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Once upon a time,
In the future...by DeAnna L'am
Once upon a time, many years from now, the Peaceful Peoples live...
Many years ago, in the future, the Peaceful Peoples dance the Balance of Life on the body of their Mother Earth. Their villages are many as are their traits. Some walk the sacred path of Earth, tending Her soil, feeding all from Her body, healing tissues with herbs and flowers, and nurturing Her in exchange for Her bounty. Others dance the sacred path of Fire, keeping the hearths burning, drumming the rhythms of Life, creating beauty with their hands and laughter with their hearts. Yet others are flowing with the sacred path of the Waters, tending to dreams, providing oracles and prophecies, dreaming the Dark and emerging with visions, healing closed hearts with open ones and confusion with Trust. Still others walk the sacred path of Air. They bring inspiration and wisdom from their ancestors, sing sweet songs of unity, soar on wings of visions and listen deeply.
Ownership does not exist in the Peaceful Peoples' language, and so food, warmth, and songs are shared by all. Equally valued, wood for Fire, food for the Body, and music for the Soul are all accepted as equitable contributions to the Community Circle.
Since ownership doesn't exist, neither does the concept for family. People choose their life-long or temporary partners from either gender. Some opt to be single, others share intimacy with more than one person at a time. The concept of forced sex is inconceivable. People are free to express their sexuality with a partner or alone. Sexually is, in fact, considered one of many forms of expression of one's creativity and aliveness. Equally inconceivable in violence, which does not exist in any dictionary &endash; thanks to the communal upbringing of children and the unconditional acceptance of all community members.
Children are tended by all. The young consider all adults to be their parents and all dwelling places Home. Each child has four Spirit Guides, one for each element, none of who are their biological parents. Children are instructed by their Spirit Guides and are taught the wisdom of Earth, Fire, Water and Air. Two of the Spirit Guides are of the child's gender and the other two are from the opposite sex, and are usually called to their sacred task during pregnancy by the Spirit of the unborn child. Once they are called in their dreams, the Spirit Guides continually communicate with the mother and her unborn child. They form a support circle for themselves and together attend the child's birth. The community as a whole raises each child, yet the Spirit Guides are the ones responsible for a child's education. As children grow, they spend most of their time within their gender's circle. On Full Moon nights the women celebrate their aliveness &endash; their sacred, sensuous bodies &endash; initiating young girls into the Mysteries and teaching them to see their own beauty in each other's eyes. Their Souls sing with the drums, their bodies trance with the rhythms.
On Dark Moon nights women bleed together, giving their sacred blood to the Earth and nourishing Her as She nourishes all Life. They welcome the girls who start bleeding into the Circle of Womanhood, crowning them with flowers, adorning their bodies with fragrances and jewels, and teaching them how to see in the Dark when the veil between the world is thinnest. In turn they honor and celebrate the lives of the Crones who no longer bleed but hold their magic and wisdom within.
At these times, the men instruct the young boys in the art of Life, helping them to make the transition from dependent boyhood to responsible manhood, drumming the rhythms of the Earth and dancing the dance of stewardship to all Life.
A long time ago, in the distant future, the Peaceful Peoples live close to Nature, sheltered from the elements by wood, straw, mud and leaves, warmed by Fire and healed by the sacred Plants around them. Each member of the Community finds their Spirit's calling at puberty, during their month-long Initiation ceremonies. Once they have heard their calling, they start apprenticing with a community Elder who walks a similar path. It is understood that all paths are like spokes of a wheel, all leading to the Center. Therefore all occupations and roles are equally honored: gardeners and midwives, cooks and drummers, counselors and singers, builders and teachers, potters and livestock tenders, storytellers and woodchoppers, musicians and firekeepers, shamans and weavers, water-carriers and peacemakers...while cleaning is done by all! All goods and services are traded and exchanged, since money does not exist. All exchanges are measured by the hour, and everyone's hour of work is valued as equal.
Whenever conflicts arise, the Community gathers for a Peacemaking Circle. Those who are involved in the dispute form an Inner Circle together with a peacemaking facilitator. The Community surrounds them in an Outer Circle, providing undivided attention and silent Witnessing. This is not thought of as "washing of dirty laundry in public" but rather as strengthening of the Community. This provides unconditional support to all parties and an invaluable education for those who witness the ceremonial Peacemaking.
Long, long ago, in the future, time does not exist. The language does not acknowledge any past or future, only an ever present now. Therefore all thought forms reflect the present moment, and people have no chance (and no tools) to dwell on the past or dread the future. People eat when they are hungry, dance when they are moved to, respond to another's pain when need be. They plant in the Spring and harvest in the Fall. They celebrate the ever-changing Wheel of the Year, share their joys and sorrows, get angry and make peace. Once upon a time, in some distant future, there lives the Peaceful Peoples. All we need do is join them. Now.
DeAnna L'am, educator peacemaker and ceremonialist, has been working internationally since 1980, focusing on building bridges between Jews and Palestinians, women and men, youth and adults. She is now offering community Peacemaking Circles, based on the model she has developed and described in this article. DeAnna believes we can start living our visions Now, and invites you to join her in learning teaching and spreading peace. Visit her website at www.WeddingsWithSpirit.com
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