Lucifer’s Semi-Final Conclave, --Part 32

At Marcy’s Place:
While waiting for her grandfather to signal ready, Danielle and Marcy went to the necessary room and washed up at the fountain. Then Marcy gave her a walking tour of the perimeter of the flat area of the glen. Phil and Jim had hit it off well also, because electronics was an unfulfilled hobby of Phil’s, particularly solar systems. They sat at the table, jawing.
Meanwhile Marcy and Danielle were near the southwestern end. The south side was all trees and cliffs, with little view. On the southwestern edge, the vista waas clear for many miles. One could easily see the larger buildings of Pahrump, 30 miles away, as well as the labyrinth of gravel roads that snaked toward it. At the north, the view was again impeded by the 13000 foot snowcapped Wheeler peak. But their hussy and Marcy‘s car were easily seen in the lower foothills of the peak, 5 miles away and 1000 feet lower than their position As they continued toward the north east, Marcy pointed out the place of the chindi, in the vertical sandstone and granite cliff. Rocksense West was on top of the cliff, but could not really be seen in detail. Toward the east a few large trees blocked the view, but through the few openings, some of the large buildings of Las Vegas were discernable, 50 miles in the distance. Danielle marveled at the crisp clarity of the desert air… Quite a view she commented. Marcy said yes indeed, and at night the stars are so many and bright, that the whole ground of this place is lit up.

Smoke was still issuing, so talk turned to the Spirit world. Danielle asked her again about the role of Shamen in the nation… Well first off, let me say I did understand what you meant, but-- she said, few other Navajo will. Shaman is a word unknown to the people. We have no word for that, and no real role for it, at least as most would expect. Last Saturday, there was no time to get into it, but now we have the time.. The people have a ’sort of’ equivalent, but not in all aspects. Our word in Navajo is hatalii.. Roughly in English, that word means ’singers’. The few hatalii left travel the Navajo nation for 9 day celebrations once each year. They relate the history of the ancient way to the people. They are of course elders, and they spend their life in training under an elder hatalii until the elder one departs for Spirit land.
Then they are hatalii. They are the connection between the people, the peoples history and the Great spirit. Before the elder hatalii departs, some of them while still not yet full hatalii are widely sought for advice, both for healing and for Spiritual advice. But they are not considered absolute experts. Thus their advice can be ignored and a second opinion sought. Once one asks a true hatalii, and receives his opinion, the answer is final. Rarely, even women can become hatalii. All Navajo women are expert in herbal medicine, and of course childbirth and natural treatments for illness by soils and herbs. So that is considered a special gift to them from the Great Spirit by the people. And they are honored and welcomed always for their advice. That said, grandfather is hatalii, and my father is his trainee. And, look, the smoke has stopped.. Lets go… What do I do, said a nervous Danielle? How do I enter? Marcy replied laughing.. On your feet, she said. Just knock on the door, wait until he says enter, then sit on the rug in front of him. Say hello, hatalii, my elder. My name is Danielle… this is my mate Phil. We need your advice about the chindi of the cliff, for we must fight them for our lives. Then show him your necklace. It will go from there… I will go send Phil over, wait for him, and enter and sit together, with Phil on grandfathers right. When you are through, say thank you hatalii. That’s it.

…I will be waiting for you over at the long house.
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Bethesda, Md
Christy and Jennifer had met for a lunch date on their usual bench at the park. After they finished lunch, Christy suggested a short walk to walk off their lunch. She was wary of talking plans while sitting on the same bench most every day, because she well knew that hidden mikes and ‘big ears’ could be planted anywhere she frequents, especially since she had exposed and foiled their earlier attempts.. As they strolled, Christy broke the surprise.. Jennifer was elated. She had all but bounced off the walls with joy when Christy had, a few days earlier, mentioned the possibility of them taking a road trip to visit Danielle - her daughter, who was also her best friend, and Phil, who was both her adopted son and now, her son in law for the second time. Christy just got through telling her that the trip is not only on, but they were not having to drive 2000+ miles, because they were flying round trip on her company’s dime. It will happen the day after tomorrow, she said. This trip would only be 2 or 3 days, but a second trip would occur sometime after that, perhaps a week or two later. Jennifer immediately started making plans…I will get Meav to watch my house while I’m away, she said… Christy said, great, Jen, but… you know about all the bugs.. So don’t call her. Drive over and ask. Also, we both know your sister loves to talk. So don’t tell her you are visiting Danielle and Phil… If that gets out, that could both endanger them as well as giving the enemy their location. So, just say you are going to Toronto for a few days to see your deceased husband‘s parents and their other kids, or make something else up that will work. If word gets out about where we are going, the company will cancel the trip. OK?

