THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM - DIRECTION

Direction - everyone needs it in their life and so often we look to others for help. Asking for assistance once in a while is fine but so many of us rely on others for our own direction that we neglect that compass within ourselves - our own inner wisdom. Our inner compass then becomes “rusty” from lack of use and may eventually lead us to depend upon others. Well, I have found a way to tap into my “inner compass” and still include those special people in my life when I am looking for direction.

The Twin Spirit Tribe offers a year long “Apprenticeship Program” which emphasizes direction both literally as well as symbolically. This year-long (4 weekend) program is dedicated to learning how indigenous cultures honor the aspects of the 4 directions: South, West, North, and East and how to apply them to our own lives.

During these weekends, we learn how to incorporate the art of ceremony into our lives. Ceremony is basically a practice that is done in reverence with the focus of an intention. This is so important because in our modern busy technological multi-tasking world we rarely place specific intentions into what we are doing. Instead we send text messages while we drive or, eat in front of our computers or even, talk on the phone while watching television. If any of what I described sounds familiar then you may also benefit from adding ceremony and direction into your life.

The first weekend, which was held in April, was dedicated to the South, which symbolizes “the self” among other things. This is an important start because a further knowledge of self really is the best directional tool. Ask yourself, how can you know how to care for yourself unless you know what needs attention? It makes sense and it seems so simple in concept that it is easy to overlook the wisdom of this simple statement. On this weekend we incorporated meditation, breathing techniques, body movement, and outdoor nature exercises. My fellow retreatants and I engaged in a level of intimacy that is not easily duplicated outside of the retreat setting.

My most memorable experience from this amazing weekend was when we divided the large group into small groups to do a breathing exercise. (I believe they called it fire breathing, and probably not because our breaths were stinky.) After receiving instruction as to what we would be doing I quickly realized that this exercise would be challenging both physically as well as emotionally. We were to lie on the ground with our head held gently in one of the small group member’s lap, while the other group members were on the other sides of the person lying down. The person lying down would begin taking two quick breaths in through their mouth and releasing one strong breath out through their mouth. This breathing technique lasted approximately 10-15 minutes per person. There is more to the exercise but I don’t want to give away all of the great details.

In my small group were two other participants and a member of the staff assisting the process. The first brave person to take on the breathing exercise in the group was a young, pretty, seemingly soft-spoken woman. My job was to sit at her feet ceremonially and do something that is called “holding space”. The Leader of the exercise gently instructed us to begin the exercise and so there I sat, watching her work through this very challenging type of breathing, which basically simulates hyperventilation. I was given the opportunity to witness how difficult the exercise was physically and kept thinking to myself “how is she still doing this?” As the exercise progressed her emotion began to surface and she adapted her breathing to compensate without stopping the process. What was probably only 10-15 minutes seemed like a life time and I was so impressed with this woman’s perseverance, determination, and strength both physically as well as emotionally. All I could think of while I was watching her was “She is a Warrior” and love was her sword. I know it seems dramatic but it truly was what I thought. She inspired me and reminded me what it truly means to be a warrior. Really the most important battles we fight are within ourselves and the only way to win that war within is to learn to love.

After observing her, I was humbled and yet renewed in my belief in my ability to face my fears. As I went through the exercise, I kept her simple lesson on my mind and allowed myself to also be a warrior and to use my most powerful tool, love. She was a great teacher without even realizing it and I was able to address a lesson I was not even aware needed to be addressed. So there it was, the direction I was seeking was within myself and, I was able to find it with the assistance of a supportive community.

Our next weekend together will honor the west, which can be symbolized by the sunset; acknowledging both the light and shadow within ourselves. I know this is going to be an intense experience, since self-discovery usually is. However, I am now armed with love from the first weekend and will go forward with the lesson of the warrior from my fellow apprentice. I cannot wait to see what is awaiting me in the West during our June Apprenticeship weekend.

