Native American Spirituality

[Spirit Dancer]

Trial and Error
Learning to Trust Divine Guidance




Keeping an open mind is the most important step when learning to listen to divine guidance.


Anyone who has asked for divine guidance knows that it can be challenging to trust it when it comes. This is because divine guidance comes in many forms and it is sometimes hard to locate it. We aren’t sure if we are meant to trust our thoughts, our feelings, our dreams, or our intuitions to be the carriers of divine wisdom. We are not sure if advice from a friend is the form in which the guidance has come into the world, or if our own opinion is the source of wisdom we need to take seriously. The ability to sort all this out comes with trial and error, and the best way to learn to recognize divine guidance is to engage in the process of asking and receiving.

Sometimes when we ask for guidance, we already have a sense of what we want to hear. At such times, receiving guidance can be difficult, because we don’t want to hear anything that appears to be in opposition to our desire. Therefore, one of the most important qualities we need to cultivate if we are to receive guidance is an open mind. It helps to acknowledge what we want, and then to symbolically set it aside, making room for whatever wisdom comes through to us.

Cultivating an active relationship with the divine is the essential ingredient to being able to receive and trust guidance when it comes our way. We can make a daily practice of this by using a set of runes, a deck of cards, or a pendulum. We can also use our journals, developing a relationship with the divine through the written word. As we request and receive guidance, we might take notes on our experiences. Over time we will begin to recognize when we were able to hear correctly and when we were not. In this way, we will gradually attune ourselves to our particular relationship with the divine. Begin to trust the guidance you are receiving and soon you will find it flowing with ease.

[Spirit Dancer]

"A vision could put you on a path you don't want to follow."


Archie Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA




There is a saying, "You move toward and become like that which you think about." If we keep thinking about a bad thing, we will move in that direction. If we think about fear in some area of our life, we will probably experience this fear. We move toward and become like that which we think about. If we think about secret things, these secret things will come to pass. Our visions are very powerful. Visions determine our direction, our lives. If you think about lustful things, it's a matter of time before you'll be wrestling with it. We should think about our visions to make sure they include the Great Spirit in every area.


Great Spirit, today, give me Your vision to follow.

[Tommi]

Originally Posted by Spirit Dancer

"A vision could put you on a path you don't want to follow."


Archie Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA




There is a saying, "You move toward and become like that which you think about." If we keep thinking about a bad thing, we will move in that direction. If we think about fear in some area of our life, we will probably experience this fear. We move toward and become like that which we think about. If we think about secret things, these secret things will come to pass. Our visions are very powerful. Visions determine our direction, our lives. If you think about lustful things, it's a matter of time before you'll be wrestling with it. We should think about our visions to make sure they include the Great Spirit in every area.


Great Spirit, today, give me Your vision to follow.

[girl_dee]

Originally Posted by Spirit Dancer

Trial and Error
Learning to Trust Divine Guidance




Keeping an open mind is the most important step when learning to listen to divine guidance.


Anyone who has asked for divine guidance knows that it can be challenging to trust it when it comes. This is because divine guidance comes in many forms and it is sometimes hard to locate it. We aren’t sure if we are meant to trust our thoughts, our feelings, our dreams, or our intuitions to be the carriers of divine wisdom. We are not sure if advice from a friend is the form in which the guidance has come into the world, or if our own opinion is the source of wisdom we need to take seriously. The ability to sort all this out comes with trial and error, and the best way to learn to recognize divine guidance is to engage in the process of asking and receiving.

Sometimes when we ask for guidance, we already have a sense of what we want to hear. At such times, receiving guidance can be difficult, because we don’t want to hear anything that appears to be in opposition to our desire. Therefore, one of the most important qualities we need to cultivate if we are to receive guidance is an open mind. It helps to acknowledge what we want, and then to symbolically set it aside, making room for whatever wisdom comes through to us.

Cultivating an active relationship with the divine is the essential ingredient to being able to receive and trust guidance when it comes our way. We can make a daily practice of this by using a set of runes, a deck of cards, or a pendulum. We can also use our journals, developing a relationship with the divine through the written word. As we request and receive guidance, we might take notes on our experiences. Over time we will begin to recognize when we were able to hear correctly and when we were not. In this way, we will gradually attune ourselves to our particular relationship with the divine. Begin to trust the guidance you are receiving and soon you will find it flowing with ease.

i need to work on this, thank you SO much for the reminder xoxo

[Spirit Dancer]

How do you feel when someone gives you something with lots of conditions attached to it? Here, take this, they may say, but now you owe me. This type of action isn't coming from a loving space, but from a selfish one, and the people who give in this way definitely aren't people who have given freely to themselves. In fact, their need for return on their "gift" means that they probably neglect themselves on a very regular basis.

