~~ Mother Earthbeats ~~

My Earth Blog has moved!

2007-09-03T21:43:00.000-07:00

I am excited to say Mother Earthbeats has a new home! I purchased my own domain, and am now hosting my blog... I can be found at MotherEarthbeats.com powered by WordPress!

Be sure to visit my new site, and look forward to some exciting things happening on Mother Earthbeats. Rediscover our world in a whole new light... Mother Nature abounds with adventure and beauty, and we are so very blessed with this gift we call Mother Earth. This is my passion, and I invite you on a journey as seen through my eyes, and felt by my heart. Together we can save this planet and create a healthy place for our future generations to live and grow.

I look forward to your visits and welcome comments and/or suggestions.

Enjoy each moment and each other,

Teri
~

Partial Solar Eclipse on September 11th, 2007

2007-09-02T22:24:00.000-07:00

The last Solar Eclipse of the year is partial, and will only be visible from Antartica and parts of South America. Greatest eclipse (75 percent of the way to total) occurs in the South Ocean at 12:31-UT.

Early risers in southern South America will see the sun partially blocked during and/or soon after sunrise. One might ask what is the significance of these Eclipses? Is it all just scientific, or are there hidden meanings underlying these wondrous events…

The Solar Eclipse of September 11th, 2007 in Virgo 8:31 EDT has to do with Earth, practicle, sensible, dedicated and logical. As opposed to the Lunar Eclipse which occured on August 28th of 2007, which has to do with Water, Healing, Spiritual, Psycic and Sensitivity.

A powerful energetic geometry is formed as the four Eclipses of 2007 come to the end of their performance. Light from these two parallel events form lines of information that are seen in fractal patterns just beneath the surface of life. Eclipses represent openings and closings. These Eclipses are about the hidden messages in all words. Like a cosmic scrabble game the capital letters come together to be written anew; new thoughts.. new opportunities.. new beginnings.

Eclipses mean changes, good and bad, up and down and everything in-between. Eclipses always escort in significant events– marriage, divorce, death, birth, career change, etc. They intensely magnify and are living parenthesis forcing us to look at what we have turned our pretty heads away from. The old restraints in words and thoughts fall away like rusty shackles exposing new and tender skin. Within each word of the alphabet are hidden texts, challenging your mind to open to the vastness of what lies within them.

Solar eclipses mean new beginnings, (September 11 2007) and lunar eclipses (August 28, 2007) represent finishing things. These are very powerful Eclipses each with their own gifts and own set of rules.

More about Solar Eclipses

NASA - Solar Eclipse Page

Crop Circles.. man-made or visits from the Star Nations?

2007-08-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

Some believe Crop Circles to be a great hoax, while others believe these extraordinary phenomenons are indeed visits and messages from the Star Nations. They are mathematically precise, wonderous and mysterious. Since I truly believe we cannot possibly be the only intelligent beings in the Universe, and most certainly not the leaders in advanced civilization and star travel, I would consider these Circles gifts from the Star Nation.

Researching the messages inherent in these images, and their relation to Sacred Symblogy, is a passion among many. One such man is Rod Bearcloud Berry, artist and traditional Native American, of the Star Nation Gallery.

If you look deep into Bearclouds work, stories of Ancient Symbols and Native American spirituality seem to come alive. You can find some of his amazing and spiritually uplifting artwork featured at the Bearcloud Gallery.

You may wish to take a look into the beliefs of Bearclouds people, who are of the clan called the Tiz-sho, which means the Sky People clan. He will give answer from his point of view to the question Who are the Star Nation People?

I ran across a very interesting article on a little known event that happened nearly 100 years ago. This event happened on the Podkamennaja Tunguska River in Siberia at 7:17AM local time on 30 June, 1908. Very few people know about the Tunguska event, mainly because it occurred in a remote and inaccessible part of Siberia in Russia so long ago. By all accounts the Tunguska event was a massive explosion, or series of explosions in rapid succession, which has been likened to the explosive force of 40 megatons of TNT, and 2,000 times more powerful than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. The event resulted in the devastation of 2,150 square kilometres of thickly forested wilderness (taiga), and an estimated 60 million trees were felled. You can read about this extraordinary phenomenom at The Tunguska Crop Circle

For more interesting information about Crop Circles, visit the following sites...

ZetaTalk: 2007 Crop Circles

Crop Circle Connector

Reminder... next lunar eclipse August 28th 2007

2007-08-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder to catch the next lunar eclipse on August 28th. You won't want to miss out on this spectacular event in the night sky. Follow this link to get timezones for your area and more detailed information on the next Lunar Eclipse

Shall we travel the globe with fellow bloggers?

2007-08-22T16:35:00.000-07:00

Now this is fun! I was checking out various places to visit around the world, and ran across this totally cool Travel Blog. I found myself immersed in exploring many interesting places to visit, and seriously spent an hour or so on a journey I hardly expected to take when I awoke this morning.

From beautiful turquoise minarets in Bukhara, to Barbados and the Caymen Islands, just name your desire and you just may find yourself visiting some amazing places from the comfort of your own home... set your travel goals with a little foreknowledge. Diving Sulawesi in Indonesia at the Bunaken National Park brought out my insatiable sense of Adventure. You will find amazing pictures and amusing commentaries of some of the most Beautiful places on Earth. And possibly some not so beautiful places, and absolute horrors when it comes to traveling.

So, if you get bit by the traveling bug, it certainly pays to do your homework.

Thinking of backpacking through Europe? Look before you leap.. get some feedback from those who have traveled it. Looking for a rare treat? Just thinking about the exotic quisine makes my mouth water at the thought of visiting rare, out of the way little places, just to sample their gourmet delights!

What is your desire? Wish to travel? Or due to circumstances, perhaps you cannot travel at this time? Well then, travel through the eyes and hearts of others willing to share their experiences while exploring Mother Earth.

Just follow this link and open a new window into our World with the Travel Blog

Now then, I couldn't possibly have sated my curiosity with what I have read thus far, so I know I will be bookmarking this site and taking a peek into these grand adventures until I can visit my favorite places myself. I hope you enjoy this site too!

~ The Song of the Whale ~

2007-08-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

Did you know whales sing to each other? Humpback whales sing as a form of communication, ranging over thousands of miles of ocean. Singing is part of their Community and Social System. They will travel thousands of miles as a group, singing to each other as they go. Their songs last as long as 30 minutes and it is told that they embellish, just like Jazz musicians, to see who can improvise better than the other whales. Now that is totally cool!

Male humpbacks sing to establish hierarchy as well as for navigating. Even more fascinating is the belief that whales sing as a part of their courting ritual, not to mention their competitive behaviour during mating challenges. How amazing and beautiful is that? These are beautiful and wonderful creatures... fascinating to observe and to listen to.

Would you like to enjoy the Symphony of the Sea? Take a few moments and allow these amazing creatures to take you on a fantastic Journey through song...

Whale Dreams

Songs of the Whale

Hawaii has several species of whales and large dolphins that make their home here, including the melon-headed, false killer and pilot whales.

Whale Watching in the Sanctuary

Sail Hawaii has some cool Trivia

As I was searching for more information about whales one of my favorite sea creatures, I decided to find out more about the sonar testing in Hawaii. It is commonly known that whales and dolphins communicate through sound waves. It stands to reason that testing of this kind may be quite stressful, harmful and even lethal to the whales and dolphins. Mid-frequency sonar used during training exercises can emit continuous sound well above 235 decibels—an intensity roughly comparable to a rocket blastoff, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a conservation nonprofit group.

This would be a tragedy of horrific proportions, and I would encourage people to get involved in protecting our fellow creatures in the world beneath the Seas.

