| SIBLING SOCIETY RANT BY RED BEAR Read Robert Bly’s Sibling Society. After you have read it, read it again until it sinks into every pore of your consciousness. Everyone should read and reread this book till they get it. The youth obsessed culture has triumphed and taken no prisoners. Being old is like a disease. The word elderly has become synonymous for illness and/or with being a step or two before death. This is very, very not good. As a culture gone very wrong, we find absolutely NO BEAUTY in being old. Read One is the Sun. There is a megabillion industry in facelifts, boob-lifts, armpit lifts, and lifting whatever can be lifted. Any culture that finds no beauty in aging is blind to the truth. When middle age and older people are compelled to use botox like chewing gum there is a culture that is collectively insane. The amount of pills, medication and products to look “young forever” would erase the national debt which is so large we don’t even discuss it anymore (thank you George JR. before and now during the Iraq War). We have de-evolved into all being peers. An 80 year old is a peer with a 12 year old… the only difference once you’re 50 you get inundated with AARP applications. Not only are we all peer siblings at any age, but we are all ADOLESCENTS. Perhaps, 1 out of 150,000 over the age of 21 is an adult and most don’t want to be; read The Maiden King by Bly and Woodman. How many 20, 30, 40, 50+ year old boys and girls do we need in this culture? Where are the ELDERS? Not only are we madly trying to force youth on old faces and bodies, but as soon as someone reaches the ripe old age of say 17 one becomes focused on retirement. Retirement is one of the words of this capitalistic culture that shares some truth. RE means again. TIREMENT is to become tired in cement or permanently tired. (When I did talks in high school career days on social work, the biggest question right after how much money do you make was at what age do you get to retire.) Working is not important it is to retire; thus, become tired again in cement permanently. I never want to retire. In truth, I can’t retire as I wasn’t tired the first time. How about REPASSIONMENT. But this would mean, people would have to be passionate the first time. How can one retire from a true vocation anyway? If you are in your true vocation, you never retire… you change, grow and transform professionally. If elders are too busy in retirement then we have only peer adolescent siblings to guide us. If elders are busy gambling, seeking endless pleasure and being bored to death when they are not busy, what happens to the rest of us? Any tribal culture will tell you that a culture built on the illusion of youth without elders has a death wish. Any indigenous people will tell you that without elders to guide and teach the culture become deaf, dumb and blind. If we were able to learn from the Ancients and Ancestors, we would know with wisdom that without elders a culture become lost, muddled, abusive, rageful, depressed and despairing. Since we are only concerned with the accumulation of money, unbridled savage consumerism, retirement and remaining forever adolescents, there are no elders. No one places any worth in being old or sees any need for elders. Of course, you don’t become wise just because you’re old, but there is great, profound opportunities for gaining deeper and deeper wisdom in the later years. Read James Hillman’s The Force of Character and the Lasting Life… reread it many, many times. In our dumbed-down, eternally adolescent culture, as soon as someone has aged they retire and we lose a most vital and crucial resource, If you know exceptions to this that is wonderful, but wake up and look at the bigger picture. In many tribal cultures, you couldn’t truly parent, teach or guide until you became an old one… an ancient one… an old wise one. Don’t buy into the illusion that everyone died young in tribal cultures that didn’t happen until the onset of civilization with its total disregard for human hygiene. Children and old ones were wisely understood to be closer to the Great Spirit… the Great Mystery… the Tao… the Divine… as children had just entered the world and old wise ones were on their Spirit Walk preparing to leave this life. Where are our ELDERS? Do we even understand why we desperately need ELDERS? Not someone older than you in chonological age being an elder, I mean true ELDERS to teach and guide us. If we look at archetypal wisdom, one needs to develop KING and QUEEN energy to teach and guide; further, one needs to develop SAGE energy to teach and guide. The development of King, Queen and Sage energy only begins in mid-life and truly develops as one becomes an old one. Where are our Kings, Queens and Sages? The word crone has a terrible meaning in our misforgotten culture. (If this culture is great at anything it is FORGETTING any learning possible from the past. Just look at the Iraq War. For that matter look at electing Ronald Regan twice, Bush Sr. once and, for Heaven’s sake, having George Jr. president