If you would like to support Tamarack’s writings...

When people offer me something in exchange for guidance, help with a project, or something else, I respectfully refuse it and suggest they give it to a good cause. When I was 2I I took a vow of poverty — I own nothing, including the books I write, and I live on a stipend of $200/month, the same as the rest of the Teaching Drum staff. My life is rooted in the Gifting Way, which is based on the precept "Giving is receiving." I serve without thought of recompense, trusting in the abundance and wisdom of the Great Mother and Father to provide for my needs. (For more on the Gifting Way, read my mate Lety's article below.)

At the same time, because giving is receiving for others as well, I'd like to honor folks’ desires to support my writing and publishing. A fund has been established, called The Old Way Fund, which will help get the books published that are written and just waiting for an editor’s finishing touches. The Fund will also assure that my works continue being edited and published after my passing over (there are 30 books waiting to see the light of day, with others in the planning stages).

The Old Way Fund is nonprofit, so contributions are tax deductible, and can be made in any form you wish, including one-time, monthly, or in your will or estate. You may send your gifting directly to The Old Way Fund, c/o First National Bank, 1811 Superior St, Three Lakes WI 54562, or to me and I will take care of it for you. If you have any questions, or if you'd like a donation receipt for tax purposes, just contact me and I'll get you what you need.

Migwetch for your kindness. Together we are a circle — together we are renewing the Circle Way.
                                                             

The Gifting Path

Imagine you are living the Old Way and you are one of your clan’s hunters. You come back to camp with a deer which the deer clan has gifted to you. Your first impulse is to provide for those in need, because that is the Gifting Way, the way you were raised.

You take the heart and a tender strip of backstrap on a piece of clean bark and lay it before the lodge door of a woman with two children who recently lost her mate. You care not that she knows you gifted her, because you expect nothing in return. You have learned that by giving you have already received ­ that when you share of yourself, for the pure bliss of sharing, without thought of "what’s in it for me," your energy has a way of coming around and gifting you many fold. Or, that you have already received, and your gifting is your Giving Thanks, your offering of gratitude.

It could be that because of the food you provided for the widow and her children, she will be able to serve by helping the medicine woman to gather some medicinal herbs. It may come to pass that your child becomes ill, and the medicine woman will use some of the herbs that the widow gathered to help heal your child.

This way of abundance is the way of all things natural. Native peoples walk their lives with this awareness. Some of them describe the awareness as two "commandments" ­ that "The Great Mother (Earth) continually provides for all her children", and that "Giving is Receiving". They call this the "Beauty Way" or the "Gifting Way" because there is an openness and a sharing going on that creates a beautiful environment for living.

An important part of abundance is completing the giving-receiving circle. Gratitude and gifting-back complete the circle of the Great Mother’s benevolence. Abundance is flow; when abundance is hoarded, the circle is broken and the Beauty Way turns sour. An unnatural condition of scarcity and excess is created. This may happen because scarcity mentality is fostered by fear rather than the love and trust that allow abundance to overflow.

When we purchase or barter, we have a "tit for tat," situation ­ the energy exchange is complete. There is nowhere left for that energy to flow. When we give without expectation, we create an opening in ourselves for the energy to return. It often collects great momentum on its route back, thereby creating the many fold effect.

In our own culture, there is the idea of charity, which doesn’t work in the same way as the Gifting Way. With charity, a line is drawn which separates the "unfortunate" from the "fortunate", oftentimes eliciting a "holier/better-than-thou" attitude. This rift creates a block to the flow of the circular energy.

In circle consciousness every person (whether it be Human, Plant, Animal, Mineral or Ethereal) stands in a sacred place within the Medicine Wheel and as such is as important, as vital as the next. Within this context there is a trust and rapport which allows true flow to happen ­ just like breathing. We know and trust that every breath arrives with all its life-giving properties. We take it in and allow it to nurture and cleanse, then release it to nurture and cleanse others. We do not even consider holding on to this most vital of gifts, since that would mean death to our physical body. This breath must flow in a continual rhythm of giving and receiving in order for balance to be maintained.

Sometimes when under stress, we hold our breath, and a great deal of the time we’re not even aware of it. Yet without breath, our problems and our joys, great or small, would not matter. When we practice conscious breathing, every aspect of our lives is miraculously enhanced. Conscious breathing is like a retouched photograph with the added feature that the enhancement is not only apparent in the quality of color, but also in the rich texture of all our senses and feelings.

The Gifting Way is like breathing consciously.

A civilized parallel to the Gifting Way is known as Tithing. This is an ancient practice which takes its name from the 10% of income given to spiritual endeavors. Those who talk about tithing suggest giving to those organizations and people that feed your spirit, who help you heal and grow.

Churches receive tithes. The energy and feeling of a church where members participate and tithe in a conscious and heartfelt manner, is vibrant and inspiring. When the participation is reluctant and tithing is seen more as a duty than a privilege, the atmosphere feels heavy and dull ­ the flow of abundance has been short-circuited.

Those who tithe joyously and consciously get back much more than they give. It may not happen when or how one expects, yet still it happens. Energy flows where attention goes, and what you concentrate on grows. These are basic principles of growth: put attention on what you want more of in life ­ and ­ if you want something, give it.

Imagine living in a world where everyone breathes consciously; peaceful and trusting that all their needs will be met, and where all experience the joy of giving and fulfilling the needs of others. Together we can make this vision a reality.