- Tim C

MOTHER'S DAY CEREMONY

This Mother's Day, I had the opportunity to spend the morning in a way that was not my typical ritual of a corsage for mom and a big dinner for our bellies. Earlier in the week I received an email invite that read:

Giving thanks to the Great Mother - A Lakefront Celebration to honor the power of love. Let's create a community of daughters and sons where we celebrate the gift of life by offering a wave of love and gratitude to the Mother Presence, which is:

• Divine and Universal
• Planetary and Earthly
• Within our hearts and in our families

Our ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. with a procession of powerful healing drums from Southern Chile. The voice of these Kultruns is used to summon the universal heartbeat of the Great Mother and invite this rhythm to our ceremony for strength and restoration. We will pray for the visions we hold in support of all living beings and send that intention into Lake Michigan and out into the four directions. This love wave will be enhanced by the powerful sound healing of an earth gong and crystal bowls. We will complete the celebration with simple chants for universal Harmony.

I wasn't going to be able to make the trip to be with my mother this Mother's Day, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to do something different. I got on my bike heading to Montrose Harbor to meet a couple of my friends who I knew would be there, and hopefully make some new acquaintances as well. What a beautiful, warm, sunny morning to be out in nature yet in the City, participating in nurturing our Earth Mother and honoring our own mothers as well.

These powerful, loving women and their beautiful drumming create a very strong energy that you can just feel penetrating your whole body. Sacred Space was created by calling in the Six Directions and then we all made a very brief introduction of ourselves before they commenced with the drumming. A few minutes of drumming brought about an energy that could not only be felt, but animated the waters as well. I could actually see the waters respond to the drumming; our intentions of Love and Healing that we were projecting outward.

There was a light breeze blowing and creating a few gentle waves on the lake. What was absolutely amazing was the sight of the water changing it's wave pattern, often contrary to the way the winds were blowing. A noticeable body of waves were building from the East to the West. At the same time there were waves building and moving from the West toward the East. In front of us, facing to the South, the water was gently building into larger and larger troughs and crests. The waters around us in the lake were like a mother gently rocking a cradle as it provided a safe resting place for her Child.

While the drumming and rattling continued, the water seemed to realign to the beat and then fan out away from us, across the waters toward the City. Carrying with it the intentions and power of our projected Love, Healing and Comfort. The concrete and steel jungle along with her diverse inhabitants were being infused with the healing energy of prayers from their sisters and brothers.

We each had brought flowers along with us and they had both our individual and collective prayers, along with thoughts of Love and Gratitude infused into them. Mother Nature had used her wonderful Earth Magic to create these beautiful flowers. The elements of Fire and Earth came together as Sunlight and Soil, manifesting the Beauty of Spirit. As we each joined our heart and mind we took the element of Air and blew Spirit's breath of Love and Healing Energy into the flowers. Finally the element of Water eagerly received our Medicine of Love and Gratitude and through this She transmitted it to the waters of the entire planet.

The ceremony continued with sound healing from the angelic voices of a crystal bowl, gongs, shells, rattles, and a Soul touching Lakota healing song. The eldest attending had the honor of leading a final prayer and each of us concluded with a single heartfelt word.

It was an Honor to have the opportunity to participate in this event and to connect with so many caring Souls. Many thanks go out to the empowered, generous women who made this event possible. Mothers take on many forms and Mothers function in a multitude of ways. Just as each of our mothers gives unconditionally to take care of us, The Great Mother Earth gives unconditionally to provide for all of humanity, all creatures and plants. But She also needs Love and Healing if she is to continue to provide for us. As do our own Mothers and Grandmothers need and deserve our Love. The Great Mother is calling to us in an "Unchained Melody" -- will we respond??
~David F

Oh, my love
my darling
I've hungered for your touch
a long lonely time
and time goes by so slowly
and time can do so much
are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
Godspeed your love to me

Lonely rivers flow to the sea,
to the sea
to the open arms of the sea
lonely rivers sigh 'wait for me, wait for me'
I'll be coming home wait for me

Oh, my love
my darling
I've hungered for your touch
a long lonely time
and time goes by so slowly
and time can do so much
are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
Godspeed your love to me

~ Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers

WONDERFUL NURTURING

Some words from one of our "Nurturing the Inner Voice" retreatants...