twice when he probably didn’t win one of the elections… see Florida the first time and Ohio the second.) A CRONE is a wise old woman who can heal, teach and guide. Where are our crones? Our lifestyles (i.e. toxic food-stuff, alcohol, drugs, pills, lack of exercise, lack of being away from always being in heated or air conditioned dwellings) in our culture contribute greatly to making so many of our seniors (and not just seniors) constantly, ceaselessly struggling with a myriad of illnesses and plethora of diseases. There is another megabillion dollar industry in medical care (i.e. pills, medication, surgery, pills, pills) for our seniors. When did being RESPECTFUL to old people become obsolete? Of course, one has to earn respect, but older people deserve being treated respectfully… it wouldn’t hurt either to allow old ones to earn respect too. For the most part… a vast, vast most part… the entertainment industry, the music industry and the publishing world is addicted to youth… perpetual adolescents parade throughout our screens and technology. New is always better than old in this culture… newer and newer is even better than new. Fast is always better than slow… faster and faster is even better than fast. Where does a culture addicted to new and fast have a place for old ones… or wisdom at any age for that matter? Microwaves and restaurants dominate our massive consumption of mostly toxic food-stuff. Who has the time or desire to learn how to truly cook at home (do we have HOMES or just places we live in our culture) from old ones with recipes that have been passed down for generations? Frankly, what passes as chicken soup today is pathetic. Further, we are almost completely segregated by ages. Few children and teenagers know how to talk with and listen to adults much less spend time with them. Few adults and seniors know how to talk and listen to children and teenagers much less spend time with them. I have no time for nostalgia and that is NOT what this is about. This is a RANT about the terrors of a sibling society. By now, you probably have defined me as a curmudgeon; if anyone knows what that even means anymore. Well, I’d be proud and honored to be called a curmudgeon and we need lots and lots more of them… in the best sense of the word. We have politicians, but where are the elderly statesmen and stateswomen? As soon as teachers get old enough to have wisdom, they are either sent into retirement or run pell mell into retirement having been burnt out by our illustrious education system which honors and respects teachers as much as we do old ones. I am 53, almost 54, and I would never want to be a teenager. I don’t want to be or look any younger. I am looking forward to growing older and older; I have trust and faith (with some questioning) that I’ll grow wiser and wiser. The cliché is youth is wasted on the young and this is a very troubling illusion… but in our culture, the old are just a waste…it’s like some dystopia novel. Older children, adolescents and young adults do NOT seek out old wise ones for guidance, help, direction and vision. Most couldn’t find any and don’t know any… the old ones they know are patronized if shared with at all. Of course, of course, there are many, many exceptions to all of this, but look at the big picture and you will smell the roses of sad if not pathetic truth in this rant. When “oldies” are music of the 1960s-1980s, you know something is amiss. When the biggest boon (and perhaps the only honor and privilege) of being an old one is getting senior citizen discounts, something is very much out of joint. Okay, this rant is too long, but I’ll sum up. Read Robert Bly’s Sibling Society. Let’s find the beauty and wisdom in aging and being old. Let’s rediscover, reclaim, and return to having wise old ones guide us. I am eternally grateful and appreciative for the old wise men and crones who have guided me. My vision is to be an old (very old) wise man. Want to join me in finding beauty and wisdom in becoming and being an old one? Did I mention reading Sibling Society by Robert Bly? Goodnight Gracie! |
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| RED BEAR'S JOURNEY APRIL Issue 2007 A Newsletter by Red Bear (Kevin Dubrow LCSW) April 2007* Dedicated to Spring’s rebirthings and birthings Dubrow & Associates * 3640 Prairie Ave., Brookfield, IL 60513 * All calls to 708.387.1210 _____________________________________________________________________________ Royally Non-Existent Princess by Red Bear The King and Queen were very busy. The King had a very large kingdom to rule. The Queen had to take care of the running of four castles. The King was always in meetings with court royals, important merchants, military officers and foreign dignities. The Queen was always arranging this party or that celebration or some festival. The King and Queen were so busy they rarely had time together alone much less produce a royal heir. The King and Queen were so busy they would joke they were too occupied with very important affairs to die. Many in