About the Sacred Tree Fellowship

"Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a Sacred manner the shapes of all things in the Spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being.

And I saw that the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty Flowering Tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was Holy." Black Elk (Black Elk Speaks, as told through John G. Neihardt) (1961)

For all the people of the earth, the Creator has planted a Sacred Tree under which they may gather, and there find healing, power, wisdom and security. The roots of this symbolic tree spread deep into the body of Mother Earth. Its branches reach upward like hands praying to Father Sky. The fruits of this tree are the good things the Creator has given to the people:

Teachings that show the path to love, compassion, generosity, patience, wisdom, justice, courage, respect, humility and many other wonderful gifts.

The ancient ones taught us that the life of the Tree is the life of the people. If the people wander far away from the protective shadow of the Tree, if they forget to seek the nourishment of its fruit, or if they should turn against the Tree and attempt to destroy it, great sorrow will fall upon the people. Many will become sick at heart. The people will lose their power. They will cease to dream dreams and see visions. They will begin to quarrel among themselves over worthless trifles.

They will become unable to tell the truth and to deal with each other honestly. They will forget how to survive in their own land. Their lives will become filled with anger and gloom. Little by little they will poison themselves and all they touch. It was foretold that these things would come to pass, but that the Tree would never die. And as long as the Tree lives, the people live. It was also foretold that the day would come when the people would awaken, as if from a long, drugged sleep; that they would begin, timidly at first but then with great urgency, to search again for the Sacred Tree.

The knowledge of its whereabouts, and of the fruits that adorn its branches have always been carefully guarded and preserved within the minds and hearts of our wise Elders and leaders. These humble, loving and dedicated souls will guide anyone who is honestly and sincerely seeking along the path leading to the protecting shadow of the Sacred Tree.

The Sacred Tree Fellowship is comprised of people that honor the Creator and share similar interests, ideals, and experiences, by reason of Belief in their Spirituality: a close association of friends and seekers sharing similar interests in a congenial atmosphere and manner. Participation can be at our Sanctuary in the Missouri Ozarks or by e-mail messages and our web site located at: www.SacredTreeFellowship.org

Herman Beck and Linda Lee, Co-Founders

Please visit write to me for more information about our Fellowship and our Spiritual events (on site here in Missouri or via the web): or e-mail me at E-Mail contact for the Fellowship

John Fire Lamedeer on "Laughter"

"Laughter - that is something very sacred, especially for us Indians." -- John (Fire) Lame Deer, ROSEBUD LAKOTA

Laughter is mental, laughter is emotional, laughter is physical, and laughter is spiritual. Laughter helps us find balance. If we get too angry, laughter will turn that emotion in a balanced direction. If we have a mental picture of someone who is too strong, laughter will help ease the tension. If the body is stressed, laughter will release natural relaxants into our muscles and our nervous system. Laughter often changes our attitude. We need to lighten up and laugh more.

Great Spirit, teach me to laugh.

Talk About Good Luck: Driver finds dead 16-foot python for dinner & leather

A driver in Sedro-Woolley, Wash., says he found a 16-foot python in the middle of a local road.

Lino Silva and his friend Sarah Vogt were driving down River Road near Riverfront Park in Sedro-Woolley Thursday morning when they spotted something they originally thought was a big branch, the Skagit Valley Herald in Mount Vernon, Wash., reported.

It was actually a python.

Dr. Skip Snow in lab with Burmese python captured in Everglades National Park

"I just turned my head, and I saw something huge like a snake," said Silva. "I have a fear of these things. We looked at it and we were like, 'Holy guacamole!'"

The two called Vogt's boyfriend Nick Pfeifer, a snake enthusiast, to help them move the carcass of the snake to a relative's house.

Once they moved the snake, it took about 30 minutes for the three to skihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifn it and remove the meat for preparation to cook. Ed Note: Snakes have the same internal organs as poultry and are all white meat. Lightly steamed snake meat is much like chicken breast. It is easy to manage if cut into 1-2" sections. The meat can then be gently forked off the ribs to eat. Meat from venomous and non-venomous snakes are edible and safe. (HB-C)

Pfeifer says he plans to have a jacket made out of the brown, tan and white skin.

"I'm hoping to get enough to make a leather jacket out of it," Pfeifer said. "If I don't have enough for a whole jacket, I'll probably do a vest."

Silva said he was happy to pass the find along to his friend.

Snake field guide at Back40Books.com:

Smoke Plants of North America

"What a rabbit eats we can smoke"


Smoke Plants of North America by Author Mairi R. Ross. Ms. Ross acknowledges the serious negative health, social, and spiritual consequences of smoking commercial cigarettes and the author challenges us to look past our modern practices and rediscover the truth about the age old ritual of smoking.

The author shares her personal discovery of over 150 wild plants, legal, non-addictive, medicinal, and enjoyable, that have been smoked by Native Americans and others for centuries. Compiled here for the first time in print, this knowledge is drawn from the author's own experience and her research into original ethnobotanical texts and contemporary herbalism. Acknowledging the serious negative health, social, and spiritual consequences of smoking commercial cigarettes, the author challenges us to look past our modern practices and rediscover the truth about the age old ritual of smoking. In this book you will discover: over a dozen smoke mix recipes made with legal, non addictive herbs that calm nerves, reduce anxiety, relieve insomnia and may help you stop or reduce cigarette and marijuana smoking. A guide to gathering over 50 smokeable wild plants. Over 150 smoke plants, many traditionally used by the Navajo, Iroquois, Cherokee, Hope, Cowasuck and other Native Americans. The original spiritual purpose of smoking. 5+"x 7+", 182 page paperback. Available from www.Back40Books.com for $15.95 + shipping

Whispers of the Ancients: Native Tales for Teaching and Healing in Our Time

I am pleased to recommend a new book by Tamarack Song, illustrations by Moses (Amik) Beaver. It's easy to imagine yourself transported back to a time when an Elder might have told stories like those in Whispers of the Ancients around a glowing hearth. Thanks to Tamarack Song's storytelling skills, monsters, heroes, and shapeshifters come alive and open a doorway to the mysteries of life.

