Rita Walker (Blog Eight):  By Dan Watt and Taylor Norris

Rita Walker is a science fiction blog about the interaction of technology and the environment, and an introduction to North American Indigenous ways.   Each distinct environment: grassland, snow, mountainous, desert, boreal forest, swamp, rain forest, and so on will decide the best methods of housing, food supply, and culture.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Native-American/The-Arctic

Astral traveling is common around the World.  Is it the soul traveling or the subconscious creating images?  That is for you to decide.

https://www.healyourlife.com/astral-projection-101-a-powerful-secret-from-native-cultures

Memories flood through her as she continues to twist and turn fighting off the impulse to become what the Earth wants her to this night.  She remembers that after the dream of the Tuath Dé Danann she was sleeping in her parent’s tent when her soul traveled across North America, over Greenland and Iceland, across the Atlantic Ocean into Northern Ireland.  Places she has never been.  Her speed slowed to a walking pace as she reached a tall hedge of Ilex Crenata.  Its early afternoon and people are walking amongst nearby flower beds but none seem to notice her, nor a tall woman in an olive green dress wearing a wreath of white flowers.  Rita’s soul halted as the woman turned and stared directly at her.    This woman had green eyes that emitted a depth she could barely comprehend.

Thanks to Leah Weir and Kimberley Lee Photography https://www.kimberleyleephotography.co.uk/

In the dream she became material and her bare feet pressed into the grass.  She had glanced around and noticed there were no longer any other people around.  “Ailbe Rose,” she said in awe and respect to the women with the green eyes, “Mother Terra.”

“You are ready to learn the Change child,” Ailbe told her in a rich Irish accent.  “And though you are mostly from me you will also be the Gatherer of others from the other Ancients.  Though your soul can fly, you cannot.  Although you can swim, you cannot breathe underwater.  Although you can make fire with materials, it cannot come from you directly.  There is one left, and she is tainted.  Although you can hammer and heat metals and can combine some, you cannot do it with your thoughts alone.  She can, and you must turn her against the Ancient One who has encouraged the destructive nature of industry for too long.   Bring all these elementals together and teach them to work together.  That is your task.”

Rita watched as Ailbe Rose grabbed up soil from where it was available under the hedge.

Thanks to Leah Weir and Kimberley Lee Photography https://www.kimberleyleephotography.co.uk/

“You are an Earth Elemental, as well as Haida, Irish, and German.  Soon you will meet Airmid and learn that all life is interconnected.  Stretch out your hand.”  Rita does and Ailbe places the soil in her palm.  “Change is easiest during a full moon but you can change at other times.  The closer to a full moon the longer the change can last.  Without soil you can only change partially, remember this.  Close your eyes.”

Rita had taken in a deep breath and exhaled as she closed her eyes.

“Picture a land animal, a mouse, a cat, a beaver.   You cannot become a seal, but you can turn into a snake, though not a sea snake, nor an eel.  You can only become a large dog, a wolf, a deer, a moose, a bear or any other large to giant land creature during a full moon.”

“A cat,” Rita had whispered.  She pictured a tabby cat with her mind.  As she focused the soil in her hand had grown heavier and increased in amount.  It hurt and her eyes had bulged.

“Breathe child,” Ailbe told her with a voice gentle and full of encouragement.

It hurts so much as her body changed that she gave out a cry.  But the sound was that of a cat.  She had looked up and up until she saw the smiling face of Ailbe.

“The pain will grow less as your body grows use to it.  But as your extra weight turns to soil so must it also return with as much soil.  You cannot change back where no soil is available.  Close your eyes and go home now.”

Rita remembers lying down and resting her feline chin on her left forearm.  The next moment she awoke inside her parents’ tent.

Rita Walker (Blog Seven):  By Dan Watt and Taylor Norris

Black argillite is only found on Haida Gwaii.  The Haida artist would often carve out the design for a totem pole on the argillite rock first.

https://www.crystalcabingallery.com/blog/2018/01/27/argillite-stone-of-haida-gwaii

Native American bands have a name for the full moon of each month.  The Sturgeon full moon occurs in August.

https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/native-american-full-moon-names/

She clenches her eyelids closed knowing the Sturgeon moon is trying to pierce its silver light through her curtains.  Her hands clench onto her bed sheets as her body twists with desire to rip the curtains away.  It is good she lives alone now.  When she opens her eyes everything in the room is lighter and more distinguishable.  She forces her eyelids closed again and focuses on calming her breathing and her need to change.  Her thoughts wander back to her younger years.

Her parents took her and her brother to camp beside Tlell River.  While her father and brother fished for salmon her mother weaved a new hat for her farther out of cedar bark and spruce roots while watching for bears.  Bored, Rita decided to explore on her own.  Entering the cedar forest that borders much of the river she became lost.  She tried calling out in every direction but there was no reply.  Terrified she sat on a moss covered log and grabbed up a handful of soil.  She lay down on the log and exhausted slept.

In a dream she stood up from the log and opened her hand.  On her palm was a small pile of soil.  The soil levitated off her hand as tiny kernels and drifted in the moonlight towards a cavern made from the roots of an ancient redwood that stood tall and strong.  Mystified by the floating soil, Rita followed it into the maw of the cavern where it pulsed with light.  Inside she heard breathing and turned abruptly to her right.  She saw a young woman wearing the same type of cloak as the Vilas.  The woman’s dark hair and stern eyes told Rita that this was a Tuath Dé Danann.  The young woman held out a necklace made of argillite stones.  Rita’s hands shook as she gently took the necklace and clasped it around her neck.  To her horror the necklace buried itself into her skin and attached itself to her collarbone.   In a hypnotic voice with an Irish accent the young woman in the cloak told her, “When the Salmon Moon arrives you will dream of the ancient one Ailbe Rose and she will bless you so you may change for real.  Soon after that you must call upon Rae, for she is originally from here and will guide you well through these lands.   For now see little one, see with feline eyes but let neither wolf nor bear catch sight of you.”

That’s the first time Rita’s vision changed so everything became brighter in the night.  She found her family’s tent but did not go near until her sight returned to normal.