All About Ravyn Wolff: New items added to OUR MOTHERS GIFTS for all my spiritual friends

OUR MOTHERS GIFTS........ Creations by Ravyn Wolff ***I have added lots of new items to the myspace slideshow. If you see any items of interest message me on myspace or email me at ravnwolff@gmail. *** COMING SOON>>>>One of a kind Tarot bags and more jewelry and medicine bags in all colors. All Medicine Bags Presently in Stock.....$20.00 plus shipping and handling (calculated according to the address of delivery) Feel free to browse my myspace photo gallery and slideshow where new medicine bags in stock are being added daily. Special Order Medicine Bags..... Small 20.00 Medium 30.00 Large 40.00 Oil Blends All oil blends include pure essential oils, herbs, small gemstone, and sweet almond oil and jojoba as a carrier and come in 1/4 ounce bottles. $4.00 plus shipping and handling Depression Meditation Headache Stress Relief Grief Prosperity Attraction Protection Love Earth Mother SPECIAL ON OILS......PURCHASE 7 OIL BLENDS AND GET ONE OF YOUR CHOICE FREE (This special does not include sets) Chakra Oil Set A set of 8 individual essential oils for application to the chakra centers on the body. The aromatic essential oils help to clear the eneergy quickly and easily. The Chakra Oil Set consists of 8 - 1/4ounce bottles, one for each chakra center. Each bottle contains the essential oils specific to each chakra in a base of sweet almond and jojoba oils which increase the shelf life of the oils. $35.00 set plus shipping and handling Astrological Oils Blended for your specific sun or moon sign (Please include you birth date, place, and time with your order) 1/4 ounce 5.00 Goddess Oils Celebrate the Goddess with Goddess Oils. I've choosen special herbs and essential oils for each goddess and what She represents! Annoint yourself, candles or inhale for energies of your chosen Goddess.1/4 ounce $4.00 plus shipping and handling. Demeter Aphrodite Isis Sun Goddess Tara Kali Morrigan Athene Diana Bridgit Epona Hecate Specific Goddess not listed contact me. Elemental Oils $4.00 each 1/4 ounce bottle or $15.00 for all 4 elements. Earth Air Fire Water Special request oil. If you have a special request oil you would like me to blend for you contact me with your request. I will let you know the information I will need to blend your oil. Oils blended by special request are $6.00 for a 1/4 ounce bottle. I will also create incense for all of the oils listed and for special needs. Contact me for incense pricing and information. If you are interested in receiving updates on new items added to my store weekly let me know and I will send you updates and you can also subscribe to Our Mothers Gifts Blog on myspace. Temporary site for Our Mothers Gifts http://www.myspace.com/ravnwolff (0) Comments

Posted: 4/6/2007 2:50:15 PM

All About Ravyn Wolff: Change

I'm at a point in my life where one chapter is closing and another one is ready to begin. The transitional phase has been a little hard on me, leaving me without a lot of extra time on my hands as usual, but, it has made me a stronger person in the end. So, while I still resent some of it, I'm remembering to accept the struggle as something positive. Understanding that it's time to let go of something that has been a part of your life, is never easy. It never has been but I do it each time and the rewards are always there. I am experiencing a recovery process of loosing myself, and then finding myself once again. How many times will I have to repeat this process before I finally get the lessons? I feel as though I am in a spiritual rehab and have once again turned to my beliefs to get me through this. I pray. I cleanse. I can feel it when I neglect my spiritual practices. It runs through my body like a river. My body aches, until I smudge and the smoke from the sage makes contact with my spirit. I have always counted on the beliefs I have learned along the way. Right now, I am taking all the strength I have gathered through the years of past experiences and am applying that to my day to day life. I see that things are hard now, and they will be hard for a while, but I will make it through this as I always have. I understand that I have an infinate number of choices before me, and I am free to do whatever it is my heart wants. It's a lot like feeling the true sense of freedom for the first time in ones life. A natural high. I am trying to sort out the things that I want to do, compared to the things that I should do. It is all about taking chances and trusting. I figure if I just leave it up to the universe, things will happen how they are supposed to. So call me crazy, but I am just going to go with it. Where I end up, is where I am supposed to be. Last night I drove out and sat outside where on a clear night the view is amazing. I just layed there looking at the stars for hours. The night sky gives me a sense of inner peace. Today I will rest and wait to see what the universe has in store for my life next........... (0) Comments

Posted: 4/1/2007 2:54:50 PM

Ravyn Wolffs Spiritual path: Dance with me

I raise my hands high above, Reaching for the Stars, Letting the Rainbow flow, Becoming the Dream, Welcoming the Endless tide of all that is. Let only Light and Love guide this heart of mine, May I journey well into the secret lands of Dreams. May all that I touch be filled with my endless flow of Love. May all that I look upon be lit by the Spark of Imagination. May we all find our way and dance together amongst the stars, Slide down the Rainbow, And Soar upon the bounty of that Loving Light! (1) Comments

Posted: 3/31/2007 5:56:53 PM

All About Ravyn Wolff: What is a true friend

What constitutes a good friend? Someone who is insightful, likesouled, tolerant of our failings, someone who says the right thing at the right time, someone who blesses us by her quiet support, someone who helps us laugh at our inflated notions, someone who mourns with us in our sad times. Friends are the sisters and brothers of our soul. But friendship is a two-way street; there are obligations on both sides. Although the rules of friendship are unwritten, it is clear to both partners when they are broken. If we transgress against trust and confidentiality, if we allow the friendship to become one-sided or without meaningful exchange, if we fail to communicate about a misunderstanding over too long a time, if we keep something of our friend's and forget to give it back, if we presume to speak on behalf of our friend without authority, then we break the rules of friendship. The bond of friendship is shaken by neither time nor distance. It abides beyond temporal boundaries, necessities, and unseen contingencies in profound and beautiful ways. Meditate upon friendship as a friend and as one who is befriended. On what are your own friendships based; how are they sustained? What do you value most in your fiends? (0) Comments

Posted: 3/31/2007 5:50:44 PM

Native American: A Native American Legend - Nation Unknown

"Twisted Hair" is the Native American term of honor given to the storyteller. Their spirit could hear the heartbeat of Mother Earth and Father Sky. To become a storyteller you had to be recognized by an elder Twisted Hair. The Twisted Hair was the bearer of news from one village to the next and the source of gossip for the women of the tribe. They were the light spirit among all the people and made all the people one because the history of the people was kept by the Twisted Hair and passed down from generation to generation. The Twisted Hair carried very little with him as he wandered, for the people of the village he was visiting would gift him with food and shelter. He always carried a warm robe, his pipe and his storytellers' bag. Stories are usually only told when the weather is a bit nippy because everyone knows that bugs are terrible gossips. If one of them were to overhear a story, they would spread rumors and the story that the spirit is about might be offended. The Twisted Hairs knew so many stories that, in a sacred manner, they would gather clay from Mother Earth and make story tiles. The tiles were put in a leather bag and one of the children would be asked to pick one out. The symbol on the tile would remind him of a particular story. The Twisted Hair's pipe was wrapped in a skin given to him by his mother. This gift kept his family close by as he spent little time at home. When a Twisted Hair came into a village the children would run to greet him and all the people would stop their work, for they knew it was time to listen and learn. All the people would get their robes and gather in a circle around the Twisted Hair. The children would always be in the front of the circle. When anyone got cold they would pull their robes up around themselves, because unless it was an extreme emergency - no one ever left the circle of the Twisted Hair in the middle of a story, for to do so was a great dishonor. Before he told stories, the Twisted Hair always made a prayer fire. He offered tobacco to Great Mystery and all our relations. Then he first honored the chief, then the elder men and women by offering them to share his pipe. Then he offered it to all others. When the storytelling was over, they would feast. The Twisted Hair would stay in the village from one to two weeks. Of all the people that traveled from village to village, he was the most beloved. So remember, when you hear a story - you know that a Twisted Hair is nearby, either physically or in spirit. (1) Comments

