In the spring after Sam’s eleventh winter, she meets Grandmother Wisdom
Keeper, an old Native Am
Discovering the Magickal Mysterious Character: Empowering Teens and
Women of All Ages Using a Journey of Native American Teachings is the first in Dancing On
the Edge Series that inspire and empower the reader. It is an adventure
combining Native Am
Chapter 1 - The Story of My Name
It was only the middle of the Budding Trees Moon, but today
the radiant sunshine warmed Samantha’s body and soul as she strolled
through the meadow. The fringes of the woods ahead were peppered with
the brilliant white flowers of the early dogwoods and the rosy pink of
an occasional redbud. She inhaled deeply taking in the scent of the
flowers along with the fresh smelling earth below. Her long blond hair
reached the middle of her back and danced with the gentle gusts of wind
and her sea green eyes sparkled with anticipation. A huge hawk soared
overhead; the creamy underbelly and the reddish tail feathers were
easily visible. With a slight wave Sam projected her wish for the
raptor, “Good hunting my friend.” Then, returning her focus to her
mission Sam headed for the trail that meandered southeast into the
woods. She had high hopes of finding her new friend, Grandmother Wisdom
Keeper.
Sam had seen eleven winters since her birth and was so
caught up with loving life that she seemed oblivious to the delicate
changes in her slim young body that indicated she was maturing.
Joyfully, she leaped over a log and then realized her quick movements
had startled a couple of does who bounded from the path to take cover in
the denser brush. She wondered why they weren’t sleeping as they usually
did in the middle of the day. As she approached the spot where they had
been she noticed bloodroot flowers poking though the soft dirt.
Ahhh, they had been eating lunch.
The flowers hadn’t been there two weeks before when Sam had passed this
way, but were now showing their faces even before their foliage
appeared. She stepped wide to avoid a three-leafed plant that at first
looked like poison ivy, but with closer scrutiny she discovered a small
greenish-yellow flower. It wasn’t the toxic plant after all. She lifted
a tiny flap revealing tell-tale purplish stripes and peeked at Jack snug
in his pulpit. Signs of spring were everywhere. A rabbit suddenly bolted
from the underbrush and ran ahead reminding her that she shouldn’t
dawdle any longer.
She walked another stones throw into the woods and began
calling, “Grandmother, Grandmother Wisdom Keeper. Can you hear me?” No
answer. After another fifty paces a small gurgling stream intersected
the path. It too seemed to be on a mission and Sam’s intuition told her
she should follow it. Stepping on several large boulders, she hopped
across and made her way down a cliff trail to where the creek joined a
larger stream. Rounding the next bend she laughed out loud.
“Hi, I’ve been looking all over for you.”
The Indian woman sat on a fallen log amid spears of sunlight
that streamed through the still leafless branches of an enormous
cottonwood. Her tan deerskin garment was beautifully beaded around the
neck and hem with intricate designs in colors of the rainbow. Suspended
from a long silver chain hung a pendant of beautiful turquoise. Beneath
the greenish stone numerous strands of beads and silver feathers
dangled. Her snowy white hair was pulled back into a long thick braid
that hung over her right shoulder.
The Grandmother swiped at a few loose strands of hair that
had come loose and fluttered in the breeze around her dark face. “It is
good to see you too, Samantha. I’m glad you and your parents came from
the city again so soon.”
“Well, we hadn’t been home more than a day, when Mom started
talking about our next trip to the cabin. She says all the snow we had
this past winter has really given her
the fever to be out in nature.
So, here we are.”
“I know exactly how she feels.” Wisdom Keeper held out her
hand to Sam. “So why have you come seeking me?”
“Well, I was reading a book about native people this week
and I realized everyone has a beautiful name, like yours… Wisdom
Keeper.” She let it roll off her tongue. “How did you get your name?”
“Ahhh, I’ve had a number of names over my many winters.” She
raised her face to the sky thoughtfully and then brought it back to Sam
who had flopped at her feet. “The medicine man or woman, or you might
say the shaman of a tribe generally asks the sacred ancestors for a
baby’s name shortly after its birth. My mother’s name was Gentle Deer
and I was still rather red and blotchy several hours after I arrived, at
least that is what I have been told, so I was given the name Spotted
Fawn.”
“That’s cool.”
