RBCS Newsletter

The Rainbow Bridge Ceremonial Society

The RBCS held its 2011 Annual Meeting on Gabriola Island, BC from August 10-14. One of the highlights of the gathering was the unveiling of the new RBCS CD called Songs for the People, 2011!

This colourful CD features 11 songs, caught from spirit by RBCS members and recorded for all who would like to learn and enjoy these songs.
It sells for $10.00 and is available through contact with rbstor@gmail.com, rbscal@gmail.com, or rbsvan@gmail.com.

There was also some productive work done this year on launching new RBCS Communities, using the teachings from Shamanic Ceremonies for a Changing World at gatherings and group ceremonies written specifically for Community groups. To obtain a copy of 'Shamanic Ceremonies for a Changing World' and have it shipped to you go to: http://www.shamanicmedicine.ca or email one of the following addresses to arrange to pick up a copy at a location near you!
Toronto: rbstor@gmail.ca, Calgary: rbscal@gmail.com
Vancouver: rbsvan@gmail.com, Ottawa: rbsott@gmail.com

Several RBCS members have elected to start new gatherings - look for them in your neighbourhood soon!
Next years RBCS annual general meeting will be held in Ontario, just outside of Toronto on August 12-18th 2012!
Thanks to all who participated in the ceremonial process from August 7-9. They were all excellent ceremonies and the feedback was well appreciated.

Community News

Community News
NB: please note that all local sweat dates are being announced in this Newsletter. In order to sign up for a sweat, you need to write to the e-address associated with your community two weeks in advance so make sure to jot a reminder to yourself on your calendar.

Calgary
Calgary sweat lodges: gathering at 7:00 p.m., November 18, December 16, January 20, 2012, February 17, March 16, April 13, May 11, June 15. The Calgary drum team also meets twice a month. (please confirm sweat lodge ceremonies, drum team gatherings and any other Calgary news at rbscal@gmail.com),

Edmonton
Edmonton sweat lodges: gathering at noon, November 27, December 18, January 22, 2012, February 19, March 18, April 15, May 13, June 17 (please confirm these sweat lodge ceremonies and any other Edmonton news at the rbscal@gmail.com)

Earth Dance 2012: July 14, camping available July 13-15.

Ottawa Region
For events in the Ottawa area, email rbsott@gmail.com

Toronto
Toronto sweat lodges: gathering time at 6:45 p.m., November 24. Gather at 3:30pm for January 1 and February 26 2012. (please confirm these dates and any other Toronto news at rbstor@gamil.com)

Our drum team, the Thunderbirds, continues to meet for drumming, singing and lots of fun, bringing in a variety of musical instruments to accompany the drum. All are most welcome. Neither your own drum nor previous experience is necessary. If you are interested in adding your voice and enthusiasm, please contact Pat, the RBCS Drum Chief, at windhorsesc@gmail.com.

Vancouver
This community has a variety of ongoing activities and upcoming events. For information, please write to rbsvan@gmail.com

Ceremonial Book for Children
Three members of the RBCS created a ceremonial book for children. To find out more about the project and/or to donate to the self-publishing, go to:

ceremoniesforkids.wordpress.com

If you have children aged 5-13 who would be willing to try the ceremonies
and give us feedback, please e-mail Jen at:

Jennifere100@yahoo.ca

Shamanic Teaching (submitted by previous editor)

Continuing our review of the Twenty Great Teachers of Life, we shall consider Death, Fear and Defeat. I remind you that these Teachers were named by Hyemeyohsts Storm in his book Lightningbolt.

