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The St. James Project
by Silverstar Red Crow © May/June, 2006
“For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.”
James the Just, First Century CE
I received the Call from Spirit thirty-four years ago. This calling was to serve, teach and learn for the betterment of Self and humanity, to make the old traditions new and usable again, to be respectful to, for and of Eldership, to live an upright life. From that time forward, I have built a life that is Spirit-centered. Armed with an inner knowing that all humans are the personification of goodness as well as evil, I consciously embraced The Divine within called Mother, She Who Serves the Highest and Greatest Good. I have journeyed Inner Goddess Space, revealing my personal herstory and am committed to helping other’s do the same, safely, with protection and honor.
I have always been a serious person, driven and stubborn; determination shadowing all parts of my life with a somber light. It’s hard to communicate the feeling of carrying a heavy spiritual burden on one’s shoulders 365 days a year, especially in this era of gross materialism and me-first consciousness. Truly, it is isolating. In my fifth decade of life, the inclination to explain my motivations behind each step taken on this path has waned somewhat, fortunately. The constant self-inventory work, public honoring of every one else’s great and positive deeds and remembering the dead is hard work. Thankfully, I am writing more about the way I live these days, instead of yelling and shaking it into people as I once felt compelled to do. Have I mellowed or simply burned myself out; some of both is accurate.
My mother Sarah always told me to be prepared to minister to all who came scratching at my garden gate. My years of being faithful to this lifestyle have left my heart and brain battered and weary, but admittedly self-righteous. Regardless of intent and action of the individual, Grand Destiny unfolds disregarding the “choice” said to be given humans; so why fight it so vigorously? I thought I had finally stopped this endless battle, until February 28th 2006.
Please indulge me, dear reader, for digressing now, so that I may fill-in a few missing pieces…
I have given up fight in exchange for flow many times during this lifetime, having lived with physical as well as spiritual complications and challenges. In 1996, my life changed for the better when Padre Pio walked in my front door, literally. He helped me gain a sense of perspective and healed my physical body enough to function not flounder. Padre told me to make the most of the 3 years immediately following his appearance. I took that to mean to work as hard as I could and produce as much work as humanly possible in that time frame. Instead of surrendering to a psychic flow without pain and disability, I worked myself into a pit of despair, until I had no fight left. The medical profession could do nothing for me, other than pump huge quantities of drugs into my system and offer to look-up hospice numbers for future help.
When I got out the hospital, for what I thought was the last time, I consulted many Shamanic Practitioners for help. I truly felt that Padre Pio had delivered me from physical death in 1996. Now, with proper boosting and intervention by one of my own, a Shaman, I felt I could deliver myself. The people I called, far and near, all agreed that my time was up; there was nothing they could do for me. I had almost acquiesced to the dying process when one of my local calls proved to serve me. I found one woman willing to help me, a Mongolian Shaman by the name of Sarangerel Odigon, who happened to be traveling through my area teaching and doing private consultations. In Elder-fashion, we exchanged no money, just Gifts of Honor: art, sacred herbs, cloth and vodka. Together we created a healing ceremony to help my failing body. Sarangerel ended the ceremony with these words in October of 2000: You will improve, little by little, day by day, until you are you again. Be warned however: you must do your part and keep yourself well and do good work!
Sarangerel and I were from different traditions, but we shared similar strengths and were willing to sacrifice personal comfort to bring about positive change. We were both women with loud voices. I knew what her words meant; I had to continue my work, to put despair behind me, to learn to flow instead of fight and at the same time, learn to be good to me. I had to learn to live quality time, with grace and not overdo. Instinctively I knew I could do it!
Saraa, I soon called her, and I became colleagues and would like to think friends, though we were many miles apart and rarely talked about personal issues—always about the work though. I was shocked to hear of Saraa’s death of heart failure at the young age of 42, on February 28th of this year. I lost a Sister, another Spirit Worker; I could feel a change coming as a direct result of her death, rumbling like thunder, forcing me to pay attention.
