October 2006

Hau kola na tiyospaye (Hello friends & extended family),

Welcome to all new Circle members! Each section of the Circle of Nations newsletter is written 'facing' one of the four sacred winds, beginning with the east, then the south, west and finally the north. This is to honor the old ways. It is to teach and to help us to focus and find the center. I have designed the Native Circle website in the same spirit. I welcome you all to the Circle....

Also - To all the special human beings who shared the last two weekends with me at the Mending Medicine Retreats, your spirits have, as usual, honored and humbled me.

EAST - Wiyohinyanpata - Yellow (Four Winds)
This evening, we had a sunset so beautiful here in these ancient mountains that, as I sit here now, I cannot form words to describe it. I can only tell you that the sky was shifting with streaks of dark blue clouds, which were backed by brilliant royal blue hues which transformed into dazzling fire orange and hot reds. The spectacular earth-tone colors of the leaves on the trees in the valley and on the mountains were, amazingly, lit up even more by the sparkling rays of the sun. It was absolutely breathtaking. There are moments like these in this life, when Spirit reaches out from beyond the veil and touches the essence of our own spirit with incredible intent. This touch is exhilarating, and it is what we all crave deep inside. It is the design of our spirit that we should long to connect to the mystery and love of the unseen world of Spirit. It is, after all, where we come from and where we shall return. So it is not at all surprising that we are so moved when we sense a touch of some kind from the spirit world. The ‘unseen’ is all around us, all the time. And although we may deny it if we choose, it doesn’t change the fact that it is there. The point of contact, where the tangible touches the intangible, is the spark of all life. It is that touch that generates the lightning bolt, the heartbeat, the blink of an eye and the flash of a firefly. It is in each breath we take, in each drop of rain and in every warming ray of the sun. That touch is the essence of Wakantanka, the Great Mystery, and its power is indeed that - a mystery.
Life is an amazing, mysterious journey. It is a journey rich with discovery, emotion, challenge and passion. And the touch of Spirit brings the power of enlightenment to all of those aspects of the journey. That touch cannot be explained. It cannot be described. It is simply impossible to put to words how that touch makes you feel deep in your spirit, just as it was impossible for me to describe the spectacular way in which Spirit painted the sky this evening. Anyone who can stand still and know that they are connected to it all, knows what I mean when I say that to touch the wind is to feel the contact of your spirit with the awesome, unseen web of life. And anyone who finds themself sensing this unfathomably deep and vast connection to Spirit, will know that there are no words to describe it, and that it is an incredibly humbling and transforming power.
This evening, Spirit reached out to me from beyond the veil of the unseen web of life and overwhelmed my being with the awesome beauty of this world. May we all, someday, somehow, some way, know this connection, this beauty, this love.... It is that point of contact, where the tangible meets the intangible, and they become one. It is that flash point, that spark of life that exists in that place in the center of our being, that we connect to when we feel Spirit reaching out to us, and we reach back and discover, that we really can.... Touch the Wind.

The NEW Pre-Released Touch the Wind CD


SOUTH - Itokagata - Red (Red Earth)
A word from Peggy....

Hello friends,
We are already most of the way thru October. I know some of you have had snow storms already. Our leaves are just now in full color and were beautiful for our retreats the last two weekends. I am sort of a compulsive worker as some of you know. When I write to you all about balance and relaxation, I am really just talking to myself. I guess there is just so much that I want to accomplish, and so much that I want to give and still only 24 hours in a day, (what’s up with that?). My balancing act goes something like; make a list that would take ten people ten hours to accomplish and then try to get it done in three days. I do this for a while and then my body says, NOPE! I am glad for the resistance. At this point I can barely walk, so I take to the bed and read and sleep until I feel the first hint of energy and then I sneak down to my office and start making lists. Weird isn't it? I am not complaining, because I love my work and creating beautiful musical projects and books and holding retreats is just plain wonderful! I would like to change myself, but I am finding it wiser to just accept myself, and laugh at myself and come to really know myself. I think that may be the best any of us can do.
By the way John and I became grandparents again on Sept 27th. We have a beautiful new grandbaby, Jonathan Daniel Mazza. We drove 14 hours to spend three days holding the little guy and falling in love with him and then 14 hours back home. What a Blessing!! We have another one on the way early Jan. 2007. Then we will have three grandsons, all of you grandparents out there know what that’s all about.

