Walk Into the Rain

 

Oh of course it was raining today, off and on , and it was reasonably cold. Nearly winter, and yes, cold is very personal experience, to say it’s cold:, to feel cold. Looking out the window I see bike riders, runners, people walking their dogs and they seem to be ok, not noticing that it is cold….I wrap the blanket around me just a little tighter. What is inside of me to feel this way? The temperature gage indicates a reasonably mild temperature…and it’s only autumn, nearly winter is only my interpretation…so, are my thoughts determining how I feel? Really?

 

Well here are my options: I could  go back to bed (I would love that!) – I could have a bath- (I would love that too) - I could turn on the heater and snuggle up with my cat – if she is willing….(that’s of course lovely) and stay away from the world outside…that is how I feel and why I feel cold inside. I could also challenge my thoughts and feelings and go outside! There would be nothing wrong with following my feelings, but I know I can make better choices for myself, which will improve my wellbeing. Is that an easy task to accomplish today? No.

 

I remember Grandmother Pa’Ris’Ha’s words of empowerment, about knowing our strengths and  I consider to get dressed and go for a walk. The moment I do, my mind is chattering away, trying to convince me otherwise. My internal dialogue goes something like this: Why would you go outside?  You could just do your favourite things like float in a warm bath or read a book in bed, have a cup of tea, enjoy the company of your sweet cat, be a little inactive after a busy week (I deserve a rest don’t I? After all it is Sunday!)… and so on. The arguments are endless and quite convincing!

 

I  have however made my decision, getting dressed and wading through the piles of excuses towards the front door I hesitated momentarily when I saw my cat curled up on the couch, tempted…but felt by then also determined to master my thoughts and feelings and to beat the cold I felt inside. Yah!

 

I firmly told my thoughts to get out of the way and stepped outside.

 

The weather looked like rain, looked cold, but felt surprisingly comfortable in temperature once I started walking. I was dressed warmly, and had taken my raincoat. It crossed my mind how Grandmother Pa’Ris’Ha had always spoken about her and our connection with the elements….I knew deep inside that once outside I would be very happy. Once I opened my eyes to the world and looked at the trees around me, the sky- grey or not- once I felt the wind on my cheeks and the raindrops gently touching my skin, I was truly very happy. It only took about three strides and my whole body said: Yes! Yes! Yes! And: More! More! More! And as if in automatic mode my body carried itself forward a s if by magic. My arms, my legs felt wonderful as all my muscles started moving, my cells danced in joy at being exposed to exercise and fresh air. All my cells seemed to be working now, each doing what they do best, depending on where they were located: stomach, muscles, heart, brain. How many cells again? I believe Grandmother Pa’ris’Ha cited research stating there were trillions of cells at work? Amazing! I felt clarity of mind.

 

My heart was filled with life-giving blood, pumping, my skin felt invigorated and my face showed a smile; the smile just came about, just like that! With the smile my mood improved instantly, from feeling a bit gloomy and feeling like curling up inside, I now felt like opening myself to the world, maybe meeting people along my way, saying hello, stopping for a while….

 

And after a brisk walk which truly had me feeling warm….I did stop…and sat under a tree. The rain had paused for now and the ground under the tree was dry, the tree protecting me from any weather and sharing its love with me as I sat down and leant against its trunk. I was very still and quiet as nature began to speak, first very gently with winds moving around me, with little creatures crawling across me, then louder through the rustling of branches and leaves, some of them falling on me and around me, floating down in the rhythm of autumn, then birdsong in the distance- a melancholic song aligned with the moods of the season. As I stopped my thinking and allowed thoughts to pass by for the moment, not rushing them away but rather gently asking them to move past the screen of my mind, acknowledging their presence, welcoming them to return at a later time, my mind slowly stilled and it seemed that after a while only the winds were speaking to me, communication that Grandmother Pa’Ris”Ha had often mentioned.