“At around your age when I went through my Becoming Woman
Rite of Passage, I was given the name Star Maiden Rising, but all my
friends just called me Star.” With hands wrapped around one knee, she
began rocking back and forth fully absorbed with the tale now. “When my
son came into this world, I used to walk with him every night under the
silvery moon and my name became Moon Dreamer.”
“Wow! You’ve had names just like in my book.”
The Grandmother raised her eyebrows and smiled, “And,
finally in a rite of empowerment ceremony I realized it was my destiny
to pass along the ancient knowledge of my people to the next seven
generations. That’s when I became Wisdom Keeper.”
“I knew it would be a neat story. How can I get a name like
that?”
“So, you think you are ready for a
medicine name?”
“Medicine name?”
“Yes, an Indian’s name represents their
medicine. It has meaning and
describes something about them, maybe their personality or their talents
and skills… their medicine.”
“Yeah, I can see how your names described you, but I don’t
know what kind of talents I have.”
“Well, if you are asking for a name, I will be glad to do
the ritual to find it for you. You know, the name does not come from me,
but from the Great Mystery and the Universe.”
“Can you do it now? I don’t think I can wait.”
Sam had such enthusiasm, the old woman grinned from ear to
ear causing the sun-baked skin of her cheeks to crinkle. “Usually, I
smoke my sacred chanunpa, my
pipe to help me set my intent, but I believe I can draw on my powers to
do something for you right now. Come here and let me look into your
eyes.
Sam stood to face her and their eyes locked for several
seconds.
“Good. Did you know that the eyes are the window to our
soul?”
“No.”
“Well, they are and I needed to memorize your eyes so that I
could visualize them when I ask the ancient ones for your name. Get
comfortable and I will journey.”
Wisdom Keeper rose and moved to the center of the small
clearing between the cliff and the creek and Sam sat back down and
leaned against the log. As she watched, Wisdom Keeper stretched her arms
up to the heavens. Her necklace jingled with the movement, a cheerful
tinkling sound.
"Great Spirit, Sacred Ones, this is your Wisdom Keeper, and
I ask your guidance in discovering the medicine name of this beautiful
one, now known as Samantha.” She paused taking a deep breath, “As Above
energies, I call to you and marry you to the energies of the So Below.”
As she made this decree, she brought her raised right hand down in front
of her left shoulder, across her chest and then down her right side,
creating a spiral.
Samantha gasped as she saw a wavy light of some kind follow
Wisdom Keeper’s movements and then disappear into the earth. She
continued to stare as the older woman reversed the process by creating a
sun-wise spiral back to the sky as she ordered, “So Below, I marry your
energies to the As Above.”
Samantha wasn’t sure. Was the sunlight playing tricks or was
she actually seeing Wisdom Keeper doing some kind of magick? Before she
could decide, the woman turned to face across the river and spoke. Then
she turned a quarter of a turn to her right and repeated her words and
gestures and then again two more times making a complete circle; each
time asking the ancestors for assistance. Sam realized she was gawking
with her mouth hanging open when Wisdom Keeper glanced her way and
chuckled under her breath. Sam tried to regain her composure as the
Grandmother sank into a cross-legged position and closed her eyes.
After a few moments Sam changed positions causing the sun’s
rays to hit her squarely in the face, blinding her for a second. Her
natural reaction was to squint and… and then she knew she hadn’t been
imagining anything. With the slightly out-of-focus vision created by
narrowing her eyes, she could definitely see what looked like a glowing
bubble surrounding around the seated figure.
This had to be her aura. Sam
had read somewhere that every living thing was surrounded by an energy
field, but she’d never dreamed she would be able to see such a thing.
Wisdom Keeper was deep in meditation and as the minutes ticked by Sam
sat mesmerized watching the subtle colors of the field change. First it
was a clear sky blue and then for a few seconds parts took on a
turquoise hue. A pair of ravens caused a ruckus and drew Sam’s attention
to the top of the cottonwood and when she looked back several areas of
the grandmother’s aura had become a light indigo and then changing
again, she was surrounded by iridescent, pearly white.
Finally, Wisdom Keeper raised her head, rose and moved to
sit on the fallen tree again. She patted the log indicating a spot for
Sam. “Samantha, I had a vision and I would like to describe it to you. I
believe the story of your name is just as important as the name itself.
The story can help you understand who you really are. The ancient ones
call this discovering our magickal
mysterious character. Are you ready?”
