The old ones say that when we are born, we not only have an umbilical cord attached to our mothers, we also have a silver cord still attached to the Universe/Planet we originally came from. When I first heard this, I began to wonder about these cords.

I have since learned that humans have energy cords between themselves. Mothers and babies are corded, fathers and babies are corded, husbands and wives are corded, lovers are corded, etc., and this seems normal. But we can also be corded to strangers, situations, memories, and any other energies out there in the world. We are each born with an energy system that is unique, and management of that system is important. We must learn how to live in our own bodies and find out about our own energies.

More than once as we traveled across this land talking and working with folks, Grandmother Spotted Eagle said to me, "Look at that guy. He is sexually cording those swooning females. Don't do that as a teacher. If a person uses sexual energies to cord others, then that is a life force violation, because they will return to him just for that feeling and not the message that he is sharing."

I asked her just what she meant.

"You have sight, Stupid," she said. "Look at that man, just around the unmentionable area (root chakra), and what do you see?"

I looked at the male teacher, at the area Grandma mentioned, and I was shocked to see fiery red lines, like red spider web threads. Grandma said these were called cords. These red spider webs seemed to be floating loose, and then, all of a sudden, zap, they would connect to the same exact area on many of the lecture participants.

"I can see it, Grandma. Why is he doing this?" I asked.

"Well I am not sure he knows what he is doing, but what did you notice most about the recipients of the cords from him?" Grandma said. "Well, they were very interested."  More like they are panting for him. Instead of teaching from the heart, he is teaching from the sexual organs." She grunted.

"A teacher must be responsible to the people/students. A teacher should feed the people, not suck their energy or attach them to him /herself by that life cord. Now, that guy is a pretty shallow teacher. He might be popular for a short time, but soon his students will break those cords, or he will break them himself when he has gotten what he needs. Then he will have to go out and do the same thing all over again."

I have spent many years watching, working for awareness, and learning major disciplines to make sure that, when I am sharing with people, it is from the heart chakra up, and not the heart chakra down. Spirit has also shared with me that people can and will try to attach to my energy. I have found that many people seek a teacher so they can reside under that teacher's umbrella of protection and life force, so they won't have to use their own energies to learn in life. This stops the gifts that the Spirit has for their own growth. Early in my Walk, I learned ways of cutting energy cords with others - but always with love.

I have found that ceremonies do this naturally. There is nothing like a Sweat Lodge to purify the mind, heart, and body of all toxins- and I feel a codependent cord is a toxin. I feel that it is good to cut the cords from beings trying to use the energies of others to energize themselves. Being responsible for building my own inner and outer energy fields and giving my energy back to the Earth Mother with love keeps my energy clear.

So many today say, “Please love me," and then cord you so that they're literally draining your sacred life force. You can still love them without making them dependant on your energy, or making yourself dependent on theirs.

Excerpt from the book ‘Thunder’s Grace’, walking the Road of Visions with my Lakota Grandmother.

Written by Mary Elisabeth Thunder.