Barely one month after my 50th birthday, on March 8th, the tenth anniversary of Padre Pio’s appearance in my life, there was a gathering celebrated with fervor at Toad House, complete with customary memorial toasts of Russian vodka for Saraa. All who gathered wore pink, the color of love. After Padre Pio healed me, I asked him what he wanted in return. Did he want me to convert to Christianity in his name? What did he want me to give-up, take-up, change? He said with a faint smile: Don’t be so mean to people and wear more pink. On that special Wednesday evening, I looked into the eyes of all seated around the feasting table and heard the words of Spirit say: Form a Circle with those you trust and make them yours; train them to be strong and swift. The time has come to do the real work. Make haste!
Then, 13 days after Saraa died, a woman I struggled and fought with, a woman born on the same day, at the same time, 5 years apart from my blood sister Kaya, died. Diana Callihan was a double Aquarian, just like me, just like Kaya: bossy, tenacious, intelligent. When cornered, Diana became a nasty woman. She was one year, one day and one hour older than me. Now she was dead too; change was coming like a freight train, I could even hear its whistle blowing.
I often say that, for a Shaman, every day is Memorial Day, for we must always honor death, because without it, we have no life. I was now profoundly changed by two powerful women who, try as I might, depending on circumstance, I could not forget or ignore. Their deaths had specific meaning for me, but what? I consulted Spirit many times, looking for an answer I could live with. The same words kept coming: FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD! The words of James the Just were loud and would not stop until I yelled back at them and whined for specifics. I heard: Teach what you know to be true, for you must prepare yourself and others for the unfolding of Destiny. Gather together those you have worked with before; they will remember you from times past and buried. Take them; make them yours, for you are theirs. It is time to work together for the Many now. The Self will lead the many to Inner Space, to the Divine Feminine, to the Black Sea for re-birth. Make ready, the time is now!
Within a week, I notified three talented, trustworthy, professional energyworkers that I was on a quest. I was looking for brave, proficient magickal workers to train and bring into my personal Shamanic lineage. I requested them to pledge to me and I to them, for us to move forward in Blood and Honor, the creed of my line; all accepted. This special arrangement was not to be a class, but would be specific training, real and tangible, blood-sealed. The process of our work would create a functional familial bond of safety, protection and inter-active responsibility. No money would change hands because no one would possess or “own” another.
When acting on the dictates of Spirit, it is customary to ask The Divine for a Spirit Bargain in exchange for direction, protection and clarity. Spirit directed me to create a Divine Give-Away that would serve and challenge all participants equally: Pass Reiki Attunements for all who gather at Toad House. The Give-Away would be just that: given away, for no fees, with no training, with no specific lineage. Indeed a challenge, particularly for a success-oriented First House Sun, code words for “control freak”.
I accepted the bargain and made plans for the Give-Away to be performed as directed from Spring Zenith (Beltane) to Autumn Zenith (Samhain), 2006. Involved parties would gather on second Wednesdays in the back Peace Garden. All attending would be versed in general spiritual cleansing and protection, intentional breath and talking from one’s authentic core. Other than that, no specific training would be given. Reiki Masters currently offering instruction for fees would be recommended for those who requested it, however. After all members of the newly formed Circle agreed to the specifics of the Spirit Bargain, the group was named the St. James Project, honoring the echoing words of Spirit. May 10th was the first successful attunement passing gathering; change was afoot!
Reiki Attunements without Fees at Toad House.
Those receiving and giving attunements arrive at Toad House no later than 4 PM on the second Wednesday of each month. All gathered will learn simple intentional breath (Clearing Breath and 4-8), followed by Clear, Center and Ground. Reiki Attunements are passed to all RSVP'ed individuals in an orderly and respectful manner. Expect to spend a full hour and a half as a working member of this process. Follow the instructions of the Ritual Facilitator, pray with intention and honor all gathered as living divinity. Come with an open heart and you will be accepted and praised.
Salamander Medicine Lodge starts immediately following Reiki Circle, with Honor Bundle preparation, prayer and fellowship and a full sweat lodge ceremony. The sweat lodge ceremony is Goddess-centered, 3 rounds long, and takes approximately an hour and fifteen minutes. For specific information and protocol please refer to the etiquette and lodge pages on this website.