Pacific Whale Foundation

From the mouth of babes... Tell me Why?

2007-08-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

When I ran across this video, the song and Declan's voice, touched my heart and gave me goosebumps. There is not much to say, just listen to the song and it speaks for itself. I would also recommend listening to this young wonders other music, as he truly sings like an Angel and is extemely talented...

Lyrics for "Tell Me Why" by Declan Galbraith

In my dream children sing a song of love for every boy and girl
The sky is blue and fields are green and laughter is the language of the world
Then I wake and all I see is a world full of people in need

Tell me why (why) does it have to be like this?
Tell me why (why) is there something I have missed?
Tell me why (why) cos I don't understand.
When so many need somebody we don't give a helping hand.
Tell me why?

Everyday I ask myself what will I have to do to be a man?
Do I have to stand and fight to prove to everybody who I am?
Is that what my life is for to waste in a world full of war?

Tell me why (why) does it have to be like this?
Tell me why (why) is there something I have missed?
Tell me why (why) cos I don't understand.
When so many need somebody we don't give a helping hand.
Tell me why?

(children) tell me why? (declan) tell me why?
(children) tell me why? (declan) tell me why?
(together) just tell me why, why, why?

Tell me why (why) does it have to be like this?
Tell me why (why) is there something I have missed?
Tell me why (why) cos I don't understand.
When so many need somebody we don't give a helping hand.

Tell me why (why,why,does the tiger run)
Tell me why (why why do we shoot the gun)
Tell me why (why,why do we never learn)
Can someone tell us why we let the forest burn?

(why,why do we say we care)
Tell me why (why,why do we stand and stare)
Tell me why (why,why do the dolphins cry)
Can some one tell us why we let the ocean die ?

(why,why if we're all the same)
tell me why (why,why do we pass the blame)
tell me why (why,why does it never end)
can some one tell us why we cannot just be friends?

Mother Earth is growing... what a concept!

2007-08-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

Now, we all should know that our precious Mother Earth is a living being. She lives, breathes, feels and grows... just like any other being we percieve as being "alive". This is why it is important to care for her, and respect her as the precious gift she is. The Creator placed us here so we can live and grow in harmony, taking little and walking softly, as our Ancestors were taught. Everything we need to live full, healthy lives was given to us in Nature, and it is a shame to see this treasure squandered thoughtlessly. This is our Life! People need to wake up before it is too late.

I found this video to be a fascinating scientific view on how our dear Mother Earth has grown over the Millenia.

Enjoy...

Gardening by Moon Cycles.. Your Goddess Garden

2007-08-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

The Ancients believed that a Witch received power from the Moon, which may be why many Pagan calendars stress the lunar cycles so much even today. For the Goddess Gardener, however, the Moon is also a symbol of the Lady herself. In literally hundreds of ancient settings, the Moon was characterized as Female, and Her names were many. They include Chia (Columbian), Hina (Polynesian), Luna (Roman), and Selene (Greek), to name just a few.

Beyond the potent symbolic value here, our ancestors felt that timing the planting, tending, or harvesting of one's plants could be more effective if we followed Moonsigns and Moon Cycles. For example, when the Moon was dark, it was time to plant underground vegetables. When the Moon was waning it was time to plant peas or other items that vine counterclockwise. According to most really talented gardeners that I know from the old school, this type of reverence toward nature's hints really works.

If you'd like to apply this concept in your own Goddess Gardens, here's a list that will help you.

GARDENING BY MOONSIGNS

* Moon in Aries: Plant garlic and onions, but nothing that requires really fertile soil.
* Moon in Taurus: Plant potatoes, root crops, leafy vegetables, and bulb-bearing items.
* Moon in Gemini: Weed and cultivate or harvest root crops.
*Moon in Cancer: Graft, sow, transplant, and force budding.
*Moon in Leo: Focus on deterring bugs using natural treatments and companion planting. Harvest items.
*Moon in Virgo: It's best not to do anything new in the garden at this time other than planting morning glory, honeysuckle, tulips, and endive.
*Moon in Libra: Plant above-ground flowers and vegetables.
*Moon in Scorpio: Plant vining greenery, berries, and grains.
*Moon in Sagittarius: Plant onions. Transplant and preserve your harvest.
* Moon in Capricorn: Plant root crops and tubers. Fertilize the soil.
* Moon in Aquarius: Cultivate, weed, and turn the soil.
* Moon in Pisces: Work with plants that require strong root growth, such as aspargus. Plant flowers.

GARDENING BY MOON CYCLES

FIRST QUARTER:
Plant annuals and vegetables that yield their fruit above ground (such as celery and lettuce). Green vegetables and herbs (such as cabbage and basil) seem to like this phase.
SECOND QUARTER: Plant any "roundish" flora and vegetables (such as tomato and melon) and any flowering vines.
THIRD QUARTER: Plant root crops and bulbs or anything that yields below ground (such as garlic). This Quarter is also good for fruit-bearing plants (such as strawberry and cherry).
FOURTH QUARTER: Let the land rest. Weed your soil, and then turn and fertilize it.

Note that these two systems (gardening by moonsign and gardening by moon phases) can work together nicely. For example, if the moon happens to be in Aquarius at the same time it's in the fourth quarter, this would double the effect of weeding and turning the soil. After the quarter passes, move forward with sowing knowing that the land is rejuvenated!

More Trivia on Planting by the Moon

Garden and Plant by the Moon Calendar

~~ Koko the Gorilla celebrates her Birthday! ~~

2007-08-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

Now, this is sweet! Koko turned 36 in July, and what a wonderful Birthday party she had!! She is truly loved, as one can tell by the thoughts and efforts put into her Hawaiian style themed party. Flowered leis and tropical scenery brought a Hawaiian vacation getaway right to her own home. And the delectable fruity treats created for both her and her mate Ndume make this a Luau to remember.

Follow this link to learn more about the amazingly sweet Koko and her Birthday Celebrations...

Koko's 36th Birthday Party

Enjoy sharing Kokos wonderful moments! ;)

~ August 28th 2007 marks the next Lunar Eclipse! ~

2007-08-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

I am truly excited to view this event, especially as this year it occurs just hours after my birthday!! Mark your calendars for August 28th 2007, as this marks the date of the next Lunar Eclipse. This event will be visible from the United States and Canada as well as South America, the Pacific Ocean, western Asia and Australia. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon's disk can take on a dramatically colorful appearance from bright orange to blood red to dark brown and (rarely) very dark gray.

"Times and Phases of the Total Lunar Eclipse of August 28, 2007"

To many of us, Full Moon is the phase of love and romance. When the Moon is Full, it rises at sunset and is visible all night long. At the end of the night, the Full Moon sets just as the Sun rises. None of the Moon's other phases have this unique characteristic. It happens because the Moon is directly opposite the Sun in the sky when the Moon is Full. Full Moon also has special significance with regard to eclipses.

An eclipse of the Moon (or lunar eclipse) can only occur at Full Moon, and only if the Moon passes through some portion of the Earth's shadow. The shadow is actually composed of two cone-shaped components, one nested inside the other. The outer or penumbral shadow is a zone where the Earth blocks part but not all of the Sun's rays from reaching the Moon. In contrast, the inner or umbral shadow is a region where the Earth blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the Moon.

The color and brightness of the totally eclipsed Moon can vary considerably from one eclipse to another. Dark eclipses are caused by volcanic gas and dust which filters and blocks much of the Sun's light from reaching the Moon. But since no major volcanic eruptions have taken place recently, the Moon will probably take on a vivid red or orange color during the total phase.

The total phase of a lunar eclipse is called totality. At this time, the Moon is completely immersed within the Earth's dark umbral shadow. During the August 28 eclipse totality will last 90 minutes.

