Aloha

Good morning, everyone.  It's Friday.  Another work week done.  Seems like it was only yesterday that I last said that.  Wish I could find a way to make time slow down.  Well, the weather has cooled off some, and it was quite pleasurable out today.  The only unfortunate thing is that we didn't get much of the promised rain yesterday.  Only a brief shower in the morning.  The trees and the plants...and the grass desperately need this rain.  I looked this morning and my neighbors lawn was strawlike and yellow.  Where has the beauty of summer gone?

The fifth principle of Huna is ALOHA--To love is to be happy. The universe exists because of love.   What a wonderful principle, isn't it?  Aloha is so often taken to mean only hello and good-bye. But, Aloha is so much more than what most of us think of as love. In fact, Aloha has so many meanings that it is like an underlying tone for living life.  The Hawaiians use the idea of Aloha to define their society and their philosophy of life.   As with most Hawaiian words, each syllable of ALOHA is a sacred sound and its own esoteric meaning.  


A = AKAHAI =Kindness to be expressed with tenderness.
L -Lokahi = Working with and in unity, to be expressed with harmony.
O = Oiaio = Truth; honesty...being authentic to the self       responsible to others.
H = HAA-HAA = Humility, to be expressed with modesty.
A = AHONUI = Patient perserverence.  

Being in Aloha allows one to see that the universe exists because of love in its being and becoming, and that the more love you create in your world, the happier you are and the better everything actually is.  To love is to be happy with.  Aloha requires loving without conditions...accepting and not judging.  The more we can allow ourselves to be in Aloha, the easier it is to think positive thoughts about ourselves and those around us...which, in turn, creates more love and joy for us all...(MAKIA =Principle 3 = energy flows where attention goes.)  

Huna Prayer
By Max Freedom Long

If I have hurt someone today

With thought or word or deed,

Or failed another in his need,

I now repent.

If I can take those steps again,

Tomorrow will I make amends

And heal with love those hurts.

I do this pledge.

And if a hurt has struck me deep

And no amends are made,

I ask the light to balance all.

I count the debt as paid.

Parental Spirits whom I love,

And who I know love me,

Reach through the door I open wide.

Make clear my path to Thee.

So mote it be!

                                               

Manawa--Now is the Only Moment That Exists

Good morning, everyone.  We've got some rain headed our way, and that will be a good thing.  I was looking out the window at work yesterday, and the trees across the street were wilting so...and further down, the tree looks as if it is in the throes of autumn.  And as far as us humans go, this rain should usher in some cooler and less humid air.  All I can say is "Yippie!!!  It's about time."

As you all know, I've been posting daily on the Seven Principles of Huna; by now, some of you may be saying, "But I know all this. This sounds so familiar. This is nothing new. It is a part of all beliefs and traditions."  And, indeed it is, but what I've discovered from reading the history of Huna is that it is believe that most beliefs and traditions actually descended from what is now  called Huna; the true name of Huna is not known.  In fact, Huna is actually an incredibly old science which, some believe, may be around 35,000 years old, as old as mankind itself, and a part of the teachings of the original peoples of the earth.  While legend traces it back to Mu and later to Atlantis, we find the first historical indication of its presence can be found in ancient Egypt.

Huna also has its own secret language called the Huna Code. This fact came to light in 1900 when Max Freedom Long, a westerner who studied Huna for 50 years, discovered a secret language which the ancient Kahuna's had created in order to make sure that the knowledge of Huna continued to be passed down from one generation to the other, and until Long's discovery, only the initiates knew of it.  It seems that this secret language formed the roots of another language which could be openly used, and that no matter how the outer language was used or what beliefs it was attached to, the root knowledge would remain like a well-preserved secret.  


