let kindness win

Please excuse my rant; it is long overdue. I beg those of you who celebrate the season, not to take this as a reprimand nor as a request to stop celebrating – on the contrary, I hope you recognize it as it is offered: as a challenge to unhinge the season from a few days or weeks and allow the savoring of peace to carry on throughout the year.

The hardest thing about Christmas for me, or for that matter all of the Festival of Light holidays, is dashed hope.

I was quite young when I realized the hypocrisy of the season. That never stopped me from wishing I could be normal and simply go along with the scripted programs that seem to bring so much pleasure to so many.

I just couldn’t do it.

I cry too easily at “peace on earth good will toward men”. I do not find solace in hope that lasts until the decorations come down. It actually frightens me. I believe there is a danger in flaunting peace on earth, and then behaving as though it is not possible.

This year I was grateful for the holi-daze as it gave a much-needed respite from the fear baiting used to keep us divided and ignorant.

There is a good thing about getting older; one is less inclined to compromise.

So I ask you all, my friends, as we turn this corner of yet another new year, can we each take a step towards peace?

Can we recognize that love of all human kind requires courage and may we find the inspiration to ask for the courage that it will take?

It is possible. Love until there is no room for fear. Serve Love until the Spirit of the Season lives in every day of our lives, in every moment. Celebrate in whatever form it takes for you and allow the same for others. Don’t put your hope away as you take down your decorations. Wear your love proudly. We got this, people. We can do this.

Look around. See the Good. It is our time.

 

 

There are many trying to piece together what is occurring at the stand off at Standing Rock. Some are looking for what is coming next, complicating the storyline with questions about the Trump presidency, his ties to Energy Transfer Partners, his support of the militarization of police, and his certainty that the extraction of fossil fuels is key to economic success.

Others are content with tying up these several months into a secure and seamless bundle of information, helping us understand how this led into that and from that linear equation (the assumption is that) we can extrapolate what will come next.

Many, sorry they could not be there, are still looking for ways to support those remaining on the ground. And many on the ground are asking themselves is this the best place for me to be at this time?

Some are using this as an excuse to keep up racial tensions and blatant hatred. And by most measures, and unfortunately, the residents of North Dakota and Morton County in particular are willing to allow that strain of inhumanity to lead.

A very few have and continue to use this stand off for personal, political and monetary gain. Like hollow bamboo they strike the pose, but lack the depth of internal fortitude.

There are some (nearly 570 arrested) who are tied to this moment through upcoming trials; hoping justice is not as blind in North Dakota as the force of the police has been. This is where the cyber water protectors can play a huge role in continuing to drive social media, the court system  and the “arc of the moral universe” towards justice.*

There are many rallying behind the cry for divestment from fossil fuels, and veterans asking where are we needed next? There are interfaith clergy happy to have found camaraderie with like-minded souls.

Far too many would like it to be over, either with the pipeline running through the headwaters or not. Just give us the ending, please.

Many words have been written about the “spirituality” at the center of the stand, but placed more as a footnote to be recorded in history rather than being understood as an evolutionary step for human kind.

So when you ask me what did I learn, what am I feeling, and will I return… I am wary to tie it all up in a sound bite for you.

I was drawn to Standing Rock, as many of us were, because of the prayers. I think we are a weary bunch who prefer peace and truly believe that unity formed through the intention of love will always be the most powerful of all weapons. I was pleased and excited to come upon a thread of humanity who began each day before the rising sun with an offering of gratitude. I breathed in the cold morning air and the request from Lakota elders for all to offer their prayers in whatever way together. I felt the welcome. I felt the stillness. And I felt the decisiveness of those prayers. This daily act informed my day and strengthened my knowing that this simple and humble dedication was the glue that held the camp together and allowed peoples from around the world to stand as one. The tears that flowed from me and around me, reflected the pain of denial and separation rampant in our world, but also heralded the joy of what can be.

I found myself growing in ways I had not expected. A deepening of what some may think of as “spiritual” but for me it is an acceptance of my humanity, a bit of dirt holding on to the light of the universe – until breath is no longer mine to take.

I was reinvigorated with the power of humility, as I allowed myself to learn and awaken from within. “If you have not understood that the sacred fire represents the fire burning within you, you have not learned anything at all”, one elder told us. And his words echoed “Truth” in my being.

The understandings born of the daily dedication and discipline calling forth our highest and deepest natures can never be recorded, nor can they be defined or scripted. They must be felt.

