Letter to our Western-born leader
Dear David,
You have given me some good advice, which I will do my best to learn from going forward. I'm dutifully chipping away at my problems. Thank you!
As part of your work, years ago you ordained my husband and me as tepahtianimeh.
You have told us both in front of the altar with the rest of our group that we are your colleagues.
You have proceeded to share your knowledge the best you can, requested by some of our colleagues.
However, you can't take back your ordaining of us.
Neither of us is bound by any contracts with you.
You have made clear that you require that I agree that my dreams are meaningless except for as psychological indicators of my own problems. You know I will not lie about my view of this.
You have told me that, because of this refusal to lie about my personal experiences with Divine, you see me as unfit to serve as a weather worker and tepahtiani. (Of course, I see that you certainly shouldn't be required to welcome me to your ceremonies.)
Given your view and experience that dreams mean nothing relevant to path and work; that instead, they are only psychological phenomena, you see us parting ways. Dreams are very important to me and my relationship with my work as a tradition-holder. You tell me dreams are irrelevant to our work except to observe as a psychologist might. My dreams help me and guide me in healing. You have made clear you do not experience this yourself with dreams.
My patients have dreams about their healing on the nights before their appointments. These dream-learnings are often helpful and meaningful, and they seem clearly to all of us to be more than mere psychology.
Clearly and with sadness, I notice you and I don't see eye to eye.
And my dreams and experiences have brought some things to my door that need to be done. Namely, I need to add to the path you have helped me to cultivate. I'm working with dreams, and I'm working in a new way with Sacred Earth.
Sacred Earth has visited me with powerful visions and strong instructions. Part of me would love to go on vacation right now! But the adventure of life has other plans.
I am beginning to embark on making offerings to Earth in apology for the impacts we human beings have made. Of course, I would love to collaborate with you about this, if we were working together well. I am open to working together well with you.
Sincerely,