To decipher this secret language, Long began to inspect the religious literature of the world's religions for possible traces of Huna.  He basically concentrated on those works where secret knowledge was implied.  He then translated passages into Hawaiian and examined the root meanings of the words he had translated.  Then, he translated those results back into English.  The results were astounding...especially in regards to the New Testament.  It appears that the early Christian writers and possibly even Jesus himself were initiates of Huna or had knowledge of the teachings.  And as Long went on, he discovered that time after time, the principles of Huna were hidden within the outer teachings.  And, what Long accomplished can can be duplicated by anyone with Hawaiian dictionary and a knowledge of Huna...so anyone with any doubts can work this process themselves.

The fourth principle is the principle of MANAWA (man-ah-wah); this is the idea that NOW is the only moment that exists.  There is no real power in the past and there is no power in the future because there is nothing we can do with either one of them at the present moment. Think about it, what can we do with the past right now? There is nothing we can do. The past is gone...over.  And, what can we do with the future right now? Again, we can do nothing. The future hasn't yet arrived.  All the power for changing your life exists only in the immediate present. There is no other time. There is only now.  We are not bound by our experiences of the past, nor by our perceptions of the future. In today's world, many of us tend to be living in either the past or future, but not in the present moment. Just take a moment before we continue to imagine all the many people living in the world today who aren't really here.  Their attention is either focused on memories of the past or on their projects into the future. 

"You can't get wet by yesterday's rain, and you can't get burnt by tomorrow's sun."--Serge Kahili King 

As humans, we operate from patterns which are usually based on belief systems that we took on at a very young age. To the Toltec these are dreams. And it is these dreams/beliefs that create our own reality.  For example, if we see beauty in our lives, then we are creating that beauty NOW.  We can increase that beauty by enjoying and appreciating it...NOW.  But, once we stop appreciating it, we start to lose our sense of beauty, and suddenly, the world around us also seems to lose its beauty. So, it is not what we have been, but what we ARE that makes what we have in any given moment.  The future is created in every present moment by the seeds we plant now.  Remember the teachings of Huna....as you change your mind, you change your experience.

"You are not bound by any experience of the past, or by any perception of the future.  Therefore, you are free to the degree that you realize this and act upon it."--Serge Kahili King

Makia....the Third Principle

Good morning to everyone out there in Blogland.  Well, the humidity's up again, and the temperature is rapidly rising.  It's nice to know, though, that fall is on its way.  I just love those crisp, cool breezes.  I will say this though, "this certainly has been a summer to remember".  

And now on to the third principle.  Originally, I hadn't planned on posting on all of them at once, but on second thought, I felt it would be best.  Too many different posts in between, and I lose my complete train of thought. Plus, I have been reading this book with breakneck speed and although I have ordered another book on Huna, there's no telling which book I will pick up and read next.  I've also been considering taking an online course.  I've been looking around for a good one, and think I may have found it.

The third principle of Huna is Makia (ma-Kee-a)--energy goes where our attention goes.  In other words, be focused. Focusing your attention on a particular object or idea causes the energy to flow in that direction, and wherever there is a flow of energy and attention, events are created....according to the nature of your thoughts. So, if you are putting out positive thoughts, then you can expect to have positive energy flow back.  On the other hand, if you are put negative energy out in the universe, this will bring back negative energy in the world around you as well; hence, negative results come into your life. 

For example, let's say that you want more money in your life.  In this case you would focus on creating more money rather than focusing on having debts and not enough money.

Many cultures use this principle as a form of meditation. You are meditating whenever you are engaged in sustained focused attention.  By focusing your mind on one aspect of a situation, you reinforce its power.  The author, Serge Kahili King presents the following exercise to help you understand the possibilities that lie inherent in Makia.


To demonstrate how energy flows from where attention goes, pull up a chair and try to lift it by holding its back. Concentrate on the chair, feel its weight.  Now, repeat the exercise, this time focusing on the area located one foot above the chair.  If your focus is good, you will see that the chair seems much lighter.  "The energy goes where the attention goes."

You, too, can develop this skill and bring positive energy back into  your life.  Remember...do not focus on fear and anger, but focus instead on joy and happiness.  You CAN do this.  Start with the smaller things first.  You have the ability to change your life.  Change your attention and change your world.