Enjoy! :)

"More information at the NASA Eclipse Home Page"

Mythology... Truth or Fiction?

2007-08-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

One may wonder where Legends and Myths truly come from. Is it the product of an overactive imagination? Or were visions in the sky and visitations from other beings just a fact of life for those who lived long ago? Perhaps it is true that the Earth and the Sky had a totally different look and feel. There is evidence in cave drawings and symbols depicted on many different continents of the world, showing a striking similarity in visions from the sky. Could so many cultures, with people living so very far from each other, be wrong in painting a picture of a very different sky above the Earth? Were they very far off the mark in imagining these were Symbols of the Gods? Where do Myths truly come from? And who is to say what is Truth and what is Fiction in a world we are still striving so hard to understand.

You may wonder what may have prompted me to venture into such a subject. For one, I am fascinated with Ancient History, and the truth of it therein. And I am not one to dismiss out of hand the truth hidden in Legends and Myths. There are too many similarities, and I know for a fact that much truth has been supressed down the Ages, through religious control and domination.

Here is an interesting Video which prompted some serious curiosity and thinking on my part..

"Thunderbolts of the Gods"

"Cool site on Mythology"

"Mythography"

~ The Wealth of the Rainforests... ~

2007-07-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

The subject of the Rainforest is dear to my heart. It is well known that these precious forests play an important role in the health of Mother Earth and her inhabitants. These rainforests are the lungs of this planet. Without them, we cannot live and breathe. Not to mention the tragic loss of so many herbs and medicines in this wanton destruction of the plant nation. So, knowing this precious resource is being wasted for no other reason but greed, why do we continue to let this occur? We have the knowledge to create other sources in building materials. We can put a stop to this devestation before it is too late. People need to truly be aware of how serious this has become... it is not a theory, it is a fact. And talking about it won't solve the problem. People need to be proactive in solving this very serious travesty visited upon this Earth, this gift of a planet the Creator has placed us upon.

Here are a few Amazon Rainforest facts...

* The Amazon Rainforest covers over a billion acres, encompassing areas in Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and the Eastern Andean region of Ecuador and Peru. If Amazonia were a country, it would be the ninth largest in the world.

* The Amazon Rainforest has been described as the "Lungs of our Planet" because it provides the essential environmental world service of continuously recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen. More than 20 percent of the world oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest.

* More than half of the world's estimated 10 million species of plants, animals and insects live in the tropical rainforests. One-fifth of the world's fresh water is in the Amazon Basin.

* One hectare (2.47 acres) may contain over 750 types of trees and 1500 species of higher plants.

* At least 80% of the developed world's diet originated in the tropical rainforest. Its bountiful gifts to the world include fruits like avocados, coconuts, figs, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, bananas, guavas, pineapples, mangos and tomatoes; vegetables including corn, potatoes, rice, winter squash and yams; spices like black pepper, cayenne, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, sugar cane, tumeric, coffee and vanilla and nuts including Brazil nuts and cashews.

* At least 3000 fruits are found in the rainforests; of these only 200 are now in use in the Western World. The Indians of the rainforest use over 2,000.

* Rainforest plants are rich in secondary metabolites, particularly alkaloids. Biochemists believe alkaloids protect plants from disease and insect attacks. Many alkaloids from higher plants have proven to be of medicinal value and benefit.

* Currently, 121 prescription drugs currently sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources. And while 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients, less than 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists.

* The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified 3000 plants that are active against cancer cells. 70% of these plants are found in the rainforest. Twenty-five percent of the active ingredients in today's cancer-fighting drugs come from organisms found only in the rainforest.

* Vincristine, extracted from the rainforest plant, periwinkle, is one of the world's most powerful anticancer drugs. It has dramatically increased the survival rate for acute childhood leukemia since its discovery.

* In 1983, there were no U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers involved in research programs to discover new drugs or cures from plants. Today, over 100 pharmaceutical companies and several branches of the US government, including giants like Merck and The National Cancer Institute, are engaged in plant research projects for possible drugs and cures for viruses, infections, cancer, and even AIDS.

Rainforest Action

* Experts agree that by leaving the rainforests intact and harvesting it's many nuts, fruits, oil-producing plants, and medicinal plants, the rainforest has more economic value than if they were cut down to make grazing land for cattle or for timber.

* The latest statistics show that rainforest land converted to cattle operations yields the land owner $60 per acre and if timber is harvested, the land is worth $400 per acre. However, if these renewable and sustainable resources are harvested, the land will yield the land owner $2,400 per acre.

* If managed properly, the rainforest can provide the world's need for these natural resources on a perpetual basis.

* Promoting the use of these sustainable and renewable sources could stop the destruction of the rainforests. By creating a new source of income harvesting the medicinal plants, fruits nuts, oil and other sustainable resources, the rainforests is be more valuable alive than cut and burned.

* Sufficient demand of sustainable and ecologically harvested rainforest products is necessary for preservation efforts to succeed. Purchasing sustainable rainforest products can effect positive change by creating a market for these products while supporting the native people's economy and provides the economic solution and alternative to cutting the forest just for the value of its timber.

"More Facts on the Disappearing Rainforests"

"Rainforest Plants"

Organic Landscaping and Organic Lawns...

2007-07-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

I found this interesting..

QUESTION FROM ORGANIC BYTES READER: (reference: Organic Bytes #113 " How to Have the Best Looking Organic Lawn on the Block") -- You make good points about how to have healthy organic grass, but you should provide your readers with more information on how to rid of conventional grass lawns altogether. Are there more options?

RESPONSE FROM THE OCA: This is definitely true. As noted in our article, more than a third of urban water use is soaked up by grass lawns, and 67 million pounds of pesticides are used each year on these lawns. While converting your conventional lawn to an organic lawn is a HUGE positive step in reducing chemical and water use, even greater conservation can be achieved by transitioning your grass lawn into a low maintenance and diverse landscape of native plants - called "naturescaping. For those interested in taking their lawn beyond organic grass, PlantNative is an excellent website about naturescaping, including an excellent how-to section and directory of native plant nurseries.

Note to readers: If you have questions or comments about issues covered in Organic Bytes, like the reader above, please post them in our Organic Bytes forum here:
Organic Bytes Forum

~ In Hawaii, Kilauea raises her voice in a new eruption... ~

2007-07-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

There's a new eruption site on Kilauea volcano. It's the first time lava is flowing east of Puuoo in 15 years. There's been quite a bit of activity on Kilauea for the past five weeks...earthquake swarms, Puuoo crater collapsed, and now a new eruption site.

It's known as the most world's most active volcano. Experts say it's the most activity and changes they've seen in a few years. Most of Kilauea's Eruptions happen at the summit or within the two rift zones. Now there's a new eruption site, just east of Puuoo crater. The lava is oozing along one mile fissures. It's the first time this area has had any activity in 15 years.

The last time there were eruptions at this site in 1990. The lava ended up flowing downhill to Kalapana and destroyed the entire community. Experts monitoring the new lava outbreak don't believe this flow will take that same path. Scientists say if Kilauea is trying to tell them something, they're listening carefully.

When Mother Earth decides to rumble and grumble, we are humbly reminded how pitifully small we are in the scheme of things. At this moment I wish to send out heartfelt prayers for the safety and well being of folks within the vicinity of this Volcano as she vents...

Simplified map of Kilauea Volcano, Hawai`i

Kilauea Eruption Updates

Geological Survey Fact Sheet

~* A Galactic Fairy Tale... *~

2007-07-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

Well then, I have been away for a while, camping and participating in our Lakota ceremonies. What an Adventure this past month has presented! Perhaps I will update my own personal journey very soon. Until then, I have an interesting Tale I recently discovered and wish to share.

