RITES OF PASSAGE Ceremonial Cycle of Rites of Passage
The cycle of Rites of Passage is an intense experience of ceremonies for the Earth, over a period of 7 days. During this time we offer sweat lodges, sunrise and sunset ceremonies, meditations and dances, as well as diverse rites of passage corresponding to the needs of the participants. This event is held once a year by Blue Eagle, in august. The Ceremonial Cycles that are planned at this time are for a French speaking public. It you still wish to participate go to the Calendar.
Here are the rites that may be offered:
- Marriage
- Receiving a new name
- Becoming a spiritual elder
- Ceremony of the sacred feminine
- Ceremony to bless a sacred pipe
- Vision quests and Moon lodges
- Adoption Rites
VISION QUESTS AND MOON LODGES
Man needs to connect with his true Self and with the mission he is to accomplish on Earth. The best way to do this is in contact with the beauty and truth of nature. This leads to life with a meaning.
The vision quest and the moon lodge are intense and profound experiences. They allow you to restore meaning to your life and to give you a new momentum. Even though these rites are ancient, they are fundamental in reconnecting with the profound nature of the human soul. Therefore, in this modern age where man has often lost touch with his Self, with his profound nature as well as with nature itself, these rites become even more significant and important so that men and women can discover anew their divine and sacred essence.
The VISION QUEST (men)
This quest is a time of contemplation and introspection, covering a period of several days and nights.
This entails being in the middle of nature, facing the elements and yourself. This experience may be challenging: being separated from your familiar environment, staying in a remote location in the middle of nature while fasting for 1 to 4 days. This internal voyage requires courage and the will to open up to different modes of perception, that are made available to you through being on your own, facing yourself without any other reference points other than nature itself and with the ritual context offered by this ceremonial cycle. You will learn to see things differently, to observe the signs and indications that nature provides you and discover the secrets and mysteries that you hold in your soul. When it is experienced with full personal investment, the vision quest allows you to confront and deal with your fears and the darker side which is part of all of us thus allowing the light of being to manifest to its fullest potential.
The discovery of your reason for being requires that you synchronise with the spiritual world, where food, drink and rest are not needed. You are allowed to drink water to facilitate the necessary purification of all the pollutants that we ingest through our daily lives. Overcoming all physical preoccupations is an integral part of this experience. The vision quest is powerful and unforgettable and it opens the way to mastery of Self.
The MOON LODGE (women)
The moon lodge is the vision quest for women. It is easier and softer but just as fulfilling. It is about remembering the fundamental role of women. It creates an opportunity to reflect on and receive one’s profound identity, one’s mission on earth, one’s reason for being.
Because of her monthly cycle, a woman is naturally called to remember her female condition, and because of that, she is often more mature than men who have not received their rite of passage. The man who has experienced his rite of passage has learnt in a demanding and unforgettable way what his masculine essence is.
During this rite, you will benefit from some simple and frugal meals as well as a small shelter (tent, lean-to) where you can rest and sleep. It is through solitude and absence of contact with other humans that you’ll commune with Nature and harmonise with truth.
Information about the length and preparation for the vision quest and moon lodge
The duration of your vigil in nature is 4 days and nights, 3 days and nights or 2 days and nights. Some even choose 1 day and night. You must take into account a day of preparation beforehand and a day of integration at the end (i.e. 24h before and 24h after). So, if you want to do a 4 day and night experience, you must account for 6 days in all, if you choose a 3 day/night option, account for 5 days overall, etc.
How to prepare for visions quests and moon lodges in preceding months
For Women it is straightforward: eat less and meditate in silence and solitude (no phones, computers, TV, reading, radio etc.). Do this one day every two weeks, ideally on the new moon and on the full moon. It is good to do over a period of 2 to 3 months prior to your moon lodge.
You may chant, play music, dance, and exercise, meditate, rest, sleep and so on. In short, during this 24h of preparation, it is important to express yourself and to do what you feel you need to do, but to do so without external support or devices. Reflect on your life mission, your talents and what your contribution to the community is and may become.
Men are usually accompanied by Blue Eagle for a preparation of one year in length. If you have a strong spiritual practice then the preparation can be shorter. Prepare for the vision quest by going one day a week without food and one day a month without sleep. During this night awake you may chant, play music, dance, exercise, write, meditate, but not read or listen to music, in short do not use any external support or devices to stay awake. Reflect on your life mission, your talents and what your contribution to the community is and may become.
MARRIAGE CEREMONY
The ceremony offered to couples wishing to commit to each other and their family is a profound mystical experience. All couple who have experienced it bear testimony to the unforgettable experience they received that has deepened their relationship. Couples who desire to receive a marriage ceremony should register and ask to communicate with Blue Eagle. Blue Eagle will want to talk with you and also inform you of the things you need to prepare for the ceremony.
NAMEGIVING CEREMONY
Blue Eagle gives a new name to people who have been on a moon lodge or a vision quest with him. However having lived the experience does not automatically mean you’ll be given a new name. It all depends on what your experiences were during the quest or the lodge and Blue Eagle will help determine this. One of his gifts is to find the right name. Sometimes the name is there, other times not. A name is not something to be given lightly as it has profound significance and influence on one’s life.
