06/21/86 LITTLE MOUSE SEA HAWK N S E W Greetings, It is intresting the similiaritys between your beliefs and mine. The symbols for the four directions that I use are North-wisdom-white-the buffalo East-illumination-yellow-the eagle South-innocence-green-the mouse West-introspection-black-the bear When you draw your circle is their a particular direction where you start and end? and does it matter which way you walk around the circle? My gradfathers people taught me that each person is born with a gift of a least one of the directions (hence my name Little Mouse) and that a person should strive to become complete by gaining over the course of his/her life the gifts of the other three directions, thus completeing the circle and becoming whole. May you always walk in beauty. Little Mouse 06/24/86 LITTLE MOUSE SEA HAWK Coyote I to have heard coyote being used in the south, however sense coyote is a very special being to me, I just invite him into the circle. I find coyote to be very similiar in energy to the Hindu deity Hanuman. (Are you fimilir with him) Both seem to be trickster to some degree and one must be careful of what one asks for when one ask either for assitance. I have heard that you people pratice meditation, as do those of my people who follow the old ways the west is often refered to as the looks within place. But do you have anything that is like the vision quest. (I am sure you have some idea of what that involves). Use to be that only men where allowed to go on a vision quest but things have changed and women can also seek a vision. During this time, one recieves (or makes contact with) ones totems (you might call them quides). And what about the after life, I tend to believe in reincarnation which doesn't quite fit in with some of the beliefs of the elders, but from what I have seen, remembered (Past life memeroys) and been told (by my guides) not all of the anicient ways were accurate. Well their are two questions for you. Hope I don't sound to noisy, but I truely want to learn all that I can. And your beliefs seem to fit so well with my own, that perhaps I can merge the best of both at least in my life. May you always walk in beauty. Little Mouse 06/24/86 SEA HAWK LITTLE MOUSE Vision quest, etc. Well, traditional Wicca doesn't have a vision quest as such, where one contacts spirit animals or totems, but there is this thing called the "astral plane", which is close enough to the spirit-world as to be indistinguishable. The main difference that I can see between the astral plane and the Native American otherworld is that things can be built in the astral plane, such as temples. But as the shaman has his/her tools which exist in the otherworld as in this one, so the witch has astral tools. Many European traditions (Celtic, for example) have otherworlds also, and of course, as I mention in my article in the Native American file section, shamanism is not solely an Amerindian tradition. As for Reincarnation, yes we believe in it, although what exactly happens between death and rebirth is a matter of some speculation (as you might expect). One of my favourites is that the Crone aspect of the Goddess washes the soul in her cauldron to prepare it for rebirth, but people think other things, too. I think that if you see such similarities between our beliefs it may be because I'm so eclectic. I've got bits of everything in my personal system, so maybe I'm not quite representative. But I do agree with your taking the best of everything. I do it too! Bright blessings. --SeaHawk 06/24/86 SEA HAWK LITTLE MOUSE More on the Astral... One other thing, there are spirits and such on the astral plane whom one can contact and find out things from, but they tend to be (in my experience) less personal than a totem animal. What I mean by that is that the guides and such on the astral guide lots of people, not just you. I always feel as though my Osprey, Bear, and others are my own partners, that other folks who have, for example, a bear for their spirit animal, have a different bear. And again, they may all be parts of the same spirit-power. But that's the way I've perceived it. Also, my astral guide has appeared in different guises but always been the same basic person -- the various animals I've met haven't been (or haven't seemed to be) guises of the same spirit. I get real fuzzy here, because the two worlds feel so different to me. I get to them by different methods (the astral by meditation, the spirit-otherworld by trance-drumming), and do different things in them. The astral always seems more ceremonial, more formal, more "civilised", if you will. The otherworld feels more "primitive", more earthy, more outdoors. By the way, I don't feel like you're being nosy at all. I'm really enjoying this