So while I will not try to stop the views and undertakings of those who are busy defining and categorizing what has happened and what will happen next, I am one hundred percent certain that our way out of this moment is found in our way “in”.

For years I have heard the question asked, “How many directions are there?” And the simple and true answer is four, east, south, west, north; the answer for the clever is six, including the earth and the heavens. But the answer of the wise has always been seven. It is in the seventh direction – within our own being – where the battle to stop the black snake is waged. That is where the warrior lives, that is where the hard work lies. For some this is a linear story that will end with the pipeline being stopped or running through the headwaters. For others it is an epic journey with multiple layers and most likely with no beginning or end.

When you hold a diamond in your hand, it is best to watch it shimmering in the sun. Trying to explain and define it will only make you miss its beauty.

For those struggling to leave or to return to Oceti: hold precious the time, hold precious the prayer and always remember: the fire is burning within you.

The fire is burning within you.

*“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

For a long time, I have tried to explain to people how important is the Native perspective. Nearly two decades of traveling to the land of the Dine, and the gift of a Grandmother there who called me her daughter brought back my Remembrance.

In the course of that time, I made real what I had always wanted to do: I bought land and as my Navajo Grandmother told me that it would, it has taught me.

I did not buy the land for myself. I bought it with the intention of taking it out of “buy and sell”. It was clear to me then, as it is now, that the earth is not ours to own. I bought it to share.

I would love to say that the past fifteen years have been all beauty and light, but that would be a fairy tale. It has been a doorway to my heart, an opportunity of constant learning and a canvas for me to paint my story. Our story.

Trying to challenge the status quo is never easy. Trying to do it with love is damn near impossible. But it is possible. And the challenge is the gift.

“Your people forgot a long time ago”, she told me once as I began to awaken to my relationship to the earth. “You do what has been done to you”, she told me as I struggled to find peace with people and situations, torn between reacting from my wounds or responding with the dignity new understanding afforded me. We always have choice. Practicing kindness is a good one. “We all have a hard spot here”, she said as she pointed to my chest, “it needs to be softened. In some it is bigger than in others.” And so I have spent my time softening my heart. Loving the land helps that process. Rising before the sun, welcoming the new day, feeling grateful for life and not simply things, the animals, and the stark reality of Nature have all become my teachers. The people who come and go from my life teach me, too. Once you know we are all related, it grows harder and harder to hate. That softening process comes from experience and allowing oneself to step out of the boxes of our limited existence.

Give yourself the gift of diversity. I am not one for Christmas. I give and receive all the time, and I have no interest in keeping alive a holiday so heavily based in the material world. I do however celebrate the spirit of the season and respect the love that people feel at this time. And when I come upon those celebrating the spirit of Christmas, it is sweet.

And that is as simple as it needs to be: respect and allowing others their right to participate in life as they choose. That requires a few things. We need to share. We need to share resources. We need to find ways together that help all of us, not plunder some for the sake of others. There is beauty in each of us and in our ways. A tapestry of colors and textures made more beautiful by acceptance and appreciation. It is time to let that tapestry be.

And yes, it will mean teaching tolerance and nonviolence to our children. It will mean meeting and greeting your neighbor, as you would like to be treated. It will mean investing dollars and muscle into new ways of fueling our world. Yes, it requires a bit of a dance as you realize your customs and your worldview are not the same as others, but nor are they better.

I came to Standing Rock, because I know it is time to keep oil in the ground. It is past time. I am doing all I can to reduce consumption of fossil fuels and to help others to do the same, so that was a given. What I had no way of knowing was the strength and compassion I would meet at the Oceti Sakowin Camp

I have always delighted in finding human beings who are determined to be human. It has been my honor and my joy to find so many here. The Lakota, Dakota, Nakota are remarkable people who have been strengthened by their love of land and one another. We have much to learn from them.

I am taking leave soon, but I know I will return. I have to stand with these people (and a little clean laundry won’t hurt). I will continue to support all indigenous whose lives and land are being threatened by domination and might. I will do this by continuing to change my lifestyle and encouraging others to do the same. I will do this in whatever way is afforded me, because I recognize there is no time for anything less.

There is brilliance in the simplicity of relationship to land that too many of us have forgotten. We need to remember. The Lakota and others have extended their hands and their hearts to teach and to guide. We would be foolish to not learn and unlearn. We would be wasting a great gift, if we ignored this offer.