SPRITUAL ELDER CEREMONY
Recognizing that one has wisdom to share and bearing witness to this in front of the spiritual community has profound significance. It will allow one to fully acknowledge his or her wisdom years and display this in a way that induces respect from the whole community. If you are over 51 or are a grandfather or grandmother, and have wisdom to share, you may participate in this ceremony. Preparation is required; men need to prepare a shirt decorated with the symbols representing the wisdom they have acquired and ladies an apron decorated with the symbols representing the wisdom they have acquired.
RECOGNITION CEREMONY OF THE SACRED NATURE OF WOMANHOOD
Accessible to all women after their first moon time.
In First Nation’s tradition, menstruations are called « moon time » because this biological cycle follows the cycle of the Moon. When a young girl has her first moon time, it was a very special time, for her and the community. It carries the promise of a bright future as this lady can now give birth to the future generation, the strongest and most beloved act a woman could perform for the world. This calls for a great celebration.
The women who have experienced such a ceremony have a very high opinion of their femininity. They truly understand the importance of the sacred role which they are to play as women in the community. They also have the teachings from their Elder Grandmothers, the wisdom of generations of wise mothers, the understanding of the mysteries of womanhood and harmony with the cycles of the moon. Thus, a lady who has experienced such an event has great respect for herself and would never allow any man to be disrespectful to her. In these days where current society has forgotten these blessed ways woman of all ages choose to undergo this rite.
Prepare a shawl that can be folded in a triangle that can be worn over the shoulders stretching to both hands when arms are spread out. Decorate it with symbols or images and colors that are close to your heart and that inspire you and put you in relationship with your divine and sacred nature. You can bead, embroider, paint, or use any kind of art you desire to make your shawl. As you are preparing the garment, let your heart be inspired by female personalities that are important or significant to you in your spiritual quest (i.e. Mother Amma, Mary, Mother Teresa, White Buffalo Calf Woman, etc.)
ADOPTION RITE
This ceremony is intended to confirm acceptance by a child (or children) of a new father or mother in a reconstituted family. This is a powerful and profound ceremony that harmonises the bodies and hearts of the parents so that they can become a unified family in all dimensions of being. This encounter can happen during the week of rites.
WITNESSES are important in ceremonies. Offer the opportunity to the ones close to you and ask them to accompany you. If this appears impossible, you can always make requests from the people who are present at this ceremonial cycle to accompany you in this way. People not undergoing or receiving any rite choose to come to act as the sacred witnesses to the courage and integrity of those who celebrate these seasons of human life. Be welcome! Your participation is very precious. During these blessed days there are ceremonies, danses and meditations every day as we pray and accompany those in vision quest and moon lodges. All the other rites are celebrated in the last two days of the cycle.
I do these ceremonies once a year. At this time to a french speaking community in France and in Quebec. I am available to offer them in english if there is a sufficiently strong organisation wishing to host this 7 day event. EMAIL aiglebleu at invocation.ca
Here is an excerpt from my book The Beauty Way that describes in more detail the essence of these rites of passage.
Similar to the changes of the seasons but on another octave are the rites of passage that mark the seasons of our lives. The rites of passage celebrate the coming into a new time in our lives and how this evolution can benefit us and all those around us.
The first of these rites is the welcoming of a new life in the family, the birth ceremony. The newborn child receives his name in the days following his birth. The parents choose the name by looking at events which occurred during pregnancy or delivery. The newborn children were thus attributed names of a poetic nature such as: Great Wind, Red Moon, Moving Waters. When he was still a baby, one of my friends received the visit of an otter near its cradle. The otter ran into the house through a half-opened door and had raised itself with its paws up to the edge of the crib to look down into the cradle. It looked at the baby a few moments and then ran out. From there on his name became in “Innu Aimun” (native language of the Montagnais people): « N’tsukw » (the otter).
When the parents have decided on a name, the father goes out into the night with the baby and presents the baby to the sky and stars so the Creator and the powers of nature may recognize the new child and bless him. The parents will keep the name a secret for a short while; only certain members of the immediate family will be informed.
During the first years of life the community avoids becoming too attached to newborns. As in all of nature, child mortality is higher than in other stages of life. It’s important to understand that nature is always wise and impeccably logical in its function. In fact, if those who present defects for whatever reason die out in the first days of life, then only the healthy ones will later procreate making for a stronger and healthier gene pool. One day we will come to understand that nature has wisdom in its ways far beyond what modern society has contrived. This is also why the wisdom in natural societies keeps the newborn babies in the immediate care of the parents and all other visitations are discouraged. In this way if the baby were to die the grief would be limited to fewer people. This also allows the newborn and the parents to really bond together. Those first days are very important in establishing the proper relationship between the parents and the child. For that reason, only the parents would hold their child for the first three weeks or until the baby’s first smile. Then more members of the immediate family are invited to hold and know the newborn child.
When that child has grown enough to walk then another ceremony is performed called the Ceremony of First Walk. Dressed in beautiful attires, the children make their official entrance into community life. They do this by carrying out a symbolic act while the whole community is assembled at the sacred fire.
The little boys will fire an arrow at a goose that a thoughtful hand will be holding discreetly behind a bush with it’s head moving and making goose sounds. The boy would then go collect his “kill” and bring it back to the sacred fire.
The little girls will bring fire wood to the circle, in a “nimaban”, a sort of large leather or fabric basket which was worn on the back and held to the forehead by a large headband.
Both girl and boy would then go around the circle and each member of the community would welcome and embrace them.
