My Inner Voice
Here I share with you songs, poems, meditationsfrom my Inner Voice, "Ilumani". Love is the music of my heart.
As I was driving over the Veterans' Memorial Bridge, I spotted what appeared to be a hawk laying right on the line between two of the lanes. I had already passed it before I totally comprehended the situation. I spoke aloud addressing Spirit that I would return as quickly as I could a retrive the dead bird from the roadway as I could not stop right them to move it off of the road.
I returned over the opposite bridge and had to turn around, but I found it still in the same place. This time I was prepared to stop. Taking my tobacco bag and opening it with tobacco ready, I watched the traffic and asked Spirit to provide a space that I might go across and honor the bird before moving it. And so it was. There was a large gap in the traffic, allowing me to go to the Hawk, place tobacco around it and on it with honor before picking it up to bring it to the side of the bridge. Since this was my first such experience I asked for forgiveness if I did anything incorrectly, because my heart was right in this action. Again I placed tobacco around the hawk and offered a prayer releasing its spirit and thanking it for its gift to me. I wrapped it in a towel and placed it in the car and took it home with me.
Being new to Native American ways, I called a friend who understood these ways to ask for guidance. I was instructed to remove the parts of the hawk that I wished to keep and place them in a tray with salt to cure them. Then once I have completed this, I am to place the carcass in a sacred place, but not bury it. Its spirit must be free to fly on the wind. Then do a ceremony honoring its life and gifts. As I touch its feathers I felt its energy flow through me. I took the wings, tail and feet. As I took the feet I was told that I would be giving the feet to another as a gift. I saved many of the feathers as well. When I was finished, I then took the hawk to a secluded place. I placed cedar branches all around it tobacco, sweetgrass. And lit sage as again I prayed to Spirit. While I was silently standing there I could hear footstep swishing the grass coming from all directions. I first looked up and realized I would not physically see anyone, but many ancestors had joined me in this ceremony I could now hear their drums. I could feel them all around me. I felt full with happiness.
This night as I lay down to sleep the right eye of the Hawk appeared in my third eye and stayed for several seconds before disappearing. The message was that he would be watching over me from above. Now I see the Hawks almost everyday as I am driving on the road. Occassionally one will come and perch on a high branch of the big Oak tree in my yard in the evening, around sunset. Thank you Grandfather Hawk for your gift.
Lady Hawk
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