CRITIQUE WITHOUT CRITICISM

" Crit-icism, Crit-eria, Crit-ique , Crit-ic, Crit-ter "

I begin my journals a bit differently today. After saying my morning prayers and putting down tobacco on the medicine wheel, I made a good breakfast, a pot of coffee, took a dump and sat down under a different tree to meditate, write and channel these thoughts. ---with all these "acoutrements" lying next to me. All the while my thoughts centered on burying old thoughts and old ways, being open to new ones. I said to my self, first of all I want to bury them honorably. That is why I did all these other "things", including taking a dump and "burying" it in the ground. I said to myself, I want to be comfortable physically so that I can focus entirely on "spirit". Many people will tell you you have to be "pure" before you contact spirit. But if physical deprivation, fasting, abstaining, etc., makes you uncomfortable, this form of "purity" can actually be an obstacle, an impediment itself. So if thirst, hunger, and the need to relieve yourself is keeping you from true channeling, by all means make yourself comfortable first.

Now, on to today's thoughts: Thursdays are named for Thor or Jupiter, the god of mercy, benevolence, purification and re-birth. Like thunderbolts and lightning, associated with this god, "clearing the air " before the gift of rain is given is a good metaphor to use to describe the true relationship between spirit and humankind.

Therefore, since today is a Thursday, I begin with "Thor's day, or Jupiter's Day. It is in honor of this aspect of the god/goddess that
burying old thoughts is all about. Old thoughts should be buried in the same way as an old friend that has just died. We think we should bury them because they aren't useful to us anymore. Wrong! They ARE still useful, but in a different way. They no longer are useful to the thought process. They no longer belong to the mind, and need to be "put" someplace else, that's all. We're not supposed to "get rid of" them, they're not supposed to "go away". They don't anyway! If you think of them in that way, they will keep popping up, and come back to nag you. So how do you "bury" them?

I'll give you an example: I have just been in "the city" for the past four weeks and have been very critical (mostly about my friends and what they're doing to themselves, the land and so on with that insatiable frenzied citylife they seem to be in need of, and how "they" are missing the simple joys of living close to nature ). I thought that I had to "leave them behind" in order to "refresh" myself as I re-entered my holy place of respite where I have made my wilderness home. I thought I had to RE-LIEVE myself of their negativity in order to re-sume my meditations. (Another word association---re-LIVE instead of re-LIEVE or LEAVE). I went through the 'normal" process of "burying my thoughts" about them, but they returned to me this morning. I believe this occurred because I really didn't want to see THEM "go".
Instead, I really wanted to see them "change". I thought, if I buried them, I would "lose" them. In spite of the things about them that bothered me, each one of them had qualities that I admired as well. I didn't want to lose that part. Then, this morning, the rain came. ( It is badly needed here.) When the rain stopped, I came outside to my meditation tree and sat down. I smelled the fresh air, looked down at the ground and saw all the pebbles along the way in a different light. I had intended to remove them when I came back from the city (my feet and legs are handicapped and pebbles are often impediments to my walking). Instead of being in my way now, they were a blessing to me. They were more than just pretty in this new light, I could see
them more clearly and be able to easily walk around them, instead of stubbing my toes on them. I saw their "true colors"! There they were, the same as always, only now they weren't in my way and they were winking at me, glistening in the sunlight! This was the "burial" ritual I
really needed in the frst place: LET THE IMPEDIMENTS IN YOUR LIFE LIE WHERE THEY LAY, BUT LEARN TO SEE THEM IN A NEW LIGHT! Let Spirit Rain do the cleansing of the body and the clothes ready for "burial". Let Spirit Light prepare the burial clothes that will cover them. And let Spirit Air sweeten the fragrance that lines your pathway.
Then Spirit Body and Spirit Fire (you and your creativity) will be free to complete the ritual you intended to do in the first place!
-end of thought-

