Values from the Elders

 Several weeks ago, a friend mailed me a list of actions recommended by elders in several indigenous clans.  I do not know where this originated, however, each reminder strikes a chord in me.  

When I was growing up, my parents were wonderful examples of Reminder 4.  All guests were treated with respect and honor.  Everyone was fed with the best of what was on hand.  This value my parents learned from their parents, my Ancestors.  

As you read through the reminders, check in with yourself to see how or whether you follow these life values.

15 REMINDERS FROM THE ELDERS:

1. Get up with the sun to pray. Pray alone.

2. Be tolerant of those who have lost their way. Ignorance, presumption, anger, jealousy and greed come from a lost soul. Pray for them to find guidance.

3. Find yourself, by your own means. Do not let others make your path for you. It is your path, and only yours. Others may walk with you, but no one can make your way (or walk your path) for you.

4. Treat guests in your home with great consideration. Serve them the best food, give them the best bed and treat them with respect and honor.

5. Do not take what is not yours, whether from a person, a community, from the jungle or from a culture. It was not given or won. It is not yours.

6. Respect all the things that are on this earth, be they people, plants and animals.

7. Honor the thoughts, desires and words of all people. Never break them in, or make fun of them, or imitate them rudely. It gives each person the right to their personal expression.

8. Never talk about others in a bad way. The negative energy you put into the universe will multiply when it returns to you.

9. All people make mistakes. And all the mistakes can be forgiven.

10. Bad thoughts cause illness to the mind, body and spirit. Practice optimism.

11. Nature is not FOR us. It is PART of us. She's part of your family in the world.

12. Children are the seeds of our future. Sow love in your hearts and water them with wisdom and life lessons. When they grow up, just give them space to grow up.

13. Avoid hurting the hearts of others. The poison of their suffering will return to you.

14. Be true (transparent ) all the time. Honesty is the test of one's will in this universe.

15. Keep yourself balanced. Your Mental person, your Spiritual person, your Emotional person, and your Physical person: they all have the need to be strong, pure and healthy.

May each of you have a peaceful, wonderful day,

Many blessings,

Judy

Juniper Berry - An Interesting Herb

Juniper Berry picture from Wikipedia

A good read is Whispers From the Woods by Sandra Kynes (Lewellyn Worldwide, Woodbury, MN www.llewellyn.com). The description of one of the trees really struck a me with a moment of AHA! All over Canada, it seems that juniper bushes get planted in front of the house or behind the house or in the yard.

 

Kynes talks about the fact that juniper bushes were planted in front of a house as a protection against witches. She also talks about the German belief that having a juniper bush in front of your house will prevent thieves from breaking into the house and stealing all the valuables. Did you know that juniper berries could be used to make gin?

What is really striking is that in the West, we have acres of juniper, if it were all together in one lot. It is striking that because of its medicinal purposes for colds, aches, and pains among other things, that almost every home then has a little medicine cabinet outside the door. Yet we are not conscious of the properties of the plant. We do seem to be conscious that somehow juniper is beneficial for we name many things from network systems, to music to designs after the juniper bush. 

The juniper tree's greatest gift is the berries.  These berries may be used to make a diuretic tea that does not seem to diminish one's electrolytes as over the counter diuretics may do.  

Recipe

Pick the berries when they are ripe and then place them on a cookie sheet covered with brown paper. Place the cookie sheet in a dark place - a pantry - for three days. The berries will dry. They may be stored in a cloth pouch and used, a teaspoonful at a time, in tea.  Pour boiling water over the berries, and mash a bit, and let the tea steep for three minutes.  Sweeten with honey if you find the taste too bitter.

This is just one recipe for the use of juniper berries.  Let me know how your medicine from juniper turns out. Let me know too, if you have any juniper recipes to share.

 Bright blessings!

  Judy

Pelican as a Spirit Messenger

"Pelican flock on the Bow River".    Copyright 2022 Judith Hirst

Calgary is unusual in that we do not have a large lake close to us and yet, every spring, a flock of pelicans (about forty of them) fly here at the beginning of May and stay until fall.  The flock is usually at the Bow River near where I live early morning or into the evening.

Pelicans are dedicated fishermen, and seem to have an unerring sense of where the fish are and how long they will be in that area.  When the fish have moved on, the pelican group will rise into the air in a flurry of white, and soar up the river (or down, as the case may be) looking for the next pocket of fish.

For several days now, I have been seeing the pelican on my walks or when I am driving to go shopping.  I have learned that this means Great Spirit has a message for me via the pelican.  Pelican is a Spirit Animal that is acting as a messenger.  Some days I think a phone call would be much simpler!  However, now that my attention is focused, Great Spirit knows that I will look for the guidance.  

At first, the message is not clear.  Black and white - all about mystery and magic.  Got that!  The black tips are on the wings - that is about flying into mystery and accepting the magic that appears in life.  As the pelican flies upwards, the black wing tips ground it even though it goes ever higher as depicted by the white representing the white lotus flower and the eighth chakra.  Part of the message then is to get in touch with my higher self, and sooner than later.  

The pelican has orange legs and an orange bill.  The legs are in the water which represents emotion.  The orange colour relates to the sacral chakra - the chakra of creativity and manifestation, relationships, and control.  Some of the issues that I often see connected with this chakra are about control, money, sexual issues, power, guilt and blame, and the duality of grace and joy along with fear and anger.  I remembered that black and white is also about duality. 

The thought that popped up was that I needed to wade into the emotions that I have been holding in my sacral around anger that I have around all the folks that are relinquishing their dogs, cats, and other animals to Calgary Humane and to SPCA.  I know that many are sacrificing because they can no longer afford them because of high cost of utilities here, the high gas prices, and the increasing property tax and insurance amounts.  The cost of food has risen ridiculously in the last year.  I am frustrated with our local and provincial government as well as the Federal government for raising gasoline taxes, not increasing pensions to seniors at the rate of inflation, paying out extraordinary amounts to countries outside of Canada without dealing with the high cost of housing and the increasing homelessness…. I am sure you can add to my list.  I am also frustrated because my writing and creating teachable modules of the work that I do is going so slowly.

The other part of the message was that  I needed to let go of "controlling so tightly" what the modules would look like.  I needed to let Spirit (the white is spirit) wade in and help me.  The orange bill indicates that I (we) will receive abundance, and like the pelican, I will always know where to look for it because I have that creative ability. 

When I finished translating the message, I felt pretty humble.  A phone call would not have been half as effective!

May Great Spirit fly a message your way,

Many Blessings,

Judy