 

Now the ground feels solid underneath me, supportive, I become one with Mother Earth, her creatures, the trees, the wind and the clouds. Some raindrops find my cheeks and roll down, caressing me….I feel a sense of peace and love, centred deep in my heart and soul. I notice a connection between the ground and my spine. It seems as if a current is finding its way up my spine, slowly moving towards my brain and beyond, lighting up my brain, charging it and then moving up into the sky and the ether. I imagine that creation becomes one with me, that I am in fact the trees and the trees are me, that the ants crawling over my legs know me, have always known me and welcome my presence, feel safe in my presence as I will not harm them, and I have known them, have known of them in the scheme of things, as part of greater life and the universe. Grandmother Pa’Ris”Ha has always spoken about our inter-connectedness with all life and how any of our actions, thoughts and words have a wide-reaching effect. I now know.

 

Ah the universe!! Here I am sitting under a tree in the forest and realise -in utter wonder- that I am in fact part of the ever so wondrous universe! How profound, how humbling, how exciting! I picture in my inner mind the many stars, planets, the endless sky, the vastness of the universe and of course the ever life-giving sun! Despite the clouds today, Grandfather sun has risen this morning, without fail,  in the East and has cast his warmth upon us all. So kind. So reliable. Warmth, light, nurture, hope. As sure as every day the sun will set in the West later inviting the night to come. Nature’s cycles. Universal cycles and laws. I have forgotten about time and space, I have not thought about where I am, or what time it is.  I wonder even: do I know who I am? Where do I come from? Where will I go when it is time? I leave the questions as they move past me, questions for another time. For now I just close my eyes, allowing myself to be immersed in the sounds of the forest, the sounds of nature, focussed on feeling the winds, the occasional raindrop caressing my face. I feel the ground, the fallen leaves with my hands as I drift into another world, the world inhabited by fairies and other magical beings, seen or unseen I know they are around me, curious and playful. I smile, I am happy, I am content in the peace of the moment, no past, nor present, just here and now. My whole body is relaxed as I seem to float like the autumn leaves in the story of my imaginations, as I fly with eagles in the dreamworld of my mind, above the clouds toward infinity, as I let go of what is binding me to Earth, to this dimension just for a little time, while I experience the endlessness of the vast heavens and the unlimitedness of who I can be. I sense a lightness in my being lifting me and I feel creator’s embrace: warm, comforting, all-knowing, loving. I belong. I am loved beyond words.

 

I would like to remain there, it’s so peaceful, none of the challenges of three-dimensional life can reach me here, emotions, thoughts, other people.

 

I return slowly in time to notice the weather getting cooler and raindrops falling more densely. My face is getting wet, I laugh – it  feels refreshing and invigorating. I already feel the first signs of the evening approaching. I hold the deep inner peace I have just experienced carefully in my hands and my heart, determined to not let it go, ever, it feels so, so wonderful. I carefully get up, aware of not hurting any of the little creature around me. Walking back towards home I lift my face to the rain, letting the water run of my face, smiling, each raindrop telling me a story of love and appreciation and my gratitude is embracing the forest, the sky and the universe. I am. I am that I am. 

 

In that moment I do not feel any separation, I feel like a fairy myself and in wondrous exaltation I skip and I dance in the rain.

 

What a wonderful afternoon it has been. Warm not only physically – despite my initial sense of it being a cold day, but warm in my soul and peaceful in my heart and mind. As I approach home I slowly allow my thoughts to return, and they do, and that is ok, I welcome them, as my dear friends. My mind is not filled with chitter-chatter as before, it quietly thinks about plans for rest of the day, dinner, and yes, a bath! 

