Mic Mac Story

Mic Mac Story One cold, autumn morning in a low valley a great, gray stone sat covered with dew. The rock was very old and had sat there for many, many moons. It had seen the passing of many animals and many seasons but this day as Niskam heated the rock and the dew rose as a mist from it Niskam decided to give life to this rock. So as the rock grew hotter and the steam from the dew hovered over it this one old rock was given the body of an old, old woman. This was Nukumi. Kluskap had been watching the birds and the plants and the animals and learning all he could. Now there came a day as he traveled that he wandered into this valley and there he met Nukumi. As Kluskap talked to Nukumi he realized how much wisdom she had and he wanted to learn all that he could from her. Nukumi explained that she would be happy to be his grandmother and share her wisdom but as an old woman meat was necessary for her. She could not live only on plants and berries. Kluskap was so happy to have a grandmother that he called to Marten swimming in the river. He asked Marten if he would give his life so that Kluskap's grandmother could live. All of the animals were friend to Kluskap and Marten said he would do this for his friend. Now Kluskap told Marten that for this sacrifice he would make Marten his brother. So Nukumi snapped Marten's neck and placed him on the ground but Kluskap felt so bad that he called to Kisúlkw to return Marten to life. Now Nukumi used her wisdom to speak with Kisúlkw and Kluskap and Marten was brought back to life so he could return to his river but where he lay on the ground was the body of another marten. Nukumi told Kluskap that from this point the animals would be brother and friend to Kluskap. They would be there willing to provide food and clothing, shelter and tools but always they must be treated with the respect given a brother and friend because they would only be there to provide what is necessary for life. Marten will always be the first of Kluskap's friends. Kluskap asked Robin to fly to the place where the lightning had hit the ground to give Kluskap life, and bring the sparks that were there to him. Robin flew to the place but he had to use two dry sticks to carry the sparks because they were so hot. As he flew the wind caused the sticks to burn and robin's breast turned red. Still he brought the fire to Kluskap and Nukumi put more wood on this fire and Niskam breathed on the sparks so that they burned the wood and created Great Spirit Fire. But all robins after this had red breasts and when two dry sticks are rubbed together they make fire. So the first meat was cooked over fire and Kluskap and his grandmother started their time together. Kluskap would help his grandmother survive and she would share her wisdom and knowledge with him.

Earth Teach Me To Remember

Earth Teach Me to Remember

by John Yellow Lark



Earth teach me stillness

as the grasses are stilled with light.

Earth teach me suffering

as old stones suffer with memory.

Earth teach me humility

as blossoms are humble with beginning.

Earth Teach me caring

as the mother who secures her young.

Earth teach me courage

as the tree which stands alone.

Earth teach me limitation

as the ant which crawls on the ground.

Earth teach me freedom

as the eagle which soars in the sky.

Earth teach me resignation

as the leaves which die in the fall.

Earth teach me regeneration

as the seed which rises in the spring.

Earth teach me to forget myself

as melted snow forgets its life.

Earth teach me to remember kindness

as dry fields weep in the rain.



Ute, North American

Blackfoot Legend

For longer than anyone knows, INDIANS thru out the Americas have smoked tobacco and other plants for pleasure and for praying, as well as for medicinal purposes. The smoke was the Great Spirit's breath taking the prayers up to the Ones Above.With a pipe in hand, a man could speak nothing but truth.Sir Walter Raleigh learned the use of tobacco from the Indians.To the White man,smoking became an addiction;but to the Native American,pipe and tobacco were sacred, and smoking was a holy ritual. If a man had killed a member of his tribe,he was not allowed to smoke ritually with the others; but had to smoke a mean little pipe all by himself---hard punishment.....

