Sharing a Myth or two

Telling a story or Myths is easy- Finding and validating them is a bit more on the difficult side. No Myth or story more so than those of Rabbit I find. This one in particular was a hard one to track down. I have a pile of books splayed open trying to find this one story of how Rabbit found wisdom. Turns out the book I directly needed was not in its place. We found it in the pile of books my son has for studys this week. Now, we searched for Rabbit over and over for over a week. Today - TAAA DAAAA here we go.


This one comes from the Muskogee people.
Rabbit is often a trickster at times.

Rabbits are small in comparison to other animals. One day, its said Rabbit went to The Master of Life and asked for wisdom for his people to survive. The Master of Life charged Rabbit to a few tasks. First was catch ants in a bag. Then bring Rattle Snake and Alligator here then we can talk about wisdom. After figuring out things, he was pissed every time he was asked to do something else till he said enough, where is my wisdom? I looked every where because I liked the way this one is told.
Taken from a story in a book----*

"The master of Life smiled. "Rabbit," he said, "you have shown me that you already have wisdom enough. If you had any more, it would be too dangerous for all other creatures. You will always be small and weak but you and your people will use your wits to survive."

*The Girl Who Helped Thunder and other Native American Folktales
retold By James Bruchac Ph.D.

One of the better story's to me because it always reminds me that sometimes its during the seek that we find things. Its through the times or those moments - in it that we find what we often need or often want. Its through the doing of things we find sometimes what we need.

IN THE SEEK
or
where the rubber meets the road
or
In the thick of it
or
What ever you like to call it - we all know it its during that we can find things as well. Even- notice that .... your doing it as we speak. Those of you just barely doing it or even managing- its still doing it! May we learn from Rabbit a bit of wisdom is actually knowing -Your the hero - youll figure it out...
Your the street rat remember, you can improvise-
Your the user- you'll figure it out.
Your Player One- it on you.
Its all bout you.
Realize what your already doing... Your already... (left blank intentionally) you've been doing it this whole time.
Learn from Rabbit with me?

May the Force be with yall as we all seek, serve, and share it any where we find it... hopefully in the seek.

Once upon a time, in a far off kingdom, the citizens were worried. Their ruler, who was both wise and foolish, benevolent and tyrannical, just and unjust, was aging. Who would assume the leadership of the kingdom when the ruler passed from the stage? Who would be the guardian of laws and ideals, the bearer of fresh energy, the source of new ideas?
Now, most went about their daily rounds, tending their home and farm, factory and office, remembering only occasionally their concern about the future, believing it would take care of itself. But there was ONE, wrestles with things as they were, longing to construct the world anew. So ONE set out to discover the world, leaving behind the secure. At times along the way, ONE walked elysian fields, drinking from pure springs, resting in gentle meadows, and led by sure-footed guides. But at other times, the way was hard. There were gates guarded by fierce creatures through which one HAD to pass. And beyond there were mountains to climb, dragons to slay, and trails to blaze. ONE was faced with difficult tasks, testing ONEs courage, intelligence, commitment, good humor, and good will. Thus ONE journeyed, returned finally to the kingdom where the road began. But ONE was not the same, nor was the kingdom. ONE had been transfigure by the journey, and the old ruler had not gotten any younger. It was clear that succession was near. Some citizens proposed that ONE should lead them to the future. ONE has been to parts unknown. One has done battle with beasts and returned victoriously. "NO," said others, ONE is imperfect still. There are beast not yet slain. "The boon ONE brings back is untested. "ONE is not fully formed and transformed." "But, " spoke up Future, "ONE has brought back new visions, new wisdom, new skills. Citizens, you can not be certain under ONEs leadership you will live happily ever after, but, after all, ONE is the best you have. You must entrust me to ONEs hands.
AND SO IT WAS...

This is by Linda A Chisholm in her book- Charting a Heros Journey

this will be taken from a few places so cites will be located at the bottom. None of the external resources belong to this Temple and are subject to their own rules and regs n such.

The Crow
I love the Crow. Growing up and during study, its been a lure to me. I collect Crow stories. If ya got any please feel free to send em or post em here. IF you can validate please do from who and where or from what part of land it came from and so on. I love a good Crow story.
Ill share a few because here latley in our home the Crow has been a recent visitor, physicly and in our daily stories. Had a few mental Crows show up too during meditation.

