All I could see was a long line of ants, proudly marching their way into our new apartment! The first thing I wanted to do was run and seek out the largest bottle of bleach that I could find. Not the best idea… After a few deep breaths,  I thought it out and decided that a non-toxic blend would be a better idea…something that would make the ants feel more like they were entering a stream room rather than a death bath… I just wasn’t quite sure WHAT I should use.

Like most people, I contacted the lovely internet. Plenty magazine’s comprehensive look at Nontoxic Ant Antidotes was a wonderful resource. Black pepper, cayenne pepper, and chalkboard chalk are all good ant deterrents… and Dr. Bronner’s peppermint castile soap. Yeah! ANOTHER use for Dr. Bronners! I checked my cabinets but all I had was Dr. Bronners Rose flavor along with a nice Basil scented Mrs. Meyers cleaner. Even though both of those options are non-toxic, the flavors just SHOUT  instant ant party.

Another option was to make an ant motel with Borax, a solution of sugar dissolved in water, some Kleenex or toilet paper, and glass jars. You can mix equal amounts of Borax and sugar water and pour over a crumpled tissue in the bottom of the glass, cover container and poke holes (i.e., ant doors) in lid.

I decided to try the black pepper since that was to most convenient option at this time. So far so good. Only time will tell…

Gorse wine

Nettle Beer

Blue Jay noticed that bear had not said a thing. Finally, Blue Jay asked bear why was she so silent and bear replied, ‘I’m listening and learning. I don’t need to talk; I already know what I know.’” ⁵

In our usual and everyday discourse, it is rare that we get to express a complete thought without being interrupted. Most people do not fully hear the person who is speaking, because they are concerned with their own opinions, and the need to express those opinions immediately. One way to promote deeper listening skills is to invoke a no pen and pad rule. This rule demands that we put down our physical as well as mental pen and not take notes, but instead really listen and understand what is being communicated to us. We want so bad to reach for the pen and begin our own thought process before we are even able to take in what is being communicated. If we just let go and practice patience, we can feel the tension leave our body and our mind. We become engaged with the speaker and become involved in the conversation. What a beautiful feeling! The ideas and feelings will come out naturally and full of meaning if we can all just allow the conversation to flow and trust the source before we are ready to put our own thoughts into action. Practice patience and active listening. You will be able to truly understand the reason and meaning of the conversation and what you are suppose to take from it. Remember, you already know what you know.

While one listens carefully to what is said, it is just as important to recall that “sometimes humans need to listen to what people are not saying rather than listening to their words.” ⁶

The Great Spirit created us with two ears and one mouth.  The Great Spirit did this with purpose. It is for us to remember to listen carefully to not only what another says but to what she does not say.

[source]

5- Kent Nerburn, The Wisdom of the Native American, 10 (New World Library) (1991)

7- Jamie Sams, Earth Medicine, 28 (Harper San Francisco ) (1994)

According to Indian legend, you do not choose an animal guide as your personal spirit guide. The animal chooses you and they decide to whom they will reveal themselves and make their friend. As of right now in my life, I believe that I have been chosen by a spirit animal to help guide and teach me- The Rabbit.

Now I have to be honest- the rabbit was not my first choice. It wasn’t my second choice. I didn’t even consider a rabbit as a choice; it just didn’t cross my mind.  I was hoping for the swan, an owl or the raven – something that focused on my positive traits and something that sounded romantic and mystical. The rabbit was nowhere near what I was imagining.

I began to direct my energy on allowing my spirit animal to find me and I came to this conclusion after many personal questions were answered, dreams were spoken, and encounters occurred.

Each Animal has its own medicine which is unique to that specific creature and its spirit cannot be chosen like the color of your new car. Discovering who your animal guides are is a process of paying attention to the spirits around you and following the signs. It is a process of developing your inner knowledge and spiritual understanding.

According to Manataka, If you want your spirit animal to find you, you should focus on asking for your spirit animal in dream or thought. First, pray about it. Second, be satisfied with whatever happens or does not happen. It if comes, then it comes. If it does not, then it does not.

