OT 26 NOV 25 ~ IN THE SPIRIT
Somehow the original template just disappeared from this site. So will cobble it together
from memory (at 430 AM) before it is totally lost to the winds of change. Cheers!
An aboriginal prayer, best spoken in a group, so all can join in the refrains. Very moving.
Indigenous Thanksgiving Address
adapted from “Braiding Sweetgrass” (Robin Wall Kimmerer)
=
The school week in the Onondaga Nation begins and ends not with the Pledge of Allegiance, but with the Thanksgiving Address. This river of words, as old as the people themselves, is known in the Onondaga language as “the Words That Come Before All Else”, and sets gratitude as the highest priority.This gratitude is directed straight to the ones who share their gifts with the world.
In this ritual, the teachers remind the students that every day, “beginning with where our feet first touch the earth, we send greetings and thanks to all members of the natural world”, in their own language.
Greetings
Today we have gathered and when we look upon the faces around us we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now let us bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to
each other as People.
Now our minds are one.
1. The Earth
We are thankful to our Mother the Earth, for she gives us everything that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she still continues to care for us, just as she has from the beginning of time. To our Mother we send thanksgiving, love, and respect.
Now our minds are one.
2. The Water
We give thanks to all of the waters of the world for quenching our thirst, for providing strength and nurturing life for all beings. We know its power in many forms – waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans, snow and ice. We are grateful that the waters are still here and meeting their responsibility to the rest of Creation. Can we agree that water is important to our lives and bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to the Water?
Now our minds are one.
3. The Fish (Fred)
We turn our thoughts to all of the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are grateful that they continue to do their duties and we send to the fish our greetings and our thanks.
Now our minds are one.
4. Plant Life
Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come.
Now our minds are one.
5. The Berries
When we look about us, we see that the berries are still here providing us with delicious foods. The leader of the berries is the strawberry, the first to ripen in the spring. Can we agree that we are grateful that the berries are with us in the world and send our thanksgiving, love, and respect to the berries?
Now our minds are one.
6. The Food Plants
With one mind, we honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden, especially the Three Sisters who feed the people with such abundance. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans, and fruit have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them as well. We gather together in our minds all the plant foods and send them a greeting and thanks.
Now our minds are one.
7. The Medicine Herbs
Now we turn to the Medicine Herbs of the world. From the beginning they were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal us. We are so happy that there are still among us those special few who remember how to use the plants for healing. With one mind, we send thanksgiving, love, and respect to the Medicines and the keepers of the Medicines.
Now our minds are one.
8. The Trees
Standing around us we see all the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who each have their own instructions and uses. Some provide shelter and shade, others fruit and beauty and many useful gifts. The Maple is the leader of the trees, to recognize its gift of sugar when the People need it most. Many peoples of the world recognize a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind we greet and thank the Tree life.
Now our minds are one.
9. The Animal Life
We gather our minds together to send our greetings and thanks to all the beautiful Animal life of the world, who walk about with us. They have many things to teach us as people. We are grateful that they continue to share their lives with us and hope that it will always be so. Let us put our minds together as one and send our thanks to the Animals.
Now our minds are one.
10. Birds
We put our minds together as one and thank all the birds who move and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them the gift of beautiful songs. Each morning they greet the day and with their songs remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader and to watch over the world. To all the Birds, from the smallest to the largest, we send our joyful greetings and thanks.
Now our minds are one.
11. The Four Winds
We are all thankful for the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They help to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving us strength. With one mind we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds.
Now our minds are one.
12. Thunder Beings
Now we turn to the west where our grandfathers the Thunder Beings live. With lightning and thundering voices they bring with them the water that renews life. We bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to our Grandfathers, the Thunderers.
Now our minds are one.
13. The Sun
We now send greetings and thanks to our eldest brother the Sun. Each day without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing the light of a new day. He is the source of all the fires of life. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Brother, the Sun.
Now our minds are one.
