On a recent one day retreat - I experienced all that is good on this planet. It was a day of true connections - and a meeting up with my authentic self - who surprised me with a message of self love that brought tears to my eyes. In less than 24 hours I was able to connect deeply with people I had never met before and to share my deepest fears and foibles - and to express myself in a song of blessing which had been gifted to me from above and for which I desired to pass onto those six other feminine souls who shared the sweat lodge ceremony with me. In turn, I listened to their prayers for others as the water pourer poured the life giving water onto the hot stones.  Being my first such ceremony - I did not quite know what to expect or even how to behave - but picking up on the various nuances I realized that being emtombed - for however briefly in the earth - and feeling the heat of the rocks and the steam generated by the pouring of the water on those rocks - and my tears mixing with my sweat - and hearing the others ask for help for others in their lives -  made me realize how much we all ARE connected to each other and the entire planet. How to explain my trip to Bisbee and not knowing where I was going to spend the night but finding the perfect Bed & Breakfast run by three sisters  who desired above all else to make sure my stay was comfortable. The place was perfect - the room was perfect - and the three sisters were the most hospitable people I've ever met in my life!  After the sweat - we all sat around the fire and the stars above shone brightly - their light was the light of knowledge from the past, present, and future - available to those who will only open their hearts to themselves and to each other. A great feeling of peace and contentment - gratefulness for meeting all the others - great bear hugs given and received - watching the smoke from our prayer flags raise to heaven...and the knowledge that no matter how alone we feel - we never actually ARE alone. My thanks to all those who participated in these most glorious hours. It's an experience I will treasure forever.

"That's Just the Way it is..."

 

Those six words are also the title of a Bruce Hornsby and the Range song.  Just the other day I ran across those six words on a website - something about aggravating someone in the (your choice here) industry and how angering one person in said industry can end up negating 20 connections. " 'That's just the way it is...' " read the end tag line. 

 

Wow. A blanket denial of accepting true responsibility in the face of political convenience.  Or - perhaps just a weak backbone when encountering adversity.

Whatever - I'm not one to believe in the "that's just the way it is" mentality. For to say those words is to admit defeat - to give up the good moral fight - to accept the status quo without question - in short - to deny the possibility of hope in a world gone mad with greed and power. And to allow the arrogance to continue without abate.

 

Those six words give those who hold political sway the power to continue to do so. Those six words are designed to take the power away from those who think themselves  powerless to begin with. Those six words - if you believe them - will forever color your world with darkness and despair.

 

I choose to believe that change - no matter how difficult or lengthy - is a goal we should all strive for. I choose to believe that a good moral character is built by standing up for one's beliefs - even IF it angers one powerful person in your own political arena. I choose to believe that sooner or later the Truth will evidence itself and the current political system will no longer work in a world peopled by those who  seek to make the world a better place for all - without thought of political gain or power. But all of this is hard work for the one whose heart beats to a different drummer. It takes courage and faith and  fortitude. It takes a belief in the ultimate goodness of being human. And it takes a realization that we are here to serve others and not the other way around. If YOU have recently angered someone in power while  walking a higher road - consider it a blessing.  Moral warriors are  desperately needed in times such as these.  Be a Citizen of Change. Follow your moral compass.  Life is about helping others - not enslaving them. 

 

That's Just the Way it Should be.

 

 

To be secluded away in the midst of Nature and to be allowed to create music without any distractions...that would be the ideal for me.

I was tagged by Grace (Traveling Alchemist): http://sunight.zaadz.com/blog I am going to reveal 7 random things about myself 7 Random Things About Me: 1. I can make a meal from raw cashews and fresh pomegranates. 2. I received a scholarship in high school which allowed me to go to college. 3. My Native American heritage includes either Penobscot or Mic-Mac - we're just not sure which. 4. I worked for 10 years in New York City at a major radio network. 5. Kids and animals love me.  6. I love expensive soaps and candles. 7. The Native American Flute has taught me so much! I have chosen not to "TAG" seven other people...