Animals are wondrous happy creatures. There is no doubt that animals have

beautiful, balanced emotions. They love and defend one another. They feel sorrow and melancholy yet they know nothing about greed, envy, and hate. They live their entire lives without sin.

The Rabbit

Rabbits are regular visitors to the land where Beyond the Rainbow lives, most often between dawn and dusk. They stay close to the edge of the forest, and though deeply absorbed in the process of eating, are always alert. At the sight of a hawk or the sound of a human footstep they disappear into the undergrowth.

An interesting aspect of Rabbit is that different cultures have widely varying understandings of this animal. The Egyptians associated it with being, while in China, where it is one of the astrological animals, it is associated with good fortune and the moon. People born under its sign are believed to be sensitive and artistic.

In many Native American traditions Rabbit is named the Fear Caller. It is believed that it shouts out its fear of the predators who rank it high on their dining list so loudly that it attracts them, and thus brings that which it fears into being.

If we look at this idea with deeper understanding we see how well Rabbit teaches us that we create our lives with our thoughts and feelings. Rabbit experiences fear, projects it outward, and creates in the external world conditions which mirror its inner terrors.

For us humans this is an important lesson. The idea behind repeating affirmations, focusing on positive images, and programming one’s crystals to help realize dreams is that thoughts have energy, and that focused attention on a thought creates a vibration which will help that thought to become reality. This is as true when you think about what you don’t want to happen.

So often, though, our focus on what we don’t want to happen is automatic, instead of deliberate. It’s an undercurrent of consciousness, gathering strength secretly. Thus, it’s important to bring our fears into consciousness and to treat them with the same tenderness we would treat a frightened child.

I mentioned before rabbits’ ability to be alert and aware of its surroundings at all times. For us, this translates into recognizing that we have the power to create with our thoughts, to be conscious of them, to be focused on our dreams, and to not allow ourselves to be distracted from our intentions, especially not to be distracted by fear from realizing our dreams.

I believe I can learn a lot from the Rabbit. :)

American Indians view all things in creation as having spiritual energy. All things are connected and worthy of our respect and reverence. Their way is to seek balance and harmony within the complex tapestry of life called the Great Circle of Life. As they move within the circle, they emphasize these truths:

Everything on earth is alive;

Everything on earth has purpose;

Everything on earth is connected;

Everything on earth is to be embraced.

A principal tenant of their belief is that all things are connected and we are related to all things in the circle.

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION!

Farmers Under Attack…
This urgent message is from our correspondent, Linn Cohen-Cole:

We have less than two weeks to stop the take over of family farms and ranches,organic and natural foods.
H.R. 875 and S. 425 [and similar bills such a H.R. 759]
We need to rally people immediately.

The new administration is pushing new farm controls through Congress as fast as possible and have coordinated the bills so there will be no debate and the committee meetings are closed.

Transparency, change, undoing Bush’s regulations, giving the public time to comment, grassroots anything? Our entire food system and thus our health is being decided without the public knowing and those who do know have zero access and the media is absent and they are moving at warp speed to sew this up.

Would you put these out, in this order, showing the article as you do so people are more likely to read it? They are imperfect but the closest I’ve come to explaining how the game is going to be played. No direct, frontal assault on organic farming but an insidious process of “infecting” organic farming…

Example: imagine Joel Salatin’s wonderful organic farm under the direction of the USDA, with detailed instructions on what he must feed and when, how he must medically “treat” his animals and with what, what he must “spray” and when, … you get the picture. These bills will industrialize all farms and insure the farmers are forced to buy chemicals and drugs. Organic is dead. As well as human control over the food supply. As well as health.

