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OLDER BLOGS: 2017

December 27, 2017
WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR 2018?

Coming up to the New Year, and sitting with my Solstice Wishes, I wonder what 2018 will bring for all of us. I find things are speeding up, time is moving faster and I am moving slower. But it is a matter of carefully managing my time and energy.

If you read the news and check out the astrological predictions for the year, I would say that we need to expect the unexpected and hold on for the ride. The earth and our solar system is moving through a part of space that is littered with all kinds of cosmic energies that will affect our life on this planet. Not to mention all the other natural and cosmological influences like TWO Blue Moons in 2018!

It is important to have a focus, a plan and to set your priorities. People are searching for meaning and purpose in their lives. More are coming to me for readings, guidance and clarity on their life path. The daily grind is not always satisfying once you get time to reflect on your life and goals. Making your intentions for the year authentic and clear is not always easy as many are just trying to get by day to day. Changing old dysfunctional habits is even more difficult the longer we continue to pander to them.

To bring meaning into your day means to breath deeply with every step, take moments to go inside and check in... Am I doing the right thing for my soul? Am I in balance? If not, what do I need to do to restore balance and harmony?

I am re-reading the book "The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America" by Thomas King. I highly recommend it, it is available at Indigo or online with Amazon. He gives an Indigenous perspective on the history of the "civilization" of Turtle Island. And it is done with humour, if you can imagine.

I like to imagine what our world would look like today if the early Europeans had come to our continent to learn, share and contribute to the lives of the millions of Native peoples already here instead of taking and destroying what was already here. After all, they were welcomed with open arms.

But greed and viewing land as a commodity to take and abuse, and the inhabitants as an inconvenience has led us to this place in modern history where we are destroying the environment and as a result... ourselves. Not to mention what it does to our Soul and Spirit. Humans are a part of nature and when we separate ourselves from Her, we are setting ourselves up for failure.

Le'ts all try to find some light in all the darkness and take small steps towards creation, life and renewal. The thoughts, words and actions of each individual does make a difference. Set the intention to compost, recycle, drive less, buy less unnecessary items, help others more.... In the end, it is your own soul that you are nourishing... or not.

Blessing to you All in the Year to come!
Aho!

** (More and more books by Indigenous authors are coming out, I hope that it's not only Native people reading them!)
Another great book to read is "The Imaginary Indian" by Daniel Francis. It is about the stereotypes and myths of Indians of North America that were deliberately perpetuated by White in order to justify their treatment of the Indians.

I also hope to have my book published in 2018.

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A TRADITIONAL WINTER SOLSTICE EXPERIENCE

Our Ancestors were strong. They endured long cold winters without electricity, heating or indoor plumbing. Imagine having to go to the bathroom in minus zero weather when there is a blizzard outside the teepee or longhouse! Yet they survived, only because they lived in harmony with Nature. They knew how to prepare for winter and how to keep their Spirits up when things got tough.

One of the things that kept them going and what keeps their descendants like me going through the tough times... is the beliefs, rituals and prayers that keep us grounded, centred and balanced.

The Medicine Wheel is used to guide us through the hard times and it shows us how to live in balance. It will reveal emotional issues, shadow and fears... as well as strengths, power, totemic, human and divine parts of our Souls. It connects us with the Ancestors, Spirit Guides, Nature and Cosmological influences that are ongoing.

At the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, we sit in contemplation of the winter months ahead and devise a plan of action using the Medicine Wheel to help us take one step at a time towards the Spring Equinox.

Today, our challenges are different. We live in warm houses, drive heated cars and have roads are plowed for us and we get our food from grocery stores or eat in restaurants We have other ways to keep ourselves entertained and in contact with others. Yet we can still use the ancient ways to bring growth, healing, beauty, abundance and happiness to our lives on a deeper level.

The Solstice workshop on Sunday, December 17th, will show you the Art and Science of making wishes. It is a very grounded and realistic approach to making our dreams come true. It involves creativity, imagination, clarity, ritual and more.

The Tradition of hanging gifts on a tree comes from the Ancestral practice of hanging their wishes on a tree.

The Art of making wishes comes from creative exploration and careful visioning.

The Science of making wishes comes from the Sacred Circle teachings. It shows us the steps we need to take, one stone at a time over the year to come, and how to deal with the obstacles and challenges that block our wishes from coming true.

We will also have a Solstice Pot Such feast and a give-a-way ceremony.
This workshop will continue to guide you and work for you for the entire year.

Date: Sunday, December 17, 2017 Noon-2 pm
Location: TBA upon registration

Aho!
MaryRose

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ANCESTRAL STORIES

In our Shamanic Community, we are exploring Ancestral/ Past life stories with our Teacher, Lisa Foss Tardiff. It is an amazing learning experience.

This past week, I gave a talk to a group of Elders at a Local Community Centre. They were mostly Chinese and I needed a translator. I chose the theme of Ancestors because I know that the Chinese traditionally honour their Ancestors, as do most Indigenous Peoples.

The above image is one that I showed on the presentation. The quote spoke to me. I also showed photos of my Ancestors going back four generations. I am lucky to have those, not everyone can say the same. I wish I knew more about them though. The bits and pieces of information do not quench my thirst

We are a link in the chain of countless Relations: human, plant and animal... we are all passing through this Earth and what we live affects our future descendants as well as our Ancestors.

The response at my presentation was great and they asked many good questions. What shocked them is that they did not know that the Indigenous Peoples here were so brutally treated. The group did not know that my ancestors lived through an apartheid and genocide at the hands of the Canadian Government. They had no idea that women, children and elders were killed for no reason, and children were ripped away from their families and placed in Residential schools where many were raped or brutally beaten, many died of illness or starvation or were murdered... and placed in unmarked graves. Why does the public not know about this important part of our History? It has been swept under the proverbial carpet. We are celebrating Canada's 150th birthday this year, but for the Indigenous People, it is 150 years of abusive treatment. We have lived on this land for over 10,000 years. They conveniently call it "Pre-History" as if life only began when the first Europeans set foot on Turtle Island.

I am being asked to speak out more, to inform others about the History of our People and why things are the way they are. No one can judge anyone until they walk a mile in their moccasins. All the sterotypes, the lies, the abuse, the slaughters, the diseased blankets given to our Ancestors... the life on Reserves where they were starved out, put together with enemy tribes... all point to an attempt to exterminate an entire culture.

There were MiLLIONS of people on this continent before the White Man arrived. There is so much to be said about this topic... But in the end, we are still here and we are claiming our rights, reclaiming our lands and traditions and we welcome all to learn about us and our ways. We were and are a diverse people with different languages and customs, but we are the keepers of the Earth. And the world needs our wisdom right now if the human species is to survive the Earth changes.

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INTO THE NIGHT
November 1, 2017

Halloween has come and gone and we have now entered into the Dark part of the Wheel, the West, where the Dreaming is found.

The Darkness surrounds us like a warm blanket, as we cosy up by the fire in our homes, or meet with loved ones in warm cafes and spend more time indoors, resting, reading, writing, watching movies.... But remember to take time for SILENCE!

The West of the Wheel is the place of EXPERIENCE, INTROSPECTION AND STRENGTH.

This is where we live in the moment, then later we take time to go inside and review our experiences, finding strength in the lessons and challenges that were presented to us.

Take time at the end of each day to look back and see what you lived, what you learned, where you are unresolved, what you need to do or change so that you can find the strength to deal with life's challenges. Often it is our attitudes that we need to re-evaluate.

Once you do your part in the co-creation of your story. the Wheel will turn and carry you to the next step in the journey.

Make Peace with your Darkness, find healing and balance in both Light and Dark. It is what we all need to become Whole.

Aho!

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WHO AM I, WHAT DO I DO?

I though it might be good to let you know what happens in my Sacred Circles.

I do not lead Shamanic Trance dance or Journeying as a rule.
There are times that we do these things, but only when the Dreaming demands it. These are usually reserved for workshops.

I follow the Way of the Wheel, Nature and Cosmology. My teachers are Traditional Indigenous Dream Masters. I have been a Keeper of the Wheel for 30+ years with their guidance and that of my Spirit Guides and the Ancestors.

