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BLOOMING FLOWER By: Bonnie Treece 12/5/05 The Tribal Elders initiated a young man into adulthood and blessed him as he departed on his first deer hunting expedition alone. Following a trail that joined two tribes he ventured into the mountains above his home in the Red Rock Canyon Valley. His name was Falling Eagle Feather. As he reached the Forest on the Mountain he could smell the pine trees in the mist of the early morning. He walked in silence. After journeying far, he saw no deer, so he stopped to rest under a large tree. He sat there for a long time reflecting on his initiation ceremony while he listened to the bird songs that filled the air around him. Then the birds became silent. The next thing he heard was going to change his life forever. A large Cougar screamed from his perch in the tree Falling Eagle Feather was sitting under. He looked up and saw the sharp teeth of the Cougar warning him. He had no experience with large cats. He never ventured out of the Red Rock Valley before now. His first thought was to run, but he knew the strong cat could catch him easily. He sat very still while the Cougar continued to scream and show his powerful jaws and teeth. Just when Falling Eagle Feather could no longer sit still fearing for his life, the huge cat fell from the tree right in front him. He watched as the Cougar took his last breath. There was an arrow piercing its heart as it lay motionless. Falling Eagle Feather’s heart seemed to stop beating. A moment later he heard some rustling in the trees farther up the path. A young man about his age came walking toward him and the motionless Cougar. First the stranger blessed the Cougar and then asked Falling Eagle Feather if he was all right. After a long silence the frightened young hunter nodded yes. He stood up and asked the stranger who he was. “I am Running Deer. I come from the Forest on the Mountain”, he answered. Falling Eagle Feather told Running Deer how grateful he was for saving his life. The two young men stood staring at each other for a long time and realized that Cougar must have brought them together for a reason. Running Deer offered the Cougar to Falling Eagle Feather as a gift and helped him carry it down out of the forest to the tribe in the Red Rock Valley. Falling Eagle Feather made a promise to repay Running Deer for his kindness with his first born daughter. As the boys matured Falling Eagle Feather became Chief of the Red Rock Valley Tribe and Running Deer became Chief of Forest on the Mountain Tribe. Since the day the Cougar was taken from the tree they remained friends. They shared rituals, food, hides, and stories between their tribes. When they came of age they each took a wife. Falling Eagle Feather had a daughter who was named Blooming Flower. Running Deer had a son who was named Talking Wolf. The boy and girl were kept separate from the other children in the tribe and were schooled by the Elders to become “seers” and medicine people. They were told that one day they would marry and unite the gifts of both tribes. Blooming Flower and Talking Wolf became great “seers” and talented medicine people. When it came time for them to marry they were very good friends and looked forward to starting their life together as husband and wife. Falling Eagle Feather gave his daughter a beautiful dress made from the sacred White Buffalo hide as a wedding present. It was dyed with juniper berries and was blue like the sky. The color symbolized Father Sky and the beautiful Blue Creek that ran next to the circle of tee pees where the tribe of Red Rock Valley made their home. The White Buffalo symbolized Wisdom, Gratitude, and White Buffalo Calf Woman who brought the Peace Pipe to the People. Before the wedding ceremony, Blooming Flower was gathering water from a well when she witnessed a vision in the water’s reflection. She saw an enormous fire engulfing the Red Rock Valley. All of her tribe’s people were running from the fire, but there was no time to escape. The horizon on the edge of the Red Rock Canyon was a blaze, and the sky was covered with black smoke. She was very disturbed by her vision and went to tell the tribal Elders. She pleaded with the tribe to leave the Red Rock Valley at once. They would not listen to her. Even her father, the Chief, could not convince the tribe to leave the Canyon where the blue water ran clear. A few tribe members did listen to Blooming Flower. Talking Wolf believed in her vision but decided to stay behind to help the people when the fire came. They unwillingly parted the day before they were to be married. Blooming Flower, her father and 6 other tribe members rode their horses out of the valley and went to higher ground. Her wedding day came and passed. On the fourth moon after parting from her beloved and her tribe, she was sitting high on a mountain overlooking the Red Rock Valley that was her home since birth. First she saw the sky fill with black smoke. Then she saw tall flames lining the edge of the Canyon walls. She watched the devastation with tears flooding down her face because she knew she could not help. She feared for the life of her beloved Talking Wolf as she sensed him running away from the flames holding a child under each arm. In a vision she saw the flames engulfing him, and the tribe’s people being burned alive. She saw the animals