This energy opportunity is not a training workshop or seminar. All participants must be responsible for their own training and practicing including: spiritual protection, responsibility, comportment, social obligations and etiquette. Be respectful of the Reiki Masters who have graciously agreed to give you this treasure. They are not charging you money; be aware and grateful for that ingredient in this process! Be responsible and caring people and gift them Honor Gifts of Sacred Herbs (Tobacco, Sage, Cedar and SweetGrass) crystals, pebbles or coins, honey or chocolate. All Reiki Masters involved are professionals and are adept practitioners, with combined practices decades long.
If you are eager and willing to do the work without ego and competition, please come and partake. If your intention is to come and liberally feed off of what we offer in a vampiral fashion and leave without giving a respectful Honor Gift, then please do not attend. It is entirely your choice.
Participants giving and receiving attunements are asked to wear white clothing; the transference process is much more efficient with this element in play. Another suggestion for those participating in all Toad House second Wednesday events, is to bring several changes of clothes that are clean and free of cat and dog hair and dander (let us be respectful of other’s allergies) one for Reiki, one for lodge and one for feast.
Since Toad House and St. James Project support an array of charities, we request that participants bring a canned or boxed non-perishable food item and at least one spa item (lotion, soup, bubble bath, toothbrushes and paste, scented and unscented bar soaps, scrubbies and wash clothes, soft hair brushes and sweet treats including pudding cups, soft cookies and candies) for later distribution to local people in need. Honoring Elders and veterans, as well as the hungry and disadvantaged, is a monthly occurrence at Toad House and the Peace Garden.
We believe that sharing food is a sacred act. It is a Red Road tradition to share a proper feast after each Sweat Lodge Ceremony. At Toad House, we take this honored tradition a step further, sharing a feast each time we gather, galvanizing all participants as members of this positive community. Please bring a healthy dish to share; think organic.
Be respectful, act with sincerity and be brave; REIKI does change lives! Make this an event to remember for life, not just a stepping stone for an improved future! Remember to bring a notebook and pen; it is up to all participants to be responsible for keeping track of attunements and their Masters. Attunements are as follows:
Reiki One: Earth, Air, Fire and Water, 4 attunements in that order.
Reiki Two: One attunement
Reiki 3: One attunement
Reiki 4: One attunement
There is a 21 day clearing period between each finished level of Reiki 1 and 2. 3RD Degree Reiki takes a full turn-of-the-wheel (366 days) before manifesting its full potential. Honor the process! Feed yourself Reiki each day, minister to the wounds of humanity on all levels, be responsible for Self at all times and do not take money for energywork until you have completed the entire 366 day clearing period of Reiki 3. Be humble; honor yourself, your teachers, guides and ancestors. If attunements are passed by the new Reiki practitioner before said clearing period of 366 days, attunements will not take (commonly known as “seeding”) or be optimum. A Reiki practitioner is called “Master” only after receiving the final seventh attunement and breath training for level four, which is passed to the practitioner when the 366 day clearing period for Reiki 3 has been completed. The skills obtained through Reiki 4 makes the passing of attunements possible.
I have included a Reiki prep sheet which will help you prepare for second Wednesdays. Please do not take this process lightly, just because it has no financial cost to you. It does have financial ramifications for all the Masters that are sacrificing their paying jobs for this Divine Give-Away. Respect their sacrifices always and act accordingly, which means follow their instructions, recommendations, advice and give them Honor Gifts so a proper energy exchange is had; ensuring that all benefit energetically from this process, as it should be!
Feel free to extend this invitation to friends and family members, just be sure to extend the reality of this opportunity with its inherent responsibilities. For all who are staying for lodge, Peace Circle and feast, please access the etiquette and protocol pages of this website.
REIKI PREP SHEET
Reiki 1 gives the abilities to access the spiritual or psychic realms and is considered a valuable step in finding one’s place in the Universe. Reiki 2 gives tools to deal with the emotional realms and the ability to send Reiki long-distance. Reiki 3 gives a physical world vocabulary, diagnostic abilities and offers a life of service potential. Reiki 4 gives the practitioner the title of “Master” and the control and ability to successfully pass attunements to others. Other levels are attainable, but are not generally accepted as necessary for further Reiki exploration or practice.
