The Enemy Within

Excerpts from: Ro's Red Road... not in a continuous order, more just cameos of experience within 30 years of learning Native Traditional beliefs and practices.

There is an enemy... it is the enemy within. My Elder told me many things and not all of it I understood at the time. Many things to this day stick out and me, hoping that I relate to them and maybe understood them properly. Even to say, it was not important to immediately understand what someone is telling you, or trying to teach you. I believe the most important things that was taught to me, came from a series of things, given over a period of time. One that sticks out, started with a statement that seemed right out of the blue... “The world is only a reflection, of the Individual Spirit”

The pivotal teachings of the Red Road, are primary; to the Circle of Life. The engagement of the individual, within that Great Creators Circle. The conception of an idea, is the same as giving birth to a child, and all the potential that individual represents. Much of the ways of teaching about that Circle was through Nurture by Nature, and the gift of an addition to that Circle. Of course all of this I'm writing of is an 'extension' of all those things taught to me, learnt by experience... and, reflected upon.

Jacob made it quite plain in those conversations, in walks about the ranch between jobs to do like changing irrigation and what have you. He used a lot of these betweens, to speak of The Four Directions, The Circle, his visions and what he thought about in what he seen the world was reflecting to him. Just a man, an Elder, a Grandfather, a healer, a Shaman and in his view, just a simple farmer. I so admired his lifetime of living with the love of the Circle that is Life, and how he represented that in so many ways. He followed that statement above with, “we need at least 11% of the world thinking in one direction... or we are in trouble!”, and of course he went on through a year and and a half. To explain to me, why... and why I was to keep seeking, the “Gathering of Eagles.”

Giving birth to the ideals of of 'The Seventh Generation Principle', or premise if you will. As this is what is being lost. Because we are getting lost to ourselves. We are no longer seeing the ties that make us a Circle, a hoop... a hoop in a 'Hoop of Many Hoops.” Jacob used the Bible too, and had a knowledge of many different religions, but close to the end of his life. He told me that he based his beliefs on his teachings of the Red Road. A gift given to him from his Ancestors, that he carried on through his own reflection. He gave to me a gift of his time and love in his family, because I came to him, seeking that Red Road. I had shared here before that Jacob explain to me, after asking me what I thought the Red Road meant, and I didn't really know and thought it was the Red-man's religion...

But no, he explain that it is the blood, and that it was the blood that carried the soul in the 'River of Life' that feeds the Spirit, with the nutrients that sustain the meaning of life its self. To go on to say that all The Four Corners have their teachings, as do the Red Man/Woman (I add that Balance), and that when cut, all people bleed the same colour... Red. The Red Road represents everyone. Do your own search and find that these primary teachings are ancient and there are many of the same tribal teachings a bedrock, all these additions to the Greater Circle. How are we reflecting on their primary meanings?

There is no denying that upon reflection, we witness many sicknesses that are effecting not only Humanity, but all through the progression of life as we know it. The effects that the Industrial Revolution has had upon the the totality of the environment, the effects that Revolution and War have had upon the psyche of all that have had to live through those conflicts of ownership. When will we take ownership of our own Ideals? When will we see the war within self, has an effect upon all that is Life Itself. Take it back to the original statement, “The world is only a refection of the Individual Spirit,” and add that, into the collective of Circles, that we represent ourselves in... in maybe, a Unity?

In the Native Prophecies there was it is taught, the possibility of Three Great Global Shakings. Many Elders hold that to what we have had so far in two World Wars, it what they seen in the reflection of those teachings transpire. Is there to be a Third Great Shaking? My Elder Jacob told me it is up to us, and that all Native Prophecies are either/and/or. What we are in terms of what we present here, is “The Warriors of The Rainbow.” A well known prophecy and there are many sources to find its origins... but is there any one Native Nation that claims to 'own' prophecy? As my meaning here, is where war begins, arguments and deception to what the ideal even stands for. Are we here to argue about Native Traditions between various Tribes and Nations? Between the various ways and means that our Elders have shared them with us? I don't believe we are even here to just teach people about the way of the Red-man. But as a global comparison and seeking common ground, between systems of belief...

Could it be upon reflection and that evolving dynamic, we may find a New-way to extend our selves out of Old-ways. In what ways has our inability to let go of destructive lines of perception, hindered all of Humankind, to find a Harmony with an another. Lose ourselves to the Ego that says I'm right and the whole world must be wrong? That burning desire to own our directions and insist that others must learn to believe what is their presented truth. There is as many truths, in the world as there are Individuals. The challenge of the day we are in, is to adapt to the ideals that will allow us to accept a Common Ground. As in the reality of Nature, a complete circle can not conduct energy... unless it is grounded.