From this day on, these children no longer were the exclusive responsibility of their parents but now have a whole community that will take care of them. In this ceremony the community recognizes that it is responsible and ready to participate in the upbringing of the young children and will be responding to their different needs. This is a great relief to the parents who can now take a well deserved break. It was sometimes the grandparents, indeed, from this age on, that would raise the children. Grandparents generally love to care for their grandchildren and they have more time, wisdom and patience than the younger parents. The parents still remain parents and live with their children; only they now have a lot of help.
At puberty, boys and girls are prepared to become adults. In First Nations communities, the phase that Westerners call adolescence is an unknown phenomenon. In all aboriginal cultures children go directly from childhood to adulthood in a few days thanks to their rites of passage. There are several studies and essays that demonstrate that to fully realize internally what it is to be a man, what it is to be a woman, will allow one to acquire maturity and responsibility. Civilised societies have been obliterating Native earth wisdom for millennia with the result that the wisdom of celebrating in the proper way our ascension to adulthood has been forgotten. So, modern day boys and girls have a crazy period in life called adolescence where they have to experiment on their own, without proper guidance, how to attain adulthood. Many never succeed. Listen to a few hours of deliberations during question period at the National Assembly in Ottawa (Canadian government) and you will find that maturity and responsibility are mostly absent from those who govern us today.
Thus, understanding their role and specific attributes as men and woman being the focal point of becoming adults, the rite of passage is very different for girls and boys. To better understand this, we will look at them separately.
When around thirteen to fifteen years old, the young men, (they need to be considered as men since they already can foster life – thus they do need to already acquire the responsibility that goes with creating children) will start training for their vision quest. After a year of training they are brought to a high place, on a mountain or on a platform built high up on a sturdy tree and there they will go without food, water and sleep for several days and nights. They go without these basic physical needs to harmonize with the spirit world where these needs do not exist. Boys to become men also need to learn control; thus these abstinences are a test. During this time they cry for a vision, meaning that they ask spirit to convey to them who they are: what is their mission in life, who is their totem animal, what are their specific talents, etc. During this time they are also confronted with their fears. To be alone for the first time in their lives, with only a blanket as protection against the elements, will summon from within those aspects of their psychology they have not fully faced. People in native communities live close together and are not scared of proximity, on the contrary they love each other very much, and this aspect of a natural life style is very different from the relative solitude that exists in civilised society, despite the great number of people living in urban environments. To be completely alone, for the first time of their life, is in itself a great test and obliges one to look deep within. In this way all aspects of their personality which need transformation will be revealed. Their inner demons will come out and stare at them and the young men must look with courage at these aspects of themselves. Relentlessly, during the duration of their vigil, they implore their vision, the revelation of their medicine, seeking direction for their lives and their reason for being on earth.
When they return, these young men are no longer children. They had learnt to master their essential needs: hunger, thirst and sleep. They have faced their fears and have come back victorious from this encounter. They know themselves much better and have thus acquired a greater sense of maturity. They have felt with acuity how important others are to their wellbeing and will thus be active contributors to community life and needs. As their talents were revealed they also better understand their role and place within the community. They were now adults.
For the young woman, this passage to adult life begins with a lady’s first moon. In First Nation’s tradition, menstruations are called « moon time » because this biological cycle follows the cycle of the Moon. In any healthy woman living in nature her moon will always happen either during the full or the new moon. Traditionally, when the nations still lived in harmony with nature, all the ladies would be on their moon more or less at the same time and would go together to the moon lodge for a few days of rest and renewal.
When a young girl has her first moon time, it was a very special time, for her and the community. It carries the promise of a bright future as this lady can now give birth to the future generation, the strongest and most beloved act a woman could perform for the world. This calls for a great celebration. The one ceremony that stands out in my mind is the one described to me by OhShinnah Fastwolf, shaman warrior woman of the Apache people. This ceremony is called Changing Woman, who is a very important mythological woman in the “Teneh” tradition. The ceremony would last three days. To begin, the grandmothers prepared the young lady by teaching her about her new role in the community, about the feminine mysteries, about the things that needed to be avoided and the things to look for. They would instruct her on her future relations with men and how to find the right one, and all the things which she had to learn to be a strong, confident and knowledgeable woman. Then, her Elders massaged her with fragrant sacred oils and dressed her in very beautiful clothing prepared specifically for this occasion. She was then presented to the community as the living embodiment of the Great Mother Divinity, Changing Woman. People came from great distances to be in the aura of this great energy. Being in the presence of Changing Woman was a blessing. The young lady, now in the role of a goddess, would remain twelve hours arms stretched out towards the sky, in the traditional posture of the Great Mother Goddess. Her elders would feed her peyote so that she would feel no fatigue and no pain, but only ecstasy and great joy. For a full day she would patiently receive this flood of friendly attention. People came from a great distance to ask her questions. The first thing that came to her mind would be a divinely inspired answer, from the Great Goddess herself. The people would also ask that she touch them to receive the blessings of the Goddess.
The women who have experienced such a ceremony or its equivalent (as all First Nations had similar ceremonies) have a very high opinion of their femininity. They truly understand the importance of the sacred role which they are to play as women in the community. They also have the teachings from their Elder Grandmothers, the wisdom of generations of wise mothers, the understanding of the mysteries of womanhood and harmony with the cycles of the moon. Thus, a lady who has experienced such an event has great respect for herself and would never allow any man to be disrespectful to her.
