EARTHRISING is a Series on How we can lift each other up higher and higher through harnessing our Imagination, Ancient Tribal Wisdom, Green Technology & Heart Healing Outreaches and Love Songs.
Britain’s beloved Beatle John Lennon wisely wrote the powerful song, “Imagine.” What we imagine, visualize or dream, we manifest. That can be applied to healing Earth, and is even stronger when we collectively and multi-culturally give love and appreciation to Mother Earth’s heart, said a Mayan leader. As a result of some coincidences on New Year’s, my imagination went wild of how we can easily, blissfully, passionately inspire a phenomenal Earthrising in 2015.
It was majorly reinforced by four million plus French people and sympathizers as ONE, taking to the streets – “We are Charlie” – following the Paris shootings on January 11, many transforming fear into harmony and forgiveness by singing and swaying to John’s lyrics: “Imagine all the people living life in Peace.” http://m.dailykos.com/story/2015/01/13/1357385/-Maddow-Until-I-saw-this-I-didn-t-understand-Video-Paris-sings-Imagine
MORE SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE
Back to New Year’s Day, Neva Harper (Cherokee), former comptroller for Pan Am World and my housemate in Los Angeles’ Marina del Rey, sent me a YouTube of our astronauts witnessing a stirring moment from the moon, the first Earthrise. “Bobcat” Brothers, a Northern California environmental activist, also sent me a beautiful “Hymn to the Seeds.” I connected the dots.
I realized we could make a huge leap in healing the spiritual side of Mother Earth by more and more writing or singing love songs in gratitude to Mother Earth and all Her gifts to humanity, as many Indigenous do.
Singing these heart-felt songs raises our vibration, and in so doing Earth’s vibration, where disease and pollution cannot exist, as Japan’s late great Water Guru Dr. Masura Emoto demonstrated.
Songs have other powers. My introducing music to Freestyle skiing transformed our competition into a communion of lifetime friends. Songs also remind us to be conscious of the thousands of choices we make each day that can heal Mother Earth’s body.
Bobcat credited Native American songs for empowering him to work with an incredible team of grassroots, regional, and national activists to protect 9.1 million acres of ancient forests in the Pacific Northwest from clear-cutting in 1994.
Preserving and planting trees is crucial for many reasons. They help to reduce droughts by capturing clouds like sky combs, and pulling up moisture from the aquifers. The more trees take in the carbon from CO2 pollution, the more climate change will be slowed.
The Ancients and tribes say the trees are Mother Earth’s lungs, the oil Her blood and the ocean Her womb. So by healing Her body by also shifting to green technology, we are healing our own. In 2009, the UN’s 192 member-nation states officially recognized Mother Earth as a living, loving, compassionate advanced being interconnected with us.
JFK mentioned that connection in his welcoming speech of the America’s Cup: All of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood, sweat and tears that exists in the ocean. http://home.comcast.net/~ceoverfield/sea.html
Bobcat sent the seed song in thanks for our Native American Olympic Team Foundation (NAOTF) in November supporting the extraordinary multi-cultural “First Snows” Mountain Blessing ceremony at Oregon’s Mount Ashland, which he was asked to orchestrate. After being closed from the snow drought last season, the ski area was blessed with “considerably more snow than forecasted,” and Mount Ashland opened. http://musewire.com/2193/mt-ashland-oregon-welcomes-major-snowstorm-after-first-snows-ceremony-to-end-drought/
Yet the West Coast and other regions need more healing to end the drought. So I imagined everyone singing more love songs.
2 BILLION “HARMONIZING” on JUNE 18’s LIVE EARTH CONCERT
Hallelujah, on January 23, Vice President Al Gore and Pharrell Williams announced at Davos’ World Economic Forum their hosting another “Live Earth Concert” on June 18. But this one will beam to two billion viewers on seven Continents with “one message — to demand climate action” at the UN’s December Paris meeting on global warming. “Instead of just having people perform, we literally are going to have humanity harmonize all at once,” said Pharrell. His mega hit “Happy” is an example of the unprecedented high vibes and green action that will make Mother Earth’s heart dance! That’s the superpower of songs. http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/pharrell-al-gore-announce-davos-live-earth-concert-article-1.2086515
I had also imagined more love songs and ceremonies to Mother Earth on mountain cathedrals around the U.S. and world by beloved musicians, Elders and interfaith groups chanting, joyfully dancing and singing songs to Mother Earth. When the Aetherius Society led one in 2004 on Mt Baldy, a Holy mountain near L.A., it triggered helping end Southern California’s 7-Year drought. Surrounded by a Sequoia Cathedral in Northern California, Onondaga Chief Oren Lyons helped launch a (healing) drumming around the world at the 2004 Earthdance I attended. Drums mimic the heartbeat of Mother Earth and call in the spirits to help us.
