One of the main activities at the Sweet Beautiful Waters Peace Sound Chamber are the dances gifted to us by Grandfather Joseph Rael who is the inspiration for all we do.  We do regular ceremonies in order to remind ourselves of our place in the world. We gather seasonally and monthly to drum, chant, vision, make drums, and dance! This piece of writing was written post dance.  Enjoy. If you have questions about this path, please be in touch.

We have a small arbor, small but potent, as it is surrounded by the great Saguaro cactus that only grow here in the Sonoran Desert.  We completed our seventh dance on this land this year, and we had seven new dancers and fifteen total – we were supposed to have 17 dancers but two of them had Covid and could not come.  The Arbor can hold between 18-20 depending on how much space we give the supporters, drummers and the chief and moon mothers, and I’ve got a feeling it will be full next year!

Usually, it takes a little time for the full energy of the dance to cook the dancers but not this time.  By Friday morning I could feel the work of the dancers rising and growing.  It’s a sight to see/feel for sure and I was keeping a good eye on my dancers as their prayers and steps got more and more potent.

We had one dancer “go to the Tree” as we say on Friday, she is my gateway, she is almost always my first dancer to surrender at the Tree.  She seems to open the doorway for all the dancers even though she is not always happy to be “first.”  There is a tension within the new dancers especially…like how should I to “go to the Tree” or let go at the Tree. Do I want to put down my burdens, they have become so familiar. What does that look like, when do I let go, there are too many people watching me, will they be able to pick me up and carry me, why do I have to? So many things can go through the heads of the dancers, even when they clearly surrender to Great Spirit. Personally, as a dancer I did not “fall” at the Tree till my fifth dance but I still had my surrender to God….which is why I say it can look different for each dancer.

Here’s the good news! There is no “right way” to meet God, we just get to that place where it happens and sometimes – we fall down and sometimes we don’t.  Sometimes we lay down at the tree and sometimes we keep dancing with our tears and full heart.

This is the beauty of the dance.  We can come together and create this marvelous container that Grandfather has gifted us with – so that all of us, Dancers, Chief, Moon Mother(s), Drummers and every single Dog Soldier, Supporter, and Kitchen Angel can meet God in ourselves and in each other.  It is a holy encounter.  I get chills when I think of it.

For four days we get to see what it might be like if we could walk in that Beauty every single day and maybe we even get to do that for a period of time after the dance.  Maybe the period of time gets longer each year and we can maintain our connection for longer.

I had the blessing of having Valerie Eagle Heart Meyer (California dance chief and chamber keeper) sit the drum this year.  Carrie Bissmeyer is my Drum Chief (also from California) and between the two of them I received so many teachings, it was a blessing to have their wisdom and many years of experience to draw on.  We grow in beauty as we share teachings with one another, and we are always learning.

We don’t get spiritual movement, spiritual water, spiritual food without effort, without sacrifice.  There is a giveaway and maybe travel expenses too, so you make decisions each month and you put that money aside or you send it to the dance chief each month so that the way is clear, and you can do your dance. But as Joseph says, like a clock, we wind down until we are ready to dance the next year.  Then we step into the Arbor once again.

It is worth any amount of money to get to a Dance, ANY amount of money to have that opportunity to step into an Arbor. These dances are beyond words and precious beyond measure.

It is my greatest joy to be able to Chief this dance and I thank my teacher Joseph Rael with all my heart for his generosity in bringing these Visions to us so that All the People May Live.

I give a lot of thought to communication and community, to how that works for me (or doesn’t) as the case may be.  I can get caught up in some old patterns and let it affect my communication with my husband or other loved ones.  I am probably a bit more careful when talking to those in my community but still and all……I really loved this idea of reverence that Charles Eisenstein speaks of in this piece.  You can read it here.

I especially liked this paragraph:

“To maintain reverence means noticing habits of polarization and judgment that arise in the presence of difficult information or difficult emotions. Even a community conceived as a sanctuary will inevitably mirror the divisions and conflicts of the outside world. The answer is not to avoid them or to plow them over with positivity. Rather, the community can hold them in a non-ordinary way.”