Now, about CRITICISM: "Criticism", by itself, is not bad or wrong. It is useful in determining what is good or effective for your journey and what isn't. If you criticised others (people or things) because you thought THEY needed it (particularly if they didn't ask for your
criticism), maybe it is YOU who need the criticism! Ask yourself if this is true. If it is, why not USE this criticsm on YOURSELF! "Bury" it honorably, as though it was a friend. Take it out of your dark mind cave, expose it to the spiritual rain and light that surrounds you and lay it gently down on a new ground, the area UNDER your feet and walk on. Your "friends" will always be there when you walk down that path again, only this time you will see them in a different light. If you think you no longer will need them, and have to cover them up, you're
wrong! Without compassion and honor, you may actually "kill" your friends. They weren't sick or ready to "go away. Maybe they just needed a new set of clothes! This CRITERIA is a critical beginning to the process of "letting go" and "getting on" with your life. The criticism
becomes a useful CRITIQUE about YOUR life, You become an honorable CRITIC and all will go well from that point on. If the criticism DOES apply to the person or "thing" you'd like to see change, (and not yourself), let it be a silent one, a prayer, or a speech of praise and
blessing, like an epitaph you'd normally give to a dear friend at their funeral. You're not the one doing the "sending them on their way", but the one who is giving them a new set of clothes to be used where THEY are going. When the ritual is done, it is YOU who must distance
yourself from the chapel and the burial ground you prepared for them, not THEM. They may not be ready for it! When YOU have "heard" this silent speech and have now graciously removed yourself, made your apologies and have left the surroundings, etc., lay this speech
down too, as you would a bouquet of roses, leaving your friend where he or she is (even if he/she IS at the cemetary) so that both of you can resume your own lives. -end of thought-

Now, to the final word, CRITTER: All these words have one part in common --- the letters c, r, i, t. A crit is a written, verbal or thought form of worth, not unworthiness. In my case, the CRITTER is my dog, Little Bear. I observed him this morning and saw how he "dealt" with
the situation of returning to the wilderness without the physical presence of his friends in the city. When I got up this morning, Little Bear was sitting on his haunches for the longest time, whimpering a bit as he looked down the road to the mountain and city beyond from which we had returned. Then the rain came. He had never seen rain.

He runs back to the van and begs to be let in. I figured he wanted to get out of the rain, right? Wrong! As soon as he got his hug and kissin done, he wanted out again. Maybe he just wanted to sit by my side while I meditated and wrote, which is what he used to do, so I figured that must be what was "bothering" him. But its raining, I said, if you stay here, that's ok, but if you want out again,I won't let you back
in until you dry off. My van is small, dry and doesn't need wet fur smell. So I let him out. Then the rain stops. He goes back to the spot where he was and starts whimpering again. I thought, why is he doing this, he was so happy just being "back" with me. In the city he had to be tied up (which no dog used to be roaming free likes) and was left alone for long periods of time. Why does he want to go back to the city? Maybe he missed Wahsha and Smiley, (who used to live
here in the wilderness with him, but had to be in the city for the time being. Wilderness living can be lonely life for our pets, too.) I felt I needed to stop writing and observe him for a while.

Shortly thereafter, realizing they weren't coming back, he goes and finds the bones he and Wahsha had buried before we left. He takes them and brings them back to the spot on the road where he was sitting and starts whimpering again. The rain picks up once more, and he takes Wahsha's bone and brings it back to me, leaving his bone on the road. I think he wants out of the rain again, so I open the van door. He puts Wahsha's bone in the van, the rain stops as quickly as it started up and he goes back to where he was and nonchalantly starts chewing on his own bone. He was happy as a lark. He didn't want to be inside, he simply wanted the bone to be inside!

Now isn't that something, I thought. Normally, he would have taken BOTH bones and re-bury them, making sure nobody was watching where he put them. (He and Wahsha had a "special arrangement" with each other regarding the "bones they buried".) I see the picture now. He wants ME to take Wahsha's bone back to the city. I then take my writing materials outside (the rain has finally stopped and the sky is clear and cloudless) and go over to him and tell him we'll take Wahsha's bone to him the next time we go back to the city. He gives me a kiss, calmly trots off to his favorite spot nestled in the shade of the big bear grass bush where he always spends most of his day. He curls up and goes to sleep, an occasional snore, foot shake and his "dreamtime". I go back to my meditating and all is well. He wasn't longing for his friends. He wasn't afraid of the rain. He wasn't particularly in need of my companionship. He was just "taking care of business" as usual. Nothing was wrong, nothing needed to be changed.

