Path of the Sacred Clown

In my last article, I wrote of the Native American spiritual path of the Sacred Warrior. To Native Americans, the path of the Sacred Clown is ALSO considered a spiritual calling, essential to the smooth functioning of the tribe:

In the days before the invaders came. . .we had clowns. Not clowns like you see now, with round red noses and baggy costumes. Our clowns wore all kinds of stuff. Anythin’ they felt like, they wore. And they didn’t just come out once in a while to act silly and make people laugh, our clowns were with us all the time, as important to the village as the chief, or the shaman, or the dancers, or the poets.1

Most every tribe had their Clowns. The Oglala and Lakota called them Heyoka ("crazy"), the Arapaho called them Ha Hawkan ("holy idiot"), and both peoples considered them religious specialists. The Salish people honor the memory of a Clown who (not so long ago) challenged a missionary. The missionary was enticing people to come to his church by handing out little mirrors to them while urging them to cover their bodies with white folks’ clothes. It is told with a smile that the Clown (a woman!) walked into the church one Sunday wearing nothing but a hat and old shoes! Read the book to find out what happened!2

The Hopis protected their Sacred Clowns by incorporating them into their Katchina ("Cloud spirit") ceremonies where the Clowns make a hilarious entrance from a roof, descending a rope ladder into the plaza where the Katchinas are dancing. "Look down there!" they exclaim, "Everything is bountiful and beautiful!" Their descent is very precarious, usually head-first, and causes much laughter as they tumble over each other and fall the last few feet. They do not see the Katchinas until they bump into them, and then they say "This is MINE!" or "This many are MINE!" They act silly, childish, greedy, selfish, and lewd. As they pretend to become aware of their surroundings, they mock tourists, anthropologists, neighboring Indians, even themselves! They beg for food. Their guessing games and balancing acts please the crowds. The dancing Clowns sometimes pretend they are invisible, heightening the joke.3

The survival of these ritual clowns gives us a clue as to how important a Clown was to the community-spirit of each Native American tribe. Nothing was sacred to a Sacred Clown. She was a social critic of the highest order. Her funny mimicry and joking exposed hypocrisy and arrogance. Her portrayals of ridiculous behavior showed the people (in a very humorous way) their own foolishness and blind-spots.

"A clown was like a newspaper, or a magazine, or one of those people who write an article to tell you if a book or a movie is worth botherin’ with. They made comment on everythin’, every day, all the time. If a clown thought that what the tribal council was gettin’ ready to do was foolish, why the clown would just show up at the council and imitate every move every one of the leaders made. Only the clown would imitate it in such a way every little wart on that person would show, every hole in their idea would suddenly look real big."4

With the arrival of the "invaders", this sacred office got to be a most dangerous one—maybe more dangerous than that of the Warrior. Perhaps this is why most of the Sacred Clowns disappeared from sight! As the Cree Medicine Woman says in the story, Flight of the Seventh Moon,

"No wonder we never got along. . .my people and your people. They were all the time getting peeved at each other and much hatred grew between us. It was unavoidable, because my people had great pride and humor. Yours had the jitters and wanted to shoot those who were laughing at them. Yet I still find you white people very amusing. I have to laugh at you because you never let yourself go. Every word to you is a completeness or else a long way off. You like to bludgeon the meaning of something to fit your own stupidity. It would serve you well to quit being so brittle."5

The Sacred Clown of the Salish people mentioned earlier made a trip to Hudson Bay, Victoria, to clown about the way her people were trading seal and otter skins for rum. The white company-men soon had enough of her, and when she was later found shot in the head, all her people figured that a white man did it. The Indians themselves strictly forbade doing any kind of violence to a Sacred Clown.

These Clowns were dangerous to tyrants and exploiters because they were so disorganized and so completely honest. They could see with the eyes of a child, and because of this, could spot a phony a mile away. They were sometimes called "destroyer of heroes." The white invaders hated them, of course, so it was either be killed or find a way to hide. Those who were killed are remembered with much respect by their people. Those who survived did so by learning to be Tricksters, to change their form, to become invisible if necessary.

A negative religious figure (such as the Sacred Clown) seems odd to most non-tribal people. Most Native Americans, however, LOVE the humor of it and tell stories about a mythic Trickster whose pranks and mishaps teach the tribe moral lessons. The Trickster takes many forms, but the favorites seem to be animals who are exceptionally curious, resourceful and adaptable—SURVIVORS, such as spider, raven, rabbit, owl, bat, coyote and crow. The stories are full of funny situations with the Trickster being mischievous, being in turn made a fool of, and even getting involved in obscene affairs.

"Mostly, Trickster likes pullin’ antics and tellin’ dirty jokes."6 

Perhaps it is this appreciation for the Trickster that has given the Native American the ability to survive against all odds. The Trickster makes a lot of mistakes, and usually has a hard time learning from them. However, She keeps on keepin’ on. She doesn’t drown Herself in despair, doesn’t kill Herself in frustration. She survives.

