Tribal peoples observe ceremony
for many different reasons. There are the Sacred Ceremonies which
Creator gave the People to Honor Him, maintain balance in the world, and
insure an abundance of crops and game.
Some Ceremonies mark important occasions in a person's life. These
include those done to welcome young women into adulthood after they've
observed their first moon. Similar ceremony's are done for young men to
mark their entrance into manhood. There are vision quests which guide us through life, as well as
weddings, baby blessings, and funeral ceremonies. Protection ceremonies
are done to prevent an enemy from harming an individual or village.
Each ceremony marks the center point of life, honoring the exact place
each of us needs to be at that time. One of the most important types of
ceremony is the Healing Ceremony. They are done for individuals who are
suffering physical or emotional
illnesses and often involve healing the whole family or tribe as well,
since all things are connected. They may involve herbs, fasting, ritual
acts and prayers which have been handed down faithfully from generation
to generation.
In the old days, when our young men (or women) came back from war, it
was understood that these warriors needed cleansing from the trauma and
"bad spirits" that they had encountered doing what had to be done. Some
tribes kept the warriors isolated from the village for several days
until the ceremony was performed and they were healed, thus insuring the
whole village wasn't
infected.
Today we have so many warriors who suffer from post traumatic stress
disorders. Unable to find peace in their spirits, they suffer in agony
along with their families and communities. I heard on the news the other
night that they wanted to get these men mental
help quicker than before to deal with many of the problems a soldier has
to face when returning home from war. Wouldn't it be better if they
could prevent the problem in the first place?
There is a Healing Ceremony among many tribes which takes care of this.
Some tribes call it the Ghost Sickness Ceremony. The Ceremony itself
varies according to the tribe, but usually after fasting and other
preparation, the "Medicine Man" and others enter the sweat lodge with
the warrior and healing songs and prayers are offered. Once cleansed of
the "ghost sickness" the warrior takes up life as he once knew it.
We are in a time of rebalancing this World. The Ceremonies given us by
Creator are a major part of this balancing. Each of us has to decide who
we are and what path we're on. We can no longer walk with one foot on
two trails.....
This is why the Earth is sick. This is why we are sick. Decide who you
are. Time is short.
|