The Wisdom of the Crows
and the Power of Story
“The destiny of the world is determined less by the battles that are lost and won than by the stories it loves and believes in.”
—HAROLD GODDARD, AUTHOR OF
THE MEANING OF SHAKESPEARE
“ . . . it seems to me that these ancient myths are filled with hints about things we urgently need to know.”
—LYNDSAY CLARKE, AUTHOR OF
TRADITIONAL CELTIC STORIES
“The one who tells the stories rules the world.”
—HOPI INDIAN PROVERB
CAN YOU FEEL YOURSELF at times with one foot in the world of the child and one foot in the world of the adult? Is the tension sometimes just too much to take? Hundreds of stories, myths, and legends are written to escort us on this journey into adulthood. If you let them, stories can act like mentors and Wisdomkeepers reaching out to you through time, offering you a path to walk on.
“I can still remember one of my first stories. I heard it from a Lutheran minister. I was about 14 years old. I don’t remember anything else from his sermon but the story. It was about some monk who was hanging from a cliff. ‘He couldn’t climb up because there was a tiger above him waiting to devour him, and below him was a long fall to death. His hands were growing tired, and soon he knew he would have to climb up, or let go. As he hung there, a magnificent butterfly landed on a nearby rock. He watched the butterfly and in his last moments he reached out to it, and fell. . . .’ That was my life then: I was between two awful places with nowhere to go. I’m not sure I knew it meant this to me at the time, but the story seemed to give me strength to deal with the ambiguity and confusion in my own life somehow. It told me we can always reach for what’s beautiful, even in our last moments. It helped me look for this beauty in my own life. And it’s not that I held on to the story, it is more like it held on to me.”
—ADRIAN, AGE 24
“’Who are you?’ someone asks. ‘I am the story of myself.’”
—N. SCOTT
MOMADAY, STORYTELLER,
FROM NATIVE
AMERICAN STORIES
Adrian discovered some hope within himself when he heard this story. The story “hung on to him” and its message has helped him through more than one difficult time. In many respects he’s become a butterfly collector. He collects hope and beauty around him as a way to get through painful times. What stories are holding on to you? What stories speak to you now? And even more important, what stories are you composing with your own life?
When the Going Gets Tough the Tough Tell a Story
One way ancient wisdom is passed on to us is through the sharing of myths, stories, legends, and prophecies. Stories give us a place where we can find our life’s purpose. They talk to our hearts, open our minds, and motivate us to act. Story is a way to connect with the soul and with others. How often have you and your friends remembered the same story? Stories help us answer the cosmic question, “Who am I?”
Stories reflect many profound beliefs found within the traditions from which they originate. Many are written for young Warriors, to assist them through the Thundering Years. They are called initiation myths, or coming-of-age stories, where the main character is “called” to an adventure: the adventure being the journey into adulthood. Most stories hold simple truths that apply to every-one. Many of these myths and legends came to the storyteller as a vision, some are events remembered and passed down, while others came as a dream. This is why it is recommended that you record your dreams (see chapter 7), particularly the ones that feel important to you. Your dreams are likely part of your own personal story or myth.
Each of us is an unfolding story, and every experience in life contains a story. We can use stories, as well as poetry and songs, to guide us through all our journeys. Or, we may use story to resurrect a significant event, like our first love, or some important achievement. Stories and myths help us make sense of our lives and what happens to us. Sometimes writing our stories and dreams can even save our lives.
”The ancient myths were designed to harmonize the mind and body.”
—JOSEPH CAMPBELL,
PHILOSOPHER AND
MASTER STORYTELLER,
FROM THE POWER
OF MYTH
“We feel nameless and empty when we forget our stories, leave our heroes unsung, and ignore the rites that mark our passage from one stage of life to another.”
