Mana for the Doctor's Soul

Timothy Freke's book, Shamanic Wisdomkeepers , contains a very valuable interview with Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len. In it he discusses Hawaiian tradition and ways of understanding the world. Ho'oponopono is an ancient Hawaiian process of repentance, forgiveness, and transmutation that allows us to relate directly with the Light, or Divinity, that created us. No clergy, gurus, or other intermediaries are required. In one sense, this gives us great power to solve (or release) our own seeming problems, since it's all between us and Divinity anyway. At the same time, all of us are interconnected -- and we share a collective stew of "stuff". So although we can take 100% responsibility for our perceptions and experiences and work with Divinity to clear our erroneous memories, we also profoundly affect each other. What about these erroneous memories? How do they arise? "For the Hawaiians it's very simple," explains Dr. Hew Len. "In the beginning you were cr

An A ncient Chinese Fable "A monkey and a fish were caught in a terrible flood and were being swept downsteam amidst torrents of water and debris. The monkey spied a branch from an overhanging tree, and pulled himself to safety from the swirling water. Then, wanting to help his friend the fish, he reached into the water and pulled the fish from the water onto the branch. The moral of the story is clear: Good intentions are not enough. If you want to help the fish, you must understand its nature." Many of us struggle with urges to "help" our family, friends, and others. If we work in healthcare, this is part of our everyday life. We think we're doing what's best for others. It's not that altruism is inherently wrong, but it can be confused with so many other things. Also, like the Chinese fable above, our conscious minds are clueless about the others' true natures. We interpret these according to our own skewed perceptions, rather than as they are.

Do you remember Pigpen, from the comic strip Peanuts? He was the kid who always had dirty stuff flying around him, like a constant dusty haze. Although he never seemed bothered by it, the other kids (and even Snoopy!) were clean and shiny by comparison. This comes to mind when I consider what my own aura must look like to those who can see. Lots to clean there, after all. :-) Today I found an old saying that brought me back to grade school: "I'm rubber, you're glue; everything bounces off me and sticks to you." There were kids in my class who would say this often, even when the "problem" was clearly with them! (at least as I saw it.) Perhaps many adults live by this too -- it's a slick way of deflecting the blame for anything that happens onto others, so that we don't look like "Pigpen". Instead we're more like Teflon that way. Ho'oponopono is quite different from this, because the first step is to take 100% responsibility for what

A roadrunner similar to the one above visits my backyard regularly. He's persistent and hilarious, knocking on my sliding glass door with his beak! Within days of my moving into this house, he was my first official greeter. Strutting back and forth on the patio, he catches my eye and seems to be asking me to come outside. So I do, and then he leaps up to the fence between my yard and the desert. He perches there, fluffing up his chest feathers and making gutteral noises before fluttering on his way. Roadrunners are in the "cuckoo" family, and their gait can be somewhat clown-like. My friend reminds me to laugh, and not take myself so seriously! Yet they're also so agile and quick that they can prey upon rattlesnakes. I've not seen him eating any in my yard, but maybe he has and I've missed it. It's a wonder to have a being like this in my life; why should he be coming to me? I looked for possibilities in my animal totem books. Several sources say that Road

"Flowers are sunshine, food, and medicine to the soul." ~Luther Burbank, horticulturalist (1849 - 1926) Although many places still have snow, it's spring here in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. Our currently blooming wildflowers -- such as penstemon, chuparosa, fairy duster, lupine, and creosote -- are delighting all the hummingbirds, insects, and humans who live here. The double yellow hibiscus above is not a native Arizona wildflower, but happens to be a Ho'oponopono cleaning tool. Growing this plant, looking at its photo, or simply thinking of it invokes the Ho'oponopono cleaning process in a simple and lovely way. Seeing it makes me smile. The double yellow hibiscus is said to represent God consciousness, and the spiritual essence of gold. What a perfect tool when people are fearful about their wealth, and ability to support themselves and their families! As the plant blooms, its flowers are to be allowed to fall to the ground where they can sustain and enliv