Topic: TWYLAH HURD NITSCH

[Shamaya]

So many things spin through my head as I read this.  My personal life has been quite a whirlwind lately, much of my own doing   So as it is I have not felt drawn to read this yet, Jen and I have hardly even spoke of it (which is quite unusual of us considering the topic) and with in less than a half of a page I am in awe.

She opens her arms in an embrace, and I step inside. I feel as if I am a lost child come home.
I have felt this before, just reading about it brings back the warmth that such a hug can bring.
“Everyone has experiences of being inwardly guided like this,” she says, “but most of us simply don’t honor the information we’re given. We say, ‘Not now,’ and let the guidance pass, because we do not want to take the time to enter the silence.”
I am guilty of this to a degree.  It's a needed reminder for it truely is a way of life and sometimes other responsiblities just don't leave time for sitting and watching the eagle soar above as I hurry off for work................

“That’s part of the growth process. We learn in increments because we can take in and hold just so much at one time. Attempting to remain in your truth is better than not trying at all. The main thing is to be open to learning and to learn with a humble attitude. Seek more than immediate or exterior comfort. Be true to yourself. When it’s time for you to learn more, Truth is there for the asking. It’s always with you. Unity is always with you. All you have to do is recognize it.”

“When I was a child my elders taught me it was up to me to make myself happy each day, and when I go to bed each night, I should thank Great Mystery for my happiness. Most people don’t take responsibility for their own happiness — it doesn’t even enter their heads to do this! And at the end of the day, they’re not grateful for the good things that happen to them.”
What a beautiful thing to have been taught!
“You have to nourish self-love all the time. If your parents or husband didn’t give you the love you wanted, you have to give it to yourself. If something throws you into a slump, look at it right in the eye. Figure out what you didn’t see about yourself that allowed that slump to happen, then change it. After all, we live in a do-it-yourself world!” She chuckles once again.


Jen, I could just copy this entire piece back to you......................LOL  So much of it resenates with me, reminding me of so many chats that we have had.  It also makes me think of Ray and the type of energy that surrounds him.  Thoughts of another visit to him sparkle within~~~

Thank you!

[Jennifer-]

   Good to see you here Fade, pleased you got to read this also.. isnt she beautiful

Im also called to go see Ray very soon.. snowshoes will be required for our next visit to the teaching lodge!

I agree.. he feels like her. 

Love

Peace

Light

Balanced

Yep.. I miss the old turtle.

May the Northern winds embrace you kindly dear one.

Love you, jen

[Jennifer-]

I think we also could use a sweatlodge ceremony soon...

[Jennifer-]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They are the westernmost Nation within the Six Nations or Iroquois League. While unknown for sure, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in the United States and Canada, on and off reservations around Buffalo, in Oklahoma and near Brantford, Ontario.

The Seneca nation's own name is Onödowága', meaning "People of the Great Hill", and is identical to the endonym used by the Onondagas. With the formation of the Haudenosaunee ("People of the Long House") or the Iroquois Confederation in 1142,[1] the Seneca became known as the "Keepers of the Western Door" because they settled and lived the farthest west of all the Nations within the Haudenosaunee. Their name "Seneca" was designated by other nations, after the Seneca nation's principle village of Osininka. However, since "Osininka" sounds like the Anishinaabe word Asinikaa(n), meaning "[Those at the Place] Full of Stones", this gave rise to the confusion to non-Haudenosaunee nations in the Seneca nation's name with that of the Oneida nation's endonym Onyota'a:ka, meaning "People of the Standing Stone."

The Seneca traditionally lived in what is now New York between the Genesee River and Canandaigua Lake, with some recent archaeological evidence indicating that they lived all the way down to the Allegheny River into what is now upper North Western Pennsylvania. The Senecas were by far the most populous of the Haudenosaunee Nations, with the ability to raise over ten thousand warriors by the seventeenth century.[2]

Traditionally, the Seneca Nation economy was based on the cultivation of corn, beans, and squash. These vegetables were the staple of the Haudenosaunee diet and were called "the three sisters". Seneca women generally grew and harvested the three sisters, as well as gathered medicinal plants, roots, berries, nuts, and fruit. Seneca women held sole ownership of all the land and the homes, thus the women also tended to any domesticated animals like deer, dogs, turkeys, etc. Women were in charge of the kinship groups called clans. The woman in charge of a clan was called the "clan mother." Despite the prominent position of women in Iroquois society, their influence on the diplomacy of the nation was limited. Although older women could lobby and pull some strings behind closed doors, the official decisions were made by the men (hence they were not matriarchical).

