Odyssey of the 8th FIre

"Love is something you and I must have. We must have it because our spirit feeds upon it. We must have it because without it we become weak and faint. Without love our self-esteem weakens. Without it our courage fails. Without love we can no longer look confidently at the world. We turn inward and begin to feed upon our own personalities, and little by little we destroy it ourselves. With it we are creative. With it we march tirelessly. With it, and with it alone, we are able to sacrifice for others."

- Chief Dan George

Day 38 - Sunday, July 30, 1995 - The Sunbow 5 Walk is proceeding along Skyline Drive in Virginia, and making good progress. I remain in Minnesota, far from the coordinator's office and out of touch with the walkers.

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Walker's E-mail - Subject: Events of July 30
We are currently at the home of Katy Dancing Reed. We are now honored with the presence of a Buddhist monk from Japan. He spent the afternoon teaching us about healing techniques to help us deal with our aches and pains at the end of the day. His name is Osho Genjo Abe. Osho means monk. We are going to stay here for a couple of days.

My name is Gaston LaVoie. I was designing space ships two years ago and lost everything to my business venture. I met with William Commanda, the holder of the Seven Fires prophecy wampum belt and worked with him ever since. I had just finished a regression therapy that left me bitter and angry.

When I met William he quickly pointed out to me that the only difference between me and the people that so badly hurt me is that I knew the reason I was angry and they did not. It was very easy for me to forgive after that, knowing that all those who become violent have been victims as children.

Mother and child - Pablo Picasso

The reason I am on this walk is to share my life's experience and my understanding of the causes of violence. The causes are as follows: During my therapy, I discovered that when a pregnant mother is traumatized, and is afraid or in a rage, a large quantity of adrenaline circulates in the blood of the mother and affects the child. If the mother is subjected too frequently to violence, the child can develop an addiction to adrenaline. In extreme cases, the child is born hyperactive.

Greed is caused by the absence of love in the early stages of life. One has to understand that when the spirit of a child comes into a human body, it comes from a place filled with a love so beautiful it can not be described in human terms and that the spirit of that child wants to be loved above all else. If the love is not given, the child grows up wanting and the wanting can never be satisfied.

That's the message that I carry on this journey and it is the only reason that I am on this walk.

- Gaston LaVoie, Sunbow 5 Walker

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Coyright 2006 by Steven McFadden

Read Day 39 -- Odyssey of the 8th Fire