Eagle Notes

"Dear ones, let us anoint this earth with dance!" – Hafiz.

Dearest Friends,

To say that the past six months have been very intense for us is an understatement. Given the state of the world, and the increasing intensity of the dances, we imagine that it has also been a very intense period for all of you, especially those who are part of the “For the One” Dance Community.

Mid-July and early August found us in Boone, NC with our friend Monty and Pat Joynes. Monty has written the biography about our travels over the past seven years, and Pat typed every word. We spent several weeks with them editing the manuscript. We found the process of reviewing our lives – both the high and low points – to be very intense.

At the time, the war between Israel and Hezbollah was raging on. And, Jeanne organized a worldwide daily period of singing and dancing prayer (9PM in Israel, 2PM EST). Many of you participated. Daily we received calls and emails from friends in Israel, Palestine and Lebanon who told us how much they appreciated all of your prayers. It made an important positive difference. At the time, the words of an Eagles song written just after 9/11 came to mind for us: “All this fighting over who is anointed! How can people be so blind?”

In late August, another round of dances began with the Star Dance in North Carolina. Just afterward, Jeanne became seriously ill with severe pancreatitis. We almost lost her. She was hospitalized for 12 days just to get her body stabilized. Later in September, she had keyhole surgery to remove her gallbladder and spent another 4 days in the hospital. All through this period, there were many of you who sent healing energy and prayers to Jeanne. We are convinced that the reason she is still alive, and the reason she has recuperated so rapidly is because of the love and prayers from the worldwide community.

However, there is perfection in everything if we but look for it. The perfection in the timing of Jeanne’s illness, hospitalization and period of recovery is that it accelerated the naming of new Dance Chiefs and the process of turning over responsibility for the current dances to the beautiful souls that have traveled the world with us. This is a process that will continue through the next year as Jeanne and John start new dances (in places such as Haiti, Hawaii, Bosnia and Italy), focus on creating momentum for the Children’s Dances around the world, and on fundraising to support the growing Dance Community.

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NORTH CAROLINA DANCES

STAR DANCE: August 25-28

Last year, after four years of doing a Sun-Moon Dance in North Carolina, it was clear that the dance was evolving into something different. John was receiving guidance for different ceremonies to incorporate within the dance. So, with the permission and blessing of Beautiful Painted Arrow who birthed the original vision of the Sun-Moon Dance, he renamed it. The evolving Sun-Moon Dance became The Star Dance, a visionary dance that is about renewing our connection to the Star People and our cosmic heritage. It maintains its roots in the tradition of Beautiful Painted Arrow, and its evolution is a compliment to Joseph. That’s how we learn. We stand on the shoulders of our teachers. Then, we make the knowledge our own, and take responsibility for it. After 8 years of chiefing the traditional Sun-Moon Dance, that’s what John did with the Star Dance.

For this dance, we had eleven (11) dancers with some 25 on the crew. From all the feedback, this year’s Star Dance was even more powerful than last year’s event. It caused a significant shift of energy that, like a stone tossed into the water, will have effects that radiate outward for some time.

This year, it became clear that there are really two phases to the dance. The first phase moves dancers through their individual, personal issues. When that is complete, the dancers are able to work on a collective level of remembering, balancing, and connecting with the spiritual realm and the star beings – the second phase. Next year, we will build on this insight.

We also learned some other important things:
• We learned that integrating other healing modalities into the dance such as acupuncture and massage can be very powerful and additive to the dance.
• The fire-keepers used blessed seawater to bring in the energy of the mandau (water spirits) in working with the fire. This is something they picked up from the sangomas (clairvoyant naturopathic healers) in South Africa. It was also additive and powerful.
• We also incorporated Heyoka medicine at the end of the dance to clean up the energy in the arbor. And it worked hilariously well.

So, the Star Dance is integrating ancient wisdom from several traditions into an event that is strongly energetic and transformative as well as empowering for those that serve in it.