A Galactic Fairy Tale
by Michael Lightweaver

A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there were all of these little light beings just hanging out enjoying life in that joyful & timeless dimension. And then one day a very large, magnificent angel came to them. He had a very serious look on his face. He was looking for volunteers for a very important cosmic mission.

"We have this small - but very special - planet out at the edge of the Alcyon galaxy called Gaia. It is quite unique like a beautiful garden and it is teeming with hundreds of thousands of different life forms. It has been something of an experimental station in the galaxy and it has a most interesting humanoid life form that incorporates the very highest and lowest frequencies known in the cosmos. It is in fact the very epitome of dualism. On the one hand it is an incredibly beautiful life form and is capable of carrying the highest frequencies of love, light & joy known throughout the whole Universe. On the other hand it is capable of carrying the densest and darkest frequencies the cosmos has ever experienced - frequencies which the rest of creation evolved beyond eons ago.

Here is the current situation. Within the domain of time, this planet goes through periodic cosmic cycles. It is now coming to the end of two major cycles - a 2,000 year long age of Pisces and the 25,000 year long cosmic year in its journey around Alcyon, the central sun of the milky way galaxy.

With the completion of this cycle, many things are coming to an end and many things are about to begin. But most importantly, the planet is experiencing an infusion of light that is dramatically increasing it's frequency. As during any major time of transition, there will be a certain amount of turbulence. Some of this will be geological, for Gaia herself is a living planet and is also evolving. But much of it also involves the hominoid species that dominates the planet.

This will not be a particularly easy time for the species - especially for those who are sleeping and those who are vibrating at the lowest frequencies. As the frequency changes it will create insecurity which in turn will create fear.

The first era of evolution on this planet was the physical era and the key word was survival. The second era, which is now ending, was the mental era and the key word was logic. The third era, which is now beginning, is the era of the heart and the key word is love. This is the highest frequency.

Those who currently hold the reign of power on the planet are of the old order of the physical & mental. To the extent that they can make a graceful transition to a heart centered and divinely guided life, it will be an easy transition. To the extent that they are unable to do this, they will experience much turmoil.

So this is the current situation of Gaia. The reason I am here is to seek volunteers who would be willing to incarnate in humanoid form on the planet at this time to help make this an easy and smooth transition. We have sent prophets and teachers in the past. Very often they were brutally persecuted o r killed. In other instances they were set up as "gods" to be worshiped and these humanoids built elaborate religions and rituals around them and used these religions to control each other. They did everything except follow the simple teachings that were offered.

So this time we are trying a different approach. No more prophets, saviors & avatars that they can use to create religions. This time we are sending in thousands - actually hundreds of thousands - of ordinary light beings with only two assignments:

1) Stay in your heart. Regardless of what happens, stay in your heart.

2) Remember who you are, why you are here and what this is all about.

Now that seems easy enough, right? Unfortunately, No! As I have said, duality has reached its peak on this planet. This species has perfected the illusion of good and evil. The greatest challenge you will experience is to remember Who You Really Are, Why You Are Here and What This Is Really All About. When you remember, you will be ale to stay in your heart, regardless of external events.

So how will you know when you are forgetting? It is easy. Watch your judgments. The moment you notice that you are in a place of judgment you will know that you have forgotten Who You Really Are, Why You Are Here and What This Is Really All About. That will be your signal.

Now here is the challenge. Life on this planet will require a great deal of discernment - wise evaluation of what is true, what is appropriate and what is for the highest good, both for yourself and for the planet. In many ways discernment is similar to judgment. However, you will know when you are in judgment and when you have moved out of your heart when you are in a place of blame.

We know how challenging that this planet can be. We know how very real the illusions on this planet appear to be. We understand the incredible density of this dimension and the pressure you will face. But if you survive this mission - and it is a voluntary one - you will evolve at hyperspeed.

We also should say that we know that some of you who will go to this planet as starseeds, will never germinate - never awakened to the remembrance of who you really are. Some of you will awaken and begin to shine, only to be choked down by the opinions and prevailing thoughtforms around you. Others will awaken and remain awake and your light will become a source of inspiration and remembrance for many.

You will incarnate all over the planet; in every culture, every race, every country, every religion. But you will be different. You will never quite fit in. As you awaken you will realize that your true family isn't those of your own race, culture, religion, county or even your biological family. It is your cosmic family - those who have come as you have come - on assignment to assist in ways large and small in the current transition.

True brotherhood and globalization in its highest form will come only in remembering Who You Really Are, Why You Are Here and What This Is Really All About. It will come as you return to the true temple of Divine Presence, your heart, where this remembrance takes place and from which you are called to serve the world.

So, are your ready? Good!

Oh, and by the way, there are a couple of other minor things I should mention......

Because of the density, you can't operate in that dimension without a space suit. This is a biological suit that actually changes over time. There are many things we could tell you about this but our orientation time is short so I think you can just jump in and experience it. You should be forewarned, however. There will be a danger that if you forget who you really are, you may think you ARE your space suit instead of the fact that it is simply your vehicle in that dimension. Once there, you will notice that there is an infinite variety of space suits and a great deal of attention given to these. However, in spite of the infinite variety, because this a planet of duality, they all fall into two basic categories called 'genders.' Again, we really don't have time to go into this now. But you will find your relationship with your own space suit to be most instructive and interesting.

The other little thing is this. In order to operate in that dimension, you will also receive a microchip called a 'personality.' This is like an identity imprint that, along with your space suit, will essentially make you different from everyone else. This will allow you to participate in the hologram there - something they call 'consensus reality.' Once again, there will be a real danger that you will become so engrossed in the holographic personality dramas that you will forget who you really are and actually think that you ARE your personality. I know it sounds rather unbelievable right now, but once you get there.....

Again, there is so much more we could tell you by way of orientation, but we think you can learn the rest experientially 'on site." The only thing that is important is to remember Who You Really Are, Why You Are Here and What This Is Really All About. If you can do that, everything else will work out fine. But take note: So few really DO remember this they stand out as 'different' and others called them 'Enlightened" or 'Awakened" and similar terms. Strange isn't it?

Well, Good Luck & Bon Voyage!!!

Michael Lightweaver
PO Box 18909 Asheville, NC. 28814 (USA)
lightweave@aol.com

Mountain Light Sanctuary

"Genuine Contact Professional ~ Michael Lightweaver"

If we are aware as we walk...

2007-05-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

"The Elder's would gather words as they walked a sacred path across the Earth, leaving nothing behind but prayers and offerings."
---- Cleone Thunder, NORTHERN ARAPAHOE

Whenever we walk on the Earth, we should pay attention to what is going on. Too often our minds are somewhere else, thinking about the past or thinking about the future. When we do this, we are missing important lessons. The Earth is a constant flow of lessons and learnings which also include a constant flow of positive feelings. If we are aware as we walk, we will gather words for our lives, the lessons to help our children; we will gather feelings of interconnectedness and calmness. When we experience this, we should say or think thoughts of gratitude. When we do this, the next person to walk on the sacred path will benefit even more.

My Creator, today, let me be aware of the sacred path.

Love, Light and Blessings this May Day.. the Earth Renews

2007-05-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

Handfasting couples
the great marriage
the uniting of spirit
of all things combined
I dance for the earth
I dance for the air
I dance for the fire
I dance for the water
I dance for the Goddess and the God
I dance for the universe that we share
I danced for you my friend and wished you were there.

...Let the winds lift your banners from far lands
With a message of strife and of hope:
Raise the Maypole aloft with its garlands
That gathers your cause in its scope....

