Skulls and Bones.

First – thank you to everyone who reads my BLOG. I can literally feel you ALL stretching through the words and thoughts; weaving your own memories and feelings; and bringing forth actions that I believe will literally change the World one day. For me this is the image of SPIDER MEDICINE.

CHANGING THE PLANET is something we can manage together through sharing our blogs and our testimonies. Thank you to all of you out there who refer my blogs to friends and family. Don’t be shy to invite me to read “your blogs”. I’m definitely BIG on getting to know my fellow men and women.

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Now – here’s what happened to me last week!

I was taking the dogs out last week when I suddenly slipped and broke my left ankle in three different places. The doctors explained to me that my foot was literally holding on to my leg with the help of the skin only. I didn’t need them to tell me – it was pretty obvious. When I saw my foot uselessly hanging off the side of my leg I knew there was no way I was going to get out of this one without help…

Just the notion of "needing help" is a challenge and a lesson for me.

Friday I was home alone. I took the dogs out, fell and realized I had to get back into the house to be able to call someone. It never dawned on me to perhaps call 911 on my own... After screaming my head off for a few minutes (because REALLY - it hurts like hell to break your leg) I thought it would have been a better idea to have my cell phone in my coat pocket. I keep telling the kids they are addicted to their phones but at that moment, my “ass” in snow and my left leg totally useless, I bite my tongue a few times, swore and told my self “I learnt something today.”

Technology can be a God-Given-Gift. It's not like I haven't said this before but it seems that with every new experience there's a new perspective to this often superficial and indifferent comment.

I learnt that day that I’m pretty good in a crisis. Again it's not like it's a new insight; but one that seems to bring me deeper and deeper into my own personal wheel. I looked around the yard, noticed a shovel against the wall and as the dogs enjoyed a little stroll I tried to figure a way to get back in the house. I needed a phone. At first I tried to use the shovel as a crutch but my broken ankle didn’t agree with any kind of jumping movement. So I used my butt and two arms to pull myself up the steps and off the stairs. Once I reached the porch I used my knees and literally crawled into the house. I'll admit opening up the patio door was huge challenge but once I achieved it I was on a high.

It worked. Shit, and F***** were the words of choice all through this process. Who would have guessed that these words could be the most incredible motivators?

Actually, almost a decade ago when I met Harlyn Geronimo - Geronimo’s great-grand-son he talked about the “grounding effects of swear words.” I laughed at some of his choice comments but they did make sense. These days I find that in particular situations when you need “a grounding effect” some words do – do the trick. THAT DAY last week as I crawled my way back into the house I realized how important my anchors were on my personal Wheel. I grasped what it meant to be attached to the Earth and to need IT to survive. I also wondered about Mother Earth and her anchors was she telling me "humans were stripping her of her anchors on HER personal wheel?"

It might be strange to talk about Geronimo as a connection to this latest event of breaking my leg; but in truth it’s a synchronicity that can’t be ignored. I have been referring to the "great Medicine people of the last 500 years in my up and coming book." Geronimo was one of the elders I was exploring on the day of my accident. Did you know that Harlyn Geronimo and 20 other relatives brought a lawsuit against Yale’s Secret Society called SKULLS and BONES to reclaim the remains of their great-grand-father, Geronimo? According to some details written on the topic (2009) Geronimo's relatives believed that this Secret Society was using the bones and skull for rituals. My teachers have always told me "bones and skulls" hold our dreaming, our memories, and the details of our personal story. There are ceremonies where Medicine people who are preparing to die can choose who they want to share - their bones with (so to speak). It doesn't mean the bones will literally be given to these individuals although in the past this could have been possible. Today, the ceremony although seemingly symbolic does show the power within the bones of our ancestors. In my life I've receive a few times the "medicine within the bones of teachers around me." Even my dog LUCKY who passed away last year amazingly shared with us (her family) the medicine within her bones. I didn't think the ritual or ceremony would work with animals but it did and it a big way.

When the doctors worked on my foot, G who was with me almost fainted. He couldn’t believe the cracking sounds and how these people labored attentively over me to literally put my foot back together. Strangely enough all I remember of that specific moment is “the call I unconsciously sent out to a pack of wolves."

“We are giving you the drug; which was said to have killed Micheal Jackson,” said the nurse as if to say I was a celebrity too. She smiled at me and watched over me.

