Animal World: Creepers and Crawlers

In the West, we hold with the physical body with intimacy. Now, this does not mean to hold as in hold on tight.  It is holding in the sense of transforming energy through stabilization and for utilization.  Think of it as an electrical cord. The body is the structure through which electrical energy moves like a conduit, and provides the transformed energy to turn a fan, or work a toaster, or move the body parts.

The crawlers are those whose bellies are closest to Grandmother Earth and who often move through her.  They are the receiver-holders who sit in the West of the Animal World wheel.  The snake is the closest to the Earth, receiving her energy from the Earth, then giving back to us knowledge of the perfect alchemy of the Earth

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

Mineral World: Rocks and Stones

Rocks and stones are double holders in the West.  They are the muscles and bones of Grandmother Earth.  A rock is alive; it talks to you.  The Stone People hold the energy in a Medicine Wheel and give their alchemy to you in ceremony.  In the purification lodge, the heated stones hold the heat of the fire and then release it inside the lodge.  When water is poured over them, they sing their give-away song.  This transforms the space and makes it possible for us to purify and heal ourselves

In the West, we hold with the physical body with intimacy. Now, this does not mean to hold as in hold on tight.  It is holding in the sense of transforming energy through stabilization and for utilization.  Think of it as an electrical cord. The body is the structure through which electrical energy moves like a conduit, and provides the transformed energy to turn a fan, or work a toaster, or move the body parts.

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

How the Worlds Teach Humans to be Balanced

Last week, we learned that we possess a direct connection to the other four worlds of Grandmother Earth.  We contain minerals in our body; we are animal in that we are two-leggeds; we are the water and nutrients of the plant carried in our blood; and we come from pure spirit at birth and return to pure spirit at death.

Each world teaches us how to be balanced humans, or how to balance our choreography, which consists of all the choices, decisions, and priorities we make and create in our life.  The mineral world teaches us how to hold and transform; the plant world exemplifies how to give; how to receive is knowledge from the animal world; the human world, in alignment with Great Spirit, are the determiners of Grandmother; and the Spirit World shows us how to catalyze our life.

These five actions also correspond to an aspect within us.  The mineral world and its ability to hold and transform corresponds to our physical body; the plant world to our emotions; the animal world to our mental aspect; human world to our spirit; and the spirit world to our sexual aspect.

Over the next few weeks, we will explore each of these five worlds and human aspects to explore how the Worlds of Grandmother earth teach us, if we are open to it.

Tonal Orende: Physical

The measure and duration of our life force energy as it manifests in this 3rd dimensional, substance reality is defined as Tonal orende.  In humans, tonal orende is calculated based on five different aspects: emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, and sexual.

To get an idea of the meaning of tonal orende in practice, consider these reflections:
How much sleep and food do you need per day? Here the more you need, the lower your physical orende.

Orende: Our Life Force Energy

You may know different words that describe our life force energy: chi, ki, prana, or chuluaqui. Orende is a word that indicates the measure of duration and intensity, both internally and externally, of our life force energy. Simply put, it measures how strong our life force is.

Everything that is in existence has an energy and vibration called Orende. This includes human beings. For example, our sun has an overall energy vibration measure of one. Our planet has an overall energy vibration measure of two. The plants have a vibration of three, and the animals are four. When a human is fully awakened, they have an overall energy vibration of five or above. The higher the orende level, the more stamina, endurance, and overall energy you will have.

The measure and duration of our life force energy as it manifests in this 3rd dimensional, substance reality is defined as Tonal orende.  In humans, tonal orende is calculated based on five different aspects: emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, and sexual.

Four Elements ~ Earth

The Four Elements are the building blocks of all Creation on Grandmother Earth, and therefore, stabilize our world.

Earth is the element that sits in the west.  Earth energies work with stability and endurance. Think of the many different ways that the earth element appears on this planet: the small portions of earth used in your planter, or the tremendous amounts of earth moved to prepare the foundation for a building, or a tall rugged mountain. Feel the stability that comes when you think of the earth element.

Earth is reflected inside us through our physical bodies.  Is your measure of self-care high enough to create the stability and endurance of your physical body that you desire?

Contemplate the many forms in which you experience this element on the planet and you will have a knowing of West energies.

To begin to discover the interconnections of wheels and directions, overlay the wheel of elements with the seasons or the corresponding colors that vibrate with these directions.  The directional colors are as follows: the South is known by the color red, the West by the color black, the North by the color white, the East by the color yellow, and the Center by the color purple.

Bringing Balance to Our Lives: Tue 2/12 in Scottsdale

Feeling a little off-kilter? A little sideways, or as if you need to run as fast as you can just to keep from falling down?

