Windspirit's Wanderings
Native American
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THE POWER, THE GIFT

There is great power around us, and with this power we
can achieve wondrous things. Open your minds to the
power.

The power of Water, the flow of life. The rain gives
birth to the seeds, plants and relives our thirst. It
can move mountains and fill valleys.

The power of Mother Earth, the cradle of our birth.
She offers her breast to feed her people, even while
we dig at her soul.

The power of the Tree, the giver of the air we breath.
The leaves offer shade, the wood for our lodges and
tools.

The power of Wolf, the keeper of the family. Holder
of the Sacred Circle, Wolf protects us, she calls to
her young ones; Come home.

The power of Fire, the giver of new life. It consumes
us, only then can our souls be renewed. To continue
on our path of life.

The power of Sky, it gives Grandfather Eagle a home.
It gives the stars a place to rest and for us to
dream, our dreams.

The power of Drum, the echo, the Thunder of the
Peoples Hearts.

The power of Spirit, that which is us. This is the
greatest power of all, the Creator gave us this gift
to do good only.

StrongBearRedHeart

Mitakuye Oyasin - by Neva Howell

There is a simple but profound Lakota prayer, "Mitakuye Oyasin". It means "All My Relations". To pray this prayer is to petition God on behalf of everyone and everything on Earth. Mitakuye Oyasin honors the sacredness of each person's individual spiritual path, acknowledges the sacredness of all life (human, animal, plant, etc..) and creates an energy of awareness which strengthens not only the person who prays but the entire planet. Soon after I first learned this prayer, I saw that it represented all that needed to be said. It was a prayer of respect, honor and love for all of mankind, and for the Earth. It was a prayer that said "I wish goodness and peace for all. I would leave no one out. I pray for all." It was a prayer that crossed the barriers of religion and could be prayed by one of any faith. It was a prayer that united, instead of dividing. It was an amazing prayer!

There has been a growing awareness, among those of every major faith, of the common elements within religions. Over the next few years, we will see increasing overlaps of creed and ritual as people of every faith sense a need to embrace new ways of relating, outside the structure of their own faith--to embrace the "Godness" in others, regardless of the differences in dogma or religious law. There will be less and less need to "convert" and more willingness to learn from one another. A combining of traditions, and a reaching out beyond the boundaries of divided faith, will result in a focus on common truth, tolerance, acceptance, and "Oneness".

I'm not sure how long I have known that we are all connected (and that what we do affects those around us as well as people we never meet) but I do recall, very vividly, the moment this awareness made it's way to my conscious mind in a clear statement of purpose. I was watching a music video on MTV (God moves in mysterious ways . . .). The scenes were accompanying a song titled "Everybody Hurts", by REM. The camera moves slowly past rows and rows of cars, bumper to bumper, in Los Angeles rush-hour traffic. We (the viewers) are shown the thoughts of the passengers in each car, by way of captioned statements on the screen. It is painful to watch--not just because everyone seems lost in pain, struggle or hopelessness, but because they all seem alone and unaware of the people in other cars. Then, a solitary man steps from his car, closes the door, and begins to walk away. One by one, passenger after passenger follows suit until all the thousands of cars are left vacant. A way of life is abandoned. One by one, we are stepping on the path to a new reality. Critical Mass has been reached. The hundredth monkey has rinsed his food, and a new core knowledge of Oneness is being born. Aho. Mitakuye Oyasin.


Four Stones

Stone one is the color white, the stone of the clear
conscience. It is when the mind and spirit is free as
it searches for knowledge. The child in us asks the
world why, where and when? The child does not see the
evil or good in an event, but only see the event.

Stone two is the color blue, the stone of creativity.
As we gain knowledge our spirits soar in a sky of
unlimited possibilities. We do not create with our
hands, but rather with our hearts. The hands are only
tools used by the heart, which can create beauty or ugliness if we chose.

Stone three is the color red, the stone of wisdom and
fire. This can be a time of sharing, building and
harmony. Or, it can also corrupt and turn the soul
black with hatred and fear. We must seek the guidance
of the Great Spirit before we speak or take action.

Stone four is the color tan, the stone of remembrance.
What we leave behind for others is how we will be
remembered through the ages. Our children and our
childrens children will have the burden of our
actions and words. As we carry the stones of life,
place them gently in a circle on Mother earth so that
a warm fire will burn for all to see and be comforted.

StrongBearRedHeart