Trickster shows us how we trick OURSELVES. Her rampant curiosity backfires, but, then, something NEW is discovered (though usually not what She expected)! This is where creativity comes from—experiment, do something different, maybe even something forbidden, and voila! A breakthrough occurs! Ha! Ha! We are released! The world is created anew! Do something backwards, break your own traditions, the barrier breaks; destroy the world as you know it, let the new in.

Sacred Clowns function as the eyes of the Trickster in this world: mirrors in which we see our folly as well as our resilience. As the Salish clown said to the people who were seduced into the missionary’s church by the pretty, shiny mirrors he handed out,

"There are better mirrors—the mirrors in the eyes of the people you love."7 

We’re reflections of each other. When we begin to take ourselves too seriously, there is the Clown to give us a laugh! When we become too heavy with self-importance, there is the Clown to knock some of that load away and lighten us up! The power of the Clown is the power of life itself. Acknowledge the pain, then let it go. Don’t carry it around with you. Focus on the joy, the mystery, the happiness, the cosmic joke. When Clowns delight in eating and in sexual horseplay, they are showing this love of life.

It’s a little more difficult to spot a young clown than it is to spot a young warrior. Those who describe a child as being "too sensitive" need to be aware that the little one may be a Sacred Clown in the making. The child may be shy, or she may be a temperamental show-off, sometimes both in different situations. In any case, a young clown is an explorer in the world of emotions. She tests the limits of her feelings as surely as a young warrior tests the limits of her will. She can amuse herself for hours playing pretend games, exercising her fantastic imagination. She will often mimic animals in her play. Just as often, she will have an ear for music and a talent for drama. Physically, she will have an excellent sense of balance.

The initiation for a Sacred Clown happens as she realizes that even people who love each other can be cruel to each other, or that Life itself can be cruel. Her own intense reaction to a personal experience of abandonment, betrayal of trust, or shattered romance may result in extreme depression, emotional imbalance, a nervous breakdown, or (in extreme cases) a suicide attempt. A Heyoka remembers her initiation thus,

 "I didn’t care about my life or what happened to me. I didn’t realize it, but there is big medicine in that abandon."8 

If she can somehow find her emotional equilibrium, somehow go THROUGH the pain and come out on the other side, learn to dance on the knife edge of her own Soul, the experience becomes a gateway THROUGH the illusions of life and into the truth of life.

What is truth? This question propels the Clown into the sacred dimension. The Truth the Clown intuits is the interconnectedness of all life. She KNOWS (although she cannot prove) that no part is more important than any other part—no matter how big or how small—and that the tiniest change in one part produces a profound change in the Whole. She SEES (although she cannot explain) that imbalance or blockage of the Life Force is the result of a person or group believing themselves to be more important than another. And she can’t help puncturing that over-blown self-importance with her sharp humor!

A Clown becomes Sacred by opening herself. Like a child, she is vulnerable, fluid, and open to the Life Force. Unlike a child, however, she has learned to shield herself and move safely through an insane world by using masks, disguises, tricks and transformations. In a sane world, she might risk a bit more exposure.

Native Americans say that Sacred Clowns are great lovers of children, healing them and protecting them. In addition, one of their powers is to bring fertility to barren people and situations. If the Sacred Warrior personifies the Sun, the Sacred Clown personifies the Void—that great black openness of space, the great Womb from which we all are born.

In the Hopi Katchina ceremony, it is said that long ago the Sun was given the responsibility to people the earth, but that "it failed to lift itself,"9 preferring instead to follow its own personal ambitions and desires without regard to the tribe. 

For this reason, the responsibility to carry out the plan of Life was shifted to the Clowns.

In the Hopi ceremony, the Clowns do not appear until after noon, until "the sun reaches its zenith and is on its down slope."10

"First here was the Sun, who was young once and is now a grandparent of many powers. But the Sun will one day go into the Void. That’s the power of the Heyoka—the Void."11

The power of the Void is the power of wombness in us all, the power of true creativity. The power of being open is sometimes regarded as a weakness, but the Sacred Clown gives us this paradox: The weakest can be the most powerful. The dumbest can be the most wise.

"In a clown’s craziness, she can be obscene or test any of the existing structures and ideas to see if they are true and real—and she gets away with it. She herself is weak, but her very weakness is her power."12

In modern times, Clowns sometimes emerge into the public eye as comediennes, actors in guerilla theatre, critics, ritualists/artists/musicians who break the boundaries of "good taste" and aesthetics. But usually, they keep to the guise of normal, everyday people who know how to get other people to laugh at themselves.