Or maybe you feel like you’re giving, giving, giving, but never getting anything back…

Or maybe you find yourself always thinking, and wonder if you are in your head too much…

Or maybe you feel the give-and-take in your personal relationships is off somehow…

All of these are examples of unbalanced choreography.

What, then, is Balanced Choreography?
Is it REALLY better than unbalanced choreography?

Why do we want it?  How do we get it?  How do we lose it?  And what do we do to get it back?
JOIN Warrior Spirit Lodge as Mary, our beloved Medicine Director, teaches us what it is to walk gracefully in balance and harmony on this planet. Utilizing the Four Directions wheel will help us learn how to balance our entire self: emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, and soul. 

You can bet that this will be a lively discussion! Rejuvenate from this interactive evening and take home exciting knowledge that works.

Tue, Feb 12 @ 7pm
Scottsdale  AZ

Visit the Warrior Spirit Lodge web site to RSVP or to learn more about what they do!

Warrior Spirit Lodge in Phoenix AZ USA

Healing in the Sweet Medicine SunDance Way

When someone talks about “healing,” what do you think of?  Recovering from a cold? Curing disease? Getting better after surgery? 

In the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path healing paradigm, the healed, or healthy, person is not just someone whose body is free from disease. True health encompasses our emotions, mind, spirit, and sexuality as well as our body. When we speak of healing, we mean coming into balance in all our aspects as well as with the natural world, into alignment with Sacred Law, and into alignment with one’s true self.

The Sweet Medicine Sundance Path healing paradigm is a shamanic way of approaching healing.  However, it is not a “traditional” way: it incorporates knowledge from several shamanic paths as well as western science.  It is a multifaceted approach to healing that addresses all aspects of us as humans: emotional, mental, spiritual, and sexual/soul force as well as the physical. 

Some of the basic premises in this healing paradigm are:

• Each of us heals himself or herself – no one else can do it for us. This requires taking responsibility for our own healing (and our own lives!).
• We heal through proper balance and alignment.
• Disease and illness are teachers that we call in to learn some particular thing.  Understanding this, and where we are in our pattern of learning, is critical to our healing.
• Healing can take other forms than the return of the physical body to health.

Our path offers a variety of techniques and ceremonies for those who desire healing.  Training in our healing paradigm is part of years 3 and 4 of the Red Lodge Longhouse program.  Both are available in a variety of locations around the world.

Visit the DTMMS web site for more information about our healing paradigm, or contact the DTMMS office or the Phoenix healing team.

Gaining Skills and Confidence – Black Lodge!

This year, for the second year, two of our friends from Italy sponsored a Black Lodge (self-defense and physical skills) workshop here in Scottsdale March 22-28. 

(Note: It is called “Black Lodge” because, on our medicine wheel, black is the color in the west, which is the place of the physical body, of prowess, strength, and stability.)

The 16 participants, from Italy, Germany, Australia, Canada and the US, spent 7 intensive days with Thunder Strikes and the team, learning and practicing how to handle themselves in various circumstances.  Training included fundamental martial arts skills, sexual assault defense, basic firearms training, and awareness development.

Some came because they love this kind of work; others came because they did NOT love it, and wanted to find out why.  By the end of the week, though, everyone was participating enthusiastically and planning how they could continue their training once they returned home.

Are you interested in developing your physical skills, your ability to defend yourself and your loved ones, your prowess, your confidence?  Contact the Black Lodge team at blacklodge@dtmms.org.

Mental? Physical? Spiritual? The Human Aspects

Is the spiritual path supported by the Deer Tribe Metis Medicine Society more mental or more physical?

Actually it is both – and more.

The Sweet Medicine Sundance (SMSD) path wheel of human aspects includes our emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, and sexual or soul force aspects. 

And of these, which is the most important?  Where should we put our developmental emphasis?

On all five aspects, in balance!   

SMSD teachings say the human  body is intended to live 135 years – but we can only do that when we are balanced. By combining and balancing all aspects of human growth and evolution, SMSD and DTMMS promote optimal human health, fitness and happiness.

We provide programs that:

• increase endurance and promote longevity and heightened awareness
• empower emotional maturing and balance
• hone mental capacity and flexibility
• increase spiritual connection, and knowing of interconnection between all forms of all things
• develop soul force energy and awareness of the sacredness of sexuality

In addition, DTMMS and SMSD encourages all seekers and students to broaden their studies and knowing into multiple disciplines, to provide perspective and true knowing.  Challenge your self, your path, your teachers, your beliefs!

Visit our web site for more about the Deer Tribe Metis Medicine Society.