The Role of Women and Indigenous People in Personal, Societal and Planetary Transformation
by Anne Wilson Schaef
If there is one topic that major political parties disparate societies, individuals and the entire planet can agree upon it is that homo sapiens have not done a great job of developing creative and functional individuals or societies.
Back in the 1970s, Frank Fools Crow, the great spiritual leader of the Lakota Sioux, said to me “There will be a thousand years of peace and prosperity and they will be ushered in by the women.” At that time, I was aware that these were important words – as was everything he said to me – and I held them close to my heart. I was and am a feminist. Being a Cherokee-Irish-with a little bit of English woman, it was inevitable that I was a feminist. Now, at 83-years-old, I have not only the advantage of many wise elders, native and western, who taught me well, I have the advantage of my own experience of living through several waves of feminism and cultural change.
Frank Fools Crow always exhorted me to be an eagle and see the larger picture. My mother and great-grandmother, both from a medicine line, taught me that we are here to heal, grow and learn, and be of service to others. I have never doubted that my primary relationship was and is with the creator and that the creator is my boss. If I am honest, do my work, participate and trust my process, I will always have more than enough to do and will also have what I need.
I grew up knowing that everything is spiritual and that all religions have some parts of the truth, were developed by men – as are the cultures – and were developed when and because we, as humans, had drifted away from our essence and were trying to find our way back.
As I have worked with women and native cultures all over the world, I have been told again and again that there will be a time when our innate wisdom will be essential to save the planet and that time is now. Women and native peoples have not been key in creating the human cultures we now have on this planet. And, because of that lack of influence, have a different perspective than those who have the power and influence in that creation.
Unfortunately, our major role in the creation of the current male-dominant cultures has been to accept that we had no role. I now see that there was a reason that women’s knowledge and wisdom and that of native people was not accepted, sought after, or listened to. It was because we, as a species, were not ready to integrate it into our cultures and way of functioning.
In 1981, I published my first book, Women’s Reality. In that book, I described three major systems operating in the culture. I called the dominant culture the White Male System (WMS) because white males held the power and influence in that system and designed it (with all our passive – if not active – support). I called the women’s counterpart to that system the Reactive Female System (RFS), because it was not a natural system for women. It was developed to aid, support, and survive in the WMS. Then there was another emerging system I observed and participated in its development as a second wave feminist. It was a system I saw coming into being as we women shedded our brainwashing in the WMS and became clearer and clearer about whom we were and what we knew and believed as women. I called this system the Emerging Female System (EFS). The power and wisdom in that system has been growing exponentially as women have trusted seeing what we see and knowing what we know.
I then became very interested in working with recovering alcoholics. During the years of working intensely with alcoholics throughout the world, I came to see that what I had called the WMS was a one-to-one fit with the addict and what I called the Reactive Female System was a fit with the co-dependent. We were living in a society that functioned just like an addict.
What I had labeled the Emerging Female System was a system that had been submerged by the WMS/RFS and was now emerging as a solution to the WMS (addictive system)/RFS (co-dependent). This new system is built on process and participation and operates out of a deep, spiritual wholeness. It will be transformative for individuals, systems and the planet and is already there, hidden in the ancient wisdom of women and native people throughout the world.
The words of Frank Fools Crow are now emerging as a living reality.
Clearly, we are in a time when the systems and ways of being in this world are not working and, indeed, are quite dysfunctional.
Yet, we have hidden within the very fabric of our social and cultural existence, groups of people – women and indigenous people – who, sometimes even unbeknownst to them, have, because of their oppression, clues of ways to transform the human race and the planet. Recovering alcoholics would call this process “hitting bottom and discovering a spiritual solution.”
We will be led into the solution by the wisdom of those who have had little or no voice in creating the dominant system that is universally destroying the planet.
If we trust the process, we can, indeed, see that God, the creator, the ground of our being does, indeed, have a sense of humor.
