Another Lodge in San Diego

Kwai kwai nidobak,

It has been quite some time since I last posted, so I wanted to give everyone a little update. We are in the process of building a new lodge in La Mesa in a friend's back