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Date Posted: 20:04:03 04/01/08 Tue
Author: Joyce
Subject: Re: Older Circle of Nations newsletters
In reply to: Joyce 's message, "Older Circle of Nations newsletters" on 19:38:44 01/03/08 Thu

April 2008 Edition - Circle of Nations Newsletter
John Two-Hawks

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....

EAST - Wiyohinyanpata - Yellow (Four Winds)
My sisters and brothers, there is much in our world today that might cause us to become bitter or skeptical about the future. There are many prophesies, from many ancient spiritual peoples, including the Lakota, about the possibility of a great catastrophic change on our planet at some point in time. These prophesies do leave room for human intervention, yet even so, they are still quite ominous. With all that we see in these times, coupled with ancient prophetic messages, the outlook for the future may seem bleak. In fact, it may seem downright hopeless. Let me assure you right now that it is not.
As I often contemplate the state of the world, I always ultimately come to the same profound conclusion.... and that is, that I see hope. In you who are reading this now, I see hope. In all who give with compassion, and love without conditions, I see hope. And in all who I meet who are learning to walk in balance and beauty with all that is, I see hope. Hope is of the Spirit. It is not of the flesh. To hope is to trust in that which cannot be seen, or touched or measured, and to trust in it as if it were indeed here now, sitting in front of us. That is hope. It takes a connection with Spirit to begin to comprehend the depth of what hope is. Without that connection, hope surely can seem like a fool’s dream. Yet I assure you that hope is anything but. Without it, there is no reason to reach, to pray, and to believe in possibilities. Without it, we are lost on the sea with no compass to guide us home. Without it, we are just plain lost.
It’s not about me, and it’s not about you. It’s about us. We must all get ourselves out of the way. We must become empty, like a hollow bone, so that Spirit may come and fill us with humility, wisdom and love. When Spirit is able to fill our emptiness, we will begin to understand, with humility, our life’s purpose. We will also, through that intimate spiritual connection, gain a profound perspective on what this life of ours is about and what we are doing here, and what really matters in this life, and what really doesn’t.
It is not easy, but we all must find a way to turn our mental focus from the flash and allure of the material world, and take the time and effort it takes to tune in to, and connect with the power, peace, beauty, balance and love which is found in the fulfillment of our spiritual self. With the humility of a hollow bone, and the healing medicine of love, we truly can change the world. The Elk Dreamer power is alive and well. There really is hope....

The New 'Elk Dreamer' CD


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

Hello friends and family,
The first couple of weeks in April are like magic in the Ozarks, everything is coming to life, the redbuds, dogwoods, flowers and greenery everywhere. It is so beautiful that even the morning news or CNN can't negatively effect you. What is the deal with the news anyway!! Does it freak you out? I like to look at it like the predictions we heard when the year 2000 was at hand. Terrible events predicted. You felt like Jan 1st 2000 was the end of life as we knew it. I take my morning newspaper with a cup of coffee, but I think I need to take it with a grain of salt. I really enjoy my routine of morning paper and coffee, but I am beginning to think the news is a lot more detrimental than the caffeine.
As I look around me the sunset is still beautiful the rain smells incredible, the flowers are soul medicine. Maybe I need to get my news from the forest. For sure!

The New ‘Elk Dreamer’ CD is now in-house and wow, wow, wow.... you will love this CD. Talk about good medicine, this is it!
And have a look at the beautiful new 'Elk Dreamer Poster' too!
We will have a very special, intimate CD release concert in Hannibal Missouri this weekend, Fri April 4th. You are all invited. The release reception will be at the Garth Mansion, which is an incredible place, full of history and magic. Click this link For Tickets.
April 5th we will do a CD signing appearance in Hannibal at the Native American Trading Post at 12:00.
Our first "Elk Dreamer" Concert will be in St. Charles MO, very close to St. Louis on April 25th. Tickets are only available in advance at Silver City Trading in St. Charles, or you can call 866-444-0940, or get your Tickets Online.

