Grandmother Cottonwood speaks of relationships.

Do you love others? Do you hate others? Do you fear others?

You are the other and the other is you. Do not mistake the feelings aroused in you as the doing of any other outside yourself. You draw to yourself like – resonant; two sides of the same coin. Are you “all good” and they are “all bad”?

From my treeish perspective, I have seen your human energies flow, mesh, repel, push against, pull inward, or rise up blended with the energies of another in shared purpose, or envelop each other with sweet regard. Is your energy dark with worry and pain, or light and colorful with joy? What do you want to experience with others? I am telling you that you get to choose! You are the master of your energies and you don’t have to stay stuck!

All relationships reflect your relationship with your own inner spirit. Are you annoyed, irritated, pissed off, triggered, frustrated by “their” pigheaded, stubborn inability to be who and what you think they should be? Where in you is that same place, that tender spot, that only wants to light of love to shine and your loving acceptance and attention? Soothe and smooth those rough places in you, for no-one else knows the inner heart of you. This is your life’s work.

Do I repeat myself? Get used to it, for I will continue to say what is necessary to your true health and well-being! When you love and accept yourself, all of you, then you are free! Then being with others is not work, or a struggle, a pain, a penance, a drudgery…it is pure joy

GCW is watching over you.

E of central Iowa writes:

Q. My daughter told me that my granddaughter, age 7, was bullied at school. How can we help?

(Betty’s note) If you or someone you know is being bullied with physical abuse such as hitting, pushing, etc, please tell a teacher, parent, or another grown-up that is in charge.

A. Help her find and know and trust her inner power. Help her learn to draw on the source of her being to know her strength and inner guidance. This is not about physical aggression or counter attacks, or who’s bigger, its about an inner sense of focus on knowing her own power and what is right for her.

Being “nice” is a myth!!! Be yourself, more like. Know your feelings. When something feels bad, wrong, icky, say so! Act on the feelings. Stand up and speak out!

Children are disempowered when taught to ignore their inner wisdom; to always be nice, get along, “don’t cry”, “you’re OK”, “don’t feel that way…”

A child who knows and feels and trusts her own power will not be a target! Have this little girl feel the powerful sun inside of her at the solar plexus. Have her breathe into it and make the sun get larger and larger until it is filling her to the brim. Now have her pretend to be a super hero. Make up a fun superhero name like “Amazing Amy” or “Power Katie”. You can think of many good ones! Have them practice the words and voice that are right for them to use with the bully while feeling and knowing their power.

Super heroes need no super weapons, they need to simply activate the power within them that has always been there. This is the power of the inner spirit, rooted to the earth and stretching to the heavens, shining with full intensity!

Monarch butterfly

GCW speaks of peace and power

Peace is not out there or somewhere else. Each of you has within you the capacity to be peace – to be calm, happy, balanced and harmonious. Peace is reflected from the inner heart and soul of you and all others into the web of all things. If you don’t like what you see in the world, look inside yourself. Seek peace within your own soul, heart body, and mind. All begins within you.

Let this be your practice. Go inward and shine a light of love on the places you have hated and rejected. (Only humans do this! It is time to unlearn this self hate you seem so attached to!) In this way you create more light. Do not say “…but what about…?” or “Look at what they’re doing…”. This casts attention away from your circle of influence and accomplishes nothing!

Take your power seriously! You have great power within the physical container that is you! I wish all humans to know this truth and live it! You are creating the world from the inside heart, soul and mind of you. To heal the world as so many of you wish to do, you must first heal your own hearts. Face the hurts that you carry, learn from them, let them go when you are ready, like the effortless release of autumn leaves.

You are amazing and powerful. Step up to your power and allow it to flow forth from every cell and particle of your being! I mean it! I must continue to repeat this. True power does not come from a gun, or a tough demeanor, or a fancy car, or high powered job, large back account or huge house. It comes from the light within you. You are made of light. Feel it, know it, live it!

Prairie grasses

S of Des Moines, Iowa asks:

Q. How does someone find their purpose if they don’t know what they love?

A. My dear S, how can any being on the face of this magnificent green earth not know what they love? That feeling you ask about represents a shutting down of feeling, a doing of one’s duty, doing what others, perhaps your parents, pushed you into, a shrouding of and suppression of your divine inner spark. Do not allow yourself to be in this half-dead state any longer! You must dive deep into the waters of life and live with your whole heart!

To find your purpose is to let go of all the “shoulds” and “have tos” and let go of the worry about the printed green paper and silver coins you call money. It is to touch your heart, the real deep inner heart of you .

What did you love and desire as a child? Can you feel those feelings of climbing a friendly tree, running free through the prairie grasses, watching the creek flow, riding your pony at top speed across an open field, letting your crayon or pencil move across a blank page and create powerful lines and shapes? Did you love to open your throat and sing to the heavens? Revisit those feelings and joys of childhood, there you will find clues.

To heal, the clouds and fog of adulthood and “responsibility “ must be dissolved, so you can tune in to the joy at your center. Let this feeling move you to your true calling in this life! You are needed here, clear and open, happy and doing what you truly love. You bless the web of all things with your light- so allow it to shine fully!

Summer greenery

A of West Des Moines, Iowa asks:

Q. What is the best way to deal with unethical people?

A. My dear A, how did they enter your field of notice? What is it in them that is mirrored within you? Is it a fear of being taken advantage of? Do you expect this? Are you fitting energetically with them like 2 pieces of a puzzle or 2 sides of a coin?

Do you preach and rail against what they are doing? Do you stew and worry and frown about their actions? Do you tell everyone you know? These actions and thoughts create the energy in you that draws them to you and you to them. Within the great web of all things, without knowing it, you have chosen to encounter these people.

What you worry about, stew over, push against, talk endlessly about, protest and fear only increases that energy within you. It is as though you put out a welcome mat and leave the porch light on for them!

Go inward with healing light and shine it on those fears and doubts and everything that dims your bright nature. Move your powerful attention to wonder, joy, fun and people who delight and inspire you. See the best in others and expect it in return.

Create boundaries. Decide each day to align body, mind, and spirit with your source and nothing less. Create a ritual for yourself to make this a reality. You are awesome and powerful! Own it in every cell of your being and every moment of your life and every word you say!

Signs of autumn

J of Boone, Iowa asks her second question:

Q. Do you have a message for students returning to class?

A. My dear ones, from the earliest preschoolers to those adults spinning out their final years of graduate school: Learn with your entire being, not just your brains. Your brain can calculate, can memorize, can do many tricks, but it cannot understand what lies beyond the surface of things, the deeper meaning, the interweaving and interplay of all that data that is poured into your heads. It cannot decipher the feelings that are at the root of all human endeavor. That is work for your hearts, your intuition, your greater sense of knowing within your bodies and the energy that is you and also part of the whole.

Let the stories and lessons given to you soak in. Follow your heart to those that strike the deepest chord within you. Dig deeply into those areas that excite and inspire you! Let yourself flow with the great river of life to your passion!

Do not compare yourselves to any other! Be guided by your inner light toward your own true purpose.

Allow your schooling to help you become more of who you truly are, to expand into the potential for delight and mastery that exists at the core of your being.