Black Elk Came to me and said

fallstarfrancenehartWritten by Martha Boose after her 1st Sun-Moon Dance

HOLLOW BONE

Black Elk came to me in meditation and said: We are the hollow bone, through which Great Spirit comes and resides, and through which we share All That Is.

I am a Hollow Bone. I had heard this before. At the Dance. I am a Hollow Bone and that is why I had the whistle, to remember that I was a Hollow Bone. Then we were reminded of the Tiwa chant – Waa Maa Chi – Breath. Matter. Movement. It also means God or Great Spirit. It also is the Divine Feminine, the Divine Masculine, and All That Is – Energy. For that is what we are. Divine Energy.

So Joseph Rael, Beautiful Painted Arrow, speaks about sound as energy. We chant with the Tiwa sounds, but as we do, we are making sounds – producing vibration — within all the spoken languages. Thus, nothing is foreign. Nothing is different. We are One in the sounds. We are One in the energy.

Oh, if only all could hear and could believe. If all could feel and could believe. Then, in truth, would we stand, seeing only the beauty and love that exists in each and every being. I do not only speak only of two-leggeds here. Too much time and energy is focused on what two-leggeds want and what they think they need. It is never ending — until the point of ending all other beings.

I speak of mineral beings, as they are as sentient as any other beings. They are so willing to support all other life, but not to their own detriment and extinction. For they know at a much more core level than the two-leggeds, extinction of any mineral that was born of Mother Earth’s creation is harmful for the balance.

I speak of plant beings – the smallest to the tallest, evergreen and not, breathing and sinking into Mother Earth, reaching for Father Sky, and sustaining with Sister Sea. Both Grandfather Sun and Grandmother Moon blesses these with radiance of Divine Light, which could sustain all beings, if only two-leggeds would accept Nature’s reality.

I speak of animal beings – four-legged, no-legged, winged, walking on Mother Earth, flying in Father Sky, and swimming in Sister Sea. All are basking in Grandfather Sun and Grandmother Moon. Two-leggeds could learn a great deal by observing the discipline with which these beings live, taking no more than necessary, designing efficient and effective communities, nurturing and supporting their young, and then letting them go to move in the world, on their journey, assimilated new lessons, and building individual strengths. The balance is revealed in some living more fully and longer, than others. This is how the system works, when the two-leggeds stand back and allow Nature’s course.

Allowance is an imperative that the two-leggeds have appeared to either forgotten or have never assimilated. It goes beyond acceptance, although this is indeed on the path to allowance.

As many two-leggeds have developed linear constructs and concrete thinking, to reckon with and amass in the physical world, consider this example of physical allowance. With the image of allowance, one may remember a time in the home, when one received allowance, based on the amount of time and effort, one had put into the weekly functioning of the household community.

It seems that this fair exchange has gotten lost along the way, and one would be hard pressed to find even minimal examples within most homes in America. This, perhaps, is in part a loss leading to the loss of Oneness, a sense of true belonging. Without this natural and necessary sense of belonging, one may be untethered to Earth’s energy, the vibratory force of all.

Acceptance may be simply a pre-cursor to allowance. Allowance is much more than tolerance, as it is a recognition of worth and belonging – Oneness. With this clarity, one evokes the image of the Creator, and that is Divine Love.

I feel a nudge. I hear a drum. I am distracted from my vision. I know I can no longer fall easily back into a less awake existence, for I continue to feel moved and know the Pulse of the Dance lies within me. So I go to the altar, where my rattle, medicine basket, feather fan, and whistle lie, creating a circle of power into which I can stand. I pick up the whistle, place it to my lips and fill my hollow bone and All That Is.

 

 

The Field of Plenty

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The Field of Plenty

Field of Plenty,
Abundance for all,
No hunger…
No more pain.

Great Mystery holds
Earth’s Children dear,
And feeds them with
Eternal Flame.

Children of Earth, trust again!
Be grateful and give praise!
The Field of Plenty will remain
To sustain us all our days.

From Sacred Path Cards by Jamie Sams

When the Native Americans are in need of some tool or the services of a skilled person, they give thanks to the Field of Plenty for the manifestation of the needed item before it actually appears. The Field of Plenty always has a way of putting the needed item into the hands of the person who needs it. The keys to manifesting what is needed are gratitude and trust, balanced with action.

The last line above really says it all. Gratitude and trust, balanced with action. There is so much writing out there telling us how easy it is to manifest abundance or to create something in physical reality that we only have a “Vision” of and yet, it takes focus and maturity to master gratitude and trust along with action.

It is something that must be practiced again and again since our minds want to hold on to the fear and doubt.  We must be vigilant in rooting those things out and holding that trust and most of all gratitude in our hearts and minds.

Sinking into new knowing

As I continue to Dance in the Sun-Moon Dance and center my life around “listening” and saying yes, I see more and more how there is a different way to live our lives. One that is based on being a “true human” as my teacher Joseph Rael says.  A “true human” is a listener.  What that means to me, is just taking the time to listen to the wind, the rain, the birds, the insects and really to Great Spirit cause when we quiet down that much we can hear the heart centered direction we are receiving all the time. Then, when we actually follow that direction, that is when the true magic happens.

I’ve practiced “listening” and following direction for a very long time, not always perfectly, but still listening and as I stepped into Chiefing this last Dance this new knowledge is really getting anchored inside of me.

