Listening to gentle rain fall on the roof as you are drifting off to sleep or to feel the ahhhh as you soak in a hot tub of water you feel the comfort from the Spirit of Water. The Spirit of Water can be so soothing and relaxing. Here in Wisconsin we have had a little too much water as rain and severe weather has brought the cleansing and clearing aspect of the Spirit of Water.

My state has been in the national news this past week due to flooding and the failure of dams or levees. We have had a lot of rain in the past few days. The most watched video of the flooding is the result of the water in Lake Delton drain after exploding through an earthen levee. In the video there are houses being torn from their foundations and float away into the Wisconsin River as the lake drained into the river.

I grew up in Wisconsin Dells and know Lake Delton well. I heard about the disaster at Lake Delton within an hour of the levee failure. The news traveled much like the water draining out of the lake…fast and furious. My husband and I drove down to the city of Lake Delton which is about an hour south of where we currently live to see for ourselves. It was sad and surreal.

We have fond memories of Lake Delton. We both worked at a giftshop/museum called Parson’s Indian Trading Post. We met and fell in love here. Paul’s family owned a summer home not too far from Lake Delton near the Wisconsin River. I worked in the “Little Post” located in Tommy Bartlett’s Water Show. I learned how to waterski on this lake to impress by new boyfriend who was to become my husband. Seeing the drained lake felt much like a friend’s death. Their passing marks a new chapter and in this case a whole new book.

As I thought about all these memories and knowing Spirit of Water, I had to consider that maybe this “disaster” is really nature balancing it self. The Wisconsin Dells/Lake Delton area changed so much over the last few decades. It went from a place where people vacationed to be close to nature to a place where people vacation to play in water parks, miniture golf and enjoy carnival type rides. There is a lot of concrete and black top. There is also a lot of hotel and motels to house all those coming to vacation. Once a long time ago, vacationers came to stay in lodges along the Wisconsin River and enjoy the quiet beauty of the sandstone bluffs, eagles, deer and of course watch the Native American dances.

The Spirit of Water is both gentle and powerful. As we can see it can be a major player in a space clearing. In the Medicine Wheel the Spirit of Water is one of the four elements and resides in the south winds or the west winds depending on the belief system of many Native American Nations. The spirit of Water represents or symbolizes emotions.

I pray that those affected by the recent flooding be blessed with a multitude of angels that can help them heal and find peace as they continue on the soul’s journey. I also pray that nature finds its balance gently and easily for the highest good of all.

Thank you for reading Between the Beats. Blessings, Neshi.

All Rights Reserved. Copyright, Yvette Neshi Lokotz, June 2008.

Come join us at a Spiritual Gathering in Olivet Michigan for the Great Lakes Retreat….Where Heaven and Earth Meet. I will be presenting Sacred Drum Making, overview of Medicine Wheel Feng Shui and the story of my Healing Dress at the Great Lakes Retreat this year.

The Great Lakes Retreat begins on Sunday, July 20, 2008 and ends on Friday, July 25, 2008. We are meeting at Olivet College in Olivet Michigan. (www.thegreatlakesretreat.org)

My good friend and collegue Minnie Kansman is also presenting at the Retreat. She is presenting on her book Spirit Gardens: Rekindling our Nature Connection,as well as Fairy Houses and Altars.

I am looking forward to teaching at the Great Lakes Retreat and to spend time with friends. If you are looking for a week where you can learn about spiritual topics, rest, relax and have fun….register by going the Great Lakes Retreat website. See you there!

Have you ever seen an Elk calf? We recently had the rare opportunity to assist our state Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) in their annual calf count and tagging. I was so excited to be on this outing. We volunteered to walk parts of the incredible Chequamegon National Forest in Northern Wisconsin to look for newly born Elk calf.

The Chequamegon Elk herd in Wisconsin is about 150 in number with about 20 new calves this year. Not all calves will make it to adulthood as the natural life cycle is honored.

Elk are one of the largest of the deer family, only the moose is larger than the elk. Calves are born at the end of May to early June and weigh on average 30-35 pounds. Calves are born with spots just like whitetail deer. Their spots fade by late summer. The spots help to hide them to keep them safe from predators. This camoflage works very well as the baby elk blend into the forest floor.