...Stand fast, then, Oh Workers, your ground,
Together pull, strong and united:
Link your hands like a chain the world round,
If you will that your hopes be requited.

When the World's Workers, sisters and brothers,
Shall build, in the new coming years,
A lair house of life--not for others,
For the earth and its fulness is theirs.

Walter Crane, The Workers' Maypole, 1894

Well, it is a fact that May Day, which the children do enjoy with all vibes, is not an overly prominent holiday in America. Yet, it does have a long and notable history as one of the world's principal festivals. The origin of the May Day as a day for celebration dates back to the days, even before the birth of Christ. And like many ancient festivals it too has a Pagan connection.

For the Druids of the British Isles, May 1 was the second most important holiday of the year. Because, it was when the festival of Beltane held. It was thought that the day divides the year into half. The other half was to be ended with the Samhain on November 1. Those days the May Day custom was the setting of new fire. It was one of those ancient New Year rites performed throughout the world. And the fire itself was thought to lend life to the burgeoning springtime sun. Cattle were driven through the fire to purify them. Men, with their sweethearts, passed through the smoke for seeing good luck.

Then the Romans came to occupy the British Isles. The beginning of May was a very popular feast time for the Romans. It was devoted primarily to the worship of Flora, the goddess of flowers. It was in her honor a five day celebration, called the Floralia, was held. The five day festival would start from April 28 and end on May 2. The Romans brought in the rituals of the Floralia festival in the British Isles. And gradually the rituals of the Floralia were added to those of the Beltane. And many of today's customs on the May Day bear a stark similarity with those combined traditions.

May day observance was discouraged during the Puritans. Though, it was relived when the Puritans lost power in England, it didn't have the same robust force. Gradually, it came to be regarded more as a day of joy and merriment for the kids, rather than a day of observing the ancient fertility rights.

The tradition of Maypole and greeneries:
By the Middle Ages every English village had its Maypole. The bringing in of the Maypole from the woods was a great occasion and was accompanied by much rejoicing and merrymaking. The Maypoles were of all sizes. And one village would vie with another to show who could produce the tallest Maypole. Maypoles were usually set up for the day in small towns, but in London and the larger towns they were erected permanently.

The Maypole tradition suffered a setback for about a couple of decades since the Puritan Long Parliament stopped it in 1644. However, with the return of the Stuarts, the Maypole reappeared and the festivities of May Day were again enjoyed. The changes brought about by the Reformation included attempts to do away with practices that were obviously of pagan origin. But the Maypole, or, May tree, was not issued in practice at the behest of the second Stuart.

Although they succeeded in doing this, Maypole with most of the other traditions, many still survived. And Maypole is one of them. In France it merely changed its name. In Perigord and elsewhere, the May Tree became the "Tree of Liberty" and was the symbol of the French Revolution. Despite the new nomenclature, the peasants treated the tree in the same traditional spirit. And they would dance around it the same way as their forefathers had always done.

Maypoles and trees:
Trees have been linked to a part of celebration, perhaps, to the days ancient New Year rites. The association of trees to this celebration has come riding on the back of the spring festival in ancient Europe. Trees have always been the symbol of the great vitality and fertility of nature and were often used at the spring festivals of antiquity. The anthropologist E. O. James finds a strong relationship between the ancient tree related traditions of the British and the Romans. According to James' description, as a part of the May Day celebration, the youths in old Europe cut down a tree, lopped off the branches leaving a few at the top. They then wrapped it round with violets like the figure of the Attis, the ancient Roman god. At sunrise, they used to take it back to their villages by blowing horns and flutes. In a similar manner, the sacred pine tree representing the god Attis was carried in procession to the temple of Cybele on Rome's Palatine Hill during the Spring Festival of March 22.

Roots of May Day celebration in America:
The Puritans frowned on May Day, so the day has never been celebrated with as much enthusiasm in the United States as in Great Britain. But the tradition of celebrating May Day by dancing and singing around a maypole, tied with colorful streamers or ribbons, survived as a part of the English tradition. The kids celebrating the day by moving back and forth around the pole with the the streamers, choosing of May queen, and hanging of May baskets on the doorknobs of folks -- are all the leftovers of the old European traditions.

Sacred Bear Butte

2007-04-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

On the Northeastern edge of the Black Hills, just a few miles from the small town of Sturgis, off Highway 34, lies one of the most sacred mountains to the Plains Indians from the United States and Canada.

Up to 60 different tribes traveled to Bear Butte to fast and pray. Separated by about 8 miles of prairie from the greater Black Hills, which are also considered sacred by these same nations of people, Bear Butte looks like a sleeping bear lying on its side with its head pointed toward the northeast.

Today, people from all over the world come to Bear Butte to pray, to meditate, to try to experience some of the spiritual connection that has been there from the beginning of time.

It is at Bear Butte that Native American tribes received spiritual messages and gifts. In the holy books of the Christians, Moslems, and Jews, it is stated that one of their spiritual leaders, Moses, did the same thing on Mount Sinai when he received the ten commandments.

More than 4,000 years ago, a Cheyenne man named Sweet Medicine received guidance and gifts for the Cheyenne people at Bear Butte. Today, the Cheyenne people continue to come to Bear Butte to fast and pray. Some of the Southern Cheyenne must travel hundreds of miles from Oklahoma where they were displaced by the United States cavalry in the late 1800s when the Cheyenne nation was under threat of extinction.

Geologists, on the other hand, call Bear Butte a lacolith, or a bubble of magma that did not become a complete volcano. They say this happened millions of years ago. Yet the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) people call this place, Groaning Bear. How did the Oglalas know that this mountain groaned?

Non Indian archeologists estimate that Native people have been present in the Black Hills for 11,000 years. The origin stories of the Lakota people tell of the time of the arrival of the Sioux people on the face of Mother Earth through another sacred place, now called Wind Cave. Lakota people also have stories of when dinosaurs, called giant lizards, roamed the earth, of when tiny horses were here, and cats with huge teeth stalked buffalo. These stories date back much farther than 11,000 years.

All the tribes of the Sioux people: Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota, came to Bear Butte to pray...and still do. The months of May, June, and July will see families camped at the base while a relative is standing on the side of the mountain fasting in deep meditation. Small colored pieces of cloth containing pinches of tobacco are wrapped around trees and bushes as prayer gifts to the Creator. Larger flags of red, white, black, or yellow, the sacred colors, also are tied to trees to carry the prayers to all the directions.

Bear Butte, the mountain proper, is currently a National Historic Landmark managed by the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Department. Although a few parcels of adjacent land has been purchased by some Native American nations, the rest of the surrounding area is ranchland, or is being sold to developers. Two drag racing strips, a biker bar, a convenience store, campgrounds, and housing developments are all located within a few miles of this sacred place.

By Charmaine Whiteface

~~ Taking Root.. a Family in Nature reunited ~~

2007-04-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

Taking root
By VALERIE MONSON, Staff Writer

ULUPALAKUA – Hawaiian family members long separated from their roots returned home Saturday in an emotional reunion that many thought might never happen.

Eight alani seedlings went back to the Auwahi forest, taking their place in the shadow of their only known ancestor living in the wild.

“This is where they’re supposed to be,” said a proud Martha Vockrodt Moran, caretaker of the tree that produced the seeds, as she watched another plant go from pot to posterity. “It’s so great that they’re going home.”

The story of the alani – a native Hawaiian tree that once flourished on the back flank of Haleakala – has become yet another piece of the ongoing miracle at Auwahi, the dryland forest that was all but dead five years ago. With its dwindling collection of rare trees reaching old age and unable to reproduce in a landscape made hostile by cattle, kikuyu grass and fire, the native forest was fading away.

