The Origins of Halloween

http://www.wakingtimes.com/2013/10/31/origins-halloween-traditions-9-spooky-steps/
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http://www.re-evolvingearth.com

The Trail of Tears

The Trail of Tears                                                                                                             

The long march, usually more than 1000 miles, in which thousands of Native Americans and others accompanying them perished, was known as the “Trail of Tears”.    

Although the forced removal of Native Americans began before the nineteenth century, the term “Trail of Tears” is most commonly associated with the “Five Civilized Tribes”. 

Shortages of wagons, food, livestock and other supplies made their march even more difficult, not to mention harsh, unforgiving weather. 

Native peoples included the Cherokee, Muscogee Creek, Seminole, Chickasaw and Choctaw along with European Americans who had intermarried, 2,000 African-American freed men (slaves who had been freed by their owners) and other slaves, from their homelands in the Deep South to Indian Territory in present day Oklahoma.   

In 1831 the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee Creek and Seminole, “The Five Civilized Tribes”,  were living as free and sovereign nations in America’s Southeast.

Five Civilized Tribes:  Those Native Americans considered “civilized” by Anglo-American settlers during the early colonial period (17^th century to early 18^th century) by adopting practices of western civilization including private property; permanent homes; agriculture performed by men, not women; education;  converting to Christianity.

The fixed boundaries of these autonomous tribal nations comprised large areas of the U.S. and were subjected to continued yielding of their rights to others, and annexation prior to 1830.  The reason was    they were pressured from squatters and the threat of military force in newly declared U.S. territories. 

As these territories became U.S. states, the state governments dissolved the boundaries of the Indian Nations within their borders and proceeded to expropriate the land.   These federally administered regions’ boundaries were in addition to Native Treaty claims which were ignored.    

With the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, President Andrew Jackson continued his political and military measures to remove these people even though former President George Washington and Henry Knox, who served under General Washington in the American Revolutionary War, were in favor of a gradual transformation which gained favor especially among the Cherokee and the Choctaw. 

But, the President chose to ignore the opposition and aggressively pursued the relocation of these people.          

In 1831 the Choctaws were removed; the Seminoles’ in 1832; the Creeks in 1834; the Chickasaws in 1837; the Cherokees in 1838.

By 1837, 46,000 Native Americans had been forcibly removed from their homelands thereby opening up 25 million acres of land for settlement by others.

The Trail of Tears was a tragic stain on this country’s history even as many European Americans and others voiced their strong opposition to it.          

Thousands died on this long march:  the old, the infirmed, sons and fathers, mothers and         

daughters, grandparents, newborns and children.

There is no way we can even begin to calculate the needless loss and suffering imposed upon these people and what they experienced.          

Take Control

If you're tired of the confusion and chaos--If your children don't communicate with you anymore.  If you leave the house angry and frustrated.  If your spouse says something but you can't hear him or her, if you're weary of hearing about shootings, political shenanigans, sexual assaults, government shutdowns, sequesters and Hollywood's latest trysts--If you can't think anymore because of all the noise...TURN OFF THE T.V.  

Don't let it start your day.   

Have You?

Shadows creeping across the lawn

You’re lonely now because they're gone

Have you gazed up at dark sky

And counted the stars way up high

Have you waked in early morn

From scary dream, feeling forlorn

Have you gazed up at the sun

Until you’re cooked to overdone

Have you embraced the moon’s cool gaze

Wondering still and so amazed

Have you held small babe in arms

Soothing and rocking unto dawn

Have you comforted the dying

Prayed with them even though you’re crying

Have you danced in the soaking rain

And somehow felt you were home again

Have you thought of life and death

Just when will be your last earth breath

Have you ever kept your distance

Or did you try to make a difference

We’re all here for a reason

Many do not know the season

It's Upon Us

Our paths may individual be

But we're all on one eternally

Hold Fast

As in the days of Noah, we are living in a time when Up is Down and Right is Wrong

But Most of all, Love

October 19, 2013

This morning I watched a beautiful jewel slowly manifesting itself out of my Third Eye (Sixth Chakra).

It is diamond shaped and turning very slowly. 

It is dazzling and has all the hues of the rainbow but more deep and vibrant in color.    

As it is turning, it is shooting out brilliant flashes of white light.

Could it be that this is the Spark?

This is the Word
  This is the Thought
  This is the Energy that creates
  This is Manifestation
  This is the Answer
  This is the Question

This is the Solution
   This is the Problem
   This is the Negative
   This is the Positive
   This is Awareness
   This is Perception
           
This is Consciousness
     This is Yin
     This is Yang

This is our breath flowing gently in and out
     This is Beauty
     This is Hope

       but most of all Love

This is the All
     This is the Beginning
      This is the End   

         and then we’re back to Start again