Yes, of course,,, she said,, I’m so happy, she said, as she hugged Christy..
Jennifer is no dummy, either. She had already begun thinking about the ramifications, because she knew about the bugs that had been placed in her car, as well as the cell monitoring she had experienced.
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Marcy’s place:
As Danielle and Marcy had been exploring the area and talking, so had Phil and Jim, Marcy’s brother. Jim and Phil hit it off together well, as Phil had always had a stifled interest in Electronics and such, and Jim was hooked on it totally, as it was both his mental ‘fix’ and his full time job.. Jim actually was employed by the State of Nevada, and was one of two men responsible for ’electrifying’ the ‘Indians‘. He installed and maintained Solar systems in southern Nevada for all native Americans, regardless of ’tribe’. He is encouraged to hire temporary labor on site as needed for physical installation labor and grunt work, as this provides an economic boost to the tribes as well as solving employee overhead expenses for the State. Jim is always welcomed where ever he goes.

There were many ’tribes’ in the American West. In the late 1800’s as the palefaces came and began forcing the various tribes onto “reservations”, the wiser of them seeing the handwriting on the wall, as do we even today flee big brother, they scattered into smaller groups and spread throughout the entire West. The people from whom Jim and Marcy descended settled in the Wheeler mountains long ago. They are Navajo. Some Navajo recognise the peaceful Pueblo peoples as close cousins. Although all native Americans have the Great Spirit as Supreme, their concepts are different. The Navajo do not believe that man can ‘use’ the Great Spirit as a mystical ‘tool’ for gain, favors or ‘spells’ . The Great Spirit speaks to man through His nature. They do have ones who are devoted to listening, but they can only relate what He has said. t

In Jim’s territory, there are four Reservations. They are all officially recognized as Paiute. The other ‘tribes’ are minority, but they are welcomed equally, as all of them know that land was given by the Great Spirit, and cannot be ‘owned’, only occupied. Many groups of ‘other tribes’ wandered to Southern Nevada.. Today in Southern Nevada, Navajo are an even smaller minority than most, even though the land of the Navajo nation reservation is the single largest of all in the US. It includes most of their original territory, and strides northeastern Arizona, southeastern Utah, and northwestern New Mexico.

Jim was showing and explaining to an interested Phil the system there. The panels were installed below the community necessary place on a bare rocky area with southeastern exposure. The charge controllers and inverters were in a nearby small weather proof plywood shed. 230 volt AC was then wired to the settlement area, and distributed from there. The long run of high voltage was much more efficient than long runs of the DC which the panels produce.

Jim had told Phil that he was more than welcome to tag along on some of his current jobs, but that he was stalled for now, since his order of Solar Panels had not yet arrived in Pahrump. Phil readily accepted, and swapped cell numbers with him.

Marcy had to yell to them from the top to come on, Grandfather was waiting, and that Danielle had her hands on her hips, and was tapping her foot. As Phil and Jim arrived at the top, Marcy laughingly asked Phil --- What is the meaning of the sign your mate is directing to you--- Paleface?
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Hatalii
Phil and Danielle had walked to the door of his house, and Marcy had returned to the long house, made a cup of tea, and was reading her Bible.

A nervous Danielle knocked, and a voice from inside simply said “enter”. As they opened the door, and stepped inside, the sight was not at all what either had envisioned.
Hatalii was standing on the far side of the single room, and smiling. No way, they thought --was he 102. He stood erect, dressed in deerskin breeches and plain open necked deerskin top. He had salt and pepper shoulder length hair, pulled back into a pony tail, and held with a leather tie. His smile revealed white teeth. He appeared to be 75, or maybe, 80 to them. He spoke one word as his open palm gestured to the 2 rugs spread on the floor between them -- Welcome.. After they had sat, he walked upon his rug, and facing them, simply folded his legs and descended with one motion to a sitting position, and no use of hands to brace. Greetings, my elder, she said, and introduced her mate seated on her left, and proceeded to follow all the things She had rehearsed with Marcy, ending with the statement about wanting help with the chindi. He looked at them, and said, we will discuss that of course, but first I will give you some background on the validity of any advice I am allowed to give.

The training for hatalli is not unlike a college degree, except it’s length is much longer. Hatalli learn first the way of the people, and their history from the beginning. There are several required, I guess you would term them, electives at various times during the education. In the one which is pertinent to your visit now, I spent 19 years on a journey which took me from Mexico to the Mississippi river, to Idaho and back here. I did not know their language, nor they mine. All men however sense no threat from a lone unarmed Native American with no baggage. They are universally recognized as a traveler seeking the knowledge of the Great spirit. They are often aided by all, even though the aid is not always accepted by the traveler. One must be careful in refusing aid, for some regard it as a bad omen for their tribe. The ones who would do so, have as their advisors, ones who you would term Shaman, or some other name with the equivalent duties..
Shamanism, I did learn is essentially mysticism, as they recognize things and animals not created by the Great spirit as things to be only feared. The Navajo and some few others do not. We recognize them as only to be shunned or killed. Such things we call chindi.
Some chindi are real and physical. Some call them skin walkers or witches or other names. But the greatest number of chindi are both real and invisible. They are real because you can see and touch them, They are invisible because the minds of most people have no eyes. These chindi are the most destructive, because they often come from within, and convince you to be their servants, before appearing physically to you..

For my final elective, I spent a while, traveling, and posing as a shaman equivalent. I was most accepted and welcomed by the Paiute nation in Southern Nevada. Often filling the shaman role at some occasions. I was given the silver necklace that you now wear by the chief of a tribe in Southern California whose Shaman had died, as incentive for me return. Similar necklaces are worn by all Shamen. I put the slash marked circle on its clasp as my ownership evidence.
Such electives are very useful to hatalii, as they allow hatalii to sing only the memories of the Great Spirit correctly to the people.

Now, Danielle, The spiral sign you carry is different. It is carved in rocks that predate our oldest memories. It is universal in its meaning. The peoples of all places I have traveled to understand the same -- that it was given by the Great Spirit in the beginning. This you can see by merely looking at the expanse of stars in his heavens at night. It shows the beginning and the end, and its curves represent constant change. In the areas from Mexico to Idaho, where they are common on rocks, it is forbidden for those without knowledge of the Great Spirit to even touch them, for it is feared that time will be altered.
Now, about the advice you seek concerning the chindi in the cliff…

Danielle Withdrew her necklace from her Bosom, and removed the chain from the Amulet. She held the chain out. This I wish to return to you, it has your mark.. He received it with a smile, and said thank you Danielle… May I examine the Amulet also? He held the Amulet in his hand, and turned it over to the back side. He closed his eyes, and covered it with his other hand. A short time later, he opened his eyes, and said. How long have you possessed it? Danielle replied, maybe 3 weeks. He shook his head no. Danielle, you have had right to this amulet before this spiral was cut into it. It was both given to and taken from you by chindi. Now that you have regained possession, the chindi of the cliff seek it’s return, but more than just that--- they seek the life of you both. The power of your spirit plus the secret of the amulet is a combination of defeat for them, what that is, I do not know, but you will know.

He reached for a small leather bag, and removed its rawhide lacing cord. Placing the cord in hole on the amulet, he knotted it’s ends and gave it back to her. Wear it when you visit the cliff, he replied, You will know it’s use. I cannot advise you on that. You will know.
Thank you hatalii, said Danielle.

Phil remarked, hatalii, may I ask something about the your previous words? Yes… he said. How can something be real, physical and invisible all at the same time? Is Love real? Hope? Joy? Faith? Feelings? Trust?

Yes of course, said Phil.
Are they physical? Visible? Only by observing positive actions in response to them, said Phil. True, said hatalii. When, said hatalii, are they physical and Invisible? Phil thought a bit… I suppose then, when there are negative actions in response to them. Yes said hatalii. Then they become chindi. That is what lives in the cliff. Physical eyes are only of limited use against them.

Our defense here is faith and trust in the Great Spirit. Yours must be, also.

To be continued:
The previous Part 31 is here:
http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=116236