Surprisingly and totally unexpectedly the drug opened me up to a space where I saw at least 20 wolves come towards me. A big white wolf came close enough to my face for me to lucidly feel its breath over my nose and cheeks. I still remember the feeling as I'm writing it. The odor and warmth of the wolf's breath will definitely stay with me forever. Obviously, him and I have some kind of close connection. I wondered at first "why the pack was there?" I understood after a little while that in the dreaming I was caught in a trap. A Wolf myself and my pack was worried about me and whining their way behind me attempting to help me out.

Bella and Murfle, my two Beagles showed incredible concern when I fell down the stairs. They were all over me trying to understand why I was screaming so loud. Or maybe they simply understood through the energy that connects us that I was in trouble. One way or another they were a big part of the crisis that afternoon and I made sure to bring them in with me when I finally made it to the door. By the time I reached G and told him I had broken my leg Murfle and Bella lay near me – waiting. They seemed to be a mirrored image of the wolves in my dreaming space.

Geronimo, Micheal Jackson, the wolves --- an interesting trio of characters to say the least. What was I meant to understand from this experience?

First thing – make sure you clean up your steps on your porch if they are full of ice because you could slip and fall. (LOL) Obvious lessons always comes first.

Second, our bones connect us to the Earth and to the Dreaming. It’s important to consider them every now and again. Geronimo’s relatives made sure to state in their lawsuit that they weren’t OK with “rituals performed with ancestral, First Nation bones.” Obama was petitioned and it was requested that Geronimo’s bones be returned to sacred burial sites and traditional rituals be performed to honour these bones. It’s not the first time First Nation people petition the government to return their ancestors to the ground. Having been part of this procedure a few times in my life I can vouch that the bones of First Nation people especially should be handled with care.

Why do I say "especially?" Especially - because their belief system catered (and in traditional cases still do cater) to the idea that bones are medicine and gateways to the afterlife. So many of their old traditions honored death and bones in very particular ways. I don't have to tell you that, "when you intend and connect to an object or a bone with understanding of the "magic" within you'll most definitely will manifest phenomenal power (medicine)."

Remember Kennewick man? Same story and worth exploring or researching if you know nothing about it. I certainly gave a lot of attention to the idea of “ancestral bones” and the after life during this whole ordeal. I met interesting people in the hospital with amazing stories – all synchronically about loved ones and the messages they left after death.

One nurse said: “My mother never got the chance to visit my new home. She passed away too quickly but after her death we had a visit from a butterfly. It literally visited my home from room to room and finished landing on the chair right besides my father. I felt touched by my mother’s commitment and devotion to me and my dad.”

It was really quite beautiful to see how “my broken bones” brought forth a collection of stories relating to the beauty of death and the phenomenon of the after life. It's not surprising considering most of my vocational work or life long role caters to death. Nevertheless seeing it emerge and manifest in such a way was eye opening. I wondered for a moment how much more powerful and packed with memory (learning and healing) Geronimo’s bones must be? In that moment it seemed clear to protect MY bones and the bones of my ancestors. We owe each other some respect and some integrity in life and in death. It's wrong to believe that because someone has passed their remains are no longer important. If any of you know more about Geronimo’s story (the resolution and outcome) please make sure to post some comments. Thank you.

In the last week I lived at least 100 years in a few days. I understand the legendary stories of Medicine People who supposedly lived to be 400 or 600 years old. I grasp how easily that can happen when in a week I can pack up a century of memories, lessons, teachings – great learning. I’ll definitely be back with more stories connected to the last week. What I share with you today is a fraction of the details.

So my foot looks like Frankenstein’s face. Horrible. But it has never been more anchored. After a few hours of surgery I ended up with a plate and 6 screws bringing my foot back together. The dreams, the impressions, the synchronicities and phenomenon all week through showed me that I was indeed connected to Mother Earth and the Ancestors.

What next?

Well – it HURTS. LOL
Who would have guessed that it would take this much work to get a connection with the memories of my ancestors and give it form again. On the other hand, it makes so much sense it’s ridiculous. I can’t help but sigh and turn the page so I can start writing my next blog.

Skulls and Bones – have been important to our ancestors for a very long time. I put a skull in the center of my Medicine Wheel (I’ve used Wolf, Caribou, Elk, Lion, Bear or Deer). We give back our stories to the Earth as we die. Perhaps, we should give more attention to what that means. I know that my bones hold my story and that I don’t ever want to take my story for granted ever again….

I invite you all to anchor yourselves through your bones and to connect to the Earth and the Ancestors. Tell me how you make out. AND PLEASE you don’t have to break your limbs to follow in my foot steps --- I’ve done it for all of us.

LOVE you ALL
It's important to look at the picture under the picture.
Bones may hide beneath the surface but in the end they live on way beyond us.
They are gateways -- our way to the afterlife.