Death:
Most of us have been taught to fear the idea of Death, to understand it in its limited interpretation as death of the physical body. In Shamanism, this is only one aspect of Death, and it is also regarded as an event in the cycle of Life that makes way for the new. The emphasis is rather on the “little deaths” in life which allow us to be open to change, to actively seek out the transformation of emotional imbalances, habits and limiting beliefs that prevent us from moving forward towards our authentic self-governed selves in such a way as to arrive at our final Death with having actualized most, if not all, of our earthly dreams. Every single time we release a limiting belief, we experience life in a new way and we free up a bit more of our life-giving energy. When we finally give away an old childhood story we have held onto, we redefine ourselves into beings of personal power. In addition, relinquishing an energy-draining habit such as not getting enough sleep makes each day more manageable and enjoyable. Let us take a few moments and be totally honest with ourselves about those areas in our lives that need a bit of housecleaning. Let us identify what it is in our lives that we can allow to die so that we can feel more totally alive NOW. .

Fear:
Fear has a place in our lives in keeping us safe but much of the fear we feel in the form of worries and anxieties ages us and prevents us from truly engaging in our lives, depriving us of many new learning experiences. Stepping into the unknown is almost universally held as a scary notion. What if we see it instead as our spirit encouraging us to jump to a higher level of joy? A new skill level? What if we can accept that a failure is *not* a fatal mistake but simply an opportunity to learn how to do something differently next time? Let us recall a time in which we revved up the courage to walk through our fear and how doing so made us proud of ourselves, opened up doors for us, and added to our sense of personal power. When beset by a worry or concern about “x”, let us consider how seldom our worst expectation about an outcome actually has come to pass. When feeling anxious about anything, let us take the time to isolate the details and ask ourselves, what is the worst possible result, and we will see that we have the resources to deal with it. Fear is very much the energy on the Planet right now; let us choose to lessen our own level of fear, and in doing so, we reduce the overall level of this malignant energy. Let us simply refuse to buy into it and we will find that our stress quotient will plummet and our sense of personal power will rise.

Defeat:
We all suffer defeat and disappointment in our lives. The trick is to learn from the experience. Sometimes our defeat is at the hands of others and we simply did not have a chance to succeed. In this case, we need to determine if this pursuit is worthwhile or if heart-to-heart communication, or a new strategy would make a difference. It’s important to choose our “battles”. A reality check might also be in order - sometimes our defeat is at our own hands. Sometimes, our spirit is merely telling us to get back to our original intent and purpose. The important point here is to not let one defeat define us, keep us stuck or prevent us from moving forward, ignoring the stirrings of our spirit. Let us take the time to reconnect with our original dream, and to stalk out different ways of accomplishing it, identifying those pieces of putting the dream into action that need tweaking. Sometimes when we experience defeat, it is an indication that something really does need to be re-evaluated in our understanding of the situation at hand. For instance we may need to re-examine our assumptions or our beliefs. We may need to ask ourselves some tough questions about our motivations or our methods. As long as we are self-honest and self-supporting, we have the chance of learning some new and valuable lessons from our defeats. May we never forget that we came into this life to express our own innate gifts for the benefit of all. The more we refine those gifts, the more beneficial they are. .

Ceremonies of the World

British Harvest Festival

British churches/community centres celebrate harvest festivals when the wheat has been cut and the apples have been picked. The churches are decorated in flowers and greenery. Fruit and vegetables are also put on display, with a loaf of bread in the middle. Sometimes a plough might be brought into the area for blessing so as the next year’s harvesting will be plentiful.
A corn dolly is created by plaiting the wheat stalks to create a straw figure. The corn dolly is kept until the spring. This was done as people believed that the corn spirit (representing all grains) lived in the wheat and as the wheat was harvested, it had nowhere to go so by creating the dolly the spirit is kept alive for the next year and for the new crop. Sometimes these dollies are hung up in the barn or sometimes in the farmhouse or even in the church. In spring the dolly would be ploughed back into the soil. There are many types of corn dolly.

There is also another story to the corn dolly which is to be found in the folksong John Barleycorn. Three men swear that John Barleycorn must die. They take a plough and bury him alive. But in the spring he rises through the soil. After a while he grows big and strong, even growing a beard, so the three men cut him down at the knee, tie him on to a cart, beat him, strip the flesh off his bones and grind him between two stones. But at the end it is John Barleycorn who defeats his opponents, proving the stronger man, by turning into beer.

