Monthly Archive for July, 2010

As the Crow Lands

Published on July 26, 2010 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

I have a friend who’s been battling cancer in various ways for many years. It started in 1986. Now, twenty-three years later, other problems have surfaced. Despite the ups and down of the illness, she has managed to travel frequently to lovely places around the world. But, earlier this week, I accompanied her to the hospital for a treatment.

The wheel-chair accessible taxi arrived at the house at the scheduled time, 7:15 a.m. And, this is what this story is about: our trip to the hospital and some unexpected events that brought forth the power in Nature:

As we drove up the driveway to Out Patient Services, the beauty of the morning seaped through the windows; Shady sprawling oak trees. The area had just been watered, the irises stood at attention next to purple fountain grass. It was magical. The entire garden was rich in greens and purples, just magnificent. A sculpture of “Three Healing Angeles” situated at the far side of the driveway seemed to be in waiting for our arrival. It was a beautiful warm summer morning, and we could not have asked for a more appropriate welcome for the task that lay ahead.

As the van rolled in, a group of crows scattered slightly, but basically held their turf. I noticed one of the crows came unusually close to the car just above our heads on the overhang of the entrance. I thought they must be accustomed to having people come and go, and so I thought nothing of it. As soon as the car door opened, he flew down to the frame of the door and landed just a few inches from my face. Naturally, I said, “Hello,” and he just stood there looking directly at me. I sat still thinking I could assess his reason for making himself known. My first thought was, maybe he was hungry, and being familiar with people coming and going and perhaps being fed, I said, “I’m sorry, I don’t have anything to feed you.” He seemed to be unphased by the movement of the wheel chair as the driver released the straps and the chair rolled down the small incline.

As though releasing me from the seat belt, Crow flew back to the overhang and eyed me from there. I eyed him back. I tried frantically to remember his medicine. “Truth” was all I came up with. Truth. We had been silent in the car on the way over, but Just at that moment, the driver said, “I think we’re being invited to awaken.” By then, we were out of the car and the doors shut. I had another look around the garden; water glistened off the irises; I couldn’t believe our luck at this magical welcoming.

My friend and I have had many conversations about death, “Do you think he’s a harbinger of Death?” she wondered aloud. I laughed nervously; I wasn’t sure, but the time just didn’t seem right. “If he is, he was staring at me.” I wanted to offer something other than the ultimate possibility, but at the same time, I wasn’t reading the Crow’s appearance either. I made a mental note to look up Crow Medicine in the Native traditions.

At www.birdclan.org/crow.html I found a good source, “Crow knows the unknowable mysteries of creation and is the keeper of all sacred law. . . Crow is also the guardian of ceremonial magic and healing. In any healing circle, Crow is present. Crow guides the magic of healing and the change in consciousness that will bring about a new reality and dispel ‘dis-ease’ or illness. You can rest assure when ever crows are around, magic is near by and you are about to experience a change in consciousness. Crow can give you the courage to enter the darkness of the void, which is the home of all that is not yet in form.”

That confirmed what I had not been able to identify from my feelings.

Thanks for joining me today.
Sweet Dreams,
EBD

Power Is A Breath Within

Published on July 6, 2010 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Here’s what I want to leave with you, coming back to Dream Time being the Seat of Reality: Power is all around us; we see it in the smallest act we make to manifest our sacred gifts. We often overlook it because we wonder, who am I to claim such greatness? Power is subtle, safely tucked within us.

The truth is, we are a storehouse of power. The ability to create, develop our Sacred Gifts, grows in us steadily every time we choose to use it. We are born with it, and it reveals itself to us in our dreams; the more we use it, the sooner we discover our natural relationship with it. We feel its texture and color in myriad ways. We know it’s there, we know what needs to be done. But, here’s the catch to harnessing real power: Duality. Duality brings the flicker of contradictions. Duality presents itself and we feel as though we are dancing with our shadow. It depends on how determined we are to ride the waves of chaos and come out the other side. It’s a necessary step in achieving our life’s purpose. The point is to grab it and take a leap of faith.

Power comes through our awareness and relationship with nature. We communicate with it and listen to its words and challenges. A dream might spur the internal experience of it such as I had in the Power of the Mountain Dream discussed in Corn Woman Sings. In that dream I had a visceral experience of the enormity of the Universe. I saw and felt it. It touched me and changed my sense of reality, but very subtly, it set my life on a course I could only acquiesce and follow.

Just remember that power reveals itself to you in the way it chooses. And when it does, celebrate, and learn to dance with it, because it wants to be in relationship with you. Power can manifest itself dramatically or quietly awaken a memory, a secret within you that yearns for expression that only you will know how to satisfy. You may have a moment of illumination, feel a sense of satisfaction, and then wake up one day a gnawing feeling that there’s more exploration to be done. All these contradictions and frustrations are insignificant in comparison to the joy it brings. When the time is ripe, when you’ve come to terms with duality, you will know. You’ll stop measuring, questioning, criticizing, or dismissing it. The antidote to frustration in understanding the ways of Power is in keeping open the avenues of illumination and clarification, and accepting life as it is. Keep asking for directives.

In the early days of journal keeping I would have a dream that, in a sense, gave me a boost to remember my tasks and remain committed. Here is an example of the help I got that came from my relationship with nature after years or courting it in the dream time as well as in my waking:

Roar of the Lion Dream
“I’m at a noisy, busy train station where the trains are coming and going. I’m standing on a platform where I can see several lines of track, and decide to walk toward the outside of the station to examine a line of cargo cars loading circus animals. I step off the platform and onto hard-packed ground to examine the animals.

“I come face to face with a caged grown muscular lion. He’s not happy about his present condition and conveys his thoughts to me in a resounding roar that trembles earth, mountains, and trees. I jump back in terror and shock. He’s standing now and looking away from me as though to assure me I am safe, but something in his roar has reminded me of a commitment I have to him from lifetimes ago.”

In dreams thoughts are conveyed through images and not necessarily words. Imagine my amazement at the significance of the lion’s message. In his roar I receive the message to lift myself out of my human limitations and admit I’ve come into this life with special gifts equal to the size of the roar I’ve just heard. How does one take in such a gift? The call is definite and impelling. We take command by taking small, incremental steps toward the Truth, however pointless or ridiculous they may appear.

How does one acknowledge this kind of “power?” Life continues as it goes with its irritations and annoyances, and then here’s this Gift. The translation from spirit to the mundane requires artistry and agility. We receive the gift delicately and humbly. There’s no other way to put it, because the Gift requires our dedication to do the work we’ve agreed to do before this lifetime even if we deny that we know it. Somehow the truth wants to slip away unnoticed, uncelebrated, and we want to pretend we didn’t receive the message.

Just remember that what seems fantastic only appears that way because we measure it from the outside looking in. Trust is a crucial lesson.

Wild isn’t as wild as it seems. Take the leap into the Unknown.
EBD