When we do Sacred Circles, I lay down a Wheel of 36 stones and light candles, calling in the Spirits of the Four Directions. We may or may not smudge because of where I live, too much smoke is not permitted.

We drum and pray and share our stories. We look at Natural and Cosmological themes and how to work with them. I teach the Way of the Wheel and how to walk in balance and sacredness. I help you find your Medicine, your Power, Clans, Totems, Moons... and give guidance from the Wheel and the Dreaming, but to learn all of this takes time, it is not a quick fix or something you can do in one or two circles. It is not a mental exercise and I do not work in a linear fashion.

The Wheel and the Dreaming dictates what we do in the Circles.
We may do some role play or enact something related to what we are living and learning. We may do art, dance or power walks and more. There are no set rules, the Wheel guides me and I guide you. Each circle is different. Be ready to be initiated on something if Spirit is calling you to grow beyond where you are now on your journey.

Please come with an empty mind and an open heart, without expectations or comparing it to other Shamanic Circles or Indigenous Gatherings that you may have attended. The Wheel is not about culture, race or religion, it is about survival. How we survive today is very different from how our Ancestors survived in the past. And all Peoples of the Earth were Shamanic. It is an ancient method said to be given to our Ancestors by the Star People to help us walk in balance and Sacredness!

Experience it a few times before deciding if it is for you or not.
Let me know if you have any questions. I am happy to explain more.

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THEN AND NOW

Thanksgiving for our Ancestors was a daily experience. They understood the importance of giving thanks, not just in words but by GIVING BACK.

I carry tobacco with me and offer it to Mother Earth every time I have a good experience or step upon sacred land, or when I feel gratitude in my heart.

The Earth carries us and we take so much from her, especially in the modern world. Giving back something to Her creates a connection and brings balance. If we just take and don't give back, it is a one way street, so to speak. All of Nature depends on a balance of giving and receiving, an exchange is required.

We receive Light and warmth from the Sun, which is why our Ancestors would rise before dawn to greet every dawn. When I do this I find that I feel more aware and connected to myself, nature and that my day goes better, I felt better. I cannot honestly say that I do that every day, but when I do, I wonder why I don't.

The Moon brings beauty, mystery and magic. Following her cycles keeps us in touch with our own inner movements and emotions.
The change of seasons, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumn equinox and Winter Solstice are times to pray and connect.

We are not connected to the change of seasons like people were in the past. We turn on lights, turn up the heat, ride in our cars and barely notice the change. Imagine living in a teepee or hut, and the days getting colder and the nights longer. Imaging having to go out in the cold to gather wood for the fire or to answer the call of nature at -30C. Imagine a good harvest in the season of the Falling Leaves, hoping that you will have enough food to provide for your tribe for the entire winter. Imagine not knowing how harsh the winter will get, or how long it will last, and just maybe you will run out of food, and people you love might die.

Today, we complain about so many things. When it rains we complain, when it's hot we complain... yet, we are so blessed in so many ways. Compared to what my parent and grandparents had to deal with, life is so easy today. My mother had to get up at dawn feed the chickens, milk the cows, and draw water from the well, among many other chores, before she even had breakfast. They lived in a small log cabin with 14 children and a dirt floor. And they were happy!

In Canada, we have Thanksgiving in October. In the US, it is in November. Either way, let's remember those who worked and died so we could have easier lives. Let's appreciate the small things, the things we take for granted in our lives on a daily basis... like clean water, a good meal, a warm home, family, friends, a job, our health, etc.

There is a simple child's prayer that we used to say before meals...."Thank you for food in our bellies and love in our hearts"
May you be blessed with all that Life offers in every way possible!

Aho!

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Light AND Dark
October 3, 2017

Most of the modern Western World has a disease called NYCOTOPHOBIA, a severe fear of the dark.
If you look at Earth from space at night, many continents are lit up like Christmas trees.

Light pollution continues to grow unimpeded, with no laws containing it. Street lights and car headlights are getting brighter. For those who live in cities, we rarely, if ever, experience complete darkness. And when we do, we may become nervous or afraid because we are not used to it.

There was a time when I loved the darkness. To me it felt like being in the womb. It was a place of solace and comfort. Now I have to work at finding darkness, using black-out curtains in my bedroom. Across from where we live is a car dealer business and the parking lot where the lights in the lot at night are so bright, it's blinding. Is this really necessary?

The fear of Darkness applies on many levels.

Most people want to be immersed in the light. "GO TO THE LIGHT", is a common phrase used for those who are dying or meditating. Yet in Shamanism, we go to the STARS, which is not quite the same thing. It implies crossing the vast reaches of space.

Imagine a world with only day and no night. For those who live in the extreme north or south poles of the planet, this is a reality for part of the year. Yet those who live in-between these extremes and in cities or towns with street lights and store lights constantly lit up, the darkness is unfamiliar. Children growing up in these environments may never learn to be okay with the dark.

On a psychological level, there are many people who desire to be in the light all the time. For some, it is their path and is valid for them. For others it is a way to avoid and escape looking at their shadow and that of others. I was once one of those people. But I learned that the longer I avoided accepting shadow, the bigger and scarier it got. My imagination built it up to be worse than what it was.

When I got past my resistance and denial and looked at the darkness inside of me, I was astonished at what I found. It was not easy or fun, it was hard to admit and accept. But I knew by then, that by not doing this work, I was contributing to the mass imbalance on the planet. Shadow has to go somewhere, so if we deny it, it goes where it can find a vessel.

The shooting massacre in Los Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, October 1, 2017, is an extreme case of someone carrying the collective shadow of humanity. I only hope that some consciousness comes out of this horrible tragedy.

In spite of the fear of darkness, Humanity seeks it out through movies, dark novels and acts it out through senseless wars and killings. If we don't accept our darkness and bring it to balance, it becomes extreme and dangerous. Too much light - we burn. Too much darkness - we self-destruct. We also need to acknowledge our collectivity, how we impact the whole.

Humans are naturally carriers of shadow, being in a physical body, we create a shadow. It is a Law of Nature. We incarnate to find healing, resolution and balance to our stories, to be balanced in both Light and Shadow... inside of us and in the world around us.

When we do Sacred Circles, we look at the entire Wheel. In the East is the Sunrise, and Light.
In the West is Darkness and Death.
Without both, there is no Wheel, life is not Whole.

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AUTUMN EQUINOX, DREAMING, LIFE AND PRAYERS
September 25, 2017

Autumn Equinox is about BALANCE. Where there is imbalance, the Earth has to restore balance. In Shamanism, we work as a collective to bring balance and healing, so our Spirit can truly soar high like the Eagle. Soul retrieval work helps us find the missing parts and bring them to balance. It helps us to free ourselves from repetitive dysfunctional patterns and countless incarnations of misery.

We have a prayer that goes with smudging that shows us how to open all our senses, open our heart to the unknown, and spread our wings so our Spirit can fly. We ask for guidance and strength to be up to the challenges of life and to be supported on our journey.

I first consciously met my Spirit Guide when I was sixteen. He has appeared to me in many forms, in the Dreaming and in the waking. I am blessed to have such loving guides. I often wonder what I did to deserve them. But then I judged myself as unworthy, they do not. We all have our purpose and mission, we just need to know where we belong.

When I started on my Spiritual quest after a near fatal illness in 1982, I sought out many different venues. First thing was the New Age churches where I learned about mediumship, telepathy and other such skills. I was already adept at tarot readings, something I did since i was nineteen. I studied art, psychology, various therapies such as music therapy, art therapy, spiritual psychotherapy, and more. I am an artist, teacher, Natural Health Consultant and Art Therapist. For years, I was a Hindu devotee to Ammachi, a Holy Woman who embodies the Divine Mother, I participated in Satsangs. I also practiced yoga for years and learned Buddhist meditations.

All these were preliminary exploration and stages of preparation in my journey towards wholeness. But something was still missing. It was when I inadvertently laid down a Medicine wheel in an Art Performance project in University that my world changed. It woke up the Wheelkeepr in me, a part of me that had been laying dormant. That was in 1991.

