Earth Caretakers
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7.08
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Storms, Spirit, and Transformation
Greetings!
"You must teach your young how to play and
how to be excited by the storms. You must
seek out the challenges of the winds. The
stormier the weather, the better and more
perfect for learning to fly. The more intense
the wind and the greater the blizzard, the
higher we go. You (humans) are talking about
raising your frequency and moving more
towards spirit and yet you shy away from what
makes you strong. Playing in the storms is
our way. You must learn to play in the storm
to strengthen your wings."-message from
Ravens, via Lena Stevens
The Year of Three Storms
In the Tzol'kin Mayan calendar, we are about
to begin (7/26/08) the year of Three Storms.
Mirroring the physical-emotional-spiritual
shifts we're all experiencing, we can expect
an electrifying, transforming, activating
time! As stargazer and timekeeper Li Walters
says, "Sparked by lightning, we physically
develop new pathways for embodying the
intensifying energetic vibrations of the
coming months and years." (See link.)
Like everyone, I alternate between fear and
resolve, excitement and despair during all
these stormy transformations. I keep
reminding myself (and you!) how important it
is to stand strong and flexible like the
trees, no matter what storms come; to respond
with a loving, inclusive heart, no matter how
long it takes to get there; and to assume
that we are all connected, rather than
believing we are alone or disconnected.
Shifting into such receptivity, feels
boundaryless, expansive.
It is challenging; and it can stimulate
growth. Feeling ourselves a part of all
things, sensing the wider energy of the world
around us, it is easier to notice guidance
and synchronicity. It is easier to take in
the energy, support, calm--whatever is
offered--from the earth under our feet, the
sun, wind and stars, the storms and the
lightning.
Transforming the World
One of the "storms" we seem to be in the
middle of is: what vision do we feed to
change the world?
Cultural conflict about this emerges most
strongly in discussions of solutions. For
example, do we feed the vision of ending war
by sending more troops? By supporting
diplomacy and institution-building? By
curbing weapons sales? By funding
reconstruction and development? Do we feed
the vision of energy security by fighting for
it? By finding ways to use less? By changing
our production to clean energy sources? By
insisting on our privelege of drinking
bottled water, when 26 liters of water are
contaminated during the manufacture of each
one-liter bottle?
Neither the problems nor the solutions are
dualistic, but they get forced into boxes
where we feel we have to choose this or that.
For example, when Al Gore made his energy
challenge speech (see link), pundits said
"It's impossible," rather than asking "How can
we do this?"
One hopeful sign in the U.S. is a new
mainstream emphasis on dialogue, spurred by
Obama's style, the influence of web blog
discussion, and simple desperation. For
example, the Democratic Party suddenly
sponsored town meetings to elicit citizen
input on platform proposals. Progressive
organizations I belong to, like Code Pink,
are encouraging member dialogue on what to do
in Afghanistan.
These practical ways of listening to each
other and getting ourselves to define more
clearly what needs to happen are essential.
Equally essential, for those of us who work
in the "unseen" and spirit worlds, is
clarification of our visions for the world:
for our children, and their children, and 100
years from now.
Every day now I am
challenging myself to create mental pictures
of our children living peacefully, using
solar and wind power, living sustainably. The
more I do this, the more pictures I get. The
stronger our collective visions, the more we
feed our best possible futures. I invite
you to join me in creating your own daily
visions! (See link.)
World Drum Report: the Power of Spirit
A few weeks ago the World Drum--which some of
you met in the Bay Area or other parts of the
US in the fall of 2007--was on its way across
the border from Canada to the U.S. The US Fish
and Wildlife Department seized the drum; they
announced they would remove all sacred
objects and bundles from the drum before
releasing it.
People on both sides of the border sprang
into action. The US Dept. of Homeland
Security got involved. Indigenous peoples,
along with several Canadian officials,
negotiated for release of the drum. Finally,
the Drum and its sacred bundles were released
back to the Canadians, intact. Charlie Fife
of Metis Nation, Canada, says,
"This is the story of the World Drum and the
Eagle Feather and how they united to
challenge two of the most powerful offices
the world has ever known, The United States
Department of Fish and Wildlife and the
powerful Department of Homeland Security.
