Indigenous folk have a long traditional connection to the universe. Unfortunately many of us have had to work very hard to find our way back to that connection. The imposition of colonization and the influence of the missionaries put great blocks in our minds and spirits.

Continental Philosopher Friedrick Nietzsche blames western Philosophy as the influence for a sick society in the Western world. This 'illness' he refers to as a 'civilized' people that put their minds and lives on a focus of another world that is far better than this one in which we must strive to believe in order to survive this horrific ordeal until we die.

Nietzsche is not saying that this world is horrific but the belief of a heaven and a hell and this world as the torture chamber or decompression chamber for the eventual other worldly experiences, is a joke. Nietzsche was desperately trying to get those that could think for themselves to be living here and now and to find the strength of accepting life on earth as the noble and powerful thing to do.

People of his day could not understand him (or perhaps even today), as well as his own sister who turned around his works and words and prostituted them to the Nazi's. Therefore today there is much controversy amongst his researchers.

I think that if Nietzsche ever had the opportunity to experience life amongst true indigenous people he would find real human beings and he would have some hope left for humanity.

I was raised as a Roman Catholic, as many indigenous folk were. The Hawaiians were influence by the Protestants and the Mormons. To this day very few indigenous folk can authentically find their way back to their spiritual strength and power without incorporating Christian ideas.

I learned prayer by Catholic school as by wrote. Memorization. I never even understood what I was saying, it was just to get by in school. So I had no idea what prayer meant. It never touched my heart. It was something to do when you went to church or were desperate for something to happen when you were in a crisis.... you called for God.

It is no wonder folks have a really uncomfortable feeling when they hear the word prayer of even the thought of attending a prayer circle. I really don't blame you for I felt exactly the same way. But I also felt the opposite way as well, really good when the energy of prayer infuses an environment. It is a very powerful thing.

An example, my mother used to host rosaries in our home every Saturday evening, even though she was a very unhappy and angry person, when Saturday rosary came around she transformed into a very beautiful and gracious woman. The house was lit by candles and we sang 'holy' songs. The priest would visit and there was always wonderful refreshments afterwards. I always wanted to see my mother in this type of light. So I looked forward to Saturday evenings. Yet, more powerful than even that was the energy I felt when the consistent chant of the recited 'Hail Marys' and 'Our Fathers' were said energized the room. There were times when I actually felt as though there were angels in our midst's, in which I couldn't help but cry.

Today I don't have to wait to get myself indoctrinated into a chant or group concerted effort to induce spirit. Nature and being grateful that I am living amongst the beauty of it has a similar effect. Or when I meet folks that are as courageous as myself to be who they are regardless of how difficult it may be.

These are the times when the thankfulness and gratitude brings a song in my heart for prayer. We all know what it is like to have struggle and loss and deprivation in our lives, so when we have beauty, and moments of peace and love, those are the times to fill our voices with gratitude and thanksgiving. These are the times when tears fill my eyes. Yes, indeed it is the time when we are suspended in a moment of reality and all is GOOD.

These are the moments that indigenous people reached for and lived for and all of these moments are filled with prayers of gratitude. In Native Tradition nothing is started until there is a acknowledgement in gratitude. Whether it is to use a space, be in company of a new acquaintance, receiving a gift, giving one away, etc, etc,. Every new action was acknowledge, prayer was a way of life.

In Hawaii there was a spiritual protocol called Kapu, and all was in order if followed for it was a blessing. I don't think it very different for Native Traditions. Prayer to Native Americans is a blessing.

I wonder where the prayer that we know of came from? The prayer that is used so that we can petition God to get us out of 'this mess we are in'... To give us what we need, what we want or what we lack.

As Nietzsche being an existentialist, would say that we need to take responsibility for our own lives and pull up our bootstraps and deal with it. I doubt that Nietzsche had no spiritual inclinations, for the most of his early adulthood he was preparing himself for a career in the Lutheran ministry. I think for Nietzsche, he could not find life in a mentality that was in escapism. He had some respect for Spinoza who was a pantheist, one who finds God in all of life. Atheism was not a question for Nietzsche since he even questioned Buddhism and its nihilistic desire to escape this existence to find nothingness.

As with Einstein, every one who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe -- a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble. In this way the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a special sort, which is indeed quite different from the religiosity of someone more naive.

I believe in prayer we connect to that power that allows us to feel humility in its presence. The pursuit of prayer is to engender that power within our lives.

