The Story of Rainbow Warrior Thunder Wolf

Written By Rainbow Warrior Mariah

 The Story of Rainbow Warrior Thunder Wolf Copyright 2010 by Rainbow
Warrior Mariah, Laval, QC, Canada

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, or
mechanical, including photo copying, recording or by any information retrieval
system without the written permission from the author, except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First Edition, 2010

First Printing, 2010
First Ebook Release 2010

Cover and artwork by Rainbow Warrior Mariah and Crooked Arrow

For additional information about other books or art by Rainbow Warrior

Mariah or Mother Crooked Arrow write to:

www.survivingearthchanges2012@googlemail.com

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Catalogs:

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 DEDICATION

I dedicate this story to the Creator and my entire group of spiritual helpers and
protectors.

I also dedicate this story and artwork to my family my husband Marc-Andre, my

beloved mother Norma Pamela De Leon, my beloved dad Samuel Anchor Member of
the Order of the British Empire (MBE) deceased , my beloved brother, Peter J.
Anchor B. deceased and the rest of my family, my children Luis, Nadia, Essie,
Frederick, Essie and grandchildren Alexander and Adrian. A special thank you to my
Reiki Teacher and Friend author Don Beckett.

My deepest gratitude and a special thank you to my mentor, teacher and spiritual
mother Crooked Arrow for all her encouragement, love and support and who has
always believed in me and encouraged me to pursue my art and start writing this
book with the inspirational guidance of her sculptured dolls. Also my gratitude to my
spiritual siblings, the Children of Mu 102 for their support with my artistic
endeavours.

Rainbow Warrior Mariah

 Chapter 1, The Healing

There was once a very beautiful girl who was very sick and tormented by evil spirits. Her name was
Wolf woman. Wolf woman before the curse had been such a happy girl. A witch doctor from
another village had put a curse on her. The witch doctor was hired by the young women in the
village. They were very envious because Wolf woman was not just beautiful, but was very talented
as an artist and herbal healer.

Every young warrior was seeking her hand in marriage and this made all the women very jealous of
her. After the curse was put on Wolf woman she lived a very sad and lonely life.

No one wanted to associate with the girl because she was plagued with evil spirits. These evil spirits
would not let her sleep at night and would scare off anyone who associated with her. She became
very thin and very withdrawn and she was shunned away from just about every person in the village
except a few old women whom felt compassion for her. Her teepee was set apart from the rest of the
Villagers, as they wanted nothing to do with her.

The warriors when they hunted would leave some meat outside her teepee, because they felt sorry
for her and remembered how beautiful she used to be before the terrible curse was put on her. She
had a small little plot of land close to the river where she grew her own food and healing herbs.

One day while she was washing cloths by the river, she cried and implored help from the ancients,
her ancestors. Because of this terrible curse she had forgotten most of her grandmothers spiritual
teachings. She thought the Great Spirit had abandoned her and was punishing her. She did not
know why as she had never hurt anyone.

Then she remembered what she was taught by her grandmother Rainbow Hawk Storm. She needed
to believe that she had spirit protectors and that she could call for them for help when she was in
trouble. When she was small her grandmother taught her how to use all the herbs for healing to
make powerful medicine. She also taught her to clean her body with herbs and to smudge herself
with very potent herbs to clear all negative energies. This had helped her somewhat but was not
powerful enough medicine to cure her. Her grandmother was a great medicine woman, but she had
died a few years back from old age. So she asked the spirit of her grandmother to guide her to a
healer that walked the path of the medicine woman and warrior that could heal her.

One night in a dream, her grandmother Rainbow Hawk Storm spoke and told her of a woman in
another village named Thunder Eagle who had very powerful medicine and would be able to cure
her of those evil spirits. She also told her that one day this same healer would teach her the ancient
ways of a medicine woman and warrior and she too would become even more of a powerful healer
than she herself was when she was alive. She explained that what had happened to her was just to
make her stronger, because she would have even stronger healing abilities than she could ever
imagine and would heal many. She told her granddaughter to take courage and be strong and that
her healing was close at hand and that she was never alone. Her grandmother told her she would
always be at her side. She also advised her granddaughter to pray for all those who had put this
curse on her because the punishment they would receive would be great and it was a punishment
they had inflicted upon themselves would be even worst than the torments that she was suffering.

When Wolf woman awoke she prepared herself for the journey. But before she did she cleared her
energies by smudging herself with powerful healing herbs and asking the Great Spirit for guidance
and protectors to show her the way. She promised the Great Spirit that she would serve Him always
as a healer and medicine warrior if she was healed. She also asked in this ceremony to be merciful
with all those that had something to do with the curse and all those who had treated her badly and
had shunned her away.

So Wolf woman packed enough food and water in a pack for her journey and headed out to find the
healer and medicine woman that her grandmother had spoken of in her dream, Thunder Eagle.

She looked for the signs in nature as her grandmother had taught her to serve as her guide and a
great eagle came above her. From her memories of what her grandmother had taught her in her
culture the eagle represented the Great Spirit. So she followed the eagle thanking him for his help.
On her journey, close to her was walking a wolf. The wolf was not threatening her in any way, so
she knew that this wolf was one of her animal guides or protectors. In her culture the Wolf is a great
teacher and she knew he was there to teach her to adapt to changes to her new environment,
embracing the coming seasons and the availability to find food. So along the way she gathered nuts
and berries, as she was not sure how long this trip would take her.

Before nightfall Wolf woman found a great camping site. There was a small river where she could
take a bath to cool off and fill up her deer skin bottle. So she gathered dry twigs and wood pieces to
make a fire.. With her knife she turned dry sticks and pieces of bark into powdery tinder. She knew
that tinder is the most important part of making a fire. She also found some resin to use to rub on
the small twigs and sticks she had gathered. So then she took her steel knife and rubbed it against
some flint she had brought with her and with the sparks it created she was able to light the fire.

For her dinner she had some of the nuts and berries she had gathered. She also boiled some water
and made a herbal tea out of some of the herbs she had with her. She brought with her some beef
jerky to eat which she had dried from the meat the warriors had brought for her just a few days
before.

She shared some with the wolf that had become her protector and companion. After dinner she
washed her utensils and laid on her medicine blanket, the one her grandmother had given her just
before she died, next to the fire and went to sleep.

The following morning she made a spear and caught some fish. Before her parents died of the
chickenpox brought by the white man, because she was their only child, they had taught her how to
survive in the wild. They taught her not to fear anything including death.

The great eagle continued to guide Wolf woman many days and many nights. She had lost count of
how many days she had journeyed to find the medicine woman. The wolf walked by her side also.
No animal dared to come close to her, so she was never in danger. She again had the opportunity to
fish and again built a fire and preserved the fish with salt and herbs and smoked it so she could pack
it in her pouch and take it to feed herself and the wolf. Every day and night she prayed for guidance
and protection and the evil spirits tried by every means to discourage her from continuing her
journey. But still she did not give up as she could hear her ancestors speaking in her heart, to never
give up.

One day Wolf woman saw a village. She could see the smoke coming from the fire pit in the village.
She felt her heart leap with joy and excitement and then she asked the Great Spirit and the
Ancestors for a sign to know if this was the right village where she would find the medicine
woman.

The Eagle started to fly in circles and circled the village, and was flying right on top of a particular
teepee that was far apart from the rest of the village. The teepee had a painting of a great Eagle
similar to the one that had guided her all those days and night on her journey. It also had lightening
bolts painted on it. This was her sign, she had finally found the medicine woman.

She then thanked the Eagle and the wolf for bringing her safely to the right village. She thanked the
Great Spirit and her ancestors as well.

She walked to the teepee with the Eagle and called out the medicine womans name, Thunder Eagle.
Thunder Eagle came out and welcomed her saying she had been expecting her. The great Spirit had
given her a vision that she, Wolf woman, would be coming to her soon.

Thunder Eagle right away knew why the Great Spirit had sent her. With her second sight she could
see the evil spirits that were around Wolf woman. Wolf woman then explained about the curse and
told Thunder Eagle she did not know who had cursed her. Thunder Eagle knew who had done this
terrible act, but told Wolf woman that this was not important, it was more important to heal her.

She told her to pray for those who had done this terrible deed to her, as their self-punishment would
be terrible. So together they prayed for them.

That night Thunder Eagle prepared herself to heal Wolf woman. She knew that the battle with these
evil spirits would be great and she prayed to her ancestors and protectors to give her wisdom,
guidance and protection.

Thunder Eagle had Wolf woman take a bath in some special herbs, smudged her and then started
chanting some prays. These special prayers were given to her by other powerful healers that had
taught her the way of the medicine woman and warrior, passed from one generation to another of
healers.

She used healing sounds on Wolf woman also together with her prayers by drumming. The drum is
a way to interact with the higher power known to most as the Great Spirit and also with the
protectors.

All of sudden Wolf woman fainted. Before that she felt like something had left her body, a great
weight was lifted from her. All the negative entities had suddenly left.

After her healing, Wolf woman joined this new community. She became a student of the great
medicine woman and warrior Thunder Eagle. She was being trained to be Thunder Eagles
replacement once it was her time to join her ancestors. And Thunder Eagle gave her a new name
appropriate with her new status, Rainbow Warrior Thunder Wolf. True to her promise to the Creator
she became a healer. She became the most powerful healer of her time just as her grandmother had
predicted and showed her in her dream.

Once Wolf woman was cured every young warrior wanted to court her. Despite her new name
everyone still called her Wolf woman. She had befriended all the girls in the village so they did not
feel threatened or envious of her. Later on she married the chiefs son and had many little ones and
followed the path of the medicine woman and warrior. Her husband knew that she was a powerful
healer and let her pursue this path without interference. She lived a very happy and prosperous life
in her new home and everyone loved her. She became a great medicine woman and warrior in this
village just as her grandmother had predicted.

What happened to the villagers where Wolf woman grew up, where she was cursed and so sad? Her
village and the village where the witch doctor lived were wiped out by the smallpox plague. Not
one person was saved. The spirits of the evil witch doctor and the wicked and envious girls who
had cursed Wolf woman lived in torment for all eternity.

Lessons from this chapter:

As you can see those that cursed Wolf woman paid a high price for their evil. So do not do unto
others what you do not want done to you. Those that judged her and did not feel compassion for her
also paid the ultimate price.

Always serve the Creator by living the Law of One and of Service by helping others, being
compassionate and love others as yourself. Our true home is the Spirit World, we are all
accountable for our deeds, the laws of cause and effect or karma.

We are here to pay off our karma and stop the cycle of reincarnations that has kept us here bonded
to the material world. We are also here to be of service to the Great Spirit and once again become
the light beings were meant to be, our true divinity and our true state of being as the children of the
Creator.

Quotes to live by:

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

Mother Teresa

I'm going to let God be the judge of who goes to heaven and hell.
Joel Osteen

When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an
emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and
get free.
Catherine Ponder

Karma Quotes:

"If there is debt to be paid off here the Lords of Karma will take care of it."

"Cause and effect has always been here and always will."

"Even if a person is in a state of complete forgiveness, or complete peace of mind, he is still

subject to the laws of karma or cause and effect.
 Chapter 2, New Beginnings

After the curse was removed by Thunder Eagle from Wolf woman, where all the dark entities
departed, Wolf woman headed back to her tribe. It took her over a week to return to her village. She
had packed enough food and water for her journey as Thunder Eagle had given her enough
provisions for the long journey back home.

Once she arrived to her village to her dismay and horror all the villagers were dead in their teepees.
They had terrible marks, pus-filled blisters all over their bodies, which was already discomposing.
Unknown to her, this terrible plague that wiped out her entire tribe was smallpox and was brought
by the white man. She had never seen this disease before. She had seen many different types of
illnesses through her grandmother's healing practice when she was a child. Her grandmother
Rainbow Hawk Storm had finished raising her as a child as her own parents had also died from this
terrible scourge while visiting relatives in far away lands. They had left her behind in the care of
their grandmother as they had made the decision not to take her on this journey. Wolf woman never
knew why her parents decided to leave her behind. But before they died, being their only child,
they made sure that Wolf woman could survive in the wild, because she was eleven when they
passed on to the spirit world. Now she had seen for herself what this terrible and terrifying disease
could do. So now she was alone in the world and had no living relatives as her grandmother had
also passed on a few years before.