This has been an interesting and difficult year for all of us.  Even if and maybe in spite of being “safe” or healthy or financially ok…..we are still all being affected by the collective energy on our planet right now.  We may find ourselves depressed or weepy or agitated.  I’ve been all of those things this year and I’m lucky to have a very solid support system or friends and a very good therapist who helps me explore some old wounds that are surfacing at this time….to be healed I believe.

I’m also hopeful, to see the Christmas Star – this amazing conjunction that you can read about here.  We will be gathering in a very small group to chant for peace and to welcome the sun….then later to view this conjunction and take in the new energy that is pouring in for all of us.  I hope you can too, find a safe place to see it and to pray and welcome a new start.

At this point we are planning on doing our Sun-Moon dance in April.  There is an explanation and invitation here, so take a moment to read about it.  This is a ceremony that changed my life in every way.  If you are interested, let me know.   You are welcome to come here and dance or serve.  If that is not possible, write to me and I can send you the list for where there are other dances taking place around the country and the world.  Obviously, I’m being very optimistic – and things may have to be cancelled if COVID surges and/or things are not safe but I’m choosing optimism right now.  We need these ceremonies now more than ever.

I’m praying that all of you are safe and approaching the holidays with some hope in your heart too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many years ago, my Teacher, Joseph Rael (Beautiful Painted Arrow) received a vision to offer people all around the world an opportunity to perform ceremony. Through this vision, he created the first Sound Chamber where one could experience the true meaning of sound and vibration as it exists in the natural world. He also offered various dances, which were an opportunity for people to connect with Great Spirit. These dances each bring their own unique vision and energy to a Dancer but they are all meant to help us grow, to become visionary’s in our own right and to experience the divine directly.

When Joseph was ready to retire, he turned the Dances over to his Students to continue caring for them. After many years of preparation through dancing with many different Chiefs in many different locations, and training by doing all the jobs associated with the Dance – I began my journey as a Chief in 2016. 

About the Sun-Moon Dance

The Sun-Moon Dance is a very personal experience. The purpose is to:

* establish our direct connection to God

* honor the Earth Mother and the Sacred Tree of Life

* break through self imposed limitations

* experience love and community

* create Global Peace

The ceremony begins by coming together from Thursday evening to Sunday morning. After a purification Sweat, The Dancer will place clothes and bedding into the arbor and remain there for the duration of the ceremony – dancing, fasting and praying. The Dancer will dance off and on from dawn to dusk with periods of dancing and resting.  Drummers will be singing sacred Tiwa chants as the Dancers move toward the center of the arbor and the sacred Tree of Life.  During the night, all Dancers will rest.

Those who are able to serve, will also receive blessings in that service by supporting those who are dancing. Servers are asked to attend from Thursday thru Sunday, however, if only a portion is available in their schedule, they are welcome to serve in the kitchen.  Those who serve the dance are there to help in whatever way is needed.  Examples are providing towels for the Dancers, help in the kitchen, taking turns at night tending the fire and watching over the Dancers. There are other ways to help too so each server is welcome to give in whatever ways call them. All meals are provided for Servers and support staff during the dance. A grand feast is lovingly prepared for all at the end of the ceremony.

The Dancer’s donation or “give-away” is $750. There is no charge for ceremony itself, but only for the expenses to support the dance. Scholarship money is available to help local dancers and there is always the possibility of doing work exchange for part of the tuition.  Please take the time to make your intention to dance or to serve known to me and also any dietary restrictions you may have. It’s time to plan and prepare to receive all who want to be here.