If you decide to travel on this Path with a Heart, you’ll be travelling backwards! Remember, though, to look behind you (or in front of you) once in a while. It just could be that another Sacred Clown is clowning YOU up! And that could be worth a good belly laugh for sure!



by:  Peggy Andreas


Footnotes
 1.   Granny, from Daughters of Copper Woman by Anne Cameron, 1981, Press Gang Publishers, 603 Powell Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6 A1 H2, pg. 109

 2. ibid., pg. 108-114

 3.  Talayesva, Don C., Sun Chief: The Autobiography of a Hopi Indian, Leo W. Simmons, ed. New Haven: Yale University Press

 4.  Granny, from Daughters of Copper Woman, pg. 109

 5.  Agnes Whistling Elk, from Flight of the Seventh Moon, pg. 74

 6.  Philbert, Powwow Highway (Movie), 1982, Hand-Made Films

 7.  Clown, Daughters of Copper Woman, pg. 112

 8.   Agnes Whistling Elk, Medicine Woman, pg. 117

 9.  The Hopi Ritual Clown: Life As It Should Not Be by Hieb Louis Albert, 1972, University Microfilms International, Ann Arbor, MI, pg. 146

 10.   ibid.

 11.  Ruby Plenty Chiefs, Flight of the Seventh Moon by Lynn V. Andrews, 1984, Harper & Row, NY, pg. 185

 12.   Zoila Guiterez, Jaguar Woman by Lynn V. Andrews, 1985, Harper & Row, NY, pg. 121

Path of the Sacred Warrior

Hoka Hey!" exclaims the Sioux warrior riding into battle, "Today is a good day to die." A true warrior dares to do the impossible. She dares death and she respects death, both. A story about Native American warriors puts it this way,

    "Warriors live with death at their side, and from the knowledge that death is with them, they draw the courage to face anything. The worst that can happen to us is that we have to die, and since that is already our unalterable fate, we are free; those who have lost everything no longer have anything to fear."1

The Path of the Sacred Warrior begins with the awareness that we are mortal beings, that we are going to die. Knowing this, we can see our lives in better perspective. Knowing this, we can act ALWAYS so that we will be able to die centered, beyond fear, at peace with what we have made from the stuff of our lives. The goal is to live our lives well in order to eventually die well, so that what is eternal about us (our Spirit?) will be set free. We must each come to terms with our own personal Deaths. For instance, I like to think that my body is offspring of an act of love between my Spirit and the Elemental world. I like to think that MY death will be a final consummation and bittersweet orgasmic consumption of that love!

The Sacred Warrior walks her path with her Death at her side. And her Death makes Herself available to the Sacred Warrior as an advisor, teacher, and friend. This relationship with her Death calls the Sacred Warrior to be who she truly is, to live her life fully and completely, to use the power-from-within. As Agnes Whistling Elk says in the story Medicine Woman,

    "You can only be dangerous when you accept your death. Then you become dangerous in spite of anything. You must learn to see the awake ones. A dangerous woman can do anything because she will do anything. A powerful woman is unthinkable because the unthinkable belongs to her. Everything belongs to her, and anything is possible."2

In Native American lore, stories of warriors often reveal a childhood filled with inner turmoil and outward aggressiveness. Baby warriors are keen to explore the world and they don’t want anyone or anything to get in their way. They may fight with their siblings or test the parents mercilessly. Warriors often seem to have come into life with an excess of energy. Their temperaments are fiery; their wills, strong. A young warrior who is thwarted in her physical expression will almost certainly compensate with surplus mental or emotional energy.


    The story of the Tewa Cottonwood Warchief, Pohaha, illustrates this theme. Always angry when young, she rebelled when coaxed to do domestic work. Finally, her tribe consented to let her go to battle, where she distinguished herself mightily. After that, it was said, her constant anger disappeared and "she became a good woman."3 Her name, Pohaha, means "wet-between-the-legs-ha-ha" because of her habit of pulling up her dress to taunt her enemies with the fact that she was a woman! Eventually, the great Pohaha was elected "Warchief" by the elders. As War Chief, she would have to lead her people against enemies, protect them from sickness and treat them as her children. She took her charge seriously; and when she died, she left her mask and said it would represent her even if she was dead. "I will be with you all the time," she told her tribe, "The mask is me."4 The Cottonwood people keep her mask, and tell her story, to this day.


A young warrior is hard to control. But once that warrior is trusted with a challenging task, she is on her way to SELF-CONTROL. Native Americans begin the warrior-training with hunting lessons, along with basic wilderness-survival skills. They teach the young huntress a respect for her "prey." They show the young one that to learn from one’s Death (the Ultimate Huntress), one needs to develop humility, patience, and an ability to keep a clear head—or, at least, to clear one’s head, fast! The wilderness-survival training is a good idea for a Sacred Warrior—it gives her a true knowledge of her world, and of her relationship to it. It gives her Nature as her first Opponent. She learns that one cannot "compete" with such a powerful Opponent. Yet she also learns that this Opponent is a mirror to her own heart, and as such deserves respect and, even, love. From this realization, she goes on to learn self-defense and self-reliance.

