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Contents Editor’s Note / Fran Weinbaum 3 The Nature of Vision / Linda Weber 4 A New Coperican Revolution: A Vision for the Future / Munro Sickafoose 5 Another Vision Is Possible / Phil Baum 8 Resilience and Hardiness / John Davis 10 a single note / Keith Howchi Kilburn 11 She Sees / Keith Howchi Kilburn 12 In Search of the Collective Story: The Journey of the Earthlink Search Party / Darcy Ottey 14 2012: A Spaced Oddity / “Red Drum” 16 The Journey From Childhood to Adulthood: The Importance and Limitations of Rites of Passage / Bill Plotkin 18 The Wild in Us / Beth Beurkens 20 Fox Vision / Franz Redl and Claudia Pichl 20 Out of the Book, Onto the Land / Zelig Golden 22 Grounding Vision! / Jeremy Thres 24 Grounded / Phil Baum 25 Coyote and Writer / Steven Foster 26 Beyond Vision / Michael de Maria 27 Vision Pattern / Peter Scanlan 29 Bearing Witness to Life / Leonard Fleischer 30 (Untitled) / Petra Lenz Snow 33 What Is the Vision in a Vision Quest? / Trebbe Johnson 34 Life Cycle Story of “Jumping Mouse” / Skye Bailey 37 The Challenging Quest for Vision / Sparrow Hart 38 Path of the Guides / Mel Vandergriff 40 1 copyright, editorial board, disclaimer, photo credits, etc. TK 2 Editor’s Note by Fran Weinbaum isions are often not of our life time. They are As a young man, Black Elk re-enacted his vision Vglimpses of what can be in the future with dedica- before his people—literally recreated the vision in cere- tion to a path of love, gratitude, and surrender. What we mony with aid of the elders, so that all could see and touch when we sit on the land, empty and yearning, is know not only Black Elk’s role in making the vision a our part in a much larger picture. reality, but their own individual and collective roles. That CIRCLES received an avalanche of articles on This ritual performance of his vision grounded the vi- the theme Vision speaks to the importance of under- sion in the life of the people and empowered Black Elk standing the nature of vision and how we support oth- as a healer of individuals and the community. At the ers in their quest for understanding, purpose, and end of his life Black Elk recognized that while the sa- connection to Earth, Community and Spirit. We are, as cred tree has not bloomed, perhaps, please Grandfather a group, quite articulate, often poetic, and sometimes let it be true, there is a tiny root that still lives. This tree coyote about this vision stuff. If nothing else is clear in will grow anew within the sacred hoop, which the peo- this issue of CIRCLES—and much is—our individual ple will enter and find “the good red road.” The hope in and collective mission is in service to the great Mystery his heart is watered by a gentle rain, and all those that as ego is in service to soul. hear his story are left to carry the prayer forward Also evident are our growing edges. How do we through our own dedicated actions. support people when they return from the mountain, How does our contemporary form of the vision the canyon, the desert? How do we encourage the long quest support the gestation period —perhaps a life- view needed to keep our part of the vision alive when time—for a vision to unfold? How do we, as guides, sup- the world around us screams for immediate attention port people in the enactment that truly shares the and remedies? What practices support us, guides and vision rather than jumping into the hoped-for power of those who quest, all of us seekers, as we strive to walk a the vision? How do we all reconcile that which is left sacred path with patient, deliberate steps. undone? How are our visions the seeds for a future we The contributors to this issue offer ideas about the will not see? time beyond the circle on the mountain. Let’s look also, Steven Foster and Meredith Little had a vision for briefly, at a familiar story that informs what can be a the work we all do and the network that would be life long journey towards a vision. needed to carry it worldwide. Steven might howl at being put in the same category of visionaries as Black An old man stands and speaks to the Great Spirit, Elk but he is not here to defend himself from such attri- “you see me now a pitiful old man who has done nothing, butions. He is surely wagging his coyote tail and licking for the nation’s hoop is broken and scattered. There is no us up and down as he sees us grappling with this thing center any longer, and the sacred tree is dead.” He recalls we dare to name (vision) and creatively finding ways to his youthful vision, how he held it silently for several years bring our