Wolf woman had no choice but to cremate all the teepees with the bodies in them, as it was
impossible for her to bury all of them, in the tradition of her clan. She decided that she would make
a small ceremony using her drums, burning the sacred herbs and singing the songs for the dead that
her grandmother Rainbow Hawk Storm had taught her. These sacred songs came from a very deep
part of her soul, even though these people had rejected her and some where responsible for the
curse. She could not stop the tears from running down her cheeks. The past was not important any
more.

She asked the Great Spirit to forgive them all for all the pain she had endured and decided that she
had no choice but to head back to Thunder Eagles village as she had no where else to go.

So she gathered all her belongings and all the food she could take with her from her teepee and
from her gardens. She also included seeds from every medicinal shrub and plant from her healing
gardens.

Fortunately her teepee had been very far away from the village, next to the river so it was not
contaminated with the disease. It seems the curse had been a blessing in disguise. She had a bath in
the river and disposed all of her cloths by burning them, as she had no clue what was this terrible
illness that had wiped out her tribe.

She found two mules and put all her belongings on one and rode on the other one. She took along
one of the dogs from the village, the only one left, as all the rest had run away. The journey back to
Thunder Eagles village took half the time.

Thunder Eagle seeing her welcomed her with open arms and Wolf woman explained how everyone
in the tribe had been wiped out by a strange illness. Thunder Eagle, because she had healed many
from different tribes, had no problem understanding her. Thunder Eagle had never heard of such a
disease in all the time she had been a medicine woman and she made it her purpose to find a cure
for this mystery illness.

Since Wolf womans tribe had been wiped out by the smallpox brought by the white man, Wolf
woman had no where to go. With huge tears rolling down her cheeks, Thunder Eagle hugged her
and with great compassion for Wolf woman shared her teepee. Thunder Eagle went to the counsel
of Elders, and talked to them so they would accept Wolf woman as a new member of their tribe.
Wolf woman would have to learn their language, as it was a bit different from her own. The tribe
was different to her's, so she would have to learn all their traditions and ceremonies of her new
tribe. But she was determined to learn everything she could, so she could feel part of the clan. In no
time she was speaking their language, learned their traditions and was embraced by the clan as her
new family.

So in the meantime until Wolf woman had her own teepee made for her, Thunder Eagle let her share
her teepee and started training Wolf woman to be a medicine woman and warrior. She had Wolf
woman smudge herself with special herbs and take herbal baths to protect herself from any negative
entities that could be lurking around. Both worlds, the land of the living and the land of the departed
where interconnected. So malevolent spirits would always be around and until Wolf woman was
stronger spiritually and energetically, she would have to continue using this type of protection on a
daily basis. Once she was stronger, she would only have to do the healing procedure every week or
after she had done a healing. Wolf womans promise to the Great Spirit was, if she was healed she
would become a medicine woman and warrior. She meant to keep her promise no matter how long
it took to learn everything.

Thunder Eagle had beautiful healing gardens with all kinds of flowers, herbs and fruits close to her
teepee. Her teepee was further away from the rest of the village, as she needed her privacy in order
to do her healing work. She had never married, as she always wanted to be a healer, so marriage
was never a part of her plan. For Thunder Eagle, every member of the tribe was her extended
family, her adopted children and the little ones were her grandchildren. So she never felt lonely.

Everyone loved and had the utmost respect for her. She had learned different healing traditions
under the tutelage of different healers. People from all over the land from different tribes came to
her for healing when their healers failed to heal them. She was a great healer and was a legend of
her time.

The first things that Thunder Eagle showed Wolf woman were the different types of herbs and their
uses. Thunder Eagle had a healing garden where she grew all kinds of herbs she used for her
healing practice. There were so many that it would take a long time to learn them all. Not only
would she have to learn the herbs, but also learn the prayers and healing ceremonies, which were
many. She had her work cut out for her, but she did not mind. She was very determined to be a
medicine woman. She was very sad for losing her tribe but at the same time she was very
overjoyed, as not only was she healed but she had a new family who loved and accepted her.

In her first lesson Thunder Eagle showed her that for breathing problems, for asthma or bronchitis
skunk cabbage was used as it brought up the phlegm from the lungs. It is called skunk cabbage
because the whole plant smells like a skunk. The leaves of skunk cabbage were crushed which gave
out a very powerful smell that could also help headaches. An overdose of this plant can cause
vomiting, headaches, vertigo and other unpleasant side effects. So it has to be used with caution by
an experienced healer.

She explained to Wolf woman that the rhizome should be collected in the autumn or early spring,
and should not be kept more than one season. She also explained to Wolf woman that the seeds
were more active than the root because their healing properties were preserved longer. For
backaches arnica roots were used in a tea to treat back pain. It was also used to treat bruises and
swelling. It was used as an ointment and in exceptional cases it was used internally. However, if
used for prolonged periods of time it could cause skin rashes and eczema. Internally if it was not
used with caution it would cause heart irregularities, dizziness and tremors.

She also taught Wolf woman that the leaves of the Cerosete Bush could also used in a tea used for
bronchial and other respiratory problems. The tea was made boiling the roots which could help
cure pneumonia and help the expulsion of phlegm. These were just a few of the herbs that Thunder
Eagle introduced her to. There were so many more. Thunder Eagle did not want to overwhelm Wolf
woman with too much information. By then it was time for lunch.

Her lunch consisted of dried buffalo meat, fresh vegetables and berries. Thunder Eagle explained to
Wolf woman that the buffalo was a sacred animal whose meat and skins were vital to the tribes
survival. Thunder Eagles also explained to Wolf woman that the tribe just took from the land what
they needed to survive and they respected Mother Earth and all creation. Giving thanks to the
Mother Earth was very important to them. They walked in harmony and balance with Mother Earth.
Their gratitude was often expressed through elaborate dancing ceremonies or celebrations. Every
living being was honoured and respected. When an animal needed to be sacrificed for food and
clothing it was always done with the outmost respect. Dance tunes were played on bone flutes and
drums were used as well in these sacred ceremonies, as the participants gave thanks to the sacred
animals for giving its life to the tribe.

They made special ceremonies to honour Mother Earth because she is the mother of all living
creatures on the earth. She nurtures all her children and gives them all things they need to survive
including the rivers, lakes mountains, trees, animals, grass, food, and the herbs to heal all
infirmities. She nurtures all living creatures as well as she also provides for all their needs, everyone
is always taken care of.

Wolf woman greatly admired Thunder Eagle and wanted to be a great healer like her. She learned
all her lessons with great enthusiasm.

On the following day she was to go into a special sweat lodge, Thunder Eagle used for purification
and to communicate with the Great Spirit. As part of her instructions Wolf woman needed to
develop her second site. Even though she had special abilities through her dreams, she needed to be
able to see and hear Spirit. So Wolf woman prepared herself by having a special herbal bath and
was smudged by Thunder Eagle with special purification herbs. She explained that one must be
cleansed before entering the sacred lodge by removing from the mind any bad feelings, negative
thoughts or negative energies from the body. The baths and the sacacred herbs cleansed both
physically and spiritually the person. So she also had to do her part and purify her thoughts by
removing anything negative from her mind and only focus on loving and positive ones. She had to
be in complete balance before entering the lodge. That is why the smoke of the special herbs were
used to brush all over the body to get rid of these negative energies. She explained that the most
used herbs for smudging were sage, cedar, and sweetgrass.

Thunder Eagle explained to Wolf woman that there were different varieties of sage and that most of
them were used in smudging. She also told Wolf woman that she had covered the sweat lodges
floor with sage so she could use the leaves and rub them on her body while she was in the sweat
lodge.

She also explained to her that cedar was burned while praying aloud or silently, specially in healing
ceremonies. These prayers were carried to the Great Spirit. Sometimes she would also spread cedar
along with sage on the floor of the sweat lodge.

Cedar branches were also used to bless a new Teepee as part of the blessing ceremony. She
explained that cedar was also burned for purification in much the same way as sage as it forced out
negative energies and entities and it also helped earthbound spirits cross over. She also explained
that Cedar trees are sacred to her tribe and are honoured with offerings and prayers.

Another herb Thunder Eagle explained about was sweetgrass. It is another very sacred herb.
Sweetgrass is braided together in bunches as a person's hair is braided. Sweetgrass is burned in the
sweat lodge before it is used, allowing the purifying smoke to get to all parts of the lodge. She
explained to Wolf woman that it is necessary to burn the sweetgrass, after the sage and the cedar
had driven out the bad influences. Sweetgrass would bring in the good spirits and the good
influences into the lodge.

Wolf woman was now prepared to enter the sacred lodge. Not only had Thunder Eagle had made
her take a bath with the special herbs and smudged her, but also gave her to drink a special herbal
tea that would calm her so that she would not feel panicked inside the small sweat lodge. Thunder
Eagle had seen others get panic attacks and fainting from being in these small enclosures and the
smoke in the sweat lodge did not help. Thunder Eagle had prepared every detail leaving nothing to
chance. While Wolf woman was in the lodge, Thunder Eagle would be outside drumming and
chanting so that the Great Creator would open Wolf womans abilities of second site and any other
healing abilities within her. Thunder Eagle knew that these abilities were already within her and all
that was needed was to open them. The herbs in the sacred lodge and her own drumming and
chanting would help Wolf woman tap into these abilities that were dormant within her.

Wolf woman crossed her legs and straightened her back as she was taught by her grandmother. She
started to breathe in the sacred herbs that Thunder Eagle had placed in the sweat lodge. Then she
started chanting to herself the prayers that her grandmother had taught her as a child. She called to
her spirit protectors and guides. She called her ancestors so that her quest would be successful. She
prayed to the Great Spirit, the Creator of all that is to be with her in this sacred journey to tap into
all the gifts that she knew were already within her.

Then the sacred journey started. And in her minds eye she saw a great Eagle, which was a
messenger from the Great Spirit, flying and not far behind him was the wolf, her animal guide.
Before her, she saw all her animals guides and totems. Then she saw in her vision all her ancestors
including her deceased parents and her grandmother smiling at her. Then she saw a huge rainbow
and she saw a flash of golden light, it started first as a small spark of light that slowly grew in
intensity. All of sudden she felt a strong energy circling her body and this great energy grew with
intensity and she started to feel it swirling and moving towards the space in between her physical
eyes. She felt a sense of peace and unconditional love all around her. All of sudden like a flash of
lightening she felt something pop and she knew right then that her spiritual eyes had awakened and
that all the spiritual gifts that were within her were now fully activated. Now she could be true to
her promise to the Creator and be the great medicine woman and warrior she was meant to be. Just
as her grandmother had promised her in her dream, she would be a great medicine woman and
warrior of her time. Her family smiled at her and mentally told her they would always be with her.
Slowly the visions of her family, the ancestors and her animal protectors and guides started to fade
away leaving her in a complete state of peace, which she had never felt before. She knew she was
loved and would be protected always until it was her time to join her ancestors and her loved ones.

It felt like only minutes had passed. When in fact it had been several hours since Wolf woman had
entered the sacred lodge, as slowly she felt herself coming out of her vision quest.

As she slowly came back fully aware of her surroundings, she felt a sense of peace, excitement and
joy. She had succeeded and now was ready to continue her training with Thunder Eagle. When she
came out Thunder Eagle was waiting for her. She gave her a new name, which she got in a vision
from the Creator and from that moment on she would be called Rainbow Warrior Thunder Wolf.
She could still use Wolf woman for short if she wanted too. She also gave Wolf woman a new dress
with all the colours of the rainbow, that she had made especially for her. From this day forward this
would be the dress she would be using as a medicine woman. She also gave Wolf woman some
jewellery made from shells and bones she had saved from the different sacred animals. Thunder
Eagle wove Wolf womans hair into one big braid that went down to her hips. She adorned her jet
black hair with beautiful coloured feathers as well.

After Wolf womans healing she gained her weight back and started to look just as beautiful as she
once did, maybe even more beautiful then before the curse was put on her. She had the most
beautiful green eyes that just glowed and twinkled and her skin was a beautiful shade of bronze.
And her cherry pink lips were very voluptuous. Her cheeks just radiated in the sunlight.