Since it was man who unwittingly led to the downfall of the forest, it seemed only right that it was men – and a whole lot of women, too – whose exhaustive efforts have brought a strand of it back, restoring hope for the land and the Native Hawaiian people whose culture centers on the sights, the sounds, the smells and the very spirit of the forest.

“In a Western sort of thinking, man has dominions over nature,” said Kalei Tsuha, the kumu whose family led the chants and prayers that welcomed back the alani. “In the Hawaiian perspective, we are one and the same. As Hawaiians, we need to have contact with the forest and the forest needs to have contact with us.”

Until a year ago, there was the very real possibility that contact with the alani would become a thing of the past. Biologists were aware of only two left – one in the wild at Auwahi on Ulupalakua Ranch and the other in the arboretum started by Moran’s grandfather, the renowned agronomist D.T. Fleming. Even worse, both were ailing and appeared to have lost their capability for producing viable seeds.

But Moran was determined to carry on the legacy of her grandfather who had collected the alani from Auwahi 50 years ago and planted it in his arboretum at nearby Puu Mahoe along with other plants that he feared were nearing extinction.

Alani were once prolific at Auwahi, where they grew to 30 or 40 feet tall and developed trunks a foot in diameter. Formerly known as “Pelea” for Pele, the goddess of Hawaiian volcanoes, the leaves release a fragrance similar to oranges and were used to scent kapa. The bark was used for medicine.

Calling herself “only a gardener,” Moran knew she needed help to save her tree, so she assembled a crack team that made Saturday’s homecoming possible: Makawao arborist Ernie Rezents, who diagnosed the tree’s disease and prescribed the cure; Nellie Sugii, a researcher at Lyons Arboretum on Oahu, whose experiments led to germination; and expert growers Anna Palomino, Richard Nakagawa, and Dan and Noah Judson, all of Maui, who produced the eight seedlings.

Meanwhile, Auwahi, with the permission of ranch executives Pardee and Sumner Erdman, was being readied for its return by tireless biologist Art Medeiros and his crack team of volunteers who have spent the last eight years fencing, weeding, digging, propagating, planting and willing the land back to life. After successfully restoring one 10-acre enclosure, they have fenced off another 20 acres that includes an old lava channel where the last alani was struggling to survive.

“When it gets cloudy here, it’s like you’re in a cathedral,” said Bob Mikell, one of the volunteers who has given up weekend after weekend to see Auwahi revived. “Everyone here is really possessive of this place. It’s part of their body and part of their spirit.”

The feeling of family was in the forest air as the plants were unloaded from four-wheel drive vehicles that traveled as far as they could, and then the plants were carried by hand the rest of the treacherous way across loose rocks and tangles of weeds. As the alani were going home, Moran couldn’t help but think of her grandfather on the afternoon that he went to Auwahi and gathered the alani that would become the mother to this new generation. Also thinking back was Mahealani Kaiaokamalie, seventh generation of his ohana to live in the area. Kaiaokamalie’s grandfather, William Ainoa Kaiaokamalie, saw the forest collapse in his lifetime. When famed botanist John Rock, who once described Auwahi as one of the top two dryland forests in Hawaii, returned in the 1960s to see it again, he asked the elder Kaiaokamalie to lead the way. As the men came upon the forest near death, Rock broke down and wept.

Mahealani Kaiaokamalie, who has spent much of his adult life restoring native ecosystems, wondered what his grandfather – and other ancestors – would be thinking at the scene below.

“I can only imagine they’re looking down and saying ’mahalo,’ ” said Kaiaokamalie. “My family has always been private, but I think they would be proud that somebody from their genealogy is here today. That’s all I live for – to make them proud.”

It was a day when pride seemed to ooze from the ground. Once the holes were dug, they were checked and rechecked to make sure they were deep enough (but not too deep) and wide enough (but not too wide).

Finally, with the holes deemed ready for occupancy, Kalei Tsuha and her family – husband, Mark, and daughters, Kawai and Joanna – called for silence as the crowd gathered around the single ancestor alani left in the wild. Holding the keiki up to the kupuna tree, Kalei Tsuha summoned the forest gods in a chant of celebration and introduced the young alani to the old one while reuniting a larger ohana.

“The forest is the greater kuahu (altar),” Tsuha said earlier. “The kuahu is where the gods dwell. For Hawaiians, those are our ancestors. Since we’re losing them, we’re losing ourselves.”

But on this afternoon, the ancestors – and their living descendants – got a boost and made contact. Moran was even startled to see how different the alani seedlings looked once they were sprung from their pots and had settled into their beds of rich volcanic soil.

“They seem to have gotten bigger by just getting into the ground,” she said with joy.

After years on the brink of extinction, the alani were back where they belong. They were home with the ancestors.

Valerie Monson can be reached at vmonson@mauinews.com.

~~ Thunder Wolf.. courtesy of Red Tree Woman ~~

2007-04-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

I would like to share this message from my friend
Red Tree Woman...

When the westward wind begins to blow
and the midnight moon is hanging low
then lightning streaks across the sky
You will hear Thunder Wolf, asti, it is I

From the mountains I come charging down
and you will hear my crashing sound
Your hearts will fill with awe and wonder
as you hear my wisdom's mighty thunder ...

My Thunder message is for all colors and creed
whether you are full blood or breed ...
It's a message of love and peace
that all hatred and prejudice should cease

As my thunder shakes the mountain tops
you will hear me ... the hatred must STOP
Across the world you are killing each other
and your greed is killing our Earth Mother

Embrace the Light, come out of the shadowy dark
let mercy and kindness fill your hearts ...
Learn from wolf the gift of love and loyalty
stop hate's treachery and let this message soar free

Hate has no wisdom, vision nor power
it comes from the fearful hearts of cowards
Thunder wolf's message is to bring you together
and know the power of Creator's love is forever ...

From Thunder Wolf, my message is clear
Learn to love and let your hearts be sincere ...
For with all power or miracles ever dreamt of ...
There is no power greater than the miracle of love

My message is for all countries across the land
for we are all sisters and brothers in the Tribe of Man
Let Creator's Light guide you to peace and harmony
Walk softly in the Light and set your spirit free

he-ay-hee-ee!
hecheto welo wayo kapi
Aho!
Red Tree Woman

Dreaming Your Song.. An interview of Lakota spiritual teacher Paul GhostHorse

2007-04-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

I would like to share a teaching from my dear freind Paul Ghosthorse, a Spiritual leader in my Lakota Tiospe.

Dreaming Your Song
New Life Journal interviews Lakota spiritual teacher Paul Ghost Horse.

By Erin Everett

Paul Ghost Horse is a Lakota ceremonial leader who lives in
western NC and teaches and conducts ceremonies throughout the
country. His spiritual grandfather is Lakota elder and author
Wallace Black Elk, and he continues his family's teaching tradition
by sharing some wisdom with New Life Journal readers. We are
honored to offer his words.

PGH: Years ago, when my grandfather was a young man, he went
on a hill for hanblecheyapi (vision quest), crying for a vision, and
an Eagle came to him. The Eagle gave him a song, and when songs
are given to native people, it's always given in ceremony. The
song connects spirit to spirit; and so when the spirit gives us song,
they don't give it with words. They give it with sound, so the
information is transferred from spirit to spirit, the spirit messenger
of Creation to the spirit of human being, through the medium of
sound vibration. So the Eagle came to my grandfather and gave
him this song, and there are no words in this song because people
fight wars over words and get into theological debate over
meaning, but this song is a song of encouragement for the two-
leggeds, so that they never give up in the struggle to become
human beings. The Eagle said this song is going to fly around the
world, and so this song has been sung in North and South America,
in Europe and in Africa. It's been sung in Hawaii and Russia. And
it's the song of the Eagle. There are no words to this song because
it's still a new song. It's still in a pure state; it has not been
contaminated with words and impressions about what it means.

