http://theearthkeepers.com/sing Remembering the Earthkeeper ways, and our friend, John Armbruster Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:25:34 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The National Audubon Society compiled a list of ways to improve our planet. Based on conversations with America's top scientists, the society is encouraging individuals to make simple changes in daily routines to minimize human influence on the Earth's environment. "If each person who reads Audubon (magazine) does just one ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/ten-tips-to-help-heal-the-planet-2.html Tut, tut….for the first time it looks like wonderful rain for our Earthkeeper Dance which is such a blessing. Saturday’s weather, as predicted by The Weather Channel on line, calls for early morning showers and Thunderstorms through-out the day. As difficult as it is to make the call, we are changing ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/earthkeeper-dance-change.html Earthkeeper Blue Heron People Fire Dreaming Ceremony We come together near sunset following the Appreciation of Mother Earth monthly ceremonial round. The Firekeepers, who are the ones of proven faith, have prepared the fire in a ceremonial way, honoring the tall ones who have come to help with the prayers, visions ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/ceremony/fire-dreaming-ceremony-2.html The summer solstice arrives this week.  As the summer begins, the arctic ice is again melting very quickly after a slow beginning in spring. The NSIDC has more. I offer a few words John wrote years ago about the summer solstice: Summer Solstice The Solstice time is a time of intensity and passion. ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/summer-solstice.html An equinox is a balancing point in time for the yearly movement of the Sun. It is a time of balancing the darkness and the light. This does not mean balancing good and evil, but means the balancing of the internal and external. The darkness is the interior, introspective mind set. ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/ceremony/spring-and-fall-equinox.html Here's what John had to say about his involvement and adaptation of native ceremonies: In keeping with the prophesy of the millennium and the tradition of the Twisted Hairs, this site honors our Sacred Earth in the same spirit Native Americans, Aborigines, Indigenous, and First Peoples around the world have honored the ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/earthdance-way-and-native-traditions.html When we talk about the past and future minds, we are referring to the fact that so much of our time is spent contemplating and contending with the past or planning, worrying, or dreading the future. It is important to understand that in both cases the power to change always lies ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/earth-teachings/past%c2%a0and-future-minds-2.html I was asked at the Earthkeeper Dance in Appreciation of Mother Earth, what does it take to be the ceremonial leader of the Blue Heron People. And I smiled as I think we are all our own ceremonial leader if we chose the work. I said, "Well, traditionally, one is chosen ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/you-have-to-be-willing-to-do-the-work.html When we come to the realization that we are evolving spiritually, we begin a great adventure. Whatever path we take, we truly must expect the unexpected. We face day to day the inner workings of our heart. We see the emptiness. We experience the thrill of discovery. We feel the ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/earth-teachings/adventure.html As we prepare to Dance in Appreciation of Mother Earth and our Journey on September 26th, we thought we would share some of what we’ve learned about the ways of ceremony. Ceremony enables us to reach into those deep places within the soul. Ceremony is like the construction of a ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/some-ceremonial-ways-as-we-prepare-to-dance.html If you're like me and have had enough of FoxNews style of "reporting", now there's something you can do about it. This site, http://foxnewsboycott.com/ has a list of advertisers, so you can boycott these products and services. Also, there is contact info so you can express your dismay about Roger Ailes and Rupert ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/announcements/foxnews-advertiser-boycott.html As we continued John Armbrusters vision     ...join us as we...  