Wolf woman was very beautiful indeed and had the admiration of all the warriors in the village. But
Wolf woman had no time for courting and she did not want to make enemies of the women in the
village. She would not allow the story to repeat itself. Her first priority was to be a medicine
woman and keep her promise to the Creator. There would be time for romance in the future, but not
now.
Thunder Eagle taught Wolf woman how to dye her own cloths and what plants and berries to use. In
the weeks and months ahead Wolf woman learned more about herbs, how to scan the body for
illnesses and imbalances using her hands and second site, she learned also about all the healing
ceremonies and Thunder Eagle was very proud of all her accomplishments.

During all those months while she was training as a healer there was a particular warrior who was
interested in her. He was the chiefs son, a brave and warrior named Aditsan, which means
listener. His father had named him after his own father who had been a very well respected and
loved chief. True to his name, he always listened very attentively when someone came to him with
a problem. He was a good orator and very wise as everyone listened to anything he had to say.
Everyone loved him and respected him very much. Adistan taught Wolf woman the stories of his
people. He showed her the sand paintings, which were very important in the healing rituals and
ceremonies. He took her to the sacred mountain caves where there were drawings left by his
ancestors as a warning of the future of the world, prophecies yet to be fulfilled.

He told her the stories of Creation of his people that had been passed on from one generation to
another. The story had been told to him by his father and by his father before him.

Aditsan explained that according to the legends of his people the first world was very dark and
barren. There were insects and the fire god. There was also the first man and the first woman. The
earliest beings ascended into the second world, possibly driven by the god's anger. The people were
well received by the swallow people in the second world, but again they had to move on. In the
second world, the first man struggled with the cat people, who were tricksters.

Driven up to the third world, the beings meet the evil snake people. A being named coyote created
a pair of twins, male and female, and allowed the the fire god to kill them so that they could become
transmitters of life. The coyote created the rivers as well as male and female animals, birds, and
plant life. They all spoke one language.

In the fourth world the union between man and nature was broken. Four mountains were created.

The sexes become separated and got deranged with mutual desire, sexual intercourse, and were
obliged to come back together. There was also a flood caused by the coyote's theft of the water
monster's baby. That is another story for another time. Wolf woman learned all these stories so she
could one day tell the stories to her own little ones, because unlike Thunder Eagle she now wanted a
family of her own.

As time went by Aditsan fell more in love with Wolf woman and wanted to marry her. However,
Wolf woman had made it very clear to Aditsan that she needed to finish her training with Thunder
Eagle as a medicine woman and healer. She explained how she had been cursed by envious women
from her tribe and how Thunder Eagle had healed her. She told him of her promise she had made to
the Creator, the Great Spirit that if she was healed she would be a medicine woman and healer.
Aditsans admiration for Wolf woman grew and he promised to wait for her until she finished her
training and he also promised that even if she became his wife he would not interfere with her
healing vocation and practice. Her love for Aditsan, the chiefs son, grew and she accepted his
marriage proposal with the condition that she would finished her healing training with Thunder
Eagle. So they became engaged.

Aditsan in the meantime started to construct near the river a huge teepee for them to live in, fit for a
chief's son. Next to it he built another one for Wolf womans healing practice and next to the teepee
for her healing practice he built also a sweat lodge. He also made a beautiful healing garden for her,
much bigger than Thunder Eagles. He wanted Wolf woman to have everything she needed to fulfil
her promise to the Great Spirit so that their marriage would be blessed and prosperous.

It had been over a year since Wolf woman had become a member of the tribe and had learned
everything she could from Thunder Eagle. Now she was ready to prove herself as a medicine
woman. Thunder Eagle had given Wolf woman all the herbs and berries for her healing gardens.
She had taught Wolf woman all the healing ceremonies and rituals, including the healing ritual and
prayers, she had used to break the curse to heal her over a year before. She made sure that Wolf
woman knew all the sacred prayers and chants by heart.

She taught Wolf woman the importance of stories in her healing practice. She said that teaching
others by learning to use stories as part of her healing practice was also very important aspect of
being a good medicine woman. Through the years Thunder Eagle through her stories had taught
many lessons to adults and children alike in her tribe. It brought them spiritual healing which was a
very important part of physical healing as well.

Wolf woman was ready to use the new teepee that Adistan had built for her and where she would
start her own healing practice. She and Thunder Eagle consecrated it to the Great Spirit, and burned
all the sacred herbs to remove any negativity and to bring in the good energies so that many would
be healed. They also blessed the teepee that would be her new home with her future husband
Adistan. Her healing gardens were ready with all the healing plants and fruits given to her by
Thunder Eagle and others that she had also brought from her own village. Her grandmother had
taught her as a young child how to use these medicinal plants and herbs for healing. Now they too
were part of her medicine garden. They also blessed the healing gardens so that the Great Spirit
would bless them with a great abundance of herbs, plants and berries for her healing practice.

It was time also to keep her promise to marry Aditsan. So the wedding feast was prepared. Thunder
Eagle had been helping Wolf woman prepare a beautiful dress and jewellery for the occasion of her
wedding in between their lessons. It took many months to make. They also made a special
feathered headdress fit for the future wife of the chiefs son.

Thunder Eagle as the healer of the tribe, did a special ritual with all the traditional herbs and
smudged the couple asking the Great Creator to bless the union. After the special ceremony was
performed the celebration started with music, drumming, singing and dancing. Everyone was
overjoyed for the new couple. Everyone danced around the fire and the feast was served. There was
cornbread made from freshly ground corn and hotcakes made from wheat, lots of dried buffalo and
fish and many different kinds of fruits, nuts and vegetables. There were also sweets made from
honeycombs. Beverages that were made from wild mint and wild berries. Everyone laughed and
danced and the bride and bridegroom handed out the gifts to their guests in gratitude for sharing
this happy moment with them. The couple was happy and you could see from just looking at them
together, that they were made for each other. They just glowed together and their happiness was
contagious. All the pain that Wolf woman had endured in the past was forgotten. Her new life as a
medicine woman and as a wife had just begun. In the arms of her new husband she thanked the
Great Spirit, her ancestors, her guardians and protectors for her new life and for all the blessings she
had received. Now a new journey and path awaited her, the path of the medicine woman and
warrior.
Lessons from this chapter:

My spiritual Mother Crooked Arrow has told me that in order to be a good medicine woman
you must also be a great story teller and I am a medicine woman and storyteller in the
making. I hope you as the reader have enjoyed my story so far and that you will read on the
continued adventures of Wolf's woman's journey as a medicine woman, wife, mother and
grandmother.

The lesson in this story is when there is a will there always is a way and there is nothing we
cannot accomplish if we put our mind to it. That includes healing our bodies, minds and
spirits.

This young orphaned woman with her strong will, courage and determination adapted to her
knew circumstances and succeeded in becoming a medicine woman and warrior. Out of
tradgedy new beginnings and a new life was woven for her. Out of a bleak and tragic
situation it was turned around and it became many blessings all around for her. She had
found a new family and a new life's purpose.

We too can turn things around no matter how bleak our circumstances are. There is an old
saying, 'When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade.'

We can make our soul's purpose by doing what we love and enjoy, then we will be truly happy
and blessed by the Creator. With your creative juices flowing you can bless the lives of many
by your example. You can become a healer and medicine woman if that is the path you have
chosen for yourself. There are many paths to follow.

Listen to you heart, start painting, writing poetry or stories that have lessons, start doing
something creative that will make your heart soar with joy. Become the healer you have
always wanted to be, nothing is stopping you from reaching the stars. Share it with the world
and change the vibration of the earth to one of beauty and love. All it takes is one person to
change their part of the world one ripple at a time. Be the change you want to see in the
world.

Other quotes to live by:

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make
it worth the effort. Herm Albright, quoted in Reader's Digest

The best things in life are unexpected - because there were no expectations. ~Eli Khamarov,
Surviving on Planet Reebok

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. ~Winston Churchill

Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The
amount of work is the same. ~Francesca Reigler

Being in a good frame of mind helps keep one in the picture of health. ~Author Unknown

Make your optimism come true. ~Author Unknown

 Chapter 3, The Healer

After her wedding to Aditsan, Wolf woman for the first few days of her married life, contented
herself fixing the teepee that she shared with her husband near the river. She had also took care of
the teepee that Aditsan had built for her healing practice and the beautiful healing gardens next to
her home, which she tended also every day while her husband went out hunting with the other
braves. Sometimes these hunting expeditions took them several days journey to find the buffalo
herds. So he was away often, as the survival and needs of the tribe came first. She really missed him
when he was away.

Wolf woman desperately wanted to start her healing practice but the villagers still went to Thunder
Eagle for their healing needs, as they still did not trust her as a healer.

Wolf woman would meditate and pray every day in the sweat lodge asking for guidance. She really
wanted to start her practice as a healer. During her meditations she had learned many things. One of
the things she had learned during her times alone in the sweat lodge was how to leave her physical
body and travel to other dimensions in spirit. During her travels she would go to the spirit world
and visit with her grandmother who gave her counsel. Her grandmother Rainbow Hawk Storm
would tell her not to lose heart that soon she was going to be able to use all the knowledge she had
learned as a healer. That it was just a question of time, but for now she needed to learn more about
medicinal plants and tap into all the healing gifts she possessed within her.

These new healing gifts would come to her in time, as all these gifts lay dormant inside her.
However, her grandmother was not allowed by the Great Spirit to tell her exactly what these gifts
were. Wolf woman would have to discover them for herself.

Though the living had still not asked her for her help, the spirits did seek her healing abilities. She
could see across the veil what many could not, as not everyone had their spiritual sight developed.
Many a lost spirit would come to her for help so she could help them join their loved ones in the
other side. These lost souls were earthbound and for some reason they could not see their loved
ones beckoning them to join them in the land of the Great Spirit. Many of these earthbound spirits
had not been ready to die. Quite a few of them were killed by the white man who had murdered
them for their lands. Some of them died from the smallpox disease or from hunting accidents or
other types of disease. They were also a few who had died while battling other tribes.

It was part of Wolf womans purpose to help them cross over. She would open portals for them to
cross over where their loved ones were waiting for them across the veil and help them start their
healing process on the other side. She could see before her these wonderful and beautiful reunions
filled with love and light. She felt overjoyed at being able to help them reunite with their loved
ones. Now they were free and at peace.

Not all the spirits that came to her were ready to cross over. She would patiently wait and with
great compassion hear their personal stories on how they lived and died. Some stories were very
painful to hear, but it was part of her journey as a medicine woman to listen without judgement. She
help them overcome their fears so they too could cross over and join their loved ones.

Despite Wolf womans disappointment at not being a healer to her village she had a lot of work
helping those that had needed her in the spirit world. This was one of her tasks as a healer.

On other days she would go over the lessons she had learned from Thunder Eagle on the uses of the
different healing plants in her gardens. Her tribe had used approximately 450 species of wild plants
for medicinal purposes. Most of them were in Thunder Eagle's and Wolf womans healing gardens.

One of the most important plants she had learned to use was Larrea, which had many healing uses.
It was called by her people the mother of all plants. Larrea was so important as a healing plant
because applied to the skin it provided immediate protection and healing. It was also used for
colds, shingles, allergies, asthma, as a natural antibiotic and anti-inflammatory for venereal diseases
and cancer. Externally it also was used for painful joints and arthritis. It could heal cold sores or
lacerations of the skin. It was also used to relieve pain, headaches, fever and for womens menstrual
cramps. Eventually the leaves would be used as a wash to heal chickenpox sores.

Her grandmother told her the story of Creation of her people, and this important medicinal plant
was also mentioned. The story goes that Larrea was the first plant created by the Great Spirit
shortly after he created the earth itself from soil and His sweat. Larrea was the Earth Makers gift
to the people, realizing that the Earth would often be a harsh place to live. It was to help them
sustain their health. Thunder Eagle told Wolf woman that Larrea was a very important medicinal
plant to other tribes as well.
The different herbs that were commonly used as analgesics were; blue flag, Black American, white
hellebore, slippery elm and partridge berry, also helping to relieve pain.