 

My experience stays with me, I am mindful for the rest of the day, sense my connection to the All, both my humility and greatness in the face of the universe, my endless gratitude for being on beautiful Mother Earth at this time, being able to experience her beauty, the weathers and also thankful for the experience and learning as a human being with emotions and thoughts, as challenging this may be at times. I appreciate the ability to feel and all facets of it: happiness and gratitude, sadness and pain. I know that I can be in control of my mind, that thoughts cannot determine who I am,  or how I behave, neither am I driven by my emotions. Acknowledging thoughts and feelings I can accept these as integral part of the human experience, welcome them in a sense and take charge, like I did this morning; I feel empowered.

 

Yes I felt cold, yes I felt like curling up in bed, away from the outside world. My mind had a million reasons and excused ready for me, but I stood strong, asked my thoughts and feelings to step aside and chose differently. I do not for a moment regret my choice: being with nature, being mindful and meditating, and letting go was a beyond beautiful and truly magical experience. As I glance out of the window the sun has begun setting in the West, another day is coming to its end, the elements retiring into the dark. The moon will remain behind the clouds tonight, nevertheless watching over us, as I say my prayers. I will have a warm bath, floating, one with the water and retire to bed, curl up with the magnificence of the world inside me, my cat’s warmth comforting me, with the universe taking me into a dreamworld, not much different from the one I encountered in the forest earlier today. My mind is still, and calm, my body relaxed; I feel the sound of my heart’s beat, strong and regular as I drift into the other worlds with a smile on my face….

 

© Adi 2022

Is the Universe A Medicine Wheel?

 

At first, Grandmother Pa'Ris'Ha's ideas and teachings regarding the Medicine Wheel seemed rather strange to me. Nevertheless, slowly but surely, I embraced the wisdom and power of these ideas. I loved and respected my teacher, Grandmother Pa’Ris’Ha. Indeed, I had asked her to teach me!  Intuitively I felt that much would be gained by remaining open and curious—on the Medicine Wheel and on so much else!  

 

Here I would like to explain how I personally arrived at an understanding of what and why the UNIVERSE can be seen as a veritable Medicine Wheel! Or to use a mathematical formula called an “identity” to describe my thesis, UNIVERSE=Medicine Wheel.

 

I’ll start by asking: What is the UNIVERSE??? Many would likely agree, if asked— that “UNIVERSE” is the best word for describing the BIGGEST place that exists and it contains everything! For the sake of discussion, I am going to just say that The UNIVERSE is that which contains ALL things, and inside this HUGE UNIVERSE there are wild cosmic phenomena such as stars and Quasars, and Black Holes…and galaxies, and solar systems and little planets, and smaller oceans, and molecules and atoms, matter and anti-matter, energy, life and death, cats, humans, ET’s and so on. Let us say that the word, “UNIVERSE”, —the thing I am talking about here—also contains (if such things exist at all) such tricky, weird phenomena as parallel universes, Heaven and/or Hell, and/or the Bardo or the Woo. In other words, for the sake of discussion—here on this little computer—I am going to say that the UNIVERSE is EVERYTHING that exists—the Whole Kit and Caboodle, in other words. And that’s why the first part of the word, UNIVERSE, is “UNI”, meaning “ONE”. When taken as a unified whole, there is only ONE of “All That Is.”

 

Now surprisingly enough, I know that whoever is reading this is likely a human being who has the enormous, wonderful capability of Imagining inside their brain, just what I have described. You can see, with little effort, in your mind’s eye, THE UNIVERSE. Maybe you have to sort of scan back and forth to see it all. Or you may have to conjure a spiral galaxy and let that disappear into blackness and then look at a blazing star next. But you have probably seen enough pictures of astronomical phenomena to, in a manner of speaking, “see” the UNIVERSE in all its glory with one magnificent sweeping effort of your imagination. 

 

Just as a reminder, let me say that although I spent years using a Medicine Wheel for doing prayers and ceremonies and heard many teachings about the Medicine Wheel from Grandmother Pa’Ris’Ha, —Living is Learning! I make no promise that my grasp of the Medicine Wheel is perfect! And in this small space, I’ll really just be giving very basic, “basics.” I hope you will find wisdom and joy in my words!  As I heard a lecturer say once: “Don’t say ‘no’—just say “‘Oh!’”

