The term Aluna I first heard about by reading about the Kogi people of the mountains of Columbia means “the great mother” that creates nature.  Deep ecology is becoming aware of the interconnections of life, and as those in recovery know, deflate the false pride enough to begin to return to our true center and nature.  The Kogi are the elder brother, as they see us as younger brother, destroying the forests and waters.  In the beautiful book “Elder Brother” and movie “Aluna” telling how they came out to remind us.  I have used the term aluna as “the spirit of the circle”, or “spirit of the land” when we look at what is best for the whole rather than destroying our own mother earth.

Native people have helped me remember that each person in a circle is whole and complete, and when each voice is heard, we will make a decision to implement, stand aside or block.   If you find yourself in opposition often, then we find a new tribe we are more attuned to.  In groups and relationships, there is what I want, what you want and what the relationship wants.  Can we rise above our egos and nurture the relationship rather than “being right” 

Seems when I deprive myself of nature and am in the city, my energy gets faster and faster with worry, control and stress – .Sometimes I run my business and sometimes my business runs me.  In learning turtle medicine, I am learning to slow down to the speed of life, often called “Indian time” or “down south” time, where there is a much slower pace than in the city.  When I imagine a summer day at bear creek of sitting by the creek, making drums and rattles and listening to the songs the creek sings,  hearing and feeling the winds and wonders of nature, my other senses gradually open up.  My vision for the 20 acres in Washington is spelled out in the Heartspace Mission – to create a self sustaining, off the grid community that is producing more energy than it is taking.  In using our family talking stick, we speak from our heart and listen with our heart’s ear.  Comcommunication isn’t complete until you feel heard, and listening with our “hearts ear”, we often can empathize with other views.  Ego often barricades this give  and take of talking and listening.  The thing that drew me to purchase those two parcels was two eagles flying overhead showing me that this was the place for heartspace, the “Aliveness Center” (a very old dream of mine – a dream and vision of hope for the people.)  Teaching that time is art rather than the spell that time is money.  I have both and.  I take loving care of what I hold as sacred, and aliveness is movement.

Bear Creek immediately brought back memories of Grandfather Martin High Bear, who blessed our store back in the early 90″s in a giveaway Ceremony.  We supported the pilot rock sun dance by doing benefits and would ask Martin for things we should and should not sell in our store. 

There was a beautiful old fir that was the Grandmother Tree of our land.  We offered our pipe and prayers to that Grandmother tree who had logging cables embedded in her flesh.  After the second year of our stewarding the land, she fell in a wind storm, and still lies there.  We have an altar at her base, and prayed to the spirits of our land  that we would speak for the standing ones who have no voice.  Native People have taught me many things about the wisdom of the elder trees, that give birth all of the other trees in the forest.  My prayer was to take a stand for the return of the old growth – a cessation of clear cutting nature in our ignorance.  I stand so that future generations can enjoy clean waters, abundance of animals and native fish and fertile ground to grow organic crops and to remember the abundance in nature – there is no waste or lack.

Join us to build bridges to educate the good people of Carson and Skamania about our greatest resource, our trees.  I am old, and haven’t the dollars to fight those giant timber landholders who clear cut along bear creek road.  The upcoming Spring Equinox sweat lodge on the 18th will be to make prayers for our own Resurrection from the hard winter…. into spring, where hope springs forth, and the mother earth becomes fertile for planting the seeds that will sustain us.  Read “The Hidden Life of Trees”  Our suffering will deepen unless there is a cessation of exporting our resources and cutting the trees like they were just another product for sale for money.  Our prayers are powerful, and together we can call on Aluna to help break the spell of greed, fear and hopelessness., and that our land might stand strong against the two LLC’s that are taking us to court.  Please let us know if you plan to attend our lodge/ceremony, and I will enclose the bear creek protocol.  You are invited even if you do not sweat to support those inside as we pray for purification.  We always share food after our March 18th lodge, so bring a dish to share.  Blessings, Patrick and Mandi (Jasmine is off to camp for two weeks – Hooray!)