The little boy was angry. His feelings were hurt, his vision clouded by pain. His Grandfather stopped him from running alone to the woods and spoke to the child, listening to his tale of woe...The little warrior held a stone his Grandfather had given him, feeling its weight. Another stone, and yet another stone, was added until the child finally nodded. This was the weight the little boy felt was equal to his pain.....The wise Grandfather told the child that the weight of the stones would equal the burdon the boy would have to carry for all of his days if he were not willing to find a way to give it away.... The little brave finally allowed himself to be held, letting the salty tears release and cleanse his pain. Grandfathers strong arms comforted him, and the weight of the burdon was lifted. The clouds rolled from the little ones vision, and he could see the value of turning to the ones he loved, sharing his burdon,so that he would not have to carry it for all the winters of his Earthwalk

http://www.brownielocks.com/NativeAmericanHoroscope.html  This is a neat site for correspondences to the horoscope.

http://www.rainbowolf.com/cherokeeastrology.htm is a wonderful cherokee site and wheel of the year, aromatherapy, balance website. You have to check the links.

How the Butterflies Came to Be 

 When the world was young there were no colorful butterflies to brighten up the days of spring and summer. There were creeping-crawlers, who were the ancestors of the brightly painted winged ones, and although they were very beautiful they crawled close to the ground, and few saw their beauty. There lived a lbeutiful child called Spring Flower who was kind and gentle and loved by all who knew her. She was always smiling and pleasant, and had a gift in her cool hands to remove fever from someone who was sick. As she matured into womanhood she was given the gift of being able to heal most ailments that she found in people. She would dream dreams, and beautiful creatures with rainbows on their wings would visit her. They taught her that every color of the rainbow had a differnt healing gift. They told her the purpose of her life was to heal, and that after she transcended to spirit her healing gift would be left for all to share. They called the woman 'She Who Weaves Rainbows In The Air'. As She Who Weaves Rainbows In The Air grew and matured so did her gift of healing. People came from far and wide to seek her healing gift and she always did what she could. She always had time for all of the Earth's children, and in times of rest she would talk to the brightly colored creeping-crawlies, and marvel at their beauty. One day as she rested one of the creeping-crawlies came and rested on her shoulder. She spoke to it as she did to all the Earth's children, offering her assistance. The creeping-crawlie spoke to her softly in reply. "My brothers and sisters have always been with you when you have been doing your healing work, lending you the energies from the colors on our bodies. Soon you will be enterng the spirit world. How can we continue to help then? We are so close to the ground that few notice us. If we could fly then people could see our bright colors in front of them. Can you help us to fly?"

She Who Weaves Rainbows In The Air promised to do what she could to help, as she always did. She related the conversation to her husband, and requested of him to dream a dream for her to help her to find a way to help. The next morning he awoke very excited to tell her of the dream he had dreamed, but when he touched She Who Weaves Rainbows In The Air to wake her, her skin was cold, and he knew that she had made the journey into the spirit realm in the night. Through the time of preparation for her burial her husband remembered well the dream that he had received, and it comforted him. When it was time to take She Who Weaves Rainbows In The Air to her body's final resting place, he looked on her bedding, and just as he dreamed there was one of the little creeping-crawlies waiting for him. He took the little creature with him and placed it on his wife's shoulder as he had been instructed so to do in his dream. "Thank you', whispered the little creeping-crawlie. "Now my body also will die, but my spirit will be one with the spirit of She Who Weaves Rainbows In The Air and together we will teach my kind how to fly."

After the burial the man stayed behind, looking at the grave and thinking of all the happy times he had shared with his wife. Suddenly a creatur with brightly painted wings flew out of the grave and landed on the man's shoulder. "Do not be sad," she whispered, "for now the visions of my youth have been made manifest. I will teach the rainbow-winged ones to bring happiness and healing to the people. When your time to cross has come I will be waiting for you."

Many years later when the man was old with snow on his head, he too passed into the realm of spirit. His children stayed at the graveside long after all others had departed. They noticed one the new rainbow-winged creatures flying around the grave, before long joined by a second rainbow-winged one, and they called these creatures butterflies. The two new creatures flew to the place of renewal, and from that day our world has been blessed with the colorful healing of the butterflies who brighten the air and our spirits with their rainbow wings.

taken from http://www.rainbowolf.com/rainbowsintheair.htm

A friend shared this with a group I belong to.
I wish I could give proper credit.

I am from two worlds
and they both share the same sun
I am from two worlds
In one I walk - in the other I run. 

I am from Two worlds
Yet both are a part of me.
I am from two worlds
In one I am blind, in the other I can see. 

I am from two worlds
Few know that I feel divided and torn
I am from two worlds
In one I am new, in the other I am worn. 

I am from two worlds
each as different as day and night
I am from two worlds
In one I am Indian, in the other I am white.

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I was going over old stories and found this one I thought I'd share. I love the drum.

