wisdom of our elders (both alive and deceased). Mother Earth, Thank you for your beauty, And for all you have given me. Four Directions Prayer - Lakota Creator, it is I. She has completed The Energy Medicine Training which integrates ancient shamanic teachings with leading edge neuroscience. Stream The Ultimate Healing Prayer by In The Flow w/Lauri Albert on desktop and mobile. Through the radiant alchemy of balancing body, mind, and spirit, in order to connect with the aliveness of life. Keep us under your wing Spirit keeper of the South, Wolf, Be with me. Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D., is a psychologist and medical anthropologist who has studied the shamanic healing practices of the Amazon and Andes for over 30 years. 3. When a Native American prays to the four directions, it is a prayer to the spirits of the world, to life and the Great Spirit that encompasses the four directions and everything that is. May I have eyes as sharp as yours, so I am able to see truth and hope on the path I have chosen. truth and hope on the path I have chosen. Creator, hear my prayer, and honor my prayer. Begin by placing the kindling in the form of a Southern Cross and then . The moment the fire becomes friendly it changes color and burns in a different manner. Barbara lives in Switzerland, where she follows her passions in deep union with Mother Earth. She offers consultations in German and English and is skilled at supporting others to bring back lightness, color and joy of life. Seasonality: The wheel of the directions can be laid over a seasonal calendar which for us places spring in the East, summer in the South, fall in the West and winter in the North (see photo above). When praying or engaging in anything sacred, the Lakota look to the four directions. Great Spirit of Creation, send me the warm, gentle and refreshing winds from the South. As you determine what qualities, gifts, elements and power animals to acquaint with each direction I have a simple framework for you to start with. You do these fires alone (or with another mesa carrier from this Lineage). Great Mystery, teach me how to trust my heart, my mind . articles, questions or humor to: It is often represented by the color white. In their worship the Dakota Indians (Sioux) are very attentive to the Four Directions. The only protection when touching the fire is to come before it with a pure heart. Please seek professional care if you believe you may have a condition. Waters that cleanse us on our death These instances provide the opportunity to translate your intent for healing into reality. Oro Nika Oro Nika : lah-kota o-ya-tay, indian people or nation, Sioux Lila wakan: very sacred Luta: lue-dah, red Makha Sica: ma-ka- she-cha, makha is earth, sica is bad; means "Badlands" ), fold the tobacco into the cloth creating a pouch, and then tie them together with string. Nick Polizzihas spent his career producing and directing feature This is a prayer from the Native American Lakota tribe, by Vera Dery. Red is decision, as Man determines whether to revert to Black or go on to White. Bring healing to the people I love and to myself. The Four Directions Prayer song derives from the Native American Inipi (sweat lodge) Ceremony. West (Black) As Black Elk says, " toward the setting sun of his life." Guide my step and give me courage to walk the circle of my life with honesty and dignity. path, and I share it with complete respect for the lineages from which it comes. Creator, hear my prayer, and honor my prayer. Send to seharrill@gmail.com, View Alphabetical Article List from InnerWords Messenger, document.write (" Qualities of the South: midday, summer, adolescence,physical body,mature crops, harvest, abundance, element of earth or fire, the Sun or Mother Earth, process, dance, vitality, fullness, ripeness, maturity, red, orange, yellow. 1 Inipi Olowan; Vol. A former Social Worker and Retired Director of Technology, Larry found the Four Winds in 2014 and dove in to begin to dream his world into being. From the east you receive the gift of a new beginning with the rising of each morning Sun, the . - Because the southern sky is when the sun is at its highest, this direction Thank you for todays sunrise, for the breath and life within me, and for all of your creations. [}+j:z{`6dX;!g2>t&abR Let me remember everyday that the moment will come when my sun will go down. When a Native American prays to the four directions, it is a prayer to the spirits of the world, to life and the Great Spirit that encompasses the four directions and everything that is. Lynn has taught creativity classes, is an active energy medicine practitioner, and loves to teach. May I have eyes as sharp as yours, so I am able to see truth and hope on the path I have chosen. Begin the chant to call upon the Spirit of the Waters beneath the Earth: Nitche Tai Tai, N-U-Y Pray to Him, pray to Him! Pray to Him, pray to Him! Qualities of the Center: In the moment, timeless, ageless, integration of all bodies, openness, channel/hollow reed, grace, connection to above and below, trees, mountains, inspiration, rainbow, all colors. It is associated with our above us, all that comes to us from on high to enlighten us, I cherish. So, the translation and meaning of many of the lyrics do not perfectly match any language - some translates directly and some meanings are synthesized as close as possible. South (White) Great Eagle, Condor. After all the offerings are made, the oldest person or youngest person places the Pachamama stick in the fire. Lakota Prayer Ties. The only protection when touching the fire is to come before it with a pure heart. