Being in a space where we feel at home allows us to relax and be fully present. In a work place, this can be of tremendous benefit because it can allow for a group of people to feel that they have an environment conducive to supporting them in their joint endeavors. It turns a house into a home, and because the space becomes a sanctuary, it will allow you to restore your vitality, safely release the tensions of the day, and nurture yourself while envisioning how you want to build your future.
This book and the Heart of the Earth method—a way of living in harmony with the earth—was born out of my careful observation of people’s needs and that of their families and animal companions. I see a great need around me as I see people desire to create a safe place that they can call their own. For quite a few decades now I have been to countless places and successfully helped people clear these spaces of unwanted, toxic energies, resetting them so that they can promote greater health, harmony, and productivity. All too many times I have seen people feel completely disconnected from their environment, which in turn causes them to be nervous and stressed, and causes tension among each other.
I have had many requests from people who wanted me to teach them how to do this method for themselves. This is why I have written this book to be a simple hands-on, step-by-step guide in order to enhance harmony, wellness, and overall greater sense of well-being in many environments.
People have asked me if this is like feng shui, the Chinese practice of arranging spaces for harmony. It is not. Over the years I have developed my own system that is a synthesis of Native American spiritual principles and shamanic practices, current resources, wisdom gained from experiences in the field, and my intuitive gifts. This book will instruct you on basic exercises and techniques to guide you into making any space your own so that you may get the maximum benefit from it.
Tradition Origin
While I was born into a multigenerational South American indigenous tradition, it is not something that I was formally taught as part of my regular upbringing because it was thought to be unnecessary in this modern age. Over the years my natural inclination toward the sacred practices became very evident. It ultimately led me to be adopted by a powerful spirit man, Ted Silverhand, who is of the Tuscarora Nation and Bear clan, and into the traditions he follows.
Over the years it has been my privilege to learn from Native American teachers from many nations. When I was very young, about eight to ten years old, I was taught the ways of the Tuscarora people. As I grew older, I was granted permission to receive teachings from the Seneca, Anishinaabe, the Cherokee, and a little from the Lakota Nations. As I continued my walk through the Americas I received wisdom from the Taino, Inca, and Maya. I was granted permission from all my Medicine Teachers to share what was given to me. I write to the universal Heart of the Good Red Road to respect individual tribes, for only they can determine with whom to share their unique ceremonies. My experiences afford me a distinctive view not only of the commonalities of Native American spiritualities and uniqueness that each tribe holds, but how these ancient teachings are still relevant today.
This book, and the Heart of the Earth method, is the synthesis of combining my life’s wisdom, time-honored techniques, and Native American spiritual principles. Its purpose is to give you tools that you may apply to your everyday environment and living space.
Benefits
Using Heart of the Earth techniques creates an energy that everyone will respond to whether they are conscious of it or not. You will benefit from greater harmony with your environment and within yourself.
This method has brought much abundance, peace, and contentment to the places that I have applied it to throughout the years. It is my hope that as you connect and harmonize with nature, your Sacred Self, and the spirit of the space, work space, or home, these techniques will bring you contentment. Using the method of the Heart of the Earth you will create a naturally harmonious, unique, and very personal haven for you and for those whom you love.
Another benefit that you will receive from living in greater harmony with the Heart of the Earth is that of attracting benevolent spirits to your place. Don’t be surprised if you see earth spirits, which in Western cultures are known as fae or fairies. These spirit beings can be very protective of the ones whom they reside with. They can be very helpful but need to be given ground rules. Typically, you will find objects appearing and disappearing at random, but never in a harmful way.
Other spirits that might come are the Sacred Ancestors of the Land. These are divine spirits that are part of the land itself. Some of them are indigenous spirits who come because they can sense that you wish to work in harmony and with greater respect to the earth and with all beings. The Sacred Ancestors of the Land are benevolent protectors and they bless and enhance the overall feeling of serenity and contentment wherever they are. It is not uncommon for them to share their wisdom by giving you good advice and to comfort you in times of need. The Sacred Ancestors of the Land only come to those who truly have goodwill and compassion as their way of being.
It is not only good spiritual Beings that will be attracted to you. You will find that your wild neighbors will be enticed to visit you too! Now before you get excited, what I mean by this is the birds and the animals will be drawn to your place even if you do not offer food or water. They come because they can feel that your place is safe and tranquil. Of course, if you wish to offer food and drink to them, this is a good way of honoring them. It is a great way to thank them for the songs that they sing or sounds that they make that make you smile, plus the gifts of inspiration and joy as you see them when you are sitting outside.
When and How to Use This Book
These techniques are meant to be used by anyone who wants to improve their space by making the energy more harmonious with nature, and with the people and animals who also share that space with them. The Heart of the Earth method can be applied whether you are looking for a new place or updating an existing one.
