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WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM OUR CHILDREN,THEIR
INNOCENCE IS THE TRUTH
THEIR IMAGINATIONS IS OUR REALITY
LET THEM HAVE THEIR CEREMONIES:
It is time to turn to our
children! Let them know that we appreciate their ideas and give them
constant hope for their futures. They have a purpose; it is our duty
to nourish it so that they may grow into the people that our Creator
breathed into them. They will always look forward in the finding of
new and wonderful experience that come their way.
A lot of
children feel that ceremonies are for the adults and not for them.
They do need their own ways of praying together through the ways
that bring them joy and comfort.
By letting them sit in circle
and talk about what they would like and why….IT is a most joyous
experience. An overnight camp out around and fire is a good start.
Always with adult supervision. Camping games, and free play are
important. A wide range of ages is helpful, it creates a change of
understanding…each age group relating in some way to those older and
younger than themselves.
Teachings about sacred herbs and having
samples available. Prayer ties and sticks. Have them make their own.
Have a talking circle and explain the purpose of the talking stick
or feather. Explain the four elements and without them we do not
exist. Let them speak of their experiences as much as possible.
They will tell you about their own beliefs in a higher being…..this
one is amazing to hear. Let them speak about how they feel about the
Green Nations. Bring them as close to nature as you can.
Let them
sings their songs….they can even make up new ones….their songs from
the moment are so beautiful it will surely bring tears.
Let them
make up their own Children’s Honoring Dance….in a circle…they can
hold hands or not, they can jump around or not, spin….whatever and
however they see their dance.
Teach them about the drum and the
respect that is due it. Rattles also are a good tool to learn about.
Some people let the children have a tree in the center of their
circle….either a potted one or if lucky enough a place where there
is already a growing tree with enough room around it for a
Children’s Dance Circle. No one is to touch the tree except the
children. This is showing total respect to the tree and to the
purpose of giving honor to the children. This becomes their alter.
The adults touch the alter through the children.
One way to end
their ceremony would be to let them have a little candle and may a
prayer for whatever intent that they see or feel needs attention in
their life and blow out the candle. They have done this as a wish on
their birthdays so they are familiar to this ritual; however, when
it becomes a pray for something else it has so much more meaning to
the children….try this with your own children…you will see!
GIVE
OUR CHILDREN THEIR OWN HONORING DAY AND LET THEM SHOW YOU HOW TO
DANCE!
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May, 2011
Dears Sisters,
Can't you just feel the earth awakening in
your body, in your environment and in your heart? There is so much
going on at this time as we have more light and warmth. I would like
to be sure that as many people as possible know about.
Spring
Blessings,
Shalahnia
Dr. Emoto's Peace Project
"Emoto Peace Project has been declared by Dr. Emoto when he was
giving a seminar at The Spiritual Dimensions of Science and
Consciousness Subcommittee at United Nation headquarter in NYC on
May 25th, 2005 and it is a project which aims at educating the truth
of water to children by distributing children version of “Messages
from Water” books to children for free. It is our goal to distribute
650 million copies of the book in next 10 years. Its intended age is
from 3 - 12 years old. In another 20 years or so, we hope that they
will be leading the earth in a favorable direction. We adults must
minimize the damage done to the earth till then."
http://www.geocities.jp/emotoproject/english/home.html
Dr. Emoto now has his children's version of "Messages from Water"
available in 15 languages, to download for free.
Click on the
language of choice here:
http://www.geocities.jp/emotoproject/english/picturebook.html
That will lead to a download page as well as a page to preview
content.
Donate here:
http://www.geocities.jp/emotoproject/english/coop.html
I
hope you take advantage of Dr. Emotos' project so the children you
know will be exposed to his inspired thinking.
Many Blessings,
"What is Education? I believe its goal is to teach young
people what is beautiful and what that idea really means, for when
true beauty is pursued, harmony is achieved. This is because God's
intention is for humankind and nature to find balance, and to
peacefully coexist."
~ Messages from Water and the Universe ~ Dr. Masaru Emoto ~
******************************
Results of Shalahnia's Version of Cabbage Soup Experiment
April, 2011
Being the closet scientist that I am, I decided to try this
experiment myself from my own point of view. Here is my
documentation.
I set out to test the pH of vinegar, baking soda, rainwater and
blessed rainwater, with cabbage soup, as in the description
found in the March entry of Young Spirit's Lodge.
I cooked the cabbage in water, strained it, then mixed it with a
small amount of each of the liquids I was testing. As predicted,
the vinegar is acidic and turned red, the baking soda is
alkaline and turned blue. My rain water remained dark purple and the
water I blessed is just a tat lighter. I conclude that my
rainwater is not acidic and that the blessed rain water is not
acidic, but is just in some slight way, perhaps not related to pH,
different from the unblessed rainwater.
This can be
an interesting experiment to do with children. A bit messy, but lots
of fun.
Part of the experiment could include them do a
blessing of the water and involve also a taste test to determine
if the blessed water tasted any different to them.
Remember to enjoy the children, they are the future.
Many
Blessings,
Shalahnia
******************************
"Cabbage Soup" pH Experiment
March, 2011
Want to have some fun with your children and help them learn some
water science at the same time. Check this out! Based on the work of
our dear sister, Donna Goodman of Earth Child Institute.
http://www.earthchildinstitute.org/ With thanks also to Annie B.
Bond.
Shalahnia
Adapted from Every Body Counts, Every Drop Matters,
by Donna L. Goodman (United Nations Publications, 2003).