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, thoughts and experiences with us Stacey! She is author of Awakening Your Inner Shaman:A Woman's Journey of Self-Discovery through the Medicine Wheel. Second, and related to this first aspect of Lakota spirituality, is the fact that prayer defines one's place within the community and creation. To help you determine your own, unique blend of qualities to associate with the directions I offer the following ideas that Ive accumulated from studying a number of cultures and nature herself. As each day passes, help me to surrender, with grace, the things of my youth. You can touch it lightly or go deeply into the flame. To the winds of the East Let there be light in my words, let there be light on my path that I walk. Unfold me like the gentle breezes that unfold the leaves on the trees. If you lived at the equator you would only recognize two seasons, rainy and dry, or if you lived at the poles you would recognize light and dark, so your associations would be different. Teach us the Beauty Way, West He is trained as a systemic coach on the ISC Finger in 2011 and shamanic energy medicine withe Alberto Villoldo. Teach us to shed the past the way you shed your skin, Teach us the way of peace, to live impeccably, Hummingbird, Grandmothers and Grandfathers, And you who will come after us, our childrens children, Come to us from the place of the rising Sun, Show us the mountains we only dare to dream of, Teach us to fly wing to wing with the Great Spirit, Weve gathered for the honoring of all of your children, The four-legged, the two-legged, the creepy crawlers, The finned, the furred, and the winged ones, Father Sun, Grandmother Moon, to the Star Nations, Great Spirit, you who are known by a thousand names, In Inka, Hopi, Tibetan, Mayan, and other indigenous societies throughout the world, the elders carry on the tradition of gathering around a fire when the moon is full and dreaming of a world that theyd want their childrens children to inherit. Primarily as you probably know, his choice is based on the colors being the four races of Man. Then another three-year period was spent doing it alone (or with your teacher) before you, attempted to do it for others. East (Yellow) -Direction of the Eagle representing illumination. And never let me be burdened with sorrow by not starting over again. North Creator, it is I. there is a unifying spiritual element that has been used for millennia to bring West, When praying with the Sacred Pipe, both in private and public ceremony, they face each direction successively, beginning with the West. The Cardinal Directions have symbolism and meaning that are very important to your Spirit, Totem, and Power Animal quest. Your email address will not be published. Great Spirit, you who are known by a thousand names The transformational fire ceremony is done on the full moon of each month. Steffen is initiated in the tradition of the Laika, the shamans of the Qero, who have their home in the Peruvian Andes. with love and intent and participate in the dreaming process. For this reason, west signifies As a shamanic energy medicine practitioner, Dr. Iris provides a personalized healing experience that assists her clients to achieve mental clarity, physical vitality, emotional equilibrium, and spiritual growth. For this reason, the west is also the source of water: rain, lakes, Thank you for todays sunrise, for the breath and life within me, and for all of your creations. When the Lakota pray, or do anything sacred, they see the world as having four directions. Stacey empowers people with the ability to explore their purpose and calling. Great Spirit of Creation, send me the warm and soothing winds from the South (yellow). It will let you know immediately if your intention or attitude are not pure or in tune with the tradition. To the winds of the South 2 0 obj Spirit keeper of the west, Brown Bear, be with I'm sending my plea. Help me to remember to love and feel compassion for all mankind. They become the moon and the stars, fire and the smoke, each other and themselves, no one and everyone. Yellow is fruitfulness. Today we sit in the stillness and listen to the beautiful Lakota Four Directions Prayer by Vera Dery and ask Spirit to bless and heal us in every aspect of our lives. Wocekiye (Lakota: Wohkiye, "to call on for aid," "to pray," and "to claim relationship with"). *, 2019 Wild Gratitude LLC. If it doesnt, try the element somewhere else or have it in both places. Today. I come to you and ask for the strength and the power to bear what is cold and harsh in life. He is sitting there looking this way! She values mindfulness, wonder, and compassion in her daily spiritual practice. Let there be light in my words, Let there be light on the path I walk. When the fire is friendly, the space holder opens the ceremony of offerings by making their offering to the fire (with someone at their back). Qualities of the West: dusk/sunset, fall, adulthood,emotional body, leaves dropping from trees, letting go/death, the void, element of water,the womb, the Moon,surrender,trust and faith, the unknown, the unconscious, black or blue. components of the inner landscape that we all possess, and each holds gifts that So, if the association of teal with the south speaks to you, that can go in your own personal interpretation of the wheel. BRYU2GgJjlCDS3!U*'_dnFW"Zm5sCDo:6QqNm"Vvcg!HPbci_r&$kzpUnsW}d_go!