We are in the process of fulfilling the dream we have dreamed of this country, a land of abundance for all, a place of freedom, a place of peace and in that process we must let go of the fear of the other. We must upend the shortsighted idea that the earth and her resources are ours to plunder for monetary gain. We must stop thinking that in some way we are superior, and we must be willing to help others end this foolish game.

It is time to find our humanity. In it lie all the compassion and tolerance and vision that we need to navigate through this dark time.

We don’t need another leader. We don’t need to fear the next one. We need to resurrect our humanity. We need to do this, each one of us, for our self and for those yet to come.

We can do better than we have done.

Give yourself some Christmas, some joy to the world, some peace on earth and this time as the season spins by – hold onto it. It is the best we have.

Tonight I will sleep in the gymnasium here at the Cannonball recreational center with quite a few water protectors. It is cozy with cots and sleeping bags and blankets. A few dogs squeak in – helping curb my missing of my canine pals at home.

I want to thank you for the encouragement and the expressions of humanity that you have shared with me during my stay here.

I have felt for a long time that we all need to put our judgments in check – the Lakota seem to do that well – trust our humanity and let peace find its course.

I am more certain of that now than ever. It is time to not just talk about prophecy but also to fulfill it.

What is needed? A critical mass of those who recognize we are not the color of our skin; we are not our gender, our nationality, the sum of our wounds or of our successes. Those who recognize we are a brief shining star that gets to inhabit a body of dirt and water and a few other very mortal things, and those who know that the point of our being here is to shine. That is what is needed.

I will never be able to tell you the sweet moments here at Oceti Sakowin Camp of shining stars touching one another. I will never be able to tell you all the hope and the love that has passed before and through me here. I will never be able to remember the names, the words, the tears, the laughter or even the kindnesses, but they have and they will continue to guide and inform me.

What if it is only our doubt about what is possible that keeps heaven at bay?

Our words, our glances, our actions carry great weight. They are powerful tools of healing or of destruction. It is within our power to chose. Who we are as a People and what we will be is still unformed. It is up to us to shape our destiny. That destiny can no longer be formed from a system or systems that have harmed us – any one of us. It is time to create anew. It is time for the dawn. The darkness will have no place when we shine.

Shine on.

********

Couldn’t resist this photo by Tom Jefferson of “Big Dog” as he is called here. Big Dog was chased from the rec center many times, but he has the great gift of persistence, and finally it seems he has been granted access. I suppose that is why I love him so much, we share that same trait and he has continually reminded me of its importance. When he is not sleeping he is at play, doesn’t seem to have a care in the world. Hmmm, we are related.

I woke this morning before the sun. It is my customary ritual for decades now. Setting my sites on the new day, feeling gratitude, wondering what this moment of life will teach me and how I can dance through it. This morning I cried.

I replayed the last several months of my coming to be part of Oceti Sakowin Camp. My first visit brought my posse and me to Sacred Stone. That is the camp I had learned about and where I intended to stay. On my last day there I walked the distance to Oceti, then known only to me as the “Big Camp”. I was told there were many camps and while I was amazed at the size, it was the call to prayer that touched me. That day it poured rain and I found myself under a shelter around a fire. Blinded by rain, I had no idea that I had come upon the sacred fire and that the words spoken there would galvanize my intention to return.

An elder Lakota man spoke. He spoke about the prophesies, about the seven generations, and about the reuniting of the four colors of human kind, red, yellow, black and white. He spoke softly but with a determination and clarity I have grown to accept as dearer than food to me and as vital as the air I breath.

At one moment he looked my way and said that although the first encounters with whites had been horrible for his people, that now Natives must accept those coming because they come with a different heart. That is in fulfillment of the prophecy. I cried. And I knew I would return to this camp.

My next visit was for a week and I slept on my makeshift bed in my Honda. I continued my learning, moving from the fire to orientations and to meetings on what was needed to keep Oceti going into the winter. And I ate a lot of peanut butter, not wanting to take resources from the camp.

Fifteen years ago, I created Echo Valley Farm out of a need to step away from the main stream status quo that keeps us imbedded in war, in useless wastes of resources and most importantly, in the framework that keeps us in ignorance and hate. In doing so, I altered my course, and have promoted community and sustainability built on peace. It has not always been easy, but it has been rewarding.

Earlier in my life I had lived in an ashram, focused on the pursuit of peace and a youthful attempt at living in community. Coming to Oceti Sakowin Camp, for me, was like coming home.

I called my team at the farm and told what I had found. I thought it a good idea for us to establish a site at Oceti Sakowin Camp, the consensus we seek was agreed upon and so next steps were set in motion.