Posted: 3/29/2007 10:36:32 PM

Native American: Chaco Canyon, Fajada Butte

The Sun Dagger site, near the top of Fajada Butte, revealed the changing of the seasons to Anasazi astronomers a thousand years ago. Its secret was lost around 1250 AD, when the ancient people abandoned Chaco Canyon. There are some interesting theories on why. Then in 1979, an artist was studying petroglyph art at Chaco when she noticed that a slender beam of sunlight passing between two rock monoliths bisected the center of a spiral-shaped symbol on the exact day of the summer solstice. Returning time after time to continue her observations, she found that at the winter solstice the same "sun dagger" sliced through a smaller petroglyph nearby, and that two parallel daggers bracketed the larger spiral at the spring and fall equinoxes. The discovery touched off a flurry of controversy. Scholarly experts scoffed. The sun, they pointed out, was not known to be represented by a spiral in any Anasazi petroglyph art. If the strange markings had actually served as a tool of prehistoric astronomy, they argued, would not the ancients have chosen a more appropriate symbol? Further study revealed that the larger spiral's shape tracked an 18-1/2-year lunar cycle--an astronomical feat unheard of among Native Americans, though well known to the Toltecs of Mexico and the Maya as well. The sun dagger thus tended to confirm the prevailing academic hypothesis that Chaco Canyon was located at the end of a Toltec trade route, evidenced by such treasures as mother-of-pearl far from the sea and macaw feathers equally far from the jungle. The more the seemingly simple rock carvings were studied, the more mysterious they became. Fajada Butte stands like a pyramid 480 feet above Chaco Canyon's broad, level floor. It used to be a quick, hard climb-steep and shadeless, crawling with rattlesnakes. But all that changed when a PBS television show about the sun dagger phenomenon, narrated by Robert Redford, captured viewers' imagination. In 1982, with tourists flocking to Chaco Canyon in record numbers, the National Park Service declared the butte and the area surrounding it off-limits to all but scientific researchers. Yet there was no shortage of scientists trudging up the butte's steep trail with their photographic equipment, then scrambling up the staircase of loose boulders to the site itself. In fact, more people began climbing Fajada Butte for officially sanctioned research purposes than had previously climbed it just because it was there. Formerly faint, the trail wore deeper. Summer storms made a gutter of it. Disaster struck in 1989, when erosion of the clay and gravel around the base of the stone monoliths caused them to slip. As the slabs inched down the steep slope of the butte, the sun dagger vanished. Having unobtrusively marked the passage of seasons for many centuries; it lasted only ten years after its discovery before it was lost forever. I have my own personal theories on this and the weakening energy vortexes around Sedona as well. The loss of the sun dagger prompted the World Monuments Fund to add Chaco Canyon--now known as Chaco Culture National Historical Park--to its Most Endangered Monuments list in 1996. In a remote part of northwestern New Mexico's arid San Juan Basin, the canyon contains the ruins of the largest pre-Columbian "city" in what is now the United States. The site's nine "great houses," the largest of which stood five stories high and had 650 dwelling rooms and 37 ceremonial kivas, along with some 3,500 smaller structures in and around the canyon, may have housed up to 10,000 people at a time. Chaco was the hub of a network of roads-at least 20 of them, each nearly 30 feet wide-that radiated in all directions for distances of up to 100 miles, suggesting that the site may have been a part-time home to pilgrims from other Anasazi settlements who came here for religious ceremonies, trade, or both. Interesting that many people could have inhabited the area yet it was not destroyed. Are you getting the same feeling I have? This was a once great civilization that remained unharmed. Often, those who most treasure Chaco Canyon's silent mysteries unwittingly contribute to its slow destruction. As early as the mid-1970s, when an average of twelve people per week visited the site, environmentalists adopted the slogan "Don't pave the road to Chaco Canyon," and emblazoning it on T-shirts and bumper stickers. Though treacherous when it rains, the 30 miles of dusty washboard road into the monument remain unpaved to this day, but the Save Chaco Canyon campaign drew attention to the ruins and boosted the number of visitors annually from hundreds to thousands. In 1990, when spiritually aware pilgrims identified Chaco Canyon as one of the key sacred sites of the Harmonic Convergence, widespread publicity helped increase the number of visitors to nearly 20,000 a year, a rise that continues today. Looting has become a problem at outlying sites, and within the park visitors find themselves subject to ever more stringent backcountry hiking restrictions. Besides human visitors, the World Monuments Fund reports, Chaco's ruins are threatened by natural phenomena: rains that seep into masonry joints; snow accumulations that melt and trickle down into walls, then freeze and expand, widening cracks; windstorms; livestock; even weeds. Protected for centuries by the windblown sand that covered most of the surviving stone walls, the ruins became vulnerable to erosion when archaeologists excavated them. Today, National Park Service officials report, the deterioration of the ruins far exceeds the government's financial ability to maintain them. Just some interesting food for thought.............. (0) Comments

Posted: 3/29/2007 5:47:56 PM

I would really like everyones input....pleeeeaaaassse

As some of you already know I am in a position with work etc right now that I am attempting to start an online business offering one of a kind medicine bags, oils, incense etc. I have started slowly adding items to my myspace under pics and would really love imput from everyone. What do you think of what I have up so far. What items do you think would be in demand. How can I improve the business? Let me know all your opinions. my myspace page is http://www.myspace.com/ravnwolff Thanks so much everyone!!! (1) Comments

Posted: 3/29/2007 2:34:20 PM

Aromatherapy: Aromatherapy Tips for Beginners

A lot of people are becoming interested in the benefits of aromatherapy on the mind and body. Here are a few tips that might be helpful to beginners in aromatherapy. DON’T: Don’t buy perfume oils thinking they are the same thing as essential oils. Perfume oils do not offer the therapeutic benefits of essential oils. Even if you only intend on using aromatherapy in your lifestyle for the sheer enjoyment of the aroma, essential oils that are breathed in can offer therapeutic benefits. These benefits do not occur with the use of perfume oils. DON’T: Don’t buy essential oils with rubber glass dropper tops. Essential oils are very concentrated and will turn the rubber to a gum thus ruining the oil. DO: Read as much as you can on Aromatherapy. It is very easy to get started with Aromatherapy, but there are safety issues that you need to be aware of. AromaWeb does offer safety tips and information to help you on your way, but you are wise to read even further on the important subject of essential oil safety. Visit the Book Shelf for book descriptions on over 12 popular aromatherapy books. DO: Be selective of where you purchase your essential oils. The quality of essential oils varies widely from company to company. Additionally, some companies may falsely claim that their oils are undiluted or pure when they aren’t. DO: Learn to compare apples to apples when shopping for oils. Anise, Lavender, Bay, Cedarwood, and Eucalyptus are examples of the common names of plants used to create essential oils. There, however, are different varieties of each of these plants. To differential these varieties, the botanical name (also referred to as the Latin name) is used to tell them apart. For instance, two different oils are referred to as “Bay essential oil,” yet they come from two different plants. The properties and aroma of each oil do differ as does the general cost between the two. It, therefore, is important to pay attention to the botanical name. In the case of Bay, the common botanical names for the two oils used in this example are Pimenta racemosa and Laurus nobilis. DO: It is also helpful to note the country of origin for the oil. Most good essential oil sellers will readily supply the botanical names and country of origin for the oils that they sell. When comparing one company’s oils with another’s, also pay attention to if either company’s oils are organic, wild-crafted or ethically farmed. DON’T: It is wise not to purchase oils from vendors at street fairs, craft shows, or other limited-time events. Some vendors know beginners have no recourse against them later. This is not to say that there are not highly reputable sellers at such events, but this is a caution for beginners who are not able to reliably judge quality. DO: Purchasing oils from reputable mail-order companies may result in obtaining higher quality oils at less expense than purchasing oils from a generic local health food establishment. Again, there is a wide variance in the quality of oils from company to company and store to store. Although AromaWeb does not make an endorsement of any establishment, the Business Plaza’s Vendor Pavilion lists a variety of companies that sell essential oils and aromatherapy products. DO: Pay special attention to all safety information on all essential oils that you use. This is even more important if you have any medical condition or are pregnant. DO: Last but not least, do enjoy introducing aromatherapy into your lifestyle! (0) Comments