One thing led to another and I found my path, my purpose and my Teachers. I learned that the old saying "When the Student is ready, the teacher appears" is true! Not many people want teachers nowadays. It is considered "Old School". But I am old school, I work with the Ancestors. Sure we can google all the information we want, but nothing replaces the real thing for me.

In Shamanism, we deal with EXPERIENCE. We live and teach through our stories and dreams. We learn in daily life and in controlled environments, such as Medicine Wheel Circles and Workshops. We share the wisdom of what we learned from our lessons. Once we do the full Wheel with a story, the Story becomes our Medicine, our power. And we are asked to share it with others, so they also can learn. We help those who are where we used to be. As others who are where we want to be help us.

On the Medicine Wheel or Sacred Circle... the Eagle is one of the many Gateways to the Dreaming. The Dreaming is the place of Creation, a forever place and where all things begin and where we return every night and after we die. We can connect to the Dreaming daily between every breath and being aware of signs, messages and synchronicities around us.

The Eagle is also a Messenger who takes our prayers to Creator and brings back messages.
May you find your prayers answered. May Spirit guide you on your journey HOME!

Hau!
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WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?

I don't know how many times I have to tell people that when they come to my Sacred Circles, to come with openness and no expectations, to expect the unexpected, but it seems someone always wants their needs, expectations and demands to be fulfilled. They interpret what I say through their own filters and then get angry when things do not go their way.

When I do the Circles, I follow the Dreaming and the Way of the Wheel, I do not cater to human ego demands. In Sacred Circles, humans are NOT the most important thing on the planet. We are mere specks to Mother Earth, a part of her, but no better or less than the trees, the air, the water, or the creatures on her body. She can shake us off at any time like fleas on a dog.

I also tell people that I am a Firekeeper and an Initiator and will both inspire and challenge you! I may push your buttons to see what's behind the facade. It's my Role and it's Sacred, it has a purpose, but I do this only when Spirit guides me and only with those who are ready... most of the time!

But honestly, do we need to walk on eggshells all the time, so afraid of being politically correct or hurting someone's feelings? It's getting so no one can say anything without being persecuted, charged, sued or slandered. People are so finicky and overly-sensitive sometimes.

I am not a therapist, healer, counsellor or a Western style group facilitator. Even though I lead groups. I am not a Westerner.

Shamanism has become a fad in New Age circles, and it is different from Traditional Shamanism. The word has been misused and misinterpreted. Traditional Shamanism is about Nature - Natural and Cosmological laws that our Ancestors lived and died by. We live according to these laws, we follow where they lead us. Nature can be beautiful, but also intense, scary and deadly as we are seeing with the earthquakes, tsunamis, extreme weather and hurricanes.

Right now Nature is screaming at us to... "WAKE UP". it is not the time to sit in comfort and ignore things. We may not be able to help those in peril directly, but we can make a difference by working on our own issues, shadow and unresolved. Mother cannot carry our darkness, ignorance and unconsciousness forever.

If you want to be uplifted without first going into the roots, into the darkness... you will be unsteady on your feet, unbalanced and are setting yourself up for a fall. If you want true and lasting peace, love and light, then you have to go through the dark to get there. There are no shortcuts or detours to take along the road to wholeness or enlightenment. Chirst, Buddha and all the great masters had to carry their own burdens, so why shouldn't we? If you want to be in the light all the time, that is an imbalance, not in accordance with Nature. It is only half of who we are, it is like having only day and no night. In nature, there is day and night, light and dark, positive and negative.

Good and evil is a Christian concept, not Shamanic. When we started judging darkness as evil, we cut the Wheel in half and caused a split. Some choose to go to the dark side, others to the light side, when in fact we all have both light and dark in us. It is what we do with these parts of us that is important. The aim is to find balance, consciousness, healing and wholeness.

Would you go into a church, synagogue or temple and demand they do things your way?

I have been doing Sacred Circles for over 25 years and there is always someone who does not get who I am and reacts with judgements and persecution, because it does not fit with their way of doing things. If the European invaders had taken time to observe and learn from the Indigenous Peoples on Turtle Island, there is a good chance we would not be in the mess we are today.

This path is not for everyone. It is for those who feel truly called. I am not looking to recruit, convert or convince anyone.

When I started on this path, I had to learn to be humble and really take the time to listen and observe what was being shown to me. It was so different from anything I had seen before that I had no reference for it. So I compared it to my previous experiences with Christianity, philosophy, psychology, therapy and New Age beliefs and practices. I was not brought up with these ancient Ancestral teachings, I had to seek them out. It was a matter of life or death for me... literally, my spirit was dying and I needed a path of truth to get the answers and guidance that made sense to me. And I found it!

Still, it took me years to really go beyond all my programs, ego, wounds, insecurities, fears and indoctrination's to see the wisdom in the Traditional Sacred Circle teachings. And I still fall into imbalance at times. At first the Traditional ways seemed harsh, confrontational, confusing and intense, but I got stronger and more conscious and realized that I had not been looking beyond my resistance, ego defences and wounds that kept me from moving forward.

Resistance is a normal reaction at first, but once we move past it, a whole world opens up! A world of magic, mystery, phenomena and beauty.

It takes time to comprehend the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island who are coming back and coming out.
The Earth needs us to speak up now, to bring our ways to the mass consciousness. But will anyone listen?

I highly recommend reading a book called "The Imaginary Indian" by Daniel Francis. It shows how White society has manipulated the image of First Nations Peoples to suit their own needs.

We are not the sterotypes you have been led to believe we are. We are not just the ones you see or hear about on the news, see in movies or books. We take all forms, shapes, sizes and we have many different traditions or customs. The Iroquois are as different from the Cree as the English are from the French or Irish. Being Metis is a whole other story.

In the end, the path I follow is not about race or culture, it is about Nature and Cosmology.
Take time to observe, ask questions and learn and maybe you will be pleasantly surprised.

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WHAT’S TO FEAR?

There is so much to be afraid of in life. What if I get hurt, what if nobody loves me, what if I lose my job, what if I am alone, what if I have an accident, what happened when I get old… and so on and so on…

Insurance companies make a fortune off of our fears, they help us feel safe and secure in case of a tragedy of some kind. But with the cost of premiums, they may take more than they give in the end. With the Hurricanes and earthquakes down south showing us that nothing is certain and life is indeed fragile. How do we live with uncertainty and fear?

Most of us have irrational fears, we spend more time worrying about things that will never happen. We often stress out about silly things, not to dismiss real fears like serious illnesses and injury, or separation from loved ones, but we don’t know how to work with our fears in a constrictive manner. Fear is a tangible force to be reckoned with.

On the Medicine Wheel, we have sixteen gates, one of which is the Spider gate. If anyone has ever felt the sting of a spider or seen how it paralyzes its victims, you know how these amazing little creatures can install fear in the bravest of men.

The thing about this gate is to go through it, not to run away, not to stand in front of it trembling, not to get stuck in the doorway forever, not to deny it exits,,, you must move THROUGH it.

I went through the Spider Gate at the last Blue Moon in 2015. Since then I have been experiencing tremendous fear, some of it is mine, some not. The thing is that I never had fears like this before. I know that it is in the collective and that I am picking it up. But I still have to act as if it is mine. I still have to go through it.

Spider is also about creativity. They weave beautiful web designs.

Without fear, we would not learn courage So every time a fear comes up, leaving me feeling paralyzed and shaky and wanting to run and hide,… I tell myself, "I can do this". I treat it like it's a challenge to overcome. I look at the situation I am in and do what it takes to deal with it out front, not run and hide. I find a creative way to deal with it.

Our Mother Earth is overburdened with toxins, garbage and unresolved issues from Humans. Hence she is trying to cleanse her body, washing it clean. The Earth changes will only get worse because humans have created so much shadow, garbage and unresolved on all levels, that she can’t take anymore. To her we are like fleas and she will shake us off like a dog does.

Now that is something to fear!!

Remember the Y2K scare? Many people were literally running for the hills, to live off the grid. Others were backing up their computers to save their information. And many were waiting for the world to come to a crashing halt! I remember telling my friends that if the end was coming, I was not fearing for my body, but for my soul, that I wanted to be ready to die at any given moment. And I meant it.

