RAVENS & RAINBOWS

“A MAN WHO HAS A VISION IS NOT ABLE TO USE THE POWER OF IT UNTIL AFTER HE HAS PERFORMED THE VISION ON EARTH FOR THE PEOPLE TO SEE”

-BLACK ELK

In the black raven filled sky, Death entered through the small, narrow rainbow-door, as instructed by his friend, the flower demon. Love permeated the mandala of the medicine sweat in the form of heat and steam from the water poured on the hot rocks. Love protected the space by removing the masks of anyone choosing to enter and surrender to her great flame. Even Death was startled instantly upon entering, for his mask was ancient and strong. Learning to see and enter through the rainbow door was a common practice among Oglala Sioux medicine men and women. But only a few learned the true art of the door, eventually becoming healers and leaders for their respective nations. The rainbow door was an entrance both to the medicine sweat as well as a door to one’s destiny, the opening and surrender to the deepest truth of one’s life.

The flower demon found himself at the center of this ceremony, having found his way quite easily through the door. He just followed Blue Sun, who thought everyone used this door, never thinking much about the implications for his new friend, or himself. Upon entering, the two friends prayed, “Blood is Blood and so is Love.” After the little prayer Crazy Horse turned and looked at them both in the eyes, “Poets who believe they are warriors, spend eternity romancing the shadows of fear. Never tasting the blood that flows through the veins of a true warrior. Suddenly Death left the ceremony, almost humiliated and ashamed by the words of Crazy Horse. The flower demon and Blue Sun prayed again, “Blood is Blood and so is Love.”

Crazy Horse continued, “All warriors are poets, but few poets are warriors. You two, the one called Blue Sun, and the other known as the Flower Demon, hear these words. Both of you must become warriors, so your poetry can be heard by our nation. Flower Demon, you are no demon, you are a medicinal flower, and your real name is Peyote Moon. Blue Sun, you are a Rainbow Earth Warrior, and one day your words will become medicine, filling the sky with stories and songs that can heal our nation. All Rainbow Earth Warriors are poets. Their life’s work is to become living poetry. Each morning their bodies awake in a rainbow made of perfume and silk. Their emotions start from deep within the earth, from the fire known as eternity. Their words are formed in this fire, eventually awaking in the soft embers of light that surround the first moments of life. Rainbow Earth Warrior’s spend their days and nights writing poems in the skies that sit above the heart-beat of our nation. This is how the medicinal healing power of their voices are forever available to our people. Words powerful enough to heal the wounds of lovers, or the pain of hatred. Even the dying and sick can be healed. Blue Sun, there are terrifying demons who wait in the dark shadows of our being, and this is your special gift. You must learn how to work with these demons, because no one else is left who can. Emotional honesty is your most powerful gift. You were born with it. She will help you. I’ve already called upon her and the serpent-fire coiled inside her tears. The way you work with her is in the body itself. Trust yourself and the training you already received. You are ready.

Blue Sun, Fearless Mind at Ease, please remember. Our warriors are fearless because they have surrendered their formless rainbow-bodies to the immediacy of emotional honesty which comes from the knowledge of death and surrendering to the vulnerability of the open heart. Even the most terrifying demons, when in the presence of a great warrior, are transformed on the spot into Angels of light. Blue Sun, it’s time to inscribe the poem written inside your heart with sunlight and romance, into the heart-beat of our nation. The Rainbow Earth Warrior’s of the Oglala Sioux Nation are dying as we speak, and we are the last of the last I’m afraid. I can’t hear their words anymore. The words that gave birth to their souls and formed the flesh on their bones. I’m afraid and anxious for the first time in my life. I’m afraid of my own true feelings. Because I no longer feel the protection from the soft melody of their voices. Voices I used to hear from the earth, and from the sky. Voices from the mountains in the form of stories. I miss the songs from the rivers of my home. Do you understand? Do you understand the Rainbow Earth Warriors protected the entire nation of our people? Today we are blessed with an unusual intimacy. There is a love between the rain and the river that runs through my heart into yours.

Blue Sun, in order to speak from the heart, you must locate the center of your heart, which is center less. That is why the rainbow-door is an entrance to our nation’s true home. Work with emotional honesty in the central channel, towards the back of your spine. Feel her serpent-fire rise from deep within the heart of the Earth. And as she fills your body with compassion and empathy for all beings, including yourself, feel her moon-flower open in your heart. Then find the center, and open to eternity. We can talk about your practice when we see each other again.

Tonight, prepare your body for your meeting with Romance. Trust Sitting Bull and the power of Peyote Moon to heal your own trauma. And remember Black Elk still speaks. Remember you must walk alone. And always remember you are Flower Born. I know this will take some time to settle in your mind and receive the meaning in your body. But everything I’ve tried to explain has powerful implications for your life. For the next few days we will continue to be in ceremony, and together we will understand what needs to be understood in order to ease the suffering of our nation in these end of days. You will tell me the story of how the two of you met and the events that unfolded leading up to your meeting. I want to hear how you found the rainbow door, the entrance to the great mandala we find ourselves in today. Then I will tell you about my own days leading up to this ceremony. And we will hear more from Sitting Bull, Black Elk and other great men and women. You need to hear the story of their visions, their loneliness, their courage. And most importantly their stories of how they were granted the spiritual power of their own visions, and used that power to heal and help others. Blue Sun, I will also send a great medicine man named, “An Hour for Magic” to train you. You can trust him, he is my heart friend and a great teacher. Finally we will have to deal with the unseen guests who are here with us today. Already Death tried to show his face, but left insulted. We will have to address him for sure, because he will be back for the two of you I have no doubt. I am already dead, I passed over years ago, so Death is afraid of me.

Always remember, whenever you begin to doubt yourselves, remember the rain is the tears of the broken hearts who long for the sacred path of the warrior. Many brave men and women who came before you didn’t have the chance to dance in ceremony, and live under the protection of the powdered sunlight and perfume of the prairie sky. And always remember I believe in you. I believe in both of you and your unique friendship. One day soon you will have the courage to ride the wild horse of emotion that is your body and awaken to your birthright and destiny. My friends, our hearts are now one, and you are the last of the Rainbow Earth Warriors. I will always be with you.

References

Black Elk Speaks : being the life story of a holy man of the Oglala Sioux, By John G. Neihardt, First Bison Book Edition 1988