__________________________________________

Jeanne was the senior Moon Mother for the dance. On the last day of the dance, she began getting sick. An energy that came in the dance, turned out to be a catalyst for a painful gallstone attack that almost resulted in a heart attack. It was frightening. John was afraid he was going to lose her.

We relate this episode for a good reason. Each of the dances builds on the previous ones. This is true not only for the Star Dance and the For the One Dance, but for all the ceremonial dances. The dances are becoming more and more powerful. Jeanne becoming seriously ill after Moon Mothering in the Star Dance emphasized the importance of energetic cleansing after the dances, especially for the crew, whether it is done through a sweat lodge, water ceremony, chanting in the Peace-Sound Chamber or something else.

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“FOR THE ONE” DANCES

September 1—3.

Jeanne’s “attacks” continued throughout the week. And, despite Reiki, massage, acupuncture and lots of prayers, nothing was able to alleviate Jeanne’s pain. It was on Thursday evening, hours before the dance was to begin on Friday, when both she and John came to the realization she was not going to be able to lead the dance. Jeanne asked to see Cheryl Braswell. In a few private moments, Jeanne asked Cheryl to step up to the role of Chief with John. With great courage and humility Cheryl agreed.

That next morning, the first day of the dance, Jeanne was admitted to the Alamance Regional Medical Center in Burlington, NC. Her lungs were full of fluid. She was immediately given morphine and put on oxygen. She was diagnosed with severe pancreatitis. She was later told by the medical staff that on a pain scale of 1 to 10, she was experiencing a 10 and then was told that she nearly died. She was a very sick woman.

During these same moments, the For the One Dance was starting. There were 20 dancers and almost 50 on the crew. People had come from England, Haiti, Ireland, Israel, South Africa, and the USA to participate. Jeanne was very sick. But, John had to leave to lead the dance. Even though his guts were twisted into knots and he felt very fragile leaving Jeanne, all he could do was trust that all would be OK, and that the right thing to do was to go lead the dance. Besides, Jeanne wouldn’t have had it any other way. After all, the FTOD was her vision. And she wanted her “child” cared for.

Without Jeanne leading the dance, John had to do things differently. This dance requires two Chiefs, one male and one female. So, he, with Cheryl Braswell, stepped into the primary leadership roles, with Sonja Munz, Patty Coleman and Ula Rae Mynatt to help out. They all were magnificent! John couldn’t have done it without them. Indeed, the entire crew stepped up to a new level – Moon Mothers, Sun Fathers, Fire-keepers, Dog Soldiers, Drummers, and Kitchen Angels.

This “For the One” Dance opened some people up to a sense of their power and ability that would not have happened otherwise. And it was significant in taking the dance beyond Jeanne, its visionary founder. It was clear that the process of turning the leadership of the dances over to others had begun.

Prayers for Jeanne: On Sunday of the Dance, Thelma Hayter led the dancers in a special healing dance for Jeanne. As the dancers generated healing energy with their dance, Patty Coleman directed that energy to Jeanne in the hospital. It was a special moment.

All through the dance, people from around the world were also praying for Jeanne’s recovery. And, after the dance was over, two Lakota men from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota did a special sweat lodge and said prayers for Jeanne’s healing. One of them told John afterward, “She’s gonna be OK.” And, of course, she was. All through her hospitalization, the doctors were amazed at the rapid progress of her recovery. … The point is, prayers work!

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IRELAND

“For the One” Dance: September 22-24
"Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror. But you are eternity and you are the mirror." – Kahlil Gibran.

Jeanne’s recovery had been rapid, considering how severe her pancreatitis had been. After spending more than half of September in the hospital, she was released. Her pancreas was healing. But she still had to have her gallbladder out (with strict orders to take an intense recovery period of several months). The surgery itself was scheduled during the FTOD in Ireland. So, John had to go to Ireland without Jeanne. It was another transition dance. Others would have to step into the Chief role. And they did.