At age 32 I almost died of a serious illness. I went through a lot of pain and suffering but I survived. From that experience, i realized I was not ready to die. I had not lived up to my full potential and I had so many unanswered questions about life, death and the afterlife. And most of all, I had a lot of unresolved issues.

When I recovered, I went on a Spiritual quest and found my path and purpose. It took almost dying for me to fully live. That is the way we humans are, we wait for things to get really bad before we do something about it.

When my dad was dying at age 92, he was terrified. He was not ready and he did not believe in the afterlife. If he did, being Catholic, he felt that he would be punished for his sins. I helped him to go through his fears and in the end, he died with courage, looking death right in the face.

Y2K never happened, the world went on as usual. But now the Earth changes are upon us and no one can deny it, except maybe Donald Trump. There are those who will close their eyes and ears to the reality, but First Nations people have been predicting these times for eons.

Fear can motivate us to action, it can cause us to look at the reality of death, see past our illusions and seek resolutions to our situation. It can be our “Spidey senses” warning us of something and telling us to get out of harms way.

When the tsunami in Thailand in 2004 occurred, the animals sensed it coming and ran for higher ground. There was a tribe of indigenous people in a remote location who also saw it coming because they were attuned to nature. With the Hurricane in Cuba, I watched a video of people walking on the beach during the storm. They got washed out to sea and those who tried to help them also died. Why were they even there? They had no fear of nature, no common sense at all. Sometimes all we need is common sense.

I pray that you all are safe and without fear, but when Fear comes knocking on your door, I hope you are able to overcome it and find a creative solution. It is an amazing experience when you do!

Medicine Wheel Circles help us connect with Spirit, the Ancestors, the Dreaming and Nature. They bring us together and help us find common ground, so we may live, play, work, love and explore together at a deep level of sharing.

The teachings give us a focus and a method for dealing with life's many challenges and obstacles.
They bring a deep awareness of Life!

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IS TRADITIONAL INDIGENOUS SHAMANISM FOR YOU?

The Ancient ways of the Ancestors are all but lost in todays world. Things were so entirely different 500 years ago that we cannot even fathom what it was like to live in a world that was completely one with Nature and Cosmology.

When I was born, I felt out of place and time, like I had been dropped off at the wrong stop!
I could not comprehend the world around me, with traffic lights telling us when to stop and go, with constant noise and more people than nature. I am an old soul who remembers where I came from and who I am. It took me forty years to find the right teachers who saw reality in a way that made sense to me.

Lisa Foss Tardiff and her partner Gerard Peyrot (Okwaho Leblanc and Natza) are Traditional Indigenous Master Dreamers. They brought me from being broken and lost to finding my power, Medicine and life Path and Purpose.
For 25+ years now, I have been on the Red Road. I have fallen off path a few times, but the unconditional love and devotion of my Teachers, community and guides have always brought me back to myself.

Shamanism is not for the weak or faint of heart. It is demanding and inspiring, challenging and rewarding.
For this who wish to experience something beyond what this modern world perceives, to get outside of the box that society puts us in... this is for you. It is filled with magic and phenomenon, dreaming and healing every step of the way.

If you wish to be a part of the Sacred Circle ways,,, please come without expectations, with an open heart and most of all, an open mind. And be prepared to be empowered and/or challenged.

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JULY 20, 2017
THE ILLUSION OF FAMILY

Our Western society is wrought with Illusions and programs that continue to be perpetuated by the media in order to sell us their products and services. Love, Marriage, Sex and Family are big sellers today. Everyone wants all these things in their lives. For those fortunate to be successful in any of these, I applaud your accomplishments.

But Statistics Canada show that over the past twenty years, there has been at least five million divorces and separations in our country.* And that is only the ones who were legally married. Common law marriages have become more common and when these couples separate, it does not show on any statistical records. The fact that there are less divorce application in the past decade is because people are opting to live together without getting married. So when they do separate, there is no record of it. **

The concept of the Nuclear Family is just not working.

In the distant past, people lived together in extended families, communities, tribes or nations. Travel was not always an option, unless the entire tribe migrated together People lived close to their place of birth most of their lives. With the invention of cars, trains, modern ships and planes, people venture further and further from home, some never to return. With education and the spread of capitalism, careers and job opportunities opened up across the globe, attracting those with ambitions to explore other places. Now we have isolated family units with close relatives living thousands of miles apart.

The truth is that the Family is a dying structure. In the very least we have to redefine what family means.

From an Astrological viewpoint, those of my generation were born under the influence of the planet Uranus in the sign Cancer. In layman's terms that means that there was a traumatic shock and disruption in the family unit for an entire generation. As my generation aged, we saw our families fall apart and spread apart for various reasons. After WWII, woman began to realize that they could survive on their own and were no longer subjugated to living as second class citizens. They fought for their rights and many chose to leave their marriages and find themselves.

Now that things are in flux, there is much to look at when it comes to family. We cling to our old perceptions and illusions of the perfect home, perfect parents, perfect partner and perfect children. We have been fed these illusions for decades through the media, when in fact it is a rare occurrence.

My parents broke up when I was fourteen, sending me into a downward spiral of depression. I was lost, saddened and depressed for years, searching to fill the emptiness inside of me. I married, had a son, but ended up divorced after seventeen years. I had married young and had no idea who I was. In my late thirties, I went on a quest of self-discovery, had many adventures and found my path and purpose.

My birth family is not my true family. I know that sounds strange, but when you look at things from an expanded circular or Shamanic perspective, you unlock truths that you may have never seen otherwise. When I came on path, I learned so much about myself, past lives and what I came here to do in this life.

One of my main desires was to have a happy family. I was abused and bullied as a child and as an adult, I lived in a dysfunctional marriage. I had no idea what family meant or what it looked or felt like... until... I met my Teachers and joined their Shamanic community. For twenty-five years I was supported, pushed, encouraged, challenged, tested... to be the very best I could be, to bring out my strengths and be aware of my weaknesses.

I discovered how illusions only make us unhappy and that when we follow them, we are not bringing change to our stories, we are only perpetuating them.

The fact is that the world has changed in a huge way and continues to do so. The old concept of the family unit had to be destroyed in order for us to find our true families, our forever families. I am not saying this is true for everyone, those who have inherited a happy home life are truly blessed. But many people are coming together in intentional communities, committing to one another, sharing a common vision. They are creating new family structures based on values, beliefs, shared interests and desired outcomes.

There is a greater plan in all of this. It is as if the Universe is pushing us to discover other options, to break down our illusions of the perfect family, to look at the hard facts and make some important changes. Polyamory is becoming popular these days, homosexuality and many other options are also now more accepted, but these are just labels that put in us boxes.

The danger in the freedom we have in relationships today is that people find it too easy to leave and go find someone else when things don't work out. There is no commitment. In the end, we may end up with a population of single lonely people. I hope that is not the case.

Family on the Medicine Wheel is the Bison Gate. It is about abundance, the sharing of one's resources and committing to walk together as a herd, protecting each other, having each other's back. We can learn a lot from our Creature Kin.

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July 13 ,2017
BROKEN TOE

Yesterday I was talking with my 44 year old son and he said that he didn't believe in anything spiritual anymore, that he only believed in consciousness. He had repeated this a few times and it made me feel a little sad. He said that he hasn't seen any big evidence that Spirit and "miracles" exist. So I told him this story...

It was early August of 1995 and I was at the Edmonton Folk festival after returning to Grande Prairie to reconnect with my parents. I had been living away for over twenty years and I was forty-four years old. I had made some friends and we decided to go to the festival for the weekend. The first day there, Friday night, I was really enjoying the music, the atmosphere, the weather... all was perfect. I got up to go buy some juice, then suddenly turned back remembering I had left my purse on my chair, and WHAM, I hit my toe on someone's chair leg. It was the kind of chair that sticks right into the ground so they don't fall over or move. Well, it definitely did not move. I fell down in pain grabbing my foot. Then I tried to get back up but couldn't, not understanding why it hurt so much. One of the handsome young Medics came and carried me gallantly to the Medical tent. I was blushing but that did not ease the pain. They took a look and said I had broken the small toe next to my big toe on my right foot. Great! The weekend was ruined for me. You cannot put a splint on a toe, so they gave me some crutches and I phoned my niece who lived in Edmonton. I spent the weekend lounging in her back yard with my foot up while my friends continued to enjoy the festival.