"Crows, ravens, and jays belong to the Corvidae family of birds. Throughout history, people have marveled at the intelligence of these birds. They are so smart, we might find them a bit creepy. It doesn't help that a group of crows is called a "murder," that they are viewed by some as harbingers of death, or that the birds are clever enough to steal trinkets and food. A crow's brain is only about the size of a human thumb, so how smart could they be?"
et al; https://www.thoughtco.com/crows-are-more-intelligent-than-you-think-4156896#:~:text=In%20Aesop%27s%20fable%20of%20%22The%20Crow%20and%20the,ones%20that%20were%20too%20large%20for%20the%20container.

I find Crows fascinating. I've owned and managed bars and clubs and restaurants my whole working life. I met a man who was the father of the owner of a Italian restaurant in El Paso Tx. prolly still there. Great food and the owner, great guy- he will feed ya! They have this bread they cut in slices and "drip glop" a homemade butter and freshed pressed garlic sauce that melts the hardest of hearts. The "ends" of the bread loafs are tiny nubs... big enough for ... the BIG CROWS that his father feeds them to every day. He gets 3 BIG Long bags of nubs and feeds his "pet" crows. These things are HUGE and friendly. Blew my mind the first day I was sent up to his dad to feed the birds. Ive never felt so strange and so welcome and so appreciated before - ever. They let me know by rubbing their beaks on my boots. Funny thing, when we would close the building, they would look for me and give me this look like" i know we aint on the roof.... but whats up!!!! " they would "holla" when I left and arrived- all the time! made me smile.

" We have all seen a scarecrow in a garden. It is a dummy dressed like a person in a coat and hat with a stick over its shoulder supposed to look like a gun. This dummy is expected to scare birds and especially crows that eat the things growing in a garden. It may scare some birds, but will a scarecrow scare a crow? Some people say that they have seen a crow sitting on the head of a scarecrow. The poor crow has been called a thief and a pirate because they take berries from our gardens. They will kill and young chickens, and young birds, and eat the eggs in other birds nests. They have no more friends than a thief is entitled to have. Most farmers and hunters want to kill crows, yet, we have just as many now and perhaps more that we ever had. The crow was present when America was discovered, and he is here to stay. Some birds we protect because of their beautiful colors. But the crow is always dressed in somber black. Parrots are protected because they can be taught to say a few words, but the crow only says caw caw caw. We keep canaries in our homes because they can sing, but if the crow should sing, we would leave the room.They are neither very beautiful nor can they do "tricks." They are just plain crow."
et al; Story talks from animal life Jacob J.S.

"In Aesop's fable of "The Crow and the Pitcher", a thirsty crow drops stones into a water pitcher to raise the water level to take a drink. Scientists tested whether crows really are this smart. They placed a floating treat in a deep tube. The crows in the test dropped dense objects into the water until the treat floated within reach. They didn't select objects that would float in the water, nor did they select ones that were too large for the container. Human children gain this understanding of volume displacement around the ages of five to seven."

et al;https://www.thoughtco.com/crows-are-more-intelligent-than-you-think-4156896#:~:text=In%20Aesop%27s%20fable%20of%20%22The%20Crow%20and%20the,ones%20that%20were%20too%20large%20for%20the%20container.

here a video of actual "experiments"
Not our platforms not our rules not our content.


Edgar Allen Poe has a good one called "The Raven"

My lover recommends

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_crow

She said she remembers this one from child hood. He had the most beautiful song and plumes....

This bird is ok in my book, how about yours? You got anything? Care to share?

This is a good topic. Thank you, Carlos...

As it were, we all share a myth or two every day, irrespective of it being an entertaining story. Myth, is not merely "stories" told as such. Indeed, most myth are not considered mythology at all.

Every story, including our personal narratives such as our notions of our own identities and those of everyone we know, are myth. We have these stories - our own memories, for example, which guide and influence our every living act. Our myths are the mortar which keep our culture, its civilisation and our various societies together as a functioning (even if dysfunctional to the point of mass suicide as a species) in a way we recognise as "normal." We don't like it when things do not happen as we perceive "normal" should be.

