A Spiritually Enlightening Online Magazine. September's Theme: "Inter-be"
Volume 8 Issue 6 ISSN# 1708-3265

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Illuminations Aleesha Stephenson About the Cover Jérôme Prieur Tapestry of Oneness Dj Brown-Jewett Inter Actions Parzival Sattva Just What We're Bred To Do! David Reber All Phenomena Are Interdependent, Endlessly Interwoven Cheryl Jewett-Brown Ph.D. this change of name Alegria Albano-Imperial Cherry Picking David Suzuki, PhD Lifetalks Dawn Baumann Brunke Walk Your Talk Aleesha Stephenson Po and the Stones Phil Kotofskie Wiccan Voices Crystal Blanton, HPs Let's Talk Tarot Marcia McCord Meditate a Moment Parzival Sattva Cards & Curios Tarot Deck Reviews: with Dan Pelletier

Po and the Stones ~ The Cookas ~ with Phil Kotofskie Perhaps a year ago four large cockroaches moved into Blue Turtle—my home. I watched the "cookas" raise their young, then send them out into the world. All was in balance. However, I stopped seeing the large cockroaches around the holidays. Without elders present, the young roaches hung around past their departure time and pooped all over. I had to do something. Easy would be to spread a sugar and baking soda mix where cookas roam. Sugar attracts roaches; baking soda kills them as they groom themselves. Or I could use any of the poisons humans routinely use around home. Cockroach-eating geckos hadn't been around for almost a year. So why did I unconsciously call the unruly cookas to my home? The roaches are not "pests," but a part of life we humans do not understand. A stone I call Chewy told me he was helping the young cockroaches through their life changes. The next evening three cockroaches climbed around on Chewy, making me laugh. When I went to catch cookas and place them outside, it didn't feel like it was time. Then I forgot. The young roaches trusted me for the most part, standing on the floor or counter as I walked past. Sometimes cookas stood right in my way in the dark, letting me know they were there with an energetic nudge or telepathically. Why should I act differently? I'd been friendly all their lives. They often ran to me and rested against my foot when afraid. I talked with them and watched. When cookas hid behind something, their long feelers waved around in plain sight. How could I not laugh at their antics? The feeling was that of adolescents raised with plenty of food in a predator-free house. With Popurrie gone (my cat whose last prowl was in early November), the cookas have been free to eat Po's remaining food, which I set out for neighbour cats. Out went the cat food. The roaches ranged out looking for food, but found none. I told them there was plenty of food outside, not referring to the cat food. The young cookas were afraid to go outdoors, an unknown realm to them. I kept cleaning, knowing I would have to clean frequently. I worked with the cookas and friends who offered to help. At my friend Dawn's suggestion, I called everyone together one night. As I lay in bed I asked for the presence of elder cockroaches, other animals, stones, plants, other friends and finally the young cookas. The young cookas came to the middle of our gathering. "No, come and be among us," I said, feeling that the young were equals, just inexperienced. They relaxed. We all shared feelings as the energy flowed. Together we felt for balance in the Blue Turtle household in the days ahead. I felt irritations and pains in and around my body, which signaled imbalance. My attention slowly soothed my body into feeling relaxed and vibrant. Eventually I fell asleep. Ants first answered my call for help. When I saw them, I reminded them of our talk years ago. At the time, when ants started to forage in the house, I asked them to stay outside in the yard. It was all theirs, with no chemical usage or hostility towards them. Nine years passed in which I caught and reminded occasional scout ants of our talk, then placed them outside. This time the ants went back out for a week, then returned in force. They marched down the drains, answering my call by clearing out unseen things. "Thank-you ants," I said. I could only smile—a former soldier helped by the ant army. How grateful I was to have learned: lacking a clear, good-feeling option, do nothing. Talented, helpful friends surround us. Ant activity peaked, then tapered to a small line of scouts and workers monitoring the area. Ants are good neighbours and great friends. Consider this when you next regard them as pests. Your plants will thank you. After a few weeks of frantic activity, the roaches found no food, but still resisted my placing them outside. I went about my business, alarmed at how thin the roaches had become. Roaches can go a long time without food, but they need to eat. Cookas ranged throughout the house, stopping to look at me for food, but feeding them did not feel like the answer. I encouraged one roach who was exploring near the back door. "There's plenty of food outside you guys," I said. They radiated fear. Later I wondered why geckos stopped coming inside. Did the big lizards eat them? Balance varies constantly. Everyone has his or her day on life's stage. Geckos sang outside my window that night, assuring me they were fine. I laughed when I realized it was I who blocked the geckos from entering. Last spring I sealed the doors with weather stripping to increase cooling efficiency, which now also prevented the rowdy young cookas from going out. My purpose was not to exterminate the cookas. I didn't intend to call in a swarm of geckos to eat them. However, I reflected on how freedom entails responsibility and risk. I would not live any other way and neither would Popurrie. She left healthy and strong after living a long, full life free to come and go as she pleased. I removed weather stripping from the bottom of the back door, which left a small opening for both gecko- and cockroach-sized beings. The house's energy immediately opened and relaxed. Although I did not witness it, my knowing tells me some cookas left that night. In the morning I found the cooka who had been exploring the bathroom. It was dead in the shower. It lay in an area where I sprayed a natural repellant onto a few mosquitoes I was unable to swat. I didn't mean to kill roaches—especially the friendly, trusting bathroom roach. I thanked it for living here and wished it a good journey. Thus even a specific, limited use of a poison made from essential oils killed a bystander. Yes, cockroaches are considered pests by many—if not most humans—but not by me. They're part of life, same as mosquitoes. That evening the cookas felt different. Perhaps they had reached decisions regarding their future? To me they felt more centred, confident and ready. They felt like adults. Balance was returning to the Blue Turtle family, regardless of where we traveled next. Phil Kotofskie is a longtime student of life. His sharing is based on years of working with himself in diverse jobs and relationships ranging from Army Soldier to Overnight Grocery Stocker, from spouse to stranger. His specialty is everyday life as a spiritual path. Phil is a Reiki Master who offers healing assistance and a musician who plays didgeridoo and West African drums. He is currently finishing a book with the Stones that guides the reader to answer the question "Who am I?" Phil lives in Tucson, Arizona with Popurrie and the Stones and can be contacted via email.

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