Back home, I wobbled around on crutches for a month and the foot was not getting any better. I had signed up for a sculpture course in the local college in September. The crutches were gone by then, but I was still in pain and still limping. The college had a First Nations organization who was bringing in a traditional Medicine Man to give a talk and I wanted to go.

He was delightful, a sweet innocent Elder who told us his story with his wife sitting silently beside him. They sat on the floor on a blanket. I wish I remembered the Elder's name. Maybe I have it in one of my journals somewhere. It is with great reverence, respect and gratitude that I share his story.

His story was about when he was young and how he used to drink a lot with a buddy. One day they found his buddy on the floor and could not revive him. He was put in the hospital in Edmonton. He was in a coma. The Elder lived several hours north of the city on a remote reserve.

One day there was a knock on the Elders door. It was his buddy. He came in and said he had a message for him. He told the Elder that he had died and went to heaven, but was told to come back to relay this message. He said to the Elder, If you stop drinking you will receive a gift. His friend turned around and left. He went back to the hospital, checked himself back in and died.

The Elder realized that he could not ignore a message like that, not when his friend came all the way to give it before dying. So he stopped drinking altogether. It wasn't easy but he did it. Then one day he noticed a tingling in his hands. He began laying his hands on people and they would suddenly heal. For years he would heal all kinds of illnesses, diseases and injuries. He continued with his story but I knew why I had been led to him. After the talk ended, he turned to his wife and said something. I loved her answer... she just joked, "You talk too much". I saw that she was keeping him humble.

(Apsaroke man. (Print by Robert Walker: www.western artist.com)

I spoke to the young First Nations man who was hosting the Elder. I asked for permission to talk to the old man. I was told to bring tobacco which I did. I told the Elder about my broken toe and if he would heal it for me. He was delighted and told me to come to the home of the host later in the afternoon, which I did.

When I arrived, they were sitting at the kitchen table having tea in the small simple apartment. I stood quietly and waited. The Elder got up and beckoned for me to go to the living area. The host laid down a blanket and told me to lie down and he covered me with another blanket. The Elder told me to close my eyes and relax, which I did. But not before I saw him waving his hands over my right foot. I think he was chanting something.

About twenty minutes later, he stood up and said, "Done! Lets go have some tea", and went back to the kitchen. I slowly got up and reached out to feel my toe. I pinched it and nothing. Normally that would hurt. I squeezed it harder and still nothing. I looked around, shrugged, got up and joined them for tea, no longer limping.I thanked the Elder and asked if he would accept the $20 I had in my purse, wishing I had more. He clapped his hands in delight saying it would pay for gas to get them back home. He said he wished more people would ask for help. He had been given a gift that he wanted to share. He did not ask for anything in return but was glad to receive whatever he got.

I am grateful to this day for that Elder, and how Spirit brought me to him. And also how my faith allowed me to ask him for help. I was humble and respectful and he was open and generous. All of those ingredients combined to make the healing of my broken toe possible. We sometimes think we do things ourselves or that we are alone, or that miracles do not exist. I find that sad, There are countless miracles happening every day, but the irony of it is that you need to believe in them to see them. Today there is less and less belief in Spirit, miracles or magic. The times are changing so much, much of the modern Western world believes mainly in money, in material tangible things, but beyond that there is nothing.

My life has been filled with Spirit and magic. I am glad I was born in a time when it still existed in the hearts and minds of many. It is kind of like Tinker Bell says in the story Peter Pan. If you don't believe in Faeries, the Faeries will die. It's the same with Spirit, if you don't believe in them, they will only hang around for so long before they too leave.

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JUNE 21, 2017. HAPPY SUMMER SOLSTICE!

MAY YOUR SUMMER BE HAPPY, HEALTHY AND FILLED WITH LAUGHTER!

THIS IS THE TIME TO GIVE THANKS FOR OUR BLESSINGS AND ABUNDANCE!

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June 20, 2017
HONORING OUR ELDERS

Living in a Youth oriented society is not easy as we age. Sure, there are plenty of programs around for us that give support, activities and advice on all our personal needs, social, psychological, physical and spiritual. But when I look at other cultures and see how the families treat their Elders so respectfully, i wonder where our Western society went wrong. Why do we need strangers to look after us?

Countless times I have seen young people pushing their way past an Elder with a cane, as they go through a door to the mall, or rushing past them in the hall, almost knocking them over, not even seeing them.

In Indigenous cultures, Elders are respected, even revered. They are never left alone and never forgotten. They are treated like saints by their families, acknowledged for the sacrifices they made for their children and grandchildren.

When I was in my 50's, I returned home to care for my aging parents in the latter part of their lives. I took care of all their needs, day and night for 7 years until they died, without any regrets. It was natural for me to do this, to come full circle, caring for those who cared for me, who brought me into the world. Even if they weren't the best of parents, they did the best they could, and I chose them for a particular reason, to learn certain life lessons.

People asked me how I did it, they were amazed. It wasn't easy, but I loved every minute. Even the fact that my Father had abused me and my Mother had neglected me as a child, didn't matter. It was the right thing to do. They were different people by then and I was different, an adult now, while they were returning to a childlike state. The past was forgiven, without a doubt. I did for them what they could not do for me. I helped them on all levels, attended to their basic needs and helped them pass over.

As an Elder myself now, I see how our society does not understand the ways of Nature, Even animals take care of their old ones. It breaks my heart to see Elders alone, pushing heavy carts or carrying heavy bags. I often offer to help them and they usually are embarrassed as if being old was something to be ashamed about, some kind of crime. We push old age aside, deny it, resist it, and act like it's a curse or a plague of some kind. Why can't this time of our life be accepted as sacred?

My hope and prayer for our world, is that we learn to respect and honor all life and all stages of life, to remember to give back to those who gave birth to us. As the world gets larger and more populated, more youth oriented and focused on technology over and above living creatures.... we need to find a place for the Elders and honor their journey to the stars, give them a safe, peaceful, stress free place to live... and time to reflect and prepare for the end of life.

We can judge a culture by how they treat their Women, Children and Elders. Look around, what do you see?

For anyone interested in topics of aging, I have a group on Facebook called, "We're Not Dead Yet".
If you are 50 or over, you may request to join us there.

If you would like me to give a talk or host a circle on Aging, Death, the Afterlife or any other issues of concern for Elders,
contact me at: wapi-nesesq@outlook.com

Aho!

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May 30, 2017

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?

Looking back at this month, it has been unusually wet and colder than usual. Mother Nature is trying to balance things out. There are also cycles that we go through, some are ten years long, up to thousand year cycles. I heard this was the rainiest spring in 100 years in Eastern Canada. I feel for those who live in flood zones without insurance. Those areas should not be allowed to be developed, but people are greedy and dishonest sometimes and will sell anything for profit. It truly is a case of "Buyer Beware". Then there are the ones who come forth to help out the flood victims, with supplies, food, shelter and fund raising or donations. We are in this together in one way or another.

There are other forces at work in all of this. Shamanism and the Medicine Wheel is about Natural and Cosmological influences. When we look at the Earth Changes, this in not new in the history of the Planet, but there were never so many people on the planet in past ice ages or warming trends. So why is that?

So many souls are coming in and others are leaving. there is a crossover right now and has been for decades, maybe millennia... a sort of the changing of the guards as we leave the 5th world behind and the 6th world begins. And also this time is a great opportunity to resolve stories and put an end to old Ancestral stories that are painful, ongoing and difficult. The work is not easy, but it is very rewarding and fulfilling for those who seek Wholeness.

The Mayan Calendar and other Indigenous Traditions have long predicted the times we live in as the End of Times or the time of Great Change.

But what exactly is changing?

People talk about the Age of Enlightenment or the awakening of consciousness. But look around folks... look at what is going on in the world with the Trump administration, Brexit, the Middle East, Terrorism, Pollution, climate warming, species going extinct... etc.