—SAM KEEN AND
ANNE VALLEY-FOX,
FROM YOUR MYTHIC
JOURNEY: FINDING
MEANING IN YOUR LIFE
THROUGH WRITING
AND STORY TELLING
“I had this dream, well a nightmare actually. . . . A man was chasing me with two kitchen knives—one in each hand. I ran from him, terrified. But then something happened where my FEAR shifted to RAGE. I stopped suddenly and turned to face my attacker. I looked at him and rolled back my sleeves, revealing my arms, already raw with cuts. ‘What are you going to do to me?’ I screamed like I’ve never screamed in waking life. ‘Are you going to CUT me?!’ Then as he stared in awe, I took one of the knives from him (incidentally it was the first knife I ever used to cut myself), and proceeded to cut my arms more. I was burning with anger—no longer scared. It didn’t hurt, and I wasn’t running. The man looked at me in shock and disbelief—HE HAD NO POWER OVER ME. . . . This dream helped me understand that maybe my self-injury was a DEFENSE—‘They can’t hurt me if I hurt myself more.’”
—LIA, AGE 16
“Each of us is a story, and each day part of that story unfolds. Each of us is the author to the story of our life, holding within us the power to change the plot at any time. What you dreamt last night is a story—tell it to someone. Who you visited with over lunch is a story—tell it to someone. Who you love is a story—tell it to someone. Who you fear is a story—tell it to someone. The secret you hold in your heart is a story—tell it to someone. Tell it to us. . . .
When you find the story that you are—you find your life.”
—FLAMING RAINBOW
WOMAN, SPIRITUAL
WARRIOR
As difficult as Lia’s dream-story may be, a large percentage of young people are known to cut themselves, often leaving scars for a lifetime. Lia began to cut herself at the age of 14. She tried many ways to stop but nothing really worked until she began to write out her stories in poetry, articles, and prose. She also gave up her regular use of marijuana, which had been adding to her depression and anxiety. This dream was one story that helped her understand WHY she was cutting herself, which ultimately helped her find a reason to stop. Now Lia fights back her fears through her stories and poetry. (See page 221.)
A Storytelling Circle
Try this with a group of friends, as part of a ritual or group, or even suggest it as a class activity. For a couple weeks look for objects that symbolize something significant about yourself, or about something that is going on in your life. Bring to the gathering the one object that most strongly represents something significant about you or your life right now. Have the group sit in a circle on the floor. Bring this object to the circle and place it in the center. (Keep the object in a paper bag so no one will know who brought which object.) Have someone remove all the objects from the bags and place them on the floor. Then, taking turns, each person chooses an object (not their own) that appeals to them. This person then shares with the group what it is that drew them to that particular object. Then the owner of the object is invited to tell their story of the object—what it means to them. “I brought a CD that has a song on it that expresses my feelings right now” (Nelson, age 16). Other objects brought to one circle included: earrings, artwork, a ceramic bowl (family heirloom), a telephone, a heart-shaped rock, and a photograph of a recently deceased sister.
What would you bring to your circle?
“I am anonymous
I am not to be named
I am but a Teller of Tales
A Keeper of the Mysteries and the Lore
The Wisdom and the Teachings of the Old Ones
Minatou of the Ways of the People
Come closer around the fire
And I will speak my story.”
—MANITONQUAT (MEDICINE STORY),
STORYTELLER, WAMPANOAG NATION
Writing or Telling Your Own Stories: Keeping an Idea Book
Any and all parts of your life can be a story. In the example on page 28, every-one had a “story” to tell about the significant object they brought with them to the circle. We all tell stories every day. When you describe an event or situation that you experienced or when you write someone a letter or a poem, you are engaging in the ancient tradition of storytelling. Consider putting together a collection of your and your friends’ stories. Let your Thunder be heard (or read)! Everyone loves a personal story—just look at the popularity of movies, plays, and novels.
“We must accept that this creative pulse within us is God’s creative pulse itself.”
—JOSEPH CHILTON
PEARCE, AUTHOR OF
THE CRACK IN
THE COSMIC EGG:
CHALLENGING
CONSTRUCTS OF
MIND AND REALITY
The following poem was written by Kirsten at the age of 17. When Kirsten was 15, her English teacher suggested students keep an “Idea Book,” a small pocket notebook to write down ideas, thoughts, poems, and doodles at any time. Even if you’re sitting in science class, she suggested, and have an idea, bring out your book and jot it down.