Posted: 3/18/2007 2:58:19 PM

All About Ravyn Wolff: New Medicine bags for review

I have just posted the first batch of medicine bags I will be selling in my photo section. I will be selling all my present inventory at a very reasonable price plus shipping and handling. If anyone is interested in any of the bags shown let me know and I will give you the info on them. Have a beautiful day! Ravyn Wolff (1) Comments

Posted: 3/18/2007 1:14:25 PM

Native American: Cherokee Women

From a historical stasndpoint, women in the Cherokee society were equal to men. They could earn the title of War Women and sit in councils as equals. This privilege led an Irishman named Adair who traded with the Cherokee from 1736-1743 to accuse the Cherokee of having a "petticoat government". Clan kinship followed the mother's side of the family. The children grew up in the mother's house, and it was the duty of an uncle on the mother's side to teach the boys how to hunt, fish, and perform certain tribal duties. The women owned the houses and their furnishings. Marriages were carefully negotiated, but if a woman decided to divorce her spouse, (He He I love that one) she simply placed his belongings outside the house. Cherokee women also worked hard. They cared for the children, cooked, tended the house, tanned skins, wove baskets, and cultivated the fields. Men helped with some household chores like sewing, but they spent most of their time hunting. Nancy Ward, or Nan'yehi(nan yay hee), is the most famous Cherokee Beloved Woman. The role of Beloved Woman,Ghigau(Ghee gah oo), was the highest a Cherokee woman could aspire to. A Ghigau had a voice and vote in General Council, leadership of the Woman's Council, the honor of preparing and serving the ceremonial Black Drink, the duty of ambassador of peace-negotiator, and the right to save the life of a prisoner already condemned to execution. One such prisoner was a settler named Mrs. Bean, who was captured in an attack on illegal white settlements on the Watauga(wah tah oo gah) River. Mrs. Bean taught Nan'yehi such skills as spinning, weaving, and the raising of animals, which Nan'yehi in turn taught the rest of the Cherokee. This provided the Cherokee with some food during the winter months, but gave them more work. The title Ghigau also translates to 'War Woman," and Nan'yehi earned the title by taking up her husband's gun when he was slain in a battle against the Creeks and leading her people to victory. Another War Woman, Cuhtahlatah, won honor during the American Revolutionary period by leading Cherokee warriors to victory after her husband fell. She later joined in a vigorous war dance carrying her tomahawk and gun. In the Cherokee society your Clan was your family. Children belonged to the entire Clan, and when orphaned were simply taken into a different household. Marriage within the clan was strictly forbidden, or pain of death. Marriages were often short term, and there was no punishment for divorce or adultery. Cherokee women were free to marry traders, surveyors, and soldiers, as well as their own tribesmen. Cherokee girls learned by example how to be warriors and healers. They learned to weave baskets, tell stories, trade, and dance. They became mothers and wives, and learned their heritage. The Cherokee learned to adapt, and the women were the core of the Cherokee. I love my Cherokee ancestry! (0) Comments

Posted: 3/18/2007 10:08:41 AM

All About Ravyn Wolff: Medicine bags, stones, jewelry, incense, oils, herbs, etc. available soon

As some of you know I have been planning on starting a online business for some time but am just now finding the time to get it going. I have a large assortment of medicine bags already made and can make special order bags as well. I also have a lot of stones, jewelry, that will be available and make incense and oils for numerous needs. I will also be starting a special line of chakra oils. I hope to have a list of available items in the next few weeks and will have pics of stones, bags, and jewelry available for anyone who contacts me with an interest. If you are interested in oils, incense, or herbs for special needs let me know as well. I can make special blends to order. I do have a few dream catchers but only a few at this time and do not plan to do any more unless I get special orders for them. Let me know what you all think. Ravyn Wolff (1) Comments

Posted: 3/17/2007 8:10:05 PM

Native American: Tatanka Hunkesi : The Wisdom of Experience

Today it was warm and I went for a walk. I walked past the place where my father used to live. I thought back to another warm day when I walked this way to visit my father. I was a much younger man, but he was a very wise and old man by then. It was not long after that day before he joined with the Great Spirit. But that morning, I believed he would live forever. He was sitting at his front door, using an old fashion stick drill to make holes in small seashells he collected when we went on a trip to the beach. I asked him what he was doing. He said he was making necklaces in the old style as gifts for his granddaughters and great-granddaughters from the shells he collected. I looked at him with surprise. The drill he used was a homemade drill made from a stick, and cross bar of wood, some string and a nail. It was just as the ones his father and his grandfather used to make holes in shells so many years ago. It was the same exact type of tool our people had used to drill holes in shells and rocks for generations before the white men came to this land. (In the past they used flint or another sharp rock rather than a nail at the end.) I watched as his old and bony hands spun the string tightly around the shaft, then push the cross bar over and over again. Each time he pushed the crossbar, the string unwound and the drill spun. Then he let the crossbar go, and used his old fingers to spin the stick, rewinding the crossbar up again and then pushing the crossbar down. His old hands did this with such ease that the nail spun on the shell back and forth, making a hole in the center. Still, it was slow and hard work, especially for his old, tired hands. I pulled up a chair next to him and sat down. I looked at the many shells that were waiting have a hole drilled in them sitting in a basket by his side. Then I looked at the handful that were sitting in another basket with small holes neatly drilled in each. Knowing my father’s habits, I knew he had been working on his drilling since the early morning. After a short time I asked him why he wasn’t using a better, more modern drill to make the holes. I suggested he use my modern drill, or even use the old hand crank drill he had in his toolbox. They would both be faster than the old hand made one he was using. My father did not look up from his work. He kept moving the crossbar on his hand made drill as he worked. "This works as well as I need it to," he said. "But," I argued with him, "there are many more ways that would be much quicker." My father stopped his work and looked at me. "What benefit would quickness be?" he asked me. I didn’t understand. I answered him, "You would be done sooner." My father looked deep in my eyes and said, "This is exactly why I use this old drill. Our people have been making this type of drill for hundreds of years. It always works in its own time. I could use a new type of drill and have all these shells drilled and strung by noon. But then what would I do?" "I am making a gift for my granddaughters and their daughters. I am happy in making these gifts. Making the gifts is as much joy to me as giving the gifts. If I were to rush and make them with the tools you suggest, then I would be denying myself the joy that the effort gives me. If I rush, I will not have the time to become one with the things I make." Though I wanted to, I did not understand him. I thought he was foolish, and maybe even a bit senile for taking all day, maybe longer, and putting in such an effort to drill the holes in the shells with an old stick drill. I believed my nieces and grandnieces wouldn’t know the difference anyway. Not long after that day, my father’s spirit joined with the Great Spirit, but not before he had finished the necklaces and gave them to his grandchildren and their daughters. When it came to be time to clean his home, I found, in his personal effects, a small package with my name on it. I opened it up and found a hand made sheathe of leather. The stitching was less than machine perfect, made by my father’s brittle old hands. On it was beaded a bird of Thunder and a medicine symbol. Inside the sheathe was a blade of shinning, hand sharpened and polished metal. The handle was made from a deer horn. My name was carved on the base of the handle. Its rough cut and shaped beauty was amazing to behold. When I held the knife, I could feel the spirit and energy of my father in every inch of the knife and sheathe. His being and his spirit were in this gift. Inside the sheathe, along with the knife, was a note. My father wrote, in his shaky hand, words that translate to: "My son. Now I am dead. An old piece of metal and a deer horn, like shells on the beach and a piece of string, tie this old man’s heart to those he loves." I could feel the wisdom of my father surround me. I could feel my own ignorance and shame well up in me. I knew then why my father used the old stick drill to work the shells. I also understood then, that the fastest way to do something is not always the best. Even if the end result looks the same, or better, it is the soul of the hands that make something that makes that item of value. This day, when I walked past the place where my father lived, I am an old man. I stopped and looked at the place where my father sat with the old drill and the shells, and I reached to my side to the sheathe and knife my father made which I wear on my belt every day of my life, and I remembered him and his wisdom. (0) Comments

