Native American Wisdom for 2013

Long Island Sound - photo: tjbg 2011

May the sun
bring you new energy by day.
May the moon
softly restore you by night.
May the rain
wash away your worries.
May the breeze
blow new strength into your being.
May you walk gently through the world
and know its beauty all the days of your life.

Apache blessing

Long Island Sound - photo: tjbg 2013

The beauty of the trees, the softness of the air,
the fragrance of the grass, they speak to me.
The summit of the mountain, the thunder of the sky,
the rhythm of the sea, speaks to me.
The faintness of the stars, the freshness of the morning,
the dewdrop on the flower, speaks to me.
The strength of the fire, the taste of the salmon,
the trail of the sun, and the life that never goes away,
they speak to me.
And my heart soars.

Chief Dan George

Long Island Sound - photo: tjbg 2013

 Humankind must be a steward of the Earth;
Caretakers for all that dwells upon it;
To be of one heart with all things.

Human beings must learn to share the
tears of every living thing,
To feel in our hearts the pain
of the wounded animal,
each crushed blade of grass;

Mother Earth is our flesh;
the rocks, our bones;
The rivers are the blood of our veins.

We are all children of _____.

 Traditions are open to anyone
who wants to learn.

Huichol Holy Man

 

Long Island Sound unseen - photo: tjbg 2012

Signs Of Life

One set of rabbit prints

Yesterday there were only one set of tracks in the back yard - today there are many more - rabbit, bird and what must be either cat or raccoon...

Rabbit, bird, raccoon or cat - and me!

One of my favorite family stories is what happened to my parents before I was born: They were living near Spokane, Washington and decided to go hiking in the mountains. They had been walking for a couple of hours when they met a man who asked, "Have you seen any bears?" When my parents replied no, they hadn't, the man said, "Well, one's been following you for quite a while." They returned safely without ever seeing the bear, but were a bit shaken knowing they were being followed by one!

A young black bear looking for acorns in Florida

As I've mentioned before, my brother has to keep an eye out for bears traveling through the yard down in Florida - he snapped this shot a couple of months ago of a young bear in the driveway, eating fallen acorns. These days, the squirrels are chowing down on the little brown nuts (the meat is a bright orange), but there are plenty for all creatures who can tolerate the bitter taste.

I've presented Rabbit lore before, so here is something about Raccoon, a distant relative of Bear:

Raccoon Medicine:

Raccoon represents creativity, dexterity, and adaptability; thievery, curiosity, and protection; shape-shifting and discovering secrets. Raccoon is a problem solver. He has an innate curiosity about how things work and will encourage you to discover new ideas and methods of achieving your goals. Intelligence is one of his strong points; combined with adaptability and a playful nature he becomes quite an interesting teacher. Raccoon can show you how to live in the Now to take full advantage of the spirit worlds. His sense of family and hunting will serve you well in providing for your own needs. Raccoon is a healer and uses the qualities of water to increase sensitivity, cleanse, purify, and soothe.

http://spiritlodge.yuku.com

Homage To Another New Year

I had such good intentions of posting something before the old year was out, but I just never found the time - so I am starting the new year with a brief salutation to honor 2012's passing and the beginning of 2013...

Since I have never taken much stock in the old Southern tradition of cooking black-eyed peas (with greens and hog jowls...) to encourage good fortune in the coming year, I decided to make a pot of Streit's Variety Vegetable soup with green and yellow peas, barley, mushrooms, onions, carrots, canola oil, natural flavor and turmeric. The box said: "No MSG Added... No Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Added... No Hydrogenated Vegetable Shortening... Contains No Meat Or Dairy Products..."

...pretty innocuous, and very easy to boot: After only 45 minutes I was enjoying a hot, tasty and (mostly) nutritious meal.

A new tradition is born

There was also a container of old, dried uncooked beans that had been violated some time ago by little moths, which forced me to banish them to the back porch until I got around to tossing them outside for the critters to eat (which I never did), and so I picked out seven perfectly edible black-eyed "field" peas and threw them into the pot as well, for good luck (Yes, those old habits do die hard, even at the stroke of midnight).