After Kirsten died suddenly in a car accident at age 17, her mother came across Kirsten’s idea book (from which a book of Kirsten’s poems was later published). The following poem appears in Kirsten’s poetry book, She Would Draw Flowers (see chapter resources).
My path has never been strewn
With broken glass
And cutting words.
No,
I have walked my life
With feet pale and tender,
On pillows of purple violets,
Embraced by yellow voices
That enfold me,
Leading me, with trusting eyes closed,
Away from the sharp, slippery rocks,
Away from the sucking pool
Which threatens to pull me under,
Shielding me with gentle blue-sky wings
From the screaming, tearing, empty wind
Which tries to blow me away.
I did not ask for this path,
For the loving smiles
And guiding hands,
But they are mine.
This is how I am.
This is my path.
It is mine to walk,
To change as I please,
To take care of
Forever.
I must cherish my violets,
Or they will die.
So I will
Forever.
—FROM SHE WOULD DRAW FLOWERS:
A BOOK OF POEMS, BY KIRSTEN SAVITIR BERGH
“Whosoever survives a test,
Whatever it may be,
Must tell the story.
That is his duty.”
—ELIE WIESEL, WINNER
OF THE 1986
NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
AND AUTHOR OF ALL
RIVERS RUN TO THE SEA
Kirsten left a legacy of paintings, drawings, and poetry, which she wrote during her high school years. She lived the creative life. She had a community of people to draw upon. She, indeed, was a Spiritual Warrior. Her creative spirit lives on in her poems and in those of us who read them.
You, too, can keep an idea book, something you can always refer to as a re-source of your thoughts, concerns, and personal stories. Some people write their stories like a myth, where the main characters are animals or heroes. Some of us make up short stories about our lives because it is the way we want our lives to go. All this is story making and storytelling, a powerful tool for healing, forming your identity, or focusing your goals and dreams.
Starting Your Story
Here are some questions/ideas you can ask yourself, or share with your storytelling group, to get started on identifying and recording or creating stories of your own:
- Write about the last meaningful event that happened in your life. Fill up three pages without stopping to think. Begin the page with “This is what I remember about what happened . . .” and then just write whatever comes to your mind. Don’t edit or stop to consider if it makes any sense. You can always add to it later, or take something out if you don’t like it.
- Write about what HURTS. Write about what is bothering you. Let all the feelings, thoughts, and opinions come out onto the page. Again, just let it flow—don’t censor anything.
- What animal do you identify with? Imagine being that animal. Write a poem or a story about being that animal.
“Through imagery, character, and plot, stories mirror our own struggles and free the mind to imagine options for creative change. Stories seem to go directly into long-term memory and so become part of the fabric of our being, a spiritual handbook of information to draw on.”
—SHARRON BROWN
DORR, STORYTELLER
FROM THE FOX
VALLEY STORYTELLING
GUILD IN ILLINOIS
Thundering Stories
Myths hold clues for us about how we can respond to the many challenges that we face in life. They are meant to open our hearts and minds to more ways of dealing with life’s circumstances. Stories can help us bring out the qualities we want in ourselves—strength, courage, compassion—all aspects of the Spiritual Warrior. Stories are an art form, so each person who hears or reads a story will respond to it in his or her own unique way.
Stories are also important in understanding the visions we get on our vision quests, and to help us understand the teachings of the Wisdomkeepers.
“Mythology tells us that where you stumble, there your treasure is. There are so many examples. One that comes to mind is in The Arabian Nights. Someone is plowing a field, and his plow gets caught. He digs down to see what it is and discovers a ring of some kind. When he hoists the ring, he finds a cave with all of the jewels in it. And so it is in our own psyche; our psyche is the cave with all the jewels in it, and it’s the fact that we’re not letting their energies (stories) move us that brings us up short. The world is a match for us and we’re a match for the world. And where it seems most challenging lies the greatest invitation to find a deeper and greater power within ourselves.”
