Help
Sign In
unity
September 2009 
Wisdom From a Fortune Cookie - Coincidences
Posted on Aug 20th, 2009
by 
WhiteWolf
WhiteWolf
Okay, so daughter is still sleeping, son is off playing a game in his room, quite time for a few as my vacation winds down. So I decided it was time to write another. I go to the cupboard, mind you, not where I stashed the cookies for future columns, but ones I saw that someone else stashed in another cupboard. Part of me was saying, no, these aren't the ones meant to be written about. Not being a superstitious person, knock on wood, I brushed it off.
Well, I went over to the trash so I could tear the cellophane to deposit it directly in the trash. Plop, there went the cookie too. Fortunately, mostly paper that it landed on, so I fished it back out. Still part of me said, leave it there and get another. I didn't want to be wasteful, though, in the end, the cookie does go in the trash. Hey, I wasn't going to eat it after it went in. I took the cookie in my traditional way, and snapped it open. I pull out the slip of paper and it says:
"There are no coincidences"
Dah, dah dummmmm. Boy, how do you take that after what just happened. So why were those cookies apart from the others? Why were they in the cabinet with the dishes where I had to retrieve dishes for the breakfast meal? What diabolical plot was hatching here? Oh, it didn't help that my son left a movie on the kitchen table too, Final Destination 2 or 3 not sure. Interesting, but if I remember the one that my daughter watched, there were no coincidences in that movie either.
But seriously, it is said that everything has a purpose. Things happen in our lives to guide us, give us lessons, or in some cases warn us of danger. We may say that these are coincidences and brush them off, but those who walk a spiritual path, speak of these as signs. Throughout our lives we are given these signs to help us along our path. Many times we simply choose to ignore them or just brush them off as coincidences. In many indigenous cultures, the people were raised to watch for signs. In many cases, it was for the survival of the people. They could look at the sky or smell the air or watch the wildlife and know that some ill was coming.
You hear the saying, all things happen for a reason. Yet, we rarely ever stop to ask why, or what lesson is this bringing, or what message should I take from this? Through the years we have been taught to not believe in the spirit world. Or if we do, to see it as ghosts, goblins and other strange things. But what if there is another world? A parallel world that is beautiful and wondrous and inhabited by spiritual beings that wish to help us? What if they are the ones that are sending these signs in hopes that we are open and can understand the meaning?
Shamans and others who are taught to interact with the spirit world perform a function within their societies. They are well respected in their communities, not so much in the western world, but in other places that still practice traditional ways. They are known for their ability to "journey", to travel to the spirit world to find answers that may help their community. They journey to bring healing. They learn to interact with the spirit world for the betterment of others. While shaman is an Eastern European term, anthropologists have used it as a blanket label for all indigenous healers and holy people. This is offensive to some, who will politely, or sometimes not so politely remind you that they are not shaman, they are Laika, Curandero/as, or simply healers. Yet, all of these healers share a common purpose of helping their community.
Here in the US, we are currently looking to "fix" our health care system. For many, it just doesn't work. I won't get into a debate on that here and now as it could be a whole missive on its own. The thing I want to point out is a stark difference between western medicine and indigenous. Indigenous medicine is holistic. By that, I mean that they treat the whole person. A healer more than likely is quite familiar with the person being treated. They probably have treated the whole family, and in some cases for generations. They will know things that may affect a persons spirit. They know that healing has to take place there also. Modern medicine, looks at symptoms and throws pills at you. Indigenous medicine looks at root causes. In many cases it will be because of an imbalance in the persons life. They will work to not only cure the symptom, but work to heal the spirit and bring the person back in balance so as to prevent a recurrence. Often the "medicine" used is simple herbs, or a mixture of herbs. Many years of training goes into that herbal medicine.
Much of the medicine that we know today started as simple herbal medicine. Taking the healing powers of sage, is not profitable as sage is everywhere. So drug companies isolate that part of the plant that they believe brings the healing powers. They can then manufacture and most importantly patent the medicine to increase profit. Yet, there are many side affects to these medicines. Side effects that are not present when the herb itself is used because there are other properties in the herb or combination of herbs, roots, and flowers, that counter the negative part of the "medicine". Another difference in medicine is that drug companies make medicine for profit. Indigenous healers look at a plant as family. They don't just rip up a bunch of plants and use them. The herbs are approached in a spiritual way. Prayers are said over the plant and usually an offering is made of a pinch of tobacco or corn meal or such. They give thanks to the plant for giving of its life to bring healing. They do not collect all the plants in an area, but rather take only what is needed leaving the rest. As they prepare the medicine, more prayers are said. They honor the spirit of the plant. With modern medicine we are no longer connected to the plants spirit. It is a pill, pop it, and you will feel better we are told. Yet, in the end, we need more and more as we are never truly healed.
Sometimes I wonder if what we really need for a new health system is to throw out western medicine and bring back the healers and holy men. People from within the community who are prayerful and spiritual and know you. In this way they can heal the whole person and get at the root cause of what is making us sick. When you start reading stories of indigenous healers and some of the "miracles" they have performed, you begin to wonder. Maybe there is hope as I have heard that some hospitals are beginning to introduce alternative medicines like Reiki as part of the healing.
If you are interested in Native American healers, I highly recommend two books Fools Crow, Wisdom and Power, and Black Elk Speaks.
Just remember, there are no coincidences, only signs. We must open our hearts and learn to listen from there.
My heart to your heart, one heart, one spirit.