Obviously, this is a path of courage. Native Americans call their warriors "Braves" for a reason. The more courage one showed, the more honored the warrior! "Braves" (both female and male) who rode into battle did not seek to kill the opposition. It was considered much braver to humiliate ("count coup on") the opposition by getting close enough to simply touch, or to capture the opposition’s ceremonial pipe, war bonnet, shield or bow.5 To kill another warrior was considered a dubious accomplishment. To kill "innocents" was considered cowardly. In ancient days, it is said that great warriors would not attack a camp, but would enter and be welcomed. They would be put up in the "enemy tipi" to rest and be fed. Then all the young warriors of the camp would come to challenge the great warrior, hoping to "count coup" but usually just lucky to hold their own. No doubt they received a few lessons in the holding.

"Capturing" (what we might call "stealing") became one of the greatest warrior feats. Since there was no idea of property, it was more like "reclaiming." This is where the White insult of "Indian-giver" originated. Entities (like horses) or places (like a forest or a plain) could not be "owned" by anyone; therefore they belonged to those who took care of them.

    In the modern world, our battles are usually fought in somewhat different arenas. Many writers and re-claimers of Herstory are Sacred Warriors, realizing that "The pen is mightier than the sword".

"Say you were a writer and you decided to pick Anaïs Nin as your worthy opponent.. You tried to beat her in creativity and ideas. In a sense, you would use her to see yourself. You don’t want her to fail—you would lose your model. What does a medicine person want you to do? They want to give away to you until you have power so that you can become a worthy opponent to another worthy warrior."6

What IS opposition, anyway? This question is central to the Sacred Warrior’s Path. It does NOT involve contempt. It is wasteful to feel contempt for people or other entities. A Native American warrior speaking to a group of White Americans put it this way,

    "You people have such anger and fear and contempt for your so-called criminals that your crime rate goes up and up. Your society has a high crime rate because it is in a perfect position to receive crime. You should be working WITH these people, not in opposition to them. The idea is to have contempt for crime, not for people. It’s more useful to think of every individual as another YOU—to think of every individual as a representative of the universe. Even the worst criminal in life imprisonment sitting in his cell—the center of him is the same seed, the seed of the whole creation."7

So what is the feeling that the Sacred Warrior cultivates within herself? Detachment is important.

    "Everyone who wants to follow the warrior’s path has to rid herself of fixation: the compulsion to possess and hold onto things."8

It is easy to see that walking with one’s Death at one’s side can help one remember that "you can’t take it with you." Besides, a fluid warrior needs to be free of burdens, needs to be free to think clearly, and move at a moment’s notice. She also needs to be able to live in the present. In order to cultivate detachment, a warrior develops her sense of humor and a great sense of resourcefulness. These become her shields. She can feel her strong and passionate emotions and then let them pass THROUGH her. She can laugh at herself.

But there is a danger in detachment. A warrior can become so self-reliant that she becomes arrogant and uncompromising. She becomes incapable of compassion. What brings the "sacredness" to the path of the Sacred Warrior is LOVE.

To the Sacred Warrior, Love is felt when the heart is open. Great warriors are said to have great hearts, and even the strongest, most skilled, most dangerous warrior becomes Sacred when she puts herself in service (as a Guardian or a Champion) to a child, a needy group, a holy place, a worthy task. MOST of all, the Sacred Warrior is at the service of those who truly require her. She does this not for them, but for herself. Her love and service are free, without attachment or expectation—unconditional. She knows, perhaps more than anyone else, that to truly love is the most dangerous and most daring act a Sacred Warrior can perform.

    An Apache maiden, Lozen, became a powerful and respected warrior. Expert in riding and roping, she was always able to bring back enemy horses. She was dedicated to helping her people. It is said that once she found herself alone in enemy territory with a young mother and her baby. She spent several gruelling months leading them to safety, when she could have just as easily rode away by herself. As she matured in her compassion, she began to develop the uncanny ability to determine the location of the enemy, and became a welcome voice at tribal strategy meetings.9

Throughout Native American lore, there are many such stories of big-hearted Braves. While they are much admired and honored for their hunting, fighting, and survival skills, they are even more respected and loved for their compassion and kindness.

In the past, Sacred Warriors battled for the protection and survival of their tribes, and for personal satisfaction. This is still true, but in our Age, the definition of "tribe" can vary. The Sacred Warrior who travels on "A path with a heart" must find her own sacred battlefield. The fight may be for justice, or peace, or respect—whether personally or publicly.