We are in fact in a time of great flux and polarity. As some go towards resolution, healing, wisdom and awakening of consciousness, others choose darkness and unconsciousness. Even the weather has extreme ups and downs and is unpredictable. We are part of Nature and are influenced by the Sun, Moon, Stars, Winds as well as the movement of the Galaxies across the vast reaches of space. There is so much phenomenon and so many planetary alignments going on in the Heavens that it is hard to keep up. Of course with technology we have more access and awareness of these events as well.

So how do we proceed when things are so crazy and unpredictable right now?

I feel blessed to be part of a Shamanic Community with Traditional Dreamers as our teachers who are here to guide us where we need to be. But not everyone is so lucky.

Still, all who are on a path of any kind, those who are seekers, will have guides. If you are able to listen to them, they will show you where you need to be. When things get tough, or you lose your balance or lose your way, take time to ask for guidance, and be sure to listen! In the end, hopefully, you are where you need to be, doing what you need to be doing to fulfill you life purpose in these turbulent times.

Some are Riders on the storm seeking risk, danger and excitement. Others hold that calm space inside it all. Which are you?

Either way, BALANCE is the key!

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May 13, 2017
PROTECTING SACREDNESS

When new people come to my Circles, I try to be welcoming and open because they have no idea who I am and I have no idea who they are. But they often come with expectations and baggage that can create an impact on the Wheel and the Dreaming.

Entering a Sacred Space takes humility and consciousness. A Medicine Wheel or Sacred Circle is exactly that... Sacred.

Indigenous peoples do not build churches or altars, we build Wheels of Stones that create an electro-magnetic force field that attracts the Ancestors and Spirits of the Land. Think of it as an altar created for people who are Nomadic and one with Nature and Spirit.

When you enter a church, a temple or synagogue, you enter with respect, you don’t chatter on endlessly, you don’t stomp around and make a lot of noise… you don’t try to take over the ceremony, you don’t try to show how much you know or how great you are at something. No, you sit quietly and listen with humility and respect. Hopefully you enter with a prayerful attitude.

You many not be someone who goes to any religious house of worship. You many not be someone who follows their protocol, but everyone has something they believe in and respect, whether it’s a church, a place of business, money, nature... whatever. When you enter a place, you adhere to their customs, their ways, their protocols, their language.

As a Keeper of the Medicine Wheel, both by my essential Nature and by countless years of initiations, I am completely devoted to the Sacred Circle and the path of the Ancestors who gave their very lives for these Sacred Teachings. My job is to protect, preserve and sometimes share the Sacred Ways. It is an honor and privilege to be given these sacred teachings. But when someone comes to circles without considering that they are entering a Sacred space, then they are in for a surprise.

I am not here to coddle anyone, to pamper their egos and encourage unconsciousness. I am not here to convert anyone either. If you don’t have any desire to learn about our ways, then my Circles are not for you. If I want to learn about your ways, your beliefs and your traditions, I will come to your church or temple.

Until then, I welcome those who feel called, those who can find it in themselves to be open to learning about what it is I have to offer; to healing their imbalances and unconsciousness, and growing beyond their ego attachments to being seen and heard. I am totally devoted to sharing the teachings of our Ancestors with anyone who is ready for them and truly open.

If the European invaders had come to Turtle Island to learn, instead of take and destroy, if they had come to integrate with the millions of Indigenous people already on this land, we would not be in this mess we are in today.

First Nations people had and still have many of the answers to the worlds problems, and it is time for the rest of the world to listen.

We follow circular ways, not linear.
We are collective people, not individualistic.
We believe in the power of the Dreaming and follow it’s direction and guidance.
We are guided by and completely connected to Natural and Cosmological laws, not man-made laws.
We believe that Creator and Spirit is watching and act accordingly, treating all things as Sacred.
We are much more than meets the eye, if only people would take time to get to know us.

Ego is not dominant in our Ancestral ways like it is in the Modern Western world today. We know our place in the grand scheme of things and do not try to dominate Nature or convert people to our beliefs, or control huge masses of humans. We do not make ourselves better than the trees, the air, the water, the land, the animals or other humans….

We are simple, humble and respectful of many things. But when someone comes to my Circles with disrespect, dysfunctional ego and arrogance, my Bear comes out and will protect what is rightfully my duty to protect.

Our Ancestors were welcoming, open and trusting when the Invaders first stepped on this land and look where it got us!
Not much has changed when people come to a Medicine Wheel Circle with the same attitudes as the Invaders of long ago.
It is time for change.

AHO!

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SPRING 2017

It is synchronic to have the Moon of Breaking Masks come in this Full Moon, April 11 when in nature, the seeds are about to break through their shells.

Spring is all about growth and new life... and the Moon of Breaking Masks influences us to let go of the past, break open our illusions and face the light of consciousness and reality.

It is not as easy as it sounds. There are many force opposing this natural cycle of growth. For plants, the soil must right , the seed must be protected until it is ready to awaken, there must be enough moisture to soften the seed and nourish it.. it must find its way, pushing its roots down through the dark and reaching up towards the Sun,,, hoping it will not be trampled, crushed, drowned, dehydrated, eaten by animals... there are so many things that could go wrong. Yet is pushes its way through all of that, and with luck... it will grow ups to be a strong and healthy whole plant or tree.

Humans are not much different... we need a secure environment in which to grow up into healthy, whole adults. But unfortunately this is not always the case and we get broken or get stuck... in our wounds, emotional/psychological patterns and behaviours, unable to find our way free on our own. That is why we need other to help us heal and grow.

In Shamanism, we work as a collective, we use the Sacred Circle Teachings and Traditional healing methods passed down to us from the Ancestors. Unfortunately many people want quick fixes and instant results. We have become a society of impatient people who take pills to cover the pain, and want superficial methods of healing, to get it over with quickly.

And sadly... the ancient methods do not alway work for people today. White Men's illnesses require White men's medicine. Still, there is much we can learn and accomplish with following the Sacred teachings, if we are willing to do our part.

I know people who complain that they are sick, tired with no energy... they spend a fortune on doctors, medical or other forms of treatments... when all they really need to do is go for a walk, be with nature once in a while, relax, breath, stretch.... but they are too busy. This does not make sense to me. If they have time to go to chiropractors, doctors, physiotherapy, massage etc... why don't they have time to do things for themselves.

I remember one time when I was stressing myself out to get to a Yoga class in time, so I could relax. While I was rushing to get there, the irony of it hit me and I laughed. "Why not just stay home and stretch on my own," I thought? I know what to do. Yes, it is nice to be with others, but not when it causes more stress.

Most of our health issues are due to poor habits, laziness, ignorance or lack of discipline. I am far from perfect, but I do try to take responsibility for own health, growth and healing. We all need others to inspire us towards our own greatness, just as the tiny seed needs the sun and rain... but in the end, that little seed has to find its way to the surface on its own. It has to find the motivation, desire and energy to live a full and healthy life.

Happy Spring Everyone! May your roots go deep and may you grow towards Light and Consciousness in your daily living.

AHO!

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WELCOME TO MY WORLD
March 19, 2017

Awhile back, a woman wanted to come to my Medicine Wheel Circles. She said she wanted to support me, but did not want to pay. I wondered how she thought she would be supporting me by not paying. It made no sense to me. She was a counselor. So I asked her, “How would you feel if I came to see you for counselling but did not want to pay?” She answered, “But I have a PH.D.

I was stunned. In that moment, I realized how far I was from Western ways of thinking, how far apart our worlds were. In her mind, she had earned her right to charge for her work, but I did not deserve payment because I do not have a University degree in Shamanism. although she knew I had been doing this work for over twenty-five years, with the blessings and guidance from Spirit and my Teachers, I might add. What she doesn’t know is that we don't do 'Certificates" in Shamanism it takes seven years plus years of ongoing initiations to become a Keeper of the Wheel. And I have been a student initiate for over 25 years. I have had initiates that I have trained as well. This woman expected me to respect her work and credentials and I do, but does she respect the work I do, does she see it as legitimate and authentic. I come from a Traditional Shamanic background where we do not follow Western rules. It is time that Westerners listened to Indigenous People and step into our reality for a change.

I have been in her world, but she has not been in mine.