What western society does with this cannot be compared. The young girl is often left alone with her first moon, having to learn what she can from her inexperienced friends and when lucky, from her mother, who did not have any better circumstances on her first moon. With bitter consequences, the list of which I will not go into, it’s too sad. Suffice to say that leaving a girl to raise an child on her own, rape, prostitution and living conditions that are inferior to those of men did not exist amongst First Nations prior to European contact.
The integration of the sacredness of being a woman was an ongoing process. Every month the ladies would honour their moon time by coming together in the moon lodge. It was a time for rest, meditation, sharing and teachings. The older woman that had seen many grandchildren would come and teach them as would more rarely an elk dreamer, a man with special medicine that made him close to feminine energy and able to share special medicine ways. In this sacred time the woman would offer their blood to the earth, honouring the special bond that unites them with the earth mother. That is one of the reasons that in all traditional societies on earth woman wear skirts and dresses: to be able to give directly to the earth their precious blood. Even today, in this time when ladies are wearing pants like men, the medicine woman still give their blood to the earth, using sponges that they wash and then go out and pour the red water onto the earth, recreating that sacred connection. There is great medicine and wisdom in the moon lodge. The inspiration, intuitions, dreams and vision the watchful mammas had in the moon lodge were listened to and respected by the rest of the community in yonder days. We would be very blessed if we had the courage and the wisdom to come back to those ways.
As made obvious by the description of these rites of passage, once a young man and a young woman have experienced them, they have a much clearer vision and understanding of their roles and their place within the community. There was thus no need for these identity crises that most young Westerners experience, the infamous adolescent crisis. Thus, for all the young adults of earth wisdom based communities their identity and sense of purpose as individuals within their many relationships to the world was clear. The way has been prepared by the elders and extended in front of them, full of promise. Confidence, commitment, maturity and responsibility were the results of these wondrous rites that modern society has forgotten.
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The next rite of passage that a person experiences, the next season in a person life, is that of finding the beloved, forming a couple and committing to this person through the rite of marriage. In Native societies marriage rites are at the same time much less complicated as there is no legal context related to marriage yet more complex as the commitment is much more profound and significant. The question of sexuality also has a very different context than what we find in modern society.
In western society sexuality is a very confusing and profoundly disturbing activity. Puritan societies like the UK and the USA are ready to go to court for what is called sexual harassment, teachers in the school having to be very careful to never touch the children in fear of having incredibly difficult problems. On the other hand pornography and prostitution are rampant and are incredibly degrading. We find such confusion in all civilised countries of the world today.
In all native communities sexuality was considered as a completely healthy and natural activity. Exploration of sexuality generally began at puberty as nature would have it and was a part of the learning about life, as all other teachings. Nothing was hidden and the people were not ashamed or bashful about their sexual lives. That the young person would want to explore his or her sexuality was quite normal and accepted. Despite this acceptance there is always evidence of great respect and even a measure of chastity amongst the young people in all Native communities. Different frames of conduct helped the young people to meet and explore while respecting each others intimacy and free liberty of choice. Let us examine a few of these frames of conduct.
For the Innu (Montagnais) community, making know one’s desire for another was not only reserved to men. The young ladies could also make advances if they had a fancy for some young man. When someone wanted to court another they would discreetly drop a small stick beside the person. If the person picked up the stick and dropped it close to them in return, that was the sign that the person was also interested. The young people would then find the first opportunity to meet somewhere private. One would suddenly be off to fetch some water, and the other would suddenly decide to gather fire wood… I think you can guess the rest of the story!
For the Haudesaunee (Mohawk) communities there was another way of allowing relationships to happen in an atmosphere of mutual respect. It was the young man’s responsibility to make the first move. He would go to the young ladies family wigwam at the beginning of the night after sunset. He would be holding a small burning candle or oiled twig to find the girl’s bed. If the girl would blow out the candle he could spend the night with her. If she did not, the boy would have to leave. The parents were not far away so the young lady was confident that she would be respected.
Courtship in the Sioux communities was done in yet another way. The young lady who wished to be courted would stand outside the family tepee wrapped in a blanket with just her face showing. The young men would then know that this young woman was seeking to marry. To get to know one another the young man would approach her. If she hid her face behind the blanket then the man would know that he was not the chosen one. If the lady did want to get to know the young man she would open the blanket, the young man would move in, and they would close the blanket around themselves. There they would get to know each other, shielded from the inquisitive eyes of any beholders.
As sexuality was considered a healthy manifestation of life and was always conducted in a way that was respectful of all involved, First Nations communities had fewer taboos than in western culture. The only real restrictions were incest and consanguine marriages. As a consequence most couples enjoyed healthy sexuality and durable marriages. Pornography, prostitution, depravation and rape were non-existent in pre-Columbian First Nations communities.
When the young people had made their choice they were ready to start a family. In some nations the young couple would need to get permission from their. As a general rule, the spouses would appoint a medicine- person to host the ceremony. In some nations many offerings to the father of his future bride were required from the young man before receiving approval to marry. This was meant so he could prove that he would be a good provider and protector of his future wife and family.
