Knowledge that Works

For many ancient peoples, hair symbolizes knowledge. “Twisted Hairs” refers to those who take knowledge from all sources and weave it together to formulate what is true and valid for themselves. True knowledge is self-knowledge, tested, felt and integrated into a way of life that always leads to a change in one’s behavior and an effectual change in one’s substance health.

This knowledge is not linear, but rather circular in nature and aligned with the very structure of creation. It is knowledge that has been tested to ensure that it works regardless of person, place, culture or historical time.

Do not believe a word you read.

Rather apply these teachings in your own life

and test to see if it is knowledge that works —

knowledge that brings you pleasure and beauty!

Mirror of Self-Reflection

We begin this series today to alert you, inspire you, and support you to see, to feel, and to know yourself.  Each post will be an invitation to look into the mirror of nature, of life, or your own being to catch glimpses of beauty and know you are blessed.

What do we mean by the ‘mirror of something’?

We look into the mirror often – several times a day.  Some are compulsive, worried; few are admiring, endearing; and many look without seeing.  We spend an inordinate amount of time, energy and money concerned about our external beauty – without apparent satisfaction.

We fix our hair, check for wrinkles, pull unwanted hairs, and for goodness sake, let there be no streak or smear or embarrassing messes.  Most gaze only at the surface appearances.  Most are concerned only about what others will see and what they will think.

Some look to see themselves – without this look, there is little self-awareness of how they are present in the world.  Few of us actually gaze a little deeper – few take time to connect to who is really looking into that mirror.

It has been said, “The eyes are the mirror of the soul.”  We know this depth when gazing into the eyes of our beloved.  We recognize this truth when we hold a young infant and feel the wisdom of eternity gazing back at us.  But, do we see it when we look into our own eyes? Do we dare SEE our own SOUL?

So often, we blind ourselves with projections of expectations, emotions held over from unresolved past experiences and false beliefs that cloud our perceptions.  When we look in the mirror, our eyes are glazed over, veiled so we cannot see / feel the Truth.  We glance when no one is looking.  We turn away when the reflection is objective and clear.  And so, we into our day with our burdens intact and our old beliefs unchanged.

The upcoming posts are taken from Journeys into the Mirror written by Janneke Koole, one of the leaders on the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path.  Each post will invite you to look and see – to really see and get to know who it is that is looking in the mirror.  You will be invited to look into nature as if it were a mirror.

Nature, our Great Mother, is calling us.  As you read the posts, take a moment to stop your busy-ness and listen.  Open your heart and let the smile of recognition nourish your inner beauty.  In this way, you will be blessed this day – and you will be a greater blessing to others.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Journeys into the Mirror: A Journal for Women written by Janneke Koole, Illustrated by Mukee Okan, you can find it at DTMMS.

Plant World

The Plants as the givers of energy. What it means for the plants to be givers is that their gift, their essence of being-ness as a plant is to give. They give nourishment, shelter, beauty, inspiration and most importantly through the photosynthesis, the oxygen we breath, our breath of life. Plants teach unconditional giving. You don’t find a plant trying to decide who it will give air to today according to its likes or dislikes. Through their being-ness, they simply gives.

Check out the Song of the Deer by Thunder Strikes with Jan Orsi if you would like to learn more.

The Horse Race for Humanity

Is the tale of the Horse Race just another forecast of doom and gloom?  What does it all have to do with us, really?  With evolutionary cycles quickening and energies polarizing, we are at a crossroads of choice – light vs. dark, good vs. evil, wealth vs. poverty, freedom vs. tyranny, joy and fulfillment vs. depression and despair, vibrant health and emotional balance vs. stress and sickness.  Evolution and change are catapulting us at warp speed into new paradigms, calling us to stand accountable for who and what we are in the world.

We yearn for the light, constantly looking for ways to make our dreams of harmony, balance, and beauty a reality.  We are inspired by our vision of a fuller life. Unfortunately, many of us are overcome by the enormity of the task and throw up our hands in frustration.  Many of us just sit on the fence, waiting to see what will happen or waiting for someone else to do it for us.

Life develops what it demands, and life is demanding that we go beyond our self-focus to soul consciousness, to step into action as warriors in every aspect of our lives to serve humanity and the planet.  If we do not choose to get off the fence on our own, events will knock us off.