14. The Moon
We put our minds together and give thanks to our oldest Grandmother, the Moon, who lights the nighttime sky. She is the leader of women all over the world and she governs the movement of the ocean tides. By her changing face we measure time and it is the Moon who watches over the arrival of children here on Earth. Let us gather our thanks for Grandmother Moon together in a pile, layer upon layer of gratitude, and then joyfully fling that pile of thanks high into the night sky that she will know. With one mind we send greetings and thanks to our Grandmother, the Moon.
Now our minds are one.
15. The Stars
We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry. We see them at night, helping the Moon to light the darkness and bringing dew to the gardens and growing things. When we travel at night, they guide us home. With our minds gathered as one, we send greetings and thanks to all the Stars.
Now our minds are one.
16. The Teachers
We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened Teachers who have come to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to live in harmony, they remind us of the way we were instructed to live as people. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to these caring Teachers.
Now our minds are one.
17. Creator Spirit
We now turn our thoughts to the Creator, or Great Spirit, and send greetings and thanks for all the gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is here on Mother Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we gather our minds together as one and send our choicest words of greetings and thanks to the Creator.
Now our minds are one.
18. And Now…
We have now arrived at the place where we need to end our words. Of all the things we have named, it is not our intention to leave anything out. If something was forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks in their own way. (Pause a minute, for reflection)
And now our minds are one.
Comments
Going to subject our guests tomorrow
.
with this, prolly after the feast.
So as to not make anticipation
an issue. Hunger is to be considered
whenever aromas permeate the atmosphere.
Ya know what I'm saying?
Zionism is a social disease
I hope your holiday is a good one!
I smoked our turkey and a pork butt Monday. We'll eat from it all week. Already boiled the carcass and plan to make a soup today.
This afternoon we're going to build a fire and hang around it while we still have comfortable weather (60's). Tomorrow it is cooler and all of next week it seems, so taking advantage of the day.
Most leaves have fallen but there's a few more to go.
Thanks for the T-day address. We need to be one with the world.
Reminds me of the joke:
How did the Buddhist order their hot dog? Make me one with everything.
I told a Buddhist that joke years ago, they thought the joke was a Buddhist ordering a hot dog.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Astute
.
Thanks for chiming in.
About to shove the big bird
into the oven. Seasoned the hell
out of it. Spatchcocked to boot!
Love that tune. Been snowing leaves
here all week long. Lots of wind.
Zionism is a social disease
We are still in that space
“The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters.” -- Antonio Gramsci
Well, we are still in the time of monsters. Russia and China abstained from the vote, allowing the US to put a UN seal of approval on genocide, and neither Russia nor China can claim any high ground.
And in Lebanon they are angry at Hezbollah for not responding to Israel's attacks.
Also, watch for that slow war with Venezuela -- I hope nobody minds the encore posting of this video
But, yes, we are still in the time of monsters, the new has yet to be born, and the old is still f%cking around and finding out.
"It hasn't been okay to be smart in the United States for centuries" -- Frank Zappa
While it is perhaps true
that neither Russia nor China can claim any high ground- consider the fact that they don't need to.
They are simply allowing us to destroy ourselves, and by extension and superposition, our allies; all unhindered. Then they will divide up whatever remains.
I think that it was Sun Tzu who said "Never interrupt your enemy while he is making a mistake." Sage advice they are following here.
And so it goes. Not a fan.
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Self immolation is ugly
.
no two ways about it
to watch our 'country' go down
the tubes in real time is
a bit concerning
Zionism is a social disease
One of the many bad things about capitalism
is that, in a world universally controlled by capitalist nation-states, none of the most prominent of these states care to occupy the moral high ground.
When the United States and Europe are finished with their present-day temper-tantrums, perhaps the Russians and Chinese will actually have to face the contradictions of the capitalist system they've taken on -- or maybe not.