How we engage with the economy, commerce, politics, religion and one another is governed by myths we hear/read/see as stories each second of our lives. Everything that we were taught in school, we usually remember the class. Everything that myth teaches us, we don't even know where, when or from whom we've learnt it. Much of what we regard as "common sense" is culturally inspired, cultivated from generation to generation and is no more "real" than anything in the story version of myth.

Indeed, ours are more insidious. Over the millennia of oral tradition and allegorical myth, no one thought of these stories as 'true' histories, the gods were real to them, but the stories about them were known to be just tales to influence people's behaviour. The Heroes in classical myth are legendary. Their exploits were exaggerated not only as entertainment, but to accentuate the value of the heroic exploit recounted. Our guiding myths nowadays are not so evidently "stories." We feel that our Reason has ushered in an era of human civilisation where we do not "believe" stories, yet everything from in the roughly 34 Gb of information that each of us ingests each and every day is myth, or "meaning-bearing story," from our bank balances, to our various ID cards, the diverse news media, our thoughts and opinions about politics, our values ... (this list could get long) ... all just generally agreed upon stories.

These stories are becoming more elaborate. We now make up stories about our stories. And yet ! And yet, all the classical elements of these stories remain the same, and indeed, even more forceful since we do not think of them as stories.

So, here is where it is absolutely necessary to understand why philosophy (or, if you dislike the term, "thinking well") and knowledge of myth and religion (I've even recently said again that Economics is a religion - this is sustainable) are essential considerations for us. We all like the idea of thinking differently from the masses, of being individuals with integrity -- yet, and it is very sneaky, it is common for us to be overtaken by group-think (how many things do we "like" because it provides us some sense of community and belonging to be part of a group ?) with all its inherent cognitive bias ?

Please realise I'm not calling anyone out here. Indeed, I am very susceptible to this as well. It a natural part of being human : we are very sensitive to what keeps us in the tribe and what could get us ostracised. We had to be for our survival as individuals and as a species. But recently, that is, within the last 500 years or so, we've multiplied the layers of myth we spread over reality in order to make sense of it (that "sense" being myth as well) so that we are now no longer capable of distinguishing 'what it is' from 'what it looks like' - or, 'what we can recognise'.

Ergo, myth is not just in books or on a screen -- it is everything we have been convinced we can know, or everything we've decided we don't need to know. We don't just learn about various principles from myth, we live in it every moment of our lives.

This actually is a good topic, so let's not let it die.

Let's continue as it was, telling stories but once the story is told, let's talk about how it relates to something in our real lives. As I was trying to explain above, myth isn't like "fiction". It is not un-real but more meta-real ; myth points at 'what it is like'.

Thus, any myth with a 'man vs king/father' theme is going to be relatable to any time in our own lives where we have a conflict (a/k/a "problems") with authority or established principles. The myths can help point the way out of it, to a 'win' of sorts (not defeating the system but making the system work for rather than against us) or how to accept 'what it is like' right now with dignity.

That is only one myth-type example, but as myth is allegory for opportunities and obstacles that every human being runs into in the existential landscape, we can most certainly find a mythic story about every aspect of our lives...

The pits

Life had its pits or it’s holes or it’s valleys or it’s down times :

I love belly stories when hero’s find themselves in the “belly “ of things.

“In this moment when all hope had faded that ...” Fellowship of the rings
It’s that point of when Hann is cool with the pit in the Ron Howard SOLO but then realized that “there's a beast?”

The “ belly “stories are the best for me at times because I find light - where I can’t make it. In often reflect “the force of others here ... “


Know any “pit” stories

???

There are plenty ! Share a few - I will find a few as well- see ya later !

Belly stories help me look up when I dont normally want to. Ive uses stories to remind myself often how I choose to often act tword my own family and friend and in life.
My most favorite of all stories as far as PITS go is that one of Joseph in Egypt in the Abrahamic Faith. Regardless of faith, which his was strong, dude could count and read. There was blessings and even favor in the pits and incarcerated the way he was. In the end, its what we at my home call the "Joseph effect" or the "bless-ed-ness" that ability to have great character rather than common, even during trials.
The word ADMIRABLE come to mind often when Im in my Pits or in my bellys of fish, how do I NOT wanna act and how can I....Some folk make friends with the beasts, some folk ARE the beast, some are stuck with them for years, some kill it some become it and even some adopt it and raise it and redefine a companionship.

