I
have traveled to many places in this world from one side to
the other I find people turning back to the original roots
personal ritual. There are many cultures and many paths
that all respect Mother Earth but none so sought after as
the American Indian path. Living in ritual
is not so hard it only takes the remembering and honoring
of all things. Religion failed miserably at this as it was
border line ritual, guilt, and rut. Memorizing a certain
thing to say can fast become a rut and does not open the mind
to freedom of expression. Each day is different and each
day we have many things that we face or do that will influence
how we pray or give thanks. Spirit is very much alive and
awaits the rekindling of the fire.
I consider a day without pain a good day to live. The sky
begins at me feet each day and I have only to walk that day
to the end. Good or bad, it is all there for us
to make the best of, and to enjoy the lessons along
the way.
The way of my people is the Inipi or as many call it the
(Sweat Lodge). The balance between the spiritual world
and the physical world is all there in the lodge.
We say "Mitakuye Oyasin" which translates into
"All my relations." These words are said many time
during and after the ceremony, this brings to memory
that we are never alone. We are related to each other,
and to all things on the Earth Mother, this relation goes
even beyond the stars, and even beyond the Universe.
In the every day existence is is so easy to forget the fact
that we are all like a strand of the web that is closely woven
in this life.
Each movement we make, and each thought we think,
directly effects someone or something. Everything is related
and all things feel and breath and have spirit.
When we are tuned into our connection with all
things, we are powerful and strong. From this place
of all things we can bring wholeness and goodness to our lives,
and the lives of all our relation. We can live in a ritualistic
way each and every day it is not so hard as it may seem.
We do not need a special ceremony to manifest our deep intentions
into physical reality.
The wall between the spiritual world and the physical
world is thinner than you can imagine. It takes only a thought
or intention to reach into the space of plenty or the "Great
Mystery."
Some of the way you can bring this balance into your life
are listed here for you to use if you wish. Remember to be
conscious of your actions, and thoughts during this time,
not as a matter or routine.
Each day when you bath or shower you can imagine that your
washing off the old ways of being that you no longer wish
to carry. This is a good way to honor the water that is gifted
and to be thankful for the precious clean clear water we have.
You can even go deeper into the water and the life it supports
on this planet, that too is all related.
When you breathe it can be a way of inner cleansing
the Buddhist use this method of cleansing as a ritual act.
You can image the toxic waste in your inner most being as
released through the exhale of air from the lungs. Reach deep
and imagine the air rushing to every organ and extremity.
Release this and imagine the trees and the plants making it
pure and clean air again.
Honor the food that you take into your body to nourish your
physical being. Visualize the food and what it will do for
your total body and mind. Use this time to replenish the physical
being and project the abundance of the Earth for all your
relations. We have a small plate we place some of each
thing we eat at a meal. This is called the spirit plate,
we place this out for the spirits so that all will be fed
on a physical level and on a spiritual level. As the plate
is passed before we eat we each place some of out food on
this in remembrance of our relations. It would be considered
disrespectful if we did not remember and honor our relation
in spirit.
Material attachments are hard to break and harder to live
with when you live in a spiritual way. Money is one of the
hardest things to release as it is the current exchange of
energy. We have the ability to use this energy in a good way
by creating the flow. A basket that is full, is
not open to exchange or flow. Physical manifestation,
with good intention is one way of creating from the
energy that money brings. For instance visualize what a few
can do to create a place of healing and light when we share.
This becomes a collective way of healing and can be
powerful. This I call the collective mind and physical energy.
Without imagination there is no reason for the exchange of
money. If your blessed with the power of abundance,
share and create.
You will find your basket over flowing in spiritual energy
that manifests healing light. It is through the "Fourth",
world control that we became blinded into the me, my,
and I, theory. It is only through the sharing of all
things that we will progress into the now closing "Fifth"
world. Through the becoming the "We" all things
can become possible and the "We", will walk
as the "One." (We never pass a person on the street,
or see someone in need, that we do not offer assistance
or food. This act of love and compassion just may be the turning
point for the one who receives. We do not set standards or
judge we offer it from our hearts with no conditions.)