Western logic says that if you are certified by some well-known authority, you are credible, capable and worthy of being paid for your work. But even a University degree does not guarantee you are good at your job. I know doctors, lawyers, therapists, counsellors... who I would not pay to go and see, because they are not nice people, not caring or considerate of those they are supposed to care for. I have walked out of doctors offices because they were not experts in their line of work. I have fired lawyers because they did not give a dam about me or my problems, they just wanted my money.

I have no doubt that the woman I mentioned above is very good at what she does, as many educated people are, but having credentials is not always a guarantee that you are good at what you do or that you are a kind, generous or decent human being.

What is the measure of someone’s worth, the letters after their name or the wisdom of experience they embody?

These days many are calling themselves authorities and giving out credentials and certificates. Granted, there are still the standard University degrees that are considered legitimate. But what about other teachers and so-called ‘schools’ that pop up and begin taking in students and giving out certificates? Are they legitimate?

Who do we trust? In whom, what and where do we put our faith?

A woman once told me that she does Shamanic Journeying, but does it in a way that does not dishonour Traditional ways. “How does that work?” I wondered. “How did she decide where the line was between what is Traditional Shamanism and what is not?” She told me she is not certified as a Shamanic Practitioner. I had to laugh. I told her that we don’t do certifications, we do Initiations.

Would you give Holy Communion to people if you are not a Catholic Priest? Would you administer Hebrew last rites on a dying Jew if you are not a trained Rabbi? Would you teach the Koran to someone if its not your religion? Where does the appropriation end?

Contrary to popular belief, you cannot become a Shaman in a weekend or even a year long workshop! Or any workshop or course for that matter.
It is a calling! It is not something that just happens because you want it. You must be chosen by Indigenous Teachers,Shamans, Spirit or the Ancestors. It is too easy for people to say they were chosen by Spirit. There is a disregard for actual live Spiritual Teachers these days.

I was always Shamanic. I was never interested in having a long list of letters after my name. Although I have a University degree, post-graduate training and have done studies in other fields, I always did them for my own growth and healing, not for status or proof of my intelligence.

I studied Fine Arts in University to bring out my creativity, which brought movement to my Wheel and opened up a healing journey that led me to my Path. I trained as a Natural Health Practitioner, a three year full-time program, in order to learn how to take care of my own health and body after a near-fatal illness. I majored in Spiritual Psychotherapy in order to learn to fine-tune my senses and develop my latent extra-sensory perceptions.

A three-year post graduate program in Art Therapy helped me look at my shadow and childhood traumas. It made me ready for Shamanism. I thought I had done a lot of inner work when I came back on Path, after taking a detour to do all these other things, which I now know were necessary for me to get strong, grounded, balanced and humble enough to walk a Sacred Path. I was never meant to be part the Western world, but I did get a lot of learning and healing from it. And for that I am grateful.

Still when I came on Path, things got REAL really fast! Things that I never imagined possible manifested immediately. I learned that there is no separation between the waking and the dreaming and all that work I did for all those years had just touched the very tip of the iceberg that is my Soul.

Over the last twenty-five years, I learned how to be collective, how to take responsibility for my actions; how to accept and not judge my shadow, how to be more balanced and disciplinedt; how to overcome social and religious programs and indoctrinations; how to admit when I am in resistance, denial, fear, illusion, how to overcome my own perceived limitations, how to integrate my Wheel, find my Medicine/ Poweand honour my stories... and much, much more….

I learned about the three parts of the Soul - Ego, Totemic and Ancestral. I healed lifetimes of issues and Ancestral stories, on a personal and collective level. I connected with Spirit Guides and learned, am still learning... how to navigate the Waking Dream and twenty-four levels of Dreaming, how to value dreams, and how to walk in harmony and balance with Natural and Cosmological Laws.

I have lots of stories of things that I lived that are magical beyond anything I ever imagined possible. And I am still learning as I spiral deeper and deeper into the Teachings, my own Wheel and the Collective Wheel of our community.

In Shamanism there are also tests. We don’t get letters after our names, but we get recognition from Spirit, the Dreaming and our Teachers.

We are acknowledged for our growth, power, wisdom and the life lessons that we learn. The tests come from the Dreaming/Spirit and the Ancestors, they are not imposed on us by our Teachers. The tests are not made up by Humans. We do not sit in rooms and answer questions or write essays. Our tests are called Initiations and they occur in our everyday lives.

There are big and small initiations along the way, but they are always relevant to our story, our journey and what we need to learn in order to grow and heal on a Soul level. Some of them are so intense that we fall hard and fast. But we pick ourselves up, get the lessons and move on, hopefully. Some people will get stuck and will leave indignantly, blaming us for their problems, not realizing that the initiation is an opportunity to change something. Shamanism magnifies things so they are in our face and we can’t deny them. Not everyone is ready for this.

But it is not all about hardships, challenges and initiations. Our strengths, power and gifts are also highlighted. The rewards are countless. We also laugh and tease a lot. I am stronger, wiser, clearer and more confident than I ever was in the past. I know more about my path and purpose that includes parts of my Soul that I never knew existed. I have explored my Inner Universe and my Inner Community at a depth I never imagined was possible.

People come to Shamanism for many reasons: for curiosity, for healing, for guidance or maybe because it is a fad these days, or because they are bored or lonely, or because they tried everything else and nothing worked, or maybe they like the phenomena of it (drumming, dreaming, Shamanic journeying, spirit guides, totems etc). And some come to Shamanism because they are CALLED.

Those who are called know it, they feel the Wheel, they 'get' the Teachings, they are excited about learning, they are respectful, they value the teachings and are willing to give an exchange for what they get out of it. They are grateful. They know they found something unique and powerful. They will pass the initiations because they know it is for them to ascend to a higher level.

We are generous and giving people in our world. We do not deny those who are curious or are in need of healing, but it is good to be honest about why you are interesting in Shamanism, to come with an open heart and mind, not with expectations, demands, Western attitudes, expecting something for nothing, taking and not giving back . If you come with openness and integrity and a desire to learn, I guarantee that you will get back much, much more than what you put into it.

And you will be initiated.

As an Initiator, I often test people up front. Initiations after all are about ASCENSION. You can fall into woundedness, arrogance, denial, illusion, resistance, defensiveness, indignation etc… or you can rise to a higher level of consciousness and find new attitudes and behaviours. That is your choice. As Initiator, I have learned to choose carefully who I initiate because there is a contract involved. If the other person is willing to do the whole Wheel, I must do it with them. And I also get initiated each time.

So you see, I have lived in your world, but you may have not lived in mine.
Yes, I can respect your credentials and expertise, your skills and your worth.
Can you respect mine?

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* The Image at the top of the page shows how much Westerners do not understand Shamanic or First Nation Ways.
1st of all we would never desecrate a Holy Mountain like that by blasting into it.
2nd, we would not carve human images in stone, it is egotistical.
3rd, they did not ASK the First Nations Elders if that is what they wanted. If they had, the answer would have been a firm "NO"

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DREAMING AWAKE: MY FIRST WHEEL

My first conscious experience with a Sacred Circle began in 1990 when I was Fine Arts student at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. It was my final year and we had an entire semester to bring together a major project in our Multi-media class. I began to feel something brewing inside of me, but I wasn’t sure what. The technical details took form over the months that followed. From the beginning, the guidance inside of me was so subtle that I couldn’t really explain to anyone what I was doing. Something was moving through me, but it was bigger than me. It felt magical. It was a process of Creation. I often felt like I was in a Dream. Over time I put together bits and pieces of stories, images and sounds from my past and present and little to my knowledge, also related to my future. Some part of me knew what I was doing and fortunately my conscious mind didn’t question it too much.

When we are being Creative we are touching Creator and Creation.

It was a time of transition for me. I was thirty-nine years old and had just left my marriage of seventeen years. There was much that I needed to learn and heal about myself. The focus in the presentation seemed to be my unresolved issues, my shadow and fears, but also my Spiritual beliefs. I was going deep and working through major life themes using art and ritual as my medium of expression and exploration. For months, I had gathered images from my childhood, as well as the past few years of my life and what I was living. I projected slides on the wall, combined with words and music to tell my story. I ended it with a ritual where I laid down candles in a circle and spoke affirmations out loud. It was powerful and life-transforming. It was my first Wheel.