We may have progressed in our understanding of technology but our understanding of human nature has regressed considerably. One example is the understanding Native people had of the more volatile nature of man and the more loyal and faithful nature of women. Again back to an Apache custom OhShinnàh used to illustrate her teachings. When on rare instances a divorce was sought by one member of a couple the ways to go about it was very different if the applicant was a man or a woman. If a man wanted the divorce he would have to convince first his family and then the family of his wife. If he succeeded in convincing these 2 families that his petition was legitimate he could then petition the medicine person that had performed the marriage ceremony. If this person also agreed, then, he could divorce. If, on the other hand, it was the lady who wished to dissolve the marriage, she had only to collect the effects of her husband and put them out the door! According to Apache understanding, the innate allegiance, fidelity and loyalty of women guaranteed her a surer judgment to decide on the fate of the couple. And as we know, at a certain age, most men get restless and want to experience what’s on the other side of the marriage fence, and that it will pass, and he will then be more than happy to be at the side of one who has been able to put up with him all those years! Thus, most First Nations are matriarchal, and the house and all it contains usually belongs to the wife and mother. This is a wise choice as the mothers are usually much more involved in raising children than men. So wisdom dictates that she should have the stronger word when it comes to decisions affecting the house and the family.
Given the greater work load carried by certain men – medicine-men, shamans and chiefs, they may sometimes have several wives. The chiefs often have numerous diplomatic responsibilities, problems to solve and other tasks that are required as they represent their community. Yet, they do not have a bigger salary or greater wealth to help them in performing these tasks. That is why the first wife, when the work as hostess and mother became too strenuous a job, will choose a second wife to assist the family in their many responsibilities. It was always the first wife who would choose the second one. This was so there would be no rivalry and insured harmony would reign in the household. The first wife, after a strenuous workday, was sometimes relieved that a younger woman could meet the needs of a man who had to express his energy after having performed many important and stimulating functions related to his office as chief. Generally, those who are chosen as chief have a lot of vital energy, and this is not confined to professional or political life.
Shamans and medicine-men offered the hospitality required for numerous patients on visit from afar and there were often many tasks to be carried out because these patients often came accompanied with their families. They too, for the same reasons, sometimes had two wives, the second chosen in the same way. In fact, if we look at the life of aboriginal nations everywhere on earth, we shall find a wide variety of very different customs adapted to the realities in which they live. Nothing is indeed bad in itself; the customs simply meet the needs different nations have.
A healthy atmosphere related to relationships was natural. For example, homosexuality, although a lot less frequent than what we see today, existed. It was the grandmothers who recognized in the young children those whom they named Two Spirits because they had in them both polarities simultaneously. It was not considered as a tare or a shame, simply a biologic difference which was accepted and even celebrated by the community. Two Spirits often became very good shamans as they had an innate understanding of both sexes.
Western societies are having a bulldozer effect on the world of relationships. They prone a very confused vision of sexuality and relationships, throwing opprobrium and scandal on those who do not live according to this unclear criteria. Western society is infected with important sexual abnormalities, pornography and prostitution. Sexual abuse and depravations are rampant. The wisdom of nature and one’s elders is being ignored with dire consequences.
The function of sexuality is to create life. The participation in this miracle is a mystical experience. It is the greatest of all blessings and gives a direction to our reason for being. The most evolved people on this planet sublimate sexual desire. They keep themselves in chastity, preserving their energy until that sacred moment where all is ready to call a new child into the world. This special event will require months and sometimes years of preparation, as preparing the gardens where this child will live are a part of that preparation. Thus, when the time comes to conceive the child, the mystical experience of this coming together is so intense and magical that it can only be described as one of the mysteries of creation. The ecstasy that comes with this union will stay with both parents for weeks, even months. This euphoria has nothing to do with the fleeting pleasures which are often associated with intimate relationships today. In fact, this act of creation is so intense that both man and woman could never dream of being with anybody else. They become a god and a goddess in each others eyes. Childbirth is then experienced without any pain, only ecstasy, and the children conceived and raised in this way have incredible powers and potential.
Many First Nations have simple ceremonies for childbirth. Most often the parents are the only ones required to do this ceremony. A midwife is sometimes on hand but only rarely asked to intervene. Giving birth is a completely natural event that does not require help from others and does not need to be painful. Our society has erred so far from nature that we now have many problems with childbirth, pain and difficult labour being a consequence of our divorce from Mother Nature. In communities living in harmony with nature giving birth is as wondrous as making love. Both parents labour together to bring a new life into the world and the father will coax and love the mother in labour and then catch the baby.
During the first twenty one days of life, the newborn child will only be held and cared for by his parents. In this special time is forged the lifetime bonding of parent and child. It is a special time when the newborn is growing into acceptance of his new life and parents. They await a sign that he accepts this new life and this sign is usually his first smile. All the fuss and emotions of other people are not conducive to the creation of deep links between the child and his parents, bonds that will be determining for the emotional growth and balance of the little one. Until the child has given his first smile visits are limited to the bare minimum and the place where the child has been born is blessed in a very particular way. Indeed, in all communities living in harmony with nature, people maintain a special relationship with the place of birth throughout life.
One of my Indian friends told me of a special event he witnessed with his community when they were still a nomadic band in northern Quebec (Innu). One winter, they had been travelling on snow shoes to reach another winter camp. On this walk a pregnant woman with them went into labour. They were near the end of the day so fairly close to the new camp. Yet, she asked the others to continue on to camp that she would join them later. She made a small bed with spruce branches in the snow and gave birth to her child alone in the woods. A few hours later she joined the rest of the group with her new baby apologizing for her late arrival! This example well illustrates at what point childbirth is a completely natural event for those who live in harmony with nature. I have heard of this numerous times. Women living in harmony with nature and their environment have often shared that giving birth had been for them a blissful and mystical experience devoid of pain.
