ORIGINS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF THIRTEEN INDIGENOUS GRANDMOTHERS

[Myriel RAouine]

The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers was set in motion by a common vision, a prophecy seeded decades ago in many people around the world. One of these seeds was planted in Jyoti, and in Ann Rosencranz, of the Center for Sacred Studies. In this vision, the Divine Mother appeared and offered Jyoti a basket with five precious jewels. As she handed it to Jyoti she said, “Take my basket, tend to these precious jewels, do not mix them and do not change them, each jewel represents a line of prayer that goes back to original times. Carry them through the doorway of the new millennium and hand it back to me, for there is something we are going to do.”

When they first convened in 2004, The Grandmothers recognized that vision and accepted the basket, establishing a global alliance. Now they are marching for world peace, for there is something She is going to do.  At the time of the original vision, Jyoti recognized one of these jewels to be Iboga. When we hold a Council Gathering in Gabon, we will come full circle to honor Bernadette Rebienot and the Gabonese people for the great work of preserving and sustaining indigenous ways of life that go back to the original times.

In those early days of forming the Council, the Grandmothers Council appeared in the astral plane to guide us, and speak to us to go out and connect with our indigenous relations around the world. For it is only through relations that a movement of heart can flourish. As we approached our Indigenous loved ones around the world, the vision began to take form; the astral grandmothers landed in the physical realm. In our invitation to them in 2003 we wrote:

“We are approaching our indigenous Grandmothers to ask for help and guidance in these times, so that we may make relations between peoples and nations, reinforce the prayer of unity and listen to our elders who hold earth based ways of life and prayer. The dream of the vision is that our indigenous Grandmothers who hold traditional lines of medicine and healing come together in council, not to mix, but to share their teachings and prophecies. We need the voice of our Grandmothers in this time so we can bring sustainability to our communities, to our peoples and to our planet.

There are many threads that weave together to form this vision. Like a prayer walking towards us, we are following the guidance of our hearts and souls. We come to you, inspired by the stories of the original indigenous Grandmother Councils, how their Council was honored and listened to as the final authority on most all the tribal issues, including waging war.

Our Bwiti mother, Bernadette Rebienot, a Grandmother of her people in Gabon, who holds a line of traditional medicine from her grandmother, has recognized our common dream and encourages us to put this call out for a Council.”

-- From the original invitation to the Council, October, 2003

The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers was brought together by vision and prophecies, and through the strength of relations grounded in Spirit. It was brought together by sacred relations and it will be sustained through relations. We understand that no single people can claim ownership to a prophecy. Prophecies, by their very nature are seeded in numerous places and eras and the players come to recognize each other over time. In early 2002, Jyoti, Ann and Jyoti’s children, Scott and Dayna, were spiritually guided to seek initiations with Bernadette Rebienot in Gabon. At this meeting we recognized a common call to bring the grandmothers together. Although the Grandmothers existed in the astral, we acknowledge this meeting in Gabon as the first physical manifestation of the Council. 

It was after this significant encounter that Bernadette encouraged us to follow through and gather up the grandmothers. In the Fall of 2003 we sent out an invitation to sixteen grandmothers. Thirteen answered the call to convene at the Global Women’s’ Gathering in 2004. At this historical meeting many grandmothers shared their visions and prophecies, which guided them to say “yes.” Grandmother Rita Blumenstein, a 75-year-old Yup’ik traditional healer, was guided by her great grandmother. In 1942, when she was 9 years old her great grandmother gave her 13 stones and 13 eagle plumes, told her she would be a part of a Council of thirteen and to save these precious relics for that time. At their first gathering in 2004, the day after declaring themselves as an alliance, Grandmother Rita passed these 13 stones and feathers to the members of the newly formed alliance.

The concept of the Council of elders is not unique. It is a form of governance ruled by a circle rather than by a hierarchy of command. Since the inception of the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, numerous elders around the world who are gathering their own councils or renewing their ancient tribal circles of leadership have approached us. In this era we are witnessing a re-emergence of the voice of the wise ones and elders, the gathering of Councils. The unfolding of our prayer shows us that many councils of elders are emerging, in Europe, Australia and the Middle East, to carry the suffering world out of its misery. The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers is only one voice in this unity.

For global peace to be established, all voices will need representation. To expand their representation and the receive the support of other influential leaders in the world, the grandmothers have named severalAmbassadors: 

Grandmother Rita Gregorio de Melo of the Amazon is revered as the matriarch of a global spiritual community, which leads a movement for world peace and unity.

Grandmother Pauline Tangiora is a Maori elder from the Rongomaiwhine tribe of the East Coast of the North Island of Aotearoa/New Zealand. She is a Justice of the Peace, a former President and currently Vice President of WILPF Aotearoa, and the former Regional Woman’s Representative for the Earth Council.

Princesse Constance de Polignac is the President of the Fortress de Polignac Foundation whose mission it is to search for new forms, new materials and all together new concepts allied with the restoration and further development of ancient trades where Hand is truly guided by Spirit, and sets an example of what could allow the regeneration of the Universal Order.

Grandmother Jyoti was Appointed by the Fourth Council Gathering with the position of Traveling Ambassador Charged with the Mission, Jyoti is  the Spiritual Director of CSS, founder of the international spiritual community, Kayumari; founder of the Stargate Mystery school; Founder of the Center for Sacred Studies ministerial program, working for the last several decades around the world in many different cultures healing historical wounds.   

http://www.grandmotherscouncil.org/about-us