As we all know, life is a series of cycles and changes. Transitions that affect our lifestyles can happen to us at any time. At times they are planned, like that of a graduation, wedding, the birth of a child, or a change of career. And other times it can happen suddenly through the death of a loved one, a redefining or downsizing of a job, or the growing demands of caregiving for a relative. Major stressful transitions such as that of death, sudden loss, or divorce can force us into releasing our old lives whether we are ready for it or not and put us in a position of needing to reinvent ourselves for the future.
Using the Heart of the Earth method can give you the tools you need in order to be able to “go with the flow” with changes that life brings, whether the changes are planned or not. A space that will be nourishing and supportive mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually for all will be created when factoring in your resources, your needs, and the likes and dislikes of those who will also be affected by the space.
Please note, however, that this book only scratches the surface of this technique. I am giving you a solid foundation so that you can use all that you read within these pages with confidence and safety in order to improve your overall quality of life. Developing this method to help others took me several decades of using my shamanic skills and being able to interpret the nuances of nature, human needs, and how they interact with each other while out in the field.
Trying to do these techniques for others without proper training may result in accidentally creating disruptive or even harmful effects! For areas that require more knowledge than you may have it is wise to contact someone of skill or who is a professional in their field, such as an interior decorator, handyman, electrician, or, if necessary, someone who does more intense spiritual cleansing.
This book works best if you read it through completely from beginning to end, but I have written it so that you can jump to different sections individually depending on your circumstances. We are living beings who are ever growing and changing and since our environments are an extension of ourselves, the energy and items within them should reflect this too. It is my hope that you will enjoy this book and that the Heart of the Earth method will help you gain greater confidence in using your creativity to develop your personal spaces. It will teach you how to make better choices of what to bring into your environment by respectfully connecting with our beloved Earth Mother and all of the people and animals that share your life.
I have written this book so you may go as lightly or as in-depth as you desire to. If it is a case where you would only like to do a blessing or a light spiritual cleansing, then you can do that. If you would like to merely tweak what you have in order to improve what is already there, you can do that too. Or, if you wish to go “all in” and start from the ground up to completely craft your space or rebuild it from scratch, this book will give you the tools so you can complete that task. This book is user-friendly so you can approach it for whatever your needs are at the time and at the level that you want to align your space to be in harmony with nature and with the stage of life you are in.
For ease of reference this book is broken into two parts. The first part introduces basic concepts and the second part is focused on the actual creation of your space. Throughout both parts I have many exercises that will heighten your senses and sharpen your skills so you can be confident with interpreting your findings and how to apply them properly. Figures and charts are provided throughout for quick reference in relation to the Medicine Wheel, the compass points, and more.
Part one will cover basic definitions and vocabulary that are required for you to be able to use this technique effectively. I talk about why we need to reconnect with the natural world in addition to explaining universal Native American spiritual concepts. There are also fundamental energetic principles that you need to understand so that you can apply the techniques that will come in part two. I will point out the importance of having the proper mental attitude and finding your center because these play a pivotal role in successfully creating your space. I also go into detail of the different features of the land—both physical and energetic—and how this impacts you.
Part two focuses on evaluating, planning, and creating your space. I will guide you on how to clearly define what you want from your home or work space regardless if it is a new place or one that you are updating to meet your current needs. I will give you a quick way to evaluate if a place is correct for you if you are hunting for a new one. I will also cover, in detail, the qualities of each of the directions, assessing your property, and the function of each room in relation to the five elements. You will learn how to set the Heart of your place, which sets the energetic tone and maintains the health of your home or work place. I touch on practical advice for crafting your space, such as the use of light and color, culling clutter, and welcoming sacred Beings into your place. I share simple rituals to establish and sustain good spiritual energy in your home or work space. Finally, I will instruct you on how to maintain your place so that it remains healthy and current, in addition to sharing recommended resources.
After reading through the chapters, a good place to begin honing your skills is by rereading the initial exercises in chapter three on heightening your senses—Way of the Sage and Way of the Warrior—so that you can understand and feel the energetic features of your place. The same is true when developing another basic skill found in chapter seven, which is learning how to bless things and clear them properly with the ancient ritual of smudging. Because I know there could be restrictions or respiratory difficulties, I also give you a smokeless alternative for this ceremony. These are essential skills that will benefit you regardless of the level of involvement that you wish to have when aligning your residence or place of business with the Heart of the Earth method.
At times you may notice that certain words are capitalized that are not normally. This is to differentiate something as honorific or sacred versus mundane. For example, the Seven Arrows are a sacred collective of divine Beings versus seven arrows that are projectiles you would sling from a bow.
Please take time to orient yourself with this book and think in advance as to what you wish to accomplish. It will make it much easier to streamline the process and make it much more enjoyable.