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When a person reaches 51 years of age or becomes a grandmother or grandfather, he or she can choose to ask for the spiritual elder ceremony. Being an elder is an honoured role in native communities. This is quite different from the treatment elders are receiving in western society. The Elders are honoured as they have acquired great wisdom and carry the memory and traditions of the nation. So the Elders will be celebrated in a very unique ceremony that will confer the title of grandfather or grandmother, even if they don’t have grandchildren, as this is a special title that bestows importance, respect and consideration to those who receive it. Elders have the joyous responsibility of sharing their wisdom and their experience with the younger generations. Contrary to western tendencies, Native Elders are not exiled towards old people’s homes. They live in their community till the end of their days, where they can lead an active life but in a more relaxed ambiance. This allows for the sharing of wisdom and tradition.
Usually the whole community is invited to this ceremony. The elders to be will have prepared a special ritual garment on which have been illustrated the important determining moments of their lives and the medicine they have acquired. During this ceremony they will explain these events and the medicine they carry usually with a lot of humour. These are often very funny and inspiring stories. Having participated in a few of these events I can say that they are without doubt some of the most beautiful ceremonies that I have attended.
Very often we are surprised to perceive the depth of understanding and wisdom these elders are carrying. Many powerful and wise beings are often very humble, not speaking of themselves more than necessary. During this ceremony we discover that they carry incredible gifts, abilities that we did not know they possessed, wisdom that was acquired during very powerful life experiences. And we often learn this in a humorous way, as these elders are often very funny; they have learnt to laugh at themselves. So this ceremony is also very useful as afterward we will know what gifts, abilities and wisdom the elders are carrying and we will be able to call on them when we need them.
That the wisdom we carry be recognized when we reach a certain age is magnificent. There is nothing like this in the western world today.
In certain communities, when the ceremony comes to an end, these Elders are given a sacred pipe and are henceforth authorized to use this medicine. From that moment on, when these elders come to ceremonies or social events, people will take care of them and treat them as distinguished guests. The Elders are important for the future of our communities, they carry our wisdom, our history, our traditions and thus aboriginal natural communities treat them with honour and a loving and respectful attitude.
In many traditional political structures, there is a council of Elders, which, when necessary, will shine its light by offering advice to the community. Thus, the community benefits from the wisdom of the older generation. The Canadian and American governments were inspired by the League of Six Nations (Iroquois). In these countries the council of Elders is called the Senate. These countries however adopted decision-taking by majority vote, while the First Nations have always maintained consensus as the decision-making mode.
Consensus is a decision-making method by which all have to agree and be of one mind for a decision to be taken. Even if there is only one person within an assembly that does not approve a decision, this person can continue to ask questions and discuss the issue as long as she will not have obtained satisfaction that this decision will be the right one. It’s a longer process in some cases, but when the decision is taken all have the certainty that they have acted in best interest of the community. Thus, this actually saves time because we rarely if ever need to go back on that decision. Everyone will also be 100% active in implementing the decision as there is no minority in disagreement with the adopted proposition. The competitive spirit that hinders the implementation of so many decisions that would be beneficial for the people, as seen so often in western political structures, does not exist in traditional communities. All work together.
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After the Elders ceremony, will come the ritual of the ultimate journey, a ceremony of peace and serenity. Death is a very important moment on our journey through life. It is the moment we transcend this world to enter the spiritual world, the moment when we go to renew our beings in the light of Great Mystery. There is no death of the soul and spirit; these are eternal and will come back to earth, if the time spent on earth was meaningful and creative. Thus, when we die our thoughts must be all about life.
I worked for three years as music therapist in a hospital and home for the elderly. It was not rare to see people on the point of dying being full of regret for all that they had not been able to accomplish in their lives. This is very sad. We should all see that moment arrive with the inner satisfaction that we have lived life to its fullest. We have a prayer we say during sunrise ceremony, which ends with the sentence: « it’s a good day to die ».
If today was to be our last day, we would live that day to the fullest without wasting a single moment. An error that is very common amongst western societies is to see death as an enemy, as an obstacle. On the contrary, death is the greatest ally we have. If we live with the thought of our death as an ally, its presence always there in our daily lives, we are more likely to have a full and intense life. Who wants to be found doing stupid things on his last day? If this is your last day you will seek to live an exemplary life and not leave any unfinished business behind. That means being active in conflict resolution and being a loving friend, father or mother, and whatever other role we have towards others, doing everything in a loving way. Actually the thought of our future death will help us to live more in the present moment, to be fully there in the here and now. This is also called living with the warrior spirit, attitude that has nothing to do with war, but everything to do with life!
Thus, when the time really does come, and we are ready for it, there are rituals and ceremonies that can make the crossing a blessed and sacred moment. The person will be washed and will be naked in clean white sheets. We are more comfortable going as we came in, with nothing on. Certain massage movements with specific oils are helpful. We will ask this person to bring messages from our world to the world of spirit, thus empowering death with usefulness and purpose. We recite prayers that convey the essence of our eternal, immortal spirit, and invite that spirit to come back to us in another body. “The spirit never dies it will change worlds and form but it always was and always will be” and words similar to those are spoken in a sacred way. As a fact, the ego or personality is the aggregate and sum of all the feelings, the experiences and memories a person has accumulated during life. After death, this personality or ego disintegrates quietly and the memories are stored in the luminous spirit body. These are essential to the future incarnations of the person in the future. Experience has shown us that when these rites and ceremonies are performed for the dying person there are no convulsions at the time of death. Going into the other world becomes a peaceful, quiet and serene transition. It’s a remarkable fact that many First Nations Elders know the exact moment of their departure and prepare for it in special ways. As in this example that was witnessed by one of my elders.