The two people that stepped into the role of male and female Chief in Ireland were Brett Almond from England, and Sammye Jo Harvey from the USA. They did a remarkable job leading the dance in challenging weather. No two Chiefs lead the dance in exactly the same way. And one of the beautiful things was to see was how Sammye Jo and Brett did some innovative things such as a special ceremony involving prayer ties at the close of the dance.

Others on the crew stepped more fully into their power as Sun Father or Moon Mothers. Henry Rowan, the local dance coordinator did a magnificent job. Some people on the crew also stepped into new positions. Andreas from Denmark stepped into the role as Alpha Dog, and was flawless. Mira from Norway was a first-time Moon Mother. Wenche from Norway was a drummer. We had two new fire-keepers for the dance, local people from Ireland: El Gleeson and Diarrmuid, from Dublin. Diarrmuid brought ashes from ceremonial fires in Ireland, the Sun Dance on the Pine Ridge Reservation, and a sacred fire in Mexico that has been burning for over 200 years. Alexander Racky also brought sacred ashes from other “For the One” Dances in Germany and Israel to be added to the fire. This sacred mix of ashes were put into the fires at the sweat lodge and east gate, and connected the dance with these other ceremonial sites.

The dance took place over Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year, and Ramadan began the last day of the dance. Powerful spiritual energies were present. This year as in last year’s dance, the number of female dancers was equal to the number of male dancers. There is something about the dance in Ireland that brings this kind of balance.

This year, the dancers and crew came in from twelve (12) different countries: Ireland, Wales, England, Denmark, Brittany, Germany, Croatia, Norway, South Africa, Kenya, and the USA. Whew! And Wenche, one of the drummers, brought a new drum made in Norway by Ole Bjorn specifically for the dances in Ireland.

In the sharing ceremony at the close of the dance, all the dancers had good things to say about their experience. Several dancers reported that they had had a personal breakthrough. One dancer said, “I’ve worked on myself for many years but never experienced a breakthrough like I did in this dance!” And even though it is now fairly common to hear dancers say, “I’ve never felt so loved, or so safe,” it is always awesome. From the feedback, it was clear that everyone got something from the dance. Many grew in some way. Everyone left with a feeling of fulfillment, and maybe a new sense of possibility and potential. This is the ideal. And this is how we change the world.

For at least the brief time of the dance, when people come together in love and relative harmony – not that we don’t sometimes have our dramas – the world is a better place. If we can extend this feeling for longer and longer periods, and the non-judgment that goes with it, we can permanently alter the planet in a good way.

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SOUTH AFRICA

“For The One” Dances: October 27-29, November 3-5

Jeanne was still recuperating from her pancreatitis and gallbladder surgery. It was clear that she needed to stay behind in the USA, but not going to South Africa was a painful choice for her. She was about to miss her third and fourth “For the One” Dance. She was very sad about not being able to spend time with the sangomas Gogos Mzumyati and Numzimani (clairvoyant naturopathic healers of the Tkoza tradition). She had also really been looking forward to seeing one of her dreams come true – the black teens dancing.

For his part, John also hated the thought of traveling to South Africa without Jeanne. They are always better together than apart. Still, it is clear that Spirit had other plans. … Things change.

RUSTLER’S VALLEY

Thaba Tabo, Mountain of Joy, rises in the distance across this ancient valley known to the Zulu as the Valley of the Earth Mother. There are permaculture gardens there that produce many of the vegetables for the Saucery Restaurant. Eucalyptus trees abound, one over 50-feet tall. They provide the roost for guinea fowl that roam freely. There are willow and fruit trees as well. Beyond, is the long, narrow valley where cows, horses, wildebeest, and blesbok graze. Only the wildebeest seem still spooked by us when we drive down in our friend Niyan’s new used Nissan pickup. They are the clowns of the valley.

Crickets add to the chorus of softening birdsong as the light fades. As the orange glow of the setting sun fades to a deep gray, it turns black. It is just past new moon, a powerful time for the crew to arrive, most of whom will be here until the full moon rises above the cleft in the mountain ridge across the valley.

