C) The February Moon

“The Second Moon Cycle or the February Moon is led by Wisdom Keeper. Her color association is gray.”

WISDOM KEEPER: The Protectress of Sacred Traditions

The Keeper of the Stone Libraries and Earth History

The Guardian of "the Remembering" and the Art of Memory

The Mother of Friendship, Planetary Unity, and Mutual Understanding.

SHE TEACHES US: The Arts of Self-development and Expansion

How to access Planetary Memory,personal recall, and ancient wisdom and knowledge

How to understand the wisdom that every life form holds and its missions

How to be a friend and to restore friendship by honoring the viewpoints of all life forms

How to HONOR THE TRUTH

WISDOM KEEPER

Oh Keeper of ancient knowing,

Whisper your wisdom to me.

That I may always remember

Life's sacred mystery.

The stories of the Grandmothers,

Brave deeds, great and small,

The progress of the Faithful,

Who answer our Mother's call.

The cycles and the seasons

That mark our every change,

The rebirth of our visions,

The spirit we have reclaimed.

Here truth is the victor

Of the war that dwells within,

Bringing every human heart

To celebration in the end.

WISDOM KEEPER is the Clan Mother of the SECOND Moon Cycle and is the Historian of all Earth Records. She is the Keeper of the Stone Libraries, the Protectress of Sacred Traditions, and the Guardian of the Remembering and/or planetary memory. She teaches us how to develop the Self through honoring the truth in all things. FEBRUARY is her month and GRAY is the color that connects us to Wisdom Keeper's moon cycle and her Medicine.

Wisdom Keeper reminds us that all history is kept in the libraries of the Stone People and that to access that history, we must hear the voices of the Rock Tribe who record the Remembering for the Earth Mother. To honor the truth of all that has been, we must tap more than human, cultural traditions or stories. The history of all that has happened on our planet is forged in stone so that the body of the Earth Mother can offer tangible records to those willing to learn the Language of the Stone People who hold her memory.

Wisdom Keeper also honors the truth as it is seen from each person's Sacred Point of View because all individuals experience life's events in a different manner. In her wisdom, this Clan Mother understands that there is truth in every life form's journey. In our arrogance, human beings are the only part of the Earth Tribe to insist their particular religion, philosophy, or Tradition holds the only truth or path to wisdom and understanding. For this reason, she is also the Mother of Friendship, showing us how to be a friend and how to have friends.

Wisdom Keeper teaches us that knowledge of the expansive view of the Planetary Family is the key to Self-development. She shows us how to honor the truth in every race, creed, culture, life form, Tribe, and Tradition through seeing the similarities in all. The color gray is nonthreatening or neutral and represents friendship. Through the color gray, Wisdom Keeper teachs us how to interact with others, always honoring their Sacred Spaces and Sacred Points of View, without feeling as if we must defend our own viewpoints. As we honor our own truths, we develop our sense of Self and allow others to do the same. Every new understanding of the truths that others carry adds to our personal wisdom and knowledge, creating further development of right relationship to All Our Relations as it is experienced within the Self.

We can call on the Medicine of Wisdom Keeper to restore friendship, to help us to honor the truth in all things, to tap the history of Earth, to assist us in developing the Self, or to increase our memory potential. Some people born during the second moon cycle/month suffer from short-term memory loss because they have not tapped the gifts or talents they were given through their natural connection to Wisdom Keeper. Her Medicine can help the Children of Earth to heal that loss of memory.

By assisting us in reclaiming gifts of personal recall, Wisdom Keeper shows us how to return to a memory and be able to use any feeling, wisdom, tactile sense, spoken word, or idea in the memory of our growth. This Clan Mother teaches us that anything we have ever experienced can be pulled from our memory banks, at any time in the future, to support or assist us in our life lessons. Wisdom Keeper pays attention to detail and shows us how those remembered details can be used as guidelines to hone our awareness skills into the Medicine of being totally present in any given moment. When we are paying attention to the details of the here and now, we are not lost in worrying about the past or the future. From the talent of being fully present, we are able to learn the Art of Expansion through Self-development.

FOLLOWING THE WISDOM TRAIL

Wisdom Keeper was walking through the dazzling, sunlit mesas, watching Grandfather Sun's light dance across the snow-covered monoliths that surounded the enchanting desert that lay before her. The Earth Mother wore a patchwork blanket of red with oranges and yellows, created by the giant rock formations. The deep shadows, outlined by the canyons and arroyos, wove pale blues and lilacs into the whiteness of the Ice-beings, blending with the greens of Juniper, Cedar, and Pine. The Tree People of the high desert were content to be the standing connections between the Earth Mother's many-colored cloak and the brilliant blue canopy of Father Sky. Wisdom Keeper was feeling that same connection of serenity during her morning trek as she followed the trail that led to a series of secret caves. These openings in Mother Earth's body were nestled in the recesses of one of the desert's sacredplaces called the Canyon of Time.