Here is a good teaching story. A ceremonial peyotl leader (roadman) was offering his last ceremony and passing on his medicine to those who would be continuing the ceremony. This Elder had gathered his family and friends and had brought numerous offerings to share with his guests. As the ceremony was being performed he took great care in talking personally to all of them giving each participant a gift. Once this was done he went into meditation as the songs and prayers continued around the circle. Many hours later, he keeled over, still sitting very straight his body still holding the meditative posture. The people realized that he had been dead for many hours as rigor mortis had already set in. This elder had prepared his transition and had left the world still fully conscious. There are many such stories in First Nations communities. Death is not to be afraid of, it’s but a passage into another dimension.
After the person has passed away, we set up an altar turtle for them and we will often take care of this altar for forty nine days. The spirit sometimes lingers for awhile thus we give them regular offerings of food and objects or photos of places or things which the person liked or wished. We also pray so that the person may to reveal to us where she is going to be reincarnated. We thus recognize the immortality of spirit.
If the deceased was a child, we put on the altar pictures of the things which we would have liked to give them. The women who undergo an abortion can do this ritual to reconcile with the spirit of the unborn. The woman can thus have a place to explain to the spirit of the unborn child the reasons which motivated their choice not to pursue the pregnancy. This helps in alleviating that spirit’s suffering and the woman’s guilt or pain.
When the forty nine day period comes to an end, we dismantle the altar. We pray for the deceased and we release them to go to the other world, to return to the light.
Death is a natural part of our lives. It is important that this sacred moment be experienced in peace and quiet. The more we are in a space of serenity the better the potential for higher realisation and more auspicious rebirth.
In the western world, we are more familiar with a very different process. When people come to the end we hospitalize them. They find themselves in a cold and unfamiliar place, surrounded with people whom they do not know. When they begin to die, everything goes into a frenzy of activity. The hospital staff starts running in the corridors, emergency codes are launched and lights are switched on. Sometimes electro-shock paddles are applied to the patient’s chest and electrical shocks are administered, other times injection of powerful drugs are given to shock the person back to life. All this clearly reveals that western society is afraid of death.
Great Spirit is constantly speaking to us, never directly, always through his creation, nature. As people are more and more estranged from nature, spirituality and life wisdom becomes more and more incomprehensible to them. Death, which is a normal and very important season of one’s life, has become something so complex and abstract that people really have problems coming to terms with it.
A certain consciousness is nevertheless knocking at the door of modern science. In the last part of the 20 century, certain interesting breakthroughs were published. One of the most important, The Tao of Physics, marks an important realisation in western consciousness. Science is beginning to discover these realities that mystics all over the world have known for a very long time. Research in quantum physics, for example, has demonstrated that our spirit can influence matter, that our thoughts determine the reaction of infinitely small particles in the atoms. The discoveries in spirituality and quantum physics reveal numerous commonalities. Yet, western society ignores these discoveries and still functions in a very Cartesian framework of thought and perception. The knowledge and wisdom of natural spirituality (which is quite different from all religions) is cruelly absent from the fabric of western life and the result is suffering and destruction of our ecosystems in a frenzy of consumerism to mask the emptiness of peoples’ lives. Mystery and awe are absent in our rites, in our death, in our daily lives… We do not know how to recognize the true magic of life any more, nor are we amazed by the mysteries of the world.
Neither science, nor religion, nor any system will ever succeed in understanding and explaining everything. Life is far too vast and our mental capabilities, far too limited. Our consciousness contains many dimensions of being and understandings that do not rely on mental or intellectual capabilities. When all layers of human consciousness function as one united whole, then understanding is possible. When a Man aligns all levels of consciousness in a synchronized field of being, He becomes an inseparable part of the Universe, and then, understanding everything becomes possible.
Seeing the beauty and the magic of life, the ability to see the work of spirit in all that surrounds us, reminds us that we are unlimited powerful beings that can co create with Great Spirit paradise on earth.
7 DAYS FOR THE EARTH
Ceremonial Cycle of Rites of Passage
The cycle of Rites of Passage is an intense experience of ceremonies for the Earth, over a period of 7 days. During this time we offer sweat lodges, sunrise and sunset ceremonies, meditations and dances, as well as diverse rites of passage corresponding to the needs of the participants. This event is held once a year by Blue Eagle, in august. The Ceremonial Cycles that are planned at this time are for a French speaking public. It you still wish to participate please click on the French version of this article or go to the Calendar.
Here are the rites that may be offered:
- Marriage
- Receiving a new name
- Becoming a spiritual elder
- Ceremony of the sacred feminine
- Ceremony to bless a sacred pipe
- Vision quests and Moon lodges
- Adoption Rites
VISION QUESTS AND MOON LODGES
Man needs to connect with his true Self and with the mission he is to accomplish on Earth. The best way to do this is in contact with the beauties of nature. This leads to life with a meaning.