KALA--The Second Principle

Good morning,everyone.  Another beautiful day in Brooklyn.  Now, if only summer would be like this, I'd have no complaints. I don't know about you, but I seem to have so much more energy since the heatwave broken.  Amazing the part that weather can play on how we feel.  

 

KALA: There Are No Limits
Corollary:
Everything is connected.
Anything is possible.
Separation is a useful illusion.
Message: Be Free 


Kala means to loosen, free, release, let go, to free oneself from any evil influence. With Kala there are no limits. In the Hawaiian perspective of the Universe, nothing is fixed; everything is in constant change, and in a world of change, the Universe is unlimited, and, therefore, our experiences are limitless, but, in our everyday lives, we experience limits. According to Huna, there are no limits to the possibilities....as long as one is willing to find a way. This includes giving up those limiting beliefs or habitual actions that stand in our way. We need to release those old patterns and and ways of looking at things and accept that the world as we know it is a dream.  

There are two kinds of limits we place upon ourselves--filtered and creative.  Filtered limitation is imposed by ideas and beliefs that inhibit creativity rather than enhance it...generating focus without the potential for positive action. Examples, of 'filtered limitation' is the belief that one is a 

victim or that the world is such a tough place, that you have to know someone if you hope to get ahead.  Filtered limitations instill one with anger, fear, hate, and hopelessness. 

Creative limitation assumes the purposeful establishments of limits within the universe in order to create particular experiences. They enable us to experience life as humans. Without creative limitations, we wouldn't be able to experience anything.  There would be only one color and one sound.  There would be nothing to compare them with; hence, we couldn't see or hear anything.  Think about the games we play.  These games are all based on rules....limits.  Without these limits would the game be able to exist?  If everyone was allowed to play the game in any way they liked, the game would cease to exist. This is why creative limitations are needed in this world.  

Kala'ana means forgiveness, absolution. There are times when guilt, resentment...or fear become obstacles to your goals in life.  The key for releasing these negative feelings is Forgiveness...letting go.  Everything is interconnected; hence, just a single thought of love or hate affects the entire Universe.  

"Forgiveness is basically a process of deciding that whatever happened is no longer important or doesn't matter anymore. In practicing blanket forgiveness assume that in any current condition of pain or discomfort there is some anger involved. We want to change the stress effects of that anger."--Serge Kahili King

Huna Principle One

Good afternnoon, everyone.  My goodness, just look how late it is. It's been such a busy day that I have barely had a chance to stop and catch my breath. Fortunately, the dreadful heat and humidity has finally broken.  It was actually a pleasure walking to work today.  It's been a long time since I've been able to do that. Maybe tonight I will finally be able to leave the AC and get out in the backyard for awhile. 

Once upon a time there were wise men and women who lived on the islands in the Pacific.  These wise islanders observed the patterns of nature, the behavior of plants and animals and all of humankind, and developed a deep inner knowledge about the ways of the Universe. They gave a name to this knowledge. They called it Huna, a modernistic classification which has been given to this ancient belief system. Huna ( hidden secret) is one of the original sciences of of healing and spiritual development; it holds the secret, hidden knowledge of the ancient Hawaiian peoples. It is fortunate for us that the teachings of the ancestors were successfully hidden and preserved in the chants and Hula dances.

From this knowledge the seven principles were developed; these are the principles that I will be sharing with you. The people who did this, who practiced this knowledge, were called the Kapua; nowadays they are called Shamans.  Once again, the seven principles are:

1. IKE - our ideas create our reality.
2. KALA - there are no limits.
3. MAKIA - energy flows where attention goes.
4. MANAWA - now is the moment of power.
5. ALOHA - to love is to be happy with.
6. MANA - all power comes from within.
7. PONO - effectiveness is the measure of truth.