As we prepared the arbor for the first of the back-to-back FTODs, the wind came in and blew away the camp kitchen, and tore some of the plastic tarps to shreds. But nothing happens by accident. So, in the wake of the wind damage, new ideas were born. It was a confirmation that we shouldn’t get stuck in form.

It requires a certain non-rational faith and trust to do these dances. The mind frequently freaks out and says, “Oh, My God! The chaos is too much! Things are falling apart, not working, we’re failing, and all our efforts have gone for naught.” At these times, we remember Grandpa DuBray, a Lakota Medicine Man, saying, “Never Doubt! Don’t even THINK it!” And it helps.

FTOD (1st SA Dance, 2006), October 27-29:

We had rain, hail, sun, and a rainbow to start the dance, all together at the same time! And, just like the start of the dance last year! It was a major blessing! Sammye Jo turned to John and said, “Jeanne and Joseph are both here!” Indeed, all through the dance, many of the crew felt Jeanne’s invisible presence and guidance – just as happened in Ireland.

We had 8 dancers, including a 15-year-old boy named Josh…all supported by a crew of more than 25. Eight (8) is the number of power, love, and also of letting go and surrendering. And so it was. All eight dancers surrendered and released massive amounts of previously stuck emotional energies. The power of the dance and of a committed team continues to amaze and awe us … and others, as well – especially the first-timers.

There is so much to record about the dance. The most important may be these two things. First, Jeanne was honored in a good way at every step. This was not the result of any push or encouragement from John. It happened naturally and spontaneously, honoring her for the visionary spirit that she is, and expressing true love for her, including feelings that she was missed. It was beautiful.

The second thing is that John turned the dance over to Joško Šabič and Cheryl Braswell after the first dance on Saturday. They made a good team. Joško was in the primary decision-making role. And he was magnificent – patient, gentle, caring, considerate of the crew, and empowering, as well. Joško has traveled with the FTOD for the past four years. All the training he received blossomed in the period of a day and a half – right down to the inspirational talk that he gave to dancers at the pole, given in his own unique words but in the spirit of Jeanne White Eagle.

Joško also did something brilliant on Sunday morning. He brought the young black boys from the village into dance a couple of rounds, giving them their own space inside the arbor. This was Jeanne’s dream – the black teens dancing in the arbor. And it came true, spontaneously!

The joy round on Sunday was amazing with the drummers sliding into a full African beat. If Jeanne had been present, she would have joined John in the feeling of a proud parent, and the confident awareness that they are ready to begin handing out dance assignments to new Chiefs in 2007. Jeanne’s vision will be well cared-for.

Despite the pre-dance chaos and effort to get set-up, it was a hugely powerful dance. Thich Nhat Han, the Vietnamese Buddhist Monk living in France says that the next incarnation of the Buddha will be a community. Sophia Peters, our beautiful elder Moon Mother from Northern Germany told John after the dance that when she looked at how seamlessly the international team worked the dance, she saw this new “Being” emerge. Wow! What a powerful insight!

FTOD (2nd SA Dance, 2006), November 3-5

After the first dance, Cheryl Braswell was sick, and John felt very disoriented in a way that he knew from experience came from dealing with heavy energies. Others felt it too. As these dances ratchet up in power, it’s important to work with the energy of the dance space before the dance begins, and to do clearing work after the ceremony. So, prior to the second dance, the leadership crew took special precautions to clear the energetic space (arbor, lodge, etc.) and do blessing ceremonies, combining both Native American and sangoma traditions.

Despite all the preparations taken to infuse the dance arbor with loving energy, the second dance was much heavier than the first. Afterward, one of the Dance Chiefs said, “This dance was about war, and healing the idea of separation that creates it.”