My first step would be to ask permission. Everyday I had listened to the prayers of Guy Dull Knife ( see video below) before the rising sun. He called us to the sacred fire, encouraged us to pray and reminded us why we had come, to stop the black snake. There is gentleness and strength about the man that is compelling. I approached him and asked and he said, “Yes, come”.

Everything came together as it does when intention, heart and action are united. Lauren and Andy and I came back to Oceti Sakowin Camp with a refurbished army tent a wood burning stove and open hearts.

It was quickly obvious to me that I have been in training my whole life for this moment. I have inherited from my lineages keen awareness of survival and how to make the most of things. I honed that skill spending time with my Navajo mentor and gleaned from my time with her that my education in life is never over and that the end game is, as I had always expected, love.

The Navajo taught me to Walk in Beauty and that the first prayer is for yourself. The Lakota have taught me about community founded in prayer. My studies with Prem Rawat gave me the undeniable and unwavering knowledge that peace is possible. And so I walk.

My time at Oceti Sakowin Camp will soon end. Now I will find out who I have become and what is expected of me. This I know: The mindset of might is right, which permeates all colors of the rainbow, must be laid to rest once and for all. The lure of greed, which has consumed human kind the world over for centuries, is the monster that must be slain. We cannot continue the destruction of the earth and the harming of one another and future generations.

And I know this: when you complain and moan about the way things are and not make an effort to change yourself and your own life’s course, you are feeding the monster. The words we utter, the fears we allow, the doubts we feed, and he confusion we insist on sharing keep us locked in this mess. Each of us has the right, the ability and the duty to find peace and to speak from clarity.

I will depart Oceti Sakowin Camp, but what I have accepted as my understanding of humanity will not leave me. I urge you, my friends, to end the cycle of violence and ignorance within your own being. Make peace. As it is often said here, “You have the right to speak, but you also have the right to be silent and listen.” In that silence, all can come round right. Listen to your heart and follow.

There are many trying to have the last word on this place. Trying to guess the outcome of this epic battle and trying to be clever. Being clever is not wisdom. Being clever is a childish whim. Wisdom is what we need and wisdom is available to each one of us.

We have no more time to waste. If you do not seize upon this moment and give your heart to it, what are you doing? If you go to your churches and mosques and synagogues but continue to lead lives forged on the destruction of the earth and of harming your fellow human beings and Nature itself – what ugly lie are you willing to weave to comfort or cover your crying soul?

Yes. I am serious. There is no more wiggle room. Daily we see the results of our greed and our lust for comfort and all that it has caused. And to those of you who refuse to acknowledge something greater than yourself and mock those who pray: Get over yourself. Do you give yourself breath? Do you not hope? You are confusing the menu as the food and you are starving because of it.

We don’t have time people for petty illusions of separation. We don’t have time to hold ourselves separate from Nature and from all living. We don’t have time to run away from the very thing of which we are made: dirt. And we certainly do not have time to leak oil into the water that is essential for all living to survive.

This is not a movie. This is not an episode of the Apprentice. This is the real deal and we better pull our heads out of the sand or wherever else they may be hiding.

It is up to us, as it has always been.

May the power that is Oceti Sakowin Camp continue to flourish in whatever form it takes. May the power of people united in love, in purpose and in clarity, reclaiming their humanity and their sovereign right to live in harmony with the Earth become the norm in a world that has lost its way.

This is what I can hope for and this is what I will work towards, in the best ways that I can for as long as I can – and I ask you, my friends, to do the same.

The invitation to be part of a community forged in peace and sustainable living is open to those who are ready. It is happening many places throughout the world. One of them is Echo Valley Farm, Wisconsin. It is my home and you are welcome.

It is our time; let’s turn this ship around. Best wishes to all.

 

 

“We try to live two cultures…”  The documentary of five generations of the Dull Knives, an American family. Inspired by the book the “Dull Knifes of Pine Ridge” by Joe Starita.

No Spiritual Surrender –  photo compliments of Andrew Robert McComb

Last night, as I lay in my bed, camp stove blazing, I could hear the joyful sounds of drumming and singing from the dome, a space age geodesic donated to Oceti Sakowin Camp. A round dance was happening there.

I flashed back to a few weeks ago, when I watched a group of people sitting in circle where the dome would soon be erected. They were praying. From my distance I felt them calling for help, for guidance, to allow this to become a useful gathering space. It has.