the kingdom were getting down right nervous, as there was no royal heir. There was a great buzz in the royal court, whispers in the market place and snide remarks in the taverns about the kingdom lacking an heir. When there began to be theatre in the streets about the heirless throne to be and with the court jester’s endless mirth at royalty’s expense, the King and Queen knew something must be done. Considering their very busy schedules of very important matters, it took quite a long time for the King and Queen to even schedule a time and place to produce a royal heir. However, after quite a few winters had past, a royal baby appeared, but it was a girl. Equally sad, the King and Queen could produce no more heirs. The Princess would be nice windrow dressing, but females couldn’t inherit the throne. The King and Queen decided that their only option was to wait to the Princess was of great marketable marriage value and find an appropriate very rich Prince who would then be King. Now, the King and Queen were obviously much too busy to raise a child. They were also too busy to arrange and monitor others to watch over and raise the Princess. The King and Queen were at wits end about this till a strange sorcerer from a distant land heard of their dire plight and had a suggestion. For a tidy sum of gold and jewels, the sorcerer would provide the King and Queen with a magic wand that would make the Princess non-existent and only appear when they wanted her to. Of course, the Princess would be perfectly safe being non-existent and it might even be in her own best interest. So with a wave of the magic wand the Princess became non-existent at the whim of the King or Queen. With another wave of the magic wand the Princess would appear when needed for brief appearances at royal functions or to be in big parades, as the kingdom, royal and peasant, loved their royal family. The King and Queen also decided that would make the Princess exist to go to appropriate teachers, tutors and events that would teach her how to be of high profit margin yield as a marketable marriage commodity in the future. Being so elated and happy when she was allowed to exist, the Princess excelled at all the teaching, tutoring and training she attended to add to her net projected future value in marriage. At times, the King and Queen would hear how outstanding the Princess was doing in preparation for a future nuptial windfall for themselves and the kingdom. Sometimes, the King and Queen would allow the Princess to exist just long enough to tell her how proud they were at her progress and to keep up the good work for everyone’s good. The blessed day arrived! After paying an unheard of, enormous, gargantuan bride price, a very rich Prince was accepted to marry the Princess. Now this Prince was quite shrewd and paid this exorbitant price, as he knew the King and Queen were quite old and he would get everything and more back in the not too distant future. The Prince couldn’t have been more thrilled when the King and Queen---at no extra cost--- gave him the magic wand that would allow him to make his bride the Princess disappear and appear at his will. The King and Queen died at just about the same moment. The Prince was crowned King and using the magic wand he allowed the Princess to appear and be crowned Queen. Of course, the new King never asked his Queen how she felt about being non-existent and only allowed her to exist when he needed her, which was rare. The new Queen never had a single thought or feeling towards asking her royal spouse to allow her to exist more. The new King was perfectly content with his Queen spouse who was rarely in existence except at his beckon and call. The new Queen was perfectly satisfied to exist only when called upon by her King husband as this continued life was she knew at from infancy on. When the strange sorcerer from a distant land heard that a new King was using his magic wand, he demanded more gold and jewels. The new King had him thrown out of the kingdom as a charlatan. This made the strange sorcerer quite unhappy. Using a magic spell, he tried to make the magic wand disappear, but he failed. The King would always have the power to make the Queen exist or not exist. He snuck back to tell the Queen about the magic wand and her fate, but there was never a time he could get the Queen alone was when she briefly existed she was always at parties, functions and parades. The King decide to allow the Queen to appear at a grand royal celebration scheduled to royally honor him for all the important busy things he did and was doing and would be doing. After he was done being honored, the King planned to allow the Queen to briefly remain existing to produce a male royal heir--- the Prince. The Queen would then exist only as necessary to take care of the newborn. As soon as possible the Prince would be turned over to more appropriate teachers, tutors and experiences to learn how to be a King; the Queen would stay almost exclusively non-existent except for necessary brief royal appearances