Herbs that were used as antiseptics or contained antibiotic properties were; hops, horsemint, sundew
and bloodroot.

Herbs that were used for cleansing the skin and making it tighter or looser were; witch hazel,
bearberry, wintergreen, bugleweed, shinleaf, goldthread, striped pipsissewa and tall cinquefoil.

Herbs which were used to calm or strengthening the nerves were; wild cucumber, jimsonweed,
black haw and moccasin flower.

Some of these herbs very poisons and used in the wrong way they could actually kill a person. So
Wolf woman knew she had to be very careful when using these toxic herbs in her healing practice.

Every time medicine was made with these medicinal plants prayers were said for the healing of the
patient. Being a medicine woman took a lot of dedication and mostly love towards their patients.

Some medicinal plants were used to weave blankets and rugs and for the dying. Yucca roots and
water were used to clean wool and the dyes were fixed with Juniper Ash.

One day Thunder Eagle had fallen sick with one of her seizures and Wolf woman had to go take
care of her as this time the seizure had been very strong. These seizures were caused by an accident
she had as a baby. Her mother had accidently dropped her and Thunder Eagle had a nasty blow to
her head and since that time she had started having these seizures where she appeared to be caught
in between two worlds. Thunder Eagle was getting on in age and these seizures seem to be getting
worst and more frequent. The villagers started worrying that Thunder Eagle would not be able to
continue her healing practice.

No one knew exactly why Thunder Eagle from time to time would get these seizures. She started
getting them as a very young child. So Wolf woman prepared Thunder Eagle's medicine and
starting chanting the healing prayers she had learned. In a few days Thunder Eagle was back on her
feet as if nothing had happened.

Once the villages saw that Wolf woman was a very capable healer they also started visiting her as a
healer. Thunder Eagle knew it was time to make the announcement to her tribe. The members of
the tribe were hesitant on what she wanted to tell them. She took Wolf womans hand and
introduced them to their new healer as she was retiring. Thunder Eagle assured them that Wolf
woman was a very capable healer and that she would be able to deal with any emergency that came
her way. Thunder Eagle assured the tribe that she would be available to Wolf woman if she ever
needed her help.

Soon women came to see her when they were pregnant. She was preparing them for childbirth. She
had helped deliver already several babies. Wolf woman was able to give them herbs to accelerate
the birthing process. Some women preferred to give birth lying down while others liked to be in a
sitting or crouching position to push the child down.

Wolf woman realized that these were very uncomfortable positions. Even more for the midwife
who was helping with the delivery of the child while the mother was in this crouching or sitting
position. This position could be dangerous for the child as the baby could be dropped accidently on
the floor and get hurt. Hemorrhaging was to be avoided at all costs as many women died because of
these complications.

During her meditation in her sweat lodge she saw a sort of wooden chair and in the center was a
hole wide enough so the baby could be dropped without being hurt. She saw on the floor a thick
woolen blanket, in case the baby dropped to quickly and the midwife could not get the baby in time.
Which was very unlikely. The chair was not very high either. The back of the chair was padded
with blankets so the mother would be comfortable.

When Wolf woman came out of her meditation she drew a sketch of the birthing chair for her
husband to make for her, when he returned from his hunting trip with the other braves.

When Aditsan came back he was very amazed with her drawing but was a little sceptical if the
contraption would work. But because he loved his wife so much he built it just the same with all the
specifications she had drawn. Wolf woman had sewn several blankets together making a huge
padded blanket that would be in the back of the chair and another one for the floor underneath the
chair. The chair once finished was put in her healing teepee so it could be used the next time a
woman came to her with labour pains and to deliver.

A few days later she was able to use her birthing chair with one of the young girls in the tribe.
Because it was her first pregnancy, the labour was very long. Wolf woman had given the birthing
tea to speed up the process, but just the same the labour took many hours. When it was time to drop
the baby the child came into the world with no effort. The chair proved to be comfortable and an
asset to her healing practice. Just like her grandmother predicted, Wolf woman found knew abilities
within her that would help her healing practice. Her accomplishments as a healer became known
also across the land and people from other tribes came to seek her healing abilities.

One day when Wolf woman could relax she discovered that she had missed several monthly cycles
and her belly was growing. She had been too busy trying to heal all those that were in need of her
help. She did not notice the changes in her own body. She also had to help the spirits that came to
her for help. When she felt the baby move inside her, she knew she would get her wish and start a
family of her own.

Aditsan had noticed she was gaining weight but was too shy to ask her. He felt the utmost respect
for his wife and would never say anything that could hurt or displease her. When he learned that he
was going to be a father, he was completely overjoyed with the news.

During her pregnancy Wolf womans father-in-law, Running Wolf, the chief of the tribe died in his
sleep. So there was nothing Wolf woman could have done to heal her father-in-law. There was
deep sadness in the tribe as they prepared for the burial.

Despite the joy Aditsan felt at the prospect of being a father himself, he was deeply saddened that
his own father had died without seeing the little one soon to be born. Now he had a great
responsibility, as he would have to take over as chief of his tribe and that concerned him also. His
father had always guided his tribe with love and fairness and everyone loved and respected him.
Aditsan was not sure if he could fill his fathers moccasins as chief of the tribe.

Wolf woman assured her husband that he would make a great chief and that he would guide his
people with the same love and fairness. That he should not worry as the counsel of elders would
help him always make the right choices for the good of the tribe.
As the burial custom of the tribe the chiefs body was washed properly and then dressed by his wife
and some of the other women in the tribe. The grave was dug and the funeral had to be held as soon
as possible. For the burial there had to be a total of four braves present, which included Aditsan. All
the belongings of the chief were brought to the grave site by Aditsan. He received help from two of
his braves to help him carry his fathers belonging to the grave site. The last brave warned others
who might walk near the burial site to stay away.

Once the body was buried, Aditsan and the other three braves ensures that all footprints were wiped
clean and the tools used for digging of the grave were destroyed.

When it comes to the burial and funeral rituals of the tribe, there was not much crying it was
believed it could hinder the journey of the chiefs spirit to the afterworld.

A few months later it was time for Wolf woman to deliver. Thunder Eagle would be her midwife.
She drank the birthing tea in order for the birthing process to be quick. She sat in her birthing chair
and waited for her child to be born. Now she knew what it was like for all those women who had
suffered so much to bring their babies into the world.

When her first son was born she cried tears of joy. Her husband Aditsan was completely over
himself with pride and joy. They named their little one Running Wolf after his grandfather, the great
chief. While the baby suckled at his mothers breast, both parents looked at him with pride and
tears in their eyes. One life was taken but a new life was given in it's place.

Wolf woman had other little ones and her family grew. Soon she had ten little ones to look after.
Despite having a large family she never neglected her healing practice. Her name became famous
and she was known by people from other tribes all over the land. By word of mouth these people
heard about her healing abilities and came seeking her to heal them mind, body and spirit.

Wolf woman had a husband and a family to take care of and she also had a huge healing practice.
She was really happy and content in her life. All her dreams had come true.

So Wolf woman made the decision to train other healers in the tribe to help her with her many
patients. However, that will be another story for another time.

Lessons from this chapter:

Wolf womans dreams came true. She was a mother, a wife and a healer and she did not
neglect any of those tasks. She kept her promise to the Creator and was tremendously
blessed.

When we are in Service to the Creator and we love others unconditionally and help them,
everything else in our lives falls into place. We feel happy so we attract all the things we need
to live a comfortable life.

Many people only seeks self-gratification. They know their soul purpose and that they came to
be of service to the Creator, but they use those gifts just to exploit financially those that come
to them for help.
We all need to make a living but we should never use the gifts that Creator gave us for
personal gain. Those spiritual gifts were given freely by the Creator and those gifts should be
offered either for free or at an affordable price.

When we abuse the gifts that the Creator entrusted us with, we will pay the ultimate price for
the laws of cause and effect always in effect.

Use your healing and psychic abilities wisely and never abuse them.

Interesting Lifes Quotes

What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. ~Eleanor Powell

Jim Rohn: Great Quotes on Life

You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or
the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.

J. Krishnamurti, Indian Philosopher: Great Quotes on Life

You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must
read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing and dance, and write
poems, and suffer, and understand, for all that is life.

John Lancaster Spalding: Great Quotes on Life

Your faith is what you believe, not what you know.

Les Brown: Great Quotes on Life

Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life.

Billy Mills: Great Quotes on Life

Your life is a gift from the Creator. Your gift back to the Creator is what you do with your
life.
 Chapter 4, The Teacher

Wolf woman was determined to find help for her healing practice, as she was overwhelmed with
work. Plus she had a family to take care of, her husband Aditsan, the chief of the tribe and her ten
little ones who were getting more mischievous as they grew older. As the wife of the chief she also
had other obligations to tend too. The hours in the day were not enough to take care of all her
responsibilities. Her older ones played pranks on the younger ones and also on their friends, they
were a handful. So Wolf woman had a lot on her plate.
Finding the right candidates would not be an easy task. When she came to Thunder Eagle for her
healing of the curse, Thunder Eagle had already been expecting her as she had seen her coming to
her through a vision. Already Thunder Eagle knew that Wolf woman would become her apprentice
and learn the ancient healing ways of her people.

Wolf woman decided that she would prepare the sweat lodge for a spiritual journey to receive
guidance from the ancients and from the Creator.

The purpose of the sweat lodge was to cleanse, purify and clear old energies. It also was used to
receive guidance. The lodge represented the warmth of the womb.

The cleansing process was not just a physical cleanse, but it was also spiritual, emotional, and
mental through the ancient rituals that were handed down to her people from one generation to
another. The lodge also served as a place for worship, healing and for celebration of special events.
In the tradition of her people it was also held for a vision quest, and other important ceremonies.
This was the way that Thunder Eagle had taught her as well.
To prepare for a sweat, fasting or non eating at least 24 hours before entering the lodge was
recommended. Eating heavily before entering a lodge could cause nausea, vomiting, fainting or
cramping. The sweat lodge was not advisable with people with serious illnesses or conditions.

Wolf woman had her alter outside her lodge 10 feet from the entrance. She had her staff planted in
the center, a buffalo skull, a ceremonial pipe and herbs that were sacred to her people.

She brought in rocks from the heart fire. The heart fire is where the rocks also known as "the
grandfathers," are kept and brought into the lodge. The "the grandfathers," came in all shapes and
sizes, smooth river rocks collected from the river close to her teepee, because they did not bust open
when heated. Wolf woman had chosen some medium and smaller ones for her lodge.

She had prepared the sweet lodge by smudging sage, cedar and sweetgrass. She had taken a special
herbal bath to remove unwanted energies. Next she would proceed to smudge herself with the
sacred herbs to remove any residual negative energy that that had not been cleared by the sacred
bath just as Thunder Eagle had taught her. This time she was using the lodge for a vision quest and
to receive answers on how to proceed to find the right apprentices in order to train them as healers
for the tribe.

The sweet lodge was in the shape of an igloo, tall enough to kneel in and rest the bottom of your
heels. However, the appropriate sitting position was sitting with legs crossed and the back straight,
which was taught to her by her grandmother and Thunder Eagle.

The lodge was made of young sturdy willow tree limbs and covered with several layers of buffalo
skins. It was quite a sturdy structure and was sealed with rocks around the perimeter to keep in the
heat. Aditsan, her husband, had made it big enough to fit at least 5 people.

Wolf Woman kept some water in a jar made from clay inside the lodge so she would not have to
leave the lodge. The water served not only to pour over the hot rocks but also for the purpose of
drinking. All four elements were represented during the sweat; Air (steam), earth, fire and water .
She laid on the floor the sacred herbs sage and cedar, which she would be rubbing on herself before
she started her vision quest to remove unwanted negative energies and negative entities. Then she
would burn some sweetgrass to invite the benevolent spirits to help her on her journey.

According to the tradition of her people the door of the lodge faced the East. The East represented
birth and new beginnings and this is where personal intentions were set. The South represented
childhood and relationships, where you prayed for others. The West, which was the hottest spot,
represented time, death, rebirth and healing where all negative influences were released and where
she prayed for healing for herself and others. The North represented the place of her ancestors. It
embraced the quiet, the wisdom of the ancients. It also represented endurance and gestation while
preparing for rebirth in this area. This is the place you prayed for your ancestors and descendants.