“Uhhh, yeah, okay.” Sam moved to where Wisdom Keeper
indicated, but she was still a little nervous over what she had just
witnessed.
“My dream took place
during the Duck’s Fly Moon. I know with the beautiful rebirth of spring
all around, it may be hard to picture the reds, oranges, and deep
burgundies of the changing-time of fall, but I want you to go there if
you can.”
Sam closed her eyes and then they flew open again.
“There’s nothing to fear. Close your eyes now.”
Sam relaxed a little. “I can see it. There are lots of
leaves on the ground.”
“Good. Now, what I saw was the Wind Spirits playing with a
large pile of leaves. They created a little tornado whirling the leaves
high and then the leaves playfully glided back down… and then they were
hurled into space once again. Can you picture that?”
“Yeah, cool.”
“Open your eyes.”
Sam turned with anticipation.
“At first I thought the name you were given was Playful
Autumn Leaf, but then I realized I was missing something. You were not
merely a leaf that floated on the wind… you were the wind that sent the
leaves soaring. You are Playful Autumn Wind, Samantha.”
Sam’s eyes became as big as saucers. “That’s good, I think.
Isn’t it?”
“Yes, very good. It means that you are going to become a
woman of great power, a leader that others will look to. I was told at
the end of my vision that in the years to come, you and I will be
spending a great deal of time together. I am to pass on to you the ways
of the ancient ones and you are to become Grandmother Wisdom Keeper one
day.”
Sam sat speechless.
“When a name is given,
the receiver always has the opportunity to accept or reject it and its
message. If you choose to accept your new name, I want you to face each
of the four cardinal directions and announce it to the world.”
“How do I do that?” Sam slid off the log, all her
nervousness had vanished.
“Face the south.”
“Which way…”
Wisdom Keeper pointed in the direction where she had begun
calling in the powers. “Now raise your arms and feel your connection to
the element of water and to the energies of the south direction. When
you have that intent, let me know.”
Sam lifted her arms, fingers reaching as if to grab a nearby
cloud. Suddenly she felt a gentle motion that caused her to sway
slightly, a rocking, like lapping waters on a beach. “Uhhh, okay. I
think I got it.”
“Repeat after me. ‘Great Mystery, I, known to you as
Samantha, accept this new name of Playful Autumn Wind. Awanestica.”
Sam repeated the words and then turned, “What’s awanestica?”
“It means I have
spoken. Now turn sun-wise and face the west. Once you have made your
connection to the element of earth, repeat the process you have just
gone through.”
In the west Sam felt a new connectedness to the Earth
Mother. There was stability and a centeredness in her physical being
that she had never experienced before, like the strongest wind could
blow but never push her off her feet. Aligning with the element of air
and the wind of the north brought sensations of flying and she felt she
could see what was happening around her from all directions at once. At
last she turned to the east and Wisdom Keeper directed her to find
alignment with fire. This was the most amazing experience. A warmth, a
spark began to grow inside her heart and expand until she thought it
would burst right through her chest. She actually looked down at her
shirt to see if she was glowing.
When Sam was done, she and Wisdom Keeper together thanked
the powers that had helped them find her new name and then Wisdom Keeper
raised her arms one last time and announced, “This ceremony is finished
in beauty.”
Sam made her way back along the creek, feeling that she was
in a dream. Could what Grandmother
Wisdom Keeper said be true?
Would she be able to ask for medicine names? The responsibility of a
wisdom keeper seemed overwhelming even if it was years in the future.
Where the stream crossed the trail she turned and headed
back toward the meadow. She stopped a couple of times, puzzled. It had
only been a couple of hours, but there seemed to be many more
Jack-in-the-pulpits guarding the pathway. And, the bloodroot flowers she
had seen now had tiny leaves appearing on their red-orange stems and
more flowers were pushing through the soil reaching for the light. When
she thought about it, she actually felt taller herself and she pushed
back her shoulders and stood straighter.
As she neared the meadow she paused, seeing a Red-tail hawk
deep in the tall grass about twenty paces away. He remained utterly
still, but his amber eyes followed her every movement and she wondered
if this could possibly be the same bird she had seen in the sky earlier.
In passing, she nodded a greeting and was positive her gesture was
returned just before the rapture pumped his mighty wings and lifted off.
Free from the grass, she could see he carried a small green snake in his
talons. She laughed with joy and headed for the cabin.