There once were four brothers,all spiritual men who had power.In a vision the oldest of them heard a voice saying, "Out there is a sacred weed;pick it and burn it." The man looked around,saw the strange weed,and put it in the fire.It gave off a pleasing aroma.
Then the second brother had a dream in which a voice said;"Take this herb,chop it fine,put it into a hide bag."The man did as the dream had told, and the dried herb in his hide bag was wonderfully fragrant.
The third brother had a vision in which he saw a man hollowing out a bone and putting the strange weed into it.A voice said, "Make four pipes like this,"and the fourth brother carved four pipes out of an animal's leg bones.
Then the youngest of the brothers had a vision.A voice told him ;"You four men light your pipes and smoke. inhale the smoke, exhale it. Let the smoke ascend to the clouds." The voice also taught him the songs and prayers that went with smoking.
So the four medicine men, born of the same mother, smoked together.This was the first time that men had ever smoked,and they sang and prayed together as they did.
The brothers, who called the scared weed,"Nawak'osis",were meant to teach it's use to the people.But Nawak'osis made them powerful,and wise, and clear-minded,and they did not want to share it with the others.
They planted the scared weed in a secret place that only they knew of. They guarded the songs ,prayers, and rituals that went with smoking. They formed a Tobacco Society,just the four of them.
So there was anger, there was war, there was restlessness of spirit, there was impiety.Nawak'osis was meant to calm anger, to make men worship,to make peace,to ease the mind. But without the scared herb,unity and peace was lacking.
A young man called Bulls-by-Himself said to his wife;"These four powerful ones have been given something good to share with the people, but they are keeping it for themselves.So things are bad.I must find a way to plant and reap the scared weed they call, Nawak'osis."

Bulls-by-Himself and his wife went to a scared lake and set up their tipi close by its shore.The man left every day to hunt and look for the plant,Nawak'osis. The woman stayed in the lodge to quill,tan,and prepare food.
One day while she was alone,she heard somebody singing beautifully.She searched everywhere to find the source of the music and discovered that it was coming from a beaver house close by the shore."It must be the beavers singing,"she thought."Their songs are so lovely. I hope they don't stop."
Her husband came home with plenty of meat, but had not found Nawak'osis.The woman called his attention to the music, but he said,"I hear nothing, it's your imagination"."No,she said, I hear it clearly,put your ear to the beaver lodge". He did, but still heard nothing. Then the wife took her knife and made a hole in the beaver lodge.Thru it they could not only hear the beavers sing, but also watch them performing a strange, beautiful dance.
"My young brothers,"the wife called to them,"be of a sharing spirit,Teach me your wonderful song and medicine"The beavers answered,"Close up the hole you have made because it let's the cold in, then we will come out and visit with you."
So she sealed up the hole and that night four beavers came to Bulls-by-Himself's lodge.As soon as they were inside they turned themselves into humans.One asked," What have you come for?" "I have come to find the sacred weed called Nawak'osis,"said Bulls-by -Himself."Then this is the right place",said the man-beaver."We are water people, and Nawak'osis is water medicine."
We will give you this scared herb,but first you must learn the songs, prayers, and the dances and ceremonies that go with it.Here is what you must do.By day ,go out and get the skin of every four legged and two legged creature that lives in and around the water,expect, of course,beaver.You must get the skins of all creatures that represent water. Sun and water mean life,Sun begets life,and water makes it grow."
So everyday Bulls-by-Himself went out for the skins,while his wife scraped,tanned,and smoked them.And every night the four man-beavers came and taught them the prayers,songs,and dances that go with Nawak'osis.
After a while, the beavers said ,"Now all is ready.Now you have all the skins,and now you have all the knowledge.Make the skins, which represents water power, into a bag, into a medicine bundle.Tomorrow night we'll come again for the last time to tell you what to do."
The following night the beavers came as they had promised.They brought with them the sacred weed, Nawak'osis. The top of the stalks was covered with little round seeds, and the man-beavers put the seeds into the medicine bundle the woman had prepared.
"It's planting time now", said the beavers."Don't touch Nawak'osis before you're ready to plant. Choose a place where there is not too much shade and not too much sunlight. Mix plenty of brown earth with plenty of black earth, and keep the soil loose. Say the prayers we have taught you.Then you, Bulls-by-Himself, must take a deer horn and with the point, make holes in the earth, one hole for each seed.And you, his wife, must use a buffalo-horn spoon to drop one seed into each hole.Sing the songs we taught you all the while. Then both of you dance lighty over this earth,tamping down the seeds. After that, you just wait for Nawak'osis to grow.
"The young men left, turning back into beavers as they went.Bulls-by-himself and his wife planted the scared weed as they had been told.
The four medicine-brothers said to one another, "What can this man and his wife be planting?Their songs sound familiar"they sent a spy to find out and he came back and said,"They are planting the scared weed,and doing it in the scared manner." The four brothers began to laugh"No, it can not be, It's some useless weed,no one but us knows the medicine of Nawak'osis."

But when it was time to harvest,a great hailstorm destroyed the secret tobacco patch of the four brothers. Nothing was left, not even a single seed. The four brothers sent a spy to see if Bulls-by-Himself's patch had also been destroyed. The spy came back and said,"The man and his wife had no hail on their field,and this is what they are growing".He showed the brothers some of the leaves he had picked."It is indeed Nawak'osis",they said, and they shook their heads in wonder.
Thus with the help of the beaver people, Bulls-by-Himself and his wife,brought the scared tobacco to the tribes,who have been smoking it in the sacred manner every since.