—JOSEPH CAMPBELL, PHILOSOPHER AND
MASTER STORYTELLER, FROM AN OPEN LIFE
“A healing story has the power to guide and inspire for a lifetime.”
—SHARRON BROWN
DORR, STORYTELLER
FROM THE
FOX VALLEY
STORYTELLING
GUILD IN ILLINOIS
In this interview, Joseph Campbell goes on to say that many stories are about how we get “stuck” in our lives, with the story offering ideas on how to get unstuck. Some of us are stuck in our feelings of anger, boredom, judgmentalness, jealousy, or fear; or stuck in negative outside circumstances, such as poverty, alcoholic families, and abuse, as mentioned in chapter 1. During the Thundering Years, we also can get “stuck” in being a child, lacking what it takes to move through these years. We may get older in age, but we never quite grow up. This happens because we are not given the tools to get past where we are stuck or we are too scared to take the initiative ourselves. And it is scary at times to feel the adult emerge in us. Like a thunderstorm brewing off in the distance we feel the adult pushing itself outward. Following are a few examples of the stories and myths that are here to assist us.
The first story, Wisdom of the Crows, is taken from the Japanese Buddhist tradition, offering a tale in leadership and the ability to see beyond the surface of things. It describes the importance of the child’s mind transforming into the mind of an adult.
Every part of a story can actually be understood as part of one’s own self. For example, each crow in the story is an aspect of ourselves. We are the elder (wise one), questioning ourselves about our readiness for adulthood. We also hold within us the unskilled archer and the skilled archer. All three of the young crows represent different parts of who we are when we are asked to prove ourselves. We each have the potential to see beyond the surface of things—to be a leader if necessary.
The second story is a Lakota legend. It speaks amply to the power and importance of our Thunder and how we can use it. This legend is known as White Buffalo Calf (or Cow) Woman and comes from the Oglala Sioux people, a tribe of the Lakota of the Great Plains. This myth holds great significance because it is believed to hold a message for all peoples, of all traditions, and particularly for those in their Thundering Years. It is a legend of how the sacred pipe (sacred wisdom) was given to the Lakota, and now is being passed on to you.
“It is time now to heal the sacred hoop.”
—ARVOL LOOKING
HORSE, 19TH-GENERATION
KEEPER OF THE
SACRED WHITE
BUFFALO CALF PIPE
“This legend teaches our people that to hold on to a sacred tradition, even when their very lives and community are being destroyed, means to hold on to what is sacred in us all. To hold on to this sacredness means we can, and some have, survived the worst of times. The Oglala Sioux consider the pipe most sacred. We could sit and smoke the sacred pipe in secret. This allowed us to keep our culture alive when those around us were trying to wipe us out. This is why we were given the sacred pipe.”
—ED MCGAA, EAGLE MAN, OF THE OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE
The Oglala Sioux, Lakota of the Great Plains of North America, are a “warrior” tribe, warriors of strength, peace, and courage. This legend is a call to each of us to take our rightful place among the human “tribe” as a Warrior.
As retold by Sherab Chodzin and Alexandra Kohn
There comes a time in the life of every kind of creature when they have to go out on their own and join the company of their elders. Crows are no exception.
It happened one day that the elder crows were testing three young ones to see if they had reached the age when they had the wit and maturity to fly with their elders. To the first of the young ones, the leader of the crows put the following question: “In this whole world, what do you think crows should fear the most?”
The young crow thought a moment and then answered, “The most fearsome thing is an arrow, for it can kill a crow with one strike.”
When the elder crows heard this, they thought it was a very clever answer. They flapped their wings and cawed with approval. “You speak the truth,” said the leader. “We welcome you into the flock.”
Then the leader asked the second young crow, “What do you think we should most fear?”