Bright blessings

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An Abenaki Legend
It is said that when Creator was giving a place for all the spirits to dwell who would be taking part in the inhabitance of Mother Earth, there came a sound, a loud BOOM, from off in the distance.

As Creator listened, the sound kept coming closer and closer until it finally it was right in front of Creator. "Who are you?" asked Creator. "I am the spirit of the drum" was the reply. I have come here to ask you to allow me to take part in this wonderful thing." "How will you take part?" Creator questioned." I would like to accompany the singing of the people. When they sing from their hearts, I will sing too as though I was the heartbeat of Mother Earth. In that way, all creation will sing in harmony. "Creator granted the request, and from then on, the drum accompanied the people's voices.

Throughout all of the indigenous peoples of the world, the drum is the center of all songs. It is the catalyst for the spirit of the songs to rise up to the Creator so that the prayers in those songs reach where they were meant to go. At all times, the sound of the drum brings completeness, awe, excitement, solemnity, strength, courage, and the fulfillment to the songs. It is Mother's heartbeat giving her approval to those living upon her. It draws the eagle to it, who carries the message to Creator.

It changes people's lives!

A few years ago, I was given a cedar flute - it is how I learned to pray again after many years of anger. In the years since then, I have acquired 4 other flutes. Sometimes I take one outside with me in the morning. Honestly, this was the easiest instrument to learn to play. I went to e-bay and bought a najvaho student's flute for $40. It is still my favorite because the holes are small and easier to work. I have seen them made out of pvc pipe and still have a nice sound. This morning I found  videos on Youtube from the man who's method I used to learn to play. He is even better to watch than to listen to! (I used his CD) Of course Geoffrey has to be different - he wants to learn the recorder (like the Celtic musicians use).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7tCU5CQ_Os

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySQV_XgWa0s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn57CVBxd28

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gFO_d_OevE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy0q2iOZy5I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=228BtHsZio8

While you are on YouTube- Check out Bill Miller - Ghost Dance. Man.

love y'all.

~Amber

Because the Great Mystery Power had given Coyote much of his medicine, Coyote himself grew very powerful and conceited. There was nothing, he believed, that he couldn't do. He even thought he was more powerful than the Great Mystery, for Coyote was sometimes wise but also a fool. One day long ago, it came into his mind to dance with a star. "I really feel like doing this," he said. He saw a bright star coming up from behind a mountain, and called out: "Hoh, you star, wait and come down! I want to dance with you."

The star descended until Coyote could get hold of him, and then soared up into the sky, with Coyote hanging on for dear life. Round and round the sky went the star. Coyote became very tired, and the arm that was holding onto the star grew numb, as if it were coming out of its socket! "Star," he said, "I believe I've done enough dancing for now. I'll let go and be getting back home." "No, wait; we're too high up," said the star. "Wait until I come lower over the mountain where I picked you up."

Coyote looked down at the earth. He thought it seemed quite near. "I'm tired, star; I think I'll leave now; we're low enough," he said, and let go.

Coyote had made a bad mistake. He dropped down, down, down. He fell for a full ten winters. He plopped through the earth clouds at last, and when he finally hit ground, he was flattened out like a tanned, stretched deerskin. So he died right there.

Now, the Great Mystery Power had amused himself by giving Coyote several lives. It took Coyote quite a few winters, however, to puff himself up again into his old shape. He had grown quite a bit older in all that time, but he had not grown less foolish. He boasted: "Who besides me could dance with stars, and fall out of the sky for ten long winters, and be flattened out like a deer hide,and live to tell the tale? I am Coyote. I am powerful. I can do anything!"

Coyote was sitting in front of his lodge one night, when from behind the mountain rose a strange kind of star, a very fast one, trailing a long, shining tail. Coyote said to himself: "Look at that fast star; what fun to dance with him!" He called out: "Hoh, strange star with the long tail! Wait for me; come down; let's dance!"

The strange, fast star shot down, and Coyote grabbed hold. The star whirled off into the vastness of the universe. Again Coyote had made a bad mistake. Looking up from his lodge into the sky, he had had no idea of that star's real speed. It was the fastest thing in the universe.

Coyote fell back down to earth in little pieces, a bit here and a bit there. But soon the pieces started looking for each other, slowly coming together, forming up into Coyote again.

It took a long time; several winters. At last Coyote was whole again except for his right hand, which was still whirling around in space with the star. Coyote called out: "Great Mystery! I was wrong.!! I'm not as powerful as you. I'm not as powerful as I thought, Have pity on me!"

Then the Great Mystery Power spoke: "Friend Coyote. I have given you four lives. Two you have already wasted foolishly. Better watch out!" "Have pity on me," wailed Coyote. "Give me back my right hand." "That's up to the star with the long tail, my friend. You must have patience. Wait until the star appears to you, rising from behind the mountain again. Then maybe he will shake your hand off." "How often does this star come over the mountain?"
"Once in a hundred lifetimes," said the Great Mystery.