Bear Star

Bear Star (Bear Clan)
by L.Cota Nupa Maka

In a time beyond time, I was with my mother Ursula. My walk was not of this land, but one of the stars in the multiverse. My mother took me through the Milky Way, the spirit of the sky world, she showed me where to gather the sweet fruit of the many galaxies. Life was good and we where happy, all was safe and at peace. We were many in those days and we held the sky as our world, the galaxy was our place to sleep and dream.

My mother one day said, "It is time for me to place you in your own land. In time you will be alone and I want you to always have your star to come home too." With this said she bit off a piece of the moon and threw it out into the limitless space of time. I watched as it spun off into the darkness and vanished. Next we traveled to the sun and again she bit off a large piece of this molten liquid and threw this out into space. I watched as the shining light of the sun flew into the darkness and united with the small piece of the moon. They spun around and around until they formed between them a round ball of blue and white. This small ball then flew off on its own dancing and spinning between them.

After a long time my mother took me to see this new blue ball that she had created called Ursula or home of the Bear Star.

It was a wonderful place full of water and trees of every kind like the ones we saw in the long lost galaxies that we traveled. There were many plants and animals and fishes. Birds of all colors and size filled the water and the air.

With her claws my mother dug great rivers and made mountains by pulling the soil this way and that until she was pleased with what she had done. In the side of one of the mountains she dug a deep hole into the heated center of the blue ball.

She went in and told me to follow her so I entered this hole in the blue ball and found it warm and comfortable.

There my mother made a bed for me of soft moss, and told me that I was to sleep for many years. She said that I would sleep here until I was awakened. She said my heart would be like the land it would beat and help this place to be strong. She said that one day I would know when it was time to wake up. At that time I would come out of my sleeping space to travel this land and the sky world again. My mother told me I would dream all that was, or ever would be, on this blue ball into being, and that in time there would come others to share this space.

So I lay down and slept the long sleep and dreamed the creation of this blue ball into being.

In time there came the great shaking of the land and the water became bad and the smell entered my sleeping place. The liquids of the land spilled over into my dreams and I became aware that the time had come for me to awake.

When I awoke there was devastation all around me and the beauty that was in my dreams was destroyed by these strange beings that had come to live on the land.

The sun had faded into a thick layer of white mist and the water was freezing into ice on the mountains and the lakes.

I again walked the land that my mother had created with her powers of the sky world and saw the destruction that had taken place in my time of sleeping.

I sat on the mountains and prayed to the sky world to send my mother back to help me find a way to return all of this beauty to the land. I asked the Creation of all things to grant me a vision to help the land my mother had given to me. For days I sat on the mountain and prayed as the thunder of war flashed in the sky over the deserts of the land. I went in my spirit time to these places where all was being burned and devastated. I saw vast forests on fire and deep ruts dug into the land. The water was unclean and the blood of the land was being dug from its heart and in time there was erosion and the water escaped its place of being. I watched the dream that I had dreamed being destroyed and again I prayed for Creator to help me find a way to restore all of the beauty to the land.

In time there came a great calm and quiet and the sky world opened up to show the sun and the moon. They stood in the sky together and I saw tears on the face of the Moon Mother. Father Sun's face was filled with pain, as together they stood watching their child as she too suffered.

I saw a light come from the Milky Way, the spirit path that I once had walked to other lands and planets. This light came like a white path, and touched the land near where I sat praying. The old ones were walking toward me on this spirit path and they entered the land of my mother. Their black coats were filled with stars and they held the wisdom of the universe in their dream time.

The silent stillness lay all around in the frozen land as the old ones sat in council and spoke to me. They handed me a pouch of sacred seeds and gave me instructions as to where and when to plant them. They placed it around my neck and told me to go and plant the seeds for the time had come to heal the land.

After some time had passed I left my place on the mountain and walked three times around the blue ball of this land. As I walked I planted the new medicine plants that would in time would heal the land of all the pain and suffering.

"From this time on the land will have peace," the Elders had said. "The Bear will return to share the ways of the medicine plants and healing. It will be for the Bear to show the new little ones who come the old ways of healing."

The time has come for the healing; the bear once again walks the land and the stars. Let us enter into our dream time and pray this Earth the one they called Ursula the "Old Bear Star" into a world of love and peace.