Dance in Appreciation of Mother Earth   September 26, 2009 Indiana Dunes State Park Join Us in Celebrating the Gift of Life and the Beauty of the Earth Around Us…   Grandma Rosie shares, “We dance for the future of the Children” Grandma Rosie Dancing Flower Apache Elder, Head Pow ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/earthkeeper-dance.html It's been well over 5 years since John left us. It seems like another lifetime now. I sit here wondering what happens after we pass and where John is in this universe. Perhaps he has returned already and is growing up in Burma or Sweden or maybe he returned as ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/reflections/wondering.html Both in the media and in the neighborhood, I hear both misinformed denial and hysteria about global warming-- which leads me to look at empirical data to make a determination for myself. One of the places I look for data is the NSIDC. The arctic region is the canary in ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/global-warming.html Essay written by White Deer of Autumn (Gabriel Horn) Who are we? Where are we going? Why are we here? Imagine if more people searched the Mystery of their lives for the answers to these questions. Imagine if more people understood the passion of the Lakota war cry: "It's a good ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/self-knowledge/mystery.html Today we remember John Many Voices Armbruster, who five years ago, took off to sing for the Other Side Camp. We miss you my friend. Hugs All Around, Dave, Tracy and Janisse http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/remembering-john-2.html I watched Obama's inauguration speech today. He spoke of addressing nearly every concern I hold about our America and the world. I hope he really means what he said. It's nice to have hope again about America after 8 years of darkness. I think John would have liked Obama and his ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/reflections/obamas-inauguration.html We have interesting times ahead in 2009. Here's what John wrote about the new year: There are so many different ways to celebrate the New Year. It is a time of catharsis, of new beginnings, of rejuvenation and new starts. Yet many celebrate this very important time by trying to forget. ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/earth-teachings/happy-new-year.html    We continue the Earthkeeper Dance    Dance in Appreciation of Mother Earth     September 20, 2008 Indiana Dunes State Park   Join Us in Celebrating the Gift of Life and the Beauty of the Earth Around Us… Please contact us for a dance flyer and details at youncedjt@verizon.net http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/keeping-johns-legacy-going.html Photo by Jim Brandenberg It is time to be…be with the sweetness of life.   Hugs, Tracy http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/its-time.html Instructions for Honoring Elders/Ceremonial Leaders/Teachers The following information was brought to us by Bear Warrior and is a guideline regarding honoring Elders, Teachers and Ceremonial Leaders in the Native Earth traditions. The Elders, Ceremonial Leaders and Teachers hold the wisdom of our Ancestors. They are to be honored and always treated with ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/instructions-for-honoring-eldersceremonial-leadersteachers.html Tobacco has been abused in our culture. It is a powerful plant that drinks in the Sun. It has been used as a medicine in different forms. When it is used in a ceremonial way, it is obvious why it has been used to make offerings and to convey the sincerity ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/ceremony/tobacco-offering.html The Seven Fires Prophesy explains the history of the people in terms of the keeping of seven fires. During each of the fires the people faced different kinds of contraction and expansion. Each time the changing of the fire lead to a world which was different than the one of ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/the-7-fires-prophesy.html Tonight is the full moon, and a lunar eclipse. Here in Sedona, we have rain. Very grateful for that.  Here's what our friend John Armbruster had to say about the February full moon: This is the moon of great preparation. The first glimpses of productivity coming out of a time of reflection ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/february-full-moon.html I was asked, (or was it told..hmmm), by an Elder yesterday, "What did you learn in 2007 and why haven't you shared it yet?" I replied, "I don't know that I have anything to share right now,"... ...and through the silence on the other end of the phone, I knew she ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/so-did-you-learn-anything-in-2007.html The Evening before Christmas has a strange an delightful mix of energy. Expectation mixed with stress and anxiety... the deep quiet of Christmas Eve Services and the hustle and bustle of last minute shopping. The Poem "The Night Before Christmas" has shaped our perception of Christmas Eve and has immortalized Father ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/self-knowledge/christmas-eve.html The National Audubon Society compiled a list of ways to improve our planet. Based on conversations with America's top scientists, the society is encouraging individuals to make simple changes in daily routines to minimize human influence on the Earth's environment. "If each person who reads Audubon (magazine) does just one ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/ten-tips-to-help-heal-the-planet.html   The teachings of the Medicine Wheel have been surfacing, stirring the waters of our consiousness in the past months. And we have come full-circle in the Appreciation of the Ancestors and Mother Earth ceremonies...honoring each direction