Seneca men were generally in charge of locating and developing the town sites including clearing the forest for the production of fields. Seneca men also spent a great deal of time hunting and fishing. This activity took them away from the towns or villages to well known and productive hunting and fishing grounds for extended amounts of time. These hunting and fishing locations were well maintained and not simply left to grow as "wild" lands.[3] Seneca men maintained the traditional title of War Sachems within the Haudenosaunee. A Seneca war sachem was in charge of gathering the warriors of the Haudenosaunee and leading them into battle.

In historical time, Seneca people lived in villages and towns. Archaeological records indicate that some of these villages were surrounded by palisades due to warfare[citation needed]. These towns were relocated every ten to twenty years as soil, game and other resources were depleted. During the ninteenth century, many Seneca adopted customs of their immediate American neighbors[citation needed] by building log cabins, practicing Christianity and participating in the local agricultural economy[citation needed].

Notable Senecas in history include Deerfoot, Red Jacket, Sayenqueraghta, Cornplanter, Guyasuta, Handsome Lake, Ely S. Parker, Governor Blacksnake, Halftown, Half-King, Little Beard, Skunny Wundy, Mary Jemison, Arthur Parker, Isaac Newton Parker, Robert Hoag, Willam C. Hoag, Frank Patterson, Cornelius Seneca, George Heron, Lionel R. John, Martin Seneca Sr., Duwayne 'Duce' Bowen, Solomon McLane, Barry Snyder Sr., William Seneca, and Catherine Montour.

[Jennifer-]

Bumping this up for my own reflecting.

[Angela]

I just started reading Dancing the Dream by Jamie Sams.

Excellent book...

I've been reading a lot lately and this has become one of my favorites   So much so, that i keeping returning to Amazon.com books to order for gifts 

The author speaks to All in such an straight forward fashion ... I Love it!

Thanks Jenn ...   
Ang

[Jennifer-]

You are very welcome!

So pleased youve read this Ang. It is an excellent book 

[Jennifer-]

Gram Twy once shared, "If you want to help others be an example.  For this you must learn your truth and live your truth-no excuses.  It is only then you can live your connection with Great Mystery and find the unity of Oneness.  This is not always easy or convenient, but it is our life's mission."

[Jennifer-]

The Fourth World - Creation Story
 
 from "The Medicine Stone Speaks From the Past to Our Future- Other Council Fires Were Here Before Ours: a classic Native American creation story as retold by a Seneca elder, Twylah Nitsch and her granddaughter Jamie Sams.
"All life took hold and new generations of humans and Creature-beings were born, the new order was set in motion. This new order of learning how to see differences and uniqueness would later deteriorate and become known as the Fourth World of Separation. The members of Planetary Family were beginning to understand their separate missions, their distinct species, and how each spoke on the Great Medicine Wheel could interact with all others and still retain its identity. Special talents or Medicine in one given area could create a support system and yet the memory of the destruction of the formerly unified Turtle Island loomed in the shadows as a grim reminder of how Medicine for a select few could create disharmony and pain.

The remnants of Turtle Island floated above the blue seas of seeming contentment as the new generations refused to look deeply into the watery past, which had left them with the legacy of separateness. Each emerging continent was filled with different trtaditions, cultures, and ways of speech. Hail-lo-way-an, which had been the unified Language of Love, was all but forgotten. New languages were taking the place of the primordial tongue, just as all races of the Two-leggeds were segregating themselves in order to learn more aobut thier individual makeups. I could see the value of separation, but I dreaded the future wars that could be fought in the name on only one philosophy being holy or correct.

The individual races of humankind began to form religions based on limiting beliefs, each religion being controlled by Wanna-be Chiefs who basked in the seeming knowledge of the new belief systems. Throughout the passing centuries, spirituality as a way of life and a way of being was replaced with sets of laws based on fear of angry gods.The Stone Tribe dutifully recorded each passing change as the various civilizations peaked out and then collapsed when their lack of equality finally created division from within. As the Great Mystery was forgotten by most of the Two-leggeds, many gods were created to take the place of the Original Source. Thsi final and ultimate form of separation from the Original Source was frightening to the Faithful among the Planetary Family.