Many Sacred Warriors fulfill the Native American prophecy of the "Warriors of the Rainbow" that says,

    "When the Earth is sick and dying, all over the world people will rise up as Warriors of the Rainbow to save the planet."10 

This prophecy is furthered by the words of a modern Native American/Eskimo who says,

"Great are the tasks ahead, terrifying are the mountains of ignorance and hate and prejudice, but the Warriors of the Rainbow shall rise as on the wings of the eagle to surmount all difficulties. They will be happy to find that there are now millions of people all over the earth ready and eager to rise and join them in conquering all barriers that bar the way to a new and glorious world! We have had enough now of talk. Let there be deeds."11

By: Peggy Andreas
 
Footnotes
1. Quote from Don Juan, Yaqui Medicine Man, from The Fire From Within by Carlos Casteneda,    1984, Pocket Books, Simon & Schuster, Inc., NY.

2. Agnes Whistling Elk, from Lynn Andrews’ book Medicine Woman, 1981, Harper & Row, NY.

3. From the book Daughters of the Earth by Carolyn Niethammer, 1977, MacMillan Publishing Co., NY.

4. ibid.

5. Indians of North America by Geoffrey Turner, 1977, Blandford Press.

6. Agnes Whistling Elk, from Medicine Woman.

7. Mad Bear, from Rolling Thunder by Doug Boyd, 1974, Dell Publishing Company.

8. La Gorda, quoted from Carlos Casteneda’s book, The Second Ring of Power, 1977, Simon & Schuster, NY.

9. Daughters of the Earth, Niethammer.

10. Greenpeace literature.

11. William Willoya, Warriors of the Rainbow: Strange and Prophetic Dreams of the Indians, 1962, Naturegraph Publishers, P.O. Box 1075, Happy Camp, CA 96039.

Message from Grandmother Idjinni

(Note: The following was channeled by me from Grandmother Idjinni)

Beloved Kin,

IDJINNI am I--Dragonness. I have been called DAM.KI.NA and Danu, I am Priestess of Tiamat, Mistress of Anu, Mother of Enki, and Grandmother to millions of you.

Yes, we are related. Many of you carry Dragon-DNA within your bodies, while others of you are related to these Dragon-children. So we are all kin to each other. And I send my warm love to all of you, for surely love creates the best family of all!

I desire to speak of my own star-tribe--Dragonkind--and our interaction with this great Being which you call the Earth, and we call Tiamat. We Dragons came here eons ago, from several locations in the Milky Way Galaxy and beyond. We came to help the Earth achieve stability in her orbit. We also came to be a part of the great elemental energies mixing and merging and evolving here. We are always attracted to the chaos and confusion that accompanies a planet's emergence, and Earth's earliest times were certainly full of both! We greatly enjoy romping in the unformed, the unpredictable, the unexpected! To us, it is a great adventure, and also an advantage! Perhaps that is why you say that Dragons are flamboyant, eccentric, passionate, energetic, self-confident, vital, and commanding. We have also gotten the reputation among you for being fierce, greedy, arrogant, stubborn, and, well....ahem....loving to be in the limelight! Those who know us well, including ourselves, might call us noble, brave, meticulous, polite, intelligent, witty, erudite, thoughtful, and even peaceful! <smile> However, even though we are peaceful, we can defend ourselves properly. <bigger smile, with teeth>

We believe that Earth is a Dragon too, and that this great Dragon called to our race from the 4 corners of the Universe to participate in her changes. We responded enthusiastically to her call. For that reason, we are greatly connected with the gravity and elements and weather of this great Being---her "feelings" and her "moods," as well as her actual physical changes. Indeed, her changes are what we thrive upon, even though some of those changes can take eons to accomplish! Yes, we Dragons can also be very patient if the change demands it. <smile> And, of course, we normally live at a much different rate of vibration than the average modern Human (our lifespan can correspond to thousands of Human-years)....so our patience is something of which we can be justifiably proud.

Still and all, we enjoy the swift changes of storms, hurricanes and typhoons!! We revel in the surging of the ocean and we love dancing in blizzards and racing the crackling lightning to the ground! Sandstorms in the desert are so much fun to twirl in....and great shiftings of the Earth's crust feel like a roller coaster ride to us! We love to bathe in the hot lava of volcanos and we love to experience the surprise-thrust of mountains being born! A huge waterfall tumbling down a dangerous chasm beckons us like a lover, and we surf the waves of a tsunami for giggles!

In case you are thinking that our energy is boundless, I must tell you that yes, we DO appreciate time to rest and rejuvenate, too. After all of that strong activity and play, we Dragons relax just as completely! We love to curl up in the deep cool limestone caverns of the Yucatan, to snuggle in between the soft mountains of Appalachia or in a volcano crater on some remote island, to hover gently on the cloud of mist above Niagra Falls, and to sleep on a green bed of pine boughs, curled around the trunk of a very old tree deep in the heart of an ancient Korean forest. You might catch a glimpse of us as we rest, but we usually cast a "disguise" about ourselves...and sometimes what LOOKS like a mountain may actually BE a Dragon at rest! Our "disguise" is simply done--we simply "become" part of nature. We have great powers of visualization, and we can "see" ourselves "becoming" a mountain, a cloud, a mound of tree branches. We can merge ourselves with the natural environment so well because we love, know it, and understand it so well. One of our favorite places to rest is deep within the Earth, because there we can access the exquisite energy closer to her "heart." Sometimes we sleep for decades nestled in her bosom.