being trapped and burning. She saw more pain and destruction than her heart could bear. She prayed for the spirits of the people and asked the Ancestors to take them safely to the Blue Road of the Spirit World. She prayed on the mountain for seven Moons. After the smoke cleared she began her journey back to the Red Rock Valley and the Blue Creek. When Blooming Flower and her father arrived home there were only a few of the tribe’s people left alive. Her beloved Talking Wolf was not one of them. Chief Running Deer had taken over control of the tribe in Falling Eagle Feather’s absence. He was devastated at the loss of his son Talking Wolf, and blamed Blooming Flower. In his anger he told Falling Eagle Feather his daughter was no longer worthy of being a healer for his people. The tribe’s people blamed Blooming Flower for the fire. They believed when she saw the tragedy in her vision she caused it to become reality. They forced her off her horse and tied a rope around her neck. Then they proceeded to drag her behind her horse, while her father watched, until her neck broke and she died. As she passed over to the Blue Road she was full of grief, anger, and longing for her beloved Talking Wolf. She blamed herself for the fire and made a promise to herself never to reveal her gift of sight to anyone, ever again. Falling Eagle Feather blamed himself for the death of his daughter. He left the tribe and lived the rest of his days in solitude. Many lifetimes later, Blooming Flower re-embodied as a white woman. Her name was “One Who Seeks”. One Who Seeks studied to be a healer from the time she was young. She studied with several different teachers and uncovered her buried gift of sight. Through her teachers, she became aware of a way to remember and release all the wounds and false beliefs she accumulated from her past lifetime in the Red Rock Valley. During her process, a vision came to her. She saw the marriage ceremony she never had the chance to experience. In the vision her former self, Blooming Flower, was wearing the beautiful blue buffalo hide dress her father had given her. She felt full of joy and gratitude to finally be with her beloved Talking Wolf. They were standing in a ring of fire assembled by the tribe for the marriage ritual. They faced each other holding hands making silent vows while the tribe stood outside the circle of fire singing songs, drumming, and chanting prayers. When the vows were complete Blooming Flower lit a wand of sage from a flame held by a small clay lantern that was sitting at her feet. She waved the smoking wand over Talking Wolf’s body and then handed it to him. He in turn waved the wand over Blooming Flower’s head and down to her feet. When the cleansing with smoke of sage was complete, a small boy walked around the ring of fire pouring water on it. As the steam and smoke rose from the extinguishing fire, the tribe chanted sacred prayers. The steam rising symbolized the joining of Father Sky and Mother Earth. The smoke symbolized the joining of body and spirit. When the fire was completely out, two tribe members raised branches of pine and formed an arch on the edge of the circle. Blooming Flower and Talking Wolf left the center and stepped under the arch, hand in hand, as the whole tribe cheered. When they reached the other side they were greeted by the Elders of the Tribe who bestowed blessings on their union. A wonderful, elaborate, and joyous feast followed that included special foods from The Tribes of the Red Rock Valley and The Forest of the Mountain. Just as One Who Seeks thought her past life vision was complete, she saw her former self, Blooming Flower, walking toward her holding the clay lantern from the center of the ritual circle. It was made of two clay bowls. The one on the bottom held oil from the Buffalo, in the center was a piece of rope that was on fire like a candle wick. On top of the bowl rested another clay bowl upside down. It was the same size with openings so the fire light could shine out. Blooming Flower handed it to One Who Seeks with both hands and bowed her head. She said it held an important lesson about the human heart. The human heart carries within it a never ceasing flame. The openings in the top of the lantern symbolize how we must keep the heart open to allow the flame to burn. When one covers the openings the flame cannot breathe and the heart light goes out. An open heart lights the way to higher understanding and connection to the truth of All There Is. One Who Seeks accepted the lantern with Gratitude as her vision of Blooming Flower faded and slowly disappeared. One Who Seeks received a tremendous healing by remembering her former lifetime. She realized she was part of an inter-connected higher power that is all inclusive and those who truly love each other cannot be separated. She learned there was no need to continue carrying grief or sadness. She appreciated and honored her gift of sight, even if her culture did not understand or approve. She learned how to forgive those who feel threatened by her abilities. She forgave her father and recognized that all he ever hoped for was her happiness and safety. She forgave herself through understanding she is not responsible for the choices others make. Most importantly she learned to keep her heart open, and her heart fire burning.
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