| Ceremonies |
| The following pages are dedicated to the traditional cereomonies carried out by American Indian tribes. They don't focus on one particular tribe, however the Lakota Cereomonies are special and therefore I will indicate these to you. Sometimes it is a good idea to keep a journal of your experiences |
| THE FEATHER CEREMONY Feathers are very sacred to the Indian People, they are links to the air and to the spirit. It is believed that spirirts come to us in the form of birds. By using feathers we can call upon the spirits of the air. The following cereomny will show you how to link to the spirits of the air. 1. On a day when there is no wind, take your feather and sit under a tree. 2. Relax. Breather in through the nose and exhale slowly through the mouth. While you do this, allow your body to become relaxed. 3.Slowly raise the feather above your head with both hands. 4. Lower the feather until it is just in front of your mouth. 5. Gently blow upon the feather. As you do this, move the feather with your hand as if it is beinf carried away by your breath. The spirits of the air will become noticeable in just a few minutes. You should hear the leaves of the trees start to rustle, you may even see some leaves float to the ground. You could notice that the bird activity around you will start to increase. SMUDGING to cleanse the Aura and the Mind Space Smudging is a very important ceremony when you are about to do spiritual work. Sage, Sweetgrass, cedar or tobacco singly or combined is used for smudging Place a portion of sage or smudge mix into the receptical you are using as a burner. Light it with a match and ensure that the mixture is will alight before extinguishing the flame. Hold the burner or herb stick in your left hand and fan the smouldering material with a feather in your right hand ( you can buy smudging feathers or make you own. You can also buy sudging sticks and herbs used for smudging at spiritual shops.) Fan the smoke towards yourself and breath in the aroma of the smoke as you do so. Fan towards your heart, then towards your throat and up over your face and head and then down toward you legs and feet. Try and visualize drawing the smoke into the aura which surrounds you and interpenetrates your physical body. Repeat these actions four times. Having smudged yourself the next step is to cleanse, clear and purify the area around you - your Mind Space. To do this you fan the smoke away from you and into the direction you are facing Start with the East. Smudge the East direction four times and as you do so acknowledge the East and say, aloud or silently; 'SPIRIT OF THE EAST WHERE LIGHT COMES FROM GATEWAY OF THE SPIRIT AND OF THE ELEMENT OF FIRE ENLIGHTEN ME' Turn to your right and smudge the South four times saying: SPIRIT OF THE SOUTH WHERE THE SUN IS STRONGEST GATEWAY OF THE EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS AND OF THE ELEMENT OF WATER STRENGTHEN ME' Turn to the West and four times saying: 'SPIRIT OF THE WEST WHERE THE SUN SETS GATEWAY OF THE BODY AND OF THE ELEMENT OF EARTH TRANSFORM ME' The face the North, smudge four times say: 'SPIRIT OF THE NORTH WHERE THE SUN REST GATEWAY OF THE MIND AND OF THE ELEMENT OF AIR INFORM ME Turn right again to face East and smudge the area above your head four times, saying 'GREAT MASCULINE FORCE BEHIND ALL THAT IS GRANDFATHER SKY EMPOWER ME' Finally, stooop slightly an smudge towards the ground and say: 'GREAT FEMININE FORCE BEHIND ALL THAT IS GRANDMOTHER EARTH NUTURE ME' ' If working in a group you would smudge the others in turn. Always work in a clockwise or sun-wise direction when performing this rite. The Aura and the area around you is now cleansed and purified. Put the burner and the fan down in a safe place where the smouldering herbs can safely burn themselves out. Then pause and become aware of the presence of your own Higher Self and of the powers of the universe that are around you and, indeed, flowing through you. Feel yourself immersed in these energies as if you were the smudge smoke. Now be seated, facing North, with a red marker srone immediately in front of you. (Remember, by facing North you are actually 'sitting' in the South). CENTERING - There are many ways to center yourself in a ceremony. Using one method is very important, the more centered you are the more powerful the ceremony. There are different ways of centering. DRUMMING Needed - A drum and beater, or chanting or drumming tape Estimated time for drumming is 15 minutes 1. To begin drumming, you should quiet yourself and listen to your heartbeat. 2. Begin to drum your heartbeat on the drum. 3. As your heartbeaat shifts, allow your drumming to change. 4. Do not try to change the drum beat rapidlly. A slow, receptive beat is more effective. 5. If your drumming is accompanying a chant, listen to the chant first. Make the drum beat complement the chant, not compete with it. Under no circumstances should you drown out the chant with the drum. 6. You can become more proficent at a drumming by listening to chanting or durmming tapes and drumming along with them. 7. At the end of a chant you should make several rapid beats, which serve the purpose of sending the song our to the Great Spirit and announcing the song is complete. |
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