“While going about my business, I remember the lodge is my home" -Elder Headworth
Our Lodge and some meaning and understanding of the sweat lodge ceremony:
In Aboriginal culture, the sweat lodge empowers the natural elements of our being as a means of purification and prayer. The four elements are water, air, fire, and earth. Each element brings a quality of balance to our lives. As you participate in the ceremony, you are purified with breathing, meditating, and in the sharing of words, prayers, songs, and storytelling. A lodge ceremony is a gentle and caring approach to the cleansing of your mind, body, and spirit. Through the experience, your body is cleansed of the toxins within your body, which aids in the de-stressing of your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. The non-threatening, non-imposing, and safe environment allows you to seek your greater power.
For those of you who have never attended a sweat here are some things to expect:
- It will be completely dark inside the lodge (no light). This signifies the womb of Mother Earth or going inward.
- There will be four rounds. Between each round there will be a break to get up, stretch, get water.
- There will be drumming (most likely) and singing (most definitely) in the lodge.
- There will be personal sharing, you can pass at any time by saying "All my Relations" after you are done speaking say all my relation and the next person will go.
- If for any reason during the lodge it is too hot and you need out just say, "All my Relations open the door” in a clear crisp voice … if the need is urgent do not wait for the other prayers or voices to stop speaking if you can wait for a puase do so and speak loud enought for everyone to hear and the door will open... if it doesnt do so again or if you hear these words repeat them loudly for all to hear.
The Four rounds are in honour of four grandparents or four directions.
Six Colours are also used in the sweat lodge ceremony.
Colour Red in honour of the Red Race or First Nation people, the gift given to the Red Man is the gift of vision to be able to look backwards in time or to be able to see into the future.
Colour Yellow in honour of the Yellow Race or Chinese people; the gift they were given is time. They are an ancient people in their beliefs and religion.
Colour Black in honour of the Black Race or Black people; the gift they were given is reason, to be able to reason with things.
Colour White in honour of the White Race or White people; the gift they were given is movement, to be able to move things like jets, planes, and cars.
Colour Green in honour of Mother Earth, giver of new life to all creation. She gives life to all: two legged, four legged, ones that fly, ones that crawl, ones that swim, insects, trees, water, rocks and grass.
Colour Blue in honour of Father Sky - Creator and God/Great Spirit; the ultimate of all Universal Powers. Blue is a sacred colour.
Round 1 – Gratitude. In this round we honor all things with our gratitude Mother Earth, the Fire, Rocks, Water, and Steam Spirits. All the participating individuals say prayers of thanks. Sacred songs are sung, people can either pray silently, in their traditional language or in English. We call for the door by saying "All our relation." to open the door...
Between the rounds we check in and share as the Fire keeper brings more Grandfather/Mother (stones) in...
Round 2 – Feminine. In this round we honour all sisters, because women are the backbone of Life as they bring new life into this world and become our first teachers. We have to remember that our society is one of balance and the important roles that women fill. We pray for our Mothers, Sisters, Grandmothers, Nieces, Cousins, Aunts, Elders, Pipe Carriers, Spiritual Advisers and all Sisters. We pray for each other, we remember all our relations, prayers and song are sung. We call for "All our relation." to open the door...
Between the rounds we check in and share as the Fire keeper brings more Grandfather/Mother (stones)...
Round 3 - Masculine. In this round we honour all our Brothers. We remember our Fathers, Grandfathers, Uncles, Nephews, Cousins, Elders, Spiritual Advisors, Medicine People, and Pipe Carriers. We ask the Creator to restore balance and forgive us for our wrong doings. We humble ourselves, cry, and sacrifice in our own tradition for our people. Sacred songs, drums, and rattles move and when it is time we call "All our relation." to open the door...
Between the rounds we check in and share as the Fire keeper brings more Grandfather/Mother (stones) in. We share the Chanupa or Pipe...
Round 4 - Self. In this round, we honour ourselves now that we have prayed for everyone else. We ask the Creator to help us with our daily living challenges and whatever else has brought us to the ceremony. We often all pray aloud at once... songs are sung and the water is poured one last time and we call for the door.
We exit when it is our time, some may make a final offering to the fire. We sit with our relations and share food.
Round 5 - Mystery. In some traditions there can be an Elders' round for the Great Mystery. This occurs when grandfathers' have split in the fire or an instance where signs have been received or requested by the medicine people.
In this round, we sit with the Creator and listen, the water is poured and the spirit of the Great Mystery speaks.
“Treat the earth well.
It was not given to you by your parents,
It was loaned to you by your children.
We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors,We borrow it from our Children." - Elder