Who needs healing and who needs forgiving?

I live in a small village on the side of a forested mountain above a highway that overlooks the ocean. Up until 1950ish there was no highway and very few houses save a few log cabins. The location of the village puts it in the centre of Canadian wildlife; bears, eagles, coyotes, racoons, deer and on occasion cougars. Long before the forested mountain was ‘civilised’ these animals lived and roamed and indeed still do. It is a great sadness how many bears are shot for living here, how many cougars face imminent death and how the coyotes have been driven away to make way for humans. It seems that the Two Leggeds feel that the animals are in the way of their lives.

Let us extend that to humans in general and the assumption they make that the planet belongs to them and that they have to somehow control the planet so that humans can have a better life.

Every time an animal or indeed the planet exhibits their natural tendencies, we humans raise our hands in horror and attempt to fix the situation.

Humans can be somewhat locust like, using and moving on oblivious to the consequences. And then we complain when the world does not play our game.

We remove without thought oil from the planet exsanguinating the Earth and expecting it to continue to live. We tear living crystals from the Earth to bring good vibrational healing to ourselves whilst erasing the memories and vibrations of the planet. We deforest the lungs of the planet, we steal the fire that holds creation together (nuclear energy), we pollute the oceans; the list is endless of our self centered approach to the planet.

And all the while we expect the planet and all it creatures to comply with our destiny and wellbeing.

We have stopped listening to our Mother and our kin her children.

Our Traditions speaks of the time when we were one with the Great Forest until we stood on two legs and believed we were more. We left the Forest and wandered in pride into the void beyond the Forest. Here in the Void was nothing and so the Two Leggeds dreamed a world to live in. That dream was not always a common dream; that dream required no responsibility; that dream drained the heart of the Forest.

And we continue to live that fantasy; a fantasy which the Earth must not interfere with. So we build our homes were no sane creature would. We overpopulate despite the Natural law that tries to restrain us and we cheat death as often as we can; it is all a dream and the Earth is forcing us to wake up!

In the Ancient times we would look and see the lightning crash and the mountain fall, we see great floods and earthquakes, great winds that blew our homes away.

We would gather with the Elders and ask why the spirits were angry with us and we would find some way to make amends.

We no longer take that responsibility, rather we say something is wrong with the planet; it needs healing, let’s form a drumming circle and pray for the planet.

The arrogance of the Two Leggeds!!

The planet has existed for millennia before the coming of humans.

The animals have existed long before the coming of humans.

There is a native story of creation that speaks of Tirawa, the Creator Spirit. Tirawa creates all the mountains and forest, all the rivers and lakes, all the animals before humans. He tells all that he creates to learn well for the child man will come not knowing anything but pretending to know everything; “It is your duty to teach this child and keep him from straying.”

But we stopped listening and learning. Like children we want it our way only.

And despite our moment of existence, our immaturity we believe we know everything and are in control.

The wind blows

The earth shakes

The waters rise

The lightning crashes

And we take no responsibility!

All these events have happened long before humans and will happen long after humans. Humans should learn to live with the planet and its life rather than forcing the planet to fit in with us.

We don’t listen, we build our cities in earthquake zones, we live on flood plains, and we deforest and create deserts.

We turn and look at the major disasters of recent days (we call them disasters because they are disastrous to humans). They happen. We take no responsibility for the loss of life or destruction that comes from our not listening.

We mourn the loss of our fellow kin as we should; let s also mourn that we will do the same thing again.

I am distressed when I see images of recent earthquakes and tsunamis. My distress is deepened because I know that the suffering is a result of not listening to the song of the earth; it is deepened further as the images are quickly followed by reports on banks, stock prices, loss of car and electronic production and I know we only listen as crisis management. It will only be a short time when we are doing this again.

Over the past days I have been invited to numerous planet healing circles, prayer groups for the planet, discussions into how to bring healing to the planet; these far outnumber the reports of financial losses which far outnumber requests for aid which far outnumber forums on how we heal humans and forgive them.

The planet does not need healing!

Humans need healing!

Healing is taking responsibility and managing events of dis-ease with the resources we have; Healing is being whole, part of, complete. The world of humans is separate from the planet, apart from, divided away. In the truest sense this separation is called in the old way ‘sin’ and the forgiveness of sin is to bridge or eradicate the division. Healing and forgiveness are synonymous, they are dependent if not necessary equal parts of the remedy of suffering; love!

Sounds easy, but we are addicted to the void.

We need to be honest with ourselves we call for healing of the planet; what we are really saying is make it better so humans can be safe, happy, comfortable and still have their addictions. We want healing on our terms and that references us. We want the healing to serve us and our needs and not the needs of the planet or its other inhabitants. If humans cause so much dis-ease to the planet then it may be coldly logical that healing of the planet could mean ‘no more humans’! When we ask for healing of the planet we should be very mindful of what we are asking for.

Let us have drumming circles in the presence of our leaders and governments, so that they can be healed.

Let us bring forgiveness to ourselves because we know what is to be done, but our need for the fantasy gets in the way.

Let us not put in oil pipelines – yes but…….

Let us evacuate all cities on fault zones – yes but……

Let us allow ourselves to die – yes but………

Let us care for the lost and the lonely rather than making our own – yes but……

Let us hear the thunder and ask what do we need to do in order to appease the spirits?

There is a consequence to this ignorance.

If we continue to live separate from the planet, the planet for its own survival will heal itself by ridding itself of the dis-ease; are we listening?

Can we once again try to hear the song of the Great Forest?

We have so many doomsday prophecies, what we don’t see is that the stories and paths about what may come is a prophesy about humans. The sadness of the Ancestors and spirits will slowly become vengeance and humans will create an end for themselves; the world of the humans, the false dream of fantasy will end. The world, the Earth, the Great Forest will go on.

In the ancient times, the tribes may have gathered and offered sacrifice to appease the spirits and gods. The sacrifice would have been the best, the purest, the strongest, the most prized; it would have truly been a sacrifice to give it away.

The spirits may indeed be angry; what sacrifice will we make?

Gather in groups and sing to each other out of genuine feeling for each other.

Drum for our leaders and governments that they can hear – make them hear!!

Tune yourself to the Great Song and put your voice into it so that those caught in the unexpected (or ignored) traumatic events will know you are with them.

Be a witness for all these events; do not turn away.

Be generous in your forgiveness and consolation.

Commit yourselves to sacrificing some small part of your addiction to the fantasy, at least once a week.

Remember to talk to the spirits of the land where you live every day; most important listen.

Slow down, be silent, be still, be ready for the song when it comes to you.

Recycle, re-use, re-share, re-gift, remember.

Be courageous and ask the spirits what they want from you.

Stop despairing; despair is an absence of hope; hope is a call to action.