Bobcat’s seed song was written by the bioregional activist hero, Cristobal Ayres Wells, of the All Species Projects in Oaxaca, Mexico. He wrote: “This version you can pass on if you like for broadcast planting. It came to me that there was no song in the hymnal (books) for Seeds, and if Seeds aren’t divine, well what is? So the goal for a Hymn is to get people to take it to heart and mind by singing it ~ This is a song searching for choirs ~ A song for this year of Earth.” ~ May Her Songs Free Her ~ CaW.” www.allspeciesmusic.wordpress.com, www.allspeciesprojects.com, www.allspecies@earthlink.net
Having started an organic terrace garden three years ago to prevent my predisposed diabetes and obesity, which doctors admit is mainly from malnutrition, I found myself singing Cristobal’s song and tears began to flow. Songs open our hearts to feel closer and emotion streamlines manifesting our dreams. http://goodnewsfortheearth.org/hymn-for-the-seeds-for-the-new-year/
Singing love songs to seeds are especially important to protect Life now. My chief advisor, Olivia Ellis PhD (Cherokee), Master Gardener, reminded me when our foundation was gathering the “Elders 15 Green Mandates” for Healing Mother Earth for the 2012 RIO+20 Earth Summit, about Chief Lyons’ message to the U.N.’s General Assembly. As Faithkeeper of the Iroquois, he explained the democratic principles on which their societies were based.
He said, “We were told that the seed is the Law. Indeed, it is the Law of Life. It is the Law of Regeneration. Within the seed is the mysterious and spiritual force of life and creation. Our mothers nurture and guard that seed, and we respect and love them for that, just as we love Etenoha, Mother Earth, for the same spiritual work and mystery.” He concluded that, “We need the courage to change our values for the regeneration of our families, the life that surrounds us. We can raise ourselves. We must join hands with the rest of creation and speak of common sense, responsibility, brotherhood, and peace. We must understand that the law is the seed, and only as true partners can we survive.”
As a tour leader at President Jefferson’s Monticello Gardens, Groves and Orchards, Ellis said “our President exchanged seeds with other botanists around the world back then. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation continues that tradition through hosting the wonderful ‘Annual Heritage Harvest Festival,’ in partnership with Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Thousands of families have an affordable fun-filled festival feasting on heirloom fruits and vegetables while enjoying the gratification of swapping organic heirloom seeds to protect and continue life on Earth. That’s where First Lady Michelle got her organic seeds for the White House Kitchen Garden, to protect her family’s health.”
JOHNNY APPLESEAD AND KOKOPELI
Olivia told me that 17 million hungry U.S. children could soon go to bed and school happily fed as in other developed countries, if parents, schools, churches and community centers knew about the FREE or 1 dollar organic fruit tree seedlings available from every state’s forestry department. When she said there is also FREE help planting them from Jr. and Master Gardeners and 4-H, I imagined that a love song to trees by the children could remind everyone of what the beloved Johnny Appleseed and Kokopelli knew: Planting one fruit tree can feed a hundred children for a thousand years. I imagined Southern California’s school orchards rocking across America and Mexico through http://commonvision.org. See the Super Bowl and First Ladies Inspire Solutions to Greatly … reduce hunger and di-obesity.
At Brazil’s 12th National Indigenous Games the tribes brought their favorite ancient heirloom seeds to share and spread to both protect their super nutritious seeds from going extinct, and to keep their youth lean, clean and healthy.
At Aspen’s 2004 World Watch Conference, the late Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall praised our tribes for having one of the best seed banks. That is another reason why the consensus of 192 UN countries at their 2012 International Mother Earth Day (on Earth day April 21) was “the key to regenerating Mother Earth is a combination of green technology and Ancient Wisdom through the tribes.”
This September, Brazil is hosting the first “2015 World Indigenous Games” with 22 countries. I imagined a song helping more talented athletes of our 500+ Indian Nations, which are mainly in dire shape, miraculously participating. and http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/11/23/sports-education-celebration-12th-annual-world-indigenous-games-152397
One of my favorite songs is Jack Gladstone’s (Blackfeet) “Buffalo Café,” his affectionate name for Mother Earth. While teaching him to ski as guest of our 30th Olympic Ski Team Reunion at Big Mountain, Montana in 1999, I learned that the astronauts soared around our planet to this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od488aTt-vM
Jack’s ballads at our gala dinner also plucked the heart strings of my teammates to vote NAOTF the seed money in 1999 to spread our Native ski programs since they felt “the tribes were the best hope for future generations to have a chance to ski.” Since then it has snowballed to 90 ski areas across the U.S. and Canada sharing the joy of skiing with over 11,000 youth.