Dragons are connoisseurs of natural energy. We have been here much longer than most of the other species of animal on the Earth, so we have gotten very skilled at finding the "juciest" energy on the planet. Earth-energy (what you may call the Earth's magnetic field) is our specialty, and our favorite treat. Why do you think we live such long lives? <smile> It was by finding, tracking, and sorting through Earth's emanations that we helped this lovely planet stabilize herself. Today, you can find our "tracks" in ley lines, lines of magnetic force that are laid out in grid-form, criss-crossing the entire globe. These lines (and the intersections, where the force "pools"), are basically stable; but they can change drastically when the Earth is disturbed; for instance, if there is quarrying, cutting through hills, mountaintop removal, landslides, earthquakes, etc.

We can actually sense the magnetic currents of the earth with our bodies. We call these currents "Tiamat's Blood." Many of you who have inherited our DNA can also sense these currents. When one is "on-course" one can FEEL it in the bones! Animals and plants can also sense these currents, and animals (such as geese, honeybees, and whales) can find their way by sensing these currents. (Turquoise Water's note: This matches the theory of Harry Safari, who connects this ability with a physiological feature of a tissue with a substance in it called magnetite. This has also been found in Human tissue with the Ethmoid bone in front of the vertebrate skull.

See: http://blog.acemagnetics.com/2007/02/ley_lines_a_theory_by_harry_sa.html

But if the magnetic flow has been disturbed, both animals and plants will avoid the area! They will feel very uncomfortable there, and for very good reason. If they are forced to stay there, or, as some Humans do, simply stay there out of ignorance, they can slip into an imbalance themselves, and become sick or mentally disturbed. This has happened to a very few Dragons, too, who have gone insane because of it. There are ways of re-directing and clearing this energy, and of healing these unfortunate beings trapped there....but it is extremely difficult work, taking much skill and much time.

On the other hand, places where the healthy Earth-energy flows in its natural course are places of power. Beings of all kinds can sense this power, and are drawn to it. Often, one feels strangely changed as one travels along the flow, or rests at the confluence of these energies. Depending on the kind of and amount of currents flowing together, one may feel either energized or very relaxed. Or, perhaps, both at once! One may also be filled a strange euphoria or a simple feeling of joy. There may be a "tingling" feeling in the body. Healing may naturally occur. Often the quality of the energy is connected with certain water-courses or mineral content of the area. All of Nature plays with these forces, and they are the stuff and substance of what Humans call "weather patterns."

Emotions and feelings of all kinds are connected to these energy-flows, and these influence each other! In fact, these are made of the same kind of energy--electro-magnetic! Dragons love to dance and frolic in these vibrations. Human dancing, singing, chanting, drumming, music- making, love-making, praying, meditating, any activities that include rhythm coupled with emotional intent, can raise vibrations on these spots quite easily! Dragons are very attracted to these "heated" vibrations because heat itself is full of the random energy that Dragons love. <smile> And the Earth's molten heart pumps the primal rhythm:

Deep in my blood I feel the flow
of galaxies.
I sense the rhythm of the universe
Simple as a child's nursery rhyme.
Simple as rock and roll.
Simple as a primitive chant.
Together, we sing health.
Together, we sing strength.
Together, we sing energy.
We ARE the song, singing the universe alive.

In this very special time, we Dragons are beginning to come out of hiding to seek a partnership (again) with our kin in the Human world. Working as a pair (1 Human and 1 Dragon), we can accomplish much--not by rigid control or dominance--but, instead, by linking our unique talents together for the good of the Planet. We work well as individuals....and we will partner ourselves with strong, Dragon-like individual Humans who respect us and can match us in bravery, sensitivity, and wit.

Let me explain that we Dragons can appear differently, depending upon how we want to project ourselves, and how you want to see us. Our usual forms (that you have so wonderfully depicted in your art and storytelling) are projections of our power, strength and connection with the chaotic forces of Nature. They allow us access to the Nature-romping that I have described. We can appear in other forms, too, including tiny forms. We can easily appear in a "hybrid" form that is a combination of Dragon/Human--usually about 8-12 foot tall. Another of our forms is a basic Human form. For instance, you may have seen depictions of maidens chained to rocks, held captive by huge Dragons so that a particular male "hero" could rescue them. Originally, these depictions showed that the particular male was really the "usurper" of the Dragoness's freedom and authority---and both the maiden AND the Dragon were aspects of the same being! In the original version of this story, the maiden's "chains" were really necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, and anklets, which Dragons love to wear, and of course, she wasn't chained at all. (Which isn't to say that, occasionally, a rogue Dragon didn't capture or fight with a Human. It happened, but very rarely.)