as Queen and mother. The King knew one must keep up things for certain appearance seeks, but other than that the Queen could remain non-existent, which seemed to work well for everyone. He didn’t think she was cut out for much mothering anyway. At the grand and glorious honoring celebration for the King, a very old woman approached the Queen. This ancient woman had been at the royal court so long that no one actually knew her name or family. This elderly crone had figured out long ago about the magic wand that kept the then Princess and now Queen virtually non-existent. This didn’t sit right with the old crone, but she never had the opportunity to speak with the then Princess or now Queen alone. Boldly, daringly, decisively, the old woman ushered the Queen out of the party where they could be alone. Everyone was too busy trying to gain the King’s favor to notice and the King never noticed the Queen whether she was in existence or not. The old crone explained she had very little time to inform the Queen of the tragedy that was her life, but she did the best to help the Queen get the true picture. She told the Queen about the magic wand that her parents, the King and Queen, had used on her and now her husband King had control over. She shared with the Queen all about what life could be about if she existed as her own person. The Queen was aghast, shocked then started to weep and weep and weep. The old crone comforted her, but shared there would be time for weeping and healing later if the Queen left with her. The Queen was frozen in panic. How could she leave the only life that she had ever known? What would it be like to exist all the time? Once you existed what would come next? The Queen was overwhelmed with anxiety, confusion and fear then this was mixed with some excitement and wonder. The old crone told the Queen this was her only chance… leave and exist… leave and start a new life… leave and become truly alive as a person and as a woman… stay and be non-existent… stay and exist only when the King wanted her to be his token Queen and nominal mother of a future male heir… stay and have a future daughter who join her in mostly non-existing… stay or leave… this was her choice and the decision had to be made post haste. What do you think the Queen did? Could she trust the old crone and leave all she had ever known? Did she stay as Queen producing a male heir then become virtually non-existent? Did she stay because it was way to scary after being virtually non-existent her whole life to start to deal with existing as a now adult and being alive as her own person and woman? Did she stay and become permanently non-existent as she couldn’t produce a male heir and was replaced? Did she leave with the crone to start a new life? If she left, would the King send the royal guard and all his army to find her or not even care and replace her with another non-existent Queen? Perhaps, she stayed as she was already pregnant with a male future King and couldn’t take her baby away given he could be King. Perhaps, she left with the crone as she was pregnant and afraid her baby was a girl and would be non-existent too. If she left would she be happy that she made this choice? If she stayed would she be content with this choice? Who is to know if this story ends happily or ends with misery or ends at all or is just the beginning? You’ll just have to decide for yourself. It is up to you. You’ll have to make a decision post haste. • Dedicated with boundless LOVE to Desert Lizard White Owl Crone Woman on our anniversary. Meegwetch for all you are, all you give, all you do, all the gifts you wondrously share, all you cherish that I give to you, all we share together on our individual journeys and on our Soul-Mate journey in the Light and Dark… in the Structure and the Chaos… MTU! I strongly recommend you read Grad’s Princess Who Believes in Fairy Tales. |
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| Blind Trust and Faith
By Red Bear In many fairy tales and myths, the hero loses their outer sight… thus, in being blind without outer vision they find their inner vision that guides them to truth, meaning, wisdom and Love. I share with mentors that one doesn’t want to have any HOPE because whatever one has HOPE for they will equally be HOPELESSNESS. I also have that one doesn’t want to BELIEVE in anything because whatever one BELIEVES in they will equally DOUBT. This is the Tao that we each walk upon. When we empty the hope-hopelessness and belief-doubt continuums, we can now seek to have TRUST and FAITH. However, with TRUST and FAITH comes an equal amount of QUESTIONING. Questioning one’s trust and faith is very, very different than doubt. Questioning seeks to find the truth in what one has placed trust and faith in. While belief is most often based on illusions, cause and effect or certain rationales, reasoning, feelings and assumptions, trust and faith is based on nothing… or everything. All trust and faith is BLIND trust and faith because it is not based on what is seen or known. Trust