This is the purpose of the Warriors of the Rainbow, to grow individually past conflict and seek Universal resolution and not fall to static groups, that participate in evolution through violence, but engage ourselves in seeking Peace & Love within ourselves and extending that, outward. There is a carrier that I found that is the most functional to all of this challenge, and contains the medicine we require to arrive there. It may not be for everyone, but it is the most complete cosmology that I've encountered, and that is “The Medicine Wheel.” Granted there are many interpretations of that premise, but most that I've encountered. All say the same thing and carry that “Seventh Generation” teachings.

I found an expression in myself just the other day in commenting in a post, and it went...

Hearts can Hurt... Hearts can Heal, keep yours... in a Medicine Wheel, working.

This purely being a maybe not so basic representation of a Native Symbol of the Eight Pointed Star, and there are whole teachings on and about The Morning Star. Knowing and knowledge is endless and eternal, in its representative potential and individual understanding. Yet all over the world there are foundation teachings, that form a Universal Cosmology in our relation to all things... explore them!

When I was a young man and first started to participate in native Circles and Gatherings, it was quite common to hear the expression, “All My Relations”. Thinking at the time, that it may have applied to all my family and relatives? As this was the only social and traditional comparative I had, to that concept. So in time I asked, and was really very opened up to the explanation... “We are relative to all things, within the Creation.” Of course many of you know the teachings that extends to how they are used in traditional Prayers and Ceremonies. I could list some examples, but that is not my intent here.

There are many teachings and ways to learn all of these things by participation, and extending yourself into being open to other Cultural Teachings. Warriors of the Rainbow, represent all of the worlds teachings, and such is the Nature of that Prophecy. The above Medicine Wheel represents what all Humanity have in common... these tools of interaction and perceptions, that make reflection possible. Such as; Awareness... Realization... Understanding... Acceptance, and so on. These conditions, that constitute our being Human. No one is exempt from these fundamental operational laws of reality...

They are in and of themselves, relative to reality. How we process them is as different and unique as every Human Being is. In the collective by comparison, we learn how to develop individual, family and social skills, that manipulate the reality we present and project. Of course there is functional and dysfunctional modes of the integration in these dynamic representations, and the quality of their engagement. I guess this is what I'm trying to represent, the social setting that is required to have an acceptance take place. The Medicine Wheel presents 'line upon line... precept upon precept', stated in the Bible, it also represents 'the Circle and the Cross', a 'Hoop of Many Hoops' and the geometric realities in the make up of Creation. Fundamental realities. Unlimited, possibilities and probabilities.

These are the teachings that have been passed on down through history by our Ancestry, rules and obligations to the world of engaged interaction. Granted some are good and some are bad... it is dependant on our reflection and determination, on how it effects the realms of our obligation. Ponder that awhile “the Realms of our Obligation.” A pause to reflect, or another ways and means of saying to meditate on the state of a thing. Much do we have to consciously consider, to believe that we can in some way, effect the world as a whole. The Warriors of the Rainbow prophecy, maintains that we can. Yet in many ways, if we wish to end things such as war over the ownership of land and resources, in that reflection. We first have to do battle with the war within. Be willing to let go of all we thought we knew, and be willing to learn it all over again in a new way. To generate a new direction for Human kind in the sharing of Earth, and all the things we are related to. In respect, to that relationship...

I believe that is what we have in common here at Windhorse for Rainbow Warriors. Many of us have made that journey & have arrived to some degree at that engagement. Understanding that we don't own anything but what is contained within our individual circle and how we represent that wealth in striving for Spiritual Health and Well Being. I'm sharing this on account of reading the threads, some of the things we share in our Admin Circle, and maybe. What our Aims and Purposes are here. Our hope is to share Peace & Love, compassion and understanding, and reflect a Spiritual aptitude that may add onto the Greater Circle... for the benefit of the whole Human Race. To be a part of that Medicine Wheel... engaged on The Good Red Road. With the hope of inspiring Brothers and Sisters, to know and grow.Living the teachings passed to me, to be apart of that Gathering Of Eagles... Aho. All My Relations. Come, lets fly and dance among the stars.

We are One, Peace & Love. Your Brother, Ro... (Golden Eagle) 

Link to... WindHorse Circle for Rainbow Warriors

Author's Note

I welcome your comments on these travels toward enlightenment... a journey with self discovery.