While sweating, Wolf woman asked for strength and guidance. She also asked the Creator, her
ancestors and animal guides to join her so she could find the answers that she sought.

While meditating Wolf woman saw her medicine wheel or sacred hoop. Wolf woman had her
medicine wheel in the tradition of her people in her healing gardens. The medicine wheel
represented the sacred circle of life, its basic four directions (the four Grandfathers of the north,
south, east and west) and elements (air, water, fire and earth). Animal totems served as guardians of
each of the directions. She had four animal totems the bear, buffalo, eagle, and the wolf, which were
also her personal guardians which were the guardians for her medicine wheel. Wolf womans
medicine wheel was a medium size circle. In the center was a smaller circle, which represented the
Creator, the Great Spirit who had bestowed on her many blessings. Around her medicine wheel she
had planted beautiful wild flowers and it was such a beautiful site to look at. Her medicine wheel
was a smaller version of the one that was in her tribe before they got wiped out from the smallpox
brought by the white man. Her current tribe, which had adopted her a few years back, had their
own medicine wheel to represent their own traditions.

In a vision she also saw the great Eagle, which meant he was a messenger of the Great Spirit and
she felt the presence of her grandmother Rainbow Hawk Storm. She heard her grandmothers voice
tell her not to worry that she would find suitable apprentices to train as medicine women and
warriors and that everything would soon fall into place.

Something else was shown to her. A medicine blanket. It was made of homespun cotton thread,
which had been previously dyed. She was shown six circles in the middle of the blanket within
another bigger circle and it was similar to her medicine wheel. Around the circles were four
different animal protectors to show the four direction, north, south, east and west. Wolf woman
was shown how to make the blanket in her vision. She was also shown each stitch of the blanket.
While she saw an invisible hand sewing the blanket, she heard the sacred prayers that should be said
while it was being made. It came to her that each medicine blanket would serve a different purpose,
so each blanket had different animal protectors depending on the purpose of the blanket. There
would be one blanket for healing, one for protection and another one for prayers. So each medicine
blanket had different colors and animal protectors depending on its purpose.

Then in her minds eye she was shown another medicine blanket. She was shown that this was going
to be her very own medicine blanket, a special design just for her. It would be different from the
others. In the middle of the blanket there were stars instead of circles. These represented the star
gods or star visitors who had once descended from the heavens. The star visitors had made an
impact in the development of the culture, spiritual beliefs and ceremonies of her people. There
were many similar stories told also in other tribes across the land. These stories had been passed
from one generation to another. They promised that one day they would return.

In the sacred caves of her people there are pictures painted of these star gods or star visitors on the
walls of the caves. Her ancestors painted them, so that the visit of these star gods would be
recorded for all time.

To teach the little ones about these ancient visitors, her people made dolls that were carved out of
either wood or cottonwood root and painted. They were beautifully dressed with colored cotton
cloths or dyed buffalo skins and dyed feathers. Those artisans of the tribe that made these beautiful
works of art were trained specially to make them. They represented the spirits of plants, animals,
birds, places or the ancestors. They often represented the spirits of animals, who carried the prayers
of her people to the Great Spirit. They also represented the invisible spirits that assisted in the
ordeals of daily life. Some spirits represented by these dolls included the white buffalo, the badger,
the crow and the hawk, just to name a few. The dolls also represented the spiritual messengers that
brought special blessings to her tribe. Dolls were gifted in the hope of future abundance and health
for the receiver, as well as tools for the education of the little ones in the ways of life.

The stars were in a white circle, which represented warmth, peace and happiness and the wisdom of
the elders. Surrounding the white circle was another circle divided into four quarters, which
represented the four elements and also represented the four directions, north, south, east and west or
four grandfathers, which were represented in the colors red, green, blue and yellow.

In the traditions of her people Red represented the Sacred Fire, passion, heart, warmth and
emotions. Yellow represented enlightenment, illumination and inspiration. Green represented
Mother Earth, the giver of all life and it also represented healing. Blue represented cold, calmness,
truth and confidence or trust.

Then around that circle was another circle in all the colors of the rainbow. The rainbow in the
traditions of her people was considered a bridge and called the "Pathway of the Spirits." Her name
as a medicine woman, which was given to her by Thunder Eagle was Rainbow Warrior Thunder
Wolf. So these colors all represented her presence as a medicine woman on the blanket.

A rainbow circle was divided into 4 quarters. On each quarter was a different animal spirit or guide.
In the upper part of the blanket, there was a white buffulo. The buffulo in the traditions of Wolf
womans people represented their spirit and reminded them to always live free and in harmony with
nature. The buffulo was a sacred animal and revered as it gave sustance to her people. It also
represented gratitude, abundance, blessing and prosperity.

The white buffulo had even a more important meaning. The legend of the White Buffalo Calf
Woman was very old indeed, about two 2 thousand moons ago. Passed on from one generation to
another through oral tradition and storytelling. The story is told at Sacred Ceremonies, and by
Storytellers. The white buffulo represented communicating with the Creator through prayer, and
with clear intent of Peace, Harmony and Balance for all things living on Mother Earth.

The Legend explains how Wolf womans people had lost the ability to communicate with the
Creator. The Creator sent White Buffalo Calf Woman to teach the people how to pray with the pipe.
Sacred Ceremonies were given along with the pipe to ensure a future with Harmony, Peace and
Balance.

The legend says that a long, long time ago two young warriors were hunting, when they came
across a beautiful woman dressed in white animal skins. One of them knew that she was a sacred
being. The other one approached her with passion in his eyes and wanted to make her his woman.

As the passionate Warrior approached her with evil intent, a cloud of dust arose from the ground
and covered them from view. When the dust cleared, White Buffalo Calf Woman appeared with a
pile of disintegrating bones that had turned almost to dust, which was the remains of the
disrespectful warrior.

White Buffalo Calf Woman approached the other warrior and explained to him that she had granted
the other braves wish, allowing him, in those few moments, to live a lifetime, die and decay. She
passed on a message to the respectful warrior to take to his people and tell them to pray and prepare
for her arrival. The warrior obeyed and gave his people the message.

When White Buffalo Calf woman arrived, she carried a bundle with her and in it was the sacred
pipe and instructed them in the seven ways to pray. These prayers are said through many of the
sacred ceremonies of Wolf womans people.

When she finished her teachings, she told the people that she would return in the future for the
sacred bundle that she had left behind with them, to restore harmony and balance.

She walked a short distance and looking back at the people and sat down. When she arose she had
become a black buffalo and walking a little further she laid down, this time arising as a yellow
buffalo. The third time she walked a little further and arose as a red buffalo. Her shape shifting into
these different colors represented the colors of the different races of the world. Walking a little
further she rolled on the ground and rose one last time as a white buffalo calf as a symbol of her
promise to Wolf womans people to come back in the future.

The bowl of the pipe handed to Wolf womans people was made out of red stone, representing the
Earth. A buffalo head was carved on the bowl, symbolizing all of the four-legged creatures that
roamed the Earth. The stem was made out of wood and represented every living plant and tree that
grew on the Earth. Twelve eagle feathers hung from the place where the bowl joined the stem,
which symbolized all the flying creatures of the earth. The round stone was made out of the same
red earth as the pipe and had seven circles on it which represented the seven ceremony rites of Wolf
womans people.

The ceremonies included the Sweat Lodge for purification and cleansing, the child naming
Ceremony, the Healing Ceremony to restore health to the body, mind and spirit, the adoption
ceremony for making of relatives, the marriage ceremony, the Vision Quest for communing with the
Creator for direction and answers to lifes problems, and the Sun dance Ceremony to pray for the
well-being of all the People.

On the bottom quarter of the medicine blanket was the bear. It represented protection, freedom,
discernment, courage and power.

On the left quarter of the blanket was the eagle. The eagle connected them to the Great Spirit taking
their prayers to the heavens. It also represented spiritual protection, strength, courage, wisdom and
illumination of spirit.

On the right quarter of the blanket was the wolf. Wolf is the "teacher" of medicine. Wolf also
teaches to adapt to changes to the environment, embracing the coming seasons and the availability
to find food.

Wolf woman came slowly out of her vision quest and now knew what she had to do. She had to
create three medicine blankets one for herself, the one for protection, the other one for healing and
the one for prayers. When people needed these blankets for their healing she would have one made
particularly for their needs. She knew she could not take this task on her own, so she would have to
find her apprentices who would help her weave the blankets as part of their training as medicine
women.

She would start working right away on her own medicine blanket. She knew it would take many
days to make. She would have to work on it at night after she had tended to her familys need.
After she fed her family and put the little ones to bed, she started her task of weaving her medicine
blanket. During the day in between her other tasks and her healing practice, she would dye the
different colors for her blanket from the different plants and berries she had taken from her garden.
She also traded with the other women of the tribe favours so she could get all the cotton thread she
needed for her blanket.

She would sit next to the fire outside of her teepee so she could see what she was doing and she
worked until the early hours of the morning, hardly getting any sleep. Wolf woman was determined
to finish her blanket as soon as possible.

When Wolf woman first became a medicine woman she had also created her medicine bundle for
her healing practice. It contained all the items that she used in her healing ceremonies.

As a wedding present she had also made for Aditsan a new medicine shield. Usually it was made
by the warriors themselves, as symbols of protection and strength in battle or the hunt. However,
she had wanted to make this gift for her future husband. It was adorned with eagle feathers and
animal fur. Aditsans power animal was the black panther, which was depicted on the shield. In
order for a warrior to find their power animal they would have to go to the sacred lodge on a vision
quest. The power animal became their protector and guide for life. The black panther is a symbol of
courage, valor and power.

It was now time for Wolf woman to look for her knew apprentices. She invited all the women in the
village to a gathering at her teepee near the river. She offered them corn bread that she had made
and beverages made from wild berries. More than twenty women showed up.

Out of all the women that showed up only ten volunteered to be her apprentices. So Wolf woman
began teaching them about the herbs, prayers and other healing ceremonies. She insisted that they
learn them all by memory. She would test them to see what they had learned on a daily basis, to
give her insight on how many of the candidates that had volunteered to be her apprentices, which
ones were the most serious. Out of the ten candidates she realized only five were truly serious
about becoming medicine women. So she kept the five most serious candidates and thanked the
rest for their interest and told them that she had made her selection, as she only needed five
apprentices.

The names of the five candidates that she selected were Little Feather, Golden Eagle, Returning
Moon, Running Water and Budding Flower.

She also taught them the purification rituals in the lodge and started showing them how to weave
the medicine blankets for healing, protection and prayers. Each day they learned more and more on
how to become great medicine women and warriors. They assisted her in her healing practice
helping with those that needed healing. Wolf woman was very happy and content that she was not
so overwhelmed with work.

As a graduation present, Wolf woman gave each new medicine warrior a medicine bundle of their
very own. Every day they would come to her teepee to assist her with the large amount of people
that came all over the land for healing.

Wolf woman thought that when she retired one of these medicine women or perhaps all five would
replace her in her village. She was happy because this lifted a great weight from her heart as she
knew her healing practice would be in good hands.
Lessons from this chapter:

And when we are determined and set our mind on a particular goal there is nothing impossible we
cannot achieve. Wolf woman found her apprentices. When we need help we should never let our
pride get in the way, as there is always someone that can help us.

I think of the people who commit suicide on a daily basis. I think of all those wasted lives. There is
nothing totally hopeless that can lead us into taking our lives ,which is a precious gift from the
Creator. When we decide to leave our life from our own hand, we still have to reincarnate and
relive all the chaos we were running away from. Those that commit suicide may become
earthbound because of all the pain and suffering they caused to their loved ones.

There is always someone out there who will give a helping hand. When we have faith in the
Creator all things are possible and will fall into place.

Other life quotes:

There Is Always Hope. by John H. Groberg

What is hope? I suppose that it is like trying to define faith or love; it is very difficult, but we can
use some examples. As near as I can tell, hope is light. It is a light within us that pierces the
darkness of doubt and discouragement and taps into the light (hope) of all creation.