We've all heard the saying that you can't love others until you love yourself, and it's just as true that you can't give freely to others until you're willing to give freely to yourself. If you always have to rationalize everything you do for yourself, you're not giving freely, and you're not able to take from yourself freely, either.

Many people neglect themselves because they feel that doing things for themselves is selfish. They feel that if they neglect themselves, they're able to help others more. But if they aren't taking care of themselves and their own needs, then where does their giving come from? Finances are a great example--how can you truly help me financially if your own finances aren't in order? How can you help me emotionally if your own emotional needs haven't been taken care of? How can you tell me to treat myself well if you don't do the same for yourself? It makes little sense. . . .

Give yourself something that you need today. Take the time and make the effort to add something nice to your life--you do deserve it. And you'll be much better at giving to others when you do practice giving to yourself first.

[Spirit Dancer]

"The earth was created by the assistance of the sun, and it should be left as it was... The country was made without lines of demarcation, and it is no man's business to divide it..."


Chief Joseph, NEZ PERCE



There is danger when we start to draw lines and boundaries. This is true whether outside ourselves or inside ourselves. The danger is losing sight of the interconnectedness. When we lose sight of interconnectedness, separation, possessiveness (this is mine, I can do what I want) and infighting results. Even at an individual level, if we don't believe we are connected to all things we get self-centered and have self-seeking motives. We must think in harmony, balance and integrity. We must see our relationship to the great whole and conduct ourselves accordingly.


Great Spirit, today, let me think beyond boundaries.

[girl_dee]

i was gifted with the most beautiful hand crafted dream catcher today. It came from one of Syr's Native friends, she picked out the beading and got it all done for me, i'll see about uploading a photo, it's so very nice!

[Spirit Dancer]

Resilience and adaptation. These are qualities that can be quite beneficial to us, but which we tend to struggle greatly with. First of all, we tend to do our best to avoid situations in which we need to show these qualities, for they're very often unpleasant. Why do we need to show our ability to adapt unless someone's put some barbed wire in our way? Why do we need to adapt unless we need to grow around a nail or through a chain link fence?

If someone does put an obstacle in the way of the direction in which we're growing, we tend to complain a lot before we even think of adapting to the new obstacle. We tend to say it's not fair, and the obstacle should be removed! Unfortunately, I think, we far too often succeed in removing the barrier before we ever have to learn how to grow around it, and we end up learning nothing from a potentially great learning opportunity.

We can learn from the trees who stand their ground day after day, just doing what trees do. They grow to be strong but flexible, and it's not their strength that allows them to withstand severe storms, but their flexibility. When they meet an obstacle, they grow slowly but surely around it, without a single complaint (that we know of, anyway!)

This moment requires something from you, be it patience, understanding, strength, courage, or something else. There are examples of all these things to be found in the natural world, role models for us to learn from and to take valuable lessons from. The lessons are there for us, but the question is whether or not we see and accept them.

[Spirit Dancer]

"The man who sat on the ground in his tipi meditating on life and its meaning, accepting the kinship of all creatures, and acknowledging unity with the universe of things, was infusing into his being the true essence of civilization."



Luther Standing Bear, OGLALA SIOUX

[Spirit Dancer]

Some insight on our traditions:
Native Americans place a lot of importance on identity and a person’s name. As a matter of fact, individuals frequently will have a new name bestowed upon them as adults and some will actually receive several different names throughout their lifetime. A Native American can request a new name and the tribal Name Giver, or kabir, will consider the request. He could consider the name request for any length of time from a few days to a year. He will bestow the name on the requester during a naming ceremony after the name “comes to him.” The new name will be somehow connected to nature, frequently animals, but not always; trees, the sky, clouds and bodies of water are also commonly used for names. Actually, anything connected with nature that somehow signifies a personality trait of the requester can be used. The tradition of naming even through adulthood represents the changeable nature of humans and that people are not destined to always be the same.

