Forgiveness As A Ceremony

For many, forgiveness is an old-fashioned word associated with heavy memories of religious upbringing and rarely associated by the sweet relief from pain it is intended to produce.

The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary states that  “Forgiveness is the act of forgiving. To forgive is to give up resentment of or claim to requital for (an insult); to grant relief from payment of (a debt); to cease to feel resentment against (an offender); to pardon (one’s enemies).”

The Twisted Hair Elders speak of forgiveness as dainishu (dah-nee-shoo). “From my heart, I give away any animosity, resentment, grievance, indebtedness, hostility, or hate and erase these forever from my circle of experience.” Life is restored to determinative understanding.

In the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path, forgiveness of the self, life and others is critical to our path to enlightenment and operating within Sacred Law to never harm the children of our planet. Forgiveness heals our wounded, fractured selves and creates a place for light and new dharmic possibilities to emerge from the darkness and pain of self-pity and karma.

If we desire an authentic, fluid, intimate relationship with ourselves and others around us, the first step is to acknowledge what needs to be forgiven and go into ceremony to release that which must be forgiven and released back to Spirit. We do this for ourselves, and we do this for the 7 generations before and the 7 generations to come.

To engage in forgiveness as a ceremony for yourself, we offer you this Flowering Tree Ceremony to do on your own with Great Spirit. Forgiveness – Flowering Tree Ceremony

Some of you may be thinking, “why engage with a tree?” In many cultures throughout the ages, the symbol of the Tree of Life has represented the soul’s longing for enlightenment and an interconnectedness between the “as above” and the “so below”. A human’s luminosity is very similar to that of a tree. Within this luminosity lie the keys to attaining the ultimate goal of formlessness as well as the ability to experience the essence of spirit. For these reasons, we in the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path often work with trees as a part of our personal and sacred ceremonies to help heal, grow and evolve.

For all of our relations and in beauty as the sacred humans of Grandmother Earth.

Download Forgiveness – Flowering Tree Ceremony

Why Not Forgiveness Now?

We’ve been taught that the ancient word for forgiveness is DAINISHUI (dah-nee-shoo) which means: “From my heart, I give away any animosity, resentment, grievance, indebtedness, hostility, hate, and erase forever from the circle of experience.”

Life is restored to determinative understanding.

In the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path, forgiveness of the self, life and others is critical to our path to enlightenment and operating within Sacred Law to never harm the children of our planet. Forgiveness heals our wounded, fractured selves and creates a place for light and new dharmic possibilities to emerge from the darkness and pain of self-pity and karma.

If we desire an authentic, fluid, intimate relationship with ourselves and others around us, the first step is to acknowledge what needs to be forgiven and go into ceremony to release that which must be forgiven and released back to Spirit.

As a leader within the Christian power, we are very pleased to see that the Reverend Desmond Tutu is calling on the planetary collective via social networks to call attention to the importance of forgiveness and challenge people to step into this mindful process. His 30 Day Challenge for Forgiveness begins May 4. For more info, see the link.

http://www.forgivenesschallenge.com/

For a forgiveness ceremony you can do within the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path way, see our Forgiveness As A Ceremony post.

May you walk in beauty!

What People Say About Red Lodge

We asked our former Red Lodge students what words they would use to describe their personal experience and gains by being in the longhouse program. Here’s what they said. How will Red Lodge change you?

For more info on Red Lodge, click here or email info@azredlodge.com

Celebrating a Rare Birth: Bison No. 7’s White Calf

Looking for signs?  Here’s an auspicious one: a white buffalo calf was born in Connecticut last month.  Here are a few pieces from the New York Times article, A Bison So Rare It’s Sacred:

…when Bison No. 7 on Peter Fay’s farm gave birth to a white, 30-pound bull calf a month ago, it made the Fay farm below Mohawk Mountain, for the moment at least, the unlikely epicenter of the bison universe.

