Rattling the Bones

On our Medicine Wheel, tomorrow’s Full Moon (sept. 23rd, 2010) is called Breaking the Masks. We often approach this moon through exploring duality especially truth or lies, and illusions or reality. Breaking the Masks is about facing the facts about ourselves, our world and the people in it. I’m not sure that it’s simply about investigating reality versus illusions. I believe that it is about being brutally honest and crystal clear on what we’re living; how we are living it; and what we would like to live. It’s about shedding the pretence. Everyone is touched by cosmology no matter if they believe in it or know anything about it. If you’re born on Planet Earth, then you are inevitably touched by the laws of nature and cosmology the same way the trees, the animals or the tides of the ocean are impacted by the Moon. When my children were toddlers, on each Full Moon, we would step outside and stare up at the sky. I would tell them stories which referred to each Moon of the Wheel

The Medicine Wheel produces a magnetic force which is very noticeable to plants, animals, birds and insects etc... Unfortunately, most humans won’t pick up on the sound and energy that it yields. Almost a decade ago GP and I went to Quebec city to teach the Medicine Wheel. We were invited by a group of nurses who cared for patients in palliative care. I knew right away when I met this ladies that if I didn’t show the phenomenal impact the Wheel has on us and our environment, they would never use it with their patients. I remember we were gathered in the living room, at one of the participant’s home. We were about 25 people around the Wheel that day. As I was building the Medicine Wheel the house cat kept mewling around the stones and it seemed to bother the hostess. She was a polite lady who didn’t want to disturb anyone. I made sure to set the anchors around the animal as if I was building an invisible cage. I asked the hostess to try to take the cat out of the circle. She

Different people will teach the Medicine Wheel in different ways. Still the Wheel and its contents is pretty much the same. Recently I was making a comparison between learning the Medicine Wheel and learning Karate. I explained that in Karate, the initiates called Karateka have to earn belts by memorizing katas which are patterns of fighting moves; and by passing practical fighting tests. With each new coloured belt the techniques and challenges get more difficult until they finally reach the black belt. Once the Karateka reaches the black belt, he or she has to show the Sensei (the Karate Master) that they have learnt what has been taught to them; but they also have to show the Sensei that they can contribute to the art of Karate by creating katas of their own. They have to show that they can be masterful as well which in many sacred arts means being able to be in service to the art. In the end, there may be different schools of Karate but they all share a common ground of fighti

Two weekends ago ET and I went to Quebec city for our 22nd wedding anniversary. ET had offered me tickets to go see Cavalia which is an equestrian production Cirque du Soleil style that was in Montreal. I love horses but I’m not a fan of seeing them exploited by humans for entertainment. ET ended up going to the event with KM, they are two passionate horse lovers, and they both said that the show was good but not worth the ticket prices. They are not planning to return next year. For our anniversary we ended up going to Totem, the latest production of the Cirque du Soleil. Since we missed their show in Montreal in late Spring we had to go to Quebec city where they are now touring until September. I figured if the desire was this strong then there must be some kind of dream hiding behind it all. I love Quebec city but I always feel a bit apprehensive to travel and explore this town because it is filled with history that has yet spun its full Wheel of resolution. For someone

Lots of people have asked me during the course of the last 20 years if it is possible for us to be reborn as animals or is it possible to have some of our pets reincarnate as human beings? I have had e-mails asking me if “animals actually reincarnate?” I’ve noticed through this life time that pretty much everyone is curious and worried, sometimes even anxious about what lies beyond this reality. I think it is safe to say that we all fear death in some shape or form. Recently, especially in the last month I’ve noticed there’s been lots more animal and human deaths than usual. For sure, Autumn and Spring are usually the seasons of choice for dying; but this moon has given us higher numbers than the norm. Why so? In Shamanism answers always lie in natural and cosmological laws. Like I was telling DAL and WI a few days ago, Shamanism is mostly concerned with the notion of natural balance and rhythm. If there’s more death at this point in time it’s telling us that nature is attemp

A year ago our dog started showing sign of old age. Her muzzle turned white and she started to get tired after a bit of running. When you spend fourteen years with someone you start knowing how they feel and what they are thinking. Suddenly Luck wasn’t as active and could sleep the afternoon away. At that time I decided to make a deal with her. I whispered in her ear one night as we both headed for bed that “I needed a year to get ready. I couldn’t let her go any sooner.” Of course she licked my face and I assumed that she agreed. Last week when my husband and I went to Quebec city for our 22nd wedding anniversary, Luck went into convulsions. The veterinarian suspected a brain tumour with heart issues. Later with blood results there was talk of liver disease. After the ordeal Luck struggled to walk. After a week she stopped eating and lost her autonomy. She hide in dark corners in the house and panted uncontrollably night and day. We had to made the decision to maybe send he