About the Author
Anne Wilson Schaef is a New York Times bestseller with several million books in print. Her writings have always focused on healing, recovery, transformation and spirituality for individuals, organizations, societies and the planet. She is just returning from a 20-year personal retreat in which she explored her native roots. For more than 40 years, she has worked with an international community called the Living in Process network where individuals and groups focus on recovery from addiction, deep process work and a cultural paradigm shift. She has a doctorate in clinical psychology and an honorary doctorate in Human Letters. Her latest book titled, “There Will Be a Thousand Years of Peace and Prosperity, and They Will Be Ushered in by the Women – Version 1 & Version 2,” is available online at iUniverse, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Navajo Spiritual Traditions Featured at Unique Wellness Adventure in Arizona
Restival, the global host of wellness retreats and cultural festivals, will offer guests an exclusive opportunity to explore the traditions, arts and knowledge of the Navajo on the tribe’s historic homelands. This new adventure, scheduled for Sept. 12-17, 2016, will encourage guests to unplug from technology, reconnect with one’s self and others, and restore physical and mental equilibrium through ancient Navajo culture and rituals together with wellness and bodywork treatments to truly re-calibrate.
Restival Arizona’s site is located amid the four sacred mountains that define “Dinétah,” the unspoiled tribal homeland in the deserts of northern Arizona. Guests will enjoy a comfortable eco-luxe camp featuring Navajo-made Tipis and bell tents overlooking the Painted Desert, with doors facing east in the traditional manner. The adventure features daily wellness workshops including meditation and yoga; body treatments and beauty therapies; organic dining; writing; gong baths; music and dance.
The Restival experience takes travelers to new dimensions by inviting Diné (Navajo) leaders to lead traditional experiences including Cacao ceremonies, Medicine Wheel, song, art and sweat lodges in an original Hogan, a traditional Navajo structure used as housing or a place of ceremony. Guests will experience the changing seasons in northern Arizona, with average daytime temperatures ranging from 77-86 degrees Fahrenheit and evening temperatures of 50-59 degrees.
This year’s highlights include:
- Navajo Astronomy: Dr. David Begay, an expert on indigenous astronomy who consults for Jet Propulsion Lab/NASA, will bring the night sky’s constellations closer to guests through the use of powerful telescopes and an understanding of the Navajo perspective on the order of the universe.
- Storytelling and Harvest Celebration: Elders will bring evening campfires to life by telling traditional stories that connect the Diné to the natural world around them. The Benally family will share traditional dances and songs for the celebration of the harvest and of the full moon, which will occur on Sept. 16.
- Song Bird Grandmother: A medicine woman uses the four sacred directions to guide guests through a healing ceremony that opens perspectives to the world, and seeks to reconnect guests with the earth and sky.
- Mask Making: Acclaimed multimedia artist Zarco Guerrero, who lives within the Navajo Nation, makes masks for indigenous tribes around the world. His workshops will help guests create their own masks as unique keepsakes that reflect the Restival Arizona experience.
“We’re honored to bring guests a rare opportunity to immerse themselves in Navajo traditions and culture, and to enjoy the beauty of the ancient tribal homeland,” Caroline Jones, Restival’s founder, said. “Far from the hectic schedules and technology of our urban lives, we can reconnect with ourselves, each other, and the natural world. Guided by Navajo elders, guests can detox, recalibrate and engage in the changing seasons while seeking mind and body balance.”
To preserve the intimate experience, reservations for Restival 2016 are limited. For more information, please visit http://www.restival.global.
Restival plans to announce details of its newest wellness adventure in November 2016. “We’re off to the Sahara for another adventure this year,” Ms. Jones said. “Last year’s life-changing experience in the Sahara was an incredible trip, and our Restival movement is growing as people increasingly seek to tune out for a while from this technologically saturated world. The Sahara really is the place to switch off, with oceans of sand waves seemingly for miles and the Berber Nomads, a fascinating and humble culture, as our friends setting up a small village within our camp.”