It is important for people in search of self-healing and especially for health care professionals, striving to incorporate Reiki into their practices, to integrate all four major levels of Reiki. Once you receive the first three levels of attunements, be prepared for the energy to grow and percolate within, before full use of the energy becomes evident. Through personal experience, it is clear that Reiki 3 takes up to a year to find its true level of efficiency and power. To fully appreciate the transference process, a few simple instructions are outlined below. Please read this information thoroughly and, to the best of your present abilities, internalize and perform the tasks that are asked of you.
Purchase Essential Reiki by Diane Stein and read it before the attunement process. You will need to know the information in the book in order to integrate the whole Reiki experience, including symbols and hand positions.
Eat light and simple foods for at least three days before the attunement process. Please refrain from excesses of any kind—like sugar, heavy fats, heavily spiced dishes and dairy. Please avoid red meat, if possible.
Do not consume any ALCOHOL or recreational DRUGS for at least 72 hours before receiving attunements.
Abstain from all CAFFEINE, including chocolate on the day of attunements.
Spend as much time alone as you possibly can. Incorporate long, leisurely walks into your private time. Intensify your exercise routine, trying to incorporate full-body movement.
Make adjustments to your daily routine making room for at least two 15-minute meditations per day, one upon rising and one before retiring, including personal inventory work.
The new Reiki Practitioner learns that Sacrifice is mandatory, suffering is optional. This quote is from Uncle Martin HighBear, a deceased Lakota Medicine Elder. This is the time to unshackle the bonds and constraints that have emotionally bond you to negative behavior patterns and toxic relationships. Sacrifice your limitations, preparing the Self to soar.
Minimize physical and emotional stress in your environment. Abstain from news, gossip, telephone conversations, television, newspaper or radio for at least a week before attunements.
Limit the intake of new intellectual knowledge to Reiki and healing information. Do not overload your mind with grandiose expectations or fantasies about how Reiki will change your life. Relax and go with the flow…
If you smoke CIGARETTES, limit or cut back your smoking, particularly on the day you receive attunements.
Volunteer to give a family pet, house or garden plant, a tree or your home itself, 20 minutes of Reiki energy per day until all clearing periods are completed. It is preferable to work on human clients only after attaining Reiki Two, because of the newness of the power of Reiki and the control process of the energy itself.
Wear comfortable, loose fitting, white colored clothes—avoiding all shades of gray. Gray causes depression and low self-esteem which are counter-intuitive to the Seeding Process.
Toad House & the Peace Garden Charities, Supported by the St. James Project
Food for Peace
Pick-a-Kid for Peace (Samhain & Yule)
Spring Gift Packages for Grand Ronde Veteran Honor Guard
Adopt-an-Elder for Peace
People wanting to take part in our charities, but are far from our home-base in Oregon, please feel free to make donations of greeting cards, packaged seeds and lightweight food items and mail them to the post office box address (see contact page). I will personally make sure they get to deserving recipients. Please don’t be shy; gifts of red cloth and organic Tobacco are always accepted with honor and are always greatly needed at Toad House. The above mentioned items are fairly lightweight and won’t cost a fortune to mail. These are just a few simple suggestions for people who want to help out, but are challenged to do so because of accessibility.
You are Welcomed to Participate, Just Remember that RSVP’s are Necessary!
Yes, you all are encouraged to take part in this exciting opportunity, regardless of belief structure or religion, as long as it is positive in nature and benefits the Self and humanity. There are no religious, gender, age or ethnic restrictions to Reiki. Reiki is Japanese as far as language and symbolism are concerned, but it is not exclusive in its purpose and practice. Reiki-form was adapted by Master Usui from ancient Vedic texts and surviving Sanskrit information and is accessible to and by all seekers willing to work for it. Reiki is Universal Life Force, the food of the Gods; it is agendaless and seeks its own level, just as water does.
We do ask all people interested in taking part in this Divine Give-Away to RSVP directly to Toad House (see contact information page) by either email or phone at least a 72 hours in advance. When one is requesting a spot, please be sure to include all contact information, including full name, address, cell and land-line phone numbers. This is for our protection, as well as yours; you know us through our website and reputation, we do not know you. Once your RSVP is approved, you will be sent a physical address and directions to Toad House & the Peace Garden. Thank you for your interest, energy and presence.