It is a win/win story of how the Eagle
Feather used its power to raise the issue of
the World Drum to an International status,
and how the World Drum used its powers to
raise awareness of the Plight of the Eagle
Feather, both on a World stage. Like two of
the greatest warriors, uniting to go into
battle.
Like the story of the Eagle and the Condor,
uniting to gather strength to speak with one
voice for all of the Americas Indigenous
Peoples on the world stage, the story of the
Spirit of the Feather and the Spirit of the
World Drum is also a great occasion that all
mankind has a stake in. We are ALL
connected."
What's important about this story--the reason
I share it--is the power of the sacred and the
beauty of the re-framing-of-story. Initially
there was fear, anguish, horror. By attending
to the sacred, by focusing on the Drum's
mission, and by taking guidance from Spirit,
everyone involved was able to find common
ground where the sacred could be honored.
(See link).
"The beat of the drum is the beat of Mother Earth as it is the beat of all that dwell upon her. As the World Drum travels, the sound of it will get stronger each day."
Meg Beeler/Earth Caretakers
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The World Drum
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Listening to the beat of the World Drum last
year, I found myself walking in the footsteps
of our original African ancestors, across
deserts, through great forests, around lakes
and rivers, feeling great joy as each foot
touched the earth. I traced ancestral steps
north to Europe, east across the steppes and
the Bering Straits, down through the
Americas. Walking with our ancestors, I felt
their enormous trust stored in our DNA, trust
that the next steps, and the next, would lead
us to a good place. The worldwide connections
we have now cannot be broken.
Learn more...
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Love and Gratitude to Water Ceremony
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The annual Masaro Emoto-sponsored ceremony
will take place at Lake Baikal Siberia,
Russia. August 3rd, 2008. Join in from afar.
Find out more...
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Soul Retrieval
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Shaman's Portal has posted another of Meg's
articles, this one on Soul Retrieval and
Remembering.
Read the article...
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Mayan Calendar
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I love the positive, energizing, and deeply
attuned way that Li Walters connects us with
the ancient Tzol'kin Mayan way of reading the
signs and navigating our days. You can get
monthly updates from her, explore the
calendar and the spiral worldview, order one
for yourself.
Check it out...
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Learn to Make a Despacho
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Despacho describes the Andean practice of
making offerings to the mountains, Mother
Earth, and other spirits of nature in
reciprocity, reverence, and thanksgiving.
Earth Caretakers is finally offering a
day-long workshop to explore this profound
and fluid ceremony.
Learn more...
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Challenge to Repower America
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Be inspired and energized by watching the
five-minute version of Al Gore's speech,
challenging America to produce 100% of our
electricity from solar, wind and other
non-carbon sources within 10 years.
See video...
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Tito La Rosa
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Andean musician and healer Tito La Rosa
Returns August 2008 to Ashland, Oregon -
August 1st-5th; Bay Area, California - August
7th-20th; Los Angeles, California - August
21st-26th
Find out more...
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Catch Up on Consciousness
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You can find last month's newsletter on
"Patience, Pachacuti, and Paradigm-Shifting" and
read other, previous versions of Shifting
Consciousness News here.
Catch up...
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Earth Caretaker Services
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Shamanic Counseling, Energy
Healing,
Ceremony, and Soul Retrieval:
Explore what
this season of transformation may
bring to you, and step into your radiance,
wisdom,
and wholeness with an Earth Caretakers
session. Send an
email or call our office at
1-707-939-7961 to make your appointment. A
recent client wrote, "I
really, really, appreciate your gentle,
thoughtful, loving, knowledgeable kindness
and guidance during this entire process. It
has been life-changing for me."
Find out more...
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Earth Caretakers
16100 Sobre Vista Court
Sonoma, California 95476
707-939-7961
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About Earth Caretakers
Earth Caretakers is an organization dedicated
to renewing
and reweaving our interconnections with
stars, trees, and
stones; with cross-cultural wisdom and
prophesy; and with
our own bodies, souls, and spirits. Founded
by Meg Beeler,
MAT, Earth Caretakers sponsors participatory,
experiential,
earth-honoring and rites-of-passage
ceremonies. We draw
on ancestral wisdom to empower visioning and
dreaming a
future of balance, reciprocity, and harmony.
Visit our website
for information on upcoming events,
workshops, and shamanic healing. Find
inspiration, articles, and previous issues of
the Shifting Consciousness News.
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