Falling in Love again with the Earth

Chapter 7  Mother Earth ~ Goddess Gaia-continued from book “How to Become a Golf Goddess”

Gaia is a Greek goddess known as earth or mother earth. The Greek common noun for “land” is GE or GA

Within this book are many paths  the Author walked that went into the make up of a new yoga for golf program, a Golf Goddess Yoga..this chapter is from a Sunrise Ceremony with a Native Elder.

I have worked with this Elder off and on since 1995. Also during that year I was  taking a Yoga Teacher Training Course and bartending at a golf course….hmmmm the Goddess knew what she was creating before the idea of the book was even a seed thought.

My spiritual mentor who awoke me again to the importance and connection to nature is, Dave Courchene Jr. his native name is, Nii Gaani Aki Inini, in English it translates to ‘Leading Earth Man’

I used my journal to introduce his teachings  in my golf goddess book.  The writing of the GG book helped reveal a gift to me that was always there but I did not fully recognize until now. That I am a recorder, a record keeper or I would have been called a story teller in Native tradition. You see when Dave gave his teachings it was around the sacred fire, one does not write while in ceremony it is a time for being, listen, learning. As another elder taught me, “learn to listen, listen to learn.” We went to the fire each morning and evening for teachings and then I would go back to my tent and write down what Dave had said. Whenever I have revisited this journal I always see the truth of his words and  now recognize him as a visionary. Over the years I have had an opportunity to be in ceremony with this wonderful holy man many times and each time is more powerful then the last.

Sunrise Ceremony in Ontario Excerpts – from my Journal

Thursday, July 27^th 1995 – Evening Ceremony around the fire.  

“This world we live in is not in harmony. Humans have forgotten about the Great Spirit and how Spirit is in everything. The spirit in us, in the animals, in plants and all living things from Mother Earth. All the while man is taking from her, raping her. Humans think material objects will bring ultimate happiness. But in reality it is nature and all she has to offer. We have to get back in touch with nature, with Mother Earth. We are her children, she provides for us even when we treat her with no respect. Somehow humans have grown apart from spirit.  When we were just spirit the creator asked us if we would like to walk Mother Earth, we all agreed. The only thing the Creator asked of us was not to forget our spirits. When we are born into this world we give a cry of joy that we made it. But as we are growing up there are so many negative things in our way that make us forget about our spirit. The indigenous people have been trying to show other humans the way they once lived and are starting to again. They are having visions and the spirits are telling them that we have to change our ways and start getting back to nature and all the spirits in nature.”

We are outside, in the North country, around a sacred fire as David is giving his teachings over a period of days, it is dusk at this teaching and we are being eaten by mosquitoes, and we are all slapping at them.

 

David says to us: “There is a reason for everything on the Earth; before killing the mosquito asks its spirit what its reason is for being here. Humans don’t try to understand anymore. If they don’t understand something, they destroy it. He asks us to go into the trees tomorrow and feel Mother Earth. As we cleanse our bodies with the sweat lodge and fasting we open ourselves up more to hear spirit. We are giving up eating and drinking for a weekend for the spirits to help us, and they will reward us. It might not be this weekend but we will be rewarded.” David explains when he talks about spirit he means it’s not just seeing signs and visions, it is also about feeling. That is what spirit really means. It’s about love. A very strong love you can feel. Happiness is the Light, Caring, Sharing and Love. That is what all humans need and crave. But we have forgotten how to reach for the love. There is too much darkness in our world right now.”

David teaches us how to pray to the directions with our tobacco.

Friday, July 28^th /95

It rained throughout the night and we had to keep the fire burning day and night for the whole ceremony.  

David begins the morning talk by saying, “we should say a prayer of thanks. We were  blessed last night with the rain. It was a cleansing for us to start us on our journey. As he is speaking there is a distant sound of thunder. David says it is the Thunderbird.  Thunder is the voice of God that we hear to give us proof of a Higher Being. Nobody is listening to God or praying anymore. The indigenous peoples have been having visions. The spirits are telling them that the Earth has to be cleansed. That there will come a time when the Thunderbird will use water and wind as a way of cleansing this land, and no human army or force will be able to fight against the Thunderbird. Spirit is calling people and they feel the pull to get back to nature and women are being affected by it the most. The spirits are drawing them in that direction.    A lot of people don’t understand what is happening to them, but they should not be scared. Mother Earth is bringing the woman back to spirit, back to nature. Women are the bringers of life. Women are sacred. The world will become a much happier and loving place when we all join back together with Mother Earth and all her creations. But the dark side will always put tests in our way. It is easier to be led into temptation. So if we learn to not follow the dark side since our spirit always longs for love, we will be looked after when the world is made new again.  It’s just like giving birth. First comes all the pain of labor, then the water comes, which is a cleansing, then the baby. If we pray for guidance or strength or whatever we need at the time to find love and tolerance, as long as we ask for it, we will get it. We come to pray instinctively when someone we love is ill or dying; we must learn to pray everyday and to thank the great spirit in the sky for everyday we are alive and to thank Mother Earth every day for all that she provides for us”. 

David finishes the morning ceremony with his pipe.   

I am feeling very weepy and don’t know why. One of the girls tells me to ask for a release so I can cry. Crying is a good thing she tells me, it is a cleansing. For me I was brought up with three brothers and was taught crying was wrong.

That night we do a sweat lodge.  David started talking when all the stones were in and the door was closed. He said: “The sweat lodge represents the mother’s womb and we are cleansing our bodies, thus making it easier for the spirits to communicate with us. Some people might be feeling very emotional and that was okay. Once again he told how mother earth is very sacred and how she takes care of her children. When the time comes when there is no water left on the surface that is drinkable, no matter what humans do to fix it with chemicals, she will show the humans that respect her and all of the world that are one with spirit where the water is. Mother earth is storing fresh water now beneath the Earth.” 

I have learned to connect to back to nature in oneness from him and I hope by sharing his words you will begin to learn the joy and wonder of being connected as well.I offer you his teachings near the end of this book to keep you encouraged and hopeful that we are shifting to a balance and harmony and he is getting the message out that as we respect the Earth, women and children we will also gain personal power to add our own part to Earth’s healing……

Blessings in Oneness and Harmony,

Margarit Brigham