I am proud that my teammates and ski areas were intuitively 13 years ahead of the U.N.’s 30,000 IPCC Climate studies in realizing that Ancient Tribal Wisdom, through the snowdances that these programs inspire Elders to lead, are half the key to restoring natural precipitation cycles. That’s the power of song and gratitude to Mother Earth, Her Nature spirits and tribes. Joseph Campbell called musicians and other artists “Today’s shamen who mediate between heaven and earth.”
So I imagined another song could inspire more ski areas to invite their tribal youth “home to fly like eagles down their beloved ancestral mountains.” In healing hearts we are healing the land, which we need more than ever to keep ending droughts and extending snow beyond the end of this century for all the children.
President “Black Eagle” Obama must have made his adopted Crow family proud during his State of the Union Address when he said “2014 was the warmest year in U.S. history, and NASA and the world’s top scientists say OUR activities are changing the climate,” and finally passionately pledged and urged green action.
Songs are personal. See the Addenda for some other songs whose melodies, words and images of Mother Earth give my heart wings. The cat’s meow is Bobcat’s: All God’s Creatures have “A Place in the Choir”, by Celtic Thunder Heritage and “We shall lift each other up higher and higher” by I-Chele Chaya and Rainbow Family friends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls2OanJgFxA
14 year old World Youth leader of Earthguardians.org in 100 countries, Colorado’s Xiuhtezcatl (Shoe) Martinez and his little brother Itzacatl, my godsons, have been empowering and raising the voices of fellow climate solutionaries via GenerationRYSE.org. Also through their Earthrapping, which was the finale of RIO+20’s Earth Concert, on his TEDx plea to adults.
Some say, “Prayer is not enough. You need to address the environmental problems.” Olivia says, “Prayer IS the great Addressor. Prayer reaches into the chaos of creativity and pulls out reality.” She explained “When Peia at Mount Ashland’s ceremony sang, she had such incredible love and tenderness in her prayer voice, that she HELD the snow on the mountain.” http://peia.bandcamp.com/track/blessed-we-are or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7os9V-n7rs. Said Ellis, “Every strong desire of the heart is a prayer.”
Olivia also loves Jean Ritchie’s haunting song, “Now is the Cool of the Day.”
In a powerful prayer Olivia shared with me on New Year’s Night, she gave thanks for the privilege of being alive at this pivotal time when we are assisting, as well as being assisted as never before in transforming our waters, streams and oceans to crystal blue, and our forests and mountains to pristine snowy ones again.
When asked, Olivia explained that the more we give gratitude to Mother Earth the more we can be assisted. So that means what the indigenous have been doing on behalf of humanity, especially through sacred songs, has been LIFE saving. And they are also helping us remember what all our ancestors once knew and did, so we can now together phenomenally RISE, thanks so much to the tribes!
Besides helping almost 100 ski communities remember, our First Americans have inspired and guided hundreds of Native American Clubs across Europe – 400 in West and East Germany alone – plus France, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Italy, Netherlands…. They sing songs to Mother Earth at their powwows and tipi villages where thousands live like the Great Plains tribes. “They are very sincere and authentic in their way of doing everything,” said Anuk Baldeagle (Cheyenne River Sioux), who danced across Europe sponsored by the American Indian College Fund… See Indian Country Today Media’s Germany’s Obsession With American Indians Is Touching—And …
COMPASSION WEEK FEB 1-7
Since snowmelt is critical for drinking water and crops, an ideal time to plan a gathering of multi-cultural songs is during the UN’s annual “World Interfaith Harmony Week” Feb 1-7, as part of their Charter for Compassion: http://charterforcompassion.org/botho-declaration. To compassionately protect our Humpback whales in Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta from speedboats and fishermen nets, including an Azteca Shaman, a group of us are planning on blessing and singing love songs to the whales, whose songs have been lifting the vibes of Mother Earth and all Her children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oYIK6Bg6co
To promote world compassion, Jordan’s wise King Abdullah ll is rewarding a group posting the most inspiring event on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WhKnGyi3NM
Since bodies of water are sacred sites, Olivia said it is also a powerful place to give love to Mother Earth and all Her water.