What will it take?  Step out of the weaknesses of complacency, naivete, and the lack of reality awareness.  Break away from the prisoner bonds of convenience and comfort that come at a tremendous cost to our planet and quality of life.  Quit being satisfied with information and entertainment.

Seek wisdom and knowledge that only come from direct experience, testing, challenge, and mastery.  Practice your faith and prayers, for they are the intrinsic expressions of yearning for connection and alignment with spirit and the light within us.  Live our lives, moment to moment, fostering love and harmony, focusing on the light and all that is good.

Adopt a warrior’s stance against the dark.  Only then can we face the enemy – both the enemy within as well as the enemy outside ourselves.  Nothing in life overcomes what it runs away from.

To learn more, check out the Song of the Deer by Thunder Strikes with Jan Orsi.

Prophecy: The Gold Horse

The Gold Horse carries beauty, power, individual autonomy, and freedom in peace.  It also carries humans in unity: humans living in harmony with one another, teaching one another, sharing with one another, loving and healing one another, caring for and protecting the Earth and all her children.  It races for a world gifted with enlightened leaders and freethinking minds, for compassion and respect for our differences, and for humanity working together for mutual benefit and welfare.  The Gold Horse carries the best in us – our shining potential for greatness as enlightened humans, as Rainbow Light Warriors.

These prophecies speak of the need for the collective presence and intent of 144,000 Rainbow Light Warriors, or awakened humans, fighting for peace, harmony, and individual, autonomous freedom to bring the Gold Horse to victory.

To learn about the Rainbow Bridge Prophecies and so much more, check out the Song of the Deer by Thunder Strikes with Jan Orsi.

Hokkshideh’s Sacred Dream

In the North is the place of wisdom and knowledge. This is the determination of this wheel. It is the Hokkshideh’s Sacred Dream. This dream asks, “What are you going to give back to self, life, and others?” This is why you have chosen to take form. It’s what you have to “give away” with beauty and love in order to bring healing and knowledge to all forms of all things. It is your determination as a sacred human on this planet.

7 Steps of Process – Imagination

The sixth step of process is IMAGINATION. If you break down this word, it means to “image a nation. I, the magi or magician, within my sacred circle of empowerment, can create through my imagination all things.” At this point, with understanding in place, empowerment occurs. You can now use the empowerment. In other words, the sunflower as it grows enhances your reflection of beauty and expands your sense of self and life however far you can stretch your imagination. Or from experiencing the death of the sunflower, you gain empowerment from the death cycle.

Seven Arrows

When something happens, we choose our response. This choice becomes our action and colors our perception of what continues to happen.  We are the Bow. The Quiver of Arrows is our resource circle of choice in self-expression. The Target is ourselves, life and others. What arrows we shoot is determined by our attitude and approach to life.   We are both “she/he who will not see” (our Shideh or lower Self) and “she/he who is learning or has learned to see” (Hokkshideh or Higher Self). Which one is operating as we reach into the Quiver?

The Quiver is formed by our molding, sculpting and armoring. Simply put, this means that our resource circle is only as full and accessible as our life experience and process of self-development have made possible to date.  The Quiver contains three sets of seven Arrows: seven Dark Arrows colored by pain and reaction; seven Light Arrows colored by pleasure and responsibility; seven Rainbow Arrows which are the gifts of transformation and beauty. The latter are magickal arrows in that they are gifts to us from the Universe when we choose from the place of “learning to see”.

You will find more information about the “Teachings of the Seven Arrows” in Shamanic Wheels and Keys.

If you are in Phoenix, come to the Warrior Spirit Lodge class on Tuesday, January 10, 2017.  For more information, click here.

Twenty Count Tuesday – Sacred Grandmother Planets

There are many Songs in many Dances in many lives. Yet we had thought there was but one Song. That was our feeling of separation! We turn to the West so that we might hear the Song of the Looking within Circle Chant that is coming from the twelfth Power, the Grandmother Planets.  There are also many Songs and Dances coming from this Power. All of these speak of many lives, of all our brothers and sisters, throughout all the planets and worlds of this Universe.  There are, in fact, many Great Orchestras. They are singing to us the Grandmother Songs of the Power of Woman. Especially, they sing the special Song of Everything is Born of Woman.  We begin to spin and dance with this Beauty.

Sacred Grandmother Planets are the twelve planets with human life.

Thundering Thursday

Always seek pleasure and knowledge
for the sheer joy and beauty
of doing so and
for no other reason.
~ SwiftDeer ~