When you dance, doors open that you would never have expected. I invite to join us this year and welcome any question you may have,

With Love and Light,

Jane  Pel Tah Chief “cultivation of inner wisdom”

“Every dance, every ceremony, is both for you and for the cosmos.” Joseph Rael

Yesterday at Sunrise we sang to Grandfather Sun as we completed our time in the Dance Arbor.  It was a very quiet, very sacred time on the land.  Today I saw this message and feel it’s so important for all of us to hear.  I’ve been up/down and sideways these past weeks but this message solidified for me what vibration I want to be in.  I pray you feel it too.  I know I’m missing my community, and I know you are too.  If you are local to Tucson and signed up for this newsletter but would like to be in close contact regarding ceremony here, please email me so I can put you on the correct list.

In the meantime, write back and tell me how you are and how this message hits you.  We all need inspiration and contact so lets do it however we can.  Please read all the way to the end.  In joy and with peace in my heart.
Jane

ANDEAN GRANDMOTHER’S MESSAGE FROM LOS ANGELES
FROM THE EYE OF THE STORM
4/13/2020

“Very good day to you, all my sisters and brothers, and a very good moment to all beings on Earth. This is a message I’ve been waiting a long time for, but even more so since we arrived here in Los Angeles. We started this journey from Colombia, to arrive here in this territory of the United States. The doors have been opened to us in a very smooth way during this process that we have undertaken, and yet, here we are in this moment of catharsis, this moment of crises, in which I asked myself, “What is the reason for our presence here in the north, at this time?”

Well, yesterday, the message I’d been waiting so long for has arrived. It’s the message the Higher Guides transmit to all of the leaders of the Andes, in the Cordillera of the Andes. The message is that we must remain very quiet. But to begin with–we’ve been very blessed for our entire lives, because we’ve been living in a territory where we breathe fresh air, where we breathe the energy of the mountains, of the earth, the rivers, the waterfalls. And for all of us who are living in the countryside, in the eco-villages of the mountains, we’ve been charging ourselves infinitely with a great energy to be able to help during these times we’ve entered, in this crisis of manipulation, but which is also a learning experience for each one of us.

Whatever level we find ourselves in the process of life, we are not all on the same level. This is the information the Higher Guides share with us: We are all in different vibrations, and that is why in this process we’re living in, each one of us will live it in a different way–some with pain, some with fear, some with worries, and others with an abundance of peace. That is why we, who are working as facilitators of light, have always called ourselves lighthouses, present here, and ready to help humanity. The moment has arrived my dear sisters and brothers. The message they send us is that different ones of us have been sent to different places on Earth as lighthouses. Each of us has been placed to the east, to the west, to the north, and to the south, and each has been placed there to accomplish their task. The Higher Guides ask us not to go back home, because through our will, we’ve made ourselves available to the Higher Energies to be able to help out all of our sisters and brothers. I asked what rituals to do and, it is with lots of emotions that I express to you, but with emotions of joy regarding what the older Brothers tell us. They say we have done many rituals, that we have lit many fires, that we’ve raised many prayers, and that is why the fires are already active all over the Earth, and that is why our prayers have been received and our goal reached. They say that now is the moment.to maintain ourselves as energy projectors at whatever place in this experience we find ourselves. For me personally, and the elder Brother with me, the location we’ve been placed is Los Angeles, California, a place where we are invited to activate the real light angels, because currently, the fallen angels and the angels of darkness have been doing their task. But our task is nothing other than to confront ourselves. If we are light workers, then we are going to resolve it through light. And this light is nothing other than harmony, tranquility, and peace, but it is an interior tranquility, harmony and peace that we carry in our heart. The message is that we must remain in a state of complete calmness, in complete harmony, and we must observe ourselves at all times, observe with who we find ourselves, and with whom we share. The message is that when we feel, on the emotional level or on the mental plane, when we receive a certain energy of fear, worry or doubt, then we must recognize that this energy is not ours, but the energy of others, and it’s coming to us so we can transform ourselves. As catalysts of that energy, we transmute it, and we release it again converted as light. They say we don’t have to do any rituals because it is not the exterior rituals which serve us, but the ritual I do inside myself.

