Shared Vision to offer Ceremony at Crown Point Ecology Center Posted on August 22, 2014 | Comments Off With gratitude, humility and respect, we at Shared Vision are pleased to bring to Crown Point Ecology Center; The Stone Peoples Lodge, a Ceremony of Purification and Renewal that is commonly referred to as The Sweat Lodge. This ancient Ceremony is honored and regarded as a sacred gift from the Creator that various indigenous people around the globe have used to restore balance and harmony in individuals and groups. On a physical level we sweat to remove toxins. Our skin is so effective at removing toxins that it is sometimes referred to as “the third kidney.” As the cold water is ladled onto hot, glowing stones, a hissing, oozing, gurgling sound is created. This primal sound is the song of Creation. This song echoes forth from the primordial ooze as the first song. This song resonates with the ancient truth that we are all related. Accompanying this sacred song is the heartbeat of the Earth Mother, vibrating off and through prayers, songs, chants and rhythmic drumming. These calming, heart-quieting songs allow us to put down our guards and to enter the safe and sacred world of ceremony. Enclosed within the Lodge (the womb of Creation) we lose sight of names, titles, labels and self-importance. As darkness envelops us we begin the arduous task of letting go of schedules, timetables and paradigms. With nothing to see and no words to engage our minds, we begin to feel ourselves letting go of our dependence upon our logical minds. We allow our senses to guide us, our ears to be soothed by the sound of our Mother’s heartbeat and our skin to be opened, enabling the toxins of modern life to be flushed away. The earthy smells of sage, sweetgrass and cedar lift our hearts, soothe our fears and calm our thoughts. We taste the water of life as steam and sweat. Actively present within the timeless space of the Lodge, we experience ourselves connected to the web of life. Our bones connected to the red-hot ancient stones brought forth from the center of the Earth. Our tears and sweat commingle with the blood of the earth, the Water of life. Our thoughts and prayers are carried upon the steam, the Breath of the lodge, the voice of Creation. Our hearts are aflame; our spirits rekindled by the eternal Fire and the spirit that moves through all things. The ancient Lodge of Renewal teaches us that each of us is an individual, yet integral thread in the web of life. Michael Conway
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 18:24:50 +0000