and faith comes from deep thoughts, deep feelings, deep sensing and very deep intuition that is very different than impulsive, reactive, conditioned thoughts, feelings and senses. Since many, many people have been wounded, injured, and damaged by those they placed trust and faith in, it is very, very challenging and difficult to have Blind trust and faith in anyone. Much childhood wounds, injuries and damage comes from being betrayal, neglected, abandoned or abused by those one placed trust and faith in; however, this also occurs throughout the life cycle. Sadly, because of internal negative punitive judgments, it is equally if not more difficult and challenging to have Blind trust and faith in oneself. One needs to understand how to empty from wounds, injury and damage from trust and faith gone “wrong” (very “wrong) in the past then begin a healing process. After healing, one can begin to have blind trust and faith (as well as questioning) in others and themselves. One develops and evolves in wisdom on who to place their blind trust and faith (and questioning) in as well as how to do and be this with themselves. Ultimately, (blind) trust and faith is a gift when we share it with others or have it for ourselves. Trust and faith comes from the Self and Soul and is a gift we give our own and others Self and Soul. Trust and faith can only be TRUE in the present moment… the sacred here-and-now. It is clear as Rumi shares that the human vessel is not always strong enough to hold water… much less be filled and overflowing with trust and faith. When our human vessel is not strong enough to hold the water, it is time for questioning… deep questioning in the present moment… the sacred here-and-now. One questions and deeply questions to find the opening…. find the path… swim to… soar to… flow to… trust and faith. This is a continual, ceaseless journey in each present moment to have and be (blind) trust and faith or to question to return, rediscover, reclaim, renew, and reenergize trust and faith. |
| The Prince of Doing by Red Bear There was joyous celebration throughout the kingdom. An heir had been born! No one was more thrilled and elated than the King and Queen. All the seers and wizards forecast a special life for this Prince. The festival honoring his royal birth lasted a fortnight. From infancy, a host of teachers, tutors, and masters were assigned to develop the Prince. This continued in childhood as the Prince’s education and development was seen as vital and crucial to the kingdom’s future. Placing the Prince in the best hands of the kingdom gave the King and Queen the space to continue in their own busy lives. From time to time, they looked in on the Prince and spoke to his teachers, tutors and masters to keep abreast of his progress. After awhile, given only stellar reports by the Prince’s teachers, tutors and masters, they didn’t check much at all knowing the Prince was getting what he needed. Once in awhile at royal celebrations, functions and festivals, they would talk with the Prince mostly about how his education and development was going and all that waited him in the future. As an adolescent, the Prince was busier than busy from before sunrise to way after sunset. The pace and extent of his education and training from teachers, tutors and masters picked up greatly. He also began to take on major responsibilities in the kingdom--- mostly ones the King and Queen didn’t want. There was little leisure and down time for the teenage Prince. Besides, he had developed a very rigid set of morals, ethics and principles that stopped him from doing what other teenagers in the royal court did. He had developed his rigid moral code in reaction to his royal parents; the King and Queen who were not moral, ethical or principled people as their only concern was their own benefit and pleasure. The Prince had also become a very devoted Spiritual person to religion and practices of the Church of the Kingdom; this too was in reaction to his royal parents who gave religion lip service and Spirituality was not even known by them. This was also true of his incredible stringent work ethic underpinned with a driving determination to do his best at everything all the time. True, the King and Queen were always busy, but they sought to actually work as little as possible and got very little actually done. All this was evident to everyone in the kingdom, except the King and Queen, and how in whispers he got the nickname The Prince of Doing. Now, when he reached adulthood, his daily schedule made the extremely rigorous one as a Prince seemed like a holiday. To say this Prince of Doing was driven is a vast understatement. Mostly, the King and Queen ignored the Prince and secretly was a wee bit resentful of him. However, this didn’t stop them for loading on the Prince of Doing more and more and more of the work of the kingdom that they didn’t want to do. In the past, they doled out this work to able members of the royal court that cost them a tidy sum. Now, they could dump everything and anything onto