Native American Spirituality

[Spirit Dancer]

"I think there was a big mistake made (when) people separated religion and the government. That was one of the big mistakes that was made, because when they did that, then they removed the Creator from their life - or at least from half to three-quarters of their life."





--Tom Porter, MOHAWK



The Elders tell us that every thing the Creator made is interconnected. Nothing can be separated. The Elders say we should pray before we do anything. We should ask the Creator, what do You want us to do? We are put on the Earth to do the will of God. If we run our governments, communities, families, or ourselves. Without the spiritual we are doomed to failure.


My Creator, guide my life to include the spiritual in everything I do.

[Spirit Dancer]

Habitual Anger
Unblocking the Ally




Anger can easily become our go-to emotion; to remedy, start noticing when and why you get angry.


Sometimes when we feel anger, it is coming from a deep place that demands acknowledgment and expression. At these times, it is important that we find healthy ways to honor our anger, remembering how dangerous it is to repress it. However, anger can also become a habit, our go-to emotion whenever things go wrong. Often this is because, for whatever reason, we feel more comfortable expressing anger than we do other emotions, like sadness. It can also be that getting angry gives us the impression that we’ve done something about our problem. In these cases, our habitual anger is inhibiting both our ability to express our other emotions and to take action in our lives.

If it’s true that anger is functioning this way in your life, the first thing you might want to try is to notice when you get angry. You might begin to see a pattern of some kind. For example, you could notice that it is always your first response or that it comes up a lot in one particular situation. If the pattern doesn’t become clear right away, you could try keeping a journal about when you get angry and see if you can find any underlying meaning. The good thing about keeping a journal is that you can explore your anger more deeply in it—from examining who in your family of origin expressed a lot of anger to how you feel when you encounter anger in others. This kind of awareness can be a formidable agent of transformation.

Anger can be a powerful ally, since it is filled with energy that we can harness and use to create change in the world. It is one of the most cathartic emotions, and it can also be a very effective cleanser of the emotional system. However, when it becomes a habit, it actually loses its power to transform and becomes an obstacle to growth. Identifying the role anger plays in your life and restoring it to its proper function can bring new energy and expansiveness to your emotional life.

[Lady Pamela]

I am the wolf. What are you?

[Tommi]

Originally Posted by Lady Pamela

I am the wolf. What are you?

I fly like the goose.

[not2shygrrl]

Originally Posted by Lady Pamela

I am the wolf. What are you?

I am the serpent.

[not2shygrrl]

so my dear LP, what is it symbolic of? if I may ask

ya gotta know I am NOT crazy about the idea of that serpent being my symbolic whatever..... UGH I am not scared of snakes and never have been. Just not sure that it is a positive symbol. LOL see what happens when I have access to unknown territory? This is called running with the ribbon.......run shy run!!

[Lady Pamela]

Originally Posted by not2shygrrl

so my dear LP, what is it symbolic of? if I may ask

ya gotta know I am NOT crazy about the idea of that serpent being my symbolic whatever..... UGH I am not scared of snakes and never have been. Just not sure that it is a positive symbol. LOL see what happens when I have access to unknown territory? This is called running with the ribbon.......run shy run!!

In answer to your question. This is a brief up but you get the point somewhat.
----------------------

Snake medicine people are rare. Their initiation involves experiencing and living through mulitple snake bites, which allows them to transmute all poisons, be they mental, physical, spiritual, or emotional. The power of snake medicine is the power of creation, for it embodies sexuality, psychic energy, alchemy, reproduction, and ascension (or immortality).

Snake energy is the energy of wholeness, cosmic consciousness, and the ability to experience anything willingly and without resistance. Mythological legends show Hermes the father of alchemy using the symbology of two snakes intertwining around a sword to represent healing. Complete understanding and acceptance of male and female within each organism creates a melding of the two into one, thereby producing divine energy.

Some words used to describe this snake medicine were: passion, desire, procreation, physical vitality, ambition, creation, resolution, dreams, intellect, power, charisma, leadership, wisdom, understanding, wholeness, and connection to the Great Spirit.

Previously I was afraid of snakes. Now I have a greater understanding and appreciation for this snake energy in my sandtray. It is moving me away from fear into the fire of creativity, leadership, and wholeness.
-------------------------
Reverse :

You have masked your ability to change. You may fear change, release the outer skin of your present identity to bring out the real you.

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Copied from a couple other sources as they had written what I would have. in short.

I suggest looking it up and gaining more insight because this is definately not a negative...smiles

Blessed be:
Namaste

[not2shygrrl]

Originally Posted by Lady Pamela

In answer to your question. This is a brief up but you get the point somewhat.
----------------------

Snake medicine people are rare. Their initiation involves experiencing and living through mulitple snake bites, which allows them to transmute all poisons, be they mental, physical, spiritual, or emotional. The power of snake medicine is the power of creation, for it embodies sexuality, psychic energy, alchemy, reproduction, and ascension (or immortality).