Posted: 3/17/2007 6:06:28 PM

Legend of the Cedar Tree a Cherokee Story

A long time ago when the Cherokee people were new upon the earth, they thought that life would be much better if there was never any night. They beseeched the Ouga (Creator) that it might be day all the time and that there would be no darkness. The Creator heard their voices and made the night cease and it was day all the time. Soon, the forest was thick with heavy growth. It became difficult to walk and to find the path. The people toiled in the gardens many long hours trying to keep the weeds pulled from among the corn and other food plants. It got hot, very hot, and continued that way day after long day. The people began to find it difficult to sleep and became short tempered and argued among themselves. Not many days had passed before the people realized they had made a mistake and, once again, they beseeched the Creator. "Please," they said, "we have made a mistake in asking that it be day all the time. Now we think that it should be night all the time." The Creator paused at this new request and thought that perhaps the people may be right even though all things were created in twos... representing to us day and night, life and death, good and evil, times of plenty and those times of famine. The Creator loved the people and decided to make it night all the time as they had asked. The day ceased and night fell upon the earth. Soon, the crops stopped growing and it became very cold. The people spent much of their time gathering wood for the fires. They could not see to hunt meat and with no crops growing it was not long before the people were cold, weak, and very hungry. Many of the people died. Those that remained still living gathered once again to beseech the Creator. "Help us Creator," they cried! "We have made a terrible mistake. You had made the day and the night perfect, and as it should be, from the beginning. We ask that you forgive us and make the day and night as it was before." Once again the Creator listened to the request of the people. The day and the night became, as the people had asked, as it had been in the beginning. Each day was divided between light and darkness. The weather became more pleasant, and the crops began to grow again. Game was plentiful and the hunting was good. The people had plenty to eat and there was not much sickness. The people treated each other with compassion and respect. It was good to be alive. The people thanked the Creator for their life and for the food they had to eat. The Creator accepted the gratitude of the people and was glad to see them smiling again. However, during the time of the long days of night, many of the people had died, and the Creator was sorry that they had perished because of the night. The Creator placed their spirits in a newly created tree. This tree was named a-tsi-na tlu-gv {ah-see-na loo-guh} cedar tree. When you smell the aroma of the cedar tree or gaze upon it standing in the forest, remember that if you are Tsalagi {Cherokee}, you are looking upon your ancestor. Tradition holds that the wood of the cedar tree holds powerful protective spirits for the Cherokee. Many carry a small piece of cedar wood in their medicine bags worn around the neck. It is also placed above the entrances to the house to protect against the entry of evil spirits. A traditional drum would be made from cedar wood. Does the author believe this? Well, lets just say that there is a piece of cedar in my medicine pouch and I wear it always. The Creator did not make the people because of loneliness, but because the Creator wanted to show generosity and love to the people. Accept the blessings and the gifts given and always give thanks for them. (1) Comments

Posted: 3/17/2007 5:51:40 PM

THE LEGEND OF QU'APPELLE VALLEY

Legend tells of a young Indian brave canoeing home from a hunting trip one evening when he thought he heard someone calling his name. "Who calls?", he asked aloud. There was no reply. "Qu'appelle?" he tried again, this time in French. Then came a reply from the hills on the other side of the placid, moonlit lake: "Qu'appelle?" It was his echo. On his return home the following night he discovered the young maiden he was to marry died suddenly the previous evening. With her dying breath, she called out his name. Thus, the beautiful Qu'Appelle Valley received its name. This is a version I am familiar with as told by Pauline Johnson a Mohawk-Canadian poet. THE LEGEND OF QU'APPELLE VALLEY I AM the one who loved her as my life, Had watched her grow to sweet young woman- hood ; Won the dear privilege to call her wife, And found the world, because of her, was good. I am the one who heard the spirit voice, Of which the paleface settlers love to tell ; From whose strange story they have made their choice Of naming this fair valley the " Qu'Appelle." She had said fondly in my eager ear-- " When Indian summer smiles with dusky lip, Come to the lakes, I will be first to hear The welcome music of thy paddle dip. I will be first to lay in thine my hand, To whisper words of greeting on the shore ; And when thou would'st return to thine own land, I'll go with thee, thy wife for evermore." Nor yet a leaf had fallen, not a tone Of frost upon the plain ere I set forth, Impatient to possess her as my own-- This queen of all the women of the North. I rested not at even or at dawn, But journeyed all the dark and daylight through-- Until I reached the Lakes, and, hurrying on, I launched upon their bosom my canoe. Of sleep or hunger then I took no heed, But hastened o'er their leagues of waterways ; But my hot heart outstripped my paddle's speed And waited not for distance or for days, But flew before me swifter than the blade Of magic paddle ever cleaved the Lake, Eager to lay its love before the maid, And watch the lovelight in her eyes awake. So the long days went slowly drifting past ; It seemed that half my life must intervene Before the morrow, when I said at last-- One more day's journey and I win my queen ! " I rested then, and, drifting, dreamed the more Of all the happiness I was to claim,-- When suddenly from out the shadowed shore, I heard a voice speak tenderly my name. "Who calls ? " I answered; no reply ; and long I stilled my paddle blade and listened. Then Above the night wind's melancholy song I heard distinctly that strange voice again-- A woman's voice, that through the twilight came Like to a soul unborn--a song unsung. I leaned and listened--yes, she spoke my name, And then I answered in the quaint French tongue, " Qu'Appelle ? Qu'Appelle ? " No answer, and the night Seemed stiller for the sound, till round me fell The far-off echoes from the far-off height-- "Qu'Appelle ? " my voice came back, " Qu'Ap- pelle ? Qu'Appelle ? " This--and no more; I called aloud until I shuddered as the gloom of might increased, And, like a pallid spectre wan and chill, The moon arose in silence from the east. I dare not linger on the moment when My boat I beached beside her tepee door ; I heard the wail of women and of men,-- I saw the death-fires lighted on the shore. No language tells the torture or the pain, The bitterness that flooded all my life,-- When I was led to look on her again, That queen of women pledged to be my wife. To look upon the beauty of her face, The still closed eyes, the lips that knew no breath ; To look, to learn,--to realize my place Had been usurped by my one rival--Death. A storm of wrecking sorrow beat and broke About my heart, and life shut out its light Till through my anguish some one gently spoke, And said, " Twice did she call for thee last night." I started up--and bending o'er my dead, Asked when did her sweet lips in silence close. " She called thy name--then passed away," they said, " Just on the hour whereat the moon arose." Among the lonely Lakes I go no more, For she who made their beauty is not there ; The paleface rears his tepee on the shore And says the vale is fairest of the fair. Full many years have vanished since, but still The voyageurs beside the campfire tell How, when the moonrise tips the distant hill, They hear strange voices through the silence swell. The paleface loves the haunted lakes they say, And journeys far to watch their beauty spread Before his vision; but to me the day, The night, the hour, the seasons are all dead. I listen heartsick, while the hunters, tell Why white men named the valley The Qu'Ap- pelle. (0) Comments