Mother Blessings,
Silverstar Red Crow
by Silverstar Red Crow © May/June, 2006
“For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.”
James the Just, First Century CE
I received the Call from Spirit thirty-four years ago. This calling was to serve, teach and learn for the betterment of Self and humanity, to make the old traditions new and usable again, to be respectful to, for and of Eldership, to live an upright life. From that time forward, I have built a life that is Spirit-centered. Armed with an inner knowing that all humans are the personification of goodness as well as evil, I consciously embraced The Divine within called Mother, She Who Serves the Highest and Greatest Good. I have journeyed Inner Goddess Space, revealing my personal herstory and am committed to helping other’s do the same, safely, with protection and honor.
I have always been a serious person, driven and stubborn; determination shadowing all parts of my life with a somber light. It’s hard to communicate the feeling of carrying a heavy spiritual burden on one’s shoulders 365 days a year, especially in this era of gross materialism and me-first consciousness. Truly, it is isolating. In my fifth decade of life, the inclination to explain my motivations behind each step taken on this path has waned somewhat, fortunately. The constant self-inventory work, public honoring of every one else’s great and positive deeds and remembering the dead is hard work. Thankfully, I am writing more about the way I live these days, instead of yelling and shaking it into people as I once felt compelled to do. Have I mellowed or simply burned myself out; some of both is accurate.
My mother Sarah always told me to be prepared to minister to all who came scratching at my garden gate. My years of being faithful to this lifestyle have left my heart and brain battered and weary, but admittedly self-righteous. Regardless of intent and action of the individual, Grand Destiny unfolds disregarding the “choice” said to be given humans; so why fight it so vigorously? I thought I had finally stopped this endless battle, until February 28th 2006.
Please indulge me, dear reader, for digressing now, so that I may fill-in a few missing pieces…
I have given up fight in exchange for flow many times during this lifetime, having lived with physical as well as spiritual complications and challenges. In 1996, my life changed for the better when Padre Pio walked in my front door, literally. He helped me gain a sense of perspective and healed my physical body enough to function not flounder. Padre told me to make the most of the 3 years immediately following his appearance. I took that to mean to work as hard as I could and produce as much work as humanly possible in that time frame. Instead of surrendering to a psychic flow without pain and disability, I worked myself into a pit of despair, until I had no fight left. The medical profession could do nothing for me, other than pump huge quantities of drugs into my system and offer to look-up hospice numbers for future help.
When I got out the hospital, for what I thought was the last time, I consulted many Shamanic Practitioners for help. I truly felt that Padre Pio had delivered me from physical death in 1996. Now, with proper boosting and intervention by one of my own, a Shaman, I felt I could deliver myself. The people I called, far and near, all agreed that my time was up; there was nothing they could do for me. I had almost acquiesced to the dying process when one of my local calls proved to serve me. I found one woman willing to help me, a Mongolian Shaman by the name of Sarangerel Odigon, who happened to be traveling through my area teaching and doing private consultations. In Elder-fashion, we exchanged no money, just Gifts of Honor: art, sacred herbs, cloth and vodka. Together we created a healing ceremony to help my failing body. Sarangerel ended the ceremony with these words in October of 2000: You will improve, little by little, day by day, until you are you again. Be warned however: you must do your part and keep yourself well and do good work!
Sarangerel and I were from different traditions, but we shared similar strengths and were willing to sacrifice personal comfort to bring about positive change. We were both women with loud voices. I knew what her words meant; I had to continue my work, to put despair behind me, to learn to flow instead of fight and at the same time, learn to be good to me. I had to learn to live quality time, with grace and not overdo. Instinctively I knew I could do it!
Saraa, I soon called her, and I became colleagues and would like to think friends, though we were many miles apart and rarely talked about personal issues—always about the work though. I was shocked to hear of Saraa’s death of heart failure at the young age of 42, on February 28th of this year. I lost a Sister, another Spirit Worker; I could feel a change coming as a direct result of her death, rumbling like thunder, forcing me to pay attention.
