Nothing Up My Sleeve....PRESTO!

Nothing up my sleeve....PRESTO!  That is magic. I was witness to magic October 20th as Chief Phil Lane facilitated a Talking, Sharing and Healing Workshop at W2, hosted by Occupy Vancouver's Environmental Justice Group. 

38 people on a weekend that was choke full of events chose to show up to the workshop to learn and participate in time honoured tradition that will move us ahead.  That's the irony of indigenous ways....we forgot the truth because it was stolen from us, no matter which of the seven continents our indigenous roots were/are from, and it is these 'old' ways that will move us forward.

Brother Phil along with Sisters Susan, Monica and Corrine led us from smudge and prayer-opening to us speaking in turn with a talking stick and sharing who we are and why we were there.  That was the start of the magic, the concentric beginning.  And it blossomed from there.

Brother Phil has a casual style, a fire-side chat manner mixed in with charisma and as he talked and told stories his wisdom and teachings become one and the same as the stories unfolded....it was almost like accidental enlightenment....yet there's seemingly nothing up his sleeve!  

Next we formed into small circles to give people further practise and participation, and the enchantment and alchemy grew, but who was yelling , "PRESTO!"?...I think our higher selves.  OMG, I just discovered what's up our sleeves - it's our arms, which in turn lead to our hearts!!!

We learned and grew.  That is wizardry.  

Great Spirit willing, there will be another workshop in about a month.  Would you like to be part of the magic show?