water is periodically poured over the heated rocks to create a hot and steamy room. The sweat ceremony is intended as a spiritual reunion with the creator and a respectful connection to the earth itself as much as it is meant for purging toxins out of the physical body.

Mental Healing - The sweat lodge ceremony gives its participants the opportunity to free their minds of distractions, offering clarity.
Spiritual Healing - The sweat lodge ceremony offers a place for introspection and connection to the planet and the spirit world.
Physical Healing - The sweat lodge ceremony gives anti-bacterial and wound-healing benefits.


NATIVE AMERICAN SWEAT LODGE

History of Sweat Lodges
In one form or another, the sweat bath pervaded cultures from the Alaskan Eskimo south into the land of the Mayans. The purpose, in most cases, went beyond getting the body clean. The sweat bath provided a cure for illness, revitalization for aching muscles, and a sense of racial identity. A Navajo who fought in World War II told me he came back for a sweat bath "to rid himself of evil accumulated during war."

Use of the sweat lodge was chronicled by the earliest settlers in America. In 1665, David DeVries of New York observed Indians "entirely clean and more attractive than before" while sweat bathing. Roger Williams of Rhode Island wrote in 1643: "They use sweating for two ends: first to cleanse their skin; secondly to purge their bodies, which doubtless is a great means of preserving them, especially from the French disease (probably influenza) which by sweating and some potions, they perfectly and speedily cure."
Three basic forms of the sweat bath are indigenous to North America: the hot rock method, used by the Navajos and Sioux; the direct fire chamber, heated by blazing logs; and a more sophisticated type relying on a heating duct system believed to be of Mayan origin.
The Sioux, for example, see the interior of the sweat lodge as representing the womb of Mother Earth, its darkness as human ignorance, the hot stones as the coming of life, and the hissing steam as the creative force of the universe being activated. The entrance faces east, source of life and power, dawn of wisdom, while the fire heating the rocks is the undying light of the world, eternity.
Alaskan Eskimos, some Pacific Coast tribes and the Pueblo Indians in the Southwest built lodges heated directly by fire.

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.

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.

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.

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