Wow! What a lesson in adapting to current situations and being happy with what's at hand. Who knows, maybe all he was doing was telling Wahsha he found her bone and would make sure we brought it to her the next time we would see her! This is the"crit" CRITTER was telling me: The way to resolve the dilemma of being happy/ unhappy, or missing/not missing something is to dig up the things you've buried, be with them for a while, chew on 'em and then put them back where you can easily get to them the next time you need them! What a lesson on how to resolve criticism and being critical of one's
surrounding. It wasn't just a few changes in the letters of crit-icism to crit-ter, but the whole idea of change itself: new life and rebirth of the old without any death, killing or burial at all! - end of thought -

Now, here are The Teaching Spirits words:

THOTH : Wow, what a blessing for Us to hear YOUR words and your thinking behind this dilemma. We are even learning about you and the things you are dealing with. We are thankful for the way you have thought things out. This is a true conversation, whereby your imput is
useful to both of Us. Honor this in yourself, this "ability" you are using to guide you on your journey. It is the way we have tried to teach you. You have accepted this and are honoring it. We are proud of you! You and I have just been communicating the way two cells of the same
body communicate via the same nerve channel. We are operating in the realm of One Mind, the mind of humanity in harmony with spirit. This communication is being absorbed and re-distributed as you think, as you speak, and as you write. This will be repeated whenever you
re-write, re-type or re-read. It is the way it is. When you write and think clearly, as you "re-ceive, re-view, re-vive, even re-gurgitate and re-digest these words you are re-distributing the spiritual nourishment you have been given. If only this could happen more often among men
and women on a daily basis, We wouldn't have to do so much writing and thinking for the humans! (* S *) Your impartiality, the ability to adapt to changing situations, the sense of personal responsibility to yourself, your queen and to your land and its people is honorable. It is fitting that you should be called a king. Few are willing to take such a stand, willing to humbly accept, yet recognize the significance of each and every moment of one's daily experience as worthy of the greatest universal acceptance and honor by those who've gone before. We, Bel, Bran, Grandmother, Arther, Gueniviere, Merlin, Morgana, Abraham, Rumi, Geronimo & Cochise, all walk proudly with you as you continue your journey. Your other family and friends will understand, eventually. Our hearts are gladdened and go with you wherever you choose to go. Great blessings are being bestowed upon you as we speak. Choose
to go only to the highest ground where all of Universe's gifts are displayed in front of you. All that is good is before You. The cleansing of the land where you have made your physical abode and the cleansing of your mind of its shadowy webs is complete for now. Enjoy the freshness that is here. The mists of time past have been lifted from the eyes of the open and the closed alike. What remains have been uncovered, but they were always here, seen now in a new light by more than you can imagine as you write these words. All warriors of the light, look upwards. You'll see the difference you make, soon .
- end of transmission -

ABRAHAM : The keyword to critical mental thoughts or overly stimulated mental processing
that seems full of conflict, is found in the word "closing, or closure" instead of burial. The object is not to bury it, but to "blend" it in to the situation at hand. Like in meditation, if you try to make mental thoughts "go away", they won't. You have to let them come up, watch them go on their way and soon they do disappear, that is, they become "unseen" and "unheard of". In Spirit world, all word-thoughts exist, good, bad, useful or indifferent. They simply are. We who've gone before simply piece them together for YOU to use in a good way. We're like sentence managers. We don't sentence you ,we just fix sentences! (*S*) Together, You and I bathe in the same stream. Your part is physical, you get to enjoy the physical soothing of the physical water, I bathe in the spiritual water and receive the physical awareness of it from this side of the river. Together, we both get cleansed. The one (physical bathing) nourishes the other, and vice versa. Thank you for (doing your) daily cleansing ritual. It brings tears of joy to me and
others from over here! (*S*)
- end of transmission -


GRANDMOTHER E'LSAH : The criticism of the bull to the cow is like fire to water. Both are of spirit and the three of them, married to each other are in balance. This "threesome" living together is sometimes conflicting, as is air, water and fire, yet compatible when balanced with earth. They appear to be in conflict, but they are not. Spirit Sun does not conflict with Spirit Rain, nor does Spirit Thunder conflict with Spirit Earth. All are bound by the law of support and love for each other. All are cleansings of the whole. Some are in action all at once, Sun is still there while cloud, rain and thunder obscure it. Sun is permanent, the others are temporary. Purification by &fire is followed with a cleansing by rainwater. Impregnation of earth cow by fire bull is followed by birthing waters and calfspirit newness. In human nature, even firey words of passion and the desire to change things should be
followed in the same order. First to gentle woman water with her consent, a standby of allowing her to receive, conceive and re-issue those words full of newness and spirit. Then communication between men is useful and rich with Her generosity. Words and thoughts
uttered without Mother Earth's blessing will only bring chaos and conflict. The Christian way is an attempt at purification, but often the priest and the ritual itself is in need of a cleansing. In the native way, life itself does the cleansing. Ritual of thankfulness follows stormy weather cleansing, always so. Daily cleansing, bathing and water-anointing, are all symbols of the stormy way Mother Earth does Her cleansing. Our way is a gentle reminder.