 

Can you imagine now, what is at the base of all the swirling galaxies and nebulae and suns? Of what is all that “out there” composed? Why does it appear to be filled with darkness and empty space while we are told by scientists that energies of immense magnitude truly rule both this empty space and the objects that populate it? Electro-magnetism, plasma, gravity, quantum fields, frequencies, etc. We humans are dwarfed by the mysterious energies and forces at play in our UNIVERSE…and many humans pay little attention to this Great Mystery that unfolds endlessly before us during our lifetimes. 

 

Once upon a Time…there was an entity that was believed to be a Living Force, a Divine Creator, hidden behind all the darkness and behind and within the light as well. Cultures world-wide proclaimed and celebrated this entity (or entities) this Sacred Being or (or Beings.) The general English word we use today for such a Creative Force is “God.” Many still believe!

 

But there are so many distractions! Wars and rumors of wars. Lockdowns. Pandemics. Financial crises. NFL Sports! Children to care for. Parents to care for. Injustice. PTSD. Sexual identity. And on and on and on. Who has time to contemplate the gods?

 

Oh…I‘m just kidding around with you. Instead of priests and churches, here in America, self-help coaches and yoga teachers are a dime a dozen these days. And of course, scientists are also easily found too. They all have answers. 

 

One of the very popular wisdoms of the day that I’ve embraced is that “We create our own reality.” It seems pretty obvious to me that our material reality is (to say it in very simple terms) created out of condensed energies. Matter is composed of energetic phenomena such as electrons, protons, neutrons that in turn are shaped by waves or frequencies that do not appear to physical/materialistic observation but which organize sub-atomic particles prior to physical manifestation. Thus, our reality is brought into physical existence through a process sometimes called “Downward causation.” 

 

 But how does all this relate to the Medicine Wheel?   

 

Grandmother Pa’Ris’Ha taught from her own native heritage, the Cherokee, and so it is the Cherokee Medicine Wheel that I am familiar with. 

 

Let me very briefly describe it. I am in no way an authority in this matter but one need not be an authority to make the points I wish to make, which is that symbolically speaking, the Medicine Wheel paints a symbolic picture of the UNIVERSE. Or it represents a kind of “As above, so Below” context where one can create one’s own reality. That is, interacting with the Wheel creates a mini-UNIVERSE where-in one can activate one’s own personal influence in the UNIVERSE at large. 

 

Imagine a flat piece of land where rocks have been laid out in a circle in the manner of a clock. Let us say it has a diameter of 20 to 30 feet. Rocks (roughly the size of a basketball, more or less) are placed on the circumference particularly in the place of “the Four Directions”, North, South, East and West. This placement creates four quadrants.  The stones at the Four Directions represent the “Gates” that are kept by Four Gatekeepers. In this Cherokee Wheel, Yunsai, White Buffalo, is in the North; Waya (the Wolf) is the Gatekeeper in the South; Awahili, the Eagle, is the Gatekeeper of the East.

 

(Three other stones are placed in the Center of the Wheel, representing the Above, the Below and the Center.) 

 

The Medicine Wheel is, among other things, a Way to see the UNIVERSE. If you stand in a field, raise your arm and point to the horizon, and turn in a circle, the universe extends out from you as if a giant circle! As the words in the original Broadway production of The Sound of Music go:  “Every star and every whirling planet, And every constellation in the sky, revolves around the Center of the Universe, that lovely thing called ‘I’.”  You are uniquely the center of YOUR Universe! 

 

Each of the Gates and Gatekeepers are characterized by attributes.  Grandmother Pa’Ris’Ha shared with us a long list of attributes held by the Buffalo, Eagle, Black Bear and Wolf.