and it's lesson on the Sacred Hoop. It's time to share what's been making ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/the-sacred-hoop-is-calling.html On Saturday we danced our 8th Earthkeeper Dance in our 13th year of ceremonies at the Indiana Dunes. We came together in gratitude of Creator, Mother Earth and the Ancestors. We began our prayers on the beach of Lake Michigan, and the winds laughed at the ambitious schedule that had been ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/the-ancestors-came.html The children's honoring ceremony is very dear to my heart. It is a time to turn to the children and express not only our affection for them, but to help them begin to realize that we see purpose to their lives. With our acknowledgement of this, we hope that they ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/ceremony/childrens-honoring-ceremony.html When we talk about the past and future minds, we are referring to the fact that so much of our time is spent contemplating and contending with the past or planning, worrying, or dreading the future. It is important to understand that in both cases the power to change always lies ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/self-knowledge/past%c2%a0and-future-minds.html With great sadness, I report that John Hopkins, son of Cynthia Hopkins, left this life recently-- he was 43. Cynthia, who led the Sedona Encampments after John Armbruster hit the road in the early 90's, is offering a memorial ceremony on Saturday, June 30th at 3 pm in Camp Verde, ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/announcements/the-passing-of-john-hopkins.html We have been taught by the medicine people of the Andes, the Southwest and John Many Voices, that the tools of an Earthkeeper are forged from the vibrational fabric of our lives. Nothing more, nothing less. This fabric is made up of our thoughts, words, deeds, beliefs and perceptions. In other ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/the-vibrational-fabric-of-our-lives.html    Hollis Littlecreek First let me share a little about Hollis Littlecreek as folks have been asking about his background. Hollis Curtis Littlecreek was born on the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota on November 12, 1924, as the only child of  Benjamin Littlecreek ("full") and Elizabeth Mason ("1/4").  Records show he died April 30, 1999 ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/72.html Folks preparing to enter circle at an Earthkeeper Dance At ceremony on Saturday, we were asked, "Why is ceremony so powerful" or as we would rather say, energetic. Regarding Ceremony First we must say, no matter how much we discuss and examine the ways of ceremony, it is important to understand that ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/the-energy-of-ceremony.html     As the Spirits prepare the way for the 2007 Earthkeeper Family Ceremonies, our 13th year of doing ceremonies at the Dunes of Lake Michigan, may we come together on April 14th, 2007, in harmony to pray for others.   John Armbruster shared a ceremony that prepares us:   This ceremony should be treated like a vigil. Take ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/healing-prayers-ceremony-april-7-2007.html John had many sayings that he quipped over the years.  Here are a few:  “The problems we face will either defeat us or develop us -- depending on how we respond to them.” “Some people confuse “clearing the air” with wanting a pound of someone’s flesh.”  “The power to change always lies in the ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/johns-widsom.html One of the places so many folks first met John was around a fire.   So we thought it appropriate to share what John said about a Fire Dreaming Ceremony. I once had a teacher who was invited to lead a ceremony on Schnebly Hill in Sedona Az. This canyon is like no place on Earth. Deep ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/fire-dreaming-ceremony.html                                                                                                                                               John in Sedona 1994 and John after his final mask round at Earthkeepers Dance for Peace 2003   On January 22nd, it will be 3 years, since John moved to the Other-side Camp.  In honor of John Many Voices Armbruster, we put together a slide show with some of our memories... http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewshow.html?fl=2745911&alb=0    Click on web address, turn on ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/remembering-john.html                                                                                                                     John at Holiday Celebration 2003/2004 in Sedona As we prepare our celebrations for the New Year, thoughts of John come.  It was a week or so into the New Year in 2004, that I last talked with John. In that last call, he talked about his New Year's celebration, among other things. ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/new-years-drumming.html Grandma Rosie, Earthkeeper Elder   John Many Voices Armbruster shared these words about the importance of Elders. The Elder is the Keeper of the wisdom of time. The Elder holds the power of time in their hands. Even as the Drum marks time, the heartbeat of the Elder brings us together in a prayer ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/elders.html The Winter Solstice is approaching soon and the veils are their thinnest at this time. John would say it was a good time to review the previous year, release that which no longer serves you, connect with Mother Earth and ask for guidance for the coming year. John wrote on ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/the-solstice.html The give away ceremony is important in bringing together the people of the community. The passing of objects which have meaning for a person is an act of magnification and resolution. The feelings and energy which is embodied in an object are magnified and more open for examination when the object ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/ceremony/the-give-away-ceremony.html    Duke, Lama Norbu, John Many Voices, Joseph Many Horses It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Duke Joseph Big Feather Schallmo on October 31, 2006. Duke was the Leader of the: Two Feathers Medicine Clan; Intercessor of the All My Relations Sundance - sharing the vision ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/44.html Questions have come over the years on how folks come to be a lodge pourer. I can only share what I have been taught about some of the traditional ways. Some Southern Ute Lodge Ways, as I understand it: In Ute tradition, firekeepers are men as fire is male. The Stone ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/sweat-lodge-ways.html As we welcome new people into the Sacred Hoop, we thought John's words about smudging would be beneficial. We return to the first teachings, where it all begins in ceremonies as we embark on a new cycle of the Medicine Wheel. As the Medicine Wheel is the ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/smudging.html So many of you have asked to join us in our earthkeeper ceremonies so we invite you to join us as we continue down the ceremonial trail in Appreciation of Mother Earth and the Ancestors who ride the winds. We dance in balance of those who dwell in the Within…beyond ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/earthkeeper-ceremony-in-appreciation-of-mother-earth-and-the-ancestors.html This Saturday will be the 7th Earthkeepers Dance, number 7, which represents coming full circle. In honor of our completing the Sacred Hoop, the group decided that no one person would be the Ceremonial Leader this year. It is the year of the Ceremonial People with each of us ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/earthkeeper-dance-comes-full-circle.html 7th Earthkeeper Dance: All-day Ceremony - Coming Full circle - Honoring all of us as Ceremonial Leaders. Date: Saturday, September 9, 2006 Time: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm CST Place: Indiana Dunes State Park, North of Chesterton, Indiana on Hiway 49, - at Duneside Shelter, (rain or shine) - the shelter is reserved ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/7th-earthkeeper-dance-all-day-ceremony.html The Dancers as a whole are responsible for holding the center of the energy. They are often in a whirlwind of energetic flow, like a storm of consciousness striving to resolve its inner conflicts. This is the circle finding its step, its frequency of motion that releases the power of ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/ceremony/dancers-keepers-of-the-group-mind.html We all have lessons to learn and John was not exempt from this. Part of the earthkeeper walk with John Armbruster, was to learn about functionality through experiencing dysfunction. I am grateful for these lessons, even though I came kicking and screaming at times! Thank you ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/learning-lessons.html As our family continues to sing, dance and drum the Appreciation of the Ancestor's earth ceremonies on the shores of Lake Michigan, it becomes more and more evident to us that prayer is a joyous act of people in love with life. With each beat of the drum ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/divine-celebration.html Sharing what John wrote in June of 1998. Hugs, Tracy - take what you want...find your truths...leave the rest... The Power of the Individual by John Arbruster Central to any spiritual practice is the power of the individual to maintain a sense of clarity and integrity in his or her life. ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/the-power-of-the-individual.html We have returned from the 2006 All My Relations Sundance, Sharing the Vision of the Condor and the Eagle. John was with us as Steve Purkaple finished John’s four-year Sundance commitment. Many had visions of John. The following vision came from a 1st year dancer who ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/parting-of-the-ways-ceremony.html Dancing on the grounds Saturday, June 10th at the Indiana Dunes State Park, where many folks first did ceremony with John in Illiana, got me thinking of a conversation I had with him a few weeks before he passed. He was moving to another village down the road in ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/lessons-on-the-path-of-the-earthkeepers-danceceremonies.html Or maybe don't want to know! I don't know where John found this list, but many of these "facts" sound absurd. Who knows, maybe they're all true!  --Mark 1. The venom in a Daddy Longlegs spider is more poisonous than a Black Widow's or a Brown Recluse, but they cannot bite ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/just-for-fun/24-things-you-might-never-need-to-know.html As part of our dance or encampment ceremonies, John included a forgiveness ceremony. In this ceremony, forgiveness was not treated as something that is good for the person that is being forgiven. Instead, the approach to forgiveness is that carrying around resentment, hurt, or ill feeling is unhealthy. ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/forgiveness.html Dear Friends - Greetings to you, your family and acquaintances, with best wishes to all. Just a reminder that the 2006 Tecate Earth Dance in Baja California outside of El Hongo is fast approaching. This event is a multicultural, international ceremony open to all races, tribes and religions, where ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/announcements/2006-tecate-earth-dance-4-27-06.html Derived and adapted from Native American, Aborigine, Celtic, Chinese and other esoteric Earthkeeping traditions, the EarthDance Way is a living, functioning practice for today's world. The EarthDance Ceremonies arose out of the People's need for a way of connecting in a fresh, spontaneous way. hrough the efforts of medicine people, spiritual ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/ceremony/the-earthdance-way-practiced-today.html In Northeast Illinois/ Northwest Indiana (Illiana), many had the privilege of doing ceremony over the twelve years that John Many Voices Armbruster journeyed through the Midwest. John had the gift, through his ceremonial practices, of awakening in us the understanding and connection to Mother Earth. Whether you ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/news/remembering-john-in-illiana-and-his-teachings.html When we come to the realization that we are evolving spiritually, we begin a great adventure. Whatever path we take, we truly must expect the unexpected. We face day to day the inner workings of our heart. We see the emptiness. We experience the thrill of discovery. We feel the ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/self-knowledge/adventure-and-the-earthdance-way.html Using the Passive Method of dowsing, reading the auric field around the body can give us information about the workings of the subconscious and unconscious workings of mind. These aspects of our thinking process link us directly to our emotional responses to situations surrounding family, friends, work, financial decisions, health, ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/self-knowledge/aura-readings.html The Four Directions or the Four Winds or the Four Powers of Life are talked about in the cosmology of most peoples. The division of the horizon is very current for modern people in the four compass directions. However, for many indigenous peoples, the Four Directions had symbolic meaning, ritualistic importance, ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/ceremony/four-directions.html A naming ceremony is about deepening our identity, more than about changing it. Seeking a spiritual name often helps cleanse us of our past. It cleanses us of old beliefs, old prejudices and judgments. It helps us make a new start. By clearing away so many things, it helps us ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/ceremony/naming-ceremony.html You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called LIFE. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/self-knowledge/9-rules-for-being-human.html The awakening of the drum is an important part of becoming the caretaker of such a sacred instrument. When we make a drum, buy a drum, or are given a drum it is always a good idea to take some time and make prayers with the drum. I have been ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/ceremony/drum-awakening.html This is the First Spring Moon. It is a time to bless the smoking mixture for the Sacred Pipes. This is the Easter Moon. The Northern Hemisphere will now resurrect itself from the dark introspection of winter. http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/ceremony/march-new-moon.html It is so easy, sometimes to sit back and speak of what "they" have done. To criticize and second guess the way things are happening. It is easy to relinquish our part in things, to say "well it wasn't meant to be." It is easy in the short term, but it ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/ceremony/action-alert.html John Armbruster passed on January 22nd, 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia. Those of us who knew him well miss him sorely. I've wanted to do something to continue remembering a man that taught me so much. Obviously the way to do it is to continue honoring our own lives, each other, ... http://theearthkeepers.com/sing/announcements/john-armbruster.html