Rattling the Bones

Magic isn’t something you choose or you give; it is something that chooses you. The winter solstice is coming up on Friday and like every year this is a time for making wishes.  I think a lot of people confuse wishes with “demands”.  As Westerners especially from the 21 st century – we often confuse wishes with expectations and consumerism. A part of us believes that God, Spirit, Ancestors or even the Universe is there at our beckon call or owes us… Who doesn’t deserve to be rich, healthy, happy and merry? I was always told as I was growing up: “Ask the cosmos and it will deliver. “ I think a part of me always thought this meant an instantaneous response and if there wasn’t any – I felt sad, disappointed and even cheated. When my kids were growing up I was learning to apply the way of the Sacred Circle. So much about this philosophy is about giving meaning to pretty much everything; but mostly each of our experiences (actions, reactions, feeling...

My husband and I decided this summer that we should invest ourselves more in our city:  Montreal.   My son is a musician (drummer) and after College it was extremely difficult for him to find ways to make an income in his field.  It was then, that ET and I felt called to support and encourage new artists:  Young people who are struggling to get their ideas and visions out there.    There are quite a few venues in Montreal who offer live bands yet like in any fields the more experienced musicians get first pick.  Networking is definitely a must when it comes to music, acting and / or writing.  I remember how it was when I first came out of University.  I was looking for my chance to prove myself.  Unfortunately the opportunities are not always easy to find.  What’s most important to any artist is “an audience.”  So ET and I decided to make an extra effort towards applauding those who are trying to introdu...

In 1996 when I started doing dream time charts and dream interpretations I didn’t expect my efforts to actually reach the most remote corners of the Planet.   At the time, I was deepening my understanding of dreaming, and learning with the help of a teacher the discipline of a traditional, indigenous dreamer.   I was following a dream.   Then, my focus wasn’t so much on who I was going to meet and how big of an impact my journey was going to make; I was more preoccupied with surviving ME:   my journey, my growth, my skills, my thoughts, my emotions etc….. I don’t think anyone ever considers how their personal story can be valuable to others. In fact most people have the impression that nobody knows and nobody cares about them, --- particularly teenagers.   As children our world is entertaining, scrutinized, applauded, reprimanded, and supervised by the adults in our lives.   We reach adolescence and suddenly, we are asked to prove we are tr...

By Mary Rose Lessoway (White Dove Wheelkeeper) At this time of year when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest and the days are getting shorter, we get a lot of stories about Ghosts, Demons, Zombies and other dark characters. This is when our society celebrates Halloween by handing out candy to young trick or treaters, watching scary movies or dressing up in costumes and going out on the town. But where do these concepts and rituals originate? Halloween, the Day of the Dead, Samhain and Hallowed Eve all came together on October 31 st when ancient Pagan and Christian customs were merged. Halloween or “Hallowed Eve” is linked to the Celtic festival Samhain, when the door to the Otherworld was believed to be opened so that the souls of the dead could enter this world. This time of year was also influenced by All Saints’ Day, a Christian event which honors saints and the recently departed. The Day of the Dead can be traced back 3000 years to indigenous cultures in Mexi...

Every day G and I walk the dogs around the neighbourhood.  I love looking at homes.  There are beautiful homes in many of the cities around and within the Montreal area.  Actually, no matter where you go on the planet – it’s interesting to explore people, their stories, and the places they live in.  Often when I speak about dreaming I mention the importance of “impressions.” In our modern society we often depend on sight to dictate what we observe and understand of our environment and ourselves.  Too many people actually believe they can’t dream if they can’t perceive pictures in their minds as they sleep.  My students are always somewhat surprised when we spend the better half of a year working on developing our senses including the 6 th sense.  The notion of “impressions” is crucially important in the journey of an indigenous dreamer. Before we even begin to explore “night dreams” and what they may mean, we have to pract...