the Prince of Doing’s huge shoulders and not pay a red cent. Whenever, the Prince of Doing would ask for deserved reward for all his enormous work and effort, he would be told that will come when he was King. Unfortunately, the King was in very good health; actually, the King was obsessed with his health. He was said to even be seeking the golden elixir of immortality. He had no intention to turning his throne over to the Prince, but he knew he needed the illusion he would as a golden apple to be chased after. The Prince of Doing was given the worst task in the kingdom of collecting salt taxes. This meant taking as much money as possible from those that could least afford it. One night when it appeared a major storm was brewing, the Prince was getting ready to go on a tax collection jaunt. No one could convince him to put off this task because of the pending storm that seemed like it would be a beaut. So, away on his steady steed he went. The storm came in faster than anyone even predicted and it was a storm of gale force winds with rain that felt like iron pellets. The Prince was forced to pull close to a very ancient giant oak tree. Huddled in a hole in the tree’s trunk, he heard a voice say, “Where is your trunk…your Self? Where are your roots… your Soul? You never look up to the sky or extend your branches up to the clouds.” His religion warned him about demons like this. So, he reentered the terrible storm to find a cave that was close by. As he coerced his horse onward, he saw an owl up in the branches of another ancient tree. He heard the owl’s hoots, but then heard the owl say, “Who are you? Who are you when you are not doing? Who are you beyond doing?” He galloped harder wondering why demons were haunting him. Somehow, he made it to the cave. He lit a fire and proceeded to try his best to warm his being that was soaked to the bone. Deep in the cave, he heard a sound that was coming towards him. When the old big bear appeared, he was close to panic. The old bear seemed to warm himself near the fire then say, “You are not listening to Brother Tree or Sister Owl. They tried to awaken you. It is time for you to stop the doing and start the becoming and begin the being.” The Prince charged back into the horrible storm and that is the last thing he remembered as his horse lost her footing and he was thrown. He awoke in a very soft feather bed covered with patchwork quilts. He tried to move, but his body ached and worse from pain. He saw a young woman stirring a pot on the fireplace fire. “Oh, you have finally awakened. Bless the Gods and Goddesses, you have broken no bones and will heal over time well”, stated the young woman who he noticed was both strong and beautiful. “Are you a demon too as you pray to Gods and Goddesses?”, asked the worried Prince of Doing. “No, I am just a woman who happened to be there to help you as you took a bad fall. By the way, your horse is in the barn doing well. A fine horse it is. Terrible how you rode her in that storm”, the young woman said. “What is your name?”, the Prince of Doing asked. “What about a thank you… some gratitude… a bit of appreciation… or at least, some manners, what is your name?” the young woman said with a grin. “Ah, thank you… if it wasn’t for you I’d surely be dead. Thank you for taking care of my horse and I was far from kind to her. My name is… I don’t know. I have been always called the Prince. People in the kingdom call me the Prince of Doing”, he said. “Well, then I’m the Maiden of the Forest. You’ll need a couple more weeks of mending before you can move”, the beautiful Maiden of the Forest shared. “Thank you, but can word be sent to the King and Queen… they are probably…. Ah, concerned”, the Prince of Doing said. “No, I have to stay here to tend to you, care for what needs being cared for in my life and time for just being”, the Maiden shared. Wondering if this was all a dream, the Prince of Doing fell fast asleep. Over the next weeks of mending and healing, the Prince of Doing was unable to do anything. He did have many talks with the Maiden of the Forest… many talks. He told her about his life up to now. What interested the Maiden of the Forest the most was what the ancient oak tree, the owl and bear had told him. She shared about how she was taught to listen and learn rather then judge in fear. Oh, they had many arguments and disagreements, but they fell deeply in love anyway or maybe because of them too. After being fully mended and healed, he spent quite a bit of time with the Maiden in the Forest. He learnt a different kind of doing and he learnt about becoming and being too. The Prince no longer was the Prince of Doing and was ready to return to the kingdom. He wanted the Maid of the Forest to come with him, but she wouldn’t and couldn’t leave her home the forest. Besides, both knew that he would never be allowed to marry the Maid of the Forest as he would have to marry the right Princess from the right royal family for the sake of the kingdom. He returned to the kingdom. After a brief time, he became