Dragons (male and female) love metals and stones of all kinds. This is simply a facet of our love for the Earth and our enjoyment of Earth-energy. We learned about smelting mineral ores while playing with volcanos! We love the way the different metals and stones resonate, and we can actually hear the "stories" they tell, ancient stories about the cosmos and the birth of the Earth, future stories about new places to explore. We also use the different resonations to bring out certain qualities of our own projections (especially our beauty!) and to bring to ourselves more ability to sense, to visualize, to perceive, to remember, to understand, to purify, to heal, to astral travel, and to simply FEEL. We also use metal and stone for protection of certain sensitive areas.

You may have heard that we Dragons hoard our treasures, but this is not so. We DO know of places where treasure is stored and hidden, though, and we can take you to it if you appreciate it as we do. These treasures often are stored in places where the Earth energy collects and pools, and this "charges" the precious objects with an extra-ordinary power, according to the intent and character of the Dragon who visits there most often. Your old faery tales of magic rings and magic cups, etc., are related to these "charged" objects, often gifted to a Human friend by their Dragon-partner.

Part of our love of metals is expressed in our bodily decoration...and many of the Human habits of decorating the self with precious metals (including coins) and metallic liquids has been inherited from your Dragon kin. Dragons also love music, and many of your musical instruments such as gongs, chimes, cymbals, bells, and metal horns were inspired by Dragons playing with their toys of metal and fire. Dragons are quite attracted to your new electronic music, too!

There are many ways that the Dragon DNA comes out in individual Humans. Physically, the Human may be born with a "caul" or a veil over the face. Dragons are born from eggs and the "caul" is a leftover aspect of the egg membrane. It is said that Humans born with a "caul" have extraordinarily high psychic ability, and this is another inheritance from your Dragon kin.

Dragons, in our usual form, have a tender skin covered with tough, shiny scales to protect it. In our other forms, we also use metals and stones as a form of protection. Humans who are prone to getting moles or other small, non-malignant growths on their skin, are often manifesting some Dragon DNA! They are trying to grow scales! Freckles are a mild form of scaling which often carries over to the Human form. Red hair, often associated with tender skin and freckles, can also be an indication of Dragon inheritance. It is interesting that a passionate temperament is also associated with this hair-coloring; that too is a Dragon trait! <smile>

As I have said, we Dragons love change and we love unpredictability. Life has always provided this for us, and we have always responded by being the unique, spontaneous individuals we are. We are definitely strange attractors! <smile> We ride Chaos as humans ride US, wave upon wave, particle upon particle! We know that if we just experience and learn from Chaos AS IT IS, without forcing any particular form upon it, a FORM WILL APPEAR. And it will contain a new symetry and coherence, a new surprise! That's the nature of the beast. And it is OUR nature, the Dragons' nature, and also YOUR nature, my beloved kin.

So let us together ride into the untamed future! <big smile> Let the Dragon Blood sing! Rrrrrrwwwwwoooooooooaaaarrrrrrrrrrrr! (Translation: "Let Freedom Ring!!!")


by:  Peggy Andreas

Spirit Guides: My Experience

My Creative Writing teacher (about 20 years ago) had just assigned to us: 'Imagine an entity who would symbolize to you great wisdom.' Then we were to write a dialogue with that entity in our journals.

My 'entity' turned out to be a Porpoise by the name of Rosa! I enjoyed our journal dialogues so much... .I could ask her anything, and she'd always end up give me good (if sometimes quite hilarious) advice!

One day, I was dialoguing with her when she said to me, 'Wait, I must assume another form in order to answer that question.' What was going on? She changed form into a beautiful and wise female 'presence' who has been with me since I was a very young child. The name of this 'presence' I called 'Saji.'

It turned out that Rosa was simply one aspect, or form, of Saji. I had always wondered why a porpoise would be named after a Rose...then I remembered that the Rose was one of Saji's 'symbols.' Saji, I finally comprehended, is one of my Life Guides (I have two of them, one female -- Saji -- and one male). Saji has always been there for me, through all my good times and bad times, to comfort me when I was young, and to guide me as I grow older. Her presence is total love, and I love her with all my heart. To me, she is the voice of the Goddess in my soul.

As I continued my journal dialogues, I found that Saji was there for me whenever I needed her. Sometimes, my male guide, Zohar, would come through---a completely different energy than Saji, but still full of love. I knew they were my Spiritual  Guides because they seemed to embody my 'ideal' Self, and they never steered me toward any kind of negativity, always toward love and positivity. And they never demanded that I 'obey' them. They simply communicated their perspective to me... and it was and IS a much wider perspective than I am usually able to see! And it was then up to me to decide whether to follow their advice or not. When I DID follow their advice, I always found a positive experience.

My Creative Writing teacher was interested in hypnosis as a creative writing tool, and he asked for volunteers to participate in his experiment. I readily agreed to be a volunteer. For 32 hypnosis sessions, we explored the world of my Guides, and met other Spirits also.