There is always hope. No matter how dismal things appear, no matter how problem-prone we seem
to be, no matter what reversals and setbacks we suffer, there is always hope. Hope is the thing that
keeps us going.
 Chapter 5, The Test

Every day Little Feather, Golden Eagle, Returning Moon, Running Water and Budding Flower
helped Wolf woman with her healing practice, which also included weaving medicine blankets for
those that needed them. More and more patients came from all over the land to be healed. Wolf
woman was very content as she had more time to spend with her family and her husband. Their
children where growing up fairly quickly and were old enough to help their parents. Both Wolf
woman and Adistan started teaching them how to help them with daily chores. The girls learned
from their mother how to weave and sew, wash the cloths, tend to both the vegetable and healing
gardens and how to prepare meals. The boys went out with their father hunting and fishing and
learned how to clean fish and skin and gut the animals that they hunted. They also learned how to
make tools, bows and arrows and how to use them to hunt and fish. A
distan also taught them how to make brush shelters which were used as temporary sleeping
quarters. They were usually shaped as cone and the front was left open as the entrance. They were
not very high so you could not stand up inside as they were just used to keep you safe from
elements while you slept. These shelters were made from a simple wooden cone shaped frame that
was tied with reeds and then covered with branches, leaves and grass. They were very practical and
quick to make as the materials are easily found.

Aditsan was also content that Wolf woman had more time to spare with the family. He also had lots
too do with taking care of the community and providing for their needs which took him and his
braves hunting for the great buffalo, rabbit and deer and also on fishing expeditions. They also
hunted other wild game, which included wild turkey and venison.

Nothing was wasted as they used everything. Antlers were used for tools and arrow points. Skins
were sown into clothing. The meat was preserved by cutting into strips, then seasoned with salt and
other herbs including maple sugar and then placed in the sun and smoked in the fire pits. The
tendons were used for thread and bow strings. Hoofs were made into rattles. The bones were made
into hairpins, needles, skin-dressing tools, handles and ornaments. The bladder of the animals were
used for bags and containers, and the tails for hair ornaments and for embroidery. Feathers were
used as different ornaments for their dresses and ceremonies. The feathers were used with other
materials such as leather, thread, and even animal hair. They often tied it to a lock of hair or
fastened it to a headband.
Farming also supplied their needs and they also gathered wild plants, berries, and nuts. They
collected the berries and nuts from the forests. The women were in charge of taking care of the
gardens and gathering the berries, nuts, roots and other wild plants.

The most widely grown plants were corn, beans, squash, pumpkin and wild rice. Their tribe
considered corn very important in their traditions, stories and ceremonies and called corn one of the
"three sisters". The three sisters are corn, beans and squash. They used to soak the corn in lime
water, which was used to soften the corn into a dough. This was prepared in a diversity of ways to
make porridges and breads. They also grew beans and enjoyed them with corn, meat, and bear fat.
Roots were also widely eaten and were cooked slowly in underground pits until the hard tough roots
became soft.

They harvested great amounts of corn and dried them in heaps upon mats. The excess of corn would
be stored in underground storage pits constructed and lined with grass to prevent it from spoiling
and also for food during the harsh winter months. Other foods were preserved by drying them in the
sun to be used also during the winter months, which were also stored in these underground pits.
They also used this method of preservation with beans, wild rice and other grains.

Maple sugar was also part of their diet. It was drawn from the trees in the woods. Maple sugar was
used to sweeten grains, breads, stews, teas, berries and vegetables.

They also preferred herbal beverages to water. They boiled the water with wild mint leaves before
drinking it. They also added lemonade berries to water to make a pleasantly sour drink and used
maple sugar as a sweetener. Sassafras in teas was also a favourite and was also used as medicinal
drinks. Soups were flavoured and thickened with corn silk and dried pumpkin.

Among the braves that accompanied Adistan hunting and fishing, there was Black Hawk. Black
Hawk was very envious of Adistan and had always resented him ever since they were children and
even more because he was the chief of the community. His hatred of Adistan grew each day as
more and more Black Hawk noticed that the community loved and respected him. They were very
grateful for everything he did for their community.

Black Hawk decided he needed to find a way of getting back at Adistan and become chief, so he
decided to go to a rival tribe where he had heard there was a really dark witch that had powerful
magic. Adistan had managed to keep the peace with this rival tribe and made many attempts to
befriend them. However, the attempts that Adistan had made to befriend them had failed as they
just avoided each other. So each tribe made great efforts to avoid each other so there would not be a
war.

Black Hawk managed to convince the chief of the tribe that the only way that both tribes would be
able to live in peace and harmony with each other was to get rid of Adistan so he could take his
place. He made all sorts of promises to the chief that he knew he would never keep, but it was just
as a means of getting his way.

Black Hawk was a very self-centred person and he was like this ever since he was a child. Being an
only child his parents had spoiled him endlessly. He always had to get his own way or he would get
into these huge screaming fits and tantrums until his parents gave in. They just loved him so much
they thought they were looking out for his best interests. They did not realize that what he needed
was discipline. Other parents just shook their heads in dismay when they saw the way that Black
Hawk manipulated his parents. However, they decided it was none of their business and never
intervened or said a word about their parenting skills. Maybe if they had Black Hawk would not
have turned out the way he did and they could have avoided many heartaches for Adistan and the
tribe.

Black Hawks parents never thought that their actions would eventually turn their beloved and only
son into a very wicked and mean person. This goes to show that it is not good to give in to our
childrens every whim as it turns them into egotistical adults later in life. When we love our children
we have to teach them values in order for them to become balanced and loving adults.

Believing Black Hawks smooth talk he allowed him a visit with their medicine healer, which was
also a witch doctor who practised the dark arts. There is good and evil in the world and there is
always a battle going on between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. All good healers
knew that in order to be a good healer and practise good medicine you should never harm anyone.
The law of one states treat others as you would like to be treated and never harm another human
being. But that did not apply to certain healers who were basically evil and did not apply these truth
in their healing practises. They conjured evil spirits to help them. So Black Hawk told the witch
doctor about his plan to kill Adistan with some sort of poison. The witch doctor agreed to help him.

In the meantime ever since Thunder Eagle had retired she spent her retirement tending to her
healing gardens and spending time with the little ones of the village telling them stories of her life
and healing experiences. She also told them the stories that had been passed on to her people from
one generation to another. She was a great storyteller and always had the little ones captivated with
her stories. Thunder Eagle also played games with them and made them kachinas in order to teach
them lessons. She would also assisted Wolf woman from time to time in her healing practice when
Wolf woman could not heal a difficult case. Thunder Eagle was very happy though sometimes she
missed her healing practice. However, she knew as she grew older she needed to also take care of
her health.

And little did Thunder Eagle and Wolf woman or the rest of the tribe know that Black Hawk had
gone for bad medicine to their rivals village so that he could get rid of their beloved Adistan. They
all though Black Hawk was a very self-centred person but they truly did not know how deep his
hate for Adistan had grown. They thought that the problems they had as children had been solved a
long time ago. However, Black Hawk was very good at keeping his true feelings hidden and his
temper in check. He never showed anyone how he truly felt about Adistan and was very good as
being a great deceiver. It was not for nothing that one of his animal totems was the opossum. In
their cultural traditions the opossum was considered a strategist, a deceiver.

The witch doctor gave Black Hawk a concoction that would make Adistan very ill and eventually
kill him. The witch doctor, unknown to Black Hawk had his own evil plans. The witch doctor had
summoned very evil spirits of other witch doctors who roamed the earth looking for unsuspected
victims in order to possess their body. Once Adistan was dead they would later possess his body.
In order for this to happen he used very poisonous plants to kill Adistan and once Adistan died and
his spirit left his body, the evil spirits would take over his body. One of the plants he used was
rhododendron. Rhododendron is a shrub that has tough, glossy, evergreen leaves and produces
large, showy flowers with five white, pink or red petals. The medicine man knew that the toxins in
this plant caused gastric and cardiac distress. Within six hours of ingestion it gives stomach colic,
tremors, along with cardiac arrhythmia. He also knew that if enough of the plant was ingested, the
person could collapse and die. He also used milkweed, which is a tall stem that oozes a milky sap
and produces pods containing a silky hair seeds. Milkweed causes faltering, rapid and weak pulse,
coma and death within hours of ingestion. He also knew the antidote for these poisonous plants,
which only a very good medicine healer would know as it was not common knowledge. The
antidote to these poisonous plants had to be given right away and if the person survived these
poisons the evil spirits could still possess the body of the victim as the victim's body was just to
weak to fight them. Either way Adistan would be doomed.

All Black Hawk had to do was to put this poison in Adistans food or a drink and the concoction
would do the rest. Black Haw just kept thinking that soon he would realize all his dreams of
becoming the next chief as he was the next one in line as Adistans children were still to young to
become the next chief. No one would ever suspect him of being responsible for the death of their
beloved chief. Nothing would ever be traced back to him.

So one evening Black Hawk invited Adistan to his teepee to have food and drinks. He made his
newly wedded wife, one of the fairest maidens in the tribe, prepare the meal. He never told his bride
of his plan, so she was an innocent party to this act of treason. He told Adistan that the reason he
was asking him over was to discuss certain ideas of how to improve their hunting skills and made it
sound very interesting to Adistan. So Adistan never suspected anything. While his wife was serving
the meals he requested her to go fetch some more water from the river and he would take care of
their guest and finish serving the food and drinks. This was Black Hawks opportunity to put the
poison in the food which would mask the taste of the poisons. He made sure his bride had put lots
of different herbs so that Adistan could not taste the poison and if he made a comment that the food
did not taste good he would blame her for not being such a good cook. His plan was perfect.

Adistan ate the food without suspecting anything. He found that the food tasted a bit odd but never
said anything in order not to offend his host as he did not want to start a fight with Black Hawk.

Later that evening after he had retired to bed he started feeling ill. Right away Wolf woman got
concerned and started giving him herbs from her medicine bag. But instead of Adistan getting
better, he started getting worst and went into a coma. Wolf woman was really scared. She knew her
husband was dying and she did not know what medicine to give him for his ailment. She found it
strange that he was all right until he went to Black Hawks teepee for dinner. However, despite
suspecting Black Hawk of having something to do with her husbands mysterious illness and
confronting him with her suspicions she went to visit Thunder Eagle instead to ask her for her help.

Right away Thunder Eagle intuited that Adistan had been poisoned. She decided not to waste any
time and went into the lodge on a vision quest.

In her vision quest her ancestors showed Thunder Eagle the type of poisonous plants used to poison
Adistan and they also showed her the evil spirits that had taken refuge in his body waiting for his
spirit to leave his body so that they could take over. The ancestors cautioned her about the evil
spirits and gave her instruction on how to heal him.
Leaving her lodge, Thunder Eagle went to the task of preparing the antidote. She had all the herbs
in her healing gardens.

She then took the preparation she had made for Adistan and poured some into his mouth. Wolf
woman and Thunder Eagle had to pry his mouth open as he was still in a coma and pour down the
liquid slowly into his mouth so he would not choke to death.

Then Thunder Eagle asked Wolf woman to leave the teepee. Wolf woman protested that she needed
to be there close to her husband in order to help her. Thunder Eagle insisted Wolf woman leave.
Thunder Eagle knew how dangerous this ceremony would be in order to remove the evil spirits
from Adistans body. Thunder Eagle had not told Wolf woman about the evil spirits in order not to
worry her. It would only remind her of the past when she had been plagued by evil spirits herself.

Thunder Eagle summoned her ancestors and asked her protectors to be with her during this
dangerous healing ceremony. She started burning the sacred herbs and then took out her medicine
rattle and started chanting. Her idea was to trick the evil spirits into thinking that they could possess
her body instead of Adistans. Once they left his body she would use all her energy and power to
send them to the earths core where they could do no more harm.

After about a half-hour of chanting the evil spirits came out of Adistans body. Thunder Eagle had
managed to trick them into believing that they could possess her body and take over her power and
body.