 

The attributes of the White Buffalo, for instance, are the following: Will, Wisdom, Water, Freezing Winds, Creative Force, Intuition, Death, Life, Star-Seeds, Allowing, Potential, Path of Success, Power, Action, Control, Priorities, Goals, Accomplishments, Results, Recognition, Effective Action through Thought, Testing, Tempering for Defeat of imbalanced and destructive thought forms, Give-A-Way, Renew, Freedom Creation. From the Frozen Waters comes the promise of the Future. Color is Pale Blue or Blue. 

 

It took years for me to come into a relationship with the Medicine Wheel as a representation of the entire Universe. But today I feel confident that with that wonderful gift of the imagination, I can stand and look to the North and imagine and “see” in my mind’s eye, the attributes of the North flowing toward me, empowering me, gifting me, blessing me, teaching me. But I do not just imagine these things.  I can FEEL them as well.  I can activate my heart with love, appreciation and caring for the Gifts. I can smile and celebrate these Gifts! I can influence by creating a frequency of Appreciation within my Being, within my heart, my soul, my Spirit and mind…. thus, I set up the proper conditions for the manifestation of all good Gifts right here on the planet Earth in my life. If I choose, I can chant and dance in celebration of the Attributes which is a very powerful way to draw something into manifestation.

 

To put it another way, I could imagine the UNIVERSE NOT as just an endless, empty darkness with no rhyme or reason— as a mindless, infinite field of matter, frequency and energy but still out of my reach. But understanding the dynamics of manifestation of reality, I now choose to see the UNIVERSE as a multi-dimensional Medicine Wheel that can enable me to assist in the transformation and healing of my planet. 

 

For your edification, here are the attributes of the other three gatekeepers that I have come to know.

 

South—Waya—Wolf—Regeneration, Action, Adolescence, Earth, Wet Winds, Path of Duty, Innocence, Reason, Logic, Information, Design, Pathfinders, Teachers, Responsibility, Stewardship, Appropriate, Thoroughness, Precision, Principles, The Plan, Activity, Abundance, Fire Keeper, Future, DOING. Color is White.

 

West—Yona—Black Bear—Introspection, Integration, Assimilation, Wind, Blazing Winds, PATH of Service, Manifestations, Balancing of Experience, Birthing the New, Friends, Team Work, Sensitivity, harmony, Watchful, All Seeing, Listening, Attention, Consensus, Merging with Spiritual consciousness, Death of Ego, Old Age, Trusting, Nurturing, Oneness, Being. Color is Black.

 

East—Awahili—Eagle or Red Tail Hawk—Illumination, Integration, Fire, Gentle Winds, Path of Pleasure, Personal excitement, Fame, Talking, Inspiring, Motion, Coming and going, Stimulation, Ideas, Intent, Understanding, Having, Leadership, Hearty, BEGINNINGS, PHYSICAL, VISION, INTUITION.  Color is Red. 

 

Where, you might ask, does God fit into this portrayal of the UNIVERSE?  

 

Well, when I dance or pray in the Medicine Wheel, (or even as I walk down the street gazing at all the beauty around me) -- I suggest that I am acting in harmony and co-ordination with a Divine Creator--the ONE THAT IS IN ALL THINGS--a malleable Great Mystery whose body IS the veritable, infinite UNIVERSE. This Godly Being gives of itself and manifests from thoughts and feelings and beliefs that I send out to it! My consciousness counts!

 

The universe, in my view, is a Holy and Sacred multiplicity of phenomena that if view as a tool for Creation. Wisely viewed, it cooperates very handily with the human being. Each and every human is simply and profoundly the Co-Creator if one makes the decision to be so. It’s our decision. And if we master these sorts of Teachings, we can do "Medicine" and heal the Earth and her Peoples!

 

Now, I give much appreciation to Grandmother Pa’Ris’Ha and her Cherokee tradition for her generous conveyance of wisdom!

 

-BDW