The Medicine Stones remembered teh Council Fire of the Third World and the prophecies that had spoken of these times in the Fourth World when the idea of many gods would lead the Human Tribe through many difficult lessons.We imparted our memories of these prophecies to those who sought our counsel in order to relieve the troubled hearts of the loyal and trusting Two-leggeds. The Fourth World was the longest of all the seven worlds and being the middle world would be the turning point in the spirirual evolution of mankind.

In order to evolve with the Two-leggeds and to support their painful growth cycles, the rest of the Planetary Family would need to endure the harsh lessons taught by ideas of separation. It was not easy in those times of uncertainty and change.At some points in the cyucle of change, the Creatures of the Earth were worshiped as sacred gods by certain religions and then later those same Creature beings were defiled.Some factions chose female humans as gods and other schose male humans, while others still named parts of nature as images of their gods. Each new ruling culture learned from the failures or successes of former civilizations, but in the end, allWould-be Rulers were eventually ruled by their own greed and their lust for power and control.

As time moved like the rolling rivers past the curbes and bends of experience, the attitudes of humankind were shaped by their fears and loss of Earth connection. many of the emerging philosophies and religions were kept busy degrading the natural actions and functions of being human. Humans felt it was unsafe to use creativity and self-expression because they feared being too different. The limiting thoughts of separation cast doubt on those who heard a different drummer, making fear and hesitations victory over the two- leggeds complete.

The sacredness of sexual union was defiled with polarizing ideas that created rules concerning how each human, depending upon gender, was allowed to express sensuality or desire. The stricter the rules of various Clans and Tribes became the more often sexual crimes were committed. Dogma and morals replaced the inner knowing hta had been present among humankind in the former worlds. The fear of being labeled as bad or wanton kept the Two-legged females from expression the natural body rhythms that maintained their connection to the Earth Mother.

The male humans began to seek companionship with women who were pure, in the judgmental estimation of their newfound religions. Then these men found that many times, the woman was not able to respond in a natural way due to her fear of her own hidden or suppressed sensuality. The fire medicine of passion and spontaneity was being separated by the ice that flowed through the veins of all humans who feared their feelings or their natural states of physicality. On the other side of that lesson were those who had lost all connection to the spiritual and were controlled by their own lusts and jaded needs for sexual domination.

I shared the records of the Fourth World's prophecy "The time has come for me to share with you the prophecies that were shared at the Council Fire of the Stone Tribe at the end of the Third World", I began. "We are nearing the time when either the Fourth World of Separation will mark a change in the human consciousness on our Mother Planet or once again, the EArth Mother will rid herself of those who forget to give praise and thanksgiving for the gifts they recieve. The First World was destroyed by Fire, the Second World by Ice, and the Third World by water, and the Fourth World will be destroyed by polar shift or rotation if neccessary.

"The purpose of the potential polar shift would be to mark the end of this middle world with a new turning point htat would represent the return cycle leading to completion. This shift does not have to occur in our physical world if enough of the members of the Faithful come into alignment and harmony. Each of the Planetary Family is awaiting the decision of those in the Human Tribe. The center of every life-form has great Mystery in it. These Vibral Cores send out rhythms of harmony or discord. If the Human Tribe can muster enough of its population who will come into alignment with the rest of the Planetary Family the polar shift will be avoided."

Each cycle of the seasons brought further proof that different groups among the two-leggeds were joining the faithful who sought world peace through celebration and gratitude. After a time we were told by the Mother Earth that the Planetary FAmily had avoided the polar shift through coming together as one.

The medicine stones know that we are to expereince the transition of the Fourth World and that we will not experience the dawning of the Fifth World until around the year 2013 as the Two leggeds reckon time on their calenders. It is during thise time that the Earth Mother will begin to wobbleand send cataclysms to any areas where the two-leggeds have chosen war, inequality, wrong action, or disharmony. The human decisions for peace have aligned with the Earth Mother's heart.

The Stone Tribe sees the cycles move once again as every member of the Planetary Family feels the wobble that can manifest as life's challenges or difficult lessons. Those who were the Ancestor Guardians of the Earth Tribe knew that the conflict was never outside of themselves but was always within. The fear of having to look at their own inner conflict led many to try and save others who they thought were in peril of losing the only way to enlightenment. This is one of the lies of the World of Separation, for nothin is ever apart, all paths are sacred. All life dwells within the Eternal Flame of Great Mystery and forever lives within all life forms.