“I think a skilled archer is more to be feared than an arrow,” the young one said, “for only the archer can aim and shoot the arrow. Without the archer, the arrow is no more than a stick, like the twig I am perching on.” The crows thought this was one of the most intelligent comments they had ever heard. The parents of the second young crow cawed with pride and beamed at their brilliant child. The leader said, “You speak with great intelligence. We are pleased to have you as a member of the flock.” Then she asked the third young crow, “And what do you think is the thing most to be feared in the world?”
“Neither of the things mentioned already,” responded the young bird. “The thing in the world most to be feared is an unskilled archer.”
Here was a strange answer! The bewildered crows stood about silent and embarrassed. Many thought the third crow was simply not bright enough to understand the question. “Why do you say a thing like that?” the leader of the flock finally asked.
“The second of my companions is right. Without the archer, there is nothing to fear from an arrow. But a skilled archer’s arrow will fly where it is aimed. So when you hear the twang of the bowstring, you only have to fly to one side or the other, and his arrow will miss you for sure. But with an unskilled archer, you never know where his arrow will go. If you try to get away, you may fly right into its path. You never can know whether to move or stay still.”
When the birds heard this, they knew that the third young crow had real wisdom, which sees beyond the surface of things. They spoke of him with admiration and respect. Not long afterward, they asked him to become the leader of the flock.
When have you seen beyond the appearance of things, and reached a deeper meaning? What do you think is the thing most to be feared in the world?
The Legend of White Buffalo Calf Woman
Adopted and retold with the help of Eagle Man (Ed McGaa, Oglala Sioux Tribe)
It was a time when many tribes were living on little food and the threat of starvation was close. A council fire was built and many bands from neighboring tribes gathered together to try and solve their shared problem. The council chose two young Warriors to go out in search of food. They traveled far but found nothing. They were on foot since this was before the Lakota had horses. They climbed a large hill to look over the land and saw something, or someone, approaching them. As the figure approached they both saw that it was a beautiful woman.
She was dressed in a white buffalo skin and held something in her hands. She radiated a bright light around her and her feet appeared to be slightly off the ground as she walked. When she got close enough they recognized her as a holy woman, a Wakan wiman, in the Oglala Sioux language.
She spoke to them and said, “Do with me what you want.”
One Warrior was in awe and respect that she was in the presence of such a sacred woman and would not even look upon her. Even in her thoughts she regarded the holy woman with great respect. The other young Warrior, however, began to desire the holy woman’s body and clothes and wanted to posses her somehow. He reached out to grab her, and as he did this a great mist descended down upon them. When the mist lifted all that was left of him were white bones.
Then as White Buffalo Calf Woman walked off she spoke to the other young Warrior who remained kneeling before her. “Return to your people and tell them I have brought something for them; tell them to prepare for me.”
The young Warrior did as she was told and went back to her people and gave them the message. They immediately prepared for her visit by building a medicine lodge with an earth altar that faced the west.
After four days they saw the holy woman approaching, carrying a bundle in her hands.
She entered the medicine lodge and unwrapped the bundle, showing them what was inside. It was the sacred pipe and tobacco. She taught them the use of the sacred pipe. She predicted that the pipe would keep the Oglala Sioux Nation alive. Inside the sacred pipe was tobacco. She explained that the pipe was never to be used to hold anything but sacred tobacco. “The bowl of the pipe,” she taught, “is made of red stone. It represents the flesh and blood of the Buffalo People and all other Peoples. The wooden stem of the pipe represents the trees and all things that are green and growing on this earth of ours. The smoke that is pulled through the pipe by your breath represents the sacred wind, the breath that carries prayers up to the Great Creator of us all.” She told them many things to remember. She told how we must all follow the Red Road—the Good Road—the road of the Warrior, where we care for the earth and each other. The pipe is to help us hold on to what is of value in us all.
Then she spoke directly to the younger men and women of the tribe: “You are the coming generation, that’s why you are the most important and precious ones. Someday soon you will hold this pipe, you will be the ones leading us. You will soon be smoking and praying with the pipe. Prepare to be the holders of the pipe.” She turned and faced the elders, “It is your most important duty to prepare the young Warriors. Take this job seriously.”