the Prince of Doing again. He forgot about the Maid of the Forest. He forgot about becoming and being. He was a very busy Prince. Eventually, the King did die and he became the King. He was known as the King of Doing. When he was very, very old and had his son ready to take over the realm, he spent some time just walking in the woods. Suddenly, he remembered the Maiden of the Forest… he remembered their times together… he remembered their love… he remembered becoming and being. He searched and searched for the Maiden of the Forest and her small cabin, but, alas, could never find it. On his last attempt to find the Maiden of the Forest for unknown to him he would die in his sleep that night, he thought he heard a tree then a owl then a bear talk to him, but he felt this was just his old brain imaging things. • I recommend reading Fisher’s The Knight in Rusty Armor. |
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| The Frailties of Being Human
by Red Bear I have all the frailties of being human Truly, my vessel is not strong enough to hold water at times --- full of holes, chips and cracks --- sometimes, falling into shards --- sometimes, my vessel vanishes then the water sinks into the Earth Other times, my vessel is most worthy --- slowly filling up till it overflows becoming rain on a mountain creating a stream that becomes a river destined to enter the Great Ocean But this is about my frailties of being human Do not be tempted to see this as mere weakness or unfairly make this into a failure of character Humans were meant to shiver in their bones from the cold frost of Winter not hide in heated buildings Humans were meant to sweat from all pores from the Summer Sun’s golden rays not to escape in air conditioned dwellings Humans were meant to experience suffering ‘til they understood the pain that becomes the messenger of wisdom then Love Humans were meant to howl at the moon to wail and weep tearing out their hair at the losses that must be mourned and grieved ‘til sadness arrives then peace and, perhaps, joy not to suppress and repress into the inner darkness Humans lie, cheat, manipulate, deceive, coerce, intimidate, seduce, isolate, alienate, enmesh, embroil in well designed illusions, attachments, forms and roles ‘til they are carried to Truth --- Truth that will tolerate no compromise or distortion as it guides and takes one to emptying then healing then transformation and, perhaps, an opening to touch transcendence --- be aware there is much pain in this journey Of course, I am talking about and to myself whose frailties bring me crashing to Earth when the Mountain top is beyond my reach --- when I am burnt to a crisp when my wings fly too close to the Sun --- when the boulder I push up comes down My human frailties remind me to be open and vulnerable --- even when the storms are fierce and terrible My human frailties awaken me to beauty --- beauty above me, below me, surrounding me, within me My human frailties carry me to being Loving, to being Loved, to Love In the naked face of my human frailties my humility then gratitude expands and deepens Looking my human frailty in the eye I am guided to blind trust and faith --- often to what can not be named often to that which is human and that which is not |
| Spring Comes
by Red Bear Squirrels return for peanuts Sparrows and Robins sail into Trees Starlings searching in the brown grasses Strong Rain like stones Soft Rain like feathers Sacred Rituals to thank Winter for all taken away and all that remains Sacred Ceremonies opening to rebirth, new birth, renewal, new Six Directions the Medicine Pipe is lifted to and only down to honor the Earth Mother Smoke fills my mouth and my heart till my whole being is ascending Sedona is my Soul’s destination and Home where freedom and liberation flows Seriousness then honoring then gratitude in our tribe’s celebration of the turn of the seasons wheel Sad in being unworthy and joy at being worthy Ship, a good vessel, of confusion, wisdom and Love is what we travel on Spring has come I take flight on the wings of wonder and awe Spring comes Time to leave the cave with its cozy fire to enter the Rain and Son of Spring |
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| SEEKING THE FLAME by Red Bear Born into a closet, his sun was a dim 40-watt bulb. He was trained to know his existence was based solely on eating wool. He was a fifth or sixth generation closet moth. The 40-watt sun generally only shone for a couple of minutes in the morning and a couple of minutes at night. His closet moth tribe had random celebrations when the 40-watt sun shone for a whole day or a whole night. In his tribe’s closet moth lore, long ago the |
| 40-watt sun shone for two weeks once, but who was to know if this could be true. His tribe’s greatest enemy was mothballs; however, there was always a way to get to the wool. At times, many moths would die, but there always came others to replace them. The biggest moths always ate first, but he being an average size moth always got his fill too.