Two new Chiefs stepped into their power in this dance: Dominique (Dom) DeBruin (South African), and Mona Zekri (Egyptian). Together with the dance crew, they handled all the preparations, and led the dance from start to finish. They were strong new Chiefs and made a marvelous team! To turn a dance completely over to two new Chiefs would normally have made John feel that he was abandoning the dance. But Dom and Mona made it possible for John to completely disengage and become a dancer. High praise,indeed.

It’s hard for John to report on this dance objectively because he danced. What he can do is report on his own experience, and the observations of others.

Two powerful sangomas danced with us – Gogo (Grandmother) Mzumyati and Gogo Numzimani, bridging the South African and Native American mystical traditions. Nthabiseng, a beautiful black woman from the local village who danced with us last year, was a first-time Alpha Dog, and did a great job. These are important things to note, because weaving the cross-cultural tapestry makes us one family.

As a dancer, John felt that this dance did, indeed, go to the heart of separation and war to the point of remembering that we truly are One. It was a heavy dance that processed a great deal of anger and heavy emotions. Along the way, a couple of weird things happened.

Sunday morning, after another cold night, we had our second, early-morning sweat lodge – around 6AM. As we were in the lodge, a small, single-engine aircraft flew high overhead. The Moon Mothers and Fire-keepers waved. In response, the plane did a loop, and then dove for the hard deck, pulling up to fly only six feet above the dance pole. It buzzed the arbor and sweat lodge. The roar of its engine was a bit startling and quite surreal from inside the lodge. Then it climbed for the clouds, did another loop, and buzzed the lodge and arbor a second time. Man! What was that about?

Sunday morning was “Iq” on the Mayan Calendar, the energy of storms and fury, earthquakes and volcanoes. The airplane buzzing the lodge seemed to fit. Back in the arbor, as the dance began, there was a strong sexual energy. Women were breaking down in tears over sexual abuse issues. A young, blonde first-time Dog Soldier was also in tears outside the arbor, complaining that she couldn’t sing, couldn’t get the sound out. The root cause was also early sexual abuse when she was very young.

Male dancers were processing grief and anger, falling at the pole for the second or third time, and also dissolving in tears. It was that kind of dance.

The crew performed extremely well, even with new first-time Dog Soldiers. This sense of connectedness, one consciousness, is also another important aspect of the dance, and an important teaching. Some people experience it for the very first time in their lives when they come to a For the One Dance.

An indicator of the energy of the dance is that the sharing circle following the feast and give-away went very long. People didn’t want to stop sharing. It is a good sign, but finally Dom had to end it.

Importantly, there were again many, many thanks to Jeanne, accolades and prayers for her. Gogo Numzimani began singing “Amazing Grace” in Jeanne’s honor. After the formal sharing, people were asking John to send their love to Jeanne, and to let her know how much she was missed. That was true most of all for John, who missed her beyond his power to describe in words.

Vicki Jones delivered a present from Jeanne at the give-away and sharing circle, a red clown’s nose that she put on and showed everyone. There was great laughter and raucous applause. It brought Jeanne’s spirit into the ceremony.

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1st FTO INTERNATIONAL CREW & CHIEF’S TRAINING

November 25th through December 3rd marked the dates of the first “For the One” International Crew and Chief’s Training Week. This training took place in the Watersong community in Graham, North Carolina. From the feedback we received from the 22 people who participated, the 9-days was a success. The extended week began with a “Community Building” experience to open hearts and bond the group more deeply. It concluded with a “Training Dance.” In between, Jeanne and John shared their experience of what it takes to be a Chief, that it is much more than just leading the dance. Then, the participants shared their individual expertise with each other – fire-keeping, sweat lodges, drumming, working with dancers in the arbor, feather work, and so on. Everyone participated in serving in the week’s kitchen to give perspective to new Chiefs of the importance of the food and its preparation in a dance.