Schoolmarm approach to punishing farmers out of farming.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Monsanto-and-the-Schoolmar-by-Linn-Cohen-Cole-090214-935.html

Bills being rushed through Congress, set to destroy organic farming.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Monsanto-bills-being-rushe-by-Linn-Cohen-Cole-090217-758.html

Linn Cohen-Cole is a dedicated researcher and “Paul Revere” of health freedom. At her urging, we’ve set up an Action Item for you to send an unmistakable message to your representatives in the Senate and the House. We must educate Congress that you do not want organic and small farmers regulated out of existence. You do not want “Big Agra” regulations, perhaps necessary to protect the public when dealing with large scale agra business, applied to organic and small family farms and ranches or to natural and organic food products, including Dietary Supplements.
We have prepared the following Petition to Congress with regard to this matter:
————————-
PETITION
To Amend the Food Safety Modernization Act
H.R. 875 [and Substitutes]
By the Addition of the
Natural and Family Food and Farming Exclusion Amendment

To: The Members of the Congress of the United States of America:

Whereas the proposed Food Safety Administration within the Department of Health and Human Services should focus its activities on the significant public administration issues involving the capacity of large scale, industrialized agriculture to threaten public safety,

Whereas organic and natural agriculture, family farms and ranches, and natural or organic food products, including dietary supplements are not a significant part of the food safety problem, and

Whereas Congress previously provided for an exemption for natural food dietary supplements from the increased agency authority granted by the FDA Modernization Act of 2007, through a rule of interpretation, added as section 1011 of that Act, and has on numerous occasions exempted small and family farms from the same level of regulation as has been deemed necessary in the case of industrialized agriculture,

The citizens ascribing to this Petition therefore hereby request that the Food Safety Modernization Act be defeated, or that it, or any substitute for it, such as H.R. 759, be amended to exclude organic and natural agriculture, family farms and ranches, and natural or organic food products, including dietary supplements, through a rule of interpretation, as follows:

“Rule of Interpretation

“No provision of this act shall be deemed to apply (a) to any home, home-business, homestead, small farm organic or natural agricultural activity, (b) to any family farm or ranch, or (c) to any natural or organic food product, including dietary supplements regulated under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994.”

Furthermore, the ascribing citizens Petition the Congress of the United States to declare it the public policy of the United States that organic and natural agriculture, family farms and ranches, and natural or organic food products, including dietary supplements shall be at all times free from suit, vexation, trouble, penalty, or loss of their goods, for the inestimable values they confer upon the public.

————————-
[March 7, 2009 - This Petition was prepared by Ralph Fucetola JD, a Trustee of the Natural Solutions Foundation, for educational purposes – www.HealthFreedomUSA.org]

Breathing: are you doing it backwards? Chances are you might be. A lot of people contract, pulling in their stomach or navel point when inhaling. This is breathing backwards! Maybe you do it because you don’t want to pouch out your gut while you breathe. Maybe you do it because you bring all the air into your chest cavity, completely neglecting your diaphragm. Maybe you do it because your abs are so rock solid that you couldn’t expand your navel center if you tried (I highly doubt this is the case).

Whatever the reason, whatever the excuse, let’s work on this together. I quickly became aware of my own shortcomings while studying *Pranayam.

When you inhale your navel point should move out while you expand fully, and then move in and up while you exhale completely. We make ourselves wider when

we inhale, and longer when we exhale. So sit with a straight spine and really feel yourself raising up and elongating when you exhale, and widening to your full capacity when inhaling.

Ever think about why we have noses? Well besides aesthetically balancing our faces , they also filter the (often dirty) air that we take into our lungs. This is one reason you probably shouldn’t be gasping for air through an open mouth while exercising. Your mouth doesn’t have those cleverly crafted air filters to protect you from all the junk that’s in the air. You should be in control of your every breath.

Noses warm and humidify the air we breathe. Our nostrils are also conveniently connected to to our ida and pingala, so when we take in air through our nose we stimulate the pituitary gland and even our Third eye (also known as the 6th chakra). In yogic philosophy life isn’t measured in years, but in breaths. We are all said to be given a certain amount of breaths for this life time. Once we take our last allotted breath, that’s it. Whether you find truth in this or not, it really is a good mental note to help keep you breathing long and deep, keeping a calm, steady, focused mind… not wasting even one of your numbered breaths.

“The mind follows the breath. The key to controlling the mind is in controlling the breath.”

Prana is Sanskrit for life force, or breath. *Pranayam is the science of breath.