exchange! B*B --SeaHawk 06/25/86 BARRY WOOD LITTLE MOUSE conversations To Little Mouse and Co. Like Nile, I too am enjoying watching the conversation flow past. I am not yet sure of my beliefs (they keep growing and changing), but I like to hear (see) different beliefs, myths etc... This is stimulating! To drastically change the subject (and the TO:) I have asked before and did not receive and answer... I see a large discrepancy between the recommended book "The Spiral Dance" and a second book by the same (?) author Starhawk. The philosophies seem totally different, and what I have read of the second book, I don't particularly like (I thoroughly enjoyed S.D.) Please help clear up or explain this perplexing problem! <> 06/26/86 LITTLE MOUSE SEA HAWK Astral Plains The astral plains..hum sounds intresting how do I get there? I mediate regularly and somethimes leave by body or a least become un aware of it. And at these times I seem to traval to places that I love ie Mountains valleys and sacard places that I have been before. The only change is that is seems to be back in time and these places are as they were before man/woman had a go at them. (Wishful thinking perhaps) Bits of everything you sound a lot like me. Sense the only members of my family who had ties to the old ways died when I was young, and I live in a modern house with all the conviences etc. I have had to glean what I could from childhood memorys, meditations and talking to people like you. I agree with you about totems being personal I have connections with sevral beings, but my Hawk is like a part of me. I believe totems are animals that represent something deep within each persons soul. My name for instance was chosen to remind me of a place within me that I tend to forget exisits. Well I am running out of space so will go for now. May the sun always shine upon you. Little Mouse 06/26/86 LITTLE MOUSE NILE ETLAND Tltems I am so glad you are enjoying this exchange. You were wondering if the bird that (I forgot what kind of bird you said SORRY) you identify with is your totem. Only you can tell that for sure, as you are the one who knows what this bird represents to you. My totemss are animals that represent parts of myself. The traditional way to find a totem is to do a vision quest but that is not required a smiple meditation will probaly do the trick. Set in a quiet place and meditate and during the meditation invite your animal friend to join you and then talk to him/her you will know if there is a strong connection between you. I Hope this answers your question. If not I will talk to my friend and see if I can get a clearer answer. I just reread you message and I would say that your kestral is a totem. But only you can know for sure. Totems can be physical as well as of the spirit world. Don't witches have familiars or is that another Myth? May the Mother Keep you ever safe, Little Mouse 06/27/86 SEA HAWK LITTLE MOUSE Only Half-Astral Yep, sounds like the astral to me. Again, as I said, the distinctions are real fuzzy, but with me, the astral usually has some kind of temple nearby, anything from a Parthenon- esque or Moorish thing with huge dome and pillars and alabaster and gold and all that glitz, to a stone circle. But always a human-made structure. In the spirit-worlds, if there is a temple at all, it is the entire world. Probably they're just different parts of the same world, as seen by different cultures with different ideas about what a sacred otherworld should contain. I am a product of both training and experimentation, and so I see both kinds of things -- probably why the astral, which is a trained thing, seems so much more formal and built-in to me, than the spirit- world, which I've been visiting by guess. Come to think of it, one of the things that traditional witches have been doing for a long time is "building astral temples". I think it never occured to native peoples to build things in their otherworlds the way it did to Europeans (consistent with the principle of living lightly wherever you are, leaving littl sign of your passing and no scars, I would imagine). So I can easily believe that the traditional Wiccan astral plane is indeed cluttered with everybody's temples from years past. Some shamanistic cultures where the shaman goes to the otherworld to intercede with various gods/goddesses do have structures, but they "were always there". For example, the home of the Mother-of-Sea-Beasts at the bottom of the sea. It's a house like an ordinary house (except roofless so that She can see the doings of men from her place by the fire). But when the Sea-Mother fell to the bottom of the sea, she built it for Herself. (All that previous is Eskimo) Or else the structures are natural features (ie, caves) of the landscape. In