Connecting to the circle (by Lieven, Dec. 12, 2006)

OH the gift of experience
what a door way

If spiders unite, they can tie down a lion

This is a call to arms
by Julian Still

arms to help,
arms to carry,
arms to fight and be merry,
arms to protect,
arms to say what needs to be said,
arms to do what needs to be done,
arms to hug and say sorry,
arms to see clearly and and call the alarm,
arms to push the load uphill,
arms to conduct,
arms to play,
arms to mark the dawning day,
arms to heal the wounded souls,
arms to grow the new green shoots,
arms to let go,
arms to hold on,
arms to breathe,
arms to bear witness,
arms to be inside,
arms to be outside,
arms to be,
arms

written after the Art of Hosting training, Oct. 2006

"a call to arms" is the medieval expression that 'the lord' would use to call his peasants, with their weapons, to come to fight. 

If you come to help me...

Connecting to the circle

On Friday they came, in the storm..

On Saturday, they already had blown away all clouds, creating the perspective on a clear, blue sky...

Crystalclear were their words, open the hearts, filled with the “spring of life”.

Taking in all this energy, they left in a clear blue sky, nurturing each other,

To take up Monday mornings’ storm.

Deep in the hearts, the connection is there,
To support the world,
By means of being the crystal-clear example.

Thanks for throwing the right words and energy in the water, dear jedi-mates.
Things can change, when we are the change ourselves...

And the being together changed the field here.

Up to a bright and beautiful mission

Together... Apart

Sandbox

Words from the heart ...

To bow or not to bow

 

If spiders unite, they can tie down a lion.
Ethiopian proverb

Look at this website: lots of beautiful proverbs!

 


Spider's web

We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For

 

 "If you come to help me save your rhyme,
 if you come because your liberation is tied to mine,
 then let us walk together."

 Australian Aboriginal poet


 photo by Ashley Cooper  Thanks!

Words from the heart ... (by Toke, Dec. 14, 2006)

This is not poetry in the strict sense, but it was a powerful story read by Tatiana during our Art of Hosting training. On the Art of asking Questions...

 

To bow or not to bow……….

” You can eat an apple”, I said and gave him the green fruit.
It was as if he had seen an apple for the first time.
First he just there and smelled it, but then he took a little bite.
”Mum - mum”, he said and took a bigger bite.
” Did it taste good ?” I asked.
He bowed deeply.

I wanted to know how an apple tastes the very first time you taste it, so I asked again:
” How did it taste ? ”
He bowed and bowed.
” Why do you bow ? ” I asked.
Mika bowed again. It made me feel so confused, that I hurried to ask the question again.
” Why do you bow? ”

Now it was him who became confused. I think he did not know if he should bow again or just answer.
” Where I come from we always bow, when someone asks an interesting question, ” he explained – ”and the deeper the question, the deeper we bow.”
That was the strangest thing I had heard in a long time. I could not understand that a question was something to bow for.
” What do you do when you greet each other?”
” We always try to find something wise to ask.” he said.  ”Why?”

First he bowed quickly, because I had asked another question and then he said:
” We try to ask a wise question to get the other person to bow.”
I was so impressed by the answer that I bowed as deeply as I could.
When I looked up Mika had put his finger in his mouth. After a long time he took it out.
”Why did you bow ?” he asked and looked insulted.
” Because you answered my question so wisely,” I said.

Now he said very loudly and clearly something that has followed me in my life ever since:
” An answer is nothing to bow for. Even if an answer can sound ever so right, still you should not bow to it.”

I nodded briefly. But I regretted it at once, because now Mika may think that I bowed to the answer he had just given.
”The one who bows shows respect”, Mika continued, ” You should never show respect for an answer.”
”Why not ?”
” An answer is always the part of the road that is behind you. Only questions point to the future.”
Those words were so wise, I thought, that I had to press my hands against my chin not to bow again……..

Jostein Gaarder 1996.

Past events and gatherings

 Fire

by Judy Brown

 What makes a fire burn
 is space between the logs,
 a breathing space.
 Too much of a good thing,
 too many logs
 packed in too tight
 can douse the flames
 almost as surely
 as a pail of water would.

 So building fires
 requires attention
 to the spaces in between,
 as much as to the wood.

 When we are able to build
 open spaces
 in the same way
 we have learned
 to pile on the logs,
 then we can come to see how
 it is fuel, and absence of the fuel
 together, that make fire possible.

 We only need to lay a log
 lightly from time to time.
 A fire
 grows
 simply because the space is there,
 with openings
 in which the flame
 that knows just how it wants to burn
 can find its way.

FIRE by Judy Brown

This song/message was sent to us by Frauke. 

George replied on that: 
It is one of my fave songs that I sang many times in the US, with brothers and sisters around campfires and in sacred circles. If any of you don’t know the song, you can find/buy it here:

We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For
 
We have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour.  Now you must go back and tell people that this is the Hour.  And there are things to be considered:
 
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in the right relation?
Where is your water?
 
Know your garden.  It is time to speak your truth.  Create your community. Be good to each other.  And do not look outside yourself for the leader. This could be a good time.
 
There is a river flowing now very fast.  It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.  They will try to hold onto the shore.  They will feel they are being torn apart and they will suffer  greatly.
 
Know the river has its destination.  The elders say we must let go of the shore, and push off and into the river.
 
Keep our eyes open, and our heads above water.  See who is in there with you and Celebrate.
 
At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally.  Least of all ourselves.
 
For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.
 
The time of the lone wolf is over, Gather yourselves!
 
Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.
 
All that you do now must be done in a sacred manner and in Celebration.
 
We are the ones we've been waiting for.
 
--The Elders, Hopi Nation, Oraibi, Arizona, USA
September, 2001