Let’s try the most basic of Yogic Breaths: Long Deep Breathing.

You can and should utilize this breathing technique until it simply becomes habit. It will keep you calm, neutral-minded and add to your longevity. Start by bringing air into your nostrils and filling the abdomen. Continue expanding and fill your chest and lungs. Continue inhaling and expanding, lifting your upper ribs and finally your clavicles. You should be at your absolute highest capacity of oxygen intake at this point.

Pause briefly, holding the breath in, reminding yourself that you are in control. Now exhale in the opposite order… deflate from the top down until your abdomen pulls in and up, bringing your navel point towards your spine. Stay aware of the three parts involved in this breath. You can practice each part seperately if you’re having a difficult time.

Tips for Abdominal Breathing – Lie on on your back with your left hand on your abdomen and you right hand on your chest. Take  a slow, deep breath, completely filling the abdomen. Actually feel the breath with your left hand as your right hand remains on your chest, monitoring and making sure you aren’t bringing air up into that area just yet. Whenever you exhale, gently bring your navel in and up towards your spine. Stay focused on your lower abdomen and keep your chest relaxed. As you breathe with your abdomen your diaphragm pushes and pulls, creating more space for the lungs to expand and allowing your lower lungs to be used more efficiently.

Tips for Chest Breathing – Sit with a straight spine for practice on this breath. Don’t let your abdomen extend and keep your diaphragm as still as can be. You can place your left hand on your abdomen and your right hand in the middle of your chest again if you need some self-monitoring during this exercise. Slowly inhale by utilizing your chest muscles. The intercostal muscles between the ribs allow the chest to expand, so concentrate and feel this inner expansion. Completely exhale without using the abdomen. Use your hands to feel how your bottom ribs move more when expanding than your top ribs do. These are your floating ribs, so they have a little more freedom than the upper ones which are attached to your sternum. Don’t forget to keep a straight spine!

Tips for Clavicular Breathing – Sit with a straight spine for working on this area of breath as well. Bring the navel point in and keep your abdomen tight. Lift your chest upwards without breathing in to do so. Now slowly inhale, bringing the air into and expanding your shoulders and finally into your collarbone. Continue to inhale and lift the shoulders and clavicles upwards until you have filled them to their max capacities, and then keep your chest lifted and your shoulders relaxed as you exhale completely. Remember to keep your abdomen tight, your navel pulled in, and your chest lifted the entire time. Do your best to keep them still.

*Keeping your shoulders relaxed and consciously lifting the chest and clavicles, rather than the shoulders, is vital to mastering Long Deep Breathing. Be aware of your shoulders while practicing any three of these Long Deep Breathing stages.

Wonderful! You have just experienced Long Deep Breathing!  Now the trick is implementing these techniques into your every breath, staying in complete control over your body and mind, and staying connected with your spirit at all times. Your breathing patterns can and will directly influence others. If you’re in a conversation with someone who is breathing shallowly, backwards, and/or uncontrollably, just by being near you and the calmness and peace you are creating with your relaxed, meditative breathing will lift their spirits and give them comfort. Even if but on a subconscious plane.

So spread some peace and cheer to your fellow humans by doing something healthy and beneficial for yourself for once. Learn how to breathe consciously… gracefully… and others will pick up on your energy and hopefully follow suit. They may even fall into your slower breathing patterns quicker than you thought, so be aware as you communicate with others. You affect everyone.

I have plenty more to write on the art of breathing, and I will definitely delve into what Kundalini and Kundalini Yoga even are in following posts. I just thought it important to begin with something everyone could benefit from whether they wanted to dig deeper into Kundalini Yoga or not. So, please let me know how I did.

My own breathing has improved significantly over the course of this spiritually evolving semester. I try my hardest to only breathe through my nose (except when doing specific Kundalini exercises or meditations that call for different techniques), especially when exercising. I’ve been running for the past few months now and my endurance and speed has increased impressively, not to mention the time seems to fly now that I’m focusing on my breath while exercising rather than watching the time pass slowly with every plodding step.