Barely one month after my 50th birthday, on March 8th, the tenth anniversary of Padre Pio’s appearance in my life, there was a gathering celebrated with fervor at Toad House, complete with customary memorial toasts of Russian vodka for Saraa. All who gathered wore pink, the color of love. After Padre Pio healed me, I asked him what he wanted in return. Did he want me to convert to Christianity in his name? What did he want me to give-up, take-up, change? He said with a faint smile: Don’t be so mean to people and wear more pink. On that special Wednesday evening, I looked into the eyes of all seated around the feasting table and heard the words of Spirit say: Form a Circle with those you trust and make them yours; train them to be strong and swift. The time has come to do the real work. Make haste!
Then, 13 days after Saraa died, a woman I struggled and fought with, a woman born on the same day, at the same time, 5 years apart from my blood sister Kaya, died. Diana Callihan was a double Aquarian, just like me, just like Kaya: bossy, tenacious, intelligent. When cornered, Diana became a nasty woman. She was one year, one day and one hour older than me. Now she was dead too; change was coming like a freight train, I could even hear its whistle blowing.
I often say that, for a Shaman, every day is Memorial Day, for we must always honor death, because without it, we have no life. I was now profoundly changed by two powerful women who, try as I might, depending on circumstance, I could not forget or ignore. Their deaths had specific meaning for me, but what? I consulted Spirit many times, looking for an answer I could live with. The same words kept coming: FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD! The words of James the Just were loud and would not stop until I yelled back at them and whined for specifics. I heard: Teach what you know to be true, for you must prepare yourself and others for the unfolding of Destiny. Gather together those you have worked with before; they will remember you from times past and buried. Take them; make them yours, for you are theirs. It is time to work together for the Many now. The Self will lead the many to Inner Space, to the Divine Feminine, to the Black Sea for re-birth. Make ready, the time is now!
Within a week, I notified three talented, trustworthy, professional energyworkers that I was on a quest. I was looking for brave, proficient magickal workers to train and bring into my personal Shamanic lineage. I requested them to pledge to me and I to them, for us to move forward in Blood and Honor, the creed of my line; all accepted. This special arrangement was not to be a class, but would be specific training, real and tangible, blood-sealed. The process of our work would create a functional familial bond of safety, protection and inter-active responsibility. No money would change hands because no one would possess or “own” another.
When acting on the dictates of Spirit, it is customary to ask The Divine for a Spirit Bargain in exchange for direction, protection and clarity. Spirit directed me to create a Divine Give-Away that would serve and challenge all participants equally: Pass Reiki Attunements for all who gather at Toad House. The Give-Away would be just that: given away, for no fees, with no training, with no specific lineage. Indeed a challenge, particularly for a success-oriented First House Sun, code words for “control freak”.
I accepted the bargain and made plans for the Give-Away to be performed as directed from Spring Zenith (Beltane) to Autumn Zenith (Samhain), 2006. Involved parties would gather on second Wednesdays in the back Peace Garden. All attending would be versed in general spiritual cleansing and protection, intentional breath and talking from one’s authentic core. Other than that, no specific training would be given. Reiki Masters currently offering instruction for fees would be recommended for those who requested it, however. After all members of the newly formed Circle agreed to the specifics of the Spirit Bargain, the group was named the St. James Project, honoring the echoing words of Spirit. May 10th was the first successful attunement passing gathering; change was afoot!
Reiki Attunements without Fees at Toad House.
Those receiving and giving attunements arrive at Toad House no later than 4 PM on the second Wednesday of each month. All gathered will learn simple intentional breath (Clearing Breath and 4-8), followed by Clear, Center and Ground. Reiki Attunements are passed to all RSVP'ed individuals in an orderly and respectful manner. Expect to spend a full hour and a half as a working member of this process. Follow the instructions of the Ritual Facilitator, pray with intention and honor all gathered as living divinity. Come with an open heart and you will be accepted and praised.
Salamander Medicine Lodge starts immediately following Reiki Circle, with Honor Bundle preparation, prayer and fellowship and a full sweat lodge ceremony. The sweat lodge ceremony is Goddess-centered, 3 rounds long, and takes approximately an hour and fifteen minutes. For specific information and protocol please refer to the etiquette and lodge pages on this website.
