Rattling the Bones

I teach the Medicine Wheel and Indigenous Dreaming. GP and I try to offer 4 to 6 workshops a year. Some are open to everyone and others are for special interest groups. Between the workshops and the conferences we give classes, do ceremonies, and do dream time charts. We may sound really busy but we often complain of boredom. Don’t ask me why? LOL Recently I asked myself the question why is it so difficult to be content? And why are we always looking for something new to experience? Why is it necessary to always be useful? Lately, I notice how grateful each member of our family has been through the last decade because we’ve experienced together a lot of great adventures. My daughter was mentioning to a friend this weekend how “we’re” kind of like ghost busters. I couldn’t help but laugh at the words she used and how she attempted to make something, which sounds “crazy” to most people an event that is extraordinary and somewhat normal. KT told a story, which occurred al...

Most of you know that in the last year we’ve adopted two Beagles. After the death of our 14-year-old companion, Lucky who was also a Beagle, I was guided through a dream to go out and adopt two new members to our family. After the Great Gathering workshop in October of 2010, I promised to dedicate myself to this journey and give it at least six months of my undivided attention. This is the reason why you haven’t seen me at any workshop since last year. I will be at the Golden workshop though coming up this July. I honestly believe that Lucky passed away to make room for Bella and Murfle. It’s certainly not the first time in my life that decease animals or humans have guided me towards others, towards change, towards profound learning and healing. It probably won’t be the last. Having the ability to lucidly speak with the dead has certainly made me unique. Seriously I believe that this dimension of my life has managed to impact all other dimensions of who I am. For example, ...

I don’t think I have ever come across a word, which creates as much controversy as the word SHAMAN. Often when GP and I give workshops and conferences we are introduced as SHAMAN. We have often talked of dissuading our hosts and hostesses from using this word because it never fails to trigger some conflict or argument during question period. Yet, each time we’ve discussed the matter we’ve decided against it mostly because it also brings about an opportunity to share on the topic and bring forth some knowledge or perspective that most people have never considered before. In other words, it allows us to step into the experience of the Sacred Circle rather than just talk about it. Most people who invite us to give workshops or conferences are people who believe in our work because they’ve done some kind of journey with us. When they use the word SHAMAN it is because it translates the power of their experience with us. The word SHAMAN comes from the Russian language and implies wi...

It’s been a while since we’ve talked about dreams. I recently asked people to share their dreams on our Facebook group, Medicine Wheel and Indigenous Dreaming. Luckily a few people replied to the request. As a traditional dreamer I’ve learnt to understand my dreams with the help of Sacred Circle tradition. For sure if you want to interpret dreams similarly to the way that I do you absolutely need to learn about the Medicine Wheel. When I first learnt that my mind naturally perceives pretty much every thing from a circular perspective rather than a linear one, it freed me from all kinds of social programs and expectations. It allowed me to understand myself better and to develop this ability into what I consider today a kind of “expertise”. Two decades later and I literally use circular perspective to confront any life challenge, big or small. Circular perspective is good for problem solving; for conflict resolution; for team or community building; for self-discovery and to bui...

Wow! I can’t believe that in the last three years, I haven’t written a single blog on the topic of “the seven clans” of the Medicine Wheel. For the last two months our Montreal circle has been exploring the subject. I think it’s the first time in fifteen years that I ask my students to go out into the World and experience the clans first hand. “Look at people and see which clan they can belong to; or look at behaviors and attitudes and try to connect them to one of the Clans.” We often speak of the clans as the seven faces of Creator. In Christianity or Judaism God can be angry, impatient, judgmental and destructive; but he can also be merciful, compassionate, forgiving and loving. The Medicine Wheel may not personalize Creator in the same way many Religions do, yet in many ways it accomplishes the same end result where we can see ourselves as children of divinity. Often in non-traditional circles the seven clans are understood as archetypes. Each clan holds particular att...