I’ve been training with four other very determined individuals under the guidance of our wonderful instructors, Karta Purkh and Sat Inder, at the local 3HO ashram here in Kansas City. All of the above information has been derived from Yogi Bhajan and his teachings. If you are interested in learning more and just can’t wait for my next post please visit:

http://www.kckundaliniyoga.com/index.cfm

Make sure to check back soon for more! Enjoy yourselves and embrace your spirits!

www.luminarieart.com

I am currently trying to figure out how to make it searchable due to flash, so if you have any suggestions, send them my way!!

I hope everyone’s new years went well. Dave and I have embarked on a new journey to start the year right. We agreed on a small number of resolutions to focus on to better our outlook and understandings. 

The first change for the new year: SAVE MONEY and SIMPLIFY! We have many major plans in the works and decided it is time to follow through and make the most of our time and money. We want to live for our passions, not our possessions. 

Second, We, like 90% of  America, wanted to start the year off right with keeping up a regular work out routine and keeping optimum health. Our routine is on and off and each week is different for us so hopefully this year we can stay on track. Dave is attending yoga class twice a week and attends his intensive Kundalini yoga training every other weekend. 

We love Scott fitness! I recommend it to anyone who wants a super cool, inviting fitness experience. You won’t find any body builders here, nor will you find the typical fitness addicts. Instead, Scott fitness has created an atmosphere for the regular individual with a hint of good taste. They have art galleries at each location and a super laid back atmosphere. I could go on and on, so I will just say that it is totally worth it to choose Scott Fitness over any other. :)

Also, we are very aware of what we put into our bodies. We hope to grow stronger and more aware of our center and get a better understanding of our bodies and what they are telling us. Dave has cut out drinking for quite a while now and his body now rejects any alcohol that he might try to sneak on on special occasion. I am working to lower my wine intake. My body tells me after one glass that it can’t handle much more. If I try to consume much more, I am complaining of a horrible stomach ache the rest of the night. There is no doubt my internal workings are sending my brain a major message to cut out alcohol. Really though, what purpose does consuming a depressant serve when you are trying to uphold a positive outlook?

Third, we will be more aware of our attitudes and energy. The idea of practicing selflessness and empathy is something we both desire to improve on. We will become more environmental conscious of our recycling habits and improve our efforts to better our surroundings and the surroundings of our neighbors and friends. Making sure others are aware of their relationship with the earth and other living forms is something that we will make an effort to keep alive. Positive reinforcement is a great practice and we hope to radiate positive energy and lend a helping hand to those that still seem oblivious to their connection with this earth.

So, keep up the good work and make sure to lend a helping hand! A positive attitude and smile can go a long way!

 We finally had the time, funding and an ideal location to plant our first garden. I have more bruises now from gardening than I ever had playing sports and what have you.  I am a bit clumsy, you see.

Last evening we spent the remainder of our long work day weeding out some of the pesky plants that are quickly finding a home around our precious plants.  One is even covered in thorns, which makes it extremely hard to pull out, even if you are reaching for the root.  Most of the excess weeds are actually pretty in sight and I feel bad pulling them to their death. The had a beautiful purple hue underneath the leaves, which make me think they wish so bad to blend in and be part of that garden. They would look so good next to a row of radishes, yet they don’t know when enough is enough and just begin to quickly take over. 

Besides that, here’s the run down of our progress:

We currently have eight tomato plants that are looking fairly good. I think they require a bit more water than we are giving them so hopefully we can figure out a better watering schedule for all of us. The ground is nearly all clay, which seems to have a different affect on each plant.

 We have two zucchini and two squash plants that have grown amazingly strong and large with a few babies already sprouting out. They are most impressive.

There is one lone artichoke plant that is standing its ground and making itself known to the eight pepper plants that loom around it. The peppers are, no doubt, covering the majority of the square footage yet they don’t seem to be doing as good as they probably could be. There are quite a few holes in the leaves, so I just need to research and find out about their lifestyle and physicalities and such…On a better note,  I think the local toad is taking on the position of resident farmer when we are at work. It is nice to have a helping hand through out the day to control the pests. I think he is getting use to us being around because he is allowing himself to come mingle more and more each day.