This energy opportunity is not a training workshop or seminar. All participants must be responsible for their own training and practicing including: spiritual protection, responsibility, comportment, social obligations and etiquette. Be respectful of the Reiki Masters who have graciously agreed to give you this treasure. They are not charging you money; be aware and grateful for that ingredient in this process! Be responsible and caring people and gift them Honor Gifts of Sacred Herbs (Tobacco, Sage, Cedar and SweetGrass) crystals, pebbles or coins, honey or chocolate. All Reiki Masters involved are professionals and are adept practitioners, with combined practices decades long.
If you are eager and willing to do the work without ego and competition, please come and partake. If your intention is to come and liberally feed off of what we offer in a vampiral fashion and leave without giving a respectful Honor Gift, then please do not attend. It is entirely your choice.
Participants giving and receiving attunements are asked to wear white clothing; the transference process is much more efficient with this element in play. Another suggestion for those participating in all Toad House second Wednesday events, is to bring several changes of clothes that are clean and free of cat and dog hair and dander (let us be respectful of other’s allergies) one for Reiki, one for lodge and one for feast.
Since Toad House and St. James Project support an array of charities, we request that participants bring a canned or boxed non-perishable food item and at least one spa item (lotion, soup, bubble bath, toothbrushes and paste, scented and unscented bar soaps, scrubbies and wash clothes, soft hair brushes and sweet treats including pudding cups, soft cookies and candies) for later distribution to local people in need. Honoring Elders and veterans, as well as the hungry and disadvantaged, is a monthly occurrence at Toad House and the Peace Garden.
We believe that sharing food is a sacred act. It is a Red Road tradition to share a proper feast after each Sweat Lodge Ceremony. At Toad House, we take this honored tradition a step further, sharing a feast each time we gather, galvanizing all participants as members of this positive community. Please bring a healthy dish to share; think organic.
Be respectful, act with sincerity and be brave; REIKI does change lives! Make this an event to remember for life, not just a stepping stone for an improved future! Remember to bring a notebook and pen; it is up to all participants to be responsible for keeping track of attunements and their Masters. Attunements are as follows:
Reiki One: Earth, Air, Fire and Water, 4 attunements in that order.
Reiki Two: One attunement
Reiki 3: One attunement
Reiki 4: One attunement
There is a 21 day clearing period between each finished level of Reiki 1 and 2. 3RD Degree Reiki takes a full turn-of-the-wheel (366 days) before manifesting its full potential. Honor the process! Feed yourself Reiki each day, minister to the wounds of humanity on all levels, be responsible for Self at all times and do not take money for energywork until you have completed the entire 366 day clearing period of Reiki 3. Be humble; honor yourself, your teachers, guides and ancestors. If attunements are passed by the new Reiki practitioner before said clearing period of 366 days, attunements will not take (commonly known as “seeding”) or be optimum. A Reiki practitioner is called “Master” only after receiving the final seventh attunement and breath training for level four, which is passed to the practitioner when the 366 day clearing period for Reiki 3 has been completed. The skills obtained through Reiki 4 makes the passing of attunements possible.
I have included a Reiki prep sheet which will help you prepare for second Wednesdays. Please do not take this process lightly, just because it has no financial cost to you. It does have financial ramifications for all the Masters that are sacrificing their paying jobs for this Divine Give-Away. Respect their sacrifices always and act accordingly, which means follow their instructions, recommendations, advice and give them Honor Gifts so a proper energy exchange is had; ensuring that all benefit energetically from this process, as it should be!
Feel free to extend this invitation to friends and family members, just be sure to extend the reality of this opportunity with its inherent responsibilities. For all who are staying for lodge, Peace Circle and feast, please access the etiquette and protocol pages of this website.
REIKI PREP SHEET
Reiki 1 gives the abilities to access the spiritual or psychic realms and is considered a valuable step in finding one’s place in the Universe. Reiki 2 gives tools to deal with the emotional realms and the ability to send Reiki long-distance. Reiki 3 gives a physical world vocabulary, diagnostic abilities and offers a life of service potential. Reiki 4 gives the practitioner the title of “Master” and the control and ability to successfully pass attunements to others. Other levels are attainable, but are not generally accepted as necessary for further Reiki exploration or practice.