Posted: 3/17/2007 5:05:09 PM

Native American: The Sacred Pipe

Many years ago, the White Buffalo Calf Woman came to visit the Lakota people. Before her arrival, the Lakota were in distress. There was widespread famine and starvation. The Sioux Nations fought amongst themselves, and were in danger of extinction. Legend says that she first appeared to two Lakota men who were hunting for food. A figure appeared on the horizon, and as it came closer, looked like a white buffalo calf. As the hunters readied their bows, the figure was transformed into a beautiful woman. One of the braves made an improper advance toward the woman. When he touched her, his flesh melted from his bones. The other man dropped to his knees before her in prayer. The woman explained to him who she was, the White Buffalo Calf Woman, and would come to visit his people, bringing with her a sacred bundle. She commanded him to return to his village and have the people prepare for her visit. The young man, returning to his village, was able to convince his people to do the necessary preparations. On the day of her visit, all the people gathered together and formed a circle, as she had instructed, with the elders in the center. From the heavens, an apparition of a white buffalo calf descended on a cloud. As it stepped onto the ground, it became The White Buffalo Calf Woman, carrying a sacred bundle, the Sacred Pipe. She spent four days among the people and taught them the meaning of the sacred bundle. She taught the elders how to use the Sacred Peace Pipe to avoid bloodshed, and how they should meet their enemies in council instead of battle. She taught the people the seven sacred ceremonies that are still widely practiced among the Lakota; purification, naming, healing, adoption, marriage, vision quest, and the sun dance. She taught them prayer and spiritual songs. The White Buffalo Calf Woman taught the women many things. They were instructed in the proper storage and preparation of food. At that time, the Lakota were a totally male dominated society. Women learned that as the bearer of life they are equal to the men, are the guardians of their own bodies and have a right to choose who they may wish to share themselves with. Before she left them, she told the people that if they practiced what she had taught, the Lakota would become a great and prosperous nation. She promised to return one day for the sacred bundle, and if necessary, bring harmony and peace again to the world. As she walked away, she again became a buffalo calf, rolled over on the ground, each time changing color, the four colors of humanity; white, black, yellow and red. Just as she had come, she ascended into the sky on a white cloud. The sacred bundle is known as the White Buffalo Calf Pipe. It is kept in a sacred place on the Cheyenne River Indian reservation in South Dakota, by a man known as the Keeper Of The White Buffalo Calf Pipe, Arvol Looking Horse. When The White Buffalo Calf Woman promised to return again, she made some prophecies at that time. One of those prophesies was that the birth of a white buffalo calf would be a sign that it would be near the time when she would return again to purify the world by returning spiritual harmony and balance. Symbolism of the Sacred Pipe The bowl of the pipe is of red stone; it is the Earth. all The stem of the pipe is of wood, and this represents all that grows upon the Earth. In the complete ritual of the pipe, there are three phases: the purification with the smoke of a sacred herb; the "expansion" of the pipe so that it includes the entire universe; and finally, what could be called the "identity", which is the sacrifice of the whole universe in the fire. In filling a pipe, all space (the offerings to the powers of the six directions) and all things (grains of tobacco) are contracted within a single point which is the bowl or heart of the pipe, so that the pipe contains, or really is, the universe. But since the pipe is the universe, it is also man, and the one who fills a pipe should identify himself with it, thus not only establishing the center of the universe, but also his own center. He so "expands" that the six directions of space are actually brought within himself. It is by this "expansion" that a man ceases to be a part, a fragment, and becomes whole or holy; he shatters the illusion of separateness. Among the Sioux there have always been three different uses for pipes. The least important kind is one that is used for social purposes. It is filled with regular tobacco and smoked with friends. Anyone can smoke it. A higher kind is the personal pipe that we use to make and continue friendships, and it is the one that is filled and sent as an offering to a medicine man when his services are needed. The third and most important kind of pipe is one that is used by its owner for ceremonial purposes, such as the sweatlodge rites, vision quests, and the Sun Dance. It is also the one used by the holy men and medicine men for their private rituals, for healing patients, and as they lead the various tribal ceremonies. Each grain of tobacco placed in the pipe bowl becomes something Spirit has created, so that when the pipe bowl is filled, all of creation is held within it and made a part of the pipe ceremony. Its sweet smell when burned is welcomed by Wakan Tanka and by Grandfather, and He gladly receives the prayers that go up to him in and with the smoke. The stem stands for straightness of speech, mind and body. Animals or other creatures carved on the stem stand for, and thus pull into a ceremony, all of the four-legged creatures of the earth. Eagle feathers tied to the stem stand for the winged creatures above. Colored ribbons stand for the four cardinal directions. When the ceremonial pipe is used properly it has enormous power. There are fixed rules to be carefully observed in lighting it, passing it from one person to another, in disposing of the ashes, and in doing the pipe ceremony proper, in which the smoked pipe is pointed to the six sacred directions. When these things are done correctly, they release the powers that reside in the directions, where since the beginning of time they have awaited opportunities to promote the good of all creation. When the pipe is used correctly, what happens is like the opening of the flood gates of a dam that contains the water of life, or it is like throwing a switch that releases the power that energizes the universe. As the Pipe Ceremony is done, the pipe first of all opens the gates to release the powers, and then becomes the very channel through which the powers flow, moving from the six directions to the one who prays, blessing the person, and then through the person and out to bless the rest of creation. Pipe Ceremony This is the ceremony of the sacred pipe as it was taught to me. The pipe holder stands holding the bowl of the pipe in his left hand, the stem in his right, pointing the stem to the East. He sprinkles a small amount of tobacco on the ground as an offering to Mother Earth and The East. As he loads a small pinch of tobacco into the pipe, he will say "The East is Red. The East is where the Morning Star rises, the Star of Knowledge. Red is for the Rising Sun which brings us a new day and another chance to learn. We thank the Great Spirit for each day we are allowed to live upon Mother Earth under Father Sky, Tunkashila. We pray for Knowledge, for from Knowledge comes Peace". The pipe holder faces the South and again gives tobacco to Mother Earth, continues to load the pipe, saying "The South is Yellow. Yellow is for the color of Spring and the warm south wind, and the yellow hoop. While we load this pipe, we give thanks for our strength, growth, and healing that is brought forth from the south wind. We use this as a time of planting so that the seeds may grow into a new life." The pipe holder faces the West and again gives tobacco to Mother Earth, continues to load the pipe, saying "West is Black. West is where the Sun sets. West is were the Spirit Helpers live and black stands for the Spirit World. We will all go to the Spirit World and we will all know one another and our deeds. We seek our spiritual wisdom in the West and pray for help from our Spirit Guides". The same is done for the North "White is for the North. The White Giant covers Mother Earth with the white blanket of snow. White Buffalo Calf Woman, Ptecincala Ska Wakan Winan, came to us from the North. We stand here seeking endurance, and health from the North". The pipe holder now touches the stem to the ground, saying "Green is the color of Mother Earth. We are all part of Mother Earth, each rock, each four legged, each two legged, all creatures, plants and minerals. We are all related. We respect our Mother Earth and protect her". The pipe holder now holds pipe above his head with the stem up at an angle, perhaps at the Sun or Moon: "Father Sky in union with Mother Earth are our true parents. Father Sky gives us energy for our lives and heats our bodies and our lodges. We are thankful for Father Sky". The pipe holder now holds the stem straight up: "Great Spirit, Creator of us all, Creator of all things, Creator of the four directions, Mother Earth, and Father Sky, we offer this pipe to you". Now the pipe is lighted, and passed around the circle sunwise from east to south to west to north, returning to the east, each person free to offer a prayer or saying if they choose. On completion of its journey around the sacred circle the pipe is capped with sage or bark, and separated, the stem from the pipe, set aside in its pouch until it is smoked again. The typical pipe pouch has separate compartments for the pipe and the stem so that they do not touch when not being used in ritual ceremony. (1) Comments