…Mrs. White Mouse, a member of the Oglala Lakota people, said a white bison was believed to be a manifestation of the White Buffalo Calf Maiden, or Ptesan Wi. She is revered as a prophet, who in a time of famine taught the Lakotas seven sacred rituals and gave them their most important symbol of worship, the sacred pipe.

“They are very rare, and when a white bison is born there is a reason for each one to be here,” Mrs. White Mouse said.

 

Menopause: Demystifying and Honoring the Feminine Cycle – Nov. 4-6

If you are a woman who is going through menopause, has already done so,
or are likely to do so in the near future…

If you are a woman who feels her life as “a woman” may essentially end
with the end of her childbearing years…

If you are a woman who is trying to figure out how best to deal with
the physical and other changes which come with aging…

If you are a woman who is curious about how the power of the feminine
evolves over our lives, and into menopause…

Learn about the feminine cycles with Razel Wolf

We offer you a mind, body and spirit journey into power in the weekend workshop Menopause: Honoring the Feminine Cycle, featuring teachings (cycles of the feminine, concept of aging, the physical body, hungers, and more), ceremony, and experiential learning.

“Being Female on this planet is a wonderful blessing and a great mystery.  We will gather together to explore wisdom from the Grandmothers of the Twisted Hair lineage through teachings, interactive experiences and ceremony. Our intent is to discover our own womb knowing using the sage guidance of the Elders. As we engage with the cycle of menopause we change. Let’s demystify this phase and bring out the natural power and beauty of our beings.”

The workshop, led by Razel Wolf, will be offered in Scottsdale, AZ on November 4-6, 2011.

For more information, please contact Gypsy at menopause@dtmms.org.

Warrior Spirit Lodge Hosts Maori Healers Aug. 9

Warrior Spirit Lodge in Phoenix AZ USA

On Tuesday August 9, Warrior Spirit Lodge hosts An Evening of Maori Teachings with Atarangi and Maori Healers from Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Maori Healers became widely known through the work of master teacher Hohepa Delamere, fondly known as Papa Joe and Atarangi Muru Maori Healer.  Atarangi continues to travel abroad and provide other Maori Healers with the opportunity to share their services at international levels. She is now one of Maoridoms most respected healers.  Her work is deep, unique, uplifting, enlivening and rewarding physically and spiritually. She is an example of the ‘living works’ of ancestral teaching.

Read more about An Evening of Maori Teachings with Atarangi and Maori Healers, and how to schedule an authentic Maori bodywork session on Aug. 9 or 10.

RSVP to Warrior Spirit Lodge for An Evening of Maori Teachings with Atarangi and Maori Healers.

Read more about Warrior Spirit Lodge.

The Sweet Medicine SunDance Path honors the ways
of the many other spiritual paths to the light.
Come learn from a different tradition!  Expand your horizons!

Self-Defense and Healing in Seattle

How does the inner knowing and being of a warrior overlap with that of a healer?  How does knowing healing ways and practices both support and require the mindset of a warrior?

In March the Raven Speaks Lightning Lodge brought in two Black Lodge instructors for a weekend workshop dealing with exactly that question.  The weekend began on Friday with a day-long introductory self-defense class dealing with the ethics and emotional realities of self-defense as well as the practical how-to aspects.  On Saturday participants engaged in an NRA Home Firearm Safety class, in which they learned the essential rules of firearm safety, as well as how to identify and unload various types of firearms.  Then, Saturday evening, the crosstraining between the warrior mindset and healing began.  Mateo Swan, of Raven Speaks Lightning Lodge, took participants through the various mindset, discipline and training connections, and then everyone began preparations for a healing ceremony, which took place Sunday morning.

Comments: “Excellent course.” “Great that the instructors were so encouraging, understanding and supportive.”

A total of 17 people participated in the weekend in Seattle.

Upcoming events at the Raven Speaks Lightning Lodge include monthly classes in Portland and teaching weekends in Seattle, as well as a vision quest week in August and a Quodoushka in October.  For more information, contact Mateo Swan and Martha Iosbaker at LightningRavens@comcast.net.