With all her power and energies she sent the evil spirits to the earths core. However, just as she
was done succeeded in sending them to the earths core, Thunder Eagle collapsed of a massive heart
attack and dropped dead. Wolf woman found Thunder Eagles body sprawled on the floor dead next
to her husband who was laying on his mat padded with blankets. Wolf woman checked her husband
and noticed that he had come out of the coma but was still unconscious. However, Wolf woman
could tell that the danger of him dying was over. The antidote for the poison that Thunder Eagle had
given him had succeeded in curing him, but at what cost. With tears in her eyes she knelt next to
the body of her friend, teacher and healer. This was the huge test for Wolf woman. She did not want
to feel guilty for her friends death, but she did. If only she had known that Thunder Eagle had a
weak heart she would have never allowed her friend to do the healing ceremony alone. However,
Thunder Eagle was a very stubborn woman and had insisted that she leave the teepee. If only she
had listened to her heart instead. Now her friend was gone.

Wolf woman started chanting the ancestral ritual for the dead. It was a custom of her people to use
this ritual to guide the spirit of the dead back to the spirit world to the land of their ancestors.

It was time to ask for the help of Little Feather, Golden Eagle, Returning Moon, Running Water and
Budding Flower in order to wash and prepare the body for burial. They would also would have to
gather all of Thunder Eagles personal belonging so that they could be buried with her.

The tribe was in shock and everyone had tears in their eyes. Not only their beloved chief was
brought back from the brink of death, but their beloved healer and friend had died trying to save
him. Even the little ones were crying, they could not believe their teacher was gone. All the children
called her grandma. Thunder Eagle had considered all the tribe as her family. Everyone had
considered her also as kin.

Adistan was already awake but no one told him what had happened. He was still too weak to learn
the truth about what had happened. Wolf woman was taking care of him with the help of her
daughters. Once his strength was back she would tell him the truth and about her suspicions
regarding Black Hawk about being the culprit of almost causing his death and indirectly causing the
death of Thunder Eagle. For now what was important was to give Thunder Eagle a burial fit for a
woman of her status.

After they washed and bathed Thunder Eagles body, they dressed her in her ceremonial cloths, the
ones she used for special healing ceremonies and even put on her feather headdress.

Wolf woman asked three braves to dig the grave. After the grave was dug the funeral had to be held
as soon as possible. For the burial there had to be a total of four people present just as there had
been for Adistans father, the previous chief.

Wolf woman would be the forth person as was the custom of her people. If her husband had been
well he would have been the fourth brave at the burial site, but he was still very weak. All of
Thunder Eagles belonging were brought to the grave site by Wolf woman. She was helped by one
of the braves while the other two carried Thunder Eagles body to the grave site. Then the brave
that had helped her with Thunder Eagles belonging went back in order to warn others who might
walk near the burial site to stay away.

Once Thunder Eagles body was buried, Wolf woman and the three braves ensured that all
footprints were wiped clean and the tools used for digging of the grave were destroyed.

At the burial site there was not much crying as it was believed it could hinder Thunder Eagles
journey to the afterworld.

After the burial Wolf woman and the three braves headed back to their village to rest and to eat.
The village was making a special ceremonial dinner to celebrate the life of their beloved friend and
healer Thunder Eagle who would never be forgotten. The stories of this wonderful healer would be
passed on from one generation to another and would live on in their hearts for ever.

Lessons from this chapter:

As you can see Thunder Eagle loved her tribe so much that she would have done anything to save
their lives and it did cost her life when she saved Adistan from death. Love is all there is. This was
also a test for Wolf woman. She had to make a choice as she did not follow her heart, instead she
listen to her mind as Thunder Eagle asked her to leave the teepee. Perhaps if she had stayed maybe
there would have been another outcome to this story and Thunder Eagle might be alive. We will
never know. However, Thunder Eagle gave her life out of love. She would have done so even if she
had known she had a weak heart because that was the kind of special woman she was. She loved the
Creator, she loved Mother Earth and she loved everyone even her enemies. We need to learn a lot
from this courageous medicine warrior.
Special Quotes:

Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is.
Gary Zukav quotes (American best selling author)

Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope. Josh Billings

Jealousy, that dragon which slays love under the pretence of keeping it alive. Havelock Ellis

Hatred ever kills, love never dies. Such is the vast difference between the two. What is obtained by
love is retained for all time. What is obtained by hatred proves a burden in reality for it increases
hatred. Mohandas K. Gandhi

Some Indian quotes

" Do not hurt your neighbor, for it is not him you wrong but yourself." The Shawnee

"We do not want riches. We want peace and love." Red Cloud 1870

"Youth is impulsive. When our young men grow angry at some real or imaginary wrong... it denotes
their hearts are black..." Seattle

"The path of glory is rough and many gloomy hours obscure it. May the Great Spirit shed light on
yours." Black Hawk 1833

"The man who sat on the ground in his tipi meditating on life and its meaning, accepting the kinship
of all creatures and acknowledging unity with the universe of things, was infusing into his being the
true essence of civilization." Chief Luther Standing Bear

" There is one God looking down on us all. We are all children of one God. God is listening to me.
The sun, the darkness, the winds, are all listening to what we now say." Geronimo

"Certain small ways and observances sometimes have connection with large and more profound
ideas." Standing Bear

"Civilized people depend too much on man-made printed pages. I turn to the Great Spirit's book
which is the whole of his creation." Tatanga Mani

"Once you have heard the meadowlark and caught the scent of fresh-plowed earth, peace cannot
escape you." Sequichie

" We see the changes of day and night... the season, the stars, the moon, the sun. Anyone must know
it is the work of some one more powerful than man. " Chased-By-Bears

"As a child I understood how to give; I have forgotten this grace since I became civilized" Ohiyesa
"Each man is good in His sight. It is not necessary for eagles to be crows." Sitting Bull

" Where life is easy, complex patterns of life can develop. Cooweescoowee

" The reason Wakan Tanka does not make two birds...or two human beings exactly alike is because
each is placed here... to be an independent individual to rely on himself." Okute

"Do right always. It will give you satisfaction in life." Wovoka 1889

" Even as you desire good treatment, so render it." Handsom Lake

"What is life? it is the flash of a firefly in the night... it is the little shadow which runs across the
grass and loses itself in the sunset." Crowfoot 1821

"Misfortunes do not flourish particularly in our path. They grow everywhere." Big Elk

"We must help one another and the Great Spirit will help us both." Pied Riche

The path to glory is rough and many gloomy hours obscure it. May the Great Spirit shed light on
yours." Black Hawk

" In the Indian the spirit of the land is still vested; it will be until other men are able to divine and
meet its rhythm." Standing Bear
 Chapter 6 , Adistans Recovery and the Punishment

Adistan slowly started to make a recovery, as the days passed he became stronger and stronger after
his ordeal.

When he was strong enough Wolf woman told him how he became ill and almost died, also who
was responsible for almost costing him his life.

Adistan, once he knew the truth became very angry at Black Hawk as he was responsible for
Thunder Eagle's death. He felt much hatred in his heart.

However, Wolf woman who despite losing her friend, felt no hate or ill feelings towards Black
Hawk and counseled Adistan and reminded him that Thunder Eagle had given her life gladly to
save his. That if she was alive she would haved scolded him for harboring these feelings. Wolf
woman told Adistan that Thunder Eagle was now in the land of her ancestors with the Great Spirit
and that she was happy and looking out for her people. She also reminded him that we never truly
die, that we just move from one state of existence to another as the soul never dies.
Since Adistan respected his wife so much, he paid attention to everything she was saying. Wolf
woman came up with a solution on how to deal with Black Hawk. Wolf woman did not want
Adistan or her tribe to have blood on their hands as this was not the way of her people.

Her solution was to disown him from the tribe and to never ever talk about him again. No one
would ever mention his name and this was a great punishment. He would be stripped of all his
property and because he had a wife and children that had nothing to do with his evil ways, they
would be allowed to stay and keep everything. He would be sent away with just the clothing on his
back, a knife and his bow and a few arrows in order to hunt. It would be up to him to survive on his
own means as nothing else would he be allowed to take, not food or water as this was part of his
punishment.

This was a very compassionate way of dealing with this act of treason, as Black Hawk would have
been killed if he had been a member of another tribe. These types of acts of treason are not
tolerated. But he was fortunate to belong to a tribe which was peaceful, compassionate and
respected all of life.

Wolf woman at the request of Adistan called the counsel of Elders. They gathered in Adistans and
Wolf womans teepee as he was still recovering from his ordeal. Both Adistan and Wolf woman
told the counsel of Elders their proposition on how to deal with Black Hawk. They all agreed and
respected Adistan and Wolf woman and thought they were right in not to have blood on their hands.

So Adistan and the Counsel of Elders called in Black Hawk. Wolf woman was allowed to stay
despite being a woman as she was respected for her wisdom. Black Hawk came in front of the
counsel escorted by several braves of the tribe. His hands were bound and he had been stripped of
all his feathers and other regalia which had been passed on to him by his father. Which in turn had
been given to him by his own father, Black Hawks grandfather. They just basically left the cloths
on his back, which would be the only cloths he was allowed to take.

They did not allow Black Hawk to speak. They had gagged his mouth as well. They just told him,
his punishment for trying to kill Adistan and for being responsible Thunder Eagles death.

He would be taken far away from the tribe and just left to fend for himself. He would not be
allowed to take his horse or anything else except for his knife, his bow and a few arrows. There
was hate in Black Hawks eyes for Adistan, for Wolf woman and for the whole counsel of elders.

The sentence would be carried out by the braves that had brought him in front of the counsel.

They took him on a horse bounded and gagged until they would set him free. It was many days
journey into the dessert where they would leave him. Before he left all the village had gathered and
when he was leaving he was not allowed to say good-bye to his wife and little ones. They were told
to disown him and never mention his name again. Because they did not want to suffer the same
fate as Black Hawk they followed the orders of the counsel of elders. One by one the villagers
started to turn around and give him their backs as a symbol that he was dead to them and that his
name would never be mentioned again.

The braves carried out the sentence and left Black Hawk in the dessert and he just looked at them as
they departed and they did not even utter a word.

Black Hawk was never seen or heard from again and the tribe never, ever mentioned his name
again.
Adistan recovered completely from his ordeal and he and wolf woman continued their lives as if
nothing had happened and remembered Thunder Eagle in their hearts. The tribe prospered and
everyone in the tribe lived happily and the incident was soon forgotten.

The Lesson from this chapter, the laws of cause and effect: Karma and forgiveness:

"True karma is true cause and effect, not perceived cause and effect."

"Cause and effect reaches into all kingdoms in all spheres. Even a plant operates under this
law but the dynamics of the law as it affects the lower kingdoms are much more subtle as far
as karma goes."

"The dead and the living have a karma that is intertwined, and they must work together in
the flesh again to correct the problems of the planet."

"When we thus increase our power to serve, we increase our power to pay off karma."

"Forgiveness releases yourself from guilt and grievances but does not negate karma."

"When the initiating cause is love in the direction of another human being, we then have the
effect (karma) of love coming back to us from an opposite direction."

"When I have sacrificed to help others I had love in mind rather than karma."

"I see that when I create cause, like effect is at the door. I do not seek to gather to myself more
than the effects that I create."

"Both separation AND oneness are effects initiated by some cause."

"Love and forgiveness are causes which produce the effects of joy and peace and thus the law
of Dominating Good works through cause and effect for the long term benefit of all."
 Grandmother Wolf Woman
The Last Chapter

Grandmother Wolf woman also known as Rainbow Warrior Thunder Wolf was a great storyteller.
The children called her Grandmother Wolf woman, a shorter version of her name, as they found her
name to long.

Grandmother Wolf woman would gather all the children of the village and tell them how a great
medicine woman named Thunder Eagle healed her from a terrible curse. Thunder Eagle had long
since died and Grandmother Wolf woman had become the village healer.

Some envious women in the village where she used to live put the curse on her. They hired a witch
doctor from another village. Grandmother Wolf still prays for the souls of these women as they
continue to remain in the land of Shadows where they have no peace.

She told the children how the medicine warrior, Thunder Eagle removed the curse and how she
herself was instructed as a medicine woman and warrior and healed many people who came from
all over the land looking for ways of resolving their physical, spiritual and mental illnesses. The
children just loved this story and always asked her to repeat it every time they saw her. They wanted
to hear how she was healed and how she became a great healer herself. Thunder Eagle was a great
legend in the village and she was a great healer and medicine warrior.

