Thursday, February 18, 2010

Beauty, and Fire are Mysterious Creatures

photo: african beauty of Linsey Ellis Singer, from FACEBOOK

...the refresh of beauty in the wind caressing the the day into night... -Dawn Wolf

African-Native woman

"To make sacred fire (tsila-galun-kwe-ti-yu) in the spring, clan representatives gathered wood from the eastern sides of seven trees, peeled off the outer bark, and placed the wood in a circle on the central altar of the town house. The woods included white oak, black oak, water oak, black jack, bass wood, chestnut, and white pine. Once the fire ignited, women carried burning coals to start fresh fires in their homes. The town house fire "never goes out" wrote British trader Alexander Longe in 1725, it burned continuously in each town until it was ceremonially extinguished and rebuilt. Neither embers nor ash could be removed from the fire, nor pipes lit there. Cherokees offered supplications to the fire, whose smoke was "always in readiness to convey the petition on high". The source of heat, light, and smoke rising to the Upper World, wood for the town house fire carried singular significance."

 
British born Amanda White

"Altars are the symbolic and visible point between the seen and unseen worlds. In that space our intent begins to design what is needed to build prayers. Prayers are the masons’ tools of this kind of spiritual work. A woman who has given birth has the powers of the spoken word. What force is stronger than the word, and intent of the creative force of the Mother?" -Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories


absolute beauty of a Mashpee Wampanoag woman - Cheryl

Sometimes the hurt we feel within is our own pride preventing us to go farther and see the sunshine. We cannot see what the Creator has in store for everyone but when we stretch forth and love we will be a part of the growth of all that crave the light. –Moon Red Thunder





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