The Training Dance itself was intense, to say the least. There were seven dancers, including Jeanne and John. The rest of the crew organized the dance, and rotated through positions of Chief, Moon Mother, Sun Father, Fire-Keeper, Drummer, Kitchen Angel, and Dog Soldier. The weather was wet, and the dancers slogged through the mud. It turned out to be an apt metaphor for the dance. The real intensity was that a gateway was opened for all the energies/entities that we normally don’t want to recognize. A lot of anger came through, and we found ourselves peering into the dark heart of separation. This was purposive, especially for a training experience. Chiefs and crew must know how to deal with this energy. They must also learn to see the reflection of that separation in themselves and heal it.

Overall, the week ended in a good way with yet a different kind of dance, a different kind of “ceremony”… It ended with a dance party of funk and rock and roll. Even Miss Georgia Stone, our 95 year old black elder found herself on the dance floor, boogying with the rest of us.

These comments, from one of the participants, now a new dance Chief, says it all:

“What a powerful week the training was for this one and I know for us all. Reading your email has brought tears to my eyes in the realization of what is ahead of us. Feeling the power, the joy,the love and the challenges. My feeling is ‘we haven't seen nothin' yet.’ All is a preparation for the courage, strength and wisdom to move forward. We have each other, a great support team that is so astounding. I couldn't have imagined being with such a strong core of people 20 years ago, but then I didn't have to. The Creator, the universe, the love that permeates us all brought us together. This last year has brought such teachings and forward movement that I look back in awe and wonder how it all fit into one year. I know our lifetime has been moving toward this moment, and this moment, now this one, and this one . . . . . I am excited, I am nervous, I am loving it, I am wondering about it and I embrace it all knowing this is why I am here in this time and place.”

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MONTY’S BOOK – “JOURNEY FOR THE ONE”

The biography that Monty Joynes wrote was finished in mid-August, the product of a heroic two-year effort to tell the story of Jeanne and John’s travels over the past nine years, including the beginning journey of the For the One Dance. Originally fast-tracked for approval and publication by Hampton-Rhodes, a last-minute glitch left us searching for a new publisher. If you have any publishing contacts that could give Monty an inside track, please let Jeanne and John know. Monty can supply a summary of the book, a sample chapter and, when appropriate, the entire manuscript. His email address is: mjoynes@charter.net .

You can visit Monty's website at www.montyjoynes.com

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JOHN’S MYSTICAL NUMEROLOGY

Most of you are aware of the new 13-month calendar and system of “mystical numerology” that John has created. It is a system that he has developed after many years of study and research. He does detailed readings for people (including businesses and other organizations) in helping them to discover their life purpose and path, including life lessons and challenges, their inherent strengths and so much more. The results, to-date, have been profound. If you think you might want to learn more and/or have a reading done, contact John at JBPehrson@aol.com .

For more information visit John's Numerology page.

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FUNDING

Watching the “For the One” Dance move around the world is still an awe-inspiring miracle. The people who travel with us are committed to making a positive change in the world as they give themselves to serve the people. Most travel with us at their own expense. There are many other expenses that are entailed in putting on an international dance, including the building and maintaining of the dance arbors, the feeding of the crew, the supplies needed to support the dance itself, other travel expenses, and so on …and now there is the Youth Dance that will require funding beyond that of the adult dances.

If you feel called to donate money or time to the “For the One” Dance, know that you will be making a difference in the world. Our prayer is that your gracious gift will be returned to you a thousand-fold. Note that the “For the One Dance” is now a non-profit organization. Tax-exempt status is pending from the IRS, and we can provide letters so that any money donated can be used as a tax break.

We welcome your financial participation with any of the “For the One” endeavors:
Contact Patty Coleman at blueearth48@bellsouth.net
or you may write her at:
“For the One,” 4 Veranda Trail, Asheville, NC 28803
We also have “For the One” T-shirts that can be purchased for $20

We also have two CDs that can be purchased for $20 each – Between Slices of Light, and For the One. They were both recorded in the Watersong Peace-Sound Chamber.

Visit our Donation page

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EAGLE NOTES

Volume 8