The present Guardians of the Sacred Hoop realize that the exciting adventure now unfolding is one of discovery. The task at hand takes further development of every Relation's talents. Each Relation is being given the opportunity to seek out any conflict within the Self and heal it in order to stabilize the wobble that keeps us from personal balance and world harmony.We must still pass through our personal fires or tests of stregth and the planetary changes that will perpare us for the Fifth World of Illumination. Every member of the Planetary Family will be writing that history, and we of the Stone Tribe will be recording it for the future. Now it is time to look at the prophecy of that future and align ourselves with our common vision of peace in order to fulfill the promises of worlds to come. And so we stand on the last days of the Fourth World.
 

[Jennifer-]

I listen and hear the Silence
I listen and see the Silence
I listen and taste the Silence
I listen and smell the Silence
I listen and embrace the Silence.
— Twylah Nitsch quoted in The Mystic Vision by Andrew Harvey and Anne Baring

To Practice This Thought: Give your senses a sauna in the silence.

[Jennifer-]

The images, stories and exercises in this book create a blending of ideas and activities inspired by the Wisdom Wheel of Grandmother Twylah Nitsch, the Taino creation stories and Spider's own teachings to guide the reader in connecting with life.



Excerpt from the book;



When the Universe was still so dark that not even shadows could be seen in the night, Grandmother Spider sat in her web in the Sky World, waiting and watching. No one knows how old Grandmother Spider is, or how long she sat waiting for the Universal Mind to awaken. But, every Creature Being who has ever lived knows her song and dance as the weaver of the Web of Life.

From her web, Grandmother Spider observed the first thoughts as the Universal Mind awakened from the dream. Seven energy beings floated out from the shining light in the center of the Universal Mind and solidified into bright, shining stars who went out to take their places in the Sky World. Grandmother Spider took a very deep breath and softly began to sing her weaving song while she danced across the Sky. As she spun her thread, Grandmother Spider envisioned the Web of Life. Within moments, she had woven her web connecting the seven stars and creating the Spirit Doorway through which all of the rest of life would enter.

The seven stars reflected the spectrum of all colors within their glow. Dancing with the colored light, shadows came into being as the darkness took form. More thoughts flowed from the Universal Mind, entered through the Doorway of the Seven Stars, and took their places in the Sky World. These became more stars, suns and planets. Then, many other thoughts entered the Universe, each one taking a specific place according to the universal dream of harmony. Each thought was a spirit essence who dreamed an individual dream for manifesting life. Grandmother Spider spun her web around each new energy being and the Universal Web of Life shimmered in the reflection of Great Mystery's light.

Singing her song and weaving the Web of Life, Grandmother Spider continued with her work. The Sky World filled with light and life as her creative process unfolded. As the stars, suns and planets prepared to give birth to their children, Grandmother Spider spun her cord even longer, so that all of the newly born could be included in the Web of Life. Grandmother Spider continues to weave the Web of Life throughout every cycle of creation.

All life everywhere in the Universe is connected by the Web of Life. We are not separate beings. We are each a part of the Great Mystery, manifesting as an individual awareness in a separate physical body, but sharing the same energy as all other life. The energy web is anchored within our center and is our connection to the Great Mystery.

Along with Grandmother Spider's web cord, we carry within our center our dream for living that includes a promise and a purpose. Before we came into the Earthwalk, we chose the gifts and talents that help us create the reality that we envisioned. We also chose the lessons and challenges that motivate our learning and growth. Our dream for living carries a specific vibration of sound and color that guides our spirit essence in it's flight from the Universal Mind, through the Sacred Cave, and into the womb of our physical mother. During our Earthwalk, we live our choices and lessons, and develop our talents and gifts, as we meet each situation and challenge of our growth. We must remember our purpose and promise and focus our life in this direction if we are to be happy and fulfilled.

Grandmother Spider weaves the Web of Life around us when our spirit essence enters its physical body inside the womb of our mother. From feet to head, our spirit essence is woven together with our physical body as Grandmother Spider sings her weaving song to us. When she completes her weaving, Grandmother Spider does not cut the cord, but leaves an energy trail with her weft thread that goes out from our center to connect with the next Creature Being that will enter the Web of Life.