It is a custom that when ask a question of importance the
answer was never given immediately. There was first the offering
of tobacco to the elders. We sit in council with the
elders and we cleared our minds of all our earthly worries
and needs. The sage was lit and the prayers offered before
all else. There is no instant gratification. This could take
as long as four days and maybe more. The old ones constantly
watched and their knowledge was sought after on matters of
family and healing. Communication from the heart takes time.
The heart to heart talks were considered as much healing as
any other ritual.
We use a "Talking Stick." and the "Peace Makers",
sat and listened to our hearts with respect and
none judgment. Their were many who offered guidance
and ways to live our lives better. No one told us what to
do, they only observed and suggested better way to live.
This was called collective council of wisdom.
In these time we forget to consider the outside influence
we bring into a family council. Sometimes the results
are influenced by this lack of clear thinking. Clear
the mind body and focus on the good of the person who is seeking
council.
Joy is a feeling of complete wholeness. Appreciate
this and allow yourself to enjoy the good times as well as
the hard times.
This is the balance in life we all deserve when we work hard
to walk a good path.
Know that you deserve beauty and goodness. Creator is a loving
entity and connects with each and every one of us. How could
we exist if there was no love and joy to balance out the hardships
and pain.
We live in a good and loving universe that is here for us
day in and day out no matter what we do or say. We always
say "Wopila", forthe good in our lives,
we give thanks for these things, as well as to pray
for the not so good things. Always be thankful and remember
the good. Always share with others when you have an
abundance, in this way the gift keeps on giving.
It is often hard for us to have a few minutes to ourselves
for quiet time. I found that on my way home from work in my
car was the time I had to prepare my mind and body.
I knew I would be greeted at the door by my children all clamoring
for my undivided attention. It is hard to divide yourself
up into so many pieces. I found that if I faced this as a
whole then I could cope with the needs of my family. If I
divided this into pieces then I could never collect myself.
So to face each thing as a whole, is more powerful
than just as a piece of your complete self.
On my drive home I would clear the work from my mind and leave
it for the next day. I gathered my thoughts into a bundle
and imagined my every move when I reached my home. I previewed
all the problems and solved them before I reached the door.
With that in mind, I sent my spirit home and placed a blanket
of love and blessing on my family and home.
When I reached my home I was calm and collected not scattered
with thoughts and demands of the outside world. These things
I held precious my children, and my home were sacred.
All things that entered were under my protection and all things
related as one under the great bowl of the sky.
To become the one is as simple as reaching out and sharing
your heart, mind, and spirit, with all your relation.
In trust of a better way of living here on this our Earth
Mother for the sake of the Seven Generations to come. Mitakuye
Oyasin Waynonaha
We live in a wonderful time when all is awakening into the
collective mind thought that we are not alone. The universe
is abundant and is constantly teaching us to become one.
As one we can manifest the reality of a healing,
and whole Earth. .
This is a time of remembering into one spirit, and
one mind, through this we can create the world for the
future.
Come join Grandmother
Waynonah Two Worlds
at the Wise Woman Center
Medicine
Wheel 101 on October 25th 2003 and
Sacred
Point of View on October 26th 2003
(click on the links above to find out more)
The
Seven Directions Movement Meditation honors all life.
As we move around the circle we remember, "Everything
within the circle is sacred, all things outside of the circle
is sacred, all is sacred."
- Moses Shongo, Seneca Medicine Man
Seven
Directions Movement Meditation Trio
Item Price:$ 45.00 (plus shipping)
Collect all three of White Feather's Seven Directions Movement
Meditation; includes booklet, CD, and video. With this complete
set you will be practicing this dance with ease and grace
: )) The perfect gift for someone who has everything! "White
Feather has provided us with a phenomenal expression of human
movement that is connected with earth energy. She has shared
this with countless people to help them feel their wholeness
as an expression of inner truth." Grandmother Twylah
Nitsch, Elder of the Seneca Wolf Clan. Click
here to order.
Click
here to read the introduction and an excerpt
from The Seven Directions Movement Meditation
by Whitefeather
"White Feather has provided us with a phenomenal
expression of human movement that is connected with earth
energy. She has shared this with countless people to help
them feel their wholeness as an expression of inner truth."—
Grandmother Twylah Nitsch, Elder of the Seneca Wolf Clan