#q .oKVgj6(* k As you create additional prayer ties, add them to the same string, spacing the prayer ties so that they are three to four inches apart. They become the moon and the stars, fire and the smoke, each other and themselves, no one and everyone. Thank you for todays sunrise, for the breath and life within me, and for all of your creations. Genre Religion . I need your strength and wisdom. Guide my step and give me courage to walk the circle of my life with honesty and dignity. Great Spirit of Light, come to me out of the East (red) with the power of the rising sun. Today she is a happy nomad who practices shamanic healing along the Way. Have pity on me. This is often represented by the color red. When people pass into the spirit world, Elise Kost has devoted two decades to guiding individuals and groups to claim courage and fully personify their beauty and joyful vitality of body, heart-mind, and spirit. At eagle (at the level of Spirit), they see the larger picture before them and understand the totality of the dream without being able to express it or define it. Copyright 2023 Akt Lakota Museum | An Outreach of St. Josephs Indian School - All rights reserved. It is associated with our mind and the season of winter. Bring healing to the people I love and to myself. You will receive a link to create a new password via email. Are you asking for help from all of creation for a healing? endobj (LogOut/ xZm6h5#I$]p-Zd!_Bl)'k~%ze8gfy~}H~z^3&)suKF*fy{;no-D L&s0e;{X?noNdN~~+"%M(w%HyC]RNdCu=:'RN$Ld7WL>:j^zOUtI9+\/ia/DO}+*1ZbY,Y*K+&v)wpX0O. Central to this spiritual practice is the mythology of Wak Tka, or the Great Mystery. Keep me open to lifes changes. Through working with Stacey, lost seekers find their way home and professional spiritual guides receive mentorship. O Great Spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to you. Oh, sweet power. Appropriate for progressive worship and in school settings. I have never heard this ordering repeated or affirmed by anyone else or at any other time. The word is sometimes used to denote the practice of contemporary Lakota Spirituality.The Lakota prefer the word spirituality, as opposed to the practice of religion. Because I am now working part-time I have the time to slow down and be fully present and connected to these energies that are available at all times but out of habit I do not make the time. Prepare the fire. Let me move through life ready to take what comes from the north. Let there be light in my words, let there be light on my path that I walk. Some of the most common ones include the Earth Prayer, the Great Spirit Prayer, the Morning Star Prayer, the Four Directions Prayer, the Medicine Wheel Prayer and the Sun Prayer. THE FOUR DIRECTIONS Plus When the Lakota people pray or do anything sacred, they see the world as having four directions. the earth. Let me remember always that you give the gift of a new day. Oh, Great Spirit, Whose voice I hear in the winds and whose breath gives life to all the world. Recognize this opening and seize the opportunity to change your behavior in the real world. Whatever danger or tension or conflict there might have been, it is now all past; now the Camp can rest. (LogOut/ the color associated with a direction can be vastly different. Creator, hear my prayer, and honor my prayer. Black is the condition of Man as he stands before Wakantanka (Wakan - Mystery - - - Tanka - Great). She works with beginner and life-long spiritual seekers. A wise and heart-centered shamanic energy medicine practitioner who also practices functional nutrition through detoxification and plant centered healing. Traditionally, one participated in a fire ceremony for approximately a three-year period before beginning to do it for yourself. The content on BayArt is designed to support, not replace, medical or psychiatric treatment. Great Serpent A Native American Prayer for Peace. The Medicine Wheel, or Wheel of Life, is represented by the four directions. Creator, hear my prayer, and honor my prayer. This change will be learned from direct observation and thicker and more substantial than a personal offering stick). As you give to all the earth your warm, moving wind, give to me, so that I may grow close to you in warmth. Weve gathered for the honoring of all of your children This is often represented by the color black. O our Father the Sky, hear us and make us strong. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The latest news on WordPress.com and the WordPress community. Give me strength and endurance for everything that is harsh, everything that hurts, everything that makes me squint. Blessing to the Four Directions 1 In times past it was [] Make my hands respect the things you have. The direction from which the sun comes. The Prayer of the Six Directions A Lakota prayer as understood by John Staudenmaier, sj The West: Whence the Thunder Beings come, bringing storm and crisis, requiring courage and . South represents youth, sweetness, and the water You can add as many prayer ties as you like, but there should be no cuts made to the string except at . of snow. %PDF-1.5 It is the youthful spirit exploring a brave new world. You are advised to think of the fire ceremony not as an instantaneous magical change, but rather an opening for healing distinctive habits and patterns. Have pity on me. made and my ears sharp to hear your voice. As each day passes, help me to surrender, with grace, the things of my This is often represented by the color Learn More about Stacey. <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Back. We look to the north for inner healing and insight from those who have represents the trials people must ensure and the cleansing they must undergo. Wrap your coils of light around us https://paypal.me/RitaRoArtist?country.x=GB\u0026locale.x=en_GB recording and artwork: Rita RoLakota Prayer(Background music: Carlos Nakai)Four DirectionsCreator, it is I. Show me it is right Yellow is Peace. Test the fire for friendliness. Spirit Keeper of the West, Brown Bear, Be with me. Guide my step and give me courage to At the heart of the Shamanic path is the contract to live in harmony with nature, self, community, and spirit. Whatever man does to the web, he does to himself. The Medicine Wheel. Karen is a graduate of Georgetown Law Center and holds masters degrees in Public Health and Public and International Affairs (JD, MPH, MPIA). Try it in the East for a time and see if that resonates with you. Change). At hummingbird (at the mythic level) they offer their contribution without comprehending how it fits into the collective dream. Depending on the culture, the color associated with a direction can be vastly different. A graduate of the Four Winds with master certification in Energy Medicine, she is also part of the faculty of The Four Winds Society. Fly high as you carry my prayers to the creator. She is a passionate poet, life coach, energy medicine practitioner, master certified Four Winds graduate, and lead faculty of The Four Winds Society. Let there be light in my words, let there be light on my path that I walk. White is life. Ooo Ai. Your Grandmother lies beneath us. my path with joy and love for myself, for others, for the four legged, the Steffen has a background in consulting and digital media before he answered Spirits call to hold sacred space for his clients. CHAMBERLAIN As the sun peaked over the dark eastern horizon, bright shades of red and yellow, fringed by the white edge of a band of stratocumulus clouds spelled out "This is Native American . Outside the center, there is an inner circle representing the Old Woman (the earth), Father Sun, Grandmother Moon, and the four elements. your creations. Greatly influenced by Nature and devoted to the Mystery, Elise helps others discover the Sacred, deepen their sense of trust, self-compassion, empowerment, and love for the transformational journey of creating a conscious life of wisdom, peace, and inspiration. And as You give to all the earth your warm moving wind, give to me, so that I may grow close to you in warmth. North (Red) This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. cleansing. spirit. Creator hear my prayer and honor my prayer. can be used to better understand ourselves. We have a deep connection to nature and it helps us establish and maintain balance, health, and wellness. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The Mayan acknowledge seven directions: east, north, west, south, up, down and centre (in that order). Unfold me like the gentle breezes that unfold the leaves on the trees. The four ages may also refer, microcosmically, to the four phases of a man's life, from birth to death. and pleasant winds come from the south. On that evening, they quietly arrive in a circle of dreamers, knowing that while what they have to offer is just a tiny piece of the larger puzzle, its important that they show up with love and intent and participate in the dreaming process. I hope it helps you on your path. Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love, to respect, and to be kind to each other so that they may grow with peace in mind. It will let you know immediately if your intention or attitude are not pure or in tune with the tradition. They feel immersed in love, connected to all. I ask for the blessings of the sunset. Charles Alexander Eastman's THE SOUL OF THE INDIAN After University, Emma began exploring different philosophies in search of healing from deep anxiety, OCD, and a racing mind that she has experienced throughout her life.