Happy New Year, Planet Earth, with love

So I wish you, one and all, a happy, healthy New Year, as I share some sentiments from wiser folk:


Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits.  
~Author Unknown

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in.  A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.  
~Bill Vaughan

A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.  
~Author Unknown


Approach the New Year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day.  
~Michael Josephson

We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.  
~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

How's That Metamorphosis Working Out? Kinda Slow...

Not long ago, I bought a Christmas ornament at a local thrift store - it cost 50 cents or something like that... I thought it was a cute little handcrafted piece and, after fixing a couple of things that were loose, I decided it needed to be radically altered into something more personal, so I changed the kitty's color to match my little black cat Nancy who passed away this past April.

Before transformation...

Although she's no longer here in the physical world, she's still with me in spirit. I miss you, Cat.

...and after - voila! Happy Holidays, sweet Nancy

Here's the back-side (the pads were pink)

The Path of Transformation

Technically speaking, the process of transformation occurs in three stages, according to the ageless wisdom. The terms used to describe these progressive stages of unfoldment are: transmutation, transformation, and transfiguration. Lifetimes are required to complete the metamorphosis that culminates at the stage of transfiguration, when the light of the Soul pours down upon the outer persona and changes it — permanently.
Those who have approached this stage on the Path depict the process as a harrowing one, portraying an experience that is light-years apart from popular notions of the spiritual path.  In advertisements for books, workshops and conferences, the quest is often portrayed as an exciting travel adventure that can be made luxuriously comfortable and pleasurable. “In actuality,” as we wrote in When the Soul Awakens, “the spiritual path is never pleasant or comfortable, though joy is surely among its ultimate rewards.” 
What makes the process painful is the “task” at its core: blending spirit and matter. To forge a state of unity out of this exteme polarity, that which is of a material nature must be purified and refined in order to fuse with that which is spiritual. The divine spark immersed in matter, the “unit of consciousness” that is a soul, incarnates repeatedly in a threefold form — or personality — to grow in and through material plane experience. As a result of untold lifetimes of experience, a mysterious spiritual alchemy occurs in which the lower self or persona (sometimes called the human soul) becomes vaguely aware of its higher counterpart — the higher Self (also called the spiritual soul, the soul on its own plane). When this awareness reaches a certain kindling point, awakening occurs. Not long thereafter, a seeker of light is born.
 
(Source: http://whenthesoulawakens.org )

Yet another concept for me to wrap my mind around! In a future posting, I'll share my musings about how I imagine Nancy's "transfiguration" process is going... anything's possible, I suppose!


 

No Calm After The Storm

Here's a great way to start the day: 

It's a wet and windy November morning. Put on a HAZMAT suit, show up at my house at 8:15 and start up both leaf-blowers and the giant riding mower and attempt to blow leaves around that are wet and sticking to the pavement, the ground and each other. Begin with the neighbors' property on either side, leaving us for last (so I can relax to the high-pitched whine of the machines), and make sure you create big, muddy ruts all over our wet, soggy lawn that will be there until next fall. The entire procedure (which in drier weather would only take 30-40 minutes or so) should take 1.75 hours, nearly three times longer than usual, shattering any kind of peaceful morning rituals - including sleep. 

Good Morning! Did I wake you? These leaves are more stubborn than usual...

The grass hasn't grown much since the Yard Monkeys were here a couple of weeks ago because it's been frozen, thawed, snowed on and clobbered by wind and rain... and it's now mid-November, so it won't grow much more until April. And it's windy, so why do we need our leaves blown around, when they will blow right back? It's not like they're ever bagged up and removed... Oh, and make sure you blow them all into the runoff stream next to us so it will become even more clogged than it is now, since no one ever cleans it out. I think I will have to buy a rake and do it myself.

I know they have a job to do, but enough already... See you next year!

Morning Has Its Highs and Lows

Last night I had trouble falling asleep - I finally came downstairs and drank some milk - but didn't actually get to sleep until after 4 am.