Snake energy is the energy of wholeness, cosmic consciousness, and the ability to experience anything willingly and without resistance. Mythological legends show Hermes the father of alchemy using the symbology of two snakes intertwining around a sword to represent healing. Complete understanding and acceptance of male and female within each organism creates a melding of the two into one, thereby producing divine energy.

Some words used to describe this snake medicine were: passion, desire, procreation, physical vitality, ambition, creation, resolution, dreams, intellect, power, charisma, leadership, wisdom, understanding, wholeness, and connection to the Great Spirit.

Previously I was afraid of snakes. Now I have a greater understanding and appreciation for this snake energy in my sandtray. It is moving me away from fear into the fire of creativity, leadership, and wholeness.
-------------------------
Reverse :

You have masked your ability to change. You may fear change, release the outer skin of your present identity to bring out the real you.

-------------------------

Copied from a couple other sources as they had written what I would have. in short.

I suggest looking it up and gaining more insight because this is definately not a negative...smiles

Blessed be:
Namaste

Thank you very much LP, for taking the time to find information and making the effort to educate me about the serpent. I still do not know what the whole circle thing is called, and I definitely will pursue more information via the web.

I am glad you are not fearful of your snake energy, fire when used in the positive power can be very dramatic. The creativity, wholeness and leadership that you are being guided toward are good explosions and I bet fit you like a glove. Fire over all is mesmerizing to most people, the colors, the fragrance, the warmth, the sounds, the embers, the rhythm, and yes the danger. No doubt it has some pretty fantastic healing ability.

Sandtray huh? Another term to google and get an understanding of......still educating me my dear friend! If I had to guess, well I wanna guess Sandtray is something kinky LOL........yanno ........just being a smass (smartass). Thank you my friend.

[Spirit Dancer]

"Growth is a painful process."





--Wilma Mankiller, CHEROKEE



Whenever we grow, we usually need to let go of emotional attachments. Letting go can be painful. Sometimes growth allows us to deal with fear. All fear can fit into two categories: one, we're going to lose something we have, and two, we're not going to get something we want. Both of these categories can cause pain. The best way to grow is to pray to the Great Spirit and ask Him to guide and protect us. All growth is guided by God.


My Creator, guide my growth today and give me Your love and courage to help my pain.

[Spirit Dancer]

Creative Cuts
Editing Your Life
Our lives can be compared to an ongoing movie script over which we have complete creative control. Within us lies the power to examine what works or isn't working in our lives and make "edits" to our life's script, accordingly. Choosing to actively edit your life can be incredibly empowering. As you evolve, you have the choice to accept the script you've written thus far or edit it so you can create a life that fulfills you. You can cut out from your life's script what is no longer working for you. Acknowledging that you are responsible for the experience you create gives you the ability to create the life you've always longed for.

Granted, editing your real life isn't always as easy as erasing a line of text. If you've carried emotional baggage or held on to an unhealthy relationship for a long time, these may be difficult to edit out. But when you do cut out what isn't working from your life, you'll feel lighter and more alive. Editing out activities that you find stressful, disassociating yourself from people that drain your energy, and letting go of your emotional baggage are all beneficial cuts you can make. In the empty spaces that are left behind, you can add in anything you like. Just as you have the power to edit out negative situations or beliefs that you no longer wish to have as part of your life, you can now include the kinds of positive experiences, people, and beliefs that you would like to fill your life with. The manifestation of these thoughts and images as realities in your life will inevitably follow. As you make changes to your life, you can also add in the bits where you choose more intimate, healthier relationships, seek out adventure over tedium, and are no longer negatively impacted by old experiences.

To begin editing your life, simply think about your positive and negative experiences. When you determine what parts of your life are no longer serving you, make the commitment to remove them - though, it is important to remember that there is no proper timing or way to do this, and patience and compassion for yourself are always important during this process. Then, ask yourself what has brought you profound bliss and consider how you can make those experiences and beliefs part of your life now. With a little editing, you'll be able to clear out what is no longer serving you and make room in your life for more happiness, love, and wisdom.

[Blaze]

I am the Falcon


Representing a mixture of 3 combined tribes. Iroquois = My Fathers, Mother, my Grand Mother, Navaho/Apache = My Mothers, Father, my Grand Father. And the Pride of Hawaiian. And many other nationalities that combine a very spiritual blood in me so yes, I am the Falcon...

Originally Posted by Lady Pamela

I am the wolf. What are you?

[Rope]

The Native American Services Committee of the Oakland Public Library
presents its
21st Native American Culture Day

Honoring the Bay Area Two Spirit Community

Saturday, November 10, 2012 Noon-4pm

Oakland Main Library (5 blocks from Lake Merritt BART station)
125-14th Street, Bradley Walters Auditorium (Lower Floor)
Oakland, CA 94612


SINGING SPEAKERS SHORT FILMS HISTORY RAFFLE FRY BREAD

EVERYONE OF ALL AGES WELCOME!! FREE EVENT!!