IKE  refers to the importance of our beliefs. What we believe is what is real for us. Basically, if  you think something is negative, you will experience it as negative. How you perceive something will determine how you react to whatever is happening...and this reaction is what creates  your reality.  For example, if you see the glass as half-empty, you will see nothing but pessimism around you, while the if you see it as half-full, you a world of optimism will surround you.  To the farmer, a sudden rainstorm may be good for the crops, but to the one who planned the picnic, it may  be messing up all of their plans. To some, the intrepid weather may be an obstacle that stands in their way, while others may view it as a challenge.

Simply put, positive thoughts attract positive people, and negative thoughts attract negative people and events. Thus, if you believe the world is a place which is full of struggle and hardship, then hardship and struggle will surely come your way, but on the other hand, if you believe that the world is a wonderful place to experience adventure and happiness, then you will surely experience the goodness of the world.

  

Corollary: Everything Is A Dream

In addition, Huna Shamans believe that our reality is another form of a dream; dreams are real, and reality is a dream. We share our dream with others; we share it with the Earth. Everything in our world, everything in our own reality, it all comes from our thoughts.  According to the Huna belief, as well as those beliefs of other ancient traditions, we must change our thoughts if we want to change our world. This means that if we wish to help change the world, we must begin by changing ourselves. It all begins with us. We must change the way we think, going from a belief in lack to a belief in abundance. This is 'IKE' working from within to create the outer world. All of the other principles of Huna stem from this one.

Shamanic Stone Casting

Good afternoon to all.  Been spending the morning relaxing.  I've been trying to fit more rest into my life.  I'm always so, so busy, and it is taking its toll.  Besides, this heat is knocking me for a loop...no energy whatsoever.  I've not even been making it out to the ocean because without going into the water, there is no relief...and that beach is just too darned crowded for me.  Today I thought I would finish up the topic of Shamanic stone casting.  I've been practicing, and I must say, I love it.  

Shamanic stone casting uses a total of seven stones...all of the same size and in the colors of white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.Now, remember, they don't actually have to be stones at all.  Plastic beads will do just as well as long as they are all about the same size.  Semiprecious gemstones are also very popular, and many people who like cystals have their own sets made.

The Yes/No Technique

For this casting, you will use only three stones

White or Clear stone - This is the foundation stone; it is called kumu.

Green stone - This is the yes stone.

Red stone - This is the no stone.

(The green and the blue stones are caled 'eo' or answering stones.  This means that the answer will come from the stone that falls nearest to the white stone, on either side of it.)

Your should relax and begin with breathing technique. Next focus on your question.  You may ask any question that can be answered with a yes or no. Be careful not to ask should questions for this can be very confusing to your ku (subconscious); such questions seem to be less effective. When you are ready, hold the stones in your hand, and toss them out in front of you. Look to see which stone is closer to the white stone (if green then yes, if red then no, if an equal distance then maybe).  Sometimes people are tempted to throw again if they do not like the answer they get.  This is a 'no-no'.  It indicates a lack of trust. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For open-ended questions you will use all seven stones. The white stone is still the kuma.

White represents the First Principle, IKE = Awareness.  The world is what you think it is. 

Red represents the Second Principle, KALA = Freedom.  There are no limits.

Orange represents the Third Principle, MAKIA = Focus.  Energy flows where one's attention goes.

Yellow represents the Fourth Principle, MANAWA = Persistence. Now is the moment of power. 

Green represents the Fifth Principle, ALOHA = Love. To love is to be happy with.

Blue represents the Sixth Principle, MANA = Confidence.  All power comes from within.

Purple represents the Seventh Principle, PONO = Flexibility.  Effectiveness is the measure of truth.

Begin with your relaxation exercise, and when you are ready  focus on a request for advice. Example questions would be, "What is the best way for me to reach my goal?" or "What is the best way for me to handle this situation?" Now, toss the stones and read the one which is the closest to the white stone. You will use a combination of the prinicple and the key word to derive your answer. 