Stunning Aboriginal artwork by Moses (Amik) Beaver combines with provocative storytelling to renew, in all their traditional splendor, exceptional legends from around the world. Entertaining, profound, passionate, glorious these are stories that illustrate and evoke themes common to everyone's life, with an ancient wisdom that helps the listener to cope with today's opportunities for tenderness, grief, passion, and irony. --- Easily accessible to all ages, this is a book that speaks to each person at his or her own level of comprehension and need. It's as beautiful to read as it is to look at. Soft cover, 9 x 12. 224 pgs. 115 full color illustrations.

There Goes a Man of God

"It's time Indians tell the world what we know... about nature and about God. So I'm going to tell you what I know and who I am. You guys better listen. You have a lot to learn.
--Mathew King, LAKOTA

A long time ago the Creator came to Turtle Island and said to the Red People - "You will be the keepers of the Mother Earth. Among you I will give the wisdom about nature, about the interconnectedness of all things, about balance and about living in harmony. You Red People will see the secrets of nature. You will live in hardship and the blessing of this is you will stay close to the Creator. The day will come when you will need to share the secrets with the other people of the earth because they will stray from their spiritual ways. The time to start sharing is today."

Oh Great Spirit, today I am ready for You to use me as a channel of Your peace. Let my walk today be visible so the people will say "There goes a Man of God." I want to know what He knows. If they ask, I will tell them to go out into the wilderness and pray for You to guide them.

When you click the underlined title "There Goes A Man of God" you will be taken to the Native American Department at Back40Books.com. You'll discover a great storehouse of Native American Spirituality, practices and lifestyle.
Buzz

We are to walk the Sacred Path

"What could be greater than to be Wakan-Tanka's mind, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, arms, hands, legs, and feet here on earth?" --Fools Crow, LAKOTA In order for the Creator to do His work on this earth, He needs the human being to do it. How He guides us is through our eyes, ears, hands, nose, mouth, arms legs and feet. We are instruments of the Creator. We are His keepers of the earth. We are the keepers of our brothers. We are to teach His children. We are to respect the things He has made. We are to take care of ourselves and treat our bodies and our minds with respect. We are to do respectful things. We are to walk the Sacred Path. We should have good thoughts. We should do only things that we think the Creator would have us do. What an honor to be a human being. What an honor that He would talk to us and guide us to perform His wonders. Oh Great Spirit, let me appreciate the role you have given me. Let my sense be sharp to hear Your voice. Keep my mind clean so I can do the things You would have me do.

Real Life: A New Forum

I have established a new forum on the www.Back40Forums.com site. It is more of a daily-reality based column about how to live an authentic nature based life in today's "Virtual world" It will be different in focus than this mostly spiritual blog and more interactive as well. I won't be abandoning this roost, just adding a new outlet for my works.
Here is some of my first post. Please visit the forum regularly or sign up for the RSS feeds.

Welcome to Real Life. This forum is for folks who want to wean themselves away from the many practices of the "virtual world": the world of manipulated prices, manufactured foods and exaggerated or untrue advertising claims and work on developing an "authentic" lifestyle that will be healthier, more satisfying, and good for our planet and all beings (animal, vegetable, mineral, forests, etc.). All Fall and Winter Linda and I have been eating fresh greens from the garden and nature, root vegetables from nature, fresh raw milk, fresh eggs, all kinds of meat (wild and domestic) and even delicious homemade wines. We will talk about that more prior to next fall. I'll be giving you information on when to plant the things you'll be eating throughout the winter. But first, lets talk about the present.

We are located in the Missouri Ozarks, zone 6, so your harvest and planting time periods may fall before or after ours. Right now we are eating Chickweed, violet leaves and flowers, simlax tenderals, field garlic, dandelion leaves, redbud blossoms and clover blossoms. Topped with grated and sliced eggs from our free-range hens, doused with extra-virgin cold-pressed olive oil and herb flavored vinegars we make ourselves.

All of these plants and foods are available right now in our area, free for the picking. It usually take Linda about 15 minutes to gather the ingredients. In the photo above you will note that we added some grated carrots stored in our garden all winter. I haven't figured all the nutrition completely but I believe this is a top quality lunch, full of vitamins and minerals and abundant protein. Earlier in the spring we had cottage cheese filled tulips!

We have planted a 4 season garden so we will have plenty of fresh domestic greens, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbages and Jerusalem Artichokes all winter. But every year we find our selves eating fewer cultivated vegetables from the garden during the green season. Coming up over the next months will be watercress, poke weed, plantain, field cress, raspberries, blackberries, and on and on.

This forum won't be just about food. We will cover all kinds of ways we all can save money, help the planet, stay healthier and live longer. Linda and I have been living this life for over 30 years now so we can offer a lot of tips. One of Linda's specialty areas is medicinal herbs. She recently discovered a fantastic oil she formulated to tame the poison ivy we always get at the first of the growing season and become immune to later. If you have specific questions to ask us, or, if you have tricks and methods of your own to contribute please don't be shy, ask away.

And visit often, I will be posting several times a week as time is available. We are planning a DVD on this subject so ideas are also welcome for that. If you want to get a head start of the foraging part you'll need one or more good field guides. I recommend you visit this link to see a great selection and get free shipping:
One of my favorite books for beginners is "Edible Wild Plants of North America" by Elias & Dykeman. Please add this link to your favorites now so you won't lose track of the new forum: Real Life