These Spirits included: Many of my own past selves, writers and other historical figures who had lived in the past and who we admired, extra-terrestrials, nature-spirits and elementals, dragons, unicorns, etc. One Spirit called itself (it was beyond gender) my 'Oversoul, ' and mostly showed itself as a bright light! I met Saji's teacher and was told that his name was Carrefour. I was curious about this and found that in the Vodou religion, Carrefour means 'crossroads' and is the Moon God.

I was a little concerned about Carrefour, as I had read that he sometimes has a negative aspect. Eventually, I came to realize that what is important is how *I* relate to him, because I feel that every Spirit I meet reflects something within my own soul. The Carrefour that I know is a Trickster spirit, and yet he is so full of love and compassion that he practically overflows with these qualities!

My subsequent research into Vodou has brought me a lot of interaction with that pantheon. I am learning a very positive path, but always there is much struggle against the prejudices associated with this ancient way. That is part of the challenge I have chosen in this particular incarnation. To me, these 'Lwa's' (as they are called in their own language -- also called Loa's) are ancestors who have progressed to the point of merging with world-Archetypes as interpreted through their own tribal mythology.

My own Past Lives often come to me and inspire me with creative ideas and projects. Some of them teach me (or, more accurately, remind me) what I have forgotten! They also help me recognize certain spiritual qualities in other people, which can come in handy when I am doing a reading or a healing. And they always bring with them Spiritual contacts that harmonize with the culture, mythology, and worldview of those past lives. Working with past life selves is simple -- as long as you remember that the PRESENT is where power resides. The purpose and work of the PRESENT LIFE is the most vital and most important.

Certain of my Guides and Past Lives also serve as 'Gatekeeper' when I am searching psychically for information and communication from other spirits. They keep it positive, healthy, and filter out any negative vibes.

One book that I found helpful in 'discerning' Spirits (and Lwa's) is Initiation: A Woman's Spiritual Adventure in the Heart of the Andes by Elizabeth B. Jenkins. In this book, Ms. Jenkins describes her spiritual quest in the Andes, and how she progressed from a worldview that was dominant/submissive to one that was more egalitarian. As a family therapist herself, she had a unique view of Spirit-Human relationships and she had a 'feel' for when they became dysfunctional. She explains her own spiritual lessons and how she went from a child-level to an adult-level in functioning on the spiritual plane.

In Ms. Jenkins' perspective (as well as mine) one becomes a member of a FAMILY of both human and spiritual beings. A family works together for the good of all, and Spirits assist only if invited and welcomed. As the Spirits participate and prove themselves as allies, they become part of the family, too. (You may substitute 'coven' for 'family' here, also.)

James Redfield, in his book The Tenth Insight: Holding the Vision, describes 'Soul Groups' that contain all the past selves of each individual human. These 'Soul Groups' contain all the knowledge that the individual has gleaned from life so far! As we move into the Aquarian Age, we find that groups are becoming more and more important in our spiritual evolution. Working with groups is challenging, but promises a great leap forward in our consciousness. As we work 'for the good of all, according to free will' (Thanks, Marion Weinstein!), we learn the meaning of spiritual cooperation, without the loss of individuality.

I enjoy groups that form themselves 'organically, ' and just come together in a natural way. As such, families can be defined as a group of entities who are have come together related to each other in intimate ways. Families have something intrinsic in common. And the families we create are connected by love.

Families do not always get along, nor are they always in the same mood. However, they ARE always close to each other, whether they are in group-formation or not. They experience kinship; that is, they recognize each other as 'my kind.'

In spiritual pantheons like Vodou, or in shamanic paths, one can be called by, adopted by, mentored by, and even married to, a Spirit or a Lwa. This is a more intimate connection and requires a greater level of commitment than just working together. One becomes, essentially, a priest or priestess of that Spirit or Lwa's specialty. This doesn't cancel out one's HUMAN parent, mentor or mate. However, it does require a certain amount of time that must be dedicated to the relationship between the person and the Spirit or Lwa. During this special dedicated time, the person and the Spirit/Lwa learn from each other and cooperate in channeling specialized energy through that archetype.

I have considered being a Priestess of a certain Spirit/Lwa, but have decided that I like to keep things more flexible. I like being able to have a variety of Spirits/Lwa's to relate to! This is similar to the way I like to relate to my human family and friends. I like a large variety, to bring out the different aspects of myself. (My Venus and Jupiter are in Aquarius, for those astrologically inclined!) I have had many varied incarnations, and I think that I am a very international person!

Other people may have kept to one culture during a lot of their incarnations and, therefore, relate with a smaller number of Spirits/Lwa's, in a closer and more intimate way. There is nothing wrong with that inclination, either. There are many ways to relate, and many ways to group. There are many kinds of families, but the ones we CHOOSE to create need to be those that encourage us, bring out our talents, support us emotionally, and merge with our own individual style!


by: Peggy Andreas