Well, I went over to the trash so I could tear the cellophane to deposit it directly in the trash. Plop, there went the cookie too. Fortunately, mostly paper that it landed on, so I fished it back out. Still part of me said, leave it there and get another. I didn't want to be wasteful, though, in the end, the cookie does go in the trash. Hey, I wasn't going to eat it after it went in. I took the cookie in my traditional way, and snapped it open. I pull out the slip of paper and it says:
"There are no coincidences"
Dah, dah dummmmm. Boy, how do you take that after what just happened. So why were those cookies apart from the others? Why were they in the cabinet with the dishes where I had to retrieve dishes for the breakfast meal? What diabolical plot was hatching here? Oh, it didn't help that my son left a movie on the kitchen table too, Final Destination 2 or 3 not sure. Interesting, but if I remember the one that my daughter watched, there were no coincidences in that movie either.
But seriously, it is said that everything has a purpose. Things happen in our lives to guide us, give us lessons, or in some cases warn us of danger. We may say that these are coincidences and brush them off, but those who walk a spiritual path, speak of these as signs. Throughout our lives we are given these signs to help us along our path. Many times we simply choose to ignore them or just brush them off as coincidences. In many indigenous cultures, the people were raised to watch for signs. In many cases, it was for the survival of the people. They could look at the sky or smell the air or watch the wildlife and know that some ill was coming.
You hear the saying, all things happen for a reason. Yet, we rarely ever stop to ask why, or what lesson is this bringing, or what message should I take from this? Through the years we have been taught to not believe in the spirit world. Or if we do, to see it as ghosts, goblins and other strange things. But what if there is another world? A parallel world that is beautiful and wondrous and inhabited by spiritual beings that wish to help us? What if they are the ones that are sending these signs in hopes that we are open and can understand the meaning?
Shamans and others who are taught to interact with the spirit world perform a function within their societies. They are well respected in their communities, not so much in the western world, but in other places that still practice traditional ways. They are known for their ability to "journey", to travel to the spirit world to find answers that may help their community. They journey to bring healing. They learn to interact with the spirit world for the betterment of others. While shaman is an Eastern European term, anthropologists have used it as a blanket label for all indigenous healers and holy people. This is offensive to some, who will politely, or sometimes not so politely remind you that they are not shaman, they are Laika, Curandero/as, or simply healers. Yet, all of these healers share a common purpose of helping their community.
Here in the US, we are currently looking to "fix" our health care system. For many, it just doesn't work. I won't get into a debate on that here and now as it could be a whole missive on its own. The thing I want to point out is a stark difference between western medicine and indigenous. Indigenous medicine is holistic. By that, I mean that they treat the whole person. A healer more than likely is quite familiar with the person being treated. They probably have treated the whole family, and in some cases for generations. They will know things that may affect a persons spirit. They know that healing has to take place there also. Modern medicine, looks at symptoms and throws pills at you. Indigenous medicine looks at root causes. In many cases it will be because of an imbalance in the persons life. They will work to not only cure the symptom, but work to heal the spirit and bring the person back in balance so as to prevent a recurrence. Often the "medicine" used is simple herbs, or a mixture of herbs. Many years of training goes into that herbal medicine.
Much of the medicine that we know today started as simple herbal medicine. Taking the healing powers of sage, is not profitable as sage is everywhere. So drug companies isolate that part of the plant that they believe brings the healing powers. They can then manufacture and most importantly patent the medicine to increase profit. Yet, there are many side affects to these medicines. Side effects that are not present when the herb itself is used because there are other properties in the herb or combination of herbs, roots, and flowers, that counter the negative part of the "medicine". Another difference in medicine is that drug companies make medicine for profit. Indigenous healers look at a plant as family. They don't just rip up a bunch of plants and use them. The herbs are approached in a spiritual way. Prayers are said over the plant and usually an offering is made of a pinch of tobacco or corn meal or such. They give thanks to the plant for giving of its life to bring healing. They do not collect all the plants in an area, but rather take only what is needed leaving the rest. As they prepare the medicine, more prayers are said. They honor the spirit of the plant. With modern medicine we are no longer connected to the plants spirit. It is a pill, pop it, and you will feel better we are told. Yet, in the end, we need more and more as we are never truly healed.
Sometimes I wonder if what we really need for a new health system is to throw out western medicine and bring back the healers and holy men. People from within the community who are prayerful and spiritual and know you. In this way they can heal the whole person and get at the root cause of what is making us sick. When you start reading stories of indigenous healers and some of the "miracles" they have performed, you begin to wonder. Maybe there is hope as I have heard that some hospitals are beginning to introduce alternative medicines like Reiki as part of the healing.
If you are interested in Native American healers, I highly recommend two books Fools Crow, Wisdom and Power, and Black Elk Speaks.
Just remember, there are no coincidences, only signs. We must open our hearts and learn to listen from there.
My heart to your heart, one heart, one spirit.
Access: Public
I think this is what is needed, many westerners have totally divorced themselves from nature, forgetting that we ourselves are part of nature and interconnected, and that is why humanity has drifted so far of course. We live in the real world, and I read tonight ocean temperatures have reached a record high, if we carry on as we are it will lead to catastrophe, we are not seing the signs, most seem to be ignoring them completely.
New York Times by Paul Krugman:
The fact is that the planet is changing faster than even pessimists expected: ice caps are shrinking, arid zones spreading, at a terrifying rate. And according to a number of recent studies, catastrophe — a rise in temperature so large as to be almost unthinkable — can no longer be considered a mere possibility. It is, instead, the most likely outcome if we continue along our present course. It is imperative that we reconnect and work with nature, our health would benefit, and our survival depends on it.