Now that Grandmother Wolf Woman had retired from her healing practice as she had trained many
more healers to continue her work, she became a great storyteller. She loved to gather all the
children of the village in her healing gardens and tell them stories, so they too would grow up to be
great healers and storytellers and take care of the land.

She had a very beautiful healing garden with all kinds of flowers, herbs and fruits close to her
teepee. She lived in her teepee alone as her husband Adistan, the chief had crossed over to be with
the Great Spirit. All her children where married and had little ones of their own. She had ten
children, five girls and five boys. Each one of them had ten little ones, so she had fifty
grandchildren in all. Some of her grandchildren had married and were starting to raise their own
families. Soon Grandmother Wolf Woman would be a great grandmother as well and her family was
growing each day and this made her very proud and happy.

Next to her teepee was the river she loved so much, as she enjoyed going to the river to listen to the
sounds of nature and meditate. This is where she got her visions of the future. Since the white man
came with the smallpox disease and other plagues the disease had wiped out whole villages. They
had also started desecrating and pillaging the lands of her ancestors. This made Grandmother Wolf
Woman very sad.

Her visions of the future showed her many terrible things that would come to her people and to the
land caused by the greed of the white man. Since they had pillaged and desecrated their own lands
far away crossing the sea, they discovered the land of grandmother Wolf womans ancestors. Now
they were looking for gold and other riches to enrich themselves with. They wanted all the natural
resources that they had discovered at any cost, including human lives.

Grandmother Wolf womans people just took from the land what they needed to survive and they
respected Mother Earth and all creation. Giving thanks to the earth was very important to them.
Their gratitude was often expressed through elaborate dancing ceremonies or celebrations. Every
living being was honoured and respected. When an animal needed to be sacrificed for food and
clothing it was always done with the outmost respect. Dance tunes were played on bone flutes and
drums were used as well in these sacred ceremonies, as participants gave thanks to the sacred
animals for giving its life to the tribe. Thanks were specially given to the sacred buffalo whose meat
and skins were vital to the tribes survival. They made special ceremonies to honour Mother Earth
because she is a mother of all living entities. She nurtures all her children and gives them all things
they need to survive including the mountains, trees, animals, grass, food, and the herbs to heal all
infirmities. She nurtures all creatures as she also provides for their needs as well.

Grandmother Wolf woman and her people also believed in the afterlife and that both worlds, the
land of the living and the land of the departed where interconnected. She and her people did not
view death as the end of an individuals presence in the community. When she worked as a
medicine woman and warrior it was Grandmother Rainbow Warrior Thunder Wolfs job also to
appeal to those who had gone before them, deceased family members, and the great spirits that
guided the tribe in order to assist those in need of their care. They also believed in malevolent
spirits. From Grandmothers experience with them, they cause harm to those in the mortal world.
It was a terrible feeling to be plagued by these entities as she remembers the curse of her youth.

It was thanks to the dream she had where her grandmother told her about the medicine woman and
she let her intuition guide her to her new life. Her gratitude to the Great Spirit and to ancestors, her
protectors and guides the Eagle and the Wolf, who helped find Thunder Eagle so she could be
cured. She kept her promise to the Creator that if she was cured that she would become a medicine
woman. Now she was keeping her promise to train new protectors and healers who would be the
keepers of the land.

The ancient prophecies talked about the future of mankind and they told her people to watch for the
signs and wrote them in the sacred cave walls for future generations to decipher when the time was
right. Her people where the keepers of these sacred sites. Grandmother Wolf knew that some of
the prophecies had already come to pass with the appearance of the white man.

The First sign: It warned of the arrival of savage and selfish white-skinned men, who would seize
lands that they do not own and mercilessly struck their enemies down.

The Second Sign: The lands would behold the rolling wheels filled with voices. The sign was
fulfilled when the white men with their families in wagons crossed the meadows.
The Third sign: a beast with strong horns like a buffalo would conquer the land, which was the
coming of the white mens cattle.

Grandmother Wolf woman as one of the protectors of these sacred caves knew of the other
signs but did not understand them. One of her grandchildren, her grandson Hawk was one of the
guardians just as his grandfather the great chief Adistan had been. He in turn would have to chose
someone else to be their caretaker in the future.

Hawk had also been trained as a medicine man, the first man in his village to follow in his
grandmothers footsteps as he had shown interest in the healing arts as a child. As a child he could
see spirits and animal guides and was very attuned to mother nature and the signs of the land. His
animal spirit guide was also the eagle and wolf, just like his grandmother. He had showed no
interest in hunting or fishing like the other braves of the village and that made his father and
grandfather Adistan very upset. When he showed interest in Grandmother Wolf womans healing
gardens and medicine practice she new right away that he would follow in her path as none of her
children showed any real interest in becoming healers. This made grandmother Wolf woman very
proud and she told everyone to back off and leave the boy alone as his calling from the Great Spirit
was to follow in her footsteps and be a great healer. Everyone respected Grandmother Wolf
womans advice and no one dared contradict her when she was set in her ways as she could get
really upset. Grandmother Wolf woman commanded respect in her village and she has shown to be
one of the best healers ever known in the land just as the legendary healer Thunder Eagle. Hawk
had a very strong alley in Grandmother Wolf woman and he also became a great medicine warrior
and healer for his tribe.

That is why these young ones were so important to Grandmother Wolf because one day when she
was no longer on the earth plane and was gone to join her ancestors, some of them would be the
future protectors of the sacred caves. Some of them would be trained healers for the village.

In the meantime, Grandmother wanted to instill in the little ones the same love she had for the land.
She told the little ones the same stories that were passed down and handed from one generation to
another. These were the same stories that her own Grandmother and Adistan had taught her when
she became part of his clan. This was the story of creation.

The "Holy Supreme Wind" being created by the mists of lights arose through the darkness to
animate and bring purpose to the myriad Holy People, supernatural and sacred in the different three
lower worlds. All these things were spiritually created in the time before the earth existed and the
physical aspect of man did not exist yet, but the spiritual did. In the first world the insect people
started fighting with one another and were instructed by the Holy People to depart. They journeyed
to the second world and lived for a time in peace. Eventually they fought with each other and were
instructed to depart. In the third world the same thing happens again and they are forced to journey
to the fourth world. In the fourth world, they found the Hopi living there and succeeded in not
fighting with one another or their neighbors, and their bodies were transformed from the insect
forms to human forms. First man and First woman physically appear in the narrative here by being
formed from ears of white and yellow corn, but they were also created back in the beginning. There
is a separation of male and female humans because each did not appreciate the contributions of the
other, and this laid the ground work for the appearance of the Monsters that would start to kill off
the people in the next world. Coyote, the trickster, also appears and steals the baby of water
monster, who brings a great flood in the third world which primarily forces the humans as well as
Holy People to journey to the surface of the fifth world through a hollow reed. Some things are left
behind and some things are brought to help the people re-create the world each time they entered a
new one. Death and the Monsters are born into this world as is Changing Woman who gives birth to
the Hero Twins, called "Monster Slayer" and "Child of the Waters" who had many adventures in
which they helped to rid the world of much evil. Earth Surface People, mortals, were created in the
fourth world, and the gods gave them ceremonies, which are still practised today.

Grandmother Wolf told the little ones that there were other versions of the story from many
different tribes, but those other stories she would tell them another time. She then collected the
little ones and gave each one a gift, something she had made herself to remind them that they were
healers and protectors, keepers of the earth. Each little one got a kachina doll made from scraps of
skins that she kept. She had tinted them with berries and other plants from her garden through the
years. The dolls represented the rainbow warriors, the keepers of the land. This was her last gift to
them.

One day not too long after this, Grandmother Wolf woman just went to sleep and never woke up
from the dream land. Just as she has buried her loved ones in the past, her tribe honoured her life
and buried her body in the sacred way of her people with all her belongings with her. She became
a great legend as a healer of her tribe and to this day they talk about Wolf woman also known as
Rainbow Warrior Thunder Wolf and about Thunder Eagle and how they were great medicine
warriors and healers of their time.

We as the collective have destroyed the land. And we as the collective must do everything we can
to save Mother Earth and all Creation.

Lessons from this last chapter:

CREE PROPHECY

Warriors of the Rainbow

Last century an old wise woman of the Cree Indian nation, named "Eyes of Fire", had a
vision of the future. She prophesied that one day, because of the white mans' or Yo-ne-gis'
greed, there would come a time, when the earth being ravaged and polluted, the forests being
destroyed, the birds would fall from the air, the waters would be blackened, the fish being
poisoned in the streams, and the trees would no longer be, mankind as we would know it
would all but cease to exist. There would come a time when the "keepers of the legend,
stories, culture rituals, and myths, and all the Ancient Tribal Customs" would be needed to
restore us to health, making the earth green again. They would be mankind's key to survival,
they were the "Warriors of the Rainbow". There would come a day of awakening when all the
peoples of all the tribes would form a New World of Justice, Peace, Freedom and recognition
of the Great Spirit.

The "Warriors of the Rainbow" would spread these messages and teach all peoples of the
Earth or "Elohi". They would teach them how to live the "Way of the Great Spirit". They
would tell them of how the world today has turned away from the Great Spirit and that is why
our Earth is "Sick".

The "Warriors of the Rainbow" would show the peoples that this "Ancient Being" (the Great
Spirit), is full of love and understanding, and teach them how to make the "Earth or Elohi"
beautiful again. These Warriors would give the people principles or rules to follow to make
their path light with the world. These principles would be those of the Ancient Tribes. The
Warriors of the Rainbow would teach the people of the ancient practices of Unity, Love and
Understanding. They would teach of Harmony among people in all four corners of the Earth.

Like the Ancient Tribes, they would teach the peoples how to pray to the Great Spirit with
love that flows like the beautiful mountain stream, and flows along the path to the ocean of
life. Once again, they would be able to feel joy in solitude and in councils. They would be free
of petty jealousies and love all mankind as their brothers, regardless of color, race or religion.
They would feel happiness enter their hearts, and become as one with the entire human race.
Their hearts would be pure and radiate warmth, understanding and respect for all mankind,
Nature and the Great Spirit.

They would once again fill their minds, hearts, souls, and deeds with the purest of thoughts.
They would seek the beauty of the Master of Life - the Great Spirit! They would find strength
and beauty in prayer and the solitude of life.

Their children would once again be able to run free and enjoy the treasures of Nature and
Mother Earth. Free from the fears of toxins and destruction, wrought by the Yo-ne-gi and his
practices of greed. The rivers would again run clear, the forests be abundant and beautiful,
the animals and birds would be replenished. The powers of the plants and animals would
again be respected and conservation of all that is beautiful would become a way of life.

The poor, sick and needy would be cared for by their brothers and sisters of the Earth. These
practices would again become a part of their daily lives.

The leaders of the people would be chosen in the old way - not by their political party, or who
could speak the loudest, boast the most, or by name calling or mud slinging, but by those
whose actions spoke the loudest. Those who demonstrated their love, wisdom and courage and
those who showed that they could and did work for the good of all, would be chosen as the
leaders or Chiefs. They would be chosen by their "quality" and not the amount of money they
had obtained. Like the thoughtful and devoted "Ancient Chiefs", they would understand the
people with love, and see that their young were educated with the love and wisdom of their
surroundings. They would show them that miracles can be accomplished to heal this world of
its ills, and restore it to health and beauty.

The tasks of these "Warriors of the Rainbow" are many and great. There will be terrifying
mountains of ignorance to conquer and they shall find prejudice and hatred. They must be
dedicated, unwavering in their strength, and strong of heart. They will find willing hearts and
minds that will follow them on this road of returning "Mother Earth" to beauty and plenty -
once more.

The day will come, it is not far away.

The day that we shall see how we owe our very existence to the people of all tribes that have
maintained their culture and heritage. Those that have kept the rituals, stories, legends and
myths alive. It will be with this knowledge, the knowledge that they have preserved, that we
shall once again return to "harmony" with Nature, Mother Earth and mankind. It will be
with this knowledge that we shall find our "Key to our Survival".