The remaining plot is set up with mostly herbs. I know we have one pepper plant that was put in by mistake and two eggplants that are content with their life amongst the herbs. The cilantro that we bought has quadrupled in size! We should be able to start pinching some of the leaves off so be prepared for the salsa of the year. The lavender was not doing good at all so we had to put one of the plants to rest. Hopefully the other lavender plant is able to get its root into the ground. The Rosemary is doing great, or so it seems, and we have some fresh mint just waiting to be planted.  

Oh, and the cantaloupe looks so healthy! They probably sprouted the quickest, especially coming from seed. The carrots were also from seed, and they are still extremely fragile and prone to getting grouped in with the weeds that are taking over. I am hoping we are able to recover and grow at least half of what we planted. 

( Let us know is you would like us to set aside some veggies for you! I know were are going to be smothered in tomatoes and peppers if everything goes well! )

The mosquitoes are getting really bad! I think I probably swat nearly thirty of them just during the short amount of time I was out there! More bug spray please!

There are so many different options out there to “be green” and I hope this trend lasts longer than the short-lived one that occurred in the 1970s.

I will try to mention to each person I come across today to make sure and celebrate Earth Day and try to do just one this to better your environment and yourself. Maybe it will last or maybe it won’t and we’ll all be doomed, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

I would like to share this Mohawk prayer of thanks today with everyone. Please try and reflect on all that Mother Earth has shared with us.

The People

Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as people.

Now our minds are one.
The Earth Mother

We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our mother, we send greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.
The Waters

We give thanks to all the waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms-waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of Water.

Now our minds are one.
The Fish

We turn our minds to the all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the Fish and send our greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.
The Plants

Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come.

Now our minds are one.
The Food Plants

With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting of thanks.

Now our minds are one.
The Medicine Herbs

Now we turn to all the Medicine herbs of the world. From the beginning they were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines.

Now our minds are one.
The Animals

We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We are honored by them when they give up their lives so we may use their bodies as food for our people. We see them near our homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it will always be so.

Now our minds are one
The Trees

We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade, others with fruit, beauty and other useful things. Many people of the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the Tree life.

Now our minds are one.
The Birds

We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To all the Birds-from the smallest to the largest-we send our joyful greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.
The Four Winds

We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They help us to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds.

Now our minds are one.
The Thunderers

Now we turn to the west where our grandfathers, the Thunder Beings, live. With lightning and thundering voices, they bring with them the water that renews life. We are thankful that they keep those evil things made by Okwiseres underground. We bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to our Grandfathers, the Thunderers.

Now our minds are one.
The Sun

We now send greetings and thanks to our eldest Brother, the Sun. Each day without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing the light of a new day. He is the source of all the fires of life. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Brother, the Sun.

Now our minds are one.
Grandmother Moon

We put our minds together to give thanks to our oldest Grandmother, the Moon, who lights the night-time sky. She is the leader of woman all over the world, and she governs the movement of the ocean tides. By her changing face we measure time, and it is the Moon who watches over the arrival of children here on Earth. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Grandmother, the Moon.

Now our minds are one.
The Stars

We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry. We see them in the night, helping the Moon to light the darkness and bringing dew to the gardens and growing things. When we travel at night, they guide us home. With our minds gathered together as one, we send greetings and thanks to the Stars.

Now our minds are one.
The Enlightened Teachers

We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened Teachers who have come to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to live in harmony, they remind us of the way we were instructed to live as people. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to these caring teachers.

Now our minds are one.
The Creator

Now we turn our thoughts to the creator, or Great Spirit, and send greetings and thanks for all the gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is here on this Mother Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we gather our minds together as one and send our choicest words of greetings and thanks to the Creator.

Now our minds are one.
Closing Words

We have now arrived at the place where we end our words. Of all the things we have named, it was not our intention to leave anything out. If something was forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks in their own way.

Now our minds are one.