When she reached the fork in the trail that would take her up the rising path to the caves, she spied a flat Stone Person sitting in the frosty purple shadows of a towering tree giant named Ponderosa Pine. Wisdom Keeper moved closer to inspect the surface of the tablelike stone that had caught her attention. She rounded the trunk of Ponderosa and patted his enormous form in greeting, carefully stepping across an icy mound of melted and refrozen snow. On the Rock Person's surface was a perfectly frozen snowflake. The intricate pattern of the snowflake seemed to float above the blue-gray of the stone's surface.

Wisdom Keeper bent closer, being careful that the warmth of her breath did not melt the frozen web suspended in the early morning frost. "Oh Snowflake," she whispered to herself, "what a genuinely rare gift of winter you are."

The snowflake surprised Wisdom Keeper by answering her whispered thoughts, causing the Clan Mother's heartbeat to quicken. "You may call me Ice Web, Mother. When Grandmother Spider wove the web of Creation, she created Snowflakes to represent the webs of dreams that would travel from the Dreamtime to Earth, becoming living, physical experiences."

Wisdom Keeper had never encountered a talking snowflake before. In her curiosity, the Keeper of Earth's Records felt impelled to ask Ice Web further questions in order to fully understand the roles that the Great Mystery gave the Ice-beings of winter. "What an extraordinary mission you have, Ice Web. Will you tell me more about how your Medicine assits our Planetary Family so that I may hold that understanding for the Two-leggeds?"

Of course I will, Wisdom Keeper. I was preserved in frost so that my passage through your life would not go unnoticed. You must record the purpose of my role in nature so that every Child of Earth will know how her or his dreams and visions aid the spiritual growth of the whole Planetary Family.

"Mother, every one of the Children of Earth has feelings and dreams according to his or her place in the scheme and balance of nature. When combined, all of those dreams and feelings make up the needs of the Children of Earth. The snowflakes are the messengers of those needs because our bodies hold the patterns of each individual dream. When Grandfather Sun's warmth melts our bodies into water, the feelings of the collected dreams are poured into the Earth Mother's soil, giving her the understanding of her children's deepest desires."

Wisdom Keeper was impressed with Ice Web's understanding and the simplicity of the Great Mystery's plan to keep the Earth Mother advised of the needs of her children, which brought up another question. "Since the streams and rivers of the Earth Mother's body are the vessels that carry her feelings in the form of water, are you saying that her feelings are made up of the combined desires and emotions of all her children?"

"Exactly! Now you understand why the Snowflake Tribe's pattern are so important. Due to life's changing experiences, all of the Children of Earth have new feelings daily. What each Child of Earth wants in his or her life is translated into an individual Snowflake Medicine Wheel that reaches the Earth Mother's heart upon melting," Ice Web replied. "During the Green and Yellow Moons, those same feelings come as Raindrops because the seasons are ripe for the growing of dreams. We are the messengers of the White Moons because those dreams must be held in crystallized form until the season of rest and reflection is over. Then, during the Warming Moons, our frozen patterns of dreams and visions may thaw, being released into the Earth.

"Each snowflake holds the web of life's lessons as it is woven by one of the Children of Earth. Every member of our Clan reflects an individual view of the Web of Life as it is dreamed by somone who lives on our planet. Each life form in Creation is a part of the whole, but individually, each one sees life from her or his Sacred Point of View. The dreams that teach each individual to live life, through making choices, comes from the Sacred Space and Point of View of that person."

Wisdom Keeper smiled because she caught a glimpse of understanding about her own choice to make the trek to the secret caves on this frosty morning. The Clan Mother felt that her encounter with Ice Web was not by chance. She decided to ask a question that could affirm her inner knowing.

"Ice Web, you hold the patterns of my dreams and my heart's greatest desire, don't you?" Ice Web answered Wisdom Keeper by complimenting the Clan Mother on her astuteness and then allowed her to continue sharing her thoughts.