When the alarm started going off at 7 am, I kept pressing the "snooze" button - an hour-and-a-half later, I dragged myself downstairs and made some coffee. The sunlight streaming through the yellow leaves in the back of the yard filled the air with a warm, golden light. As I stood at the kitchen sink I looked out the window and, oh Oh OH what do I see but a young deer in my neighbor's yard walking towards our house!

As he came closer, I turned to go look for the camera, but realized my cell phone was in my pocket (it doubles as my alarm clock) so I quickly turned it on and got a quick shot through the window. He nibbled here and there, but finally chose to walk to the back where the trees are thicker and, as he stood back there making this decision, I took another quick photo through yet another window.

Just last night, my brother told me he saw a young black bear walking up the driveway as he was out on the front porch with a friend. Here are these magnificent creatures - how beautiful, how innocent, how brave and pure of heart to walk right into danger to delight our senses and to remind us that they are part of our lives just as we are a part of their wild world and we must find ways to share both.


But my serenity was shattered when, a few minutes later I heard the sound of TWO chain-saws. Yes, the dreaded "yard monkeys" were busily trimming the evergreen bushes underneath the front windows; this is before nine in the morning, but no matter. I loathe these people, although I know they are only doing what the landlord has asked them to do. For some reason, however, I wasn't as furious as I usually am when they pull this kind of stunt. Still...

The quiet reverie from my experience with nature had evaporated; The muscles in my forehead and eyebrows were knitted together as the noise droned on - there was no escaping it. Then, just as suddenly, they were gone. Quiet returned and I decided to reclaim some of my joy by having my coffee and writing this blog.

DEER:
Deer's medicine includes gentleness in word, thought and touch. The ability to listen, grace and appreciation for the beauty of balance. Understanding of what's necessary for survival, power of gratitude and giving, ability to sacrifice for the higher good, connection to the woodland goddess, alternative paths to a goal.

By observing the ways in which deer behave, it is possible to see what amazing qualities - or powers - they possess. From the deer we can learn that the gift of gentleness and caring can help us overcome and put aside many testing situations. Only love, both for ourselves and for others, helps us understand the true meaning of wholeness.

(Source:   http://www.shamanicjourney.com  )


And so, I learn to not judge others too harshly or be overruled by my strong emotions, thanks to a hungry, young deer walking through my yard on a chilly October morning.

Blue Moon, You Saw Me Standing Alone

"Blue" Moon - August 31, 2012

Without a dream in my heart, Without a love of my own... (not really)

You know, I hate seeing those emails and Facebook posts that shout out: 
"Once In A Blue Moon: You Won't See Another One For A Very Long Time, Years And Years, Maybe Even Centuries! Very Rare!"

Lady in the moon (artist unknown)

Well, it's all just hype: A full moon is called a blue moon (it isn't really "blue") when you get an extra one during the same month (as was the case this August) and it happens every two or three years - there was one in 2009, the last one was in 2011 and the next one will occur in July 2015. But I must admit, every full moon is fascinating and mysterious, and I took the top photo as it was rising over Long Island Sound on August 31, 2012. 

 FULL MOON

One night as Dick lay fast asleep,
     Into his drowsy eyes
A great still light began to creep
     From out the silent skies.
It was the lovely moon's, for when
     He raised his dreamy head,
Her surge of silver filled the pane
     And streamed across his bed.
So, for a while, each gazed at each -
     Dick and the solemn moon -
Till, climbing slowly on her way,
     She vanished, and was gone.

By Walter de la Mare

Civile Conversation
They make them believe,
according to the Proverbe,
that gloe wormes are lanterns,
and that the moon is made of greene cheese.

-Stefano Guazzo, 1574

Lovely Luna

Oh lovely moon, keep shining bright ~

Your soft white glow defies the night;

And when the Sun no longer hides,

Your light shifts to the other side;

And there you chase the shadows down

Until you fade and thin and frown;

'Till you come back to greet the Sun:

Your thankless work is never done.

tjbgoogins/2012

  

"Full Moon" and "Civile Conversation" courtesy of: 

http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonwords/moonpoems.htm

Sweet dreams...