As I was told: long ago, there was a people and they lived in a
place of paradise. They were very happy with themselves, and they
lived in the spirit of this garden. They had all they wanted to eat
and they needed no clothes, and everything was fine. And the
Spirit said, "Well, you can have anything in this garden you want,
but don't eat from my apple tree. This tree here: this one is mine.
You can't eat from this tree, but all the rest, they are yours."

So the two-leggeds, being as they are, were attracted to that apple
tree, so they ate from that tree. They blamed the snake and they
blamed woman. But both man and woman were lured to that tree.
The snake was an unfortunate bystander. So the people ate from
that apple tree, and they had an understanding, they had a
knowledge. They knew they wanted to start building, creating, they
wanted to be like Creator. And the Creator was upset and chased
them out of that garden for disobeying, so they left in pain and
guilt.

But they left that place with new eyes to see and they traveled all
around the world with that pain and with that guilt, and they passed
it on to other people like a virus. All around the earth, passing it on
from person to person. Many of them wandered in the desert and
they prayed and prayed and a spirit came, a war spirit. They prayed
to this war spirit, and it gave them success in battle. They learned
technology, and they started drifting away from the earth. They
started traveling around the earth, conquering other people.

This place where we live is Turtle Island. This is our paradise, this
is our place, our Garden of Eden. The Creator never chased us out
of the Garden of Eden. We have not one story in all our history of
disobeying our creator and being punished. If something so
important had happened to us, we would remember. Original sin,
that is someone else's story. It is not ours. These people who came
with guilt on their soul, they passed that on to the people here and
chased the people here out of the Garden of Eden. They came in
pain and trashed our paradise. It is said that there is a holy land
across the ocean, but this land here is holy and sacred and
everything here is that paradise.

It is still here under the pavement! My Grandfather says that we
are the sixth generation to live beyond the end of the world. Some
people are talking about an Armageddon coming, almost with
relish and enthusiasm. Six generations ago-seven generations
now-the last of the free buffalo were killed and the People were
put in concentration camps called reservations. Everyone was
given a number, registration and pedigree. The prophecies were
that we would be living in square houses and that the earth would
be covered in stone, and so here we are living in that age now
where there are roads everywhere and we can no longer drink from
the earth to cleanse ourselves, and the air itself is dark and smoky.
We are the sixth generation to live beyond the end of the world.
And we are trying to find our way. We are trying to understand
how to live in this life. The hunting is gone, so the new hunting is
in jobs, and we live in debt. We are trying to figure it out, trying to
find our way.

Everyone is born with an instruction in this life. As little children,
we are still connected to that spirit. We are born with an instruction
for what we are supposed to do in this world, the little puzzle that
is our life and how it fits in place. And then we lose our way very
shortly after because of the way we are raised in our society. All of
us are damaged now by the way we are educated and because the
food we eat is tortured and contaminated. This hurts our body and
our spirit.

For thousands of years, we've been drifting away from creation
and the original understanding of fire, rock, water and the green.
Those are the four elements in the Lakota way of being. So we
have drifted very far from that place. Where we are going, we
don't know.

We have prophecies, and they shoot off into the future like an
arrow, but those things can be changed. Everything changes. There
is an old Greek philosopher called Heraclitus who said, "All things
are becoming." There is an old Stones song that says, "All things
shall pursue," which means that everything changes. The only
constant in the Lakota way of being is that everything is going to
be different tomorrow. Everything changes. So we sit in the middle
of the wheel; hochoka, we call it. That circle with the cross at the
center. We sit in the center and watch the universe all around us
changing from day to day in this kaleidoscope. Our grandmother,
the Earth, how she is clothed: her dress is white, her dress is
brown, her dress is covered with flowers, her dress is green and is
ever-changing. And our Father in the sky: his robe is blue and he
wears that crown of stars over his head. Knowledge and wisdom:
that is the Earth and the Sky. Grandmother and Grandfather: they
are one and the same thing. In Christianity there is a heavenly
Father. But where is Mother? It is a motherless religion. The
Catholics made Mary into Mother of God. So now who is God's
father? Jesus becomes son and father? Catholics carry the most
guilt of all.

So when we are born into this creation, we have four parts of our
human soul. In the English way, people ask what is a soul, what is
a spirit? No one knows. They try to count the angels on the head of
a pin. In the Lakota way, there are four parts of the human soul,
and there are no words in the English language to describe those
four parts. And I wonder what information has been lost in the
European way of being, because those people were Earth People,
too. Long time ago, they had their songs and their ceremonies, and
they gave up their songs and their ceremonies for someone else's.
Someone came in and conquered them and convinced them that
their way was better, their songs were better, their spiritual ways
better, and then they passed that guilt of eating from that tree to
new people. They were convinced that they disobeyed the creator
too.

None of my people ever carried that sin. It was never part of our
being. But it was given to us, and we don't accept it. That's not our
history. Our way is the way of the fire, rock, water and the green.
We have our seven ceremonies and four virtues. Buffalo Calf
Woman came many, many generations ago and she brought the
ceremonies and teachings that gave us the option of becoming
human beings. We have a culture that had developed without a
prison system because we had justice. We had no need for prisons.
There was never such a thing as an orphan, we never threw our old
people away in retirement centers because we valued them. We
had a culture that seemed to have no government, yet everything
was orderly. Most native cultures were matriarchal: the
grandmother's wisdom was respected by the people and had great
influence. Men would hunt and fish and protect their territories,
and they would come into camp, and in every home there was a
woman. And the woman would say such and such happened while
you were away and this and that needs to be done. The men would
meet and say such and such happened while we were away and this
and that needs to be done. So the men, they all felt good because
they decided something.

So, that's the way of balance. It was never a battle of sexes
between the native people; that's a contamination from across the
ocean. The women did not want to be men and the men did not
want to be women, but everybody had their own power and
understanding. They were born a certain way and they learned the
power of that way. We are all one, but once we are born, we are
separate in the duality of life, male and female. Men and women
each only see half the circle. Together, we have understanding.

The chununpa (pipe) is bowl and stem, male and female, and when
you put them together, it's a creation, a creation of the world, a
creation of the universe.

NLJ: Thank you, Paul. You just talked about ways that native
people understand and what people who have become
disconnected from their lineage have lost. Many people are
searching for those ways and desiring that connection to the Divine
and to the world around us, that magical connection that makes the
world more alive. Can you tell us the first steps for reclaiming that
connection?

PGH: Well, I don't think the way for most of us can be found in
religion because in religion, there is dogma. You have to find it in
spirit. A person can be spiritual and still religious, but it's still in
your spirit that you have to find this. You have to take the time to
go inside. Start each day with a prayer, something so simple. Just
observe this creation and look forward to this day. Give a little
offering of tobacco or chocolate or a piece of your hair or
something for when you're beginning the day. Wonder about the
adventure that's going to be in front of you and the challenges, and
ask for gentle teachings. Be conscious. I think the best way is to try
to be conscious through your day in all the little adventures.
Everything manifests from spirit and goes outward, so whatever
your prayer is for the day, that's how the day is going to unfold, as
an answer. Whatever you ask for, whatever you project into the
day, it's going to start coming back. It's like, you drop a pebble
into a pond and the ripples go out, and in a little while, they bounce
back. So you are waiting for these things to come back. Half of
prayer is listening, so when you make that prayer for your day,
what happens through the day is the listening part. And then at the
end of the day, when you are lying safely in your bed and you
review your day, you look at all of the successes and all of the little
failures, and hopefully there are a few more successes than there
are failures, but the failures are good because you will learn
something. Failure is a good teacher. So you give thanks for that
day.