L.Cota Nupa Maka

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.

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.

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.

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

When I was very young and I first started to travel,long before Grandmother,Grandfather and the Ancients began to appear to me, in Dream time,I heard
these words spoken,"There are so many treasures."
here are the questions I asked and the answers I got .
Q.What treasures do you mean?
A."Each dimension, or level of consciousness has it's own treasures."

Q.Please give me examples.
A."While we converse,you experience(in many ways,) the treasure of communion,which is not of the earth plane.Your physical body is passive during this communion. A higher level of sense overrides the physical;yet,what you experience is no less valid,no less real,as is your physical body.This is something you already know.'

Q.How,who,initiates this communion?
A."The invitation is given.You choose to accept or not."

Q.Is there any danger(remotely or at hand,)to me should I choose to accept?
A."No! The invitation is offered only to those who are long prepared to accept."

Q.What is the preparation?
A."It is a process that evolves from before the 1st incarnation,up to(and including,) the current one.During each respective incarnation,there are fleeting glimpses of previous incarnation(s) given.
Some will dismiss those glimpses. Some simply cannot make a connection.Some find them amusing, only in passing. The few,(comparably speaking,) claim the images,and ponder their validity...all the while,recognizing(at a higher level of awareness,) that the images are not only valid,but vital to their personal evolution. Thus,the images serve to prepare one for the visitations to increase and intensify."

Q.Is one left to experience such visitations on their own,so to speak?
A."Only at the physical realm does the word "alone" have a place; and, that is only possible,by choice.
In reality,you are an integral part of the whole and complete.Consider ,for a moment;While on the earthly plane you live among countless people,near and far.Some you know,while many,many more you will never meet.You know this in countless ways;yet you also know the latter have ever been with you,from your 1st incarnation unto the present.Thus,"alone" is non-relevant.
When it is time to make the transition from the earthly plane,you are prepared by those who will accompany you home.

Q.When I experience a visitation do I leave my physical body?
A."No!You remain in the physical realm,while the higher consciousness(the REAL you,) steps beyond the earthly plane.It is this very fact that should clarify for you,the false notion of"alone."

Q. How many levels of consciousness are there?
A."There are as many levels as is necessary to bring you to fruition,to that whole and complete state.All of which,depends on how many times you will incarnate,in order to complete your mission."

What other treasures are there?
A."I suggest you study closely the previous dream time travel you have experienced. I will say,however,each level of the conscious,each incarnation,(which is one and the same,)Holds it's own unique"treasure." It is part of your mission to recognize each,and use it for the greater good.

Q.Can one choose not to incarnate again?
A. No! Because you chose to make this journey. You committed yourself to this noble mission involved.You were offered this mission with full knowledge of what would be involved.
With each incarnation,you have left some sign(image) of the previous incarnation,which you would call upon to help you re-focus whenever the clouds of confusion,might overwhelm you.(One of the 'treasures" of your 1st few incarnations.)

Q.Thank you,these insights are deeply appreciated. May we meet again,for further discussion?
A.When you need to do so.

Q.Who are you? Are you a guide,an Angel?
A. I am you...you,who is from before forever. I am you..."you," who are the greater love,the greater good. I am "you,"You,here on the earthly plane,who will continue to expand your true essence,ever deeper and wider...

Grandmother seems to convey a determined look on her face. What might be her determination,do you think?
Perhaps,it's focus rather than determination...perhaps both. I suspect you cant have one without the other.
We have soared the heights on eagles wings.We've danced upon the waters.We've traveled so many dimensions,so many levels in a very short time.We have sat in council. We've heard the many voices;Raven,The drums,the ancients. We've beheld the glorious Fire of Infinity. We've walked the woodland path,stood upon the high cliffs,and wandered the valleys below.We've been in the awesome presence of pheasants and kings.
The velvet night sky surrounds me...from afar I see a tiny speck of light.It continues toward me...increasing in size and brilliance.

I hear the pulsing beat,as it continues to advance. I hear the drums,the chanting,and the velvet night sky is consumed by the massive light. It stops...a hush,a deep all-embracing calm pulsates noiselessly.

From the centre,there appears an oval shaped portal;then,she appears...so silent,so vibrant,so alive.She smiles and whispers,"Come to me. Look into these ancient ageless eyes. Tell me little sister,what do you see? I am entering her eyes. I see not her,but I see three pillars of fire. I see beneath each one an inscription,which read(respectively) 1. Soul 2. Heart 3. Mind. From aside she whispers,"Which of these do you claim for your own?I try to speak,but no sound comes forth.The incredibly deep silence wraps me with in itself. I am drifting.There is only the wondrous silence.