In Britain, harvest festivals are celebrated mostly in Christian churches. An old tradition is to bake a loaf in the shape of a wheat sheaf, using the last of the harvested grain. The loaf is taken to the richly decorated church as a symbol of thanksgiving for the harvest. People who work in London markets have a special parade in autumn. They are called the pearly kings and queens. They celebrate wearing special costumes. Excerpt from harvestfestivals.net

Brown Bear is adaptable in that it can change its diet in order to survive. It is a solitary being, but largely as a result of its not knowing how to connect with others.

It is revered by Native American shamans as an animal ally for its strength, dependability and perseverance. Curiosity and determination to make things work through overcoming obstacles are among its gifts as are its practicality and analytical ability. It knows when to rest and conserve its energy, hibernating during the winter months, dreaming and delving deep within the realms of introspection, intuiting its future. It is strongly aligned with its dream of life, but not always adept at actualizing. Brown Bear tends to see life with a high degree of literalness, sometimes missing important nuances, and can be static in its belief system. Although discerning and discriminating, it can tend to be critical and judgmental at times.

What can you learn from Brown Bear? Are you flexible and do you adapt well to changes and perhaps unexpected circumstances? Are you relatively comfortable with others or do you tend towards solitude? Which of these is your naturalness? Is your health robust enough to keep you strong and persevering towards your goals? Are these goals well formed and juicy enough to keep you engaged? Is your curiosity alive and well or have you become somewhat jaded by life? Do you take time to rest? Do you take time to become introspective in order to regularly take a measure of your life? Do you tend to have a “black and white” perspective or are you able to notice the myriad colours and subtleties in life? Do you still struggle with your tendency to judge others? Select a few of these questions which are relevant for you to ask yourself during the following ceremony.

Journey into the Mystical Cave
Gather the Following Materials: Smudge (or smudge stick) and lighter, picture or other representation of the Brown Bear, Notebook and pen.

Ceremonial Intent: to work with Brown Bear in order to identify those parts of yourself that need to come into balance.

Ceremonial Journey
Find an indoor space in which you will not be disturbed for 1-2 hours. Smudge yourself, the representation of the Brown Bear and the space around you. Call in the powers of the directions (E,W,S,N.C) in your own way, and invite in any teachers and spirits in the light who are willing to work with you.

Lie down and place the picture or other representation of the bear on the floor 12 inches above your head. Close your eyes. Bring your attention to your breath. Do not change your breath in any way; simply allow your attention to be on the inhales and exhales, the rising and falling of your chest. Begin to relax your body by first contracting and then releasing your muscles. Begin with your feet and calves. Contract the muscles and hold them tightly and release them with an exhale and allow them to completely relax. Continue in this way contracting and then releasing one portion of your body at a time; move from your thighs to your belly and buttocks, to your chest, to your hands and arms, to your shoulders and finally to your scalp and facial muscles.

As you relax, go deeper and deeper within. Let your breathing become deep yet relaxed. Visualize the energy in your body flowing up through the top of your head to encompass the Brown Bear whose picture is above you. “See” the Brown Bear become a part of your energy field.

Feel the presence of Brown Bear and determine to journey with him. Feel the excitement of the adventure awaiting you and “see” yourself rise up and follow Brown Bear, noting that you are at the edge of a forest. Travel with the Brown Bear, either walking beside it with your hand on its back, or riding on its back, or even shape-shifting into it. Become aware of the sounds and the scents of the forest. Eventually, you are led to a small cave, its entrance partially hidden by a boulder. If you merged with Brown Bear earlier, separate now. Enter the cave in which a small fire is burning, and take your place across it from your new companion. You are perfectly safe here. As your eyes become accustomed to the light, notice many sparkling clusters of crystals embedded in the wall; they are here to help you focus and to become deeply introspective. Settling into a dreamlike state, begin to ask yourself those questions you selected from above, and any more that occur to you. Ask Brown Bear how you can come into better balance in these areas. It may have its own questions for you. Look to the clusters of crystals for help if you need to. Challenge yourself to really get way below your surface, to get a clear picture of where you are in your evolution and of those obstacles currently in your way. Open up your intuitive gifts to discover different and more effective solutions. When you think you’ve gone deep enough, try going deeper! Once you feel complete, congratulate yourself for having the courage to go deeply within yourself for your own healing. Let Brown Bear know that you are ready to return home and travel with it to your starting place. Thank Brown Bear for all that you received from this adventure, and release it and the teachers and spirits who came to support you with this ceremony.