We found only one male elk calf that weighed 39 pounds and was two days old. I was able to take a couple of pictures but not touch the baby due to leaving human scent. The DNR staff were very gentle with the calf as they took weight, age and gender information. They cover the calf’s eyes so not to cause more trauma and fright.

We also were graced with seeing a herd of 17 adult elk. In the picture you can see the tracking collars that the DNR uses to manage the herd. Seeing these large animals crossing in front of me in my home state was exciting and humbling all at the same time. I felt a surge of energy being so close to Elk Medicine.

According to Ted Andrews, Animal Speak, Elk medicine is of strength and nobility. Elk also teach us how to pace ourselves. Elk are vegetarians eating mostly grasses and vegetation. Those with Elk medicine do well with vegetarian diets as they may feel stronger, stress levels lessen and stamina increases.

We find deer in the Medicine Wheel at the Southeast winds from May 21-June 20. This is known as the Flowering Time. Elk and Deer give birth during this time frame so this part of the Medicine Wheel has the birth totem of Deer. Deer blend into their environment and are sensitive to sound and to movement. This sensitivity makes Deer people sensitive, alert and fast moving. Those with Deer Birth totem can be compassionate and understanding. Although, they may not always be attentive listeners as their minds race so quickly and jump from one subject to another. Deer also tend to herd with the same gender so they feel more comfortable in a community of their same sex peers.

According to Ken Meadows author of Earth Medicine, Flowering Time is the last cycle of the spring season. This part of the Medicine Wheel is compared to the time of youth growing into adulthood. This is a time of information seeking to gain knowledge, but understanding the knowledge comes at a later time in the Medicine Wheel. Flowering Time is a time of expanding awareness and to exercise intuition in order to comprehend things beyond the physical senses. This is a time of transition from spring to summer when trees are in full leaf and flowers are blossoming.

Thank you for reading Between the Beats. Blessings, Neshi.

All Rights Reserved. copyright, Yvette Neshi Lokotz, June 2008.

We just finished Two Feathers first Instinctive Feng Shui certification course of 2008 on Monday, May 26. As a Master Teacher of Interior Alignment, I divide the 14 day certification course into two sections that are 7 days long — instinctive feng shui and space clearing. This first course went very smoothly and the students knew they attended an information rich course that also weighs heavy in the application of the information.

The students did an outstanding job on their practicum. They had a real feng shui client to consult with and to prepare a feng shui consultation report. The client is a business owner who is currently going through a transition from a partnership to a sole proprietorship. The client was looking for assistance to balance out the remaining energies.

The students worked diligently with the client and prepared a well thought out report that will help the client balance the flow of chi, balance yin/yang energies and balance the five elements. The client is very pleased with the students and with the work they did for her. The client has already begun implementing the suggested enhancements.

As their teacher, I help the students prepare for the consultation, I begin the consultation so that the students get an idea of how a consultation begins. I then turn the consultation over to the students. I am in the background available for questions and support.

In Interior Alignment we suggest that new practitioners have up to 10 practice homes or business before they begin to charge their clients so that they can build up their experience level. I am available to those practitioners who study with me as on going support. I have had new practitioners email floor plans or pictures of areas that they have questions about. I even have had new practitioners come with me to my own client consultations when the practitioner needs just a little more confidence building.

Two Feathers Interior Alignment certification course have a maximum of four students per course. I love small groups because we can have detailed and specific discussions about their own homes and their practice. I also expanded the building your practice section of the course. I have a marketing expert, Tami Gulland of Graceful Marketing, come to the last day of the course. Graceful Marketing helps a studnet to build to lay the foundation of a spiritually based business. Tami talks about the very basics of beginning a business and career. Tami specifically works with the students with Law of Attraction (having a clear intention). One of the biggest highlights is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to clear issues surrounding success. Graceful Marketing will also be joining us for the Advance Course in August as we support Two Feathers students build a spiritual business.

It has been one week since the end of the first certification course and I do miss the students, but I also know that they are consciously beginning their new careers.

Blessings, Neshi.

All Rights Reserved. Copyright, Yvette Neshi Lokotz, June 2008.