Dreamtime

As I slip into Dreamtime,a multitude of faces pass in review.Some were not very pleasing to see.Then Great Grandmother appeared,but only the outline of her face which seemed to emanate a soft white light, I saw her eyes(the dark pupils moving occasionally,)and I saw her lips moving as though speaking. I could not hear her words. Her face faded from view...flashes of reds,blue,green,amber, and a bright cobalt blue would come and go.For awhile I seemed to drift.
Suddenly,a multiple arched corridor appears. The arches seemed to emanate a diffused white light,or could have been the arches themselves. I recall 6 to 8 of them.Between the 5th and 6th arch,I noticed a dark clothed figure,which faded and replaced by many coming and going.
Again,I drifted. Great Grandmother's face reappeared,much the same as before,yet softer,more gentle...hard to define.So,I spoke to her,asking her to be present and work thru my hands.After some time,I woke up to find it was 2:A.M.
There is something rising on yet a new wave.

More of ,"The Multi-Gemmed Ring

Someone is near-by. This person tells me that this is a return visit;and, others await my arrival. Ahead of me waits my guide - GreyWolf, the four legged. He turns and walks ahead of me . We move soundless among the ancient giant trees.
The voice of Owl can be heard in the distance.Occasional streaks of Moonlight pierce the great forest to touch a rock ,or a tree stump along the path . The drums are beating a subdued chant .


The GreyWolf slows his pace, then stops . He turns his head toward me. His eyes catch a bit of the moon's light . I see the fleeting bits of red sparks in those all-knowing eyes,and, then - he is gone .
The drums increase. The wind pushes thru the great trees. It's voice more clear and emphatic. I'm being shadowed ( sort of ) by a large animal, whose step is soundless. I know it's Panther. She allows me ( now) to see her sleek, graceful form , and hear her low, occasional purr-like voice. She enters the path a short distance ahead of me, and walks on .

We reach a clear,partially open space. Panther turns her head,and as her eyes meet mine, she changes form . A woman, about 5ft ,8 inches tall stands before me . Her hair bound in a single braid rests upon her right side . The aura of this beautiful woman is striking. She wears a dark colored dress that reaches below her knees. She wears nothing on her feet .She holds an object in her palmed hands.
I step closer to her . The object she holds is the multi -gem-ed ring. Amazed, I ask her , " have we not met before ?" She answers, "Yes, DancingFire. At the temple of many lights. I stood in the midst of the pillars of lights, and presented this ring to you via one of my young attendants ."
" You see the newest gem of the cats eye is included . You now begin to develop the cats vision ability. Note the unswerving confidence of the cat's gaze. Note also , the utter stillness of the cat's body when it's gaze is fixes on it's subject . Observe, your newly acquired feline . He is gift. he will teach you much , merely by his own presence, and your close observation. Know, it is not by chance that he has come to share your journey .

" Look into my eyes, while I place the cat's eye against your forehead ." I see the depths in her eyes, and feel the gem against my forehead . A sudden brilliant something seems to split my head apart. I feel tremendous heat streaming from the center of my head . It moves like liquid fire, and fragments into countless rays of colored light .
I'm moving upward in a circular fashion. High above the great forest, far beyond the stars. there's awesome , soul-shattering music. It surrounds me. It's alive,and holding me in it's arms .It smiles at me , and whispers, " I am the voice of your ancient soul. Your soul fashioned by Father/Mother God comes forth to speak it's word, to lift your consciousness to higher levels . You will, very soon, realize a heightened awareness, and increase of extraordinary vision that will initially astound you . Be at peace with it . Allow it to come . Move with it . It is you, as you were before the stars were named .

" Listen closely to the music. Allow it to permeate you body, your surroundings. Give thanks to Great Spirit for the gift of ancient , timeless origin, from which great love and wisdom flows. Remember always who you are, and why you are here . The gift is universal, for universal purpose . It is time for you to return . Be assured that we will meet again soon, and , speak further. Go , in love and peace. Wait for the cat's eye to be placed in your hand . It comes to validate , to re-reinforce, to nourish and sustain you in a new phase of your journey.
There is a low hum-like sound surrounding me . It's carrying me away ? Not sure . I'm being led by the GreyWolf to the edge of the great forest. The drums, barely audible, bring me back home . I feel so tired, so drained , so completely silenced .