Posted: 3/9/2007 11:45:48 PM

Native American: Drumming

I have been drumming for a number of years and have taken on the task of making drumming accessible to others. Here I hope to share what it means to me to live with the spirit of the drum. In the last few years, the popularity of drumming has spread, so that one can hardly go to any festival or gathering without hearing the beat of the drums. Drum circles have sprung up across the country, in cities and small towns, meeting monthly or weekly, for men, women, or open to all. People from all walks of life have embraced the drum as a sacred part of their lives. Why do I drum? First of all drumming is fun. Fun is an essential part of the human experience. In play we connect to the child within, and gain access to openness, wonder, and an innocence that allows us to see the world in a different light. Drumming has some very powerful physiological effects. Sustained drumming increases the heart rate and blood flow, resulting in the "high" common to any aerobic exercise. There are also more subtle effects. The process of drumming engages both the linear, rational left brain (in the learning of polyrhythmic parts and the analysis of how rhythms fit together) and the creative, intuitive right brain (in the entrainment of rhythm in the body and the appreciation of the music). The two brain hemispheres often emanate different wave frequencies. Drumming, like deep meditation, brings them into synchronization, which is experienced as an opening of consciousness. Synchronized brain wave activity with very high amplitude alpha waves can create feelings of euphoria with a sense of expanded mental powers and flowing creativity. In a nutshell sustained drumming creates a higher state of consciousness. Drumming has been known to heal the human energy field, exactly like the laying on of hands. It energizes and clears the chakras. If your intention is for healing to happen when drumming, it will. Immersing yourself in the energy field of drumming is healing in all ways physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.Drumming opens you up to the heartbeat of Mother Earth. We walk, breathe, have a heartbeat -- we are basically rhythmic beings, and drumming taps into that. When you create that magical space around the fire where everyone has the same information, the same understanding of how the circle of energy works, then people become more at one with each other, more whole. The junk falls away, people become more honest on a soul level, and can unfold and truly live. The drum circle has elements of entertaining and being entertained, but it's also the original church. In that space people can experience real transformation." Drumming is transforming for people with illness and disabilities, the elderly, and the very young which makes it a valuable tool for those in the health care professions. Drumming is enjoyable, fun, it's a great form of self-expression, and it is a catalyst for personal healing and transformation. The drum has a universal quality to it. Any group of people can come together to drum, and it can have a positive impact on their lives. Drumming is a communal activity, it brings people together. Drumming both builds community and expresses culture. When people drum together, they tap into something much bigger than themselves, both as individuals and as a group. For me the drum has become a tool to draw up the universal consciousness from deep within the soul. The energy that is raised in this space has the power to transform not only the participants but the world. Today, as more and more people are coming to understand the importance of transforming our culture's ways of being with each other and being on the planet, we are learning to value the power of drumming as a tool of transformation. Rhythm and movement, in the form of drumming and dance, are ancient technologies for raising energy, and weaving the web of community. (1) Comments

Posted: 3/9/2007 11:44:39 PM

Native American: Smudging

Smudging is the burning of herbs to create a cleansing smoke bath, which is used to purify people, ceremonial and ritual space, and ceremonial tools and objects. Many people have their own methods and herbs for smudging. The usual herbs used for smudging are sage, cedar or juniper, lavender and sweet grass. Tobacco is also used by some Plains tribes. Sage is common for smudging and I prefer white sage. It is used to cleanse and purify the person or object. The purpose of smudging with sage is to banish negative energies. The cleansing vibration it emits, is used to purify the energies of thes aura, as well as personal and ceremonial space or healing and ceremonial tools, such as pipes and crystals. Cedar needles are sometimes used to cleanse and bring balance to the emotions and to the male/female (yin/yang) elements. To clear one's actions and to promote forgiveness, lavender flowers can be added to the mixture to bring the quality of spiritual blessing. Sweetgrass, which is dried and braided into plaits can also be added to the mixture, but it is usually burned alone after the sage. Sweetgrass brings sweetness and beauty into one's life and surroundings. I often offer a prayer to this effect as the braid is lit. It is also believed that burning sweetgrass after cleansing brings good spirits. Smudging involves placing the herb or mixture of herbs into a shell, or fireproof bowl or dish. The mixture can burn quite hot so it is important that whatever is used can take the heat without cracking. Some traditions will not use shells as they say the water element of the shell nullifies the fire element. I prefer to use a shell to bring in the balance of the elements (fire, smoke or air, shell for water and the herb as the earth element.) The smudge is lit and helped to burn by the use of a feather or fan. Blowing into the mixture is discouraged as it is seen as blowing one's own negativity into the mixture. The smudge is then wafted around one's self like a smoke bath. There are different ways of doing this and you can find a variety of techniques and explanations depending on traditions and teachings. The way for someone not attached to a particular tradition is a matter of personal preference and intuition. I prefer to start at the left foot (the receiving side of the body) and to move the smoke up the left leg with the use of the fan or feather. Proceed up the central chakra line and around the top of the head, back down the center of the body, moving the smoke outwards to the sides and around the back. Finish off by wafting the smoke down the right leg (the giving side of the body) and out and away from the right foot. Some traditions would do this four times, as four is the number of balance and harmony. Feathers and wing fans aid in the cleansing process and have the effect of combing the aura adding to the cleansing. Particular feathers bring in the qualities and medicine of the bird of origin. I use movement of the fan according to the movement of the bird's wing in flight. Cleansing ceremonial or ritual space before and after the event is an essential part of spiritual hygiene. The initial smudging is for the purpose of purifying the space and participants and for banishing any unwanted energies. The final smudge is to cleans any negative vibrations and energies attracted or created during the proceedings. It is also a good thing to do on a regular basis for both one's self and one's living space, to maintain individual and domestic harmony. Good practice for the use of smudge when healing is to smudge the space, the people in the space, including one's self, the patient and any tools, (such as crystals). When the healing is completed, smudge self, any assistants, tools, others and finish with the space. In this way one deals with negative energies and vibrations in much the same way as antiseptic and disinfectant deals with germs. (2) Comments

Posted: 3/9/2007 11:41:10 PM

Stones: Moonstone

Moonstone is associated with the heart chakra. It can help calm responses and avoid overreaction; enhances feminine energies, sensitivity, intuition, and psychic abilities. Moonstone is a stone of protection, especially during childbirth, pregnancy, and travel at sea. It is also associated with love of all kinds. Long know as the traveler's stone and used for protection, Moonstone is also considered to be a stone of good fortune. It is a wonderful stone to help one reflect and look inwards. A stone of feeling rather than intellect it can be an aid in increasing intuition. I also assists in apply the insights gained. Moonstone is recommended for those wishing to balance the bodies rhythms and recognize the natural cycles. It can be used to increase energy and encourage growth while helping to overcome obstacles. An ancient remedy for insomnia, this stone is also used to help in the elimination of toxins and for digestive disorders. Also for the symptoms of degenerative diseases and allergic reactions. The feminine energy of moonstone makes it a stone to promote ease in pregnancy and child birth, to relieve the symptoms of PMS and menopause. Moonstone is a Feldspar that usually has a bluish or yellowish tint. It is translucent with white, pink, yellow, soft sheen. Linked with the moon, it is used to help us get in touch with our feelings. It is protective of nature and women. Moonstone helps to foster happiness, good fortune, nurturing, mothering, unselfishness, humanitarian love, hope, spiritual insight, easy childbirth, new beginnings, abundance and ancient wisdom. Helps all be more comfortable with our gentler feminine or yin receiving side. Stone of wishes, intuition, and balance of emotions. Brings all that is needed. Motherly love, support, encouragement. I found some wonderful rainbow moonstone pendants at the gem and mineral show today and will try to post some info on it as well. (4) Comments

Posted: 3/9/2007 8:54:56 PM

Stones: Malachite

Malachite is believed to be a strong protector of children. It is said to protect the wearer from accidents and protects travelers. Malachite has been used to aid success in business and protect against undesirable business associations. It is a stone of balance in relationships. My oldest son always carried a piece of Malachite which would break in half to warn him of danger. Malachite is always green, usually in banded tones varying from very dark green to a mellow green. Most malachite comes from Zaire, Chile and Australia. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used malachite for jewelry and ground it to use as eye shadow. It is used in amulets to protect against the evil eye. In the Middle Ages it was used to protect children from dangers. Malachite is a stone that should not be used for physical healing. Malachite has been called the "mirror of the soul". It is variable in its condition. It reaches the inner feelings of the person and reflects what is there, negative or positive. It is so beautiful that one would like to wear it in jewelry, but caution must be used when wearing Malachite. It will always reflect how you feel, if you feel negative don't wear Malachite. It reminds us that we have a dual nature and it is up to each person to know and rule his own person. To help get rid of nightmares, keep a piece of Malachite in your bedroom. (0) Comments