Therefore, these kinds of love songs, together with prayers, personal courage and being of service are indeed inspiring a glorious EARTHRISING in 2015. That’s something to sing about from the mountain tops and everywhere!
Special thanks to all these musicians, NASA, and Bobcat and his wiki news service, “Good News for the Earth,” which NAOTF is supporting to spread this Good News so we can keep raising each other and Mother Earth higher to create more heaven on earth. Enjoy and please contribute yours on www.facebook.com/goodnews.fortheearth and www.GoodNewsfortheEarth.org. Stayed tuned also for reports on snow ceremonies and Native youth programs at ski areas, green technology accomplishments, and much more. “May our actions be our prayers,” says Bobcat.
SOME OF MOTHER EARTH’S FAVORITE LOVE SONGS:
I collected the songs of these visionary Artists on Google to help us celebrate Mother Earth Day, not just once a year, but every day like the Indigenous!
Childrens’ Song to Mother Earth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_A3FMf3_Qw
Rocky Mountain High – John Denver, skier, Eco Pioneer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLWD2WIvRQk
Divine Mother – Sacred Earth – by Australians honoring the connection of Native Americans and other Ancient Cultures to Mother Earth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uSV9nqNHPw
My Rainbow Race – Donavan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfe9bVHNYL0
Amazing Grace in Cherokee, their Morning Song. This Scottish/Celtic melody became a tribal favorite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_qFbNskjCI
Enya’s “In Memory of Trees”
Mother Earth-“Forgive us for what we’ve done to you, please let us start anew.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3eBPs_wU0g
Sting’s Fields of Gold –
“In Tribute to Floyd Red Crow Westerman,” the Indigenous and all those who have protected Mother Earth and are helping us remember our ancestral earth-honoring roots. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71urVOSO2uA
Robbie Robertson & Ulali Mahk Jchi Heartbeat Drum Song – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzyfVGaYjg4
Sacred Earth – Jai Ma – lovely yoga, meditation and relaxation music that touches the soul. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBOhNV5sZGI
Uplifting Native American Shamanic Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKqJe0t263A
She’s Alive, Beautiful, Finite, Hurting … She’s Home – by Bittu Sahgal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeXdv-uPaw
Dan Ernest’s “Africa Rising through Love Songs”
Green Tara Mantra – the Joy Mantra of Tibetan Buddhism sung by Chinese artist Su Ching-yen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQMEJs6Q3xU&list=PLgO7B5tXoVJ4nFIgzVwhMn5HMg8n3MjZe&index=4
Manao Drums of China Power Girls – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NSej1sFr3g
Iroquois Joanne Shenandoah’s Mother Earth
Sufi Ceremony (Istanbul, Turkey) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUfxbERMYdg The Whirling Dervishes of Rumi are a branch of Islam’s Sufi tradition of service and love for ALL, thanks to poet Rumi. Flute music represents the spirit of the Universe. Focusing on Islam’s joyous love side can manifest peace, healing Mother Earth, and slowing Climate Change, why Aspen hosted them:
EARTH – One Video You NEED to See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thuViaxRd_w
Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes’ “Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong”/lyrics (I used for my Olympic mom, Stevia’s funeral) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95QoDc_obN8
And his “Feelin Alright!” with Santana, Rundgren, McEnroe and me on flute! https://m.youtube.com/watch?sns=fb&v=FGCFuTHMgiw
Vancouver Olympics-“Whistler’s Mountain Spirit Celebration,” double flute by Gene Tagaban (Tlingit-Cherokee), a snowboarder like Robert Mirabal (Taos Pueblo) with John Tesh’s “Valley of Dreams” https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1421782837&v=C2f98NwhqmE&x-yt-cl=84359240
Santana’s Europa (Earth’s Cry Heaven’s Smile)
Mariah Cooper (Lac Courte-Oreille-Oneida) XC Native Olympic Hopeful’s spell-binding prayer signing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOnZVR4nufE
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COVER PHOTO CAPTION (top of article): NASA Astronauts were awestruck witnessing first Earthrise from the moon on Christmas 1968.
Article is Copr. © 2015 by Suzy Chaffee and originally published on eNewsChannels.com – all commercial and reprint rights reserved. Opinions are those of the author and may not reflect the opinion or policy of this site or its publisher. Content has not been edited beyond simple typo checks in order to retain the author’s unique voice. READ MORE from Suzy at: https://enewschannels.com/author/suzy/ .