[Spirit Dancer]

When we're angry with someone else, especially for long periods of time, we do harm to ourselves. It's such a simple concept to understand, but understanding it doesn't usually make it easier to control our anger. After all, some things that people do to us or to others are so bad that we have to stay mad, we have to hold onto the righteous anger that results from their actions. It sounds logical, but it's completely untrue.

When we're angry or resentful, we hurt ourselves. It's worth repeating, over and over, every day of our lives, until we're free of such feelings. Anger will never help us to move on to higher levels of self, for it stunts our growth and keeps us locked in negativity while we should be growing in positive ways.

Forgiveness helps us to cast away our anger. So do compassion, love, and understanding. We have so many gifts available to us that can help us to grow as people that are held in check by our negative emotions that we risk being held prisoner at low levels of being by them.

If we're going to move on, we can't take our anger with us. We have to leave it behind or it will hold us down while we beat our wings in a futile effort to fly. It takes a strong decision on our part, and it takes a lot of effort to follow through on that decision, which is probably why so few people are willing to make the commitment to try to live anger-free. It's easier to be angry than it is to forgive, but if we're angry, we're feeding our ego. If we get rid of the anger, we're feeding our higher selves. Which one do you want to be feeding?

[Spirit Dancer]

"To me, if you're Indian, you're Indian. You don't have to put on your buckskin, beads, and feathers, and stuff like that."

Cecilia Mitchell, MOHAWK



The most important thing that determines who we are is on our insides, not our outsides. If we are Indian inside, that's all that matters. Being Indian means to think right, to be spiritual, and to pray. Feathers and beads don't make us Indian. Being Indian means to have a good heart and a good mind.

[Talon]

Originally Posted by Spirit Dancer

When we're angry with someone else, especially for long periods of time, we do harm to ourselves. It's such a simple concept to understand, but understanding it doesn't usually make it easier to control our anger. After all, some things that people do to us or to others are so bad that we have to stay mad, we have to hold onto the righteous anger that results from their actions. It sounds logical, but it's completely untrue.

When we're angry or resentful, we hurt ourselves. It's worth repeating, over and over, every day of our lives, until we're free of such feelings. Anger will never help us to move on to higher levels of self, for it stunts our growth and keeps us locked in negativity while we should be growing in positive ways.

Forgiveness helps us to cast away our anger. So do compassion, love, and understanding. We have so many gifts available to us that can help us to grow as people that are held in check by our negative emotions that we risk being held prisoner at low levels of being by them.

If we're going to move on, we can't take our anger with us. We have to leave it behind or it will hold us down while we beat our wings in a futile effort to fly. It takes a strong decision on our part, and it takes a lot of effort to follow through on that decision, which is probably why so few people are willing to make the commitment to try to live anger-free. It's easier to be angry than it is to forgive, but if we're angry, we're feeding our ego. If we get rid of the anger, we're feeding our higher selves. Which one do you want to be feeding?

This really speaks to my mind and heart right now. Thank you, SpiritDancer.

[girl_dee]

Dear SD,

Migwitch!


dee

[Spirit Dancer]

Centering and Expressing
Communication




Expressing ourselves honestly in any relationship is essential to our well-being.


When we are in a relationship where we feel listened to and understood, we count ourselves lucky because we know how rare that experience is. We reserve our most intimate selves for the people who, along with us, cocreate an open space where we feel free to express ourselves and listen without judgment. These relationships, which thrive on open communication, can mean the difference between existential loneliness and a deep sense of belonging. We all long to feel heard, understood, and loved, and clear communication makes this possible.

Sometimes problems arise in the process of expressing how we feel, but it is always worth it to do the work. Even in our less intimate relationships, expressing ourselves honestly is essential to our sense of well-being. Whether at home with family or in the outside world, successful communication requires some forethought; otherwise we risk blundering through our relationships like the proverbial bull in a china shop. However, too much forethought can stifle us or cause us to pad our words so extremely that we end up saying nothing at all or confusing the matter further. The good news is that there are many methods that can come to our rescue, from meditation to visualization to journaling.

