Those who are healed do not talk about it among themselves and spread the news . . .

"Those who are healed do not talk about it among themselves and spread the news. That is not the Lakota way. If a thing is holy and sacred, if it is a miracle, it is not talked about. It is too special for that. Visions we receive are in the same category. They are something personal between Wakan Tanka [The Great Sacred] and the seeker that affects the whole of his or her life. Even the person's family will not discuss it or tell their friends."

Frank Fools Crow
Lakota medicine man

What an interesting and welcome counterpoint this is to the attitude of our modern culture!

Photo: Alpine Bog Birch and McHenry's Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, September 1, 2015

The Lessons of Autumn . . .

Autumn has begun above timberline in the High Country, and I enjoyed spending time with the vibrant colors during my hike yesterday. It's always amazing to contemplate the fact that these yellow, orange and red hues reveal themselves when summer's chlorophyll drains away and returns to the roots, in preparation for the death of the leaves. This is a beautiful embodiment of the fact that in the life of each of us, every moment is a kind of autumn. The colorful manifestation of our individual personalities is also a participation in the passing away of that display, and this process happens during each and every moment of our lives! Autumn also teaches us to maintain a greater awareness of the root of our lives - lying within our Source in the Ground of Being - that is hidden but ever-present!

Photos: (Top and Bottom) Alpine Bog Birch leaves; (Top Right) Willow leaves; Glacier Gorge, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, September 1, 2015