commitment home to our communities, to and then re-enacted it for his people. He recalls all that he our youth, to our loved ones as they prepare to cross has been given to bring life back to the tree and asks one over. more time for the withered tree to bloom. “Not for me, but That it touches anything beyond our own tender for my people.” Perhaps some tiny root is still live. Then out hearts and those closest to us is a gift that we all carry of a clear sky, thin clouds gather, low thunder rumbles and into each new day and each new circle on the moun- a light rain joins the tears on the old man’s uplifted face. tain. Shortly after, the sky is clear again. In Gratitude and Service, Fran Weinbaum 3 The Nature of Vision by Linda Weber ision, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. The depend on it for our very survival. We cannot move for- Vnature of our vision depends on our state of mind, ward without it. Vision enables us to see into life and is our degree of open-mindedness, where we place our at- boundless, but vision itself is invisible. tention, and the quality of our perceptual field. I tell Vision is intrinsic to human life on Earth. It comes my people that vision often shows up as insight or illu- from our earthiness, our humanness, and our ability to mination. Whether it is other-worldly or this-worldly, it merge our consciousness with the nature of all things. is usually important and often healing. The more we develop a direct relationship with Earth, Without vision, humanity would be lost. Each of the more we can channel both personal and collective us would be lost. Vision is what gives us awareness of vision and differentiate between true vision and imagi- possibilities. It is the engine of correct living. It unites nary fantasy. Our ultimate task is to incorporate our vi- the levels of reality into a hopeful whole that spurs us sions into our lives so that they becomes visible and of on to greater accomplishment. Steven Foster put it sim- the world. That is our life-long project and we must ply and eloquently: “Vision is when you open your welcome it with all our heart. eyes.” It expands as you take in the truth of the world. LINDA WEBBER has been guiding Women’s Wilderness Quests since Vision is also when you close your eyes and open 1986. She has an M.A. in psychology and women’s issues and has to the depth of your inner world. It occurs with the act been counseling with women since 1970. Linda is a singer and of receiving without expectations or requirements and songwriter and brings music to her work. She lives in Boulder, is often spontaneous. We do not control it and yet we Colorado. www.womenswildernessquests.org 4 A New Copernican Revolution: A Vision for the Future by Munro Sickfoose Who is a wilderness guide? Why? ter of the universe scientifically, it did not remove hu- What does that mean? mans and humanity from the emotional, theological, or psychological centers. s guides, we have constantly asked ourselves, our Humanity still acts as if it is at the center of the Acollective, “Who belongs?” The answer has tended universe. We now inhabit a world that most of us expe- to be that we are those who engage in rites of passage rience as being filled with the works of humankind. work, particularly the vision fast or vision quest. We Particularly in the developed countries, but increas- know from experience the power of the ceremony to ingly in the rest of the world, we mostly see other hu- change peoples’ lives (and to reconnect them with the mans and their works, mostly hear the sounds of Earth), and we want to share it with others. humans, think mostly about ideas and viewpoints gen- As Netkeeper, these questions are erated by humans. The sky is so filled constantly before me. Sometimes I with our waste light that many of us even have to answer them. Usually, can no longer see more than a few the question is framed as some varia- stars and we lose our sense of scale. tion of this: “My work has evolved into Over half of humanity now lives in a something that is no longer simply built environment filled with other about the vision fast work. I also do humans. All revolves around us and ________ work and sometimes com- our needs, and as the world has filled bine the vision fast with _________.” up with people, we are increasingly This mixing of ideas and expertise has unable to find external reference allowed for a rich variety that I don’t points that allow us to place ourselves think is reflected in our sense of who in relationship to other beings, the is a guide.

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