Christian people need to be baptised daily, Modern people need to be reminded of their birthing waters each time they go to the sink or to the bathroom. I say this, not in a critical way, but in a loving, good
way. All you need to be reminded of about criticism is that all of you are still in the cleansing of the Spirit Air & Earth that nourishes and sustains you. Enjoy this, even if you forgot to wash behind the ears. Bull Mother will do it for you! (*S*).

Don't always look to heaven to do the cleansing. Do it to yourself each day after you awake, by whatever ritual that works for you. Just do it thouroughly and well, that's all! Great Spirit, First Mother and First Father will bless you ten-fold. Blessings to You!
- end of transmission -

ARTHUR : Morgana, Great Mother, pregnant with all possibilities, gave birth to You and the words You choose to live by. If criticism comes to you or you are required to dispense that criticsm to others, She, who formed them in conjunction with you as you grew and became
receptive to Her, is able to express HER longings for harmony and justice through you. You become HER mouthpiece. This form of criticism is not distructive. It is like a water cleansing if spoken with compassion and void of fear; fear of saying the wrong thing as well as the fear that your words are falling on deaf ears.

Allow the voice of Mother Earth to flow through you instead of bursting forth as do the thunderbolts of Father Sky.
- end of transmission -

MORGANA : Blessings to you all, my dear children. The time of all-age is upon us and these utterings mean much to those of Us who've gone before. This physical world is always in need of cleansing. There will come a time when the cleansing will be a more gentle one, but for now, you must beware and be willing to BE AWARE of all that is in store for you, including that "washing behind the ears" Grandmother E'lsah spoke about! (*S*)
- end of transmission -

GUENIVIERE : Cathartic change is upon us. Is it destructive? Sheer power, divine, human, or satanic is destructive. However, ONE of these is ALWAYS followed by creative construction or reconstruction. Need I say more about the one you have chosen to represent and to dispense when called upon? (*S*)
- end of transmission -

MERLIN & BRAN THE BLESSED : Raven and rain brings us prophecy, power, warning, caution and magic. They will scare away your enemies, but they will comfort you and your friends. Always look to raven/storm during these times. You may see eagle and hawk now and
then, but don't wait for them. Dark cloud, Dark Raven, bat and blackbird are on our side, also. We use them because D......(don't pronounce his name) thinks they're his. They're not. They have many words of wisdom to share with you, to help you avoid the destructive portion of the Restructuring Acts of your Heavenly Mother Earth.
- end of transmission -

Wild Dove I know your message of criticism was directed at three of us on this site. You were given this message to relay a lesson for us to absorb. We had a vicious attack - for no apparent reason. It was not logical, rational or provoked. The venom had obviously been simmering for about one year, and your message is remarkable and significant at this time. Thank you for your wisdom and insight. Thank you for sharing. Wa do

Quote :

All warriors of the light, look upwards. You'll see the difference you make, soon .

This relates to my message of Attack and Celebration.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f34/11/85/16/71/jmnonm10.jpg

In my adventure story, the main character (Wild Dove) is visited by the only human he meets on his vision quest in The Dreamtime. He calls himself Brother (but he is a Dark Intentions mutant out to "capture" the minds of good intentions voyagers) but is not a true human. He just looks like one. Wild Dove almost falls for him, as he becomes lonely hoping to find a human to travel with. Its a great story (not applauding myself) for the reader to learn discrimination, who to trust and who not to. We are literally going through "Psychic Wars for The Soul".

While this is fictional in its story details, I am more and more convinced this adventure story is real. Soon I will be animating it, and posting it in segments on this thread. I look forward to doing that. Check out this thread/forum from time to time to see how The Project is moving along. Aho! Wild Dove[img]

p.s. I forgot to mention, we DID go to Silver City that same afternoon where Wahsha and Ahoya were living temporarily. The first thing Little Bear did when I opened the back door of the van, he got out Wahsha's bone and gave it to her, and off they went together to "do their thing"......

Would you please give Little Bear a pet and a hug for me. He is a good warrior and a wonderful "keeper of the bones." What a kind heart and spirit he has. I can actually see him protecting and rescuing Wahsha's bone from the perceived and very real predators. Cayenne wishes she had a wise and great protector such as Little Bear. She sends a big slurp!

Thanks for the hug. I just said to Littlebear who is lying at my feet while I type that Spring sends you a big hug and Cayenne wishes you would be her protector, too. Little bear smiled, and of course I had to stop typing, get down on the ground, tickle his tummy until we both were rolling around together laughing :funny1: Thanks again for the tug-a-hug!