We do have openings for the ‘Creative Expression Retreat’ in April. Please check out all our Retreats and get your registrations in to hold a space!

I want to take the time each month to recommend a book to you. This month I am encouraging you to read the book "Neither Wolf , Nor Dog" by Kent Nerburn. We recommended this book last October at the Mending Medicine Retreat and I know many of you have read it and have told me that it was a wonderful book. You will come away with a better understanding of American Indian culture and spirituality and will gain, more importantly, a new found respect. Respect is a virtue which is terribly lacking in our present day society. Respect for the earth and each other is a gift we can give to our planet.

Well, I’m off to make a strawberry pie,
see ya,
peace,
Peggy
Red Earth
The Official JTH Site


WEST - Wiyohpeyata - Black or Blue (We are STILL Here!)
(In honor of my brother and friend, George....)

There are several foundations for the Lakota way of understanding the meaning of life. Some of the core elements are: respect, honor, humility, courage, sacrifice, balance and wisdom. Yet there is one quality which I feel is most important to living a balanced, happy life. That quality is acceptance. Acceptance was, and is still a virtue which is at the center of the Lakota world view. Without it, we certainly could not have endured the relentless assaults on our culture over the last century and a half. And without it, our ancestors certainly would not have been the balanced, happy, perseverant and wise people they were. You see, acceptance means you don’t curse the bitterly cold winter wind when it whips into your face. It means you still offer thanks to Wakantanka even when it seems there is little to be thankful for. And it means you recognize that there are often reasons for things which are beyond our control and scope of understanding. This is the old way of the Lakota. Patience.... Resolve.... Humility.... Wisdom.... All of these are connected to acceptance....
When I was a boy, my Grandfather always reminded me from time to time about death. You see, to Lakota people, Elders especially, there is a deep understanding that death is part of life. For the Lakota, it is not something to fear, but something to simply accept. And so my Grandfather would speak of death at times, to wake me up and give me perspective. You see, the acceptance of death carries the power to give us that perspective we need when we are unbalanced in our thoughts or actions. I continue, to this day, to employ my Grandfather’s old Lakota way. In the end, regardless of the circumstance, the reminder of death usually helps us to make wiser choices and gain some balanced perspective on, and acceptance of whatever our troubles may be. In short, it sets our priorities straight. It helps us see what is truly important - and what is not. And so learning acceptance of all the facets of life - all the struggles and joys of the beginning, the middle and the end of it - will ultimately help us to become people who live our lives by the virtues of respect, honor, humility, courage, sacrifice, balance and wisdom. May we all gain the perspective we need to come to a place of acceptance in this life....


NORTH - Waziyata - White (Words of Wisdom)
It is in the ‘little’ things....
I have had some amazing things happen while in ceremony. Things that were mind blowing, powerful and profound. These occurrences are fascinating and can lend a faith increasing element to a sacred rite. They are the kinds of things that are tempting to tell others about because they don’t happen every day. However....
Let me just get right to the point - the biggest ‘medicine’ of all is not found in the fantastic, but in the normal, everyday, seemingly mundane ‘little’ things.... the things that can go completely unnoticed. That short time you take to help the elderly grandmother pick up her bag of groceries.... The crying child you give a smile to when no one else is looking.... The patience you give a new employee at a cash register.... These are the things which carry the most amazing spiritual power. It is in these small acts that the greatest medicine exists. For in these brief moments, Spirit comes through and touches the human being with the greatest power - love - right where they are, in the midst of struggles, fears, confusion and stress. So, even though impressive things can and do happen sometimes in ceremony - and I prefer to keep most of these spiritual ‘occurrences’ to myself - remember that it is that kind word, gentle hand and genuine smile you give to someone when no one is watching that carries with it the most amazing spiritual power. Where Spirit is concerned, it truly is the ‘little’ things that count most....


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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