About Restival
Restival, the global host of wellness retreats and cultural festivals, curates exclusive travel adventures that allow guests to immerse themselves in ancient–sometimes overlooked–cultures and traditions. Through the influence of nature and the land, guests can disconnect from urban life in small, intimate groups and restore equilibrium to both mind and body. For more information about upcoming Restival adventures, please visit http://www.restival.global, and follow us on Twitter at @restivalglobal and Instagram at restival.global.
How to Grow the World’s Healthiest Vegetables
By Jay North, aka J Mountain Chief
There is something about waking up to a beautiful sunrise and going outdoors to play with and nourish one’s wonderful crops. The early morning dew, the fragrance of dawn turning to day, and the sheer beauty and joy of one’s edible garden; for some green thumbs this is pure heaven.
We plant what we enjoy consuming and giving away our produce to friends; we plant for eye candy and dig the Earth for food, exercise and vitamin D. There is joy in that dirt. Get out and play with her more often. She loves us. Mother Earth rewards us with healthful foods and other splendor’s known to the ones who cherish her. But did you know she has secrets for healing your body with her bounty too? Yes, few green thumbs know her trickster coyote (*native tail) ways and she has great health in store for you. This is just one more reason to plant and consume your own organic foods.
Many people understand today this is a planet made up of matter, energy, space and time; energy being the dynamic force that controls the whole planet. If everything is made of these components and everything reacts to energy, well then Mother Earth will prove it and has a secret little plan that will help you grow the world’s healthiest crops. Not just for yourself but for loved ones as well. After all, this should be a family affair. A family that digs together stays together.
Mother Earth hears you!
She listens and provides. The next time you go out to seed your garden, ask your family and friends to join you in the ceremony. Ask Mother Earth to feel your presence and give her respect and thanksgiving.
Prepare your garden in any planting methods you normally employ; only this time just before you lay your seeds in the soil ask Mother Earth to bless your seeds and your dirt and ask that your plants be of special quality for the highest good for all who will consume the plants you grow. Now here’s the fun part. Place the raw seeds in your hands and everyone else’s who are participating in the ceremony. Hold the seeds quietly, close your eyes and transfer your energy into the seeds—just allow this to happen, use your imagination. Mother Earth will know what your needs are by you simply holding the raw seeds in your hands. Try not to transfer a predetermined choice, just allow her to feel you and she will feel your energy, through the seeds. Once one transfers their energy into the seeds, Mother Earth will be prepared to transfer everything the plant requires for healthy consumption. She will produce the plants you need for optimum health and vitality. From the transference of energy that you held in your hand(s), you will grow the worlds healthiest crops.
Yes, it is a metaphysical principle and works to insure the healthiest crops in the whole world. For folks with other religious philosophies or none for that matter, who don’t believe in such things–well give it a try anyway.
Practice this in a circle
Recall Hopi Prophecy. Live a simple life, plant a seed, speaks kind loving words to your plants as you would to a beautiful young child; save the world.
Try this planting method
Create a circle and dig a hole about 12” deep. I f you have access to them–plant a whole dead fish in the bottom of each hole; this is Hopi tradition. The circle should be 2-3’ in diameter and will accept a combination of your favorite veggies. With participants standing around the circle/hole place the fish at the bottom, fill the hole back up. Place seeds from everyone’s hands an inch or two below the surface. The energy transferred to the seeds and then to Mother Earth will grow the healthiest vegetables you have ever had. Place seeds in the soil in a quiet, respectful and reverent manner. Additionally, loving words should be spoken during the growing season, but no additional fertilizers other than the fish are needed. Dig and plant as many holes as you wish, this is a no-till-method of planting and she loves you for that part as well. Don’t worry about pulling weeds around the circle—that way your bugs have a choice of what to eat first. You and Mother Earth have just seeded the world’s healthiest vegetables—enjoy them together.
Now I know there are thousands of would-be green thumbs out there in the world that would like to grow several tons of organic vegetables right in your own backyard. While several tons may not be possible, thousands of pounds are. If you write to me and ask me for a free report How To Grow 6000 Pounds Of Food—per year In Your Own Back Yard, I will send you the free report in PDF, directly to your email inbox, Pounds Of Food—per year In Your Own Back Yard write to me at www.GoingOrganic.com.