Before leaving she said, “I will return.” Then, as she walked off into the horizon, she rolled her body over the earth four times. The first time she rolled she stood up as a black buffalo; the second time she turned into a brown buffalo; the third time into a red one, and finally the fourth time she turned into a white female buffalo calf.
“When you pray with this Pipe, you pray for and with everything.”
—“WHITE BUFFALO
CALF WOMAN,”
AS TOLD BY
BLACK ELK, FROM
BLACK ELK SPEAKS
This is your legend. Will you take hold of the pipe or pass away quickly into the mist and become a skeleton, like the one Warrior did in this story? The choice is yours—to refuse or accept sacred wisdom.
Which of the two Warriors do you feel like today? Are you grabbing for a quick fix, or can you be still and listen to the wisdom inside and around you? What wisdom do you hold within yourself to carry back to your “tribe” (family, friends, community)?
In the story of White Buffalo Calf Woman, the pipe became a symbol of power and hope and a link to the past and future. The pipe is now being passed on to you.
The final story is a short Sufi fable. Sufism is a mystical faith of Islam. Sufi practices and stories attempt to bring us closer to Spirit (in this case, Allah). They believe that each of us is in search of a personal relationship with a Greater Power (God/Goddess/Allah/Creator/Mother Earth). This story tries to teach us a simple truth about making choices. Perhaps it will be a timely truth for you now.
The Tiger and the Fox
Once there was a young woman who longed to know her place in the world and how to listen to God’s wisdom. She went for a walk through the woods and saw a fox that had lost its legs, and she wondered how it lived. She waited and watched. At dusk she saw a great tiger with some wild game in its mouth. He had eaten much of it but took the rest of the meat to the fox. And the fox happily ate it.
The next day the young woman watched again, and saw the tiger once again bring some fresh game to the fox to eat. The young woman was moved by how God provided for the fox by means of the tiger. She thought, “That must be it! I am meant to go sit quietly in the woods and God will provide for me all that I need as well!” So, the next day she set out for a deep spot in the woods where she sat herself up against a tree and waited. She waited for God to bring her what she needed, and believed God would take care of her in the same way the fox was taken care of. Many days and nights passed, and the young woman was on the verge of starvation and death. As she laid her head down in defeat she heard a voice shouting at her: “Wake up, foolish girl, open your eyes to the truth! Follow the example of the tiger and stop imitating the disabled fox!”
“The rituals of primitive ceremonies are all mythologically grounded and have to do with killing the infantile ego (our child selves) and bringing forth the adult, whether it is the girl or boy.”
—JOSEPH CAMPBELL,
PHILOSOPHER AND
MASTER STORYTELLER,
FROM THE POWER
OF MYTH
Ideas for the Road
1. Keep a diary or journal. Write when the spirit moves you—don’t be a slave to the task. There are no limits to what you can express in your writing or how you have to do it. (See “The Power of Journaling” in chapter 3.)
“When I have nowhere else to go, I write. It doesn’t sound much like a ’guy thing’ to most, but writing poetry and songs is what keeps me going. The only reason I look so together on the outside is because I write whatever I want in my songs.”
—JOHN, “BEE,” AGE 19
2. Create or join a “storytelling” group. This can be in the context of a support group (such as AA or therapy) or in a class or workshop on storytelling where everyone shares his or her story. There are also story circles and poetry jams, which offer examples of how to hold a storytelling group. Also, check out your local theaters for storytelling classes.
“I took a storytelling class at the Guthrie Theater where everyone had the chance to tell part of their own story. It felt great to hear and to tell our personal stories. Everyone’s life is so unique.”
—GAYLE, AGE 23
3. Unleash a painful story or memory. Sometimes telling our painful stories can break the hold they have on us. Usually in our painful stories are some secrets that have power over us for as long as we keep them a secret.
“I told my story of how my brother abused me, and even though I have a ways to go to feel ‘all together,’ I do feel a whole lot better having told others this secret.”
