Our Beloved littlebig family,
Kia Ora, Greetings,
Ancient Whispers holds a simple belief that Earth Mother is a sacred vessel and our actions in life should always reflect that truth. Ancient Whispers stands spirit with spirit with our First Nation Relations in the peaceful defense against the imposition of State and Federal laws and regulations concerning the unjust ransacking of their hallowed ancestral lands at Standing Rock, North Dakota.

Dear Family,
It is with pleasure I can report back to you all after having had a week off to recuperate, that our second gathering went very well indeed. In fact, interspersed with my report will be direct quotes from family members that will be in italics. The questions asked were: What inspired you? What would you like to see improved?
Some months ago, like all harvests our family in Yellow Springs started with the planning for the big day. Once all the quiet reflection and prayers for guidance had been completed, we began on the preparation work and so our small family team in our quiet way started with the shopping for groceries, snacks, flowers and candles with a special search for our non scented sacred blue traveling candle, to guide you all safely to Yellow Springs and return you home safely at day’s end.
“The Circle inspired me.” —Sandy K.
Peggy and I celebrated our successful foray at the Organic Market with Peppermint tea and donuts! My favorite time!
“The openness of all.” —Judy R.
Our prep time finally ended when we all turned up at Rockford Chapel Friday evening to organize and arrange the seating and utilities to accommodate our family and friends who would be arriving the following day. After each altar and vase of flowers was set up and every room that we would be using had been arranged to Grandmother Peggy’s satisfaction, my beloved brother Cecil and I had the honor of toning, chanting and singing our blessings.
“The beautiful meditation in the chapel was quite moving and meaningful to me. The beautiful way the space was held by Peggy and Cecil and others who helped with the details and logistics.” —Lynda T.
We Elders were giving gratitude to every flower for their beauty and sacrifice. To each room we were recognizing the ghosts of people’s knowledge imbued into the very fabric of each of them and returning to each of them – every flower, every slate of timber their aura of holy space, which we may have unintentionally displaced with our own human infallibility. Our own misplaced sense of entitlement.
“Coming from Hope Springs Experience, the desire to continue to learn and share sacred space with community.— Ginger B.
As well, the intent of our prayers was to create a seawall and then a House in which my Peace Nation of Waitaha’s universal teachings of Peace would become the beacon of light during our time together. A house with a light, a lighthouse with a seawall around it. So that everyone who came to the House would “somehow or rather” feel safe because, intrinsically everything around him or her, felt safe as well.
Time and tide move incredibly slowly and even though there are great numbers who may believe humanity are moving with incredible haste to obliterate themselves, the ceiling of their haste, has always proven to be further away than the logic and order of the turtle speed and ingenuity of indigenous wisdom.
“The wisdom, vulnerability, safety, remembrance and joy of community.”— Jenny H.
It is this teaching that I have always recommended as the most natural remedy to the modern day plague called Anxiety, when compared to anything marketed and sold by the pharmaceutical industry.
Saturday 22nd October 2016
“The old teachings.”— Nora H.
Our gathering moved in silence from a holding room and started with a hand washing ceremony. These two bowls of water were a mixture of waters that had come from sacred sites around the world including our own Yellow Spring, from where our village takes its name and moved immediately into the chapel sanctuary for the 40 minute guided meditation.
“Everything.”— Liz P. (for clarification Liz is answering Q3) :o)
In the background and as the littlebig family commenced the hand-washing ceremony Stephen E supported the process by threading his sacred flute music into the spiritual web of peace our littlebig family are making a commitment to weave. The hand-washing ceremony (very basically) signifies a holistic cleansing of the physical (letting go) as we prepare to transition ourselves (open ourselves) to that higher state of awareness/consciousness potential within ourselves.
Love, Linda S. and in reply to Q4,. “Are you kidding!”
Our guided meditation, Walking the Shores of Eternity was a gentle salute written for my late elder brother Raureti TeKorako who passed our way on 24 July 2016. This meditation was posted on the Ancient Whispers website when it debuted several weeks ago.
“The depth of the speaking and the honesty of Raymond + Cecil. We are growing as a family.”—Abigail C
As we walked into the Chapel for the guided meditation (for those members of the family who weren’t present at Hope Springs) there were two colored ribbons stretched across the doorway requiring each of us to bend at the waist or if some had watched brother Cecil, crawl under. This may have appeared to be a small insignificant protocol.
“The heartfelt teachings and sharing from the community. Loved the singing and dancing together.”— Nina K.
Please – don’t be fooled. This is a very critical ceremony you will find only in authentic indigenous ceremonies.
I never begin my teaching/sharing until this seemingly “innocuous” protocol has been observed. It represents for our Tohunga/Shaman, a returning home into the womb of the Mother and only in that sacred space can the highest spiritual teachings be taught and attained. In all our Ancestral Houses (Marae) in New Zealand (there must be many 100’s) the front door of every house represents the vagina and when elders, who maintain the old lore enter the house, we continue to follow the old protocols of bowing low or crawling through the doorway so that the young, the new and onlookers may witness the heightened consciousness of our ancestors and take the teaching to heart.
“Strong beautiful container – willingness of everyone to share and listen from the heart.”—Laurie D.
The colors of the two ribbons strung across the doorway were red and yellow representing the energies of the Sun and Moon. Duality.
There were two presentations made at the gathering, the first; Reality, Defined against the backdrop of my own matriarchal worldview and the second; Confronting Grief, The Bank of No Regrets.
“Truth, Love, Calming-Peace.”— Sally T.
The presentation; Reality, defined against the backdrop of my own matriarchal worldview, will be posted along with this writing.
Confronting Grief, The Bank of No Regrets. This talk was based on my experience of looking at how different societies and their cultural norms approach or in some cases (don’t talk about) Eldership and Death. Supporting the transition process of a parent.
“Raymond was in top form + much inspiring testimony from group.”— George B.
We had a beautiful BYO lunch with wonderful sharing and conversations.
Our penultimate session was a question and answer “family time,” which at periods turned into a heartfelt, honest time of disclosure. For this I would like to thank our littlebig family for accepting the sacred, safe space of Circle for this to happen.
“Amazing group, inspired by everything. Felt the sacred altars around the room were like another calming circle holding us. Calming grounding and beautiful.”— Fern O.
Our beautiful sacred day together ended with a simple, very simple closing.
After we had completed removing our property from Rockford Chapel, those of our littlebig family who were able to remain in Yellow Springs went to dinner at the local Mexican diner situated on Route 68 the southern entry point of our little village.
To our littlebig YS family, each of you know who you are. In the cosmos some stars shine brighter then others – but in their own spheres of influence, everything revolves around them. And so it is with everything, including family. We are not exempt from cosmic law. If I haven’t mentioned your name its only because you already know who you are, a star in the cosmos of forever. Blessings to each of you for your unwavering light of love.