When a human being is born, they are not complete until they take
that first breath. You know, we come from the elements of the
earth. It makes up our body. There is a spirit and there are angels
that come and help us, and everybody has these spirits, these
angels. They are with us, but very few people use them. Very few
people ask them for help. Everybody seems to have somebody
around them, maybe it's a great grandmother or someone, that
follows them around and kind of watches out for them. Some
people are kind of dead to this, and they don't realize something's
there, but most everybody has had the feeling that somebody has
been present alongside them at certain key moments in their life.
So we thank these spirits, these helpers that are near us, sometimes
with little gifts, maybe sometimes give them a little food or
something like that and encourage them and just say, "Thank you
for watching over me." So they help you to be conscious.

When we take that first breath with our life, we become something
that has never existed before in the world. That person that is there
looking back at you when you look at your driver's license-that
person has never existed before, and it has come into being, it's
living in this robe, this body made from the earth, for a short time.

You have to drop this robe back into the earth. There is another
spiritual place, a spiritual dimension, a spiritual world that
everyone goes to but you can't take your body with you. You have
to leave that behind because you can't enter with your body. We
live in a 3-D world, and the spirit place is a 4-D world. The 3-D
has to be left behind and that one part moves into the next and how
you cultivate that life, how conscious you are, determines how
conscious your spirit is in that next life. We know this by the
ceremonies. My grandfather was thrown in a crazy house for
praying and healing, and my father was thrown in jail a number of
times for praying in a land founded on freedom of religion. Back in
317 A.D., Constantine made Christianity a legal religion,
supposedly free from persecution at that time. In 1978, Jimmy
Carter passed the Freedom of Religion Act so native people can no
longer be persecuted for praying. We can legally honor our young
girls for becoming women. We can have give-away ceremonies
again. We openly conduct our Sundance Ceremony.

So when people want to live their day with a consciousness and
listening, that spirit will guide them. And maybe the European
people will find their old songs again, because everybody's family
had their songs. Everybody's village had those sacred songs that
connected them to the Spirit. And those things haven't disappeared
from the earth; they are just kind of lost for now, and people have
to find them again. All things have their song, and it just has to be
dreamed again.

So, that was the short answer.

=====================

Look for future issues of New Life Journal, where we'll share
tradition of the Inipi, the Lakota sweat lodge, which Paul shared
with our editor Erin Everett.

"Reprinted from New Life Journal.. www.newlifejournal.com"

2007-04-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

Global warming is pushing polar bears to the brink of extinction. If we don’t do something right now, they could disappear forever.

Please help save America’s polar bears! Urge the U.S. government to protect them under the federal Endangered Species Act.

For more than 30 years, the Endangered Species Act has prevented the extinction of animals like bald eagles, grizzly bears, and manatees. Now our polar bears need the Act’s protection, and it’s up to us to ensure that they get it.

Already, more than 61,000 Defenders supporters have sent messages urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect polar bears under the Endangered Species Act. But an industry front group has launched a last-minute campaign opposing efforts to protect polar bears, and we need your help to beat them!

We only have until this Monday (April 9th) to make our case for Endangered Species Act protections for polar bears. Please send your message right now and urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to give polar bears the protection they need.

Tomorrow, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an authoritative U.N. network of 2,000 scientists and more than 100 governments, is expected to release its widely anticipated report detailing the effects of global warming.

It’s not a pretty picture: rising temperatures are melting sea ice. Without sea ice, polar bears must resort to more and more desperate means as they struggle to survive.

Some have drowned. Others have starved to death. And some have even resorted to cannibalism -- a behavior unseen among America’s polar bears until recently.

Birth and survival rates have plummeted in the last 15 years, and bears are moving inland where they are more likely to come in conflict with humans.

Unless we take action now to save them, polar bears may only exist in zoos by the end of the century. Please send your message right now!

Tell your friends Today!

Please help Save Oregons Wolves!

2007-04-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

There has not been a Confirmed wolf pack in the state of Oregon in over 50 years. So in December of 2005 the Oregon Fish And Wildlife department wrote a management plan which stated wolves would be allowed to cross from Idaho into Oregon, and they would not be removed. Recently on January 29th 2007 it was announced that the Rocky Mountain wolf would be taken off the Endangered Species List. Populations in Idaho and Wyoming had recovered very well so it was logical for them to be removed. However, when the Rocky Mountain wolf was delisted in those states, unfortunately it included Northeastern Oregon. We believe it is wrong for the wolf to not be protected in Oregon, especially when there are no confirmed packs even in the state. Please sign the petition to push the Department Of Fish And Wildlife to relist the wolf in Oregon so they'll have a fighting chance.

SIGN THE PETITION BY CLICKING HERE!!

Marcus
STW

please repost

Thoughts about Spring and the East by my friend Storm...

2007-04-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

As written in her own words, I would like to share... Thanks Storm!!

In just a few scant days and hours, the hoop of life will turn into East, or so it is said by my people. We would have been anxiously checking the marks on the centuries old calendar rock that now sits in a farmer's field. With excitement and yes, some dread, we wait for that one moment, that click of time, when the creation decisively turns. And when that click happens, we would sing to welcome the sun back from its journey and prepare to sing as well to the first salmon that comes up the river/stream lifeblood of the people.

Now there are just a few scant days and hours left of the time of North; the time of wisdom - the doing time when one uses the knowledge gained during the this last full turn of the circle. Are the nets ready, are the root sticks sharpened, the bark scrapers ready for the baskets and mats and capes to be made? Are we ready with all that we know to face the unknown of the new turn?

East, the time of spirit, the time of renewal, the time of newness and innocence. The time when never more clearly we see the same in a different way. Everything is right before our eyes, if we'll just take that moment to see it. Outside my front window I see a cherry tree, and, as always, I am astonished as I see this old friend changing before my eyes. Every winter, I fear for it...with limbs so bare and brittle and seemingly lifeless. And I wonder, is this the year it won't bloom? Is this the year it won't be able to welcome and feed the winged that always return to it? But now I see the buds breaking from it skin and know those buds for the promise of renewal and newness. Oh, how painful it must be and oh, the struggle it goes through to meet this promise one more time.

Commercials tell us that 'new' is better, improved, exciting. I think 'new' is scary and disturbing and unsettling. New is when everything is the same, but different. New is when my comfortable, self-satisfied, knowing certainty is rocked. New is when I believe..I dream and I have no knowledge to support that belief or dream...just the surety that anything is possible because that is the way of Creation, and I am, after all, a piece of it. The faith, the hope to give me the courage to face 'new' until it too becomes a comfortable warm place for me to rest in.

I don't know what I don't know...and the promise of East is that with the willingness to see with the innocence of a trusting child, to look at the same thing in a different way, to allow myself to step out of the comfortable and into the uncertainty, I will see and hear and taste andlearn things I can't even possibly imagine. And the older I get, the harder it gets to do so. So many winters..so much struggle to gain what little knowledge and wisdom I have...so much loss, heartache...so many questions for so few answers.

And yet, and yet...East stirs my blood and focuses my vision even further outside my window. My woman's hands long to plunge into the dirt and plant and help my Mother in her birthing pangs. My woman's heart speeds up to meet the nesting call...time to purify, to clean, to build for the future. And so, if I let the Creation into me..and if I let myself join into it, then East will sweep me along in the hoop and there won't be room for fear or courage...just the living...facing the new, the different...with the comfort of what was, to face what is, to be ready for what will be.

Hoi, my relations. Just a few scant days and hours and we will be the East, one another, as part of this hoop of life.

Storm

~*~ Mother Earthbeats ~*~