One of these days, I’ll figure out how to really talk about this and maybe even teach it.

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Sun-Moon Dance Invitation

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We are approaching “dance season” and my heart is feeling the call to the Dance.  April 15-18th of 2016 we will be having the first of what I hope are many Sun-Moon dances on this precious land in Tucson Arizona. This year Kristen Bissinger (the Chief in PA and one of my mentor’s) will be chiefing and I will be co-chiefing.  I went to PA last year to be in the Arbor to be taught by her and the teachings continue this year.

The very first time I was at a Dance I knew something extraordinary was happening, and I wanted in! I wanted to know more.  That was in 2003 and I’ve never looked back.  Maybe you too will be called to Dance and take part in the incredible opportunity to commune with Great Spirit in this unique way.

You might wonder why I’m talking about this so far in advance, and there is a reason.  If you are new to the Dances it may take some time to prepare and to gather all that you will need to participate on all levels.

What is the Sun-Moon Dance? The Sun-Moon Dance is a four-year commitment. Your personal commitment will be honored here on the land surrounding the Sweet Beautiful Waters Peace Chamber in the tradition of Joseph Rael, Beautiful Painted Arrow, beloved and respected author, visionary, mystic, and medicine teacher born of the Picuris Pueblo tribe of NM and the Southern Ute tribe of CO.

By praying, dancing, fasting (no food or water) and resting we heighten our awareness and allow ourselves the opportunity to be saturated in the essence of all Life.

Each dancer has a personal space in the circular arbor surrounding the Tree of Life in the center of the arbor. Dancers repeatedly dance to the center to receive, turn and dance out to give back to all our relations. Dancing, resting and fasting from Friday evening to Monday morning is a give-away for the generations before and the generations to come and so that “the people may live”. The Sun-Moon Dance is a powerful initiation into relationship with the Divine and “all our relations”.

Each dancer dances in his/her own style toward the Tree of Life and back to their spot in the arbor and the drummers chant and drum on a large drum for periods of time lasting about 20 minuets and more. Dancers then rest within their arbor space for similar periods of time. Alternately they dance and rest from sunrise to evening when they sleep in the arbor. 2-4 Drummers drum and sing Tiwa sacred songs to support the dance and the dancers, their support people and a crew of Dog Soldiers protects the space and handles the physical needs of the dance and dancers.

This is your first invitation to consider Dancing in Tucson Arizona this coming year. The give-a-way for the Dance is $750.  There are many ways to handle the give-a-way and one is to make your commitment and start sending the Chief money each month, another would be to put that money into a savings account so you have it by the time the Dance arrives.  Another option is to seek a partial work exchange or just pay the full amount.  There is no way to put a price on what it means to do this Dance…..it is truly priceless.  From the very first time I was at a Dance Arbor and felt the energy of the Dance I had no question but that I would find the money to Dance.

If you are called to Dance then we ask that you send a deposit by March 15th to help with preliminary expenses and to pave the way with your intentions and with concrete action.  Once you decide, it will help to begin to consider who you would like to bring to support you in the Dance – it is a great gift to be asked to support someone in a Dance.

Each of us must ask inside if we are called to this Dance.  Please contact me with questions or with your commitment to Dance.

Full Moon Musings by Martha Boose

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Full Moon Capricorn Drum Ceremony – 7/2/15

So once again, I approached the Sound Chamber for Peace, above and looking down, looking into myself, as I moved toward the steps. Now, as I survey the land, I see the frame for the sweat lodge, the pit where the Grandfathers have been laid, and the fire that was built in reverence and ceremony. Many prayers have floated in and through these elements.

As I gaze to the right of the Chamber, there is the tremendous Dance Arbor, initiated from vision into creation and form. More than this, now, parading across the Arbor are 4 deer, turning slightly, as they hear my approach – not with fear, but with knowing the ritual, which is to be performed. They are setting the stage, greeting and bringing in, each of the 4 sacred elements – air, water, earth, and fire. Bringing in each of the directions, as they spread across the space – East, South, West, and North. Moving at their own pace and rhythm, as we will come to do, in this sacred space. Ah, Eh, Ee, Oh, Uh – leaving the Arbor through the Center of All That Is.

Now we move in one motion, the Women, who have gathered to Drum their Drums in Blessings for Full Grandmother Moon. It is the Moon of Capricorn, a challenging Moon, full and desiring Our Change, Our Opening, Our Acceptance of All that We Are. The Oneness of All Beings. Aho.

Smudging, hugging, laughing greetings fill the Chamber, as we find our places – 11 to sit together in the Power of Sound – Vibration, at once, Before, Now, and Forever More. The drum begins and spreads to each of us and ours, sounding together. Unified. Whole. Strong. Resilient. Filling us, as filling the space. To the far reaches of all the solid mass, returning to Center, bathing each and every one with the Glory, the Grace, the Promise of Peace and Everlasting Love.

We played our instruments, ourselves, one another, and the Chamber. We filled it so that with the last set, we took it outside to the Dance Arbor. We watched the beautiful sky color bright, expressing to us the absolute nature of our vibrations in a vision, now carved into each of our hearts.

We came. We opened. We drummed. We shared. We left with so much more, than that which came with us. This will be passed to others along the way, until we are one in breath and sound. Aho.

Martha is a part of our growing community and a valued one….Jane