Instead of asking for advice or a plan you might want to ask questions such as "What is in the way of achieving my goal?"
In this case, you will toss the stones and read the answer from the one nearest the white, only this time read it in its opposite sense:

Red = mental or physical stress

Orange = lack of focus

Yellow = procrastination

Green = anger

Blue = fear or doubt

Violet = rigid thinking 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Picture-casting is one of the greatest secrets of Shamanic divination. For this, you will once again use all seven of your stone. stones. This particular type of divination will require the use of your intuition. Relax; then focus on your question as you toss all seven stones without any regard as to which is kuma and which is eos.  Say aloud, "Give me an image of .... (your question). Toss the stones. Look to see what pattern they make.  What does the pattern remind you of?  The symbol or picture is the answer to your question.  Remember, though, although it is called a picture, the main sense comes from feeling.  While gazing at the stones, try to be aware of what associations or memories come to your mind.  This method may take practice. 


Next we will delve deeper into the seven principles.  This should create a deeper understanding.

"Those who don't look forward, remain behind."--Anonymous

What is Summer Made Of?

"That beautiful season the Summer!
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape. Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood."
--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow--

And a good afternoon to all of you.  I'm in a good mood because my cooking is almost done.  Got out early and did my shopping so I could beat the worst of the heat.  It's treacherous here in the city.  Could actually reach 100 by afternoon.  At any rate, with the humidity, it will be feeling about 105 out there.  Yikes!!!  That's unheard of. 

I just don't know what to do with myself this summer.  To be honest, I just want it to go away.  I try so hard to embrace each of the seasons...especially since time seems to be passing by so quickly. Just as the above quote says, summer was such a dreamy and magical time when I was a child; it was almost as if time stood still with endless days of fun and games....afternoons at the lake...the welcoming of a summer storm.  Why, spinning around in the drenching rains was far better than a simple sprinkler. Camping out in the back yard and sitting out under the stars when all the world was asleep around me.  Long walks through the woods, picking fresh strawberries and grapes off of grandma's vines.  Oh, how sweet they were!  Running from the chickens, catching tadpoles...fireflies.  Those are some of the things you never forget...and it is good to remember those times for all too soon, in a flash of an eye, childhood gives way to adulthood.

The time that appears to move so slowly, those endless summers of childhood, suddenly become  nothing more than a distant memory as  we grow into adulthood and find ourselves burdened with work and bills, responsibilities that we never knew existed.
...and the magic disappears; we have no time for it anymore. What once were those dreamy times of summer days now become those endless days spent closed up in the office, rushing home to fix dinner, to tend to the household chores...and as the days pass by, we pay little to know attention to them...for we have far more important things to do. There will be plenty of time for fun later... And then, in what seems to be a flash of an eye, we find ourselves in the twilight years of our lives.


And time appears to speed ; it passes us by so much faster than ever before...and we wonder where all those years went.  One moment we were just a mere child with flushed cheeks running home for dinner; and now, although time moves faster, we find ourselves, our bodies moving oh, so much slower.  Our backs hurt, and our knees ache...and we watch those in their youth pass us by...and as our eyes begin to well with tears, we remember...those dreamy, magical summers when we were young.

What is summer made of?
Of opening buds and flowers;
Of sunshine and of shadow,
And gracious little showers,
Of birds that in the tree-tops
Sing sweetly all the day;
Of buttercups and daisies,
And breath of new-mown hay.

Of butterflies that hover
O'er every fragrant rose;
Of bees that gather honey
Where the honeysuckle grows.
Of brooks that murmur softly,
And thro' the meadows glide:
Of shadows shifting gently
Adown the mountain-side.

Of rainbows after showers,
Of starlight nights so still;
Of moonbeams shimmering softly
O'er every brook and rill.
Of mornings dawning sweetly
O'er dew-wet grass and flowers,
Oh! summer time is only
A life of golden hours! 

 --Mary Dow Brine 1816-1913)--