Do you have acid rain? All you have to do to find out is to make
this cabbage soup and add some rainwater!
Cabbage soup is a
great acid-base (pH) indicator, and if you add something acid it
will change color. It will turn pink for acids, and blue for
alkaline (base). If it is not acid or base, it will stay the same.
This means it is neutral.
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency states that acid rain is a serious environmental problem.
Scientists have confirmed that sulfur dioxide and nitrogen
oxides-from electric power generators that rely on burning fossil
fuels like coal-are the primary causes.
Learn here if the
rain falling on your home is acid rain-the recipe couldn't be
simpler, and kids love the project.
MATERIALS
Red cabbage
Grater
A few clear
glasses or containers
Sauce pan
Water
White vinegar
Baking soda
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Child Honouring Covenant
February, 2011
Raffi and Daila Lama with Child Honouring Covenant
"Raffi Cavoukian" is known to millions simply as Raffi, a renowned
Canadian singer once called "the most popular children's entertainer
in the western world." (Washington Post) When I taught
elementary school, I used his music in my classroom almost daily. He
is very active in creating a culture that honors our children. Below
is A Covenant for Honouring Children, which he composed, he also has
a plea to faith leaders to promote honoring children amongst
their congregations. (you may sign on his website) A dear sister of
mine has printed the Covenant out and shares it with her
grandchildren.
As a waterkeeper I feel compelled to also Honour Children and
future generations. (I mean, as a human being, having been nurtured
and born out of water, it is instinctual!) You can sign the plea and
check out other areas of his site at the following link. He has some
very simple, straightforward actions we can take.
A very good interview of Raffi by Michael Stone will be posted at
the link below, perhaps by the time you get your newsletter.
A Covenant for Honouring Children
We find these joys to be self evident: That all children are
created whole, endowed with innate intelligence, with dignity and
wonder, worthy of respect. The embodiment of life, liberty and
happiness, children are original blessings, here to learn their own
song. Every girl and boy is entitled to love, to dream and belong to
a loving “village.” And to pursue a life of purpose.
We affirm our duty to nourish and nurture the young, to honour
their caring ideals as the heart of being human. To recognize the
early years as the foundation of life, and to cherish the
contribution of young children to human evolution.
We commit ourselves to peaceful ways and vow to keep from harm or
neglect these, our most vulnerable citizens. As guardians of their
prosperity we honour the bountiful Earth whose diversity sustains
us. Thus we pledge our love for generations to come.
Child Honouring Principles
The words of A Covenant for Honouring Children suggest nine
guiding principles for living. Taken together, they offer a holistic
way of restoring natural and human communities, thus brightening the
outlook for the world we share. They form the basis for a
multi-faith consensus on societal renewal.
Respectful Love
is key. It speaks to the need to respect children as whole people
and to encourage them to know their own voices. Children need the
kind of love that sees them as legitimate beings, persons in their
own right. Respectful love instills self-worth; it’s the prime
nutrient in human development. Children need this not only from
parents and caregivers, but from the whole community.
Diversity
is about abundance: of human dreams, intelligences, cultures, and
cosmologies; of earthly splendours and ecosystems. Introducing
children to biodiversity and human diversity at an early age builds
on their innate curiosity. There’s a world of natural wonders to
discover, and a wealth of cultures, of ways to be human. Comforted
by how much we share, we’re able to delight in our differences.
Caring Community
refers to the “village” it takes to raise a child. The community
can positively affect the lives of its children. Child-friendly
shopkeepers, family resource centres, green schoolyards, bicycle
lanes, and pesticide-free parks are some of the ways a community can
support its young.
Conscious Parenting
can be taught from an early age; it begins with empathy for
newborns. Elementary and secondary schools could teach nurturant
parenting (neither permissive nor oppressive) and provide insight
into the child-rearing process. Such knowledge helps to deter teen
pregnancies and unwanted children. Emotionally aware parents are
much less likely to perpetuate abuse or neglect.
Emotional Intelligence
sums up what early life is about: a time for exploring emotions
in a safe setting, learning about feelings and how to express them.
Those who feel loved are most able to learn and to show compassion
for others. Emotional management builds character and is more
important to later success than IQ. Cooperation, play, and
creativity all foster the “EQ” needed for a joyful life.
Nonviolence
is central to emotional maturity, to family relations, to
community values, and to the character of societies that aspire to
live in peace. It means more than the absence of aggression; it
means living with compassion. Regarding children, it means no
corporal punishment, no humiliation, no coercion. “First do no
harm,” the physicians’ oath, must now apply to all our relations; it
can become a mantra for our times. A culture of peace begins in a
nonviolent heart, and a loving home.
Safe Environments
foster a child’s feeling of security and belonging. The very
young need protection from the toxic influences that permeate modern
life-from domestic neglect and maltreatment, to the corporate
manipulations of their minds, to the poisonous chemicals entering
their bodies. The first years are when children are most
impressionable and vulnerable; they need safeguarding.
Sustainability
refers not merely to conservation of resources, renewable energy
development, and anti-pollution laws. To be sustainable, societies
need to build social capacity by investing in their young citizens,
harnessing the productive power of a contented heart. The loving
potential of every young child is a potent source for good in the
world.
Ethical Commerce
is fundamental to a child-honouring world. It includes a
revolution in the design, manufacture and sale of goods; corporate
reform; “triple bottom line” business; full-cost accounting; tax and
subsidy shifts; political and economic cycles that reward long-term
thinking. Ethical commerce would enable a restorative economy
devoted to the well being of the very young.
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