“Well, Grandmother Wisdom Keeper likes her. Let’s go watch
her play soccer,” said Abril, gently twisting a lock of her jet black
hair.
“Yeah, I want to go,” exclaimed Luna, who was always up for
any kind of escapade.
“It’s not even going to be a game,” said Dash. “It’s only
practice, the season hasn’t started yet.”
“Then don’t come with us, you old party pooper,” said Tinga.
“We don’t need you along anyway.”
“If you go, make sure you don’t cause any trouble.” Wisdom
Keeper looked up at the quartette sitting on ledges high above the
river. “I know what kind of mischief you can get into.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“No sass from you Tinga. Samantha doesn’t even know you guys
exist. I’m counting on you to be good. She’ll be able to see you one
day, but right now you better stay invisible.” Grandmother rose from her
log and began walking away down the trail, the deerskin fringe of her
dress swinging in time with her hips.
The quartette consisted of two elves and two faeries. The
ringleader was Abril. She was a petite figure with silky, milk-chocolate
skin and gorgeous, wild, coal black hair. You never saw her without
beautiful gold hoop earrings and a golden armband that circled her upper
right arm. Standing, she was twenty-eight inches tall and today she was
wearing a tight fitting coral top and brown leggings. Her feet were
bare. She lounged in the shade of the old cottonwood, knees crossed, and
golden iridescent wings gently moving in the breeze. “So it’ll just be
us girls today. Fine with me.”
“I’m ready,” said Luna. She was the second faery and Abril’s
best friend. She was taller than Abril by a whole two inches and her
hair consisted of short blond ringlets. Her trademark, if she had one,
was her green pointy slippers. Her pale pink wings shimmered in a ray of
the sun that had broken through the leaves of the tree. Her outfit was a
hot pink sweater and green and pink striped leggings.
Tinga was an elf. Her
greenish skin sparkled like diamonds even when she was in the shade.
Pointy ears poked up through short, curly bright red hair. She had high
cheekbones, deep dimples, and almost always a devilish grin. Of the
three she was the least fashion conscious and loved wild, mix and match
outfits, which drove Luna and Abril crazy.
“Are you going to wear
that?” asked Luna.
“What’s wrong with what I have on?” Tinga smirked, looking
down at her
“Maybe I need to go with you,” said Dash, “and, keep you in
line.” Dash’s mother had been an elf and his father had been a
leprechaun. He looked more like a leprechaun. His favorite thing in the
world to do was eat and he could have been a jolly Santa Claus, except
he always wore green and he wasn’t that jolly at times. A poufy green
hat usually covered most of his long white hair, and a fluffy white
beard and moustache covered most of his face. He considered himself a
father-figure to the girls.
“No, we know you want to stay here,” said Luna, sending a
message to the other girls to make a quick exit. “See you after while.”
They were just leaving the clearing when they saw Gideon. He
was a gnome and could have doubled for Yoda in the
Star Wars movies. His eyes slanted at the corners, and his small
mouth and turned up nose were dwarfed by his enormous, pointed ears,
which stuck straight out from the sides of his bald head. What you
couldn’t see was his huge, loving heart.
“Where are you off to,” he asked.
“To a soccer game. You don’t like soccer, do you?”
“Sure.”
“Well, okay, you can come, but let’s hurry and lose Dash.”
A tree close to the soccer field provided the perfect
bandstand.
“I do love soccer,” exclaimed Tinga as she wiggled to get
comfortable on a branch. “That must be Samantha over there with the long
blond hair, number seven. I don’t see anyone else that meets the
description.”
“My gawd, she’s beautiful,” exclaimed Gideon, getting high
enough off the ground to see down on the girls. He stared for several
seconds before settling himself in the crotch where a branch met the
trunk.
Abril and Luna hovered
another minute and then lit on the fat limb next to Tinga.
“I’m not much of a sports fan,” yawned Luna, “but I was
certainly curious to see this new apprentice of Grandmother’s.”
“You’re right Gideon, she sure is pretty,” said Abril, “I
bet she is going to drive the boys crazy when she gets older. I remember
when I…”
“Cut it, Abril, we don’t want to hear about your many
exploits today,” groaned Tinga.
“Just thought I would entertain you. But, look, they’re
running onto the field.”
