Earthrise

 

   

Amanda Gorman, activist and US National Youth Poet Laureate recites her poem Earthrise.  You may have seen her at the recent US Presidential Inauguration.  Prepare to be inspired!

 

 

On a hike in the woods, I came across a message in the snow: XOX, hugs and kisses. 
My heart expanded and I added the symbol of heart.

"Stay safe," was the next message that I read in the snow. 
Who was the author, who the audience? 
Who but a child or someone who was a child at heart would leave a message of love in the snow?
Who would send a wish of safety to those they had never met, would never meet?

A smiling face and a flower came next.  They made me smile s
o I added another heart and a peace sign.
I became a child at heart co-creating a message of love, a message of peace, a
 message of concern in the snow. 
The young are speaking.  Listen to their new story.
Be inspired.  Become a child at heart.
Dare to dream!

Moosehide Campaign Day Attracts 80.000

This is the 10^th anniversary of the Moosehide Campaign which seeks to engage men to commit to working towards an end to violence towards women and children. 

The COVID pandemic has made it hard to connect physically and to have the usual events that are held on this day.  There is always a nation wide fast for the men participating and some celebrations across the country.  And in Victoria, BC, there is usually, a parade of people drumming on their way to the Provincial Legislature.  The legislators wearing their Moosehide pins come outside and meet the fasters on the steps for speeches and ceremony.  So, that couldn't happen this year.  And the pandemic has also contributed to an increase in the rates of violence towards women and children which makes the work even more important.

Not dissuaded by the obstacles of the pandemic, the Moosehide Campaign moved forward with an on-line event that had 80,000 people logging on to be a part of it.  Men were asked to fast for the day as a sign of their commitment to end violence against women and children and the virtual event let these men and their supporters connect and grow closer through the experience of fasting and ceremony.  There was a Sunrise Ceremony and a Breaking the Fast ceremony as well as workshops, a youth space, an on-line fire, elders teaching and more.  Official witnesses attended and spoke at the closing ceremony.

You can view a welcome to this day from co-founders Paul LaCerte and his daughter Raven here: 

If you go to the Moosehide Campaign website you can view messages from Elders, videos and soon the workshops will be available for viewing as well.

The paradox of these times is that while we can’t meet with those we usually spend time with in person, we can connect on-line with people we would never have met before the pandemic.  It is beautiful to see Elders sharing their wisdom from beside the fire.  Their words can transcend the space between us and land in our hearts.  It is life-giving to join in with other people who are imagining and creating change.  From a father and daughter out hunting moose on the land to 80,000 people joining on-line in a space of ten years is very encouraging for this grassroots movement.

I invite you to check out some of these videos.  The world is changing and these are some of the changemakers who are inviting all of us to join together to create a better world.  I believe them.  I wear my Moosehide pin.  I have conversations with people about ending violence towards women and children, particulary, Indigenous women.  Change is happening.  It can be done.

Willow: The Ogham Tree for February

 

The ancient Celts invented the first alphabet in Europe which is called the Ogham script.  Each letter is associated with a tree or an important plant.  The alphabet was used as a mnemonic device to encode knowledge, the Celtic song of the universe, Ceolta na Cruinne (Diana Beresford-Kroeger).  The thirteen months of the year (pre-Gregorian calendar) were each represented by a particular tree.  The new year began on Nov. 1^st with Birch, followed by Rowan in December and Alder in January.  The tree associated with February is Willow.  It was called Saille and it represented the letter S.

Saille    S

The willow that the Celts referred to was likely Goat Willow (Salix caprea) or Pussywillow.  Weeping Willows (Salix babylonica) are native to China but were brought to the UK in the 1730’s where it has become naturalized.  Weeping Willow has become naturalized all over the world.  The American Pussywillow (Salix discolor) is a North American variety and Grey willow (Salix cinerea) is native to Northern Europe.  “Willow is known by many folk names, such as ‘osier’, ‘pussy willow’, ‘saille’, ‘Sally’, ‘withy’, ‘witch’s aspirin’, and the ‘tree of enchantment’.” (Paterson, p. 265)  I think that, for our modern purposes you can imagine whichever species of Willow that you know and by whatever name you know it by.

Willow loves the water and is often found on riverbanks and lakeshores.  Alder is the king of the water and Willow the queen according to ancient Celtic wisdom.  Since Willow is water-seeking and the tides are governed by the moon, Willow represents the female and lunar rhythms of life.  In the Celtic world, women were property owners and both male and female energy was recognized equally. Willow’s association with water and the moon has been seen as a connection to intuition, imagination and clairvoyance and so harps were made of willow.  It is a mediator of liminal spaces and has a strong life force. Willows, water and the moon are connected with ancient gods and goddesses from many civilizations including ancient Israel.