Posted: 3/7/2007 9:16:36 AM

Amber

Golden yellow Amber is a mineraloid fossilized tree resin with inclusions of insects (ants, bees, flies, gnats, moths, etc.) or plants parts (flowers, leaves, mushroom caps, seeds, pine needles, etc.). Millions of years old, Amber is a timelink window to the past, a transparent plastic photograph containing ancient Tree Spirit lore. Since most of the world's amber deposits are the byproduct of the trees' defensive systems protecting them from parasitic or fungal attacks, it is a more primal form of record keeping than the quartz crystal archiving practiced by some of the antediluvian civilizations. This suggests that Amber may be encoded with the wisdom and knowledge of Tree Spirits who for many thousands of years, anchored light on the planet, watched, and learned much about universal happenings as cultures and empires passed through many cycles of existence. Like a message from the Nature Spirits in a plastic bottle, buoyant nuggets of Amber float in the salt water until they are washed up on distant shores. Intuitively, the Amber I selected for purchase to wear as necklaces and pendants was relatively clear with some minute plant inclusions. As I was attuning to the core essence of Amber, I was moved to place an Amber necklace on top of my head, placing it like a circlet upon my hair. After a few hours, Amber told me that overall the best Amber for healing and empowerment was the relatively clear Amber, and, that Amber with insect and plant inclusions also had important roles to play, especially in the areas of transformation and transmutation . The Amber with insect inclusions contains the positive Animal Totem energy patterns of the insects and also functions to bind, ward, and remove threatening parasites. The Amber with the plant parts contains the quintessential healing energy signatures of the plants and also helps to preserve the tree and plant species for the benefit of future generations. Since the Amber came from the lifeblood, the sap, of the ancient trees who were all storytellers, all amber is imbued with informative tales. The plant part nuggets in particular contain lyrical storylines of the Eldar Days when the human races lived in peace with each other and communed with Nature Spirits, honoring and aiding in their Earthkeeper work. The Amber without inclusions is like cryogenic lightening waiting to be awakened so it can quicken our evolutionary spiral with the wisdom and might of the gods and goddesses. Amber resonates with the solar plexus chakra which also seems to be the focus of psychic attacks and parasitic energy cordings by others, especially in close personal relationships with lovers or family members. Its mellow golden radiance can be used as a protective shield from unwanted, abusive, energetics intrusions from others. The primary seat of power for most people, the solar plexus is also the site for many of the control and manipulation dramas that still assault us on a daily basis. Wearing or carrying Amber can facilitate the process of self-assertive empowerment and healing individuation, surrounding your aura in a mellow mantle of golden preservative light. Placing it in a home or work environment will help cleanse the atmosphere by removing inharmonious, toxic infestations of negativity, and by then recharging it with more refined and subtly resonant particles of ethereal emissions. Like sunshine breaking through an overcast sky, Amber dispels depression and melancholy through the sheer magnitude and concentration of its safeguarding and restorative intent. (0) Comments

Posted: 3/7/2007 9:10:21 AM

Amethyst

Crushed amethyst was used by the Ancient Romans as a way to ward off intoxication. They word amethyst comes from the Greek word "amethystus" meaning not drunken, or intoxicated. And there is a Greek legend of how amethyst got its purple color. Once, Dionysis (diety of wine and mischief) was so annoyed by Artemis (a virgin huntress and Lunar deity) that he set his sacred tigers upon a maiden attending her shrine. To preserve the maiden, whose name was Amethyst, Artemis petrified her in sparkling quartz. Lamenting this virgin's demise, Dionysis poured a the contents of his cup over the statue, which immediately became infused with the purple of the grape. Amethyst is purple quartz, and is a meditative and calming stone. It works in the emotional, spiritual, and physical planes to provide calm, balance, patience, and peace. Amethyst is also beneficial when dealing with legal problems and money issues, which can lead to prosperity and abundance. Emotionally, amethyst can help heal personal losses and grief. Amethyst has a gently sedative energy that promotes peacefulness, happiness, and contentment. It also brings emotional stability and inner strength, and can enhance flexibility and cooperation. Amethyst can help get rid of addictions (alcohol, drugs, smoking, etc.) and compulsive behaviors of all kinds. In the psychic and spiritual realms, amethyst is an excellent all-purpose stone that can increase spirituality and enhance intuition and psychic powers of all kinds. It does this by making a clear connection between the earth plane and other planes and worlds. Amethyst is also excellent for meditation and lucid dreaming. It is known to open one's channels to telepathy, past life regression, clairaudience, clairvoyance, and communication with angels. Amethyst also protects against psychic attacks, especially during spiritual work, and protects one from thieves, and protects travelers. I keep a piece of Amethyst with my tarot cards. Physically, amethyst is beneficial for reducing withdrawal symptoms of all kinds, blood sugar imbalances, depression, general healing, left brain imbalances, headaches, arthritis, insomnia, nightmares, other sleep disorders, ADD/ADHD, generalized anxiety, mania, ear aches, pain relief, circulatory system issues, endocrine system problems, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, immune system deficiencies, and general healing. Amethyst is associated with the third eye and crown chakras primarily, but can also open the heart chakra. (1) Comments

Posted: 3/7/2007 9:00:01 AM

What is your expression number

Your Expression Number is 11 You tend to be associated with idealistic concepts and spiritual issues. You have high potentials that are somewhat difficult to live up to. You have very strong intuition and you can be a bit psychic at times. Highly inspirational, you can lead merely by your own example. You have an inborn inner strength and awareness that helps you advise others. Although you have what it takes for a successful career, you belong outside the business world. Overly sensitive and temperamental, you tend to have a lot of nervous tension. You dream a lot, so much so that you may be more of a dreamer than a doer. Fantasy and reality tend to get intermingled for you, and that leads to impracticality. What's Your Expression Number? (1) Comments

Posted: 3/3/2007 9:12:21 PM

Greetings to the Natural World

The People Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as People. The Earth Mother We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our Mother, we send greetings and thanks. The Waters We give thanks to all the Waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms - waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of water. The Fish We turn our minds to all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the Fish and send our greetings and thanks. The Plants Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come. The Food Plants With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting and thanks. The Medicine Herbs Now we turn to all the Medicine herbs of the world. From the beginning, they were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines. The Animals We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We see them near our homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it will always be so. The Trees We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade, others with fruit, beauty and other useful things. Many peoples of the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the Tree life. The Birds We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To all the Birds - from the smallest to the largest - we send our joyful greetings and thanks. The Four Winds We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They help to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds. The Thunderers Now we turn to the west where our Grandfathers, the Thunder Beings, live. With lightning and thundering voices, they bring with them the water that renews life. We bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to our Grandfathers, the Thunderers. The Sun We now send greetings and thanks to our eldest Brother, the Sun. Each day without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing the light of a new day. He is the source of all the fires of life. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Brother, the Sun. Grandmother Moon We put our minds together and give thanks to our oldest grandmother, the Moon, who lights the night-time sky. She is the leader of women all over the world, and she governs the movement of the ocean tides. By her changing face we measure time, and it is the Moon who watches over the arrival of children here on Earth. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Grandmother, the Moon. The Stars We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry. We see them in the night, helping the Moon to light the darkness and bringing dew to the gardens and growing things. When we travel at night, they guide us home. With our minds gathered together as one, we send greetings and thanks to all the Stars. The Enlightened Teachers We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened Teachers who have come to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to live in harmony, they remind us of the way we were instructed to live as people. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to these caring Teachers. The Creator Now we turn our thoughts to the Creator, or Great Spirit, and send greetings and thanks for the gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is here on this Mother Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we gather our minds together as one and send our choicest words of greetings and thanks to the Creator. To all my relations Mitakuye Oyasin (0) Comments

