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Category Archives for "The natural world"
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Winter Solstice 2020: the time of luminous consciousness

This year the Winter Solstice is Monday, December 21, 5:02 am Eastern Standard Time.

So what happens at 5:02 AM  EST? After seeming to stand still for a few days, the sun will change direction and head the other way. Watch the morning horizon and you will see.

“Solstice” derives from the latin word  for “sun stands still.” The sun appears at its lowest in the sky and seems to stay the same for several days before and after this date. It’s the shortest day of sunlight in the year.  As the hours of daylight gradually get longer, many cultures see it as a “rebirth” of the sun.

The Ancients, and still many indigenous people today, mark this day with ceremonies and bonfires to honor, and invite in, the return of the light.

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Thank you for being! A Thanksgiving Prayer

This Thanksgiving will be a hard one for many people. Here in the U.S., we’re being advised to social distance and not travel to be with family.

Many of us have lost loved ones to Covid-19, or are struggling due to lost income with no silver lining in sight.

But if you dig deep, there is always something to be grateful for. And expressing gratitude has been found to be the secret to a happy, successful life!

Let’s turn to a traditional Native American Thanksgiving Prayer for inspiration.

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Summer Solstice at Stonehenge: live streamed this year!!

Have you ever wanted to watch the sun rise on the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge?  Well, this year you can because it will be live streamed!

The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and  the time to celebrate life in all its aspects. It’s also the first day of summer.

Solstice means “stand still” and refers to the way the sun appears to rise and set in the same place for a few days.

At Stonehenge in England, built between 2500 and 5000 years ago, the summer solstice sun at dawn rises over the structure’s Heel Stone and hits the Altar Stone dead center. Surely our ancestors knew something we don’t about the importance of this day.

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The Iroquois Creation Story of the “Milky Way”

All indigenous cultures have “creation stories” – narratives of how the world began and how people came to inhabit it. I find it unfortunate that the modern world has lost that tradition, one that I greatly enjoy. So I asked my friend Glenn Schiffman to share this creation story, which is an excerpt from his upcoming spiritual memoir, “Moves Standing Still”.

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A Native American Thanksgiving Prayer

Thanksgiving prayer is common to most religious groups.  Native Americans had days-long ceremonies just for the purpose of expressing thanks. I find it sad that in modern America, Thanksgiving has become more about a meal than gratitude for all we  have.

This Thanksgiving Prayer comes from the Seneca Nation in the Northeastern United States and is at least 500 years old. It gives thanks for everything given us by Mother Earth.

It is traditionally done around a fire, with spiritual food on the altar. I have conducted this prayer as a ceremony for many years. You might wish to use it as a  Thanksgiving Prayer on our national holiday:

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Uluru and Mauna Kea: Where the Gods reside

There is a spiritual war going on in the world today, and our future depends on how well we deal with it. What’s happening at Mauna Kea in Hawaii is a prime example of the problem.

So is Standing Rock, Native American land on which oil companies wanted to build a pipeline without Native permission.

And the desecration of Uluru in Australia by tourists for generations, even though it has been spiritual home to the Anangu tribes of Central Australia for 30,000 years. While tourists climb to the top of Uluru, the Anangu don’t.

Have you noticed all the sacred land being confiscated for use by corporations and oil companies?  It’s not just for them to make money fracking or drilling for oil, or putting up a telescope.

All this sacred land that is being confiscated and defiled has been cared for by indigenous peoples for time immorial.

The land is sacred because many of these locations are portals to allow celestial energies to come through and help us.  This is why indigenous people fight so hard to protect these lands.

By taking over the sacred lands, the corporations are shutting down the light and divine guidance coming to this planet.  We simply must not let that  happen.

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Why weeding is a great meditation!

If you have a garden, I know you spend time weeding. Many consider it an inconvenience. But true gardeners can get in “the zone” while doing it – and that is actually mindfulness, or meditation.

When I purchased my first house over 20 years ago, I was pretty darn excited.  About everything, even weeding.

I do know that, in the bigger picture of things, weeds are simply plants that we don’t know the use for. . . yet.

But sometimes they grow where we don’t want them.  And what’s to be done, but … weeding!

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Why we should celebrate the Autumn Equinox

This year, autumn officially begins on September 23, 2016, at 2:50 a.m. EST.

Our ancestors celebrated all equinoxes and solstices, but the autumn equinox seems to have been a little less celebrated than the others. I’m not sure what the historical reason is, but for myself, I’m sad to see summer coming to an end and am not quite ready to say goodbye to summer and welcome in the fall.

But it happens. It’s part of the cycle of life, and to be in tune with the natural world, it’s important to honor these special natural events.

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How the 7th Generation Principle May Save Our Planet

  Whenever I mention the 7thGeneration principle to most people, they think I’m talking about the ecologically friendly laundry detergent company.  I’m always surprised that more people don’t know the origin of the term, so I felt it deserved an episode, particularly at this time in our history, where our very future is at stake. […]

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Earth Day: Time to Mend the Sacred Hoop

“Everything is part of the Sacred Hoop and everything is related.  Our existence is so intertwined that our survival depends upon maintaining a balanced relationship with everything within the Sacred Hoop.”   Bear Heart

 Earth Day is the perfect day to focus on the Sacred Hoop of All Creation and how to establish a relationship with the natural world around us.

In indigenous cultures, the circle is sacred — when we sit in a circle there is a spirit of oneness and everyone is equal.

The elders teach that the universe is in harmony as long as the Sacred Hoop, the circle of life, is intact.

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What if everything is a call to prayer?

“What if everything is a call to prayer?

These were the words my good friend and spiritual mentor, Rev. Marchiene Rienstra, posted on Facebook recently.  Here is her full post:

“I grew up in Pakistan and India, where five times every day, the call to prayer would ring out from a nearby minaret. I have often wished that we had that kind of reminder to turn our hearts and minds to God in this country.

“But recently I was struck with this thought, one I hope you ponder with me:“WHAT IF EVERYTHING IS A CALL TO PRAYER?

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Winter Solstice 2018

For ancient cultures around the world, solstices and equinoxes are important ceremonial times. The upcoming Winter Solstice 2018 is no exception.

For people who live in harmony with the earth, the movements of the sun are of paramount importance — it defines the agricultural cycles, the changing of the seasons, and more.  Ancient cultures saw life on mother earth as a spiritual journey, marked by changes in light and weather patterns. They honored these changes with ceremony, and we can, too.

I’ve written several posts over the years on how to celebrate the Winter Solstice.  You will find the links to them here:

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Winter Solstice: the time to increase our light

This year the Winter Solstice is Thursday, December 21, 11:28 am Eastern Standard Time.

It’s the shortest day of the year because there are fewer daylight hours than any other day.

But the good news is that from this point, daylight will get longer day by day.

The Ancients, and still many indigenous people today, mark this day with bonfires to honor the return of the light. It’s also a way of inviting the return of the light.

The Law of Attraction at work.

There is a lot of suffering and confusion in the world right now, so this is a really good time for us to pull ourselves up and let our own light shine, too.It’s the shortest day of the year because there are fewer daylight hours than any other day.

But the good news is that from this point, daylight will get longer day by day.

The Ancients, and still many indigenous people today, mark this day with bonfires to honor the return of the light. It’s also a way of inviting the return of the light.

The Law of Attraction at work.

There is a lot of suffering and confusion in the world right now, so this is a really good time for us to pull ourselves up and let our own light shine, too.

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