Racism alive and well at care2.com

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[educatedindian]

Cant view the message without joining care2. Could you tell us what it is? Could you also intorduce yourself? Just leaving a site without even leaving your name comes close to being spam, or even looks like an attempt to start trouble.

[debbieredbear]

Not so much racist as twink city:

"I personaly am not asking for a donation.  

All participants will need to bring: a tobacco offering any loose leaf or pipe tobacco, a small gift for the fire tender, Red Wolf.  Crystal, candle, tobacco, sweetgrass, sage, handmade item, He is a minimalist and does not require much at all. He only needs Medicine Items. He is a very Spiritual person and even a note left with a stone or rock is a wonderful gift in his eyes.

The Donation


Some ask for a $ donation in exchange for attending a Sweat  Lodge.

All are welcome and no one is ever turned away because they can't offer a donation.

It is no different than the gifts traditionally given to a shaman, medicine person, or ceremonial leader in most all indigenous cultures, of the past times.

It is also no different than a church asking for a donation from the congregation.  

Many preparations have been done and people now a days live off of $$.

Some lodges, I have gone to, have asked up to $20.

I personally would not pay more than that anywhere.

I would not go to a Sweat Lodge that is asking a manditory set fee. This is not right IMO.

It does depend on the situation of the location of the Sweat Lodge.

The Sweat Lodge I attented for about 2 years, they ran the fire from an outdoor gas fire place, being it was in the City and there are many safety rules and laws there.

The up keep and expiences for the gas fire did cost something.  

Some Sweat Lodge leaders don't own the property and it takes alot of money and time to keep the space available.

We live in a time where products and services are exchanged for money.

Many do  request an energetic exchange that they feel is fair and affordable.

It would be nice if people would volunteer to help upkeep the Lodge and it's area on a regular basis.

I have not been told if I am to ask for a donation.

At this time I am not asking for anything beyond the medicine gifts as listed above.

Thanks for your question.

Walk in Beauty On the Red Road To Healing.

GreenFireEyesWoman"


and:

"P.S. Red Wolf, My protector and Fire assistant has run off. He is a ShapeShifter, and takes form of several animals one being a Red Wolf.

He was upset by somthing earlier, If anyone sees a beautiful Red Wolf running into the Sacred WoodLand please do not be afraid he is timid and very gentle.

I am sure he will return tomarrow.

Many Blessings GreenFireEyesWoman"

[debbieredbear]

and:

"The Inipi or "Sweat Lodge" as they are most commonly called is a sacred ceremony that is still used by Native Americans and utilizes the four primary elemental powers of the universe.

Earth, Fire,Water,Air

There are things represented in fours:

Sun,Moon,Stars,Planets

All things that breath: Those that crawl, those that swim, those that Fly, and those that walk either Four-legged or two legged.

The four Faces of age: The Child, The Adolescent, The Adult, the Elder.


North, East, South, West

In some Tribes, or Nations, The directions of Above=Father Sky...the Below= Mother Earth and the WITH-IN= soul or spirit  are also recognized.

I do recognize these directions as well.

The colors that each direction does seem to change with different Tribes.

Here is what I have learned and I need to tie strips if cloth to the lodge to represent these colors.

NORTH/WHITE

EAST/YELLOW

SOUTH/RED

WEST/BLACK

ABOVE/BLUE

BELOW/GREEN

FOR the With-in I use PURPLE, to me it is a very sacred color and because there is no right or wrong to the inside color I use it.

Sweat lodges exist within most every culture and serve many purposes but among the Native Americans, the Inipi is a place of spirit where one goes to cleanse the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual body, and to pray.

This powerful ceremony penetrates to the very core, cleansing and renewing all aspects of an individual's being.

The cleansing is used as preparation to commune and listen to the Great Spirit. And for many tribes nothing of significance is undertaken without the Inipi and its accompanying rites.  

Everything from the construction of what is known as the Stone People's lodge to the actual Inipi ceremony has a spiritual significance and is according to a specific ritual.

The dome structure representing the womb of Mother Earth  is made from fresh cut saplings laid in a circle that are bent over to the center and tied together to form a  half sphere.

When in use, it is usually covered with canvas tarps or blankets and hides were used in the past.

A circular pit in the center represents the Great Mystery's power which represents the center of everything.

Once again I have sweated with people who use a inside pit in the center and another group that use it to the right of the entery.

I will ask that the inside pit be made in the center.

Also that the Entery will face East.

Outside the lodge in a larger fire pit the sacred Stone People are tended by the Fire keeper until their color is red. The fire is considered to be the first medicine man and represents life.

[debbieredbear]

The Outside  Fire pit will be right outside the entry way.  It should be 6-10 feet from the entry.

Whatever goes into the fire goes into the lodge and into each individual.

A fire keeper assists the medicine person by making the fire and preparing the Stone People for the Inipi Ceremony.  

It is a  misconception that The Sacred Pipe is smoked inside the lodge. It is another misconception that Peyote and other mind altering herbs are used and or smoked inside the Inipi but this is not the case.

I ask that no drugs or alcohol be consumed before entering the sweat lodge.

Heath Issues If you have any Health Issues that  extreme heat may affect then please ask your doctor if it is advisable to enter the sweat lodges.

In my experiences temperatures reach what feels like 100+ degrees. Drinking water before the Inipi is a MUST!

 [ send green star]  [ flag for review]    

 Njo B.
 Sweat Lodge Time 11:31 AM

Many people have asked HOW LONG does it all take?

I have heard this question many times.

It is hard to say.

I have never really timed one.

Watches and jewlery are not worn in MOST of the Inipis I have been in. It gets TOO HOT.

For me time seems to stand still and speed up and slow down all at once and one at at time...

It can seem like your in there for HOURS and HOURS...Or like a few minutes.

I once rememebred that we went in a 7PM and came out and it was 11 PM. But we had a lot of people about 24! and we had a lot of praying to go around.

BUT most people felt we were only in there for a few moments or at best an hour or so.

There is no time and yet there is an abundance of time...

It is simply one of the mysteries of the Inipi (Sweat Lodge)

Inipi is a Lakota term, I use it for shortness in typing.

Also Red Wolf is lakota and I learned most of my information from Lakota.

Because My Cherokee grandmother was dead before I was born, I had no one to teach me the Cherokee ways.

During my very first Inipi, I sat in quiet solitude.

During the third round it was so hot, I really thought I would faint, but I was not afraid to do so.

Sweat was POURING off me from every pore.

It was so dark.

Suddenly I heard an Insect type Buzzing INSIDE my right ear...

Not thinking, just reacting...I put my finger to my ear...and in a second the same sound went to my LEFT EAR!

In my minds EYE I saw my Grandmother,

Most photos I have of her she wears dresses of the era that most white women wore, as she was married to my Irish GrandPa and she was fitting  in to his ways. She wore a long three tired skirt and a red top with long sleeves.She had a deep red shawl on. She had feathers in her hair and it was braided with 2 braids.

She had a feather fan in her hands.

In a soft voice that came to me as a thought, she

said,"YOU are GreenFireEyesWoman, I am proud of you granddaughter!"

She began to fade into the darkness.

I began to weep in joy.

And the round was finished, the flap went up and

I saw a purple glowing light fly swiftly out the door way into the night.

This was my first sweat lodge ceremony.

I will never forget it.

 In Truth and Beauty I tell this, Aho!"


You get the idea.