she who speaks with tigers...

Many native cultures believe that the heart is the bridge between Father Sky and Mother Earth. For these traditions the four-chambered heart, the source for sustaining emotional and spiritual health, is described as being full, open, clear, and strong. These traditions feel that it is important to check the condition of the 4-chambered heart daily, asking: “Am I full-hearted, open-hearted, clear-hearted and strong-hearted?”
Where we are not FULL-HEARTED, we approach people and situations half-heartedly. The experience of feeling like we should do something when we don’t want to is the breeding ground for half-heartedness. Feeling half-hearted is an anouncement of wrong placement, and it is time to remove ourselves from these situations.
Where we are not OPEN-HEARTED, we become closed-hearted. Being defensive, encountering our own resistance, and protecting ourselves from the possiblity of hurt are signals of closed-heartedness. The answer is to soften and reopen the heart.
Where we are not CLEAR-HEARTED, we are confused and carrying a doubting heart. This is where we need to wait. States of ambivalence and indifference are precursors to confusion and doubt. When we experience any of these states, we are reminded to wait for clarity rather than to take action.
Where we are not STRONG-HEARTED is where we lack the courage to be authentic or to say what is true for us. Strong-heartedness is where we have the courage to be all of who we are in our life. The word “courage” is derived from the French word fro heart, coeur , and etymologically it means “the ability to stand by one’s heart or to stand by one’s core”. Whenever we exhibit courage, we demonstrate the healing power of paying attention to what has heart and meaning for us. As evidenced by the following Aztec poem, the combination of heart and its relationship to authenticity has been a perennial theme used throughout the ages.

The mature person:
heart firm as a stone,
heart as strong as
the trunk of a tree.
Noble face, wise face;
owner of his face
owner of his heart.
The mature person:
noble face, firm heart.