Hello everyone!

It's hard to believe that a week ago I was starting to pack things together for the Nurturing Retreat. That is just the kind of "Stimulus Package" we need - If we could get everyone in the country to participate in what we all did it would go such a long way toward permanently solving all our problems in this world -- it starts with each one of us doing our own little piece of the puzzle.

I am constantly amazed at the signs, symbols and messages that are sent to us and how the seemingly ordinary can take on a whole new meaning when we take a moment to reflect on what might be being said to us.

Monday morning I was up early - had to ease my way back into this city life and start it out by taking in some nature and the sunrise on the lakefront. I was walking along the lake on the retaining wall between Hollywood and Foster Ave beaches and something bright caught my eye ahead of me in the water. I got closer and seen they were a few tennis balls and a volleyball floating in the waves being pushed onto the beach. I though how strange to have a bunch of tennis balls in the water when there weren't even any courts nearby. I went down and fished them out of the water, not knowing why other than the fact that I hate seeing junk floating in the water. I laid them on the ledge along the wall and continued down the beach. Pretty soon I noticed a bunch more about 20 yards ahead. And pulled them out as well. All this time all I kept thinking about was all of you, how fortunate I felt to share the weekend with you and how your week was starting out. There are an awful lot of balls here, I thought. Could it be?? . . . I counted them and sure as %$@# there were 23 tennis balls and 1 volleyball --- 24 - the exact number of us at the retreat!!

I went back home and grabbed a couple of bags so I could bring you all home with me. So for right now you are all lined up along my wall on the floor as a reminder of the wonderful weekend and nurturing you all provided. There is definitely a reason behind these being in the water like that, and I think there is probably something more in the future to be done with these in our group. Time will tell. Yet another goosebumps-causing event: when I came back with my bags in hand to pick up the balls, I saw that there were 5 or 6 more floating about 50 feet out in the water that I could not get to and that did not get washed ashore. (There were 5 or 6 others originally signed up to attend the retreat who could not make it at the last moment) We should keep them in our thoughts as well, that they may find the joy and comfort when the time is right for them, just as we have.

I want to say how especially powerful the eye contact times were -- after the Trance Dance and we looked into each others eyes, with our "fire partner" talking about how we nurture ourselves in unhealthy ways, and when we looked into our partner's eyes and the "I Believe in You" song by Il Divo was playing. The windows to the soul are powerful! This song was brought to my awareness yesterday -- I haven't heard this one in MANY years and I want to share it with you. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then these words are worth a thousand pictures. Thank you all for being you.

David

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NURTURING THE INNER VOICE

The first weekend in May, 18 beautiful people and a staff of 6 compassionate facilitators participated in a Twin Spirit Tribe retreat at Camp Ronora in Watervliet, Michigan with the theme “Nurturing the Inner Voice.” Our time away from our crazy lives served to refresh and renew us. Everyone came committed to do the heavy work of sharing and learning.

From evening ceremonial fires under a gorgeous half moon where old patterns were released to deep sharing with strangers and friends, the retreatants worked and played in ways that freed them to new ways of nurturing themselves and others. Laughter rang out, tears fell, hugs were freely given and received. Meals were shared, solo walks in the woods were taken – we even played a game of hide and seek.

I’m being purposefully vague in some of my descriptions. You simply have to attend a Twin Spirit Tribe retreat in person to gain a full measure of understanding how richly rewarding it is to go out into the woods with soulful people who will love you unconditionally.

Dancing firelight in bright moonshadows
Releasing pain long held within.
Singing songs of ancient people,
All my relations crying out to the sky.
Sacred ground provides a safe place
For smoldering fires within deep hearts
Demanding truth, trust and faith
Engendering respect for ourselves and others
This shared experience of joy and celebration,
Renewal and blessing, returning to roots
Where wisdom lies beneath our feet
Ready to burst forth in rebirth.
Heralded by squawking geese
greeting the dawn of my new day.

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