Todays practice comes to us from the Star People, the original ancestors of the Cherokee people. They taught this song to the Cherokee as a way for the people to stay connected with their ancestors – past, present, and future.

Grandma Danywa, a Cherokee elder taught this song to one of my teachers, Dr. Adhi Two Owls, who in turn shared it at Red Earth Herbal Gathering – where I learned it and was immediately captivated by its simplicity and potency.

This song intones three vowel sounds: “E”, “ah”, and “O” and through these vibrations we get a sense of the greatness of which we are a part, the countless generations of songs, back to the primordial vibration at the beginning of the universe. We also experience the preciousness of all existence, everything we behold and everything by which we are held, and the gifts that we leave behind when this life is finished.

May you enjoy this chant, remembering your ancestors, your ancient lineage, seeing with love everything around you, and offering your blessings to future generations. We are all connected, we are all one. A Ho.

I am offering this song with humility and consciousness of the long and painful path that it has taken to come to me. I carry this song with reverence for the Cherokee people, with profound gratitude for Grandma Danywa, and all native peoples who have suffered terribly at the hands of my ancestors. May the Star People hear our singing and bless us with wisdom. May our songs weave reconciliation, may we sow peace, may we sing together as one. A Ho.