We were interviewed by Bird Kin Oracles to talk about our feather essence line. Bird kin is an oracle made all about bird medicine.
Please watch our IGTV conversation in full here.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CL7lMToFKE2/?igshid=1obp8mbi6m948
Montana Two Spirit Gathering
My wife and I just got back from a Two Spirit Gathering on Salish & Kootenai Territory in Montana. It was amazing to see so many of my fellow Two Spirit kindred spirits all in one place! It was held in a very liberal Methodist church camp up against the pristine and very large Flat Head lake.
We had traditional talk circles and shared where we come from and how we support our community and culture. There were some games like the Native Plains Indians “Stick games”, a “trade blanket’ game which went awry when many of us offered what some folks considered ceremonial so that one was chalked up to a learning experience. There was a lot of that. Each of our cultures have different taboos and protocols. It was interesting and rewarding to navigate all of that and still have fun. We had a two-night Talent Show event that was a really good time. Many of us had bought these large rainbow fans at the gathering that had Montana Two Spirit Gathering written across them- so instead of clapping- everyone just snapped their fans!
My good friend Ruth Villasenor led a Womyn identified group by the serene (*but not always!) Flat Head Lake. We sang a song with our hand drums for our Indigenous Murdered and Missing Womyn and girls. #MMIWG It felt really powerful and I felt their spirits with us. Here is a little story as shared by Aurora Marnea NAHC about how this song has been resurrected in recent years. “A few years back around the time. Of Idle No More when people started singing the Warrior Women’s song, I heard that some CA Natives said that the Warrior Woman’s Song was a CA Native Song, before we sang it we wanted to make sure that we knew where this sing came from and background and origin. I put a message out to a sister in Anishanabe country who sent the message out, I got a message from a Russell Wallace whom said the song comes from the Lil Wat Nation in British Columbia and in the early days originally was known as the mother earth song, had disappeared or some years and when it came back, it was during a time that Martina Pierre was needed healing and prayers for her daughter, the spirits told her to sing this song and it would help them, it came back to her as the Warrior Woman’s song. That’s the way I heard it.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neVhqQk-EyM
This was the first time our TS Youth attended. It became aware to me that many of us have been so focused on healing from our own traumas that these sweet children need us to be there for them. I vowed to myself to become more active with our youth.
We kept a sacred fire in a tepee the whole gathering. Each of us took a shift or two to watch the fire. The event ended the last night with the anticipated TS Pow Wow and the crowning of Ms/ Mr. Two Spirit who will represent us throughout the country for the year before the next crowing takes place.
It was so much fun! Here is to new friends! and friends to come!
If you are Two Spirit and would like to attend please contact:
https://www.facebook.com/montanatwospirit/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roGK-tpSpK4
*The Flat Head lake was often serene, but it seemed when cleansing needed to happen the winds would become fierce and the waves came crashing in, often times accompanied by rain- which was not in the forecast.
Yootva!
Laurie
Photo by: Laurie Books
Photo by: Laurie Books
Photo by: Laurie Books
Photo by: Laurie Books
Photo by: Laurie Books
Photo by: Laurie Books
Meditation and Musings with Poplar by Laurie Lava-Books
Poplar. What a beautiful and lovely friend. I have had a relationship with poplar for several years now. I love to make oils, salves and tinctures during the Poplar bud wild harvesting season in the early Spring time. Much like the honey bees I find the balsamy fragrance of Poplars to be intoxicating! Reminding me of hot river days in the sun when I am most relaxed, refueled & cleansed by sun & water with the smell of poplars wafting through the air.
My meditation consisted of rubbing poplar essence (essential oil) all over my neck, temples, third eye and a little under my nose. I also had a jar of buds I continually inhaled throughout my meditation.
Poplar had a lot to share with me. I did my meditation before I did my research. I have always heard that poplar is a protective plant. So I asked Poplar how it got spiritually recognized as that. Poplar showed me how it can collect water and transmute it through itself, nullifying the toxins. (This I had no idea of and was very excited to find it in my research thereafter that it does such a thing and is being studied greatly for this purpose!) It showed me how bee’s use its resin from the sticky buds to protect their homes from invaders and disease. I started to tie the idea together how plants and trees get coined as protective because ecologically they are doing protective jobs! Poplar can negate negativity, toxic people and situations, and can also restore harmony to a toxic mind.
Poplar shared with me (I get these in visual pictures along with the voice of the poplar) how being near the stream bed allows it to be of service to other trees and plants by dispersing its “rooting” chemical hormone called auxins down stream. (Poplar is a water dwelling tree) Because of this hormone that it shares freely, Poplar can assist others to thrive and grow, by keeping the river beds shaded and cool with all the lush vegetation it supports with its rooting hormones, amphibian and fish can have spawning grounds. In this aspect, I would say Poplar would be useful for facilitating community building. Also, for inspiring someone to tap into their nurturer side.
As I kept smelling the Poplar buds and oil essence I noticed how it calmed me in such a gentle way. Poplars contain salicin which is an analgesic that helps by soothing pain. Poplar told me that it can also aid with mental pain as well, that it can melt away sadness and grief. I know that in Chinese medicine grief resides in the lungs. So that makes sense being it is used for upper respiratory ailments.
Some other things that poplar shared with me are:
To use the oil on the temples, forehead and around the ears and down the neck for earaches and headaches. I just used it in this method on my wife who is suffering from a nasty flu based headache and she said it did give her much relief! You can also rub the oil on your chest for deep congestion that needs to move on out! Also, try the poplar oil on the soles of your babies feet for restlessness/ colds.
Poplars:
~Are Deeply Grounding and Spiritual.
~They like to be sung to and love to share joy.
~Encourage openness and compassion.
~Teaches us kindness to resolve. Letting go.
~Can help us root when one has a hard time finding home.
~Protects us in the sense that toxic things cannot thrive around us.
~Teaches us humility.
~Be strong in Stature.
And lastly,
~Willingness to open new doors and dance in the wind!
What an amazing tree spirit. I am grateful and honored to commune with Poplar and share my learnings with you.
Blessed be!
*Please do not copy or print without permission.