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SPIRIT
LODGE
LIBRARY
Tools
& Crafts
Page
15
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(Main
Links of the site are right at the bottom of the page)
The links for the 22 pages in this Tools & Crafts section
are below.
Smoke/Sacred Pipe &
their Role in Shamanism
By Lune
Hello all. My friend's funeral was
yesterday and it was very sad, but also a bit bizarre, as for
someone that was a practicing Hindu, it was very Christian *Lune
scratches head puzzled* However I guess there was some reason.
But suffice it to say, although it was helpful to express my
grief on a physical level, it left me spiritually a bit... open?
unfinished? So then we all piled out and stood around outside,
The smokers all having a cigarette, I had a strong urge to have
one. I don't smoke, but being taught by a shaman that smoked,
I used to roll a cigarette and smoke one every now and again
as it helped diffuse energy, in the same way my teacher used
it. So wanting a smoke was a bit weird, but I was able to use
the smoke to say goodbye to my friend in my own way and felt
my love reached him in the spirit world via the smoke. Now what
IS the role of smoke in shamanism? That is how I used it. Had
I had some sage I would have just lit that and let my prayers
rise with the smoke. Or maybe, what is the relationship between
smoke and spirit?
Northernwolf:
You just said it,
it's used to carry messages between world or between us and
spirit.
Cinnamon:
It is
very common during the funeral process to smoke cigarettes in
NA teachings. The smoke is not inhaled though, just used to
carry the prayers to Spirit. Smoke in shamanic terms makes the
unseen seen, can be used to lift prayers to Spirit as it rises,
or to summon visions. This is what it means to "smoke someone".
Through the smoke visions will come clear and you'll gain information
on them. It's sort of like reading an energy signature, Lune,
with visual effects. It's also used in healing sessions sometimes.
I'm sure there are more uses for it but those are the ones I'm
familiar with. Northernwolf was right, you did hit it on the
head. *Soft smile* I just tossed in a couple extra tidbits.
*Grins*
DragonflyDezignz:
In a
lot of Native Ceremonies such as Funerals, cigarettes are put
into a bowl and people help themselves to them. They are used
to smoke in a ceremonial way, or dropped as an offering. When
my husband, a Dakota elder, passed over we had bowls of ciggies
all over the place as a lot of people came to offer condolences.
We made sure they were topped up at all times during those first
days and the wake and funeral.
Lune:
I didn't inhale, me and... was it Clinton? So I was a bit startled
to read that. I didn't inhale for a) I didn't need to in order
to send the prayer through the smoke, I just held it in my mouth.
and b) purely practical reasons of I think after years of no
smoking whatsoever I might have fallen on the floor dizzy from
head-spin!!! Still thinking about the energy signature in visual,
or however you said it. Thanks Cinn and NW Hey that reminds
me of a time when one of my lecturers said of my tattoo "how
are you going to explain that one when you are the prime minister
of Australia, Leonie?" I said very primly "I will
say I didn't inhale" I thought I was very witty!!!
Northernwolf:
You have a tattoo!
I didn't know that. What is it?
Tarra:
Interesting
line of conversation! Greetings All! I have never smoked. The
first time I tried it I puked But lately (after Vision Quest)
I have had the urge to smoke Now I know it's the pipe and prayer
I am craving not the cigarette, but we don't have a pipe carrier
in our group. I’ve known a couple people who have private
pipes. So I guess my question is "What are the ethics to
using a pipe?" and "Do other spiritual paths use a
pipe or smoke?"
Northernwolf:
From what Cinn
told me the ethics of a pipe carrier, hence related to a sacred
pipe are long. But I don’t remember. I'm sure she does
though
Wisowl:
Like Lune and.. Clinton I never inhaled
either! hehehe I think with all the various taboos around using
the pipe in NA ceremonies, I would just let the smoke of a cigar
go up to Spirit, but then I am very much for trying to smoke
a cigar. I always wanted to do that! hehe
Cinnamon:
A ceremonial
Pipe must be handled and led by the Pipe Carrier. A personal
pipe is used privately, can be shared if you feel the energy
of the people you are with are suited to the work you are doing.
So those with pipes can share at the SLC if you want to, or
you may want to pick one up for yourself (or make it!) and use
it privately. If you want more information, Tarra, I have it
but it will take me awhile to get it all down for you. Let me
know if you want it.
Lune:
Making a pipe!!! Now there's an idea... Maybe I could get Eddy
to make me one *Lune bats eyelids at Eddy* Poor Eddy, at this
rate he will never get round to making guitars as he will be
too busy making things for me LOL But what about some plans
or pictures and appropriate ceremony going into the making of
them? It sounds much nicer to make one then any of the pipes
I have seen for smoking that green stuff. They are so tacky.
Hey so it is tobacco they smoke or like sage or what? And is
bought tobacco ok even though it is full of chemicals? To be
honest even if Eddy did make me one, I don't think I would use
it, but still want to know more.
DragonflyDezignz:
I need
to introduce myself to you, I am Gloria, a friend of Cinnamon's
and I am making the new website for her. She has told me that
I can add to any of the pages, and have added a few comments
here and there. My late husband was a 4th generation quarrier
of the sacred stone and a Pipemaker for over 50 years, he was
Sisseton/Wahpeton Dakota. He passed in 2010 of cancer. I am
English and since his memorial (a year after his passing) I
have been living back in the UK. He and I owned and ran the
Little Feather Indian Interpretive Center in Pipestone, Minnesota,
since the 80's, which is where we met Cinn. Over the years I
have watched him quarry and make Pipes, I have answered people's
questions about the Pipes and about the quarrying and the genuine
Catlinite that comes from the sacred quarries. Before he passed
he asked me to write a book about the Pipe, and all that goes
along to get to the finished item. I am in the process of that
right now. I have been a Pipe carrier for over 30 years and
do ceremonies for people who aren't able to. Usually for healing.