Willow has large fibrous roots which will send up new shoots when branches are cut or break off.  Cuttings from willow will also root in water or in the earth and can be propagated that way.  Willows produce both male and female catkins but on different plants.  These catkins which we call “pussywillows” emerge before the leaves representing fertility while providing early pollen for the bees. Willow catkins are pollinated by insects and the wind.  The seeds are scattered by the wind in fluffs of cottony looking down.  The seeds need to land on moist ground where they can root quickly as they have no endosperm to provide stored food.

The Celts used Willow branches, called sally rods as a weaving material for baskets and donkey panniers to carry turf from the bogs.  Smaller branches were used for household brushes.  Hen baskets were woven from Willow in a loose weave which reduced feather mites but protected the eggs.

Wattle is a technique that goes back to Neolithic times.  It is the weaving of thin branches through upright stakes to construct baskets, fish traps, fences and house walls and one form of a Welsh coracle which was used on the Severn River.  Willow was often used for wattling.  Willow wood is also used for boxes, brooms, cricket bats, cradle boards, furniture, flutes, poles, sweat lodges, toys and many other things.

Willow was used for pain relief as it has salicylates in the bark and as a rose-tan dye for raw linen and wool. The bark contain 13% tannic acid and so it was used in tanning leather.

Willows are excellent at bio-filtration to remove pollutants including heavy metals from water.  They stabilize stream banks and lakeshores to prevent erosion, reclaim soil, provide a windbreak and a wildlife habitat.

“The energy of Willow assists in easing the difficult feelings that arise from periods of change and the sense of loss that often follows.” (Forest, p75)  Willow is the energy “to go forth, into the unknown, with greater confidence and trust in ourselves” (Kindred, p18).  It enhances the power of intuition and will allow emotions to come to the surface and move through grief to healing.  The Willow twig that roots easily when placed in the earth or in water teaches us that in every loss is a new capacity for growth. “Willow is recommended for use when seeking to understand ancient ways.” (Kindred, p19)  “It is thought that the origins of the saying ‘Knock on wood’ came from the age-old act of knocking on a willow tree to avert evil and bring good luck.” (Paterson, p.264)  Willow is the tree of boundaries and thus teaches us how to protect our own boundaries.

This is a compilation of information taken from the following sources:

Diana Beresford-Kroeger (2019) To Speak for the Trees. Random House: Canada.

Danu Forest (2014) Celtic Tree Magic: Ogham Lore and Druid Mysteries. Llewellyn Worldwide: Woodbury, Minnesota.

Glennie Kindred, (1997) The Tree Ogham. Glennie Kindred: UK.

Liz and Colin Murray (1988) The Celtic Tree Oracle. Connections Book Publishing: London, UK.

Jacqueline Memory Peterson (1996) Tree Wisdom: The definitive guidebook to the myth, folklore and healing power of Trees. Thorsons: London.

Elen Sentier (2014) Trees of the Goddess. Moon Books: Winchester, UK.

 

 

 Elder Duke Redbird is an Indigenous intellectual, poet, painter, broadcaster, filmmaker and keynote speaker.  From 1994 to 2009 he was the Arts & Entertainment reporter for CITY -TV in Toronto.  He works as a multifaceted artist in a number of disciplines in Canada and abroad.  And, he pioneered bringing an Indigenous approach to art educations at OCADU. 

Duke Redbird (photo credit: dukeredbird.ca)

When we were trying to learn Silver River, to honour Curtis Jonnie last week, we had trouble hearing the words clearly from the recording.  When we realized that the lyrics were from a poem by Duke Redbird, we emailed him for help.  The next day, his assistant responded with a pdf of the poem and permission from him to use the words as we sang the song on our on-line weekly coffeehouse.

The more I explored on-line, the more I learned about this multi-talented artist.  I thought I would share some of what I found with you.  I feel so privileged to share the Earth with people like Duke Redbird

Here is a musical collaboration between Sultans of String, Duke Redbird and Twin Flames called The Power of the Land.

As I was looking at Elder Redbird’s art work, I came across this ingenious floating installation called Wigwam Chi-Chemung that tells the story of the presence of Indigenous people on the shore of Lake Ontario in what we now call Toronto.

And finally (but not the end – check out his website for yourself) here is a posting that Duke Redbird made last year at the beginning of the pandemic.  He shares an uplifting message and a poem called “The Waterfall”.

During this time when we have more time at home, we have an opportunity to learn and to listen to artists, poets and musicians who are busy imagining and creating a new world.  We are all creators and we are creating this new world together.  Let Duke Redbird inspire you and spark your own creative energy as we co-create our future, our new story.