Sam and nine other girls ran onto the field. One remained
behind on the bench. Sam and four of the others had on red shirts and
the other half was wearing blue. They all wore tall socks and shin
guards. The two groups lined up across from each other. The coach
dropped the ball in the middle of the two lines and the race was on. A
short Hispanic girl got the ball and easily began maneuvering it through
the short grass. She passed to Sam, but a girl with auburn hair and lots
of freckles managed to intercept and passed the ball to one of her
teammates.
“Look at that! The freckled girl took the ball from
Samantha,” exclaimed Luna.
Abril, Tinga and Gideon gave each other side-long glances.
The blue team headed for the goal, but then one of Sam’s
team managed to steal the ball and took it back in the other direction
again. After about twenty yards, she used a banana kick to send the ball
to Sam who dribbled expertly on toward her own goal. Getting close to
the goal, one of the blue team tried to take the ball and fouled her.
“Well, that serves her right. That’ll teach her to beat up
on Samantha,” said Luna. She was off the branch now and hovering.
The referee got the ball
and set it up for a free kick. The other girls backed away ten feet and
Sam looked for the dark Hispanic girl, but kept her eye on the one with
auburn hair. When the whistle blew, the Hispanic girl got the drop and
headed down field. Sam was beside her and when another girl got close,
she was ready for the pass. The two managed the drive and got the ball
close enough for a goal shot, but the goalie managed to block it and the
auburn haired girl retrieved the ball and then reversed the direction.
With a lead pass, she sent it on to another player and it looked like
they might score, but at the last second the goalie for Sam’s team
grabbed the ball.
“Hey, that girl just plucked the ball out of the air. Is
that legal?”
“Yes,
its legal, Luna. She’s the goalie. You really don’t know anything about
soccer, do you?” said Tinga.
“Well, no.”
“That’s obvious, Tinga,” exclaimed Gideon. “Come over here
and sit down, Luna. You’re making me nervous with that hovering.”
The game continued for about ten minutes and then the coach
called all the girls over to the bench. After a short talk, they lined
up again. The one girl who had been on the bench went in as a substitute
on Sam’s team. She walked with a little bit of a limp and it appeared
that one leg might be a little shorter than the other.
When the game started
again, the new girl got the ball and push passed to Sam who took it down
the field for a ways before sending it over to another one of her
teammates. The receiver was making a mad dash, when the girl with the
flying auburn hair slipped over and managed to steal the ball. She
handed it off to a blue teammate who spun and headed in the opposite
direction. They almost scored when the new girl with the slight limp on
Sam’s team made a valiant effort to get the ball away and got run over
in the process.
“Hey, that blue player ran over that girl with the limp. I
don’t like that,” cried Tinga. “What’s her number?”
“Ten. Where are you going, Tinga?”
Tinga did not answer, but jumped out of the tree and headed
for the field.
“Oh, geee,” said Luna. “I
smell trouble.”
Tinga laughed and moved off to the sidelines and then turned
and waved at the others in the tree.
“Wow, that looks like fun,” exclaimed Abril, as she flitted
from the tree leaving Luna and Gideon in the branches.
Abril joined Tinga and
they watched the girls run up and down.
“Looks like Samantha might be getting a little tired,”
winked Tinga. “Think she might need some help on the next play?”
“Why not. It’s not a real game. And, Samantha deserves to
have a goal today. What’s the plan?”
In the next minute or so they saw the girl with the auburn
hair, which they were now calling Freckles, coming down the sideline
with the ball. Sam was right on her tail, but couldn’t quite catch up.
Tinga slipped onto the field and as Sam passed, she did a little wavy
motion around her legs. Within a second, Sam put on a burst of speed and
stole the ball and passed it to her teammate with the limp. Freckles
stopped dumbfounded, wondering where on earth Sam had come from. The
limping girl reversed the drive and took off for the red goal. Abril was
right beside her.
When one of the blue team tried to steal the ball away, she
suddenly tripped and the handicapped girl continued her drive dodging
several other players. Getting close to the goal, she saw Sam to her
right and made a perfect pass. Sam caught the ball on the inside of her
foot, kicked, and it whizzed right by the unsuspecting blue goalie.
The red team surrounded Sam and the girl who had assisted
and cheered.
Abril and Tinga met Luna and Gideon back at the tree.
“Grandmother hadn’t
better hear about this, Luna,” said Abril accusingly. “She’d probably
scold us.”
“Mums the word,” said Luna.
“Boy, she sure is pretty,” sighed Gideon.