The vision quest and the moon lodge are intense and profound experiences. They allow you to restore meaning to your life and to give you a new momentum. Even though these rites are ancient, they are fundamental in reconnecting with the profound nature of the human soul. Therefore, in this modern age where man has lost touch with his Self, with his profound nature as well as with nature itself, these rites become even more significant and important so that men and women can discover anew their divine and sacred essence.
The VISION QUEST (men)
This quest is a time of contemplation and introspection, covering a period of several days and nights.
This entails being in the middle of nature, facing the elements and yourself. This experience may be challenging: being separated from your familiar environment, staying in a remote location in the middle of nature while fasting for 1 to 4 days. This internal voyage requires courage and the will to open up to different modes of perception, that are made available to you through being on your own, facing yourself without any other reference points other than nature itself. You will learn to see things differently, to observe the signs and indications that nature provides you to help discover the secrets and mysteries that you hold in your soul. When it is experienced with full personal investment, the vision quest allows you to confront and deal with your fears and the darker side which is part of all of us thus allowing the light of being to manifest to its fullest potential.
The discovery of your reason for being requires that you synchronise with the spiritual world, where food, drink and rest are not needed. You are allowed to drink water to facilitate the necessary purification of all the pollutants that we ingest through our daily lives. Overcoming all physical preoccupations is an integral part of this experience. The vision quest is powerful and unforgettable and it opens the way to mastery of Self.
The MOON LODGE (women)
The moon lodge is the vision quest for women. It is easier and softer, and yet just as fulfilling. It is about remembering the fundamental role of women. It creates an opportunity to reflect on and receive one’s profound identity, one’s mission on earth, one’s reason for being.
Because of her monthly cycle, a woman is naturally called to remember her female condition, and because of that, she will often be more mature than a man. This difference is even more pronounced if the man has not been through his rite of passage which teaches him in a demanding and unforgettable way what his masculine essence is.
During this rite, you will benefit from some simple and frugal meals as well as a small shelter (tent, lean-to) where you can rest and sleep. It is through solitude and absence of contact with other humans that you’ll commune with Nature and harmonise with truth.
Information about the length and preparation for the vision quest and moon lodge
The duration of your vigil in nature is 4 days and nights, 3 days and nights or 2 days and nights. Some even choose 1 day and night. You must take into account a day of preparation beforehand and a day of integration at the end (i.e. 24h before and 24h after). So, if you want to do a 4 day and night experience, you must account for 6 days in all, if you choose a 3 day/night option, account for 5 days overall, etc.
How to prepare for visions quests and moon lodges in preceding months
For Women it is straightforward: eat less and meditate in silence and solitude (no phones, computers, TV, reading, radio etc.). Do this one day every two weeks, ideally on the new moon and on the full moon. It is good to do over a period of 2 to 3 months prior to your moon lodge.
You may chant, play music, dance, and exercise, meditate, rest, sleep and so on. In short, during this 24h of preparation, it is important to express yourself and to do what you feel you need to do, but to do so without external support or devices. Reflect on your life mission, your talents and what your contribution to the community is and may become.
Young Men are usually accompanied by Blue Eagle for a preparation of one year in length. If you have a strong spiritual practice then the preparation can be shorter. Prepare by going one day a week without food and one day a month without sleep. During this night awake you may chant, play music, dance, exercise, write, meditate, but not read or listen to music, in short do not use any external support or devices to stay awake. Reflect on your life mission, your talents and what your contribution to the community is and may become.
MARRIAGE CEREMONY
Couples who desire to receive a marriage ceremony should register and ask to communicate with Blue Eagle. Blue Eagle will want to talk with you and also inform you of the things you need to prepare for the ceremony.
NAMEGIVING CEREMONY
Blue Eagle may give a new name to people who have been on a moon lodge or a vision quest with him. However having lived the experience does not automatically mean you’ll be given a new name. It all depends on what your experiences were during the quest or the lodge and Blue Eagle will help determine this. One of his gifts is to find the right name. Sometimes the name is there, other times not. A name is not something to be given lightly as it has profound significance and influence on the life one has after meeting with self on the moon lodge and vision quest.
SPRITUAL ELDER CEREMONY
If you are over 51 or are a grandfather or grandmother, and have wisdom to share, you may participate in this ceremony. Preparation is required; please contact Blue Eagle after registering.
RECOGNITION CEREMONY OF THE SACRED NATURE OF WOMANHOOD
Accessible to all women after their first moon time.
Prepare a shawl that can be folded in a triangle that can be worn over the shoulders stretching to both hands when arms are spread out. Decorate it with symbols or images and colors that are close to your heart and that inspire you and put you in relationship with your divine and sacred nature. You can bead, embroider, paint, or use any kind of art you desire to make your shawl. As you are preparing the garment, let your heart be inspired by female personalities that are important or significant to you in your spiritual quest (i.e. Mother Amma, Mary, Mother Teresa, White Buffalo Calf Woman, etc.)
ADOPTION RITE
This ceremony is intended to confirm acceptance by a child (or children) of a new father or mother in a reconstituted family. This is a powerful and profound ceremony that harmonises the bodies and hearts of the parents so that they can become a unified family in all dimensions of being. This encounter can happen during the week of rites.
WITNESSES are important in ceremonies. Offer the opportunity to the ones close to you and ask them to accompany you. If this appears impossible, you can always make requests from the people who are present for the week at this ceremonial cycle.