Happy Growing!
About the author:
Jay is a nationally recognized expert and pioneer in organic gardening and farming. His books Getting Started in Organic Gardening For Fun And Profit, The Windowsill Organic Gardener and Grow Yourself Rich can be found at www.GoingOrganic.com.
“Thing is my boy, things always change; what we need are changes that actually improve conditions on planet Earth” Leonard J. Mountain Chief.
Seeking interested players in real and sustainable change. Please find me at www.OneGlobePress.com
Shamanism in Sedona: Shamanic Healing Courses Announced
In the last few decades, the exploration of Shamanism, Shamanic teachings, tools, ceremonies, medicines as well as healing modalities has risen dramatically.Shamangelic Healing with Anahata, based in Sedona, Arizona is addressing this demand by offering a wide range of Shamanic healing services, healing sessions and courses in Shamanic studies. The Shamanic sessions now available are: The Shamangelic Healing Journey, Shamanic Breathwork Ceremony, Sacred Shamanic Land Journey, Shamanic Wisdom Walk, Animal Spirit Guide Journey and Medicine Wheel Ceremony, Soul Recovery Session and Shamanic Sound Healing Journey. Many of these sessions incorporate deep Shamanic emotional clearing techniques, shamanic breathing, guided visualization, vibrational sound and energy healing to facilitate profound emotional releases and open new channels of awareness. The Shaman’s utilized these and other practices to clear the mind, release density and usher a deeper connection to the spirit world.
Shamanic teachings have not died with the ancient cultures. Shamanic wisdom holds many answers to today’s life challenges. As a growing number of people become disenchanted with the traditional approaches to healing deep emotional wounds and traumas, more are turning to Shamanic healers and Shamanic techniques for fresh approaches to deep healing, soulful perspective, lasting results and reconnection to the heartbeat of nature. Sedona, Arizona, is one of the meccas for Shamanic resources. Droves of seekers are being called to Sedona to explore the wisdom Shamanism has to offer. Sedona’s breathtaking beauty and energy vortexes combined with the influence of Native American culture, provides the perfect setting for these experiences. Sedona Arizona’s premier center for Shamanic Healing and Spiritual Awakening, offers a full complement of Shamanic Healing sessions, Shamanic retreats,Sacred Land Journeys and Shamanic training courses.
The Shamangelic Healing Center also offers a 3-day Shamanic Wisdom Teachings Course which explores the in-depth soulful world of Shamanism. The courses cover an overview of various Shamanic Traditions, Medicine Wheel Teachings, Sacred Ceremonies, Animal Spirit Guides, Nature Wisdom Teachers, Elemental Wisdom Teachings and how to work with Land energies such as Vortexes and Labyrinths. Sedona provides a perfect learning environment for exploring nature wisdom and Shamanic teachings.
The Shamanic healer and teacher, Anahata has trained extensively with gifted shamans, energy healers and spiritual teachers from Peru, India, Asia and North America in order to artfully integrate the fields of energy healing, self-empowerment, shamanic teachings, emotional release, spiritual studies and visualization techniques. Blending the compassion and tenderness of an Angel and the wisdom and strength of a Shaman, Anahata guides journeys of profound healing and awakening. Her extensive client base spans the globe and includes business professionals, parents, couples, healers and individuals of all ages, who seek to heal and awaken their fullest potential.
Anahata is the founder of Shamangelic Healing based in Sedona, Arizona. Clients seeking Spiritual awakening, transformational healing services, conscious relationship counseling, sacred land journeys or training courses choose from a wide range of options in order to create a tailored personal experience. Anahata’s Shamangelic Healing Sanctuary is nestled beneath Sedona’s famous Thunder Mountain, with 360 degrees of breathtaking views, walking distance from an ancient medicine wheel and healing vortexes, making this the perfect setting for healing and expansion.
For detailed descriptions of the Shamanic healing sessions, ceremonies, land journeys and training courses offered by Anahata visit http://www.ShamangelicHealing.com
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