"To fulfill my mission of being the Guardian of Earth History, I must travel up this pathway and visit the secret caves far above us in the Canyon of Time. Inside those caves the Earth Mother will take me on a journey that will complete my understanding. I will be challenged and will go through the final Rite of Passage of my training. I must be willing to test the talents I have worked hard to develop. If the Earth Mother feels I have successsfully completed my lessons and have the skills to be a Wisewoman, I will take my role as the Guardian of Sacred Traditions by honoring the truths I hold. After this Rite of Passage, I will hold the Medicine of the Rememering of our Planetary Family. The Medicine of Planetary Memory is the honored truths found in the Sacred Points of View of every living thing on the Earth Mother throughout all worlds of time."

Wisdom Keeper understood that Ice Web's design were mirroring the dreams, aspirations, and collected Knowing Systems that the Clan Mother had accumulated during the earlier parts of her Earth Walk. Now the time was approaching to open her vision and understanding to others, sharing her wisdom with the Children of Earth. Ice Web was set in her path to remind the Clan Mother of the circles within circles of life forms who would depend upon the wisdom she carried and how well she had developed her skills.

Ice Web held Wisdom Keeper's innermost desires in frozen patterns, so it was not surprising that the snowflake could tap the Clan Mother's thoughts. Ice Web felt Wisdom Keeper's anticipation and replied to the Clan Mother's unspoken words.

"Mother, the steps you are taking that will complete your training with this Rite of Passage are very important. My frozen patterns hold your former dreams, and will melt, returning to the Earth Mother. You might want to release those same patterns within yourself before you enter the caves above the Canyon of Time. In reviewing the steps and lessons that brought you to this point in your path, you will free yourself to face the future. The Remembering carries a Medicine of its own that will allow you to access all of the places, insights, and situations that have influenced the woman you have become. In recalling all that has gone before, you may then place yourself in the here and now, owning the reality of all that you are."

Wisdom Keeper agreed with Ice Web and decided to take the time she needed to prepare herself before entering the caves. The Remembering represented more than holding the Earth Mother's history. It was a vital part of her own Medicine that could allow her to pass into her next set of lessons without being caught in past accomplishments or old patterns. Wisdom Keeper could see the value of allowing herself to savor each former step of her pwn passage, feeling and recording the sense of well-being each had bestowed. Then she would be able to move forward, claiming her right to the wholeness she had achieved.

The Clan Mother came from her thoughts, looked to the sky, and then spoke, "Grandfather Sun's rays are touching the patterns in your body. The Earth Mother will soon gather my innermost feelings to her heart as your frozen form changes to liquid and sinks into the heart of this Stone Person and then to the soil below. Ice Web, I want to thank you for being my teacher and sharing your talents with me. I will leave you here and continue my trek, but know that my heart will always sing your praises with thanksgiving."

Wisdom Keeper began walking up the trail to the Canyon of Time, bidding Ice Web farewell. Soon she was traversing the craggy path surrounded by jutting boulders of rust and amber. Here and there, she greeted the Standing People who grew on the sheer cliffs of the Canyon of Time. It was past midday when she reached what appeared to be the end of the boxed canyon and rounded an outcropping of rocks that most people would not have noticed. There behind the rocks, a chalky cliffside framed the entrance to the secret caves. Wisdom Keeper offered a pinch of corn pollen to the soil at her feet, reverently asking the Spirit Keepers of the Sacred Caves if she could enter the area. She was given a sign that her presence was welcomed when a gentle breeze caressed her face.

She stood silently on the shelflike floor of the upper canyon looking toward the entrance to the series of seven caverns, then approached the opening. The seven caves represented the Seven Sacred Directions of East, South, West, North, Above, Below, and Within. Wisdom Keeper turned and knelt before the entrance to the caves and bent, kissing the Earth. She straightened her spine, remaining on her knees, and raised her arms to Father Sky, singing a song of thanksgiving for the opportunity she was being given to compelte her final Rite of Passage. When she had finished her song of gratitude, she sat in silence in front of the entrance to the first cave.

Wisdom Keeper began her process of remembering by recalling her first experiences of taking a human body and followed each memory to completion. The Creature-teachers who had aided her during those Suns and Sleeps floated into her mind, allowing her to review the lessons each had imparted.

Pig had taught her the Medicine of using intellect and reasoning ability. Mouse had taught her how to pay attention to detail through scrutiny and how to keep herself from becoming overwhelmed by completing only one task at a time. Chipmunk had given her the understanding of his Medicine of respecting the smallest parts of nature through interrelationship and equality. Chipmunk had taught her how to see parallels in the natural world and in people's ideas, showing her the validity in all points of view. Turtle Dove had taught her how to nurture the dreams of peace and how to find peace inside herself. Each of her totems had offered her wisdom they carried in order to teach her how to make the most of her abilities. She silently thanked each one and continued recounting the lessons she had learned.