Take some time to write in your journal what you now know about yourself, and any promises you may have made to yourself. Return your space back to one of beauty.

According to Ted Andrews (Animal Speak), the cycle of power for Moose is late fall and early winter – the time of approaching shadows and mystery!! It is an animal that is associated with the primal feminine energies and the magic of life and death.
For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, the autumn signifies a time for gathering and going within. We gather the dreams that have borne fruit and the ones that need to be put aside for another day and go within to dream anew for the next Spring.
How are we like Moose?
Moose is a master of disguise, creating an aura of invisibility or camouflage in order to conceal its presence or intent. We do that in autumn; creating time and space for ourselves to nurture the inward nature of turning our active and outgoing lives a little more towards dreaming. Dreams of what we would like to actualize for the coming Spring.
Moose is at home in forests, plains or waters and even though large and gangly, has great speed and balance in order to go where it needs to go. We do that in autumn; we move with ease from summer into autumn into winter. We do what needs to be done in order to feed ourselves in all aspects of self (mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually & sexually).
Moose is closely aligned with the waters and indeed, most images we see of moose are ones of being submerged in water. This signifies the primal feminine energies, the creative powers of the universe and the continuing cycle of life and death. We do that in autumn; we take our hopes and dreams from the previous nine months and discard or put on the shelf for another time the ones that no longer define who we are and give new life to our hopes and dreams of the future.
Moose can submerge and feed on the bottom of lakes for thirty seconds at a time. We do that in autumn; by going inward we find what we need to feed our hopes and dreams.
Moose calves are born with their eyes open and Moose males discard their antlers each autumn/winter. We do that in autumn; our inward journey with eyes fully open enables us to see clearly what dreams with be nurtured and which need be discarded.

Ceremony to Honour the Moose in all of us:
Materials Needed:
Smudge Stick or smudge and shell and lighter
Picture of a moose if you have one
Blanket to sit on
Note book and pen
Creating the Space: This ceremony can be done inside or outside but preferably on a nice sunny day out in nature. If going outside look for a nice dry spot under a tree and place the blanket there and sit. Light the smudge and smudge yourself, your picture if you have one, your notebook and pen and your blanket. Ask Great Spirit and any other energies you’d like for guidance and call in the five directions, east, west, south, north, centre in your own way. Ask the moose energies to come and sit beside you. Sit, breathing deeply, noticing your breath – in-out, in-out and when your mind is feeling calm and present, focus your energy down at your one-point (2 inches below the navel) to fully bring yourself into the ‘now’. You are now ready to follow the ways of the moose.

Ask the moose to guide you into the answers to these questions:

• How can I create time and space in my life to go inward

• How is my balance in my emotions, mind, body, spirit, and life force energy?

• How can I bring any unbalanced aspects back into balance?

• Are there any dreams that I have created during the past year which now no longer feed me? Have the circumstances changed? Or is there another approach that is needed?

Take time to think about what you have already accomplished, what needs to be re-created, or what may no longer be needed.
• Think about your dreams for the upcoming year. How will you nuture them during the winter months? Make a plan to keep your dreams alive, relevant, and real when the springtime comes. Write your dreams down with a statement about how your eyes will be open during the birthing process in the spring. (i.e. how you will strategize manifesting these dreams!)

After each question, take time to write in your notebook your thoughts, feelings and impressions. After you feel complete, thank all the energies for their guidance, smudge yourself and the space and leave everything tidy and as you found it.

Featured Animal Totem - Moose

Featured Animal Totem - Moose