both cases, they are not human-made. It makes sense that the thing a human would build would be a temple (since worship is a human thing) and the thing a Goddess would build for Herself would be not a temple but a house, a dwelling-place, a comfortable place. (Seems to me that lots of those temples were drafty unpleasant things. No wonder people had to go through so much rigamarole to get the god/dess of their choice to visit and listen to them. ). Anyway, enough rambling. You can tell it's late and I'm sleepy! Bright blessings, SeaHawk 06/27/86 NILE ETLAND SEA HAWK Danke My thanks to you and Little Mouse for your thoughts on totems. I think that my kestrel and also the barn and burrowing owl must be like this for me. The little sparrowhawk always appears when I need hope or reassurance and is such a friendly presence. I had never thought of seeking him out (he always has come to me) but I think I'll give it a try. Witches and familiars have been a traditional pairing though I'm not sure of the reality. Some folks I know of speak of their own familiars...I guess I've shunned the term because it seems like part of the "black-garbed hag in pointy hat" picture. I avoid what has been the usual idea of magic (i.e. spells for love etc) ..no familiars for me there. But I have, like many, a great affinity for my feline housemates...and there is my kestrel and my love for owls. If a familiar is a real good buddy, sharer of emotions, companion in play... then THIS witch has 'em I suppose! Blessed Be <<<<>>>> 07/04/86 LITTLE MOUSE SEA HAWK Stewards of the earth Well by your diffinition I may already be a Witch, I have always felt and taken resposiblity for the Earth and her children (Espcially the plant and animal peoples). As for being a preistess and teaching others well I still have a lot to learn first. I share what I have when I can and if it is approiate, ie I never push myself and or beliefs on anyone. What about healing? I have a question but it is vague at the moment. Healing has always intrested me and I have been studying herbs for a while now. But some how I feel like there is more, but I am not sure what. I often meditate and do self healings and sometimes attempt to extend the healing energys to others. Comments PLEASE!! I will be away for a few days, I need to go practice some of that self healing. I watched the liberty celebration last night and the speaches, talk of how this country welcomed all the imigrants. I know that many were good people and that they contributed much to the good of all mankind. But I also remember how some raped the land and imprisoned her people on tracks of useless land, until they discovered oil on that land and then started kicking them off agian. Sorry I Got carryed away. I am going into the Mts. for a few days to try to heal or aleast bandage my heart. May you walk in Beauty Little Mouse 07/04/86 LITTLE MOUSE SEA HAWK Cont, I just wanted to add that I do not want to return to the old days before the pilgrams as some of my people do. It's just that I am very sensitive to the pain that has been inflicted on the Earth and her children (any of her children not just the native peoples of this land) I guess I am just to sensitve. I pray daily that The Great Spirit and The Earth Mother will teach us all to live as brothers and sisters and that all people will learn to respect and honor The Earth who nourishes and supports us all. May you always be blessed with happiness Little Mouse 07/05/86 SEA HAWK LITTLE MOUSE Healing the Earth Well, when I think of immigrants, I think mostly of people who were escaping from conditions in their country of origin (poverty, oppression, whatever), and came here full of hope only to find nothing different. Dirty, low-paying work, more often no work at all ("No Irish/Chinese/Jews/what-have-you need apply..."), discrimination and other nastiness. The aboriginal peoples of this country are far from being the only ones ever oppressed in America. My husband, whose grandparents fled Russia before WWII, does mention that of the refugees he's met and talked to, nearly all say that they do have a better life here... (granted, often they were tools as much as Earth was) But it sort of comes down to the infuriating habit of mankind since Bacon (or was it Newton)'s time, to try and exploit Earth's resources to beyond Earth's capacity -- the idea that Earth is mankind's subject, mankind's tool, whose sole reason for existance is to serve mankind (in it's day, that was a surprising idea, since it says in the Bible that God set Adam to take care of the earth, not to abuse it). So, on the topic of healing, many of the magical workings I've been involved with lately have been to give energy back to the earth for a change rather than taking from her. Healing the Earth involves things like tree-planting, reclaiming and renewing mined-out lands, and other such maintainance. Healing of people next... 07/05/86 SEA HAWK LITTLE MOUSE Healing People Lots of ways to do this. Herbal remedies, crystals, chakra/ aura cleaning, visualisation, shamanism, the list is nearly endless (mainly because every people that ever existed tried to invent ways to make people feel better). I'll talk about the ones I know about. 