So there I was, walking along a trail at Hovenweep - site of ancient Indian ruins in Utah and Colorado - and there - on the trail in front of me - a wriggling, struggling, furry hair ball ! I immediately knelt down and cupped the small furry object in my hands - it looked like a baby rabbit to me - all fur - eyes not yet open - wriggling around in the palm of my small hand - now what to do? Well - I thought I would take it to the Ranger Station - better for the little one to die in the relative comfort of air conditioning than to suffer the fate of the 100 plus degrees temperatures of the desert. The poor thing struggled all the way back to the ranger station - where with teary eyes I handed it over to the rangers. I of course was told that because I had picked it up - they couldn't return it to the wild and I was told there really wasn't anything that could be done - I wiped the tears away and at least asked that they give the little rabbit a safe passage to the other side. They put the little one in a small box and covered it with tissue paper in order to keep it warm. They thought the poor thing had been dragged out of its burrow by some predator and was dropped on the trail where I found it wriggling and squirming - probably because the small stones on the trail were so hot that the the little thing was getting burned all over whenever it touched those small pebbles heated by the intense sun of the desert. I continued my road trip for the next couple of days - periodically thinking about the poor little rabbit and hoping it had made it to the other side in relative comfort. Now I know the fate of the world doesn't hinge on the life or death of one small baby rabbit - but how cruel to be just born only to die so soon! The fates are kind for today I received an e-mail from the ranger I gave the little fella to - and Susan told me she had been feeding the baby rabbit and it was doing well - so she is hoping that she can release it back into the wild within three weeks! The news made my day! No - I hadn't saved the whole world - just a tiny piece of it - but that tiny piece was enough to give me joy and a feeling of true peace. My undying thanks to the rangers at Hovenweep - who went the extra mile to save an innocent life. Sometimes we find ourselves in the smallest of things - and while their eyes may be closed - ours are opened to the wonders of life.

It may sound weird - but I find that whenever I have spent time helping someone - I come away with more energy and I feel more centered as a human spiritual being. I have played my Native American flute at grief counseling sessions and have found that the positive reaction from those in pain and the knowing that my music may have helped them a little - always gave me so much more peace of mind and energy. It's like even though I gave my energy away - it came back to me a hundred fold.

I love all of Nature - but I am especially drawn to southwestern landscapes - mainly canyons. There is definitley something magical about the desert and the ensuing canyons - not to mention the unique lifeforms that dwell here in the desert. Most canyons here have a lot of rock but not too much water - and those canyons that DO have a lot of water are a stark reminder of how important water is to this unique landscape we call desert. That being said, ALL of Nature is a blessing - and I firmly believe that we as humans NEED Nature in order to center ourselves. I feel closest to God when I am in nature of any kind.

With all the noise inherent in our industrialized mechanical society - how does one find the silence necessary for spiritual growth? Our bodies are constantly bombarded by not only noise - but now all kinds of cosmic rays and frequencies coming from our wireless devices. Some say all the new cell phone towers and the radio frequencies they transmit are what is causing some species of dolphins and whales to lose their navigational abilities and hence they wash up on our beaches and die. How do we live in this technological world we created without throwing out the baby with the bath water? These are all deep questions which deseve deep thought - and I'm not so sure we can throw out all the progress we've made in tems of technology in order to move ourselves backwards to a time we thought maybe was better than it is now. But in order for our souls to grow - we need silence. It is within silence that we can nourish that part of us that needs a clean bare slate with no distractions. A sanctuary is definitely needed. Take the time to find out what your sanctuary is. It can be a quiet room, a quiet temple or church - or a space in your backyard where you've installed a water fountain to mask some of the noise inherent in our society. It can be a musical instrument which focuses your mind on the sound rather than on the noise. Whatever your sanctuary is - spend some time there every day to re-center yourself. The time you invest in yourself and your peace of mind will be reward enough in itself.

There is something magical about Spring. Mother Earth throws off her long sleep and shakes herself loose. Life - which had been dormant - suddenly starts to emerge again. Ground and trees - which had been frozen - start to thaw - and with that thaw comes an energy to renew life. Some people think that the Sonoran Desert only has two seasons - hot and hotter. And some are fond of saying the desert holds nothing of import - no "Spring" as such - just rocks and cactus. Well - while the changes in the desert Spring are not as dramatic as say - back East or the Midwest - where mounds of snow gives way to crocuses jutting their tiny buds up through the last of winter's icy grip - we desert dwellers take our daily walks here in April- hoping to catch - yes - the fist Saguaro bloom. And today - that day happened to me. Soon the tops of the saguaros will be all white and covered in blooms - the Arizona State Flower. Then, after the blooms fall off - the red juicy fruit develops and provides food for the birds and the few lucky coyotes who get to snatch up first whatever falls to the ground. Long ago - the ancient dwellers of these lands gathered the fruit with long sticks and fermented it. The desert provides for us if we will only take the time to learn about it's treasures. Enjoy your Spring - wherever you may reside. Revel in the newness and the promise of a fresh start. Take a few minutes to stop and smell the newly bloomed flowers. You'll be glad you did.