When Wisdom Keeper had finished taking in all of the goodness of each event in her life and had released the past with joy, she called to the Earth Mother, asking permission to enter the first cave. A gentle wind carried a dry leaf from the tree above into the cave's entrance, beckoning her to enter. Wisdom Keeper grabbed a handful of soil, touched that hand to her heart, then tossed the soil over her shoulder to signal that she was leaving the outer world and her earlier earthly experiences behind her. Taking a breath to fill herself with life manna and to find her inner balance, she silently slipped into the cave.

The Earth Mother's voice immediately filled her ears. "Wisdom Keeper, you are now in the cave of the East. The seeking, male side of your nature that searches for enlightenment and clarity lives here and in your human body. Through these lessons of the East you have gained the ability to be the Protectress of Sacred Traditions. What have you learned?"

"Mother, I have sought truth and have learned that all living things create new Traditions when they honor the sacredness found in the individual as well as in the whole of Creation. I have experienced the clarity of their knowing when they desire understanding as much as they desire the breath of life. Now I know that all Sacred Traditions are created when the individual seeks and finds a way to reconnect to the Great Mystery's love. I understand that my role of protecting these Sacred Traditions comes through teaching our human children how to allow every individual to rediscover her or his connection to the Great Mystery for herself or himself. I must protect the Great Mystery's Sacred Traditions of free will by showing humankind that every individual has the right to reconnect to the Maker in her or his own way. The Orenda of each human should be the guiding light for that person. The truth of illumination is found through honoring every person's right to have personal truths, following the voice of his or her own Spiritual Essence. I have learned that the Sacred Traditions may be preserved by ignoring the rigis human rules that evolve when one human wants another to follow the leader instead of the voice of truth inside her or his own Orenda."

The passageway from the first to the second cave was illuminated, indicating that Wisdom Keeper could continue. As she stepped into the second cave, the Earth Mother's voice said, "Daughter of my spirit, this is the cave of the South. What have you learned that you could trust?"

Wisdom Keeper replied, "I have learned to trust the truth inside me, Mother. I have learned to trust the innocence of the young and young at heart. I have learned that all wisdom, teachings, and history come from the truth presented in the Sacred Points of View of all life in the natural world.

"I have discovered that in innocence and humility there is a great power that transcends self-importance, which is the mask that humans use to hide their insecurities and their pain. I have found that faith and trust are the gifts of forgiveness and that through forgiveness the Human Tribe can reclaim the wisdom of childlike wonder."

The entrance to the third cave was illuminated and Wisdom Keeper stepped forward once again. As she approached the center of the third cave, the Earth Mother's voice asked, "What have you discovered about the West Cave's lessons as they apply to being human, my child?"

Wisdom Keeper answered by saying, "I have realized that the future depends upon the feminine principle in all things because all things are born of woman. I have come to know the beauty of nurturing and compassion through giving birth to those qualities within myself. I have learned how to hold the seeds of knowing in my womb until they are ready to be shared. I have honored my female body by only sharing sexual pleasure with those who would treat my total being with utmost respect. I have learned that the place of all tomorrows, the West, is a place of darkness where there is no fear of the unknown because it is like returning to the Medicine Bowl -- womb of the Mother of all things. I have found the strength of retreat and silence that taps the feminine power of introspection and receiving answers. It has been good to understand the art of self-exploration, because through the feminine principle, I have learned the wisdom of loving myself."

The passageway to the fourth cave was illuminated and Wisdom Keeper took a deep breath as she walked through. In the Cave of the North, the Earth Mother spoke. "Tell me what wisdom you have gathered from the North, little one."

"In the place of healing and gratitude I have discovered the wisdom of those who have fully experienced human life. The lessons of their Earth Walks have served them well. I have learned to be grateful for all opportunities to grow. Some have been difficult, some joyous, but all have taught me wisdom because I have learned to seize every opportunity, adding understanding to my Knowing Systems and compassion to our world. I have learned that healing comes to those who do not blame life's experiences but rather give thanks for the growth potential being offered. I have gathered the wisdom that can be gained from personal experience. I have accepted the healing that has come from right attitude and I have learned to be deeply grateful for it all."

The passageway to the fifth cave was illuminated and Wisdom Keeper entered. There she found a petroglyph of Whale covering the far wall. The Earth Mother spoke to her and said, "This is the cave of the Above direction, daughter. What have you discovered about the wisdom held above?"