They say that when my heart is calm, when my emotions and my mind are quieted, then my spirit can manifest itself to elevate to higher vibrations affecting the ones who are not yet conscious. Those who are not yet conscious have been taught to feel from a perspective of shortage and lack, and been taught to think from their stomach. But we are on another vibration. Each one of us has been placed in the appropriate location, and filled with abundance, protection, health, and above all, filled with consciousness. And the consciousness we’ve been collecting for so long is our contribution to humanity. Thus, I invite you wherever you are, whether you’re surrounded by others or in solitude, to transform yourself into a lighthouse, transform yourself into a catalyst for the energies that our Higher Brothers send down to us to catalyze. For those who are not conscious, who are still under the veil, we have the responsibility to help remove the veil. The highest part of the Spirit, this Great Mystery, this Great Being whom we invoke so much, invites us to remain in peace, in a state of complete calm, and in a state of complete observation (witness mode). They tell us that this situation too shall pass, and when it has passed, our consciousness will have accomplished the quantum jump which we’ve been looking forward to for so long, for which we’ve worked so much for. They also tell us that, after this catharsis, life will be wonderful for each one of us who will stay in this plane. The moment has arrived to decide if you’re going to the other plane, or staying in this one. We unite with the highest vibrations of love and compassion to embrace all our sisters and brothers. A big hug and a very special salutation to each one of you. We are not alone. All of our Higher Guides, all the Masters, all the Grandfathers, all the Ancestors, are already active. Their medicine has already been activated, their memories have been activated. The last thing we have to do is to embrace all of our sisters and brothers with love.”

“To all those who are able to hear the call, join with the indigenous elders in maintaining a state of inner balance and inner peace. Stoke the inner flame and shine forth like the lighthouse that you are. The New Paradigm comes forth from within us.” — Scott Maurer

video of the Andean Grandmother conveying this message:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUIlZhW0quk&feature=share

There is wisdom in the teaching that for your first four Sun-Moon dances you should dance in your home community or rather in the one in which you started.  It helps you to get grounded in the beauty of the dance.  When I first started dancing, no one told me about that teaching so of course I started wandering right away.  I’m not sure why, I just felt the need to experience different places and different chiefs. 

Perhaps it was because one day I would become a Sun-Moon Dance Chief.  Over the years I’ve learned so much from going to different dances and experiencing different chiefs.  I learned that the core of a Sun-Moon Dance is the same no matter where you dance but there can and are a lot of differences depending on the chief.

You get shaken out of your crystalized ideas of what is the “right” way to do a dance, and that is a good thing.  Sometimes it’s a pleasant experience and sometimes it isn’t but it’s always valuable if you give yourself the gift of time.  There are some principle ideas that I think are very very important, like the opening ceremony we do, the reverence with which we enter and leave the arbor, the way dancers are protected from any interference or distractions.  There should be the highest integrity possible from everyone who is there, from the chief to the dog soldiers.  The energy with which we approach the arbor and the dancers is surly felt by all and can deeply affect each person.

My first dance was with a chief who in most eyes would have been considered “strict” or “tough” but who suited me to a T, I wanted and needed to be pushed beyond my limits on every level and it was a totally amazing first dance.  My second one was in another country and another language and there was a lot of “love” given the dancers in the form of breaks from the heat, and concern showered on us verbally by the chief.  I thought I would lose my mind because you see……I had already formed an idea of what a dance was supposed to be like!  I still laugh about it, and in looking back am so very grateful for the lessons learned.

It’s like that every single time.  There is almost always something or someone who “bothers” us in a dance but it’s really just our own stuff that is bothering us and this is what we learn over and over in the preciousness of the dance….how to let go of that stuff and to just be in the Divine. 

When you dance only in one place, you can get comfortable in knowing what will happen – how things will go and what you can expect based on past experiences and that might not help you to grow in the way the Sun-Moon dance is intended to help us grow.  The Dance is such a divine experience and it’s a good thing to seek out the divine in other dances and other places.