My late husband working on
a Pipe stem in the Center. Notice the Orbs alongside of him.
Cinnamon:
Yes,
there is special tobacco to use, not store-bought commercial
grade at all. And the process for making a pipe is ceremonial
for many aspects go into it. It's like fashioning any tool,
and since this is the NA tradition it should follow their teachings.
If you decide to do this, and it is a lengthy process, you are
welcome to email me and I'll send you information so you can
do it right. There is ceremony for using it too be it privately
or in a group setting, certain ways to handle the Pipe, different
uses call for different applications. We can discuss this somewhat
here on the board, but I don't want to put out 1/2 the story
and have anyone think that's all there is to it either. So I
hope you can understand why I may sound a little guarded here.
Using a Sacred Pipe is not something that should ever be taken
lightly. It's a responsibility and it needs to be honored as
such. Not that you wouldn't, but others might not so it does
concern me that I get that point across.
Earthwalker:
How do non-smokers handle
pipes in ceremonies?
DragonflyDezignz:
They tap
it on each shoulder to honor it Earthwalker, then pass it to
the next person.
Mum Osprey:
I have been doing
my genealogy and one of my gg grandfather's was a pipe maker
in 1860's and I was surfing the web and I came across a site
on American Indian pipes, but I didn't take much notice of it
as I was looking for pipes made in U.K. in the 1800's. Now you
have me interested and I will have to go back to see if I can
come across that site again.
Tarra:
Greetings
All! Sorry I disappeared It's been a whirlwinds of 3 weeks.
First off my sister has to have by-pass on her heart. Any prayers
and energy is greatly appreciated. Then we got 1/2 a buffalo,
her robe and skull to be processed. Great meat!! but the robe
could take up to a year to process. Sorry I didn't announce
the Sweat Lodge Ceremony done Sat. Jan. 18th. Some of you found
us because it sure was crowded Because of a full lodge I did
close this energy. If anyone needs SLC please feel free to ask
me. And now on to the point of this post I have felt the need
to smoke a pipe since my Vision Quest. I don't own one, would
like to and our groups' Pipe Carrier is in Washington state.
Yes, Cinnamon, Please teach me about the Pipe. Shall we take
a poll and see if it could be a lesson here at Spirit Lodge?
I know you are busy, and will help any way I can. We have all
been asked to use our pipes and pray for Peace. This comes from
Art RunningBear and a core group from Reno, NV. Which fits right
into my needs, funny how that works
Cinnamon:
Hello
Tarra, Yes, of course prayers and energy will be sent to your
sister! No question about that. *Soft smile* Mine are on the
way. As for the Sacred Pipe, yes, I can teach some lessons on
that, and if there is enough interest here I'll be happy to.
I wouldn't be able to find that time until after the end of
the month though. If that's okay with everyone then I'll start
the project then. I'll wait and see how much interest there
is between now and then. Otherwise we can do that by email.
Hello Earthwalker, as for non-smokers handling pipes in ceremonies,
the smoke is not inhaled, just kept in the mouth and then released
(except for certain situations such as healing sessions where
the recipient of the healing inhales to cleanse and purify)
it's not a problem for those who are non-smokers. This is not
done with commercial tobacco either (except in extreme emergencies),
more often it is herbal mixtures sometimes called KinnickKinnick.
Lune:
I would be interested in having some lessons on it. To be honest,
Cinn, I am not thinking it likely I WOULD make a pipe, (I have
it in my head it is pretty hard, and complex to make a pipe?)
Not to mention I would be afraid I would get something wrong
in the use of it, as I have a very strong tendency to "make
it up as I go along" and might not suitably honor the NA
traditions properly. (this may sound like an excuse, but it
is true. To understand adequately to be able to do the
NA ceremony properly with honor, I would need to go to America
so I would at the very least know the LAND and so forth So many
things of NA are "not quite right" for Aust. and need
adjusting, let alone for tropical Aust.) But there is no harm
in learning the theory, and I am sure one day I will make it
to America, then after that maybe....
Tarra:
Greetings,
I've already started a stem. The piece of wood came to me at
the last Sweat Lodge Ceremony as for the bowl I was reading
in 'Mother Earth Spirituality' by Ed McGaa about a white stone
native to Nevada. Soft like pipestone. I was shown a white bowl
with a blue bird on it when I did breath work 3 years ago. We
will see if I can make a bowl, that would be the hard part.
DragonflyDezignz:
My late
husband was a friend of Ed McGaa, he is mentioned in Ed's book
'Mother Earth Spirituality', Ed used to come and get his stone
from my husband.
Cinn -
kinnick kinnick is usually tobacco based but has other botanicals
in it as well. The name means 'that which is mixed' and each
region has it's own blend depending on what botanicals they
have available. Chuck used to make his own version of it that
was very mild, I miss it. If anyone has any questions about
the Pipe and quarrying the Catlinite I would be happy to answer
them for you.
If you
are interested in making a Pipe yourself, directions can be
found HERE.
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Libraries
are on this row
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INDEX
Page 3
(Main Section, Medicine Wheel, Native Languages &
Nations, Symbology)
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INDEX
Page 5
(Sacred Feminine & Masculine, Stones & Minerals)
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©
Copyright: Cinnamon Moon & River WildFire Moon (Founders.)
2000-date
All rights reserved.
Site
constructed by Dragonfly
Dezignz 1998-date
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