Wisdom Keeper did not pause, but replied instantly, "Mother, I have discovered that out spirits come to Earth from the Sky Nation, traveling from the Spirit World like shooting stars. The fire in our hearts is the Eternal Flame of Love and that fiery essene will one day return to the Starry Medicine Bowl of the night sky. I have come to understand the idea of destiny. Every human being has the opportunity to thank the Great Mystery for the beautiful creation that he or she individually represents by being his or her personal best. If we honor the talents and abilities we have been given, developing those gifts to the fullest, that is fulfilling destiny. The song of Whale is the Medicine Song from the Dog Star in the night sky that teaches human beings how to remember their talents, using them to rediscover the destiny of wholeness that their spirit holds."

In the silence, the passageway to the sixth cave was lighted and Wisdom Keeper entered. The Earth Mother's voice softly echoes, "This is the cave of the Below direction, daughter. What wisdom have you gathered from this direction?"

Wisdom Keeper noticed the ivory tusk of a great woolly mammoth filling the right side of the cave and smiled inwardly as she answered. "The wisdom of the Below direction is applying all that has been learned to one's Earth Walk. Like Mammoth, the art of remembering is strong Medicine. Nothing is ever lost if human beings consider the information they gather and the life lessons that they experience sacred enough to commit to memory. Repeating that wisdom to the generations that follow ensures that the Teachings will live forever. I have learned that Knowing Systems are founded in experience, not beliefs. Two-leggeds must bring the remembering and the wisdom of spirit to the Below direction and walk it for themselves."

The final passageway was illuminated and Wisdom Keeper stepped inside the seventh cave. The spirit of her Totem filled the cave and she sensed the presence of Lynx as the Earth Mother's voice spoke once again. "This is the final cave of the Within direction. What have you learned about the life that lives inside you, my child?"

Wisdom Keeper spoke, "Mother, I have learned that every living thing has a heart filled with love, desires, dreams, plans, and great Medicine. For myself, I have learned that the unspoken wisdom of my heart is like a rare jewel that allows me to glory in being alive. I have learned only to share that wisdom when it is asked for. I have learned that there are no secrets in the universe because all answers dwell within. Those seeking wisdom can access those secrets at any time, if they go inside and seek the light of the Eternal Flame of Love. Like Lynx, Knower of Secrets, who guards the silence of inner knowing, the twinkle reflected in the eys of any Child of Earth mirrors the hidden fire of wisdom that dwells within. The mysteries of all worlds can be accessed through the heart when the seeker is willing to open and receive."

The Earth Mother spoke once again, "You have learned many things, my daughter. I am pleased that you have developed these ways to honor the truth. You have followed the Wisdom Trail and you have found that the voice of your Orenda is your constant guide. You have discovered that the Wisdom Trail always leads to the Within direction -- your heart. The completion of the Seven Sacred Directions of Wisdom is your final Rite of Passage in understanding human life. Have you also discovered why these caves exist above the Canyon of Time?"

'Yes, Mother, I realized that all human beings must accumulate wisdom over time to mark the cycles and seasons of growth and change in the tangible world. The experiences of the Earth Walk allow every Two-legged to stand on all of the spokes of the Wheel of Life. In time, when they are ready to hear the voice of their Orendas, they feel the tug of their own spirits urging them to grow. Without experiences, which need time to digest and be fully understood, the lessons of each direction or spoke would become murky. The Great Mystery has given us the gift of time so that our passages and our growth can be fully experienced. The wisdom gained, like this cave, is above the Canyon of Time for it is eternal wisdom that will forever be recorded in the person's Orenda."

The Earth Mother blessed the part of herself represented in this Clan Mother of the Second Moon Cycle by surrounding Wisdom Keeper with love. The feeling of completion and wholeness entered Wisdom Keeper's heart, filling her with visions of the Whirling Rainbow. A sense of inner peace flowed through Wisdom Keeper's veins and she was ready to move from the caves and step into Grandfather Sun's light, continuing her journey among the Two-leggeds who she came to serve.

As Wisdom Keeper stepped from the cave, she realized that one Sleep had passed and that dawn had broken. Grandfather Sun was filling the world with the colors of a newborn morning. She raised her arms to the rays of Grandfather's fiery light and sang her song of greeting and thanksgiving. Then she knelt and kissed the soil of the Earth Mother's body. The road had been long, the trails many, but now she understood why the Great Mystery never tested human beings on their strengths but only on their weaknesses. The Wisdom Road could only be traveled through experience -- trial and error. She had earned the right to be the Protectress of the Wisdom Road because she had walked it by honoring the truth in herself.