You can find more information about Black Lodge, the physical health and skills development aspect of the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path, and about the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path healing paradigm, at the DTMMS web site 

Celebrating 2010’s Accomplishments, and Looking Forward

2010 was a year of many accomplishments for DTMMS, and our friends and family.

In Red Lodge Longhouse news, 2010 saw the debut of Red Lodge in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, as well as the announcement of the 2011 opening of Red Lodge in Australia.   Year 3 of the new, expanded and improved Red Lodge curriculum went to students for the first time in 2010.  (Note: The final year of the new curriculum, Year 4, featuring teachings on the healing paradigm, dharma, the addictive personality paradigm, and more, will be presented for the first time in 2011!)

This was also a significant year for DTMMS publications.   The Thirty Sacred Laws, Part 3: The Ecological Balance Laws was completed this year.  Important publications for Rites of Passage ceremonialists were finalized and made available this year, as well as the Introduction to the Sweet Medicine SunDance Rites of Passage booklet, available to anyone who is interested in knowing more about Rites of Passage in general, and the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path Rites of Passage in particular.

DTMMS expanded our home quarters in Phoenix, Arizona, and immediately found new and compelling uses for the new space.  In addition, we made significant progress in our search for a permanent home.

Indeed, there have been more notable events and accomplishments than we can easily list!  Programs in Europe were strong, including Earth Lodge Germany and Earth Lodge Italy.   We salute our program leaders in Canada, Australia, and the US,  too, for the beauty and growth they brought.

We honor all of you who have worked with DTMMS over the past year,  all you have accomplished, and all this has opened up for you in the coming year.

And to all: best wishes for a prosperous, positively challenging, growth-filled, rewarding 2011!

Rites of Passage First Seed Ceremonial Weekend

Congratulations to all participants in our first Rites of Passage First Seed Ceremonial Weekend!

Held August 20-22, 2010 in Arizona, this Rites of Passage weekend focused on honoring the transition and maturation of boys (11-15) to young men, according to the teachings of Sweet Medicine Sundance Path. Five young men participated in the ceremonies honoring their growth and individuality. In addition, the parents/guardians received teachings and ceremony to better understand and give ongoing support to the young men through their transition.

Many thanks to Razel Wolf and Jeff Hohensee, ceremonialists, and to Bonny Phyfield, logistics coordinator, as well as to the young men and their families.

What some participants said:

I am deeply moved and grateful for the Rites of Passage experience. It has opened up a new way of thinking about relating to a young man in my life rather than just a growing boy. It has also opened his perspective of who he is and how he will relate to the world he is entering. Thank You. The weekend and level of care for the young men was beautiful.

Brian North, family member

Rites of Passage are so important. Our young people and people of all ages need this experience of connection throughout our lives. This is as important as schooling. Thank You.

Michael Chavez, family member 

It was an absolute privilege to witness and celebrate the honoring, growth, and beauty of these young men as well as their parents/guardians. Thank You.

Bonny Phyfield, logistics coordinator

Ceremonial Gathering in the Pacific Northwest

Raven Speaks Lightning gathering

The lovely Pacific Northwest

The Raven Speaks Lightning Lodge in the Pacific Northwest recently completed their third week-long ceremonial gathering.  Held in the beautiful Washington countryside near the Columbia River Gorge, the gathering was attended by 30 people.  This year the gathering concluded with a day of ceremonial prayer.

Started in 2006, the Raven Speaks Lightning Lodge has attracted an enthusiastic and growing group.  The lodge sponsors regular teachings and ceremony, as well as work with the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path healing paradigm, ceremonial weeks in nature, drumming and singing.  Lodge activities occur monthly in both Portland and Seattle. 

For more information about this group, contact Mateo and Martha at LightningRavens@comcast.net.

To find a lodge or study group near you, visit the DTMMS locations page.