I had to share this with my friends because I am still jazzed up from Friday. Being spiritual may be self rewarding, far more so than virtue.
Bear,
I just came from Goshen. I saw the white buffalo calf. The Lakota Sioux named him in a naming ceremony yesterday. His official name is Yellow Medicine Dancing Boy. And boy, is he cute. Such a little guy though. He was standing next to another calf born the day before him. Could not make it yesterday because Two Feathers had to work. By the time she got off the storms had come and they sent everyone away due to lightning. Everyone was gone today but we walked up and saw the calf. Someone came over and said the owner wanted everyone to leave. We were probably the last to see him for a while. What an honor it was to see him. Am burning sage now and putting out an orange for the Old Ones. My way of saying thank you.Rev Bob A/K/A Happy
BobShould the occasion arise to need this bit of information, The Lakota word for thanks is "Pilamaya".
Friday, I did a blessing at a newly built clinic where my doctor and two of her friends are setting up a new teaching Family Practice. UTMB is big on teaching, and I approve wholeheartedly because this produces sharp new Docs and keep the older Docs on their toes. This makes for the practice of good medicine.
Anyway, I set up an altar, put on my robe and played a pagan chant on a CD I had brought. Everyone was into it immediately. All of the move-in work stopped. I did the blessing and when I said So Mote It Be, they all said Amen. I blessed each room in the clinic and then as I got closer to Susannah (my Doc), I waved her closer and placed a drop of anointing oil on her forehead and said Blessed Be Thou Child Of The Goddess. Before I was done, here came Dr Raley, and two 2nd year residents and a couple of 4th year med students, followed by the nurses. When nurse Liz got to me, I anointed her twice, the second time being for her new daughter Sophie. Everyone said AWWWWWWW over that because little Sophie is the star of that practice every time she is brought by. I told Liz when she got home to touch her forehead bring it to her lips and then kiss little Sophie on the forehead. Well, here came nurse Julie for a second drop because her son was hoe that weekend (custody deal).
The interesting part of all of this? I was the only pagan in the building and yet no one objected to participating. This is doubly amazing because Jennifer Raley is a great physician, but is very stiff personally. She used to be my PCP until fate and gravity led me to Dr Perkins. The old building they were in had an elevator that was always down for repairs. It seemed silly to climb stairs and have a cardiac incident just to see my doctor. Susannah's office was on the first floor. I saw her on a day when Dr Raley was sick and she was covering. We both clicked with each other because now we're friends on top of being Doctor-Patient.
Sounds like we both had a spiritual weekend.Blessings, Bear