Tell me a story?

"in fish"

"One time Anansi went a long way from home. Far from home. He got lost. He fell into trouble.

Back home was son, See Trouble, "father is in danger..." he cried. He knew it quickly and he told the other sons.
Road Builder said "Follow me" Off he went making a road. They went fast, those six brothers to help Anansi. Where is father now? Fish has swallowed him Anansi is inside the fish.River Drinker took a big drink untill there was no more river. Then Game Skinner helped father Anansi and split open fish.

More trouble came right then.

It was Falcon, Falcon took Anansi up in the sky. Quick now Stone Thrower! The rock hit Falcon and Anansi fell through the sky. Now Cushion went to help father, very soft, Anansi came down.
They were very happy, that spider family.
Retold by Gerald McDermott

Its a easy enough story to understand in a way that when I remember that Anansi had a TEAM of people. Theres always that group of fond friends or those goonies or those kids or that special brand of folk that just -mesh. Happens in the stories and it happens in real life. That "Band." I often see the BAND of people there in the stories and in real life, ill explain.

Harry had his friends
The Hobbit had his friends
The Goonies were a group of rejects
Luke had Obie and Yoda and lots of Rebels!!! REBELS!!!!
Solo had friends... (every where dont forget)
Its always a BENIFIT to have wise council and people NOT like you around ya.... Ima say that again for those who like to hear me talk when you read me, this ones for ya, There is a BENIFIT to having people NOT like you around you, often. One, it keeps ya in check in real life. Your not the ONLY one with the responsibility of finding solutions, there are those who can help in their own area of expertise. They are right there with ya.Lets face it, ONE does not simply walk into Mordor, One ship can make the shot buuuuuut its gunna take a few of them to get ya there for the shot. It some times HELPS to have a good team. "Ya cant catch your self or even shoot down whats got ya some times when your in the clutches... "
Now Anansi is a father and a African Story and it was the Fathers that taught the sons their work. These sons had names so well, that they were known by their trait. Think about that...

Some times ya gotta have a good group. Some times you gotta be the one who does just ONE thing. Some times its us that need the help. Some times ya gotta be the one that trains em... This is "A" way.


Edit additoin: If every council member was Pastor Carlos this place would suuuuuck! Think about that...
Every Council member in the stories and cinema was DIFFERENT from DIFFERENT places and cultures and different color and size and shape and yet could understand and ACKNOWLEDGE every culture and custom in the room. Thats kinna the Idea hu?
In my best Yoda Voice..."Good relations with the Wookies ya got, hmmmm?"

In the fish, where do you go?
When you cant, where can you?
Do you have real people?
Do you have a real faith?
Seems in time of need, THATS what gets us out, Not us... But our faith and or our people or cause.
May the Force continue to be with yall!

How the spider got its web
A Wiyat legend

This one was found in a book called " Spider spins a story" Edited by Jill Max

In the beginning, Spider was hungry. Spider saw all the other animals had ways to find food. Spider went to see Old Man Above to ask for help.
"I don't have a way to catch food, you gave Grizzly Bear sharp claws and powerful jaws. You gave Beaver long, strong teeth. You gave Red Fox quickness and cunning. But you made me small and weak. How am I to eat?"
Take this and Old Man Above gave him a ball of string.
"A ball of string is neither teeth nor claws, quickness nor cunning. Wow will it feed me?"
"Just as Grizzly Bear learned to use his claws, Beaver learned to use his teeth, and Red Fox learned to use his cunning and quickness you must learn to use your gift." Spiders stomach growled so he... ate... the ball. He was full for the time being but he couldn't find the way out of Old Man Above's world. He searched and began to feel trembling from the Old Man Above. He tried to get out and spit out the ball... tied it to the edge of the sky and lowered himself down.
From then till now, every Spider catches food and is never hungry.

