Fran Dancing Feather

Living in each precious moment may be one of the most difficult things we learn in recovery. It is, however, the greatest gift of all. Lasting recovery is best achieved just one day at a time, one hour at a time and even just one moment at a time. Finding the center of the moment involves the natural heightening of the five senses. What do I see right at this moment, right in front of me? What do I hear? What does this moment smell like, taste like and feel like? Can I change anything in my surroundings that will improve this little moment in time? I can take a deep breath and relax right into the present time. Let go of the past and the future for right now and just live. When we are able to accomplish this and string together a few sensual moments, we have learned to meditate. Meditation is an art that grows with practice. Life is very busy for many of us and every time we can enter into a moment and rest there for a few breaths, we allow our bodies to relax and accept healing from a Power Greater than ourselves which is far more effective than anything we can accomplish within the spectrum of our own ego. Read the rest of this entry »

The scientific community of universities and research laboratories around the world spends millions of dollars of grant money and private funding each year to prove knowledge that native peoples have known for thousands of years. Quantum physics explores the supernatural “accidents” of healing; The changing of organic matter in ways that were previously thought of as physically impossible. Kirlian photography astounds its students with the notion that auras and the visual effects of another dimension can actually be captured on film. In native communities stories have existed since the beginning of time, about the healings and visions of indigenous holy people and medicine people. Mainstream society refers to our teachings of the supernatural events of Creation as “myths and legends”, which implies that the stories we hear are fiction composed by the active imagination of storytellers. The use of the English language and its many political definitions, suggest that our stories are lies and fabrications. Read the rest of this entry »

The Eleventh Fire is a spiritual reflection of the feeling of unification with a Power greater then us, that can happen when we use the twelve-step program to recover from addictions. This writing is based on the author’s experience with step eleven, “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” (Step 11, Alcoholics Anonymous, page 59) With respect for the anonymity of those in recovery who attend meetings, including the author, the byline is a registered legal “pen name” and not the married name of the author. No personal anonymity will be broken at the level of press, radio, films, TV or Internet. This anonymity is the spiritual foundation of the 12-step programs and is vital to the health of its members. Read the rest of this entry »

They used to tell us kids that our Granma moved from this earth to the moon when she passed. There in the big moon, she shared her home with the other clan mothers and together they made the biggest medicine there is. It is only after we leave this earthly body behind, that we can make the really big healing ceremonies for our children and the next generations. This may or may not be true so the story is not to convince you that Granma lives there for sure. The point is just that gazing at the moon and wondering of such extraordinary things is a mystical experience in and of itself. It’s the gazing and the allowing of ourselves to take the journey of imagination that brings healing and truth to the human soul. Grammas were strong women in the old days. They were amazing. Most of us who have gazed at the fullness of grandmother moon will say that the light from her is very bright. The gazing makes you feel things sometimes. It can make us feel stronger or weaker or that the drama of life is somehow powerfully magnified. Read the rest of this entry »

Creation generously provided herbal medicines with unique signatures to help us know what systems of the body they treat. We must remember though, that there are exceptions to every rule of nature and gathering natural medicine is a very specialized skill and if done without a great deal of knowledge, can be more dangerous then helpful. The color of an herbs flower is an essential and fascinating characteristic of the signature. Red flowers for example, indicate the herbs ability to purify blood disorders, act as an antibiotic and treat skin disorders caused by diseases of the blood. Herbs with purple or blue flowers have a sedative effect on our bodies. They treat stress, muscle spasms, act as a tonic and help us to stay calm when recovering from illness. Yellow flowers indicate the herbs ability to treat digestive systems involving secretion of bile like the liver and gallbladder and also urinary problems. They help the body rid itself of toxins and infections. Read the rest of this entry »

Among the Haudenosaunee, dreams are a highly important manifestation of Creation. It is within the dreams that we understand the nature of our reality. We are all dreamers and we are all manifestations of the dreams of the Great Mystery of life, our Creator. In the sacred texts of peoples all over the world, it is the dreams or revelations of the prophetic writers that have become the living words of Creation and the world’s authored religions. In the English language, one of the most controversial books ever written is the book of Revelation, the very last book of the Holy Bible. The title of this particular book of Revelation defines the very nature of it’s origin. A revelation is defined as “something of a divine nature that is revealed by God to humans—a pleasant, often enlightening surprise”. The author of the book of Revelation experienced a series of powerfully symbolic events in his imagination, which have been interpreted in every possible way, often very frighteningly. Perhaps it is the wide variety of interpretations that have caused so much political division within the belief system of Christianity. Are some humans afraid that if the visions are not properly understood, it will cause chaos within the universe? I have even heard people who consider themselves Biblical scholars or intellectuals declare that their own particular version of the ancient text is the only true version and that anyone who does not believe in their exact interpretation will live alone forever in eternal damnation and darkness. Personally, I disagree that the loving Creator of all things would spin His own dreams into such a dismal reality for the objects of His Creation. This statement however, does not invalidate the importance of the book, nor does it choose to disrespect anyone’s religious belief system. Read the rest of this entry »