In the darkness of the night, in strange harmony with the joyful song, came the sound of a bugle playing Taps. Not just playing Taps, singing Taps, crying Taps. The juxtaposition at first startled me and then I realized the exquisite beauty of this moment.

Today the “Long Robes” have come to pray with the Lakota people, invited by Chief Looking Horse months ago. The intention of this interfaith gathering is to pray and to invite those of our brothers and sisters, standing in full military gear in opposition to consider a change in heart.

Many of us have met the police and invited their support while on the front lines. I will never forget my moment, talking to each person I met, face mask to face, human to human. This moment when so many will converge for peace will surely be a powerful one.

And now come the Veterans. Thousands of Veterans are arriving to stand in protection of the peaceful. No weapons, no drugs, no alcohol, are the rules of the day. This is a camp of prayer and ceremony.

This morning as I woke before the sun, the sound of Revelry playing in the distance made me smile. So very many of the Lakota are Veterans. For generations all Native people have stood on the front lines of battle by request of their government, the US.Now, the Veterans have come to protect them from the very government they served with pride.

If I didn’t have work to do, I would sit here and weep all day for the reconciliation that is taking place.

I heard, briefly, a sheriff from Morton County in press conference yesterday spinning tales about this camp and about the motivation to invite the Veterans. There is heartlessness to these tales. They are the untruths that the American public is now accustomed to but should never accept. Stories told by those who are being paid and have colluded in compromise to tell them. No one is paying the Long Robes. No one is paying the Veterans. No one is paying me. I am free to tell all who will listen, “This is a good day. This will be a good day. Let us make this a good day. A day of reconciliation and a day when the heart triumphs.”

I have waited my whole life for this moment and all the moments that will follow. My heart is full, regardless of outcome, for the intentions of this day are some of the finest of our collective spirit. Peace will prevail.

 

 

photo by Redhawk, who spoke to these men before taking this picture. His account:

I spoke to you today at Turtle Hill. I could see you felt uncomfortable standing up there. I could feel you did not want to be on that hill. I spoke to you about Selma, and the civil and human right violation that have stretched from that era to the day upon us now. I spoke to you about my hometown, of Atlanta, GA. I spoke about how those men do not care about you, and about how you were the only minority on that hill. I spoke to you about how Chief Turner in Atlanta is always looking for good officers, and how I assume he would be very proud to have you in the birthplace of civil rights. I told you I would personally fly with you to Atlanta if you contacted the camp and stepped away from Morton County Sheriffs. I watched you sit down, and think. I could see you felt the words I was speaking, and before you stood up and stepped back from the line, I saw you look me directly in the eyes. I saw you, and not a badge.
I keep my promises. Feel free to contact our camp. We love you for who you are. Thank you for listening.
-Redhawk

Oceti Sakowin Camp

Standing Rock Rising

 

It’s evening, my tent is warm and there is a buzz of anticipation and activity reverberating outside. Everyone knows that over the next few days thousands of clergy and Veterans will arrive. Wood is being delivered for all to use, the announcer is keeping everything moving at the central fire, and the singing and the voices of the people of Oceti Sakowin Camp echo around me. I have never felt so safe outside of my home. This morning when I hitch hiked to the media center – just a few miles away- two young Native girls gave me a lift. “How do you like it here?“ “ I like it a lot, feels like home”, I answered. There was an appreciation in their momentary silence and then the jokes and playfulness began. That joyfulness is common here. I am at home.

Once in the media center, a spokes person for the elders called us together. “Much love and appreciation from the elders… I have seen such humanity here, from all of you, I will never forget it…blessings to all of your families for all you are doing.” These or similar words come often, as do the tears of gratitude. I am at home.

The next order of the day is to try to find a way to help. I am here, hoping to play a small part in changing the narrative of domination and brutality that has been our country’s legacy towards these people, the first of our land. If you are accustomed to being told what to do, you will struggle a bit here. Here you are expected and needed, to see what must be done and to do it. I wait and I pray. An old friend sends me a link to a prominent NPR show talking about what is happening here, so I took a moment to see what the world is saying. No surprise, the false narrative was stated again and again (the pipeline is not on reservation land) until the very end when someone looked at the 1851 Treaty of Laramie (which binds the US and the Lakota Sioux to an agreement on the land and the waterway). That is where the show should have actually begun. There was the momentary recognition that Energy Transfer Partners and the Army Corp of Engineers should have brought the Standing Rock Sioux into the discussion at the very beginning of the planning of the pipeline, but there was nothing offered to rectify this unconscious blunder (or conscious slight?). Instead we were told repeatedly that the pipeline is 97% completed and, “Oh, well; let’s just finish, now, can’t we?” I am always amazed at how the dominant culture spins on, seemingly unaware that its humanity is trailing in the wake of its “talk”.