Featuring
Randy Burns (Northern Paiute) - Founder, Gay American Indians (GAI)

L. Frank (Tongva-Ajachmem) - Singer & Artist

Ruth Villasenor (Chiricuhua Apache) & Miko Thomas (Chickasaw) -
Co-Chairs, Bay Area American Indian Two Spirit

Bay Area American Indian Two Spirit Drum

Slide Show - Brush Arbor Girlz

Wicah Piluta (Rumsien Ohlone) - Clap Singer

www.baaits.org
Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits

[JAGG]

Originally Posted by Lady Pamela

I am the wolf. What are you?

I am a owl. I love owls !

[StrongButch]

I want to make sure my people know what freedom is all about. This was written by Russell Means and I live my life with these words in my heart. Russell passed away today. Please send prayers to his family.

[Spirit Dancer]

"We create that bad among ourselves. We create it; then we try to call it devil, satan, or evil. But man creates it. There is no devil. Man creates the devil."





--Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA

[Spirit Dancer]

Your Most Vital Commitment
Finding Time For You
Within each of there is a well of energy that must be regularly replenished. When we act as if this well is bottomless, scheduling a long list of activities that fit like puzzle pieces into every minute of every day, it becomes depleted and we feel exhausted, disconnected, and weak. Refilling this well is a matter of finding time to focus on, nurture, and care for ourselves, or "you time." Most of us are, at different times throughout the day, a spouse, a friend, a relative, an employee, a parent, or a volunteer, which means that down time, however relaxing in nature, is not necessarily "you time." Though some people will inevitably look upon "you time" as being selfish, it is actually the polar opposite of selfishness. We can only excel where our outer world affairs are concerned when our own spiritual, physical, and intellectual needs are fulfilled.

Recognizing the importance of "you time" is far easier than finding a place for it in an active, multifaceted lifestyle, however. Even if you find a spot for it in your agenda, you may be dismayed to discover that your thoughts continuously stray into worldly territory. To make the most of "you time," give yourself enough time on either side of the block of time you plan to spend on yourself to ensure that you do not feel rushed. Consider how you would like to pass the time, forgetting for the moment your obligations and embracing the notion of renewal. You may discover that you are energized by creative pursuits, guided meditation, relaxing activities during which your mind can wander, or modes of expression such as writing.

Even if you have achieved a functioning work-life balance, you may still be neglecting the most important part of that equation: you. "You time" prepares you for the next round of daily life, whether you are poised to immerse yourself in a professional project or chores around the home. It also affords you a unique opportunity to learn about yourself, your needs, and your tolerances in a concrete way. As unimportant as "you time" can sometimes seem, it truly is crucial to your wellbeing because it ensures that you are never left without the energy to give of yourself.

[Spirit Dancer]

Foundations Of Evolution
Acknowledging Your Growth
Since personal evolution is most often a slow and gradual process, it can be difficult to recognize the scope of the changes taking place in our lives. Yet it is important that we regularly acknowledge our ongoing growth and reward ourselves for the many wonderful feats of self-improvement we have accomplished. When we intentionally contemplate our progress, we need never feel that we are languishing between past achievements and the realization of future goals. If we look closely at our lives, we may see that much of what brings us pleasure in the present is representative of the ambitions of our past that we worked so hard to attain. At one time, the abundance we enjoy currently likely seemed like a far-off dream. Now it is simply reality-a reality we created through our diligence, passion, and unflagging determination. Whether our progress is fast or slow, we deserve to congratulate ourselves for our successes.

To remind yourself of the insights you have gained with time, temporarily adopt an outsider's perspective and carefully consider how your life in the present differs from the range of experiences you lived through in the past. Creating a written list, in a journal or otherwise, of those strengths, aptitudes, and inner qualities you now attribute to yourself can help you accept that you are not the same person you were one year ago, five years ago, or 10 years ago. Your attitudes, opinions, and values were likely markedly different, and these differences can be ascribed to your willingness to accept that you still have much to learn. If you have difficulty giving yourself credit for these changes, think about the goals you realized, the lives you touched, the wisdom you acquired, and the level of enlightenment you attained over the past years.

Recognizing growth is neither boastful nor immodest. Evolution is a natural fact of life and becomes a potent motivational force when celebrated. Knowing that you are brighter, stronger, and more grounded than you once were, you can look forward to the changes to come. In acknowledging your growth, you build a sturdy foundation upon which you can continue to blossom well into the future.

[lusciouskiwi]

Originally Posted by Lady Pamela

I am the wolf. What are you?

I'm a falcon but I wasn't born in spring - it's autumn in Aotearoa/NZ. My Chinese sign is snake ...