Outside their closet world was a room that had windows. The moth would dreamily stare out the window to see butterflies and birds of every form, shape, color and size imaginable. Secretly, he dreamed of going out the window into the outside world. However, he could tell no other moth in his tribe. There was a great prohibition at even mentioning the outside world that was a very dangerous place that no self-respecting closet moth would ever want to experience anyway. He kept his dream to himself. One day, he saw the window to the outside world was left open. He knew this was his chance, but to even attempt to leave meant banishment from his tribe and closet world for life. He flew to the window, but it was covered with a metal screen he couldn’t pass through. There was no going back to the closet! There was no way to pass into the outside world! He explored the entire metal screen and found a small hole. He could fit through this whole, but he’d probably be wounded doing so. He pondered his choices… but there was only one in truth. He made it through the metal screen into the outside world, but he was wounded. One of his wings was pretty damaged. However, he could still fly… so off he went. Being in the outside world was overwhelming and scary at first… then it was thrilling and exciting. His torn wing hurt as he flew, but he began to get more used to this injury. He realized he had no idea how to get wool to eat and no clue where to sleep at night. He saw a tribe of outside moths and flew behind them. He wasn’t welcome, but watching them he learned they ate from certain plants and had certain places to sleep. Gradually, he was accepted, if not entirely welcome, in the outside moth tribe. Sometimes, he missed the comfort and security of the closet world, but, overall, he enjoyed and loved life in the outside world. There was so much to do and be and learn and experience. He found great joy in flying and flying with the giant sky Sun sending down rays that he felt delightful on his good wing, injured wing and whole being. He began to join a small group of outside moths that slept little as they sought to fly around and around lights. In the darkness when the sky Sun went away, he found porch lights and street lights that were so much brighter than the closet 40-watt sun. Now, in the outside moth tribe lore, ancient and ancestor moths were said to seek open fires to fly, dance, swoon in flames and the greatest experience a moth could have was to fly into the flames. None of the moths he flew with wanted to try going near a fire’s flames, as they knew their wings would ignite and they would perish. He agreed as his life had become so wonderful in the outside world. Time went by and the moth was much older. As he flew at night to fly, dance and swoon around porch and streetlights, he would always be on the lookout for a fire. One night, he saw the most beautiful fire with most radiant, luminous, glowing flames he had ever seen. He pondered his choices, but knew there was only one choice. He flew around and around the beautiful fire in a glorious dance with the inviting flames. Around and around then he began to fly closer and closer to the beautiful welcoming flames. Finally, he flew into the flames… into the fire… his wounded wing burst into flame first then his other wing then his whole being was a blaze… Oh, the magic… the mystery… the joy… the bliss… the transcendence… the Chaos… the Nothing… the Return… • Dedicated to the poetry of RUMI… and to times we (Lizard) listened and listened to Robbie Robertson’s “like a moth to a flame”… let’s listen to it again and again when we’re in Sedona before the Sacred Intuition VisionQuest in May. Perhaps, Sedona and the VisionQuests are the beautiful flames/fire and we are the moths. Modern Human Communication by Red Bear I overheard this in a restaurant and thought it was an archetypal conversation for our times. Person One: Hi! Good to see you! I got so much to tell you. My husband blah, blah, blah… My mother blah, blah, blah… The kitchen remodeling blah, blah, blah… You seem distracted. Are you listening to me? Person Two: Yes. Person One: My daughter blah, blah, blah… My sister blah, blah, blah… At my son’s school, they are blah, blah, blah… Something is wrong! I don’t feel you are listening to me! Person Two: I am. Person One: So what did I say? Person Two: Your husband blah… Your mother blah… Your kitchen blah… Your daughter blah… Your sister blah… Your son’s school blah… Person One: Good! Did I tell you about my visit to the doctor blah, blah, blah… For vacation we are going to blah, blah, blah… For the Easter we are going to blah, blah, blah… Person Two: Oh. Person One: Did you hear what happened to Susan? Blah, blah, blah… I ran into Beth the other day and she was telling me about blah, blah, blah… Where is our waitress, this place is really going downhill, I remember when blah, blah, blah… Oh, we are looking to get a new car because blah, blah, blah… Things are just not what they used to be blah, blah, blah… Person Two: Yeah. Person One: Well, it was great talking to you again. We got to get together soon. There is always so much for us to catch up on. Person Two: Yes, real soon… |
| Mentorship… the journey to Self and Soul
For adults, young adults and older adolescents… Call Kevin Red Bear Dubrow LCSW at 708. 387.1210. • See Mentoring and Background Information on this website. Help is available for troubled and troubling teenagers, their parents and families… Help is available for lost, muddled, confused teenagers, their parents and families… Help is available for teenager’s whose anger causes them and others suffering… For counseling, therapy and mentorship, call Tom Sitting Wolf Undine LSW at 708.387.1210. • See Mentoring and Background Information on this website. Sacred Intuition VisionQuest Crescent Moon Ranch House Sedona, Arizona May 16-20, 2007 Red Bear and Desert Lizard White Owl Crone Woman Guides Call 708.387.1210 for more information. Only a limited number of questors will participate and it fills up quickly. This is our 7th VisionQuest in Sedona… we have also had 7 Retreats in Sedona. • Workshops • Training Programs • Seminars • Conferences • Storytelling • Environmental Talks Over 40 topics/themes, see this website for more information or call Red Bear at 708.387.1210. |