Posted: 3/3/2007 7:50:33 PM

Wolves: Wolf Communication

Many of us think of communication only as talking or writing to each other. Those are two ways humans share information every day. How do wolves "converse?" Even though they cannot talk or write, wolves communicate effectively in several ways. Wolves use body language to convey the rules of the pack. A wolf pack is very organized. Rule number one says that the pack is made up of leaders and followers. The pack leaders are the male parent and the female parent - usually the father and mother of the other pack members. They are likely to be the oldest, largest, strongest and most intelligent wolves in the pack. They are known as the alpha wolves and are usually the only members of the pack to produce pups. Any wolf can become an alpha. However, to do so, it must find an unoccupied territory and a member of the opposite sex with which to mate. Or, more rarely, it moves into a pack with a missing alpha and takes its place, or perhaps kills another alpha and usurps its mate. The alpha male and female are dominant, or in charge of the pack. To communicate dominance, the alphas carry their tails high and stand tall. Less dominant wolves exhibit submissive behavior by holding their tails down and often lower their bodies while pawing at the higher ranking wolves. There are two levels of submissive behavior: active and passive. Active submission is a contact activity in which signs of inferiority are evident such as crouching, muzzle licking and tail tucking. The behaviors typical of active submission are first used by pups to elicit regurgitation in adults. These behaviors are retained into adulthood by subordinate wolves, where they function as a gesture of intimacy and the acceptance of the differentiation of the roles of the wolves that are involved. Passive submission is shown when a subordinate wolf lays on its side or back, thus exposing the vulnerable ventral side of its chest and abdomen to the more dominant wolf. The subordinate wolf may also abduct its rear leg to allow for anogenital inspection by the dominant wolf. If two wolves have a disagreement, they may show their teeth and growl at each other. Both wolves try to look as fierce as they can. Usually the less dominant wolf, the subordinate one, gives up before a fight begins. To show that it accepts the other wolf's authority, it rolls over on its back. Reactions to this behavior may range from tolerance (the dominant wolf standing over the submissive wolf) to mortal attack, particularly in the case of a trespassing alien wolf. Following the dominance rules usually keeps the wolves in a pack from fighting among themselves and hurting each other. Wolves convey much with their bodies. If they are angry, they may stick their ears straight up and bare their teeth. A wolf who is suspicious pulls its ears back and squints. Fear is often shown by flattening the ears against the head. A wolf who wants to play dances and bows playfully. Wolves have a very good sense of smell about 100 times greater than humans. They use this sense for communication in a variety of ways. Wolves mark their territories with urine and scats, a behavior called scent-marking. When wolves from outside of the pack smell these scents, they know that an area is already occupied. It is likely that pack members can recognize the identity of a packmate by its urine, which is useful when entering a new territory or when packmembers become separated. Dominant animals may scent mark through urination every two minutes. When they do so they raise a leg, this dominant posture utilizes multiple forms of communication and is called a "Raised Leg Urination" or RLU. Wolves will also use urine to scent mark food caches that have been exhausted. By marking an empty cache, the animal will not waste time digging for food that isn't there. Wolves use their sense of smell to communicate through chemical messages. These chemical messages between members of the same species are known as "pherimones." Sources of pherimones in wolves include glands on the toes, tail, eyes, anus, genitalia and skin. For example, a male is able to identify a female in estrus by compounds (pherimones) present in her urine and copulation will only be attempted during this time. Of course, their sense of smell also tells them when food or enemies are near. Have you ever heard a wolf howl? They're not howling at the moon they are communicating. They call any time of the day, but they are most easily heard in the evening when the wind dies down and wolves are most active. Wolves' vocalizations can be separated into four categories: barking, whimpering, growling, and howling. Sounds created by the wolf may actually be a combination of sounds such as a bark-howl or growl-bark. Barking is used as a warning. A mother may bark to her pups because she senses danger, or a bark or bark-howl may be used to show aggression in defense of the pack or territory. Whimpering may be used by a mother to indicate her willingness to nurse her young. It is also used to indicate "I give up" if they are in a submissive position and another wolf is dominating them. Growling is used as a warning. A wolf may growl at intruding wolves or predators, or to indicate dominance. Howling is the one form of communication used by wolves that is intended for long distance. A defensive howl is used to keep the pack together and strangers away, to stand their ground and protect young pups who cannot yet travel from danger, and protect kill sites. A social howl is used to locate one another, rally together and possibly just for fun. Can you think of ways that humans communicate without using words? How Do Wolves Say Hello? Have you seen dogs jump up to greet their owners, bark at strangers or roll over when another dog approaches? Then you already know something about how wolves communicate. Dogs inherited most of their language from their ancestors, the wolves. Wolves use three different languages: Sound - Howls, Barks, Whimpers and Growls. Special Scents - Scats, Urine and Pherimones. Body Language - Body Positions and Movements and Facial Expressions. (1) Comments

Posted: 3/3/2007 7:27:29 PM

All About Ravyn Wolff: Who I am

I am a mother of 4 and grandmother of three wonderful little boys. I am mother, daughter, lover, wife, grandmother, friend and a servant of the people. I guess you would call me eclectic. I served as a High Priestess for many years and I also studied native american spirituality in New mexico for a number of years and am now a Shaman Apprentice. I have worked with people with Developmental Disabilities for many years and love my lifes work. I am a spiritual person not a Religious one. I believe religion is for those who fear hell, Spirituality is for those who have been there. I am a Reiki and Seichim Master and work with aromatherapy, stones, chakra, animal totems, and make my own oil and incense blends etc. I also enjoy bellydancing and its expression of womans spirituality. Writing, Photography, scrapbooking, drumming, and painting are my creative outlets. I love music as well as the outdoors and all the gifts our earth mother has to offer us. As stated on my profile I have traveled the roads of maiden, mother and now crone. I have seen, tasted and felt the primal goddess in all aspects of my life. I know the old stories. I have danced the dance. I sing the songs and have shed the tears. Come now visit with me and get to know me. Travel the Medicine Circle of life with me. Sit at my fireside and enjoy the journey. To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common--this is my symphony. William Henry Channing (1) Comments

Posted: 3/3/2007 5:15:56 PM

Ravens: The Raven

The Raven It was the raven who created the waters and the salmon, which came to sacrifice themselves to the people. The raven fashioned every creature that walks or flies. It was the raven who helped the worthy, but loved to trick the unsuspecting; and as full of mischief as he was wonderful, who made this world the way it is. Raven is the messenger of magic from the great void where all knowledge waits for us. His powerful medicine can give us the courage to enter the darkness of this void, called Great Mystery. He is also the symbol of changes in consciousness, of levels of awareness and of perception. (0) Comments

Posted: 3/3/2007 5:10:08 PM

Wolves: The Wolf

The Wolf (wa-hya or wa-ya) To Native Americans, the wolf is a powerful spiritual symbol. They are considered to be teachers or pathfinders. The wolf star was red, an esteemed color, associated with the wolf by all tribes. Also known as Sirius, it is the brightest star in the Northern Sky. The milky way was the wolf's trail-the route to heaven. In time, the wolf also became associated among the four seasons with summer, among the trees with the willow, and among the great natural forces with the clouds. The indians respected the wolf's prowess as a hunter, his stamina, and the way he moved silently across the landscape. They were moved by his howling, which they sometimes regarded as talking with the spirit world. The wolf appears in many legends as a messenger, great long distance travelor and a guide for anyone seeking the spirit world. He was the forerunner of new ideas who returned to the clan to teach and share medicine. Wolf is the Grand teacher. Wolf is the sage, who after many winters upon the sacred path and seeking the ways of wisdom, returns to share new knowledge with the tribe. Wolf is both the radical and the traditional in the same breath. When the Wolf walks by you - you will remember. The old ones tell us stories about our beginnings and of a time when human kind first came to live upon this Earth. It was Wolf who taught Humans the ways of living in harmony. It was Wolf who taught us how to form community upon this Earth, for Wolves have an intuitive knowledge of order through chaos and they possess the ability to survive change, intact. Wolf medicine is very ancient and born of living experience. Wolf will look deep into your heart and share the greatest of knowledge, but will demand full participation, and absolute sincerity. When Wolf has walked by you, the very presence of the wolf will rekindle old memories within your soul. Through the friction of experience you rekindle the emotional fires of the inner soul and question the manifestations of your own consciousness. You can own a thing only when you have come to own the emotional experience of it, and realize the responsibility for its creation. then you are free to continue. (0) Comments

Posted: 3/3/2007 5:08:21 PM