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Honoring The Secret Wishes Of The Soul
Destiny Books/Inner Traditions 2005 ISBN #159477034-4
In Dreamways of the Iroquois we meet Island Woman - Iroquois clan mother (Wolf clan), arendiwanen (woman of power) and atetshents (dream shaman). She has come, across time, speaking her own language, to Robert Moss, in the lands of her ancestors (the Huron and Mohawk people) in upstate New York. Why Robert Moss? He has no ancestral ties to this land, having been raised in Australia. Does he have soul ties? Answer this for yourself, after reading about his encounters with Sir William Johnson, and their connection through County Meath, Ireland. Anyone who has done any amount of dreamwork will appreciate Moss's work. In fact, I would be very surprised if a great many people are not drawn to his classes, and to forming local dream groups after reading this book. One of the concepts presented here that truly resonated with me was that dreamtime is real, and that "real time" is illusion. When that knowing first comes, one fears that the mind is going, that a conscious choice is being made to live in the land of "imagination". This is not true. Through dreamtime we can come to understand our past, heal our present and bring forth the future that was meant to be. In dreamtime (whether asleep or awake) we can reintegrate parts of our soul that have split off in times of stress or trauma; we can connect with our guides (human and animal); we can reconnect with the wisdom that we gained in previous lives; and we can travel across space and time to visit ancestors and spiritual guides. (One of Island Woman's purposes in coming across time is to gain wisdom from what she sees as the future - our present - to help her people.) Island Woman came to Moss speaking her native language, which turned out to be an early form of the Mohawk Iroquois language. Through his research of the words that came to him, the names that came through, and the scenes that he saw, Moss was able to validate that his experiences were real, and were happening for a reason. Moss breaks this book down into four distinctive parts: Part 1 is his personal odyssey that began with Island Woman and her teachings. Part 2 is a collection of Iroquois Dreamtime stories that describe how the world was created, and how it can be renewed. Part 3 is, in Moss's own words, about Island Woman, her time, and her voice. Part 4 presents the tools needed for reclaiming the ancient dreamways. Part 1 is entitled "Journey To The Heart Of Ancient Mother". As with the whole of this book - it is riveting! We read about Kipling, one of Moss's Sag Harbor dogs (a cross between a German Shepherd and a Labrador retriever). How Kipling is killed in an accident, and then goes on to protect Moss's elderly mother-in-law - at Moss's request! We read about timegates, and come to the first mention of colonist Sir William Johnson - the King's Superintendent of Indians who becomes deeply involved with the Mohawk culture, to the point of becoming an adopted war chief. We read about Moss's ability to confirm Island Woman's credentials (through the wampum belt that she shows him). We also learn here that to the Iroquois, dreams bring both good luck and good medicine. Dreams are messages from the spirit world for the community, as well as for the individual. It is here that we see how the path of the dream teacher came to Moss. Part 2, entitled "The Iroquois Dream A World", is the story of the creation of the world according to Iroquois oral legend. This is a legend that was not to simply be recited by rote, but one in which the storyteller had to "become" part of the time they were telling about. We read about Earth-in-the-Sky, a world above ours, and deeper than ours, from which the beings who made humans come. We read about Falling Woman, Earth Holder, and Sky Woman. We read about the primal twins, the Light Twin and the Dark Twin, and their battles. And we read about the Peacemaker. Through all of this, we become familiar with the multi-dimensional reality that we live in. Part 3, entitled "The Teachings of Island Woman", go deeply into the core of what dreaming is. I was interested - well, perhaps shocked might be a better word - to see mention made of a Sisterhood of Seers and Priestesses. I have always accepted this as true ... at least, I thought that I accepted it. Reading Moss's thoughts on this, coming from Island Woman, was like receiving an electrical shock. Reader, be aware that you will come face to face with yourself in this book! We see snippets of Island Woman's life, and her connection to William Johnson (through one of her daughters - Molly Brant). Part of this section is a wonderful synopsis on animal spirits, how we are born with them, and their connection with dreamtime. Part 4, entitled "Reclaiming The Ancient Dreamways", talks, in part, about Moss's experiences in leading dream groups. We can track our futures through dreaming, and tame the futures that we do not want. The actual process of Lightening Dreamwork For Everyday Dream Sharing is presented here. It starts with giving your dream a title, and moves on to working with a partner to understand it. You are taught how to reenter a dream, with or without a partner, to go deeper into its significance, and to bring back helpful information. You are shown how to bring a dream to someone who needs one, and how dreaming can act as a type of medicine. We are also shown how to honor the spirits we are working with. The result of Moss's experiences in dreamtime, combined with his shamanistic background, is the synthesis of an approach to living and dreaming that he calls Active Dreaming™. Through this process we can heal ourselves, help others to heal, and choose to become active in universal healing on all levels. It is not just our action here on mother earth that we need to pay attention to. We need to heal the tears in the astral layers around the earth to become whole again, and to ensure a future for our people. Moss includes appendices covering additional resources on Active Dreaming™ that he offers (workshops, seminars, tapes and CD's); tips on how to build an active dream circle in your community; notes on each of the chapters for reference; a glossary of Iroquois words; and an in-depth bibliography. I highly recommend this book for anyone that wishes to have a better understanding of dreamtime, for anyone who wishes to work with dreamtime, or anyone who recognizes dreamtime as part of their path. Through entering Robert Moss's world, the reader will find themselves, and their own path will become clearer.
Bonnie Cehovet
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