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The ‘Thanksgiving Address’ is an integral part of every ceremony done by the Iroquios Nation.  It can take an hour or more when done in the traditional style. To these people it is important to establish the correct space for a ceremony at the beginning.  If the participants can not start from a place of gratitude for everything that is, then the results of the ceremony may be limited.

If you can establish a daily routine of expressing gratitude, you will enhance the space that you carry.  You could think of it as polishing your aura.  Take some time and create your own ‘Ceremony of Gratitude’.  Connect with your Heart Space and express your Thanksgiving for the gift of life and for all the elements of Nature: the peoples, the waters, the fish, the insects, the plants, the trees, the birds, the sky, the moon, the sun, the stars, the World of Spirit and The Creator.

As you get more connected to the natural world and deeper into expressing your gratitude, you may find that you will be using words and thoughts less and less.  Your gratitude will start to flow out from you in a mysterious way, making a gentle connection to the flowers for example.  I am not sure if any of us can express these experiences in the English language.  Just know that these special feelings are OK and you are not crazy for having them..    

Can you imagine the U.S. Senate saying a prayer of gratitude before a major vote so they can clear their minds and vote from a clean place for the good of the people?

In Western Civilization, our expectations are totally out of control.  We expect instant gratification.  We expect to live in heated houses with hot water.  We expect to have cars and the freedom to use unlimited amounts of gas to drive anywhere, anytime. 

We should be eternally grateful and in tears for the gift of even a few moments of life here in The Garden.  Instead we are full of demands and expectations.

WHAT CAN I SAY?