1) Visualisation. This is the one I do most often, both solo and in groups. It involves picturing the sickness in the person while building up energy to send them, picturing the person's body marshalling to defend itself against the disease (antibodies, white blood cells, etc), and then sending the focussed energy to the person (either in person, or through someone close). Such energy can also be put into a talisman of some kind, a crystal, a medicine bag, etc. 2) Cleaning out. This involves visualisation also, but in this case you look at the person with your inner eye and see where in their various systems they have problems. Then, carefully closing yourself off from picking up their bad energies, you pull off and throw away the bad stuff by stroking your hands through the "tangles". 3) Shamanism. This is like cleaning out, in that illness is removed from the body rather than energy being sent to the body (sometimes, there are other aspects too). Sickness is in this system, symptomatic of two possible things: presence of a foreign spirit, or absence of a piece of the person's soul. Diagnosis is done with the help of one's spirit helper, through trance. If it is a foreign thing (whether malign or just confused), that thing is either sucked out (the physical action shadowing the spiritual action -- you can either have a piece of physical evidence, as old-style shamans used to, or just let the action do the work), coaxed out, or otherwise told to shove off. (Recently, I helped a nasty sunburn of mine get better by telling the fire spirits, "This small mortal home is not worthy of you. Go home to your home in the sky, with the sun, spirits of fire, go home to your expansive, airy home, your grand, large home, go up home..." I might note that this was on the verge of a troubled sleep, and I half-dreamed a spirit-shaman standing over me with his rattle, chanting that chant. Worked pretty good!) If it is a missing piece of soul, the shaman has to go after it in the spirit world, rather in the same fashion I described getting a spirit animal. And as with the spirit animal, the soul (sometimes even in the shape of an animal) is blown into the chest or the crown of the head. Pacific North- west Coast shamans use carven ivory soul-catchers for this very use. I'm sure the other folks on this board can tell you more, and probably better than I. May the Earth Mother soothe you and bring you peace. B*B-SeaHawk 07/07/86 LITTLE MOUSE SEA HAWK Bitter Tears If I had a dime for every bitter tear that my heart has shed because of broken promises, raped lands and peoples who have lost their heritage, etc etc I would be a rich woman. I try not to dwell on the past wrongs but it is so hard at times because they keep happening at this very moment the US goverment is taking land from the Hopi and Navajo peoples because of a supposed dispute between the people. There was/is no dispute There is minerals and oil on the land that the goverment wants. One thing that I have noticed/renoticed in looking for books to assit Sky Dancer is that the native peoples of this land held themselves to be equals with all life, and the Europeans hold themselves to be above/and more important then all things. I am not sure where the European belief comes from. The Bible maybe? In the book Lords of the Earth that I just recommend to Sky Dancer it talks about a yung warrior killing a deer, and he says to the deer your life is just a precious as mine, but come to me so that I may eat and you may live on through me. Maybe this is barbaric but if it is I am a barbarian because I have always felt this way, perhaps these feelings are what has prompted my search for my roots. (My parnets think I am nuts they told me the old ways are dead, but sense I have found this BBS and meet other people like you I am allowing myself to hope that the old ways are still alive. It dosen't seem to matter what you call yourself be It Witch, Wizard, Durid, or Native American, as long as the love of The Mother and Her Mate is there and a respect for all living growing things. The names can change but the essance is the same. (AH me I think I have borrowed someones soap box) Well enough for now, the sun is shining and the Mts are calling I am going to go for a long walk. May the Great Ones Smile on You Always Little Mouse