Here are a few lines extracted from am interview I ahd with friends last spring in Belgium:

A: Is there a rule for performing rituals?

Blue Eagle: Rituals are a way of communication, they are intelligent ways of creating the circumstances in which certain energies can manifest. It is important that rituals be rid of anything that is occult, secret or esoteric. Things have to be clear, understandable, we are not just doing things because they were done that way before, we are doing things because they have a reason to be done that way.

In all of the natural peoples’ celebrations, there is always this coming together, and the coming together for rituals has a purpose of its own. That's where people can exchange news about what is happening in the different regions, where they can exchange goods that they don’t have in their own region where the young people can meet their soul mate when seeking marriage, etc. There are very important reasons why these celebrations have to happen. Besides, all of that is related to communication with nature.

So, rituals is not something that is occult or esoteric or magic; there is magic, of course, but it is not something that has to be shrouded in mystery, it has to be very clear why you are doing it, why it works. That is one of the reasons why when I teach, I always say ‘Don’t believe a word of what I say, test it, see if it works, look before, and look after. If it works, then it is good for you, if it does not work, it is not for you’. You know, it has to be really logical, it has to be rational, we must not get too caught up in some fashion that shrouds things in mystery, where you don’t really understand what you are doing and why, like some religions have wandered so far from Source that people are doing a lot of things that they don’t understand, nor why they are doing them. Ritual is a way of communicating with each other and with nature, but it has to remain something that is natural and logical.

B: Do you think that if somebody tries something, and he doesn’t believe, that puts some impeding energy that will prevent the desired effect to happen?

Blue Eagle: He can put impending energy if he wants.

B: But will it work anyway?

Blue Eagle: Most of the time it works, if it is done the right way. That is the main focus of ceremonies.

The eagle has got so much symbolism associated with it in Native American culture that we would never get to the end of this. But we can say a few words on it.

The eagle is associated with courage, with leadership, with truth, with honesty, with communication with Great Spirit, and with the North. We say that he is one of the closest beings to Great Spirit, and a messenger of Great Spirit, because he can look at the sun without blinking, and he lives very high up in the sky, on cliffs and on the tallest trees. So, whenever an eagle is seen, it means something to Native American people, it means that Spirit is visiting them, there is a message being communicated, most often that they are doing the right thing, that they are on the right path, or that they need to find something or do something at that specific time that is related to Spirit.

The relationship with Great Spirit is what gives the spirit of truth to the eagle; that is why often people who are speaking the truth will hold an eagle feather when they speak, as a symbol that they are saying something that is true. You can never lie to Great Spirit, because He is in your own heart, thus there is no way of lying, and by holding something as sacred and as close to Great Spirit as an eagle feather, you are obliged to say the truth, or the medicine will really get back at you in a nasty way.

People who speak the truth, like in many medicine or healing circles, will pass around an eagle feather, and sometimes it will be tied on a talking stike, and it is symbol that you are speaking from the heart, that you are speaking the truth.

The eagle is also very swift and a very skilled hunter. He sees very far and very clearly, he can be very high up in the sky and see exactly a small mouse lying down on the ground way below him. That is another indication of truth and of vision: eagle represents the gift of vision; his eyesight, his ability to look at the sun, his ability to see things that are far away with great precision, are an indication of the ability that one can manifest by seeing the truth and being the truth, and having the intention of living “the good life”, as one would say, walking on the Red road, doing things which are in harmony with Great Spirit's original instructions.

His capability to be a good hunter is what is associated with leadership; leaders, especially the war chiefs, had to be very good hunters, that is the way they could prove to the people that they were able to guide them well on the path, by making sure they were well fed, and they defended the nation and helped the nation be secure and safe. By their acts of valour and merit they would be gifted with eagle feathers.

When an eagle feather was given to somebody, it was never a small affair; he had to really deserve it.

One story says how important it was: this used to be the way the Innu people of the North would gather the eagle feathers. A young man who wanted to prove his valour, courage, stamina, patience and swiftness, would capture a small rabbit or a grouse, and tie it to the end of a string, and then he would dig a pit, and he would put a covering over it, and he would hide in the pit, and do this close to where the eagle would nest; then, every time the eagle would go by, he would pull on the string, so that the prey would move, and the eagle would dive to catch it. And he would have to very rapidly come out of the hole, grab the eagle by the legs, and then take out the two end tail feathers, which would not impair his ability to fly in any way, but would give two feathers to this brave young man. Of course, the eagle was not just letting himself be on the man's hands without resisting, he would bite him, and he has very sharp talons, so the young man would come out of that experience with a few scars. Then he would bring back those feathers to the village, and give them to the elders, who would be very happy and thank him, but that still was not enough to merit an eagle feather. That was just to prove his valour, etc., but it took more than that to deserve an eagle feather. So the elders would keep the feathers for appropriate circumstances where somebody would really show exceptional courage and valour in protecting and helping the people.

So, receiving an eagle feather was always something very important and symbolic.

Extract from Musique & Guérison, Traditions Amérindiennes, Aigle Bleu, a film by Debowska Production

The pentatonic scale (C D E G L) is used in most Native American music, and also in music from China, from India, and a lot of music therapy traditions, and it has profound effects.

As the word ‘pentatonic’ indicates, the pentatonic scale has five sounds, which represent the five organ systems that are common to Native American and Hindu cultures; these sounds also relate to the elements, which in Native culture were fire, air, water, earth and sacred sounds or ether, the space in which the elements play. Those five sounds also correspond to the Cherokee elements system that describes the five rivers of light that penetrate the second energy center behind the navel. These streams of colored energy create the five organ systems in the body and provide, throughout life, the health force that sustains them.

We find the same system in Chinese music therapy. They have the five elements system in their medical teachings and philosophy. The Chinese also use the pentatonic scale extensively. If you have access to a keyboard or piano, you can easily play a pentatonic scale by playing on the black keys only. You will notice that the music happening sometimes sounds like Chinese music as Chinese traditional medicine has a music therapy tradition and uses this scale extensively.
So, by using these five sounds in music, we obtain a definite spiralling effect, which will clear and harmonise the different organs and meridians of energy that flow through the body. It is spiralling music, creating spirals of moving light energy that will gradually liberate the energy channels in our body, and it does not have as many dissonances as would a seven note scale, which will definitely have a few dissonant intervals.

You can actually tune the zither or the autoharp for example to pentatonic scales, and you can play just about anything on it, it will always be beautiful, because the sounds naturally harmonise with each other, and produce a spiralling effect which is always very beneficial to one’s health. It makes it easier for one to feel at home wherever they go, because it allows one to reunite or re-kindle, re-knot the relationship with nature; that is not a music that we hear very often, but as people live in very artificial environments today, it is very helpful to have those sounds resonating in one’s environment and to harmonise with that, so that one can feel more at home with himself and with nature.

Spirit songs, Sky songs and Serenity are all CDs based on the pentatonic scale, and they all have that harmonising effect. The most relaxing one is Sky songs, Spirit Songs gives inspiration and Serenity is there to give vital energy.