—LAURIE, AGE 23
4. Listen to your dreams. A lot of poetry and many popular stories originate from dreams. What dreams do you have that feel like a story to you? Consider writing these out in your journal for future storytelling material.
5. Think of the stories that have stayed with you. These can be stories that were told to you or ones you experienced. What stories in this book have stayed with you? What story would you add to this selection? Tell us and connect with others on the THUNDER’s Web site: www.thunderingyears.com
“Human connections are deeply nurtured in the field of shared story.”
—JEAN HOUSTON,
SCIENTIST AND
PHILOSOPHER,
FROM THE SEARCH FOR
THE BELOVED
Books, Resources, and Wisdomkeepers Related to This Chapter
Blackfoot Lodge Tales: The Story of a Prairie People, by George B. Grinnel (University of Nebraska Press, 1962).
Dictionary of Native American Mythology, by Sam D. Gill and Irene F. Sullivan (Oxford University Press, 1992). A great resource book on Native Americans.
The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer and Visionary, by Angeles Arrien, Ph.D. (HarperSan Francisco, 1993). An excellent, easy-to-read resource for the Spiritual Warrior.
Rainbow Tribe: Ordinary People Journeying on the Red Road, by Ed McGaa, Eagle Man (HarperSanFrancisco, 1992). An easy-to-read book about non-Indians taking the “Red Road,” the road of the Spiritual Warrior.
Return to Creation: A Survival Manual for Native and Natural Peoples, by Medicine Story (Manitonquat) (Bear Tribes Publishing, 1991). Medicine Story offers stories and anecdotes on living a more balanced life with nature.
She Would Draw Flowers: A Book of Poems, by Kirsten Savitir Bergh (Linda Bergh, 1997). A moving book of poems and artwork by a young woman who listened to her Thunder. Contact Linda Bergh at LindaBergh@aol.com.
Stories of the Spirit, Stories of the Heart: Parables of the Spiritual Path from Around the World, edited by Christina Feldman and Jack Kornfield (HarperSanFrancisco, 1991). A collection of stories and parables that inspire and teach lessons.
Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives, by Dan Millman (H. J. Kramer, 1980). A story about an athlete who became a Spiritual Warrior. To contact Dan Millman and to find out more about his work, visit: www.danmillman.com
The Wisdom of the Crows and Other Buddhist Tales, retold by Sherab Chodzin and Alexandra Kohn (Tricycle Press, 1997). Excellent collection of tales, each of which teaches a lesson.
World Mythology, edited by Roy Willis (Henry Holt, 1993). A reference book with definitions, pictures, and illustrations.
The Circle: News from a Native American Perspective
1530 East Franklin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404
(612) 879-1760
An excellent paper with news from around the country on Native Americans. A section called “New Voices” contains articles and poetry from young adults. They want young Native writers to submit material.
Michael Meade
Mosaic Multicultural Foundation
P.O. Box 364
Vashon, WA 98070
(206) 463-9387 Fax: (206) 463-9236
A resource of people and storytellers. Michael conducts workshops and storytelling performances all over the country.
Online Resources
Arvol Looking Horse
www.worldpeaceday.com
19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe for the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nation.
Encyclopedia Mythica
www.pantheon.org
A site with an extensive list of stories, mythology,folklore, and images from cultures around theworld, including, Aboriginal, Celtic, Hindu,Egyptian, Japanese, Native American, and Yoruban.
Favorite Teenage Angst Books
www.grouchy.com/angst
A site of fiction books and book reviews that are worth a look or a read. A great place to meet other teen readers.
Poetry Slam, Inc.
www.poetryslam.com
This is a bright and colorful site introducing us to the art form of performance poetry. It includes a map of poetry slam listings in your region of the United States.
How
Did the rose
Ever open its heart
And give to this world
All its
Beauty?
It felt the encouragement of light
Against its
Being,
Otherwise,
We all remain
Too
Frightened.
—HAFIZ, SUFI MASTER,
FROM THE GIFT: POEMS BY HAFIZ