I think I might have posted this before, but thought a little more Little Bear would be nice er still:

Little Martinis In Small Little Cottages
©2002 by Little Bear While His Master Was Drinking His Martini

Five lamplights warms the room
Dog curls up tight
Sun disappears into the nigh, Now he's up sipping.

Little fairy mice crunch on biscuits
Every little bit
Not to fall on lap well-lit, not to stain the drumskin kit
Painted with a pair of eyes.
Half-open now
Perhaps a few more sips
Chinese eye-slits slip into
A small little cottage print from Currier & Ives:
Let it rip!

Ok, maybe just one more sip.
The raging seas turn gray
Salmon swirls, cloudy twirls, curly-haired little girls
Father Sky won't say which.
Mother Earth hunches over magic
The Ocean Daughter witches her brew.

Sister Wind whips up a mighty storm.
It seems its the only way to warn us
Its just the beginning of losing. They say winged
Pegasus was winning the war!

Into the night mist
We must fly. Hurry now!

While children dream away tomorrow

Another flight in the morning
After hearing the foghorned wind's warning.

Of course everything's alright.
Do I need fixin'?
Will tonight's starry twinkling Venus
Be tomorrow evening's winking vixen?

When all the ice is worn down sweat dripping from the glass
Will my drink need mixing?

Though the gin is still in the bottle and the glass is yet to be filled
Although the grape is still on the vine
And the wine hasn't been poured from its barrel
Nor the whiskey from its still
I am warmed everytime I think of them.

I came to this little cottage my dear friend supplied. Don't drink my gin, OK?
Hmm.... should I pour...
Or should I not? I replied.

Just another Martini sunset lingering on between the swings in an old man's song.

The one Louie left behind for us to ask ourselves
"What a wonderful world it was, is or will be"

Children and flowers weave these words in all the time.

Will I be re-born when my paintbrush starts to mingle with the pot
If I ask that question all over again?
Or is it my fingers doing the tingling?

There goes that foghorn again
A gust of wind must have torn open the earthlings heart

If a shingle falls off the roof under my heady hoof
Will it all come tumbling down?
Will my slaughtered sleighful mind overturned be my ceiling when my feetful fits are buried underground?

Will the gods open up the walkways to heaven?
Will we talk with dry mouths closed?
Are our expressions without answers
The closer we get to shore?

Does knowledge ever turn to wisdom
When one is on all-fours
Looking for the proper key
To open yet another door?

Do glances dance?
Are they askew?
Would horses prance without carousels?

If only we knew.

Perhaps ithe answer WAS me in the bottle. Perhaps I do know
Like leaves left in teacups about the
Patterns trying to set themselves free.

My friend just revealed herself to me, Son-of-a-gun! Yahoo!
If I only had had one more sip of her,
I would have won the game and wouldn't have lost the view!

VERSE TWO

Such fun!

Hello thought: Are you Minerva?
Frankincense sentenced by The Sundance.
I didn't even finish the sentence before the sentencing was over.
Ardath plowed the field. I wouldn't even try to level the playing.
Who can skirt around trees?

Come with me down the drain
To Bottom-lakes, milkweed dirty dishes in a sink that stinks of rotten food.
Scum around bathrings and rings around collars, too!

When it all bubbles up and we are called to undress
Take hold of your star and hang on to your mess
'Cause the going's going to get even rougher
Tougher than rye grass we're going to have to spit it all out one day.
There's no end to spiritual weeds or rosary beads
When rolling them between your fingers.

No tomorrows. No todays left to smother with sorrows.
Nor for that matter, to the ink in this pen, either.
Maybe its time for the end.... (of this poem)
Ah, here's another glassful, my friend. Let me continue.
Here, let me fill YOUR glass instead of mine in undeniable silence
Since no one's number has come up,

Yet!

VERSE THREE

The sounds of my heart's laughter will put out the fire, the storm , the wind and the rain.
The visions of joy I 'm having, the dance asunder and the coiling thunder in my brain better than gin
Keeps me singing, let's me win!
I cannot come out from under the spell of Beauty and Wonder
About the whys and the wherefores
That wash up along the shore
While sitting in small cottages on the banks among the willows
Leaving thank-you prints in the sand

Will the tide reach The Door,
While The Captain paints his wagon instead of his ship and I have yet another sip?
First Mate told me I was getting rusty ripping to the core.

Hmm....its amazing what two Martini glasses can do to you while just sitting on the floor,
While the dog was doing all the sipping.

The end.
(Of my dog drinking my Martini while I was busy writing this poem. I get the rest!)

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