For days after, fellow students came up to me and expressed how the presentation had a deep impact on them. I was happy to have touched others on such a deep level, but I only know that it shifted something deep down inside of me and although I didn’t realize it at the time, it set me on my Path. The year that followed was to be one of profound awakening and incredible connections with my Spirit Guide, my Aboriginal heritage and fellow travellers on the Red Road.
Today, I look back and see that it was the Wheel Keeper inside of me that was awakened by this ritual, this act of Creation. I was being used by something greater than me. I surrendered to the Mystery and that started me on a healing journey that lasted for decades. This was just the beginning of my Shamanic experiences and there were many more profound life-changing events to come my way.

There are not many Wheel Keepers around anymore, not many people are called to this Sacred Role. And it is a calling, a vocation that requires much discipline and a life-long commitment. I was both blessed and burdened to be called in service to Creator, the Ancestors, Mother Earth and Future Generations. The responsibility of it cannot be downplayed. One has to be initiated by a Teacher over seven years or more. It takes a lot of hard work; humility, integrity and devotion to maintain this Role. Yet the rewards are beyond anything I ever imagined and more than I can explain in a few words. To be a Keeper of the Wheel is to walk the path of the Ancestors, who stand beside us every step of the way.

The Medicine Wheel brought me home to Myself, my Teachers, my Guides and Community on this Earth walk of mine. The Wheel is all about Creation, our stories, the stories of the Earth and inter-relations. It is about connecting to Spirit and Nature - Natural and Cosmological laws. It is about healing, growing, learning, sharing and connecting with all life everywhere. The Wheel exists inside all of us and all around us in Nature and cosmologically in the Sun, Moon, Planets and Stars above... all of Creation!

We unconsciously spin Wheels all the time. The Sacred Circle teaches us how to be conscious and functional in our daily living, how to walk towards sacredness, balance and wholeness. It shows us so many different perspectives, alternative solutions, different ways of thinking, seeing and living reality, our dreams, relationships and life. It is an ancient way of life that is still relevant in the modern world and much needed in order to bring back sanity, sacredness and balance.

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LINEAR VERSUS CIRCULAR PERSPECTIVES: Reflections on last Circle

February 2, 2017

Today is Ground Hog Day. Does anyone ever wonder where these fads come from? In Shamanic Traditions, everything has a purpose and meaning. We dig deep to find answers to life's many mysteries. Today is just another day. It is obvious that we will have an early spring, not because the Ground Hog saw its shadow, but because the weather has been mild all winter and the geese are already returning to some areas, and some never left. IF we look to nature, we will see many things... all it takes is quiet observation.

It was a pleasure to introduce the Sacred Circle teachings to a new group of people in the Ottawa area. I should say that I am the newcomer, not the people who attended. They were a diverse group and eager to share and learn. I was touched by their openness and the sharing of their personal stories. I was glad to be able to demonstrate the differenced between linear and circular thinking, and how they impact our life situations.

I was aware of those who wanted to attend but could not or those who had trouble finding the place. I must say that in Shamanism we follow the Dreaming and the Wheel. It guides us to where we need to be, the lessons we need to learn. Attending a Sacred Circle is an honor and a privilege and the intention has to be strong.

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The circle on Sunday, February 16th, was about Linear versus Circular Perspectives. I demonstrated the difference to make a point, using a ball of yarn that I gave to each participant as they introduced themselves. I had set up the chairs in a straight line and sat facing them. Giving the ball to the person at one end, I unraveled the string as they held the ball, creating a thread between us. The ball was passed down the line as each one introduced themselves. The person at the other end of the line was left holding the ball, literally. We had a discussion around what that meant and all the little signs and sychronicities that went along with it.

Then I laid down the Wheel and had them move their chairs to sit in a circle. The difference between the circle and the line was clearly evident in how everyone felt the energy and was able to see each other instead of just each one of them facing me. We suddenly became equals. And there was no beginning or end. I passed the ball of yarn around gain, unwinding it until it came full circle back to me, showing how what we put out comes back to us, multiplied. And how if one person drops the thread, the entire circle is broken. Another great discussion ensued. I also talked about Loops of Consciousness and the many layers of the Wheel, the Roles, the Winds and Moons, touching only briefly on different parts of the Wheel, as an introduction.

Circular thinking is foreign to many today, humans have become a society of linear thinkers who think only of themselves and a projected outcome. People walk through life with blinders on and see only what is directly in front of them. They often do not consider the consequences of their experiences, how when they take a styrofoam cup, where it will end up, or when they are unconscious with their words and actions, how it will impact others and the environment around them. Linear thinking is also short-sighted and does not consider the long term effects.

Linear thinking is simply that... walking a straight line. There is a beginning and an end. That's it... end of story. It is illogical to think that way when everything in the universe is circular, from the cells in our body to the farthest galaxies spinning around each other in space. Days and night, sun and moon, all move in a circular pattern. And all that we do occurs in a circular manner, from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed and dream, then wake up again to another day... we are living a circular pattern.

Life does not begin and end, it is a never-ending spiral of deaths and rebirths. I often think that whoever decided to perpetuate the disbelief in reincarnation had a plan to control and manipulate people to install fear of death in them. When we stop believing that we were here before, we lose the larger perspective, we lose the threads of our stories. As a result, we repeat the same dysfunctional patterns over and over again, always starting and ending but never competing them, like the movie "Groundhog Day" with Bill Murray... until we change the story, take a different action to obtain a different outcome.

Linear thinking is what is causing a lot of our problems in the world today.
Circular thinking can help us remember our connection to all life everywhere, not just human.

We are truly one with the Earth, Sky and Stars, with the animals, trees and minerals that live in and on the Earth. Understanding what that actually means and the responsibility that requires is the first step towards wholeness, healing and resolution for us all. Humanity has forgot that they were meant to be caretakers of the Earth. We are not here to just take, indulge, conquer and consume all the resources of the planet.

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February 10, 2017
MOON OF VALUE

Some people do not understand the value of exchange and gratitude and do not value the Sacred Teachings. If they did, I would not have to ask for payment and they would gladly give more than I ask.

Some people expect Medicine People to not charge, but we also have to eat and pay bills like everyone else. In the past, people took care of their Shamans, Healers and Medicine People. There was an understanding of the importance of exchange and tribal members brought food and clothing as offerings in exchange for the work the Shamans did which was incredible and beyond what most people would believe or even understand today. The time knew that if they take or receive something, they have to give something back or else they create an imbalance. Taking all the time will cause your basket to overflow and spill out and you can lose everything.

Giving and receiving must be balanced to create a Sacred Circle. If you just take, then it is Linear, not Circular.

For some reason, we are expected to live in poverty if we are doing this kind of work.
How much do you pay to go see a counsellor, a therapist, to get a massage, to go to a movie or dine out...?
Priests and Ministers live in comfort and even luxury, yet Medicine People are expected to do their work for free.
How does that make sense?

Some people even are so bold as to ask where I spent the money. Do you ask that of your Therapist or Doctor?
If you do not feel that the cost is not worth it, then it is probably not for you.
Those who come will be those who value what they are given and they will receive more than they give.
How can we put a price on the Soul’s journey?
How much is your Soul’s growth and healing worth to you?
How much is the Ancient Wisdom worth?

What I offer changes lives and guides the Soul home!
If you are coming for entertainment then you are not valuing what I have to offer.

The fee helps to make sure that those who come value the teachings. The Moon of Value teaches us this lesson. Money is a sacred exchange of energy. If there is no exchange I will not have the energy to continue and the Sacred Ways will be lost. In the end, by valuing the work I do, you are committing to yourself and your sacred journey with your personal Wheel, not to me but to yourself. The Moon of Value starts with Self-value.

I know from personal experience, that if you commit to the Wheel, the money will come. Many times when I had not money for a circle or workshop, I suddenly was contacted to do some work or received an unexpected source of revenue. The Wheel and the Ancestors support, nourish and protect us when we are exploring a Sacred Path. Yet I do not turn away anyone who cannot pay. If you are truly want to learn the Wheel and Teachings, you can approach me, I am open to working out a solution.

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.