My friend Martin sent me an email about women in Liberia who joined with others of different faiths to pray...

Their headquarters was an open-air fish market in the capital, Monrovia. Thousands of women responded to the call, broadcast over a Catholic radio station, to demonstrate at the market for peace. The women showed up day after day, praying, waving signs, singing, dancing, chanting and agitating for peace.

Nothing could stop the rallies at the market, not the fierce heat of the sun, nor drenching rainstorms, nor the publicly expressed anger of Mr. Taylor, who was embarrassed by the protests. Public support for the women grew and eventually Mr. Taylor, and soon afterward the rebel leaders, felt obliged to meet with them and hear their grievances (which were rape, maimed children, starvation etc. Read the full story. Crazy Dream..

Guided Thought reflection and Meditation from Diveena:

(Music by Brad Travis "Magicland" from his album Walk with the Elements.

Chansen, Prayer Circle Recipient

Dr. Sha, a very popular figure in the New Age movements today has an introduction given by C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D. in his book The Power of Soul. Shealy gives a wonderful analogy of Pinocchio as the unenlightened personality and Gieppetto as the Soul and designer. Until the personality and individual seeks to find that the Soul/designer is the boss and knows all the answers and loves us completely, we will have no desire to find our way back 'home' and be the 'real' boy/being.

Meditation, Prayer and spiritual journeys are activities that help us to find our way back home to our true completeness. Activity is the propulsion that activates our way. Action speaks louder than words. Practice makes perfect. You can't get this from anyone or thing. You have to participate with yourself.

Our Prayer circle work is a very intimate gathering and connection. Intention is the magic ingredient. You may not have anyone you can share your intimate intentions with but you can by participating with the intention.

We have connections from around the country and anyone in your time zone is participating in a gathering. Find one it does not have to be our prayer circle.

I have used the LifeForce Mandala as a tool to help in active meditation and also as a component in sacred hoop gatherings and prayer circles. My intention in making it manifest was to assist the wisdom of the soul to enliven the active spirit within all of us to feel good about being here on the planet. The first folks I worked with this tool were children who were terminally ill. They had great joy in sharing who they were with LifeForce Mandala's presence.. I then took it out to New Age festivals and children would ask their parents to have readings. It is a very welcoming agent for adults and is a wonderful gift to share, and many of you who are on my mailing list have had the opportunity to experience it.

On a personal level it is a meditation mandala that offers us an opportunity to find the desire to have joy through healing. Spirituality doesn't have to be painful and dark and haunting with the mystery of the unknown. Leaning about Spirit through nature and its beautiful manifestations which are precious and innocent helps us to be open and unafraid to be with the spiritual world and its beauty. I don't want to delude you, there is the other side but that only calls for attention when we play games with our own true heart.

All things change in our world, that is an absolute truth, nothing stays the same. We are born, we live and we die, and that recycles into other levels of experience. We have difficult times, and have joyous times and we have times of rest and rejuvenation, we can never hold onto one experience forever here in our world but we can learn to honor and enjoy and be with them all. That is the primary and important first step in truly living.

I feel being spiritual is being alive and embracing our life here in our beautiful and fascinating world. What happens after is our own individual mystery.

We offer our prayer circle as a tithe in ministry. There are no fees or obligations. The importance is the experience and in the experience is the gift. My elders told me that true spirit does not come from money. You can not buy spiritual gifts, neither can you sell them. You can exchange your art and physical services for coin but not spiritual gifts. That exchange is done through Divine connection and spiritual maturity.

So my friends the LifeForce Mandala tool is for sale but the work shops, gatherings and initiations are made by your willingness to attend. That is why many times I do the sweat lodge during powerful times of the year so that the soul is awakened and wanting. Yet many times the personality refuses to take the risk to be there even though it costs nothing on the monetary level. There are many New Age teachers now, and there will be many more.They will sell spirituality and offer many miracles but you know truly that we all achieve things in this world through effort and if you make none then you have none. A person guided by Spirit does not ask anyone else to take care of them, they can take care of themselves or they would not be who they are. I would want all humankind to be strong and Self reliant so that all things in life are genuine, what other kind of beings should we be? Perhaps if we embrace the world we live in as a wonderful spiritual paradise (as did the indigenous people) then we would not have the environmental and social issues that crisis the lives we have made ourselves live in.