Spiritual Growth - Morning Star Institute -- About the Morning Star2

THE BURNING - DUSK ON SATURDAY

As we prepared the wood for the fire and the food offerings, a light rain started falling on us. “Jim and Sherry, this is a very good sign. To the Hawaiians a light rain like this is a sign of a blessing. The Heavens and Earth are honoring us.”

“I know Kimo. I can feel your ancestors gathering. They have been waiting a long time for this honoring!”

The “burning” is a very old and sacred ceremony and the knowledge of it is only passed down orally. The actual ceremony I cannot, and choose not to, write about. If you are interested in this ceremony for a loved one that has passed over, let us know!

The feeding of the spirits and the honoring of the ancestors of Hawaii had been completed and the powerful and loving rite had ended. Kimo, my family and our students were in silence respecting the sacredness of this experience. At that moment, a park ranger appeared. Kimo approached the native Hawaiian and they started talking; all the while the park ranger was eyeing the remains of the fire. The energy between the two ebbed and flowed until finally the ranger hugged Kimo, turned and departed.

“Jim and Sherry, another amazing thing has occurred. My brother (Kimo usually refers to all native Hawaiians as ‘brother’ and ‘sister’) was upset that we went ahead and did the fire without a permit and without it being enclosed. But I explained what you did, the type of ceremony with the “feeding and honoring” of the native Hawaiian ancestors. He was astonished that non-native Hawaiians, from as far away as the East, from Maine, and not his own people would be doing this type of ceremony. He has agreed to change the park rule about doing open fires, only if the fires are for this type of ceremony!”

The Vision—Early Sunday Morning - Still Dark Before Dawn

Am I asleep or awake? I sit up in bed, am I sitting or still lying; is this a dream or am I awake. The night sky before me.... that star, why is it shining brighter than any other? A Heavenly Voice--THIS STAR IS YOU - YOU ARE THIS STAR! The great purification is of the people! All are One.... am I asleep.... I lie back down....

As I awoke Sunday morning, I was in awe with my pre-dawn experience. I was not sure if I dreamed it or if I was awake. The star was shining ever so brightly in the East. But what star was it? Who am I? What does this mean?

I briefly shared my experience with Sherry. We only had a short time before we needed to gather our group together and depart for the white sand beach. She suggested that I share the vision, as she called it, with Kimo and get his feedback. I agreed that I needed to ask him his opinion.

Sunday Late Morning

On the way to one of the sacred spots that we will visit this day, Kimo and I had decided to stop at one of the few white sand beaches on the island. This was an opportunity for our students to swim and to relax before we began the teachings and ceremonies for the day. As I was standing in the surf with Kimo, I shared my mystical experience of a few hours earlier.

“Kimo,” I said.

“I got something big to tell you,” answered Kimo.

Before I could reply, he began explaining what he meant.

“That burning… it was powerful, brah… more than I thought it would be. After you had called in the spirits one of my ancestors came to me… dressed in full warrior regalia. Mostly, ancestors don’t come to us like this….”

He paused, staring out to sea before he continued.

“My ancestor brought me a message… but it’s for you… my ancestor said that you are a kahuna… a prophet bringing back the lost knowledge and sacred teachings that have been mis-understood, forgotten and corrupted… you have a message, path and way to share with this world… do not identify it as being from these islands or other lands… that separates people—knowledge all the same.”

“My heart’s touched Kimo. I also have something to tell you. Last night, really it was early this morning right before dawn, I had a vision as Sherry calls it. A voice from the heavens spoke to me. I don’t know if I was asleep, and dreamed it, or awake. We were on the second floor of a condo and the bed was right next to the lanai. You could lie in bed and see the night sky clearly. There was this brilliantly shining star and then the heavenly voice - “this star is you/you are this star!”

“Brah, you got big mana… that was a vision… but what star…?”

“I don’t know, Kimo,” I said.

“In the East, brighter than the other stars… must be Iao!”

The Star