Mysticism suggests that something sacred is hidden from view and remains a mystery for most of us. Some people believe it implies the occult in some negative way but there are sacred mysteries or mystical truths that are divine in nature and are perceived spiritually within acts of the contemplative imagination. Mysticism is the extraordinary that exists within the ordinary. It’s not so unattainable as it may seem but the mysteries of creation are profoundly powerful. The prayer that changes everything in our lives can be as whimsical as a sigh of despair in the darkest of our nights and the deepest level of what seems a hopelessly broken spirit. Mysticism can come to life during that dark night when we stare, wounded by the events of our lives, into what seems an even more intense gathering of that same darkness. We may ask ourselves, “What now?” That very question implies that there are still various choices available to us. The feeling may hurt deeply but it is only a momentary agony. Read the rest of this entry »

I ask the Creator for the courage of Bear who stands strong as guardian of the sacred mountain. Recovery reminds us often, to exercise the courage to change. We learn that the only thing we really have to change is everything! We have to learn to be like the land that changes with the seasons. Our attitudes need to change with the changes presented by life on life’s terms. That’s pretty hard stuff. Courage is like the center of a wagon wheel with spokes reaching out in all the directions around us. Our jobs may have to change or our relationships may require change or maybe we have to move to a new location but the most important change we make is our attitude. Like the bear who emerges from a long winter hibernation, we must adapt to the things of the world that have changed during our slumber. We need to be strong in recovery yet flexible in every other area of our lives. There will be days when it seems that everyone in the meeting is wrong about everything. Even those we admire and respect can seem very wrong and misled sometimes. The things that are wrong with them are none of our business. Our only business is the way we respond to our experiences. We go to meetings because we need to change, not because others need to change. Courage is the ability to move forward even in the face of our greatest fears and darkest resentments. Some days all we can learn from those around us is what we do not want to become but that too is valuable learning. Then we learn to forgive others their shortcomings. Forgiveness is one of the spokes that comes out from the center of courage. Read the rest of this entry »

“Brother Wind came along and blew all the tee pees away and all the villagers had to run for cover.” said Jimmy C. Laughter broke the stunned disappointment. The children had carefully gathered materials from the earth to construct a scale replica of an ancient Indian settlement. They wrapped sticks in thin bark to make little tee pees, built tiny fire rings out of pebbles, planted miniature trees made from sage limbs and creatively used rocks, sand and other items from the surrounding wilderness to make their village. They had worked all day and the results were impressive. The object of the project was to illustrate how our ancestors had only the products of the natural world, with which to build their homes. As we the parents, gathered to inspect our kids’ final project, an afternoon breeze had begun to stir. We gathered around the table-size village to examine the work as the kids described each replica of native culture. The breeze turned to powerful gusts and the carefully designed project was swept away in an instant, accompanied by the mournful cries of our kids. As elders often do, they made the best of a bad situation. They asked the children to gather in a circle and told stories about how hard the ancestors had worked to build homes and maintain harmony in the villages that were inhabited by our extended families and Tribes. The stories were interwoven with the powerful forces of nature that often altered the lifestyle of the people, causing them to move entire settlements to higher or safer ground. The old ones had lived in harmony and acceptance of all things natural, even disaster. After a while it seemed the whole day had been planned around the stories of the elders, even the destruction by Brother Wind. Read the rest of this entry »

“I nurtured the soul of your ancestors. I provided strength to your earthly mother, to bear children and your earthly father to harvest food for her. I am the name of the celebration of the autumn harvest dances. I contain the supernatural union between the Creator and your own hands and heart. Without all Creation, you would not exist. Only God can bring about this great abundance of life on mother earth and cause the seed to sprout beneath the soil. We are all connected in the sacred circle of life with the sunshine, the water, the land, the seasons and the movement of the spiritual energy of life itself. I am your brother, sister, friend and ancestral tradition. How will you grow the corn? How will you live? Will you spend your time involved with the things of Creation or succumb to placing yourself on the screens of telephones, computers and TV? Where is your heart?” said the corn. Read the rest of this entry »