"It hasn't been okay to be smart in the United States for centuries" -- Frank Zappa
Exactly UFS
I've seen that quote attributed to Sun Tzu before. I wasn't able to corroborate it. Napoleon said something similar but it was more of a tactical battlefield comment than a strategy. Nevertheless, I entirely agree with the observation regardless of who said it and when. It is applicable here.
The second underlying complication has to do with the elephant in the room, Israel's nuclear weapons. The US Gaza Riviera scheme, keeps them embroiled in Israel's aggression and war crimes irrespective of the US administration's corrupt motives. I think the other two security council members look at the US being tied down in the Israeli quagmire as not only weakening the US position strategically but also making it somewhat less likely at least for the time being for Israel to use its nuclear weapons.
語必忠信 行必正直
German government continues vendetta against author C.J. Hopkins
https://cjhopkins.substack.com/p/a-visit-by-the-german-thought-police
The book the German authorities are going all Stasi and Gestapo over is the German edition of the one titled The Rise of the New Normal Reich.
https://cjhopkins.com/books-2/
Are the globalists tiring of the dollar,
or do they foresee a worthless dollar ahead?
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2025-11-24/eu-and-india-bypass-swift-usd-...
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
It seems to me
that their motivation is changing. Previously, I suspected that the majority were tired of the dollar being universally used as a bludgeon on them, over and over again. Now, I suspect that more and more are coming to the realization that the dollar will indeed become worthless after the bubble of bubble bubbles finally and inevitably bursts.
America makes bubbles, here lately. Aside from "wholesale death", bubbles are our biggest product. If it isn't a planetary war, I think that the ubiquitous-AI pipe dream will be the straw that breaks the bubble's back. It is pretty clear to anyone with something over a room-temperature IQ that the AI craze is doomed: it is just another Ponzi scheme based upon unfulfillable promises, in the time-honored, good old American way.
The only people who will make anything other than rapidly-evaporating paper profits will be the ones who got in first, and also get out first. When the herd of insider rats are seen going over the side of the ship, everyone else will attempt to take whatever profit they can, as soon as they can, before it "slides too far". The following economic dislocation will be Biblical in scope.
The only question remaining is whether that bubble will take all the others with it. I think that it will. There is a huge upsurge in newly-laid (and massive!) contracts for durable goods in the power industry: generation and distribution facilities, feedstocks for copper, and so on. This is all driven by the belief that we'll need to crank our utility capacities up by an order of magnitude to feed this Ponzi scheme. For Gawd's sake, there are even serious moves afoot to restart nuclear development- which, even if utterly fast-tracked by virtue of abandoning essentially all safety and environmental requirements, will arrive far too late to make any difference. When that artificial Ponzi-driven "demand" instantly evaporates at bubble-burst time, the knock-on effects of the cancellation of those go-go, sky's-the-limit contracts will extend far outside the obvious semiconductor and computer hardware supply chains.
Of course, I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. But in this particular case, I am unmoved by the go-go: it is my strongly-held belief that AI is bullshit, has always been bullshit, and will always be bullshit. I just hope that I do not live long enough to see the final denoument, because I sure as hell won't live long after it.
And on edit: I now see that two National Guardsmen were shot in DC, somewhere near the White House. Just what we need for an entry into the holiday. I can only wonder how this new crisis will be used against We The People, Shock-Doctrine stye? We seem to create a great deal of annoyance for our Owners...
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Good afternoon Cap'n Q. Thanks for the OT and the
introduction to The Words That Come Before All Things. a fantastic prayer/blessing/thank you. Been out getting final supplies and goods for mañana, and going about the "getting ready" process.
Zinfandel with cheeses and baguette slices, for appetizers, then grilled pork tenderloins, roasted root vegetables, green beans, applesaude, rolls and pinot noir followed by pumpkin pie.
So, let us all celebrate November
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
November should’ve been National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)
… but last year, internal quarrels about A.I. seem to have caused that non-profit organization to implode.
☹
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Novel_Writing_Month