If the person we need to communicate with is open to sitting in meditation together for a set period of time before speaking, this can be invaluable. When we are calm and centered, we can count on ourselves to speak and respond truthfully. We can also meditate on our own time and then practice what we need to say. A visualization in which we sit with the person and lovingly exchange a few words can also be a great precedent to an actual conversation. If writing comes easily, we can write out what we need to say; it may take several drafts, but we will eventually find the words. The key is to find ways to center ourselves so that we communicate meaningfully, lovingly, and wisely. In this way, we honor our companions and create relationships in which there is a genuine sense of understanding and respect.

[Spirit Dancer]

"...in Tunkashila, there is no time. Everything moves in the blink of an eye. It's as fast as thought. So there is no speed there. There is no time in between."



Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA



There is a relationship between thought and reality. Every thought is alive, and as soon as you think it, a result occurs immediately. However, to make something happen it may take a series of one thousand thoughts before you can actually see it with your eyes. This occurs because the Laws of the Great Spirit act immediately. When you tell a lie, you immediately experience fear. When you tell the truth, you immediately experience freedom. To the Creator, there is no time. For us to experience the meaning of this requires us to act on faith. Faith is belief without evidence.


Great Spirit, today, let me act on my faith.

[Spirit Dancer]

Centering and Expressing
Communication




Expressing ourselves honestly in any relationship is essential to our well-being.


When we are in a relationship where we feel listened to and understood, we count ourselves lucky because we know how rare that experience is. We reserve our most intimate selves for the people who, along with us, cocreate an open space where we feel free to express ourselves and listen without judgment. These relationships, which thrive on open communication, can mean the difference between existential loneliness and a deep sense of belonging. We all long to feel heard, understood, and loved, and clear communication makes this possible.

Sometimes problems arise in the process of expressing how we feel, but it is always worth it to do the work. Even in our less intimate relationships, expressing ourselves honestly is essential to our sense of well-being. Whether at home with family or in the outside world, successful communication requires some forethought; otherwise we risk blundering through our relationships like the proverbial bull in a china shop. However, too much forethought can stifle us or cause us to pad our words so extremely that we end up saying nothing at all or confusing the matter further. The good news is that there are many methods that can come to our rescue, from meditation to visualization to journaling.

If the person we need to communicate with is open to sitting in meditation together for a set period of time before speaking, this can be invaluable. When we are calm and centered, we can count on ourselves to speak and respond truthfully. We can also meditate on our own time and then practice what we need to say. A visualization in which we sit with the person and lovingly exchange a few words can also be a great precedent to an actual conversation. If writing comes easily, we can write out what we need to say; it may take several drafts, but we will eventually find the words. The key is to find ways to center ourselves so that we communicate meaningfully, lovingly, and wisely. In this way, we honor our companions and create relationships in which there is a genuine sense of understanding and respect.

[Spirit Dancer]

"If you listen close at night, you will hear the creatures of the dark, all of them sacred - the owls, the crickets, the frogs, the night birds - and you will hear beautiful songs, songs you have never heard before. Listen with your heart. Never stop listening."


Henery Quick Bear, LAKOTA

[Spirit Dancer]

Forgiveness truly is one of the greatest things in life. I've found that when I'm willing and able to forgive someone else, the burden of anger and resentment that I've been carrying around is gone immediately, and they no longer affect the way that I feel. I'm able to see the world in a brighter, more cheerful way, and my life is much more enjoyable. Forgiving someone else is sometimes important to the person who has caused us pain, but it's much, much more important to me. If I don't forgive someone, I sometimes cause that other person a bit of pain, but I always cause myself a great deal of misery.

One of the most ironic things about not forgiving someone, on the other hand, is that the other person very often doesn't even know that we've been hurt or that we're bearing a grudge. We're not affecting the other person at all, but we're causing ourselves to live our lives much less fully than we normally would. In other words, we're hurting ourselves and accomplishing absolutely nothing with the effort.

John Gray says that forgiveness strengthens our souls, and I believe him. My soul is strengthened through love and loving, and the more I love others--the more I actually show that love--the stronger I become as a human being. The more I forgive, the less that outside circumstances are able to affect me, the less hurt I feel because of other people's actions. Most people hurt us inadvertently, anyway, and most of our pain is caused by our reactions to what other people do.

Take care of yourself, and help yourself to grow and strengthen and live life more fully. Learning how to forgive fully, sincerely, and lovingly is one of the best things you can do to help yourself grow into the person you were put here to be.

[Spirit Dancer]

"One of the things the old people taught me about the spirits was to never have a doubt."


Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA