Return of the Turtle Rattle

June 7th, Monday, Dentist appointment with L Z first visit. It was rather violent as far as my teeth were concerned, but Lily and her crew were very gentle. I had managed to avoid Western medicine for about twenty years (except one course of antibiotics for Lyme’s disease, which was not known during traditional Algonquin times). It was a shock. I needed a lot of Novocain. I couldn’t talk after that, so I drove the 90 minutes to Sloatsburg to retrieve my turtle shaker which had been left there during my talk on the Ramapough Indians. I knew I’d need it for my “Path of the Shaman” class at The Open Center. I have been fasting for the last week as part of my cure for my infected tooth, which has worked both for the tooth and in preparing me for my Path of the Shamans class. I realized that the turtle, which has always had a life of its own, was letting me know I was not ready to teach this class yet. Now after making a blood sacrifice (to a healer who reminds me of Kwan Yin) and fasting for a week on and off, I feel more ready, and suddenly the turtle rattle is back in my hands.