The gift of Grandmother Spider is the personal energy web that we walk with throughout our entire life. This energy web allows our spirit essence to experience our senses, emotional feelings and physical pain and pleasures. This connection also allows our physical body to develop an intuitive perception of Universal Wisdom. Through the web, we can work with energy for creativity and healing. Our personal energy web maintains our connection to the Web of Life and the Great Mystery. This gift of Grandmother Spider insures that we are never alone, for through it we always share the love of All Our Relations.

Our energy web surrounds our physical body, enveloping it with a vibrating energy that is our personal rhythm. Our energy web is connected to our physical body through energy centers that are the communication channels between our physical body and spirit essence. Our mind is the link between body and spirit essence, interpreting and directing the flow of energy back and fourth. Breathing and movement enables our body to direct energy and our thoughts to affect our physical health. To live in comfort, we need to maintain a balance of body, mind and spirit within our personal energy web.

Grandmother Spider is always busy with her work, as the creation of life is happening at every moment. After connecting each Creature Being within her vibrating threads, Grandmother Spider goes on to the next, spinning out a continuous cord in her never ending dance. A Creature Being enters the Earthwalk, then a Plant Person, a Stone Person, a Water Person, a Four-Legged, a Two-Legged, and on and on. For each of these, Grandmother Spider weaves a personal energy web and extends her cord out from this Creature's center to continue on with the weaving of the Web of Life.

The Web of Life is a beautiful braid that holds the energy of all life together. Grandmother Spider's dance of spinning and weaving continues indefinitely, as new patterns within the web are being woven every moment when each new life enters the Earthwalk. At the other end of Grandmother Spider's tapestry, the web is always unraveling, as every spirit essence travels back through the doorway of the Sacred Cave to the Spirit World when life is complete.

All life shares an equal place within the Web of Life. The gifts and contributions of each and every Creature Being are very important for the survival of MotherEarth. Each Creature Being, in following through with the performance of their specific life task, affects the welfare of all the other Creature Beings in the web. Without the benefit of even one Creature's work, the Web of Life would lack the energy of wholeness necessary for the circle of life's cycles to continue on with their rhythm.

[Jennifer-]

Song Of Each New Sun
by Spider



With honor I greet this new day
Great Mystery, I thank you for all of my gifts
MotherEarth, I thank you for the honor of sleeping and walking on your breast
Brother Sun, I thank you for returning your warmth and light this day
Sister of the South, I thank you for the beauty and laughter you bring today
Sister of the West, I thank you for the dreams and visions of the night
Sister of the North, I thank you for the lessons and teachings you bring today
Sister of the East, I thank you for the inspiration of my being here today
Grandmothers, I thank you for your guidance as you speak through my womb cycle today
All My Relations, I honor your presence in this world we share together
I give only kindness and love to all that I meet today

[tangerine dream]

 

[Jahn]

Grandmother Spider weaves the Web of Life around us when our spirit essence enters its physical body inside the womb of our mother. From feet to head, our spirit essence is woven together with our physical body as Grandmother Spider sings her weaving song to us. When she completes her weaving, Grandmother Spider does not cut the cord, but leaves an energy trail with her weft thread that goes out from our center to connect with the next Creature Being that will enter the Web of Life.

The gift of Grandmother Spider is the personal energy web that we walk with throughout our entire life. This energy web allows our spirit essence to experience our senses, emotional feelings and physical pain and pleasures. This connection also allows our physical body to develop an intuitive perception of Universal Wisdom. Through the web, we can work with energy for creativity and healing. Our personal energy web maintains our connection to the Web of Life and the Great Mystery. This gift of Grandmother Spider insures that we are never alone, for through it we always share the love of All Our Relations.

Old Norse do not say Grandmother Spider but Norna.
" Snorre Sturlasson förklarar i sin Edda att det förutom dessa tre även finns ett otal mindre nornor som följer varje människa ifrån födelsen till döden och formar dennes öde "

My translation:
Snorre Sturlasson explains in his book Edda that it beyond the three original Nornas [the three Nornas, that was three old ladies that spun the World ...] also where a great number of lesser (or smaller) Nornas that follow each human from the birth to the death and forge their destiny.

Compare with the three Moiries in Greek Mythology



 Klotho, Lakesis och Atropos.

Their decision could not be changed (not even by the gods). They where weavers, spinning each humans life thread.

[Jahn]

Their decision could not be changed (not even by the gods). They where weavers, spinning each humans life thread.

Well, half true that their decision could not be changed. Odin could make them change the spin, as the only one. But he is not a god in the normal sense, he is one of the creators.