The next one come from a Graphic Novel comic by editors C. Spike Trotman, Kate Ashwin, Kel McDonald and Taneka Stotts

This one can be found also in many other books and in circles but this one is my favorite version because my son digs the comic book style and I got it for him. He frequents it often so here is the synopsis.

Anansi tried to steal wisdom by: Joepi

Anansi the spider was smart. He was the maker of toys so nice, they took thought. He danced, and he even know about language. At this time, Anansi the spider had 16 legs and could pretty much do anything. He sat with the council. One day the wise elder Elephant saw Anansi. "Your very smart and very talented. Too bad your not wise." Anansi couldn't believe his spider ears. What do you mean I am not wise he screamed. The elephant told him "Wisdom is like the sunset; it only comes with time... and you cant force it." This made Anasi mad to the point he came up with a plan to steal the elders wisdom. He snuck into the elders homes and put all the wisdom in a vase. The next morning there was a knock at his door. It was the Elephant asking if he knew what happen last night, every one was robbed. Naturally, Anansi said nothing so the Elephant said " If you find it in you to share anything, you know you can find us in the village." Anansi panics. They want to steal MY wisdom. So he hid it where," big dumb animals cant find it." He took it up a tree and he slipped and dropped the vase. Out came wisdom and said, " You be ashamed of yourself. Wisdom said you lied, stole and you are impatient. You trespassed and now you are being greedy and selfish." It was then that Anansi was reduced to eight legs and his hat was taken and he was sent far away from others. Ever since that day, he has been trying to find his way back but has not.

None of these are verbatim and for the reason of hope that you seek them out and find many versions of the same thing in many other places.

These two story's have helped me to remember that it is in the seek and its in the thick of life, that we find wisdom. Books are great and so are other peoples stories, but when we apply them, that's when we can be receiving things we need. I often say its in the seek. Its in the action of the search. As the Hero's Journey goes, it is often in that part of the story where the rubber meets the road or in our case, saber meets saber that we find out where we stand.

Many blessings your way friends and may the Force we share be with yall, still!
Pastor Carlos

*If you have any good Myths to share - this is the place to do it, leave a Myth - take a Myth I say lol
Leave as many as you like and how they help you as well.

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumi

The Councils of the birds.
The translation I have is from a 6 Grade Literature book by E.H.Whinfield

In it a bird is caught. Basically, upon being snagged, the bird gives his captor 3 councils for release. The deal is struck and the bird is released. Upon being free the bird states... "the first shall be given at your wrist the second on your roof and the third shall be on top a tree."

How did it end?
Find out and let me know what ya think ...

Once a hunter went into a forest for
hunting. There he caught a bird.
Bird said to hunter, “You must have
eaten many big animals. How can flesh
of my little body satisfy you?? If you let
me go, i will give you three Counsels but
condition is..
First counsel i will give you while still in
your hand, Second when i am on roof
and Third from top of tree.”
Bird continued, “When you have heard
all three counsels you will consider
yourself the most fortunate men.”
While sitting in hunter’s hand bird said, “First counsel : Do not believe in foolish
pronouncement of others.”
Even after listening to this first counsel Hunter let bird go from his hand on to the roof from
where bird said, “Second counsel : Have no regrets for what past is..”
After telling second counsel bird told him that it’s body contained a precious pearl weighing
five ounce and it could be his but now that’s gone.
Hearing this man began to bewail for the misfortune of losing the pearl.
Seeing this bird asked him, “Why are you sad? Didn’t you listen when i said do not regret for
past.. I also told you that do not believe in foolish pronouncement of others..”
When i said i have five ounce pearl in my stomach, can’t you think that i myself weight 2
ounces then how could i possible be having a pearl weighing 5 ounce inside me.
Coming to his senses hunter asked for last counsel when bird was at top of tree.
Bird replied, “Seeing how you heeded first two, why should i waste third..” and fly away.
Moral:
We should Learn from bird that at time to Danger our cleverness can save us.
From hunter we can Learn that Greed and Foolishness leave us with nothing.

::::::Be WARY of our attachments ::::::

I took this from here but I couldn't find a decent copy.

moralstories26.com/bird-and-hunter-story-three-counsels/

This story goes by similar names and many people have shared it over the years. The idea is still the same I think.