There are really two battles waging. One is here, as people from around the world stand with the Standing Rock Sioux, facing unrealistic odds: might to right, weaponry to love, confusion to peace.

The other is in the American public heart and mind. The clock is ticking. Will we take the time to understand the history and the total disregard of people for profit that has led to this moment? Or will we continue to prepare for the holiday spirit that left us long ago?

This is the moment for those who have cried for peace to STAND UP. This is the moment to celebrate our collective humanity and to allow peace to flourish. This is the moment to live. If your soul has quickened with all that is happening here, you are not alone. We are emerging. The children of the sun are emerging and we will not be silenced and we will not be defeated. This is our moment. Stand with us. Stand with Standing Rock. Come home. Wherever you are, be at home.

Photo compliments of Redhawk  Standing Rock Rising

For more Oceti Sakowin Camp

Get involved

Seven Lakota Values

 

You can cover up the fact that you are made of dirt,

But it doesn’t change a thing.

You can wallow in the slimiest of pits,

But the radiance of the sun still shines from your eyes

When you remember.

We Are All Indigenous

A little ball of clay with the sweet thread of breath

Here for a few moments

Not to chop the Creator into little pieces

Or lay waste the Creation

We are here to celebrate

We Are All Indigenous

Placed with love and kindness

To dance with one another

On this floating paradise

Anything less is insanity

We Are All Indigenous

No one is expendable

There is no them only us.

Those who recognize this

Have peace.

Those who uphold this

Live peace.

We Are All Indigenous

Accept it while you are here

We will all be happier when you do

There is no them only us.

 

“If you are a rock, stand up like a mountain.” Standing Rock by Trevor Hall

I am going back to Sacred Stone Camp to stand with my brothers and sisters in peace. There is no time to waste. The black snake is not just a pipeline. It is greed and ignorance made stronger by hate and fear. We are all indigenous. The water protectors are standing for the water for all. It is time to open our eyes and hearts and end the nightmare of separation we have come to know as “colonializing”.

It is time to let people live in dignity and peace with clean air, water, good food and shelter for all. This is so very possible. There is no them only us.

 

cover photo compliments of Pat McCabe

Hold on to your innocence.    Hold onto your trust.

The wind whistles through the trees and the leaves are forced from their perch. We come in innocence and how do we depart? Are we withered and bowed, scraping and fighting or are we free to fly?

What a strange time we live. Everything is possible, but we choose not to see.

We have lost the will and the way to discern, so the shiny seems valuable and the dirt replaceable and the air and the water are free, so go to sleep little one.

We have handed over our children to be educated. We have handed over our souls to be saved. We have handed over our allegiance to be mighty. We have handed over our bodies to be toys. We have handed over our love to be labeled like sides of beef. We have handed over our compassion to be right. We have forsaken joy. We have exchanged it for fear.

As surely as we have given away these precious bits of self, they can be reclaimed. It is time to shift the mindset. It is time to come home again.

The battles we are waging inside and out are not our battles. They began long ago and we have inherited their misfortune. We have followed a path of destruction, but it is not too late to change course.

The only battle worth our time and energy is the one that challenges our humanity. The one that tells us there is not enough, the one that promotes the other as less than, the one that insists on raping the earth. We are (all) that “one”. We each carry the seeds of destruction and hate. We feed it with fear and we hide it in doubt.

The solution? It is simple. Love. Love yourself enough to become unshackled. The love of others will then come easily. Love the earth as the sweet blessing of mortality, treat her kindly, for you came from her bosom and will return to her. Acknowledge your sacredness and you will recognize the same in all living.

We have been born into divide and conquer. Those who insist on perpetuating the myth of separation will suffer it.

I am growing older. Time is growing shorter. Each day I pray for wisdom. Each day I pray for peace. I find fellowship with those who know these truths and I find solace in my earthly roots. I still believe we can attain peace and I work towards it unabashedly.

The eternal dance of love is calling. How long can we afford to ignore the request?

 

 

I took the cover picture on route to Standing Rock to help the protectors of water. I look forward to my return. They are my brothers and sisters in this great turning.

Please find a way to support their effort.  Thank you. For more visit: Sacred Stone Camp