It is important for people in search of self-healing and especially for health care professionals, striving to incorporate Reiki into their practices, to integrate all four major levels of Reiki. Once you receive the first three levels of attunements, be prepared for the energy to grow and percolate within, before full use of the energy becomes evident. Through personal experience, it is clear that Reiki 3 takes up to a year to find its true level of efficiency and power. To fully appreciate the transference process, a few simple instructions are outlined below. Please read this information thoroughly and, to the best of your present abilities, internalize and perform the tasks that are asked of you.
Purchase Essential Reiki by Diane Stein and read it before the attunement process. You will need to know the information in the book in order to integrate the whole Reiki experience, including symbols and hand positions.
Eat light and simple foods for at least three days before the attunement process. Please refrain from excesses of any kind—like sugar, heavy fats, heavily spiced dishes and dairy. Please avoid red meat, if possible.
Do not consume any ALCOHOL or recreational DRUGS for at least 72 hours before receiving attunements.
Abstain from all CAFFEINE, including chocolate on the day of attunements.
Spend as much time alone as you possibly can. Incorporate long, leisurely walks into your private time. Intensify your exercise routine, trying to incorporate full-body movement.
Make adjustments to your daily routine making room for at least two 15-minute meditations per day, one upon rising and one before retiring, including personal inventory work.
The new Reiki Practitioner learns that Sacrifice is mandatory, suffering is optional. This quote is from Uncle Martin HighBear, a deceased Lakota Medicine Elder. This is the time to unshackle the bonds and constraints that have emotionally bond you to negative behavior patterns and toxic relationships. Sacrifice your limitations, preparing the Self to soar.
Minimize physical and emotional stress in your environment. Abstain from news, gossip, telephone conversations, television, newspaper or radio for at least a week before attunements.
Limit the intake of new intellectual knowledge to Reiki and healing information. Do not overload your mind with grandiose expectations or fantasies about how Reiki will change your life. Relax and go with the flow…
If you smoke CIGARETTES, limit or cut back your smoking, particularly on the day you receive attunements.
Volunteer to give a family pet, house or garden plant, a tree or your home itself, 20 minutes of Reiki energy per day until all clearing periods are completed. It is preferable to work on human clients only after attaining Reiki Two, because of the newness of the power of Reiki and the control process of the energy itself.
Wear comfortable, loose fitting, white colored clothes—avoiding all shades of gray. Gray causes depression and low self-esteem which are counter-intuitive to the Seeding Process.
Toad House & the Peace Garden Charities, Supported by the St. James Project
Food for Peace
Pick-a-Kid for Peace (Samhain & Yule)
Spring Gift Packages for Grand Ronde Veteran Honor Guard
Adopt-an-Elder for Peace
People wanting to take part in our charities, but are far from our home-base in Oregon, please feel free to make donations of greeting cards, packaged seeds and lightweight food items and mail them to the post office box address (see contact page). I will personally make sure they get to deserving recipients. Please don’t be shy; gifts of red cloth and organic Tobacco are always accepted with honor and are always greatly needed at Toad House. The above mentioned items are fairly lightweight and won’t cost a fortune to mail. These are just a few simple suggestions for people who want to help out, but are challenged to do so because of accessibility.
You are Welcomed to Participate, Just Remember that RSVP’s are Necessary!
Yes, you all are encouraged to take part in this exciting opportunity, regardless of belief structure or religion, as long as it is positive in nature and benefits the Self and humanity. There are no religious, gender, age or ethnic restrictions to Reiki. Reiki is Japanese as far as language and symbolism are concerned, but it is not exclusive in its purpose and practice. Reiki-form was adapted by Master Usui from ancient Vedic texts and surviving Sanskrit information and is accessible to and by all seekers willing to work for it. Reiki is Universal Life Force, the food of the Gods; it is agendaless and seeks its own level, just as water does.
We do ask all people interested in taking part in this Divine Give-Away to RSVP directly to Toad House (see contact information page) by either email or phone at least a 72 hours in advance. When one is requesting a spot, please be sure to include all contact information, including full name, address, cell and land-line phone numbers. This is for our protection, as well as yours; you know us through our website and reputation, we do not know you. Once your RSVP is approved, you will be sent a physical address and directions to Toad House & the Peace Garden. Thank you for your interest, energy and presence.
Mother Blessings,
Silverstar Red Crow
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Portland
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