Ok, now I must share with you the most exciting news of this day! I had told you last month that we would soon have a new CD, well soon is now.
"Touch the Wind".......... words will not even describe this CD. You just have to get one. It is the most beautiful music you will ever hear. An hour of pure listening pleasure. Two-Hawks teamed up with Bastiaan, a pianist and musician extraordinaire. This is a new sound, no rattles and no drums, no chants or singing. It is just pure healing, transcendental, uplifting music!! The heart and soul that pours out of the flute is nothing less than perfection.
We will offer a pre-release special for the next couple of weeks, so get your copy and everyone on your Christmas list the special price of $12.
The Touch the Wind CD Pre-Release Special
The Come to the Fire book will be available very soon, keep watching the website for the update.
Blessings and Peace,
Peggy
Red Earth


WEST - Wiyohpeyata - Black or Blue (We are STILL Here!)
A revised revisit....

Life is a series of unfortunate events....
Wopila Wakinyan Tanka Oyate Wakan!! A big, ceremonial thanks Sacred Thunder Being People!! For you bring the power of humility to all who witness your awesome fury. Ever have a bad day? Ever feel like if it weren’t for bad luck, you’d have no luck at all? Sure you have! We all have. And the reason we have all felt those things is because that’s just the way life is! Life is not supposed to be a smooth, perfectly chartered trip from birth to death. Oh, I’m sure most of us wish it were! But if it were, there would be no challenge, no victory, no dreams, no successes, no visions, no purpose. What would a fantastic football run into the end zone be if there were not opposition to juke, fake out or plow through? Um, that would be called jogging. Whooped dee doo. Or what would a spectacular photo-finish at the race track be if there were not several others racing hard against each other for the same checkered flag? Ah, that would be called boring! As I understand Spirit, life is intended to teach us. It is that so-called ‘bad luck’ that actually gives us the opportunity to self-examine and make the necessary adjustments based on what we learn from that self examination. Often, if we do not humbly accept what we learn about ourselves during our ‘bad days’ and correct our outlook, behavior, attitude, or whatever it is that needs correcting, we may find ourselves trapped in a vicious cycle of ‘unfortunate events’. Take the woman who has the misfortune of marrying an abusive man. The marriage may end in divorce, but if the woman does not take the opportunity that the ‘bad luck’ of an abusive relationship gives her to self-examine, learn about herself, and make the necessary personal life changes and adjustments, she may find herself drawn again and again to abusive men, thus trapping herself in that vicious cycle I am referring to. This is the hidden blessing of the Wakinyan Tanka. Ironically, it is the dark, ‘bad luck’ days which come to us holding the answers we need to help us learn and grow more mature, wise, patient, humble and compassionate as we adjust and shift our methods of functioning in the world, which results in less of those ‘dark’ days and more of those smooth, peace-filled, balanced days! The Thunder Beings crack across the sky to remind us that we are small. We are not more important than anyone, or anything else. When they come, they always bring the rain. And it is the rain that gives life! And the wind that blows the seed to the earth.... and the lightning that charges all living things. So, when the storms do come, and they will, give thanks for the opportunity they bring to become humble, look within and learn - and then seize that opportunity. Proceed with self-honesty and pure humility and you will discover many truths about yourself, this world we all live in, and your purpose in it....

NORTH - Waziyata - White (Words of Wisdom)
Just two thoughts from Two-Hawks this moon....

If it ain’t broke, fix it before it is

If you want it done right, do it with love


May Wakantanka encircle you and yours with faith to believe, hope for the future, and love for all....

As always, in the spirit of mending the sacred hoop of the nations of the world
Your Oglala Lakota friend and brother,
John Two-Hawks
http://www.nativecircle.com
http://www.johntwohawks.com
Reprinting of this Circle of Nations newsletter is encouraged! All I ask is that it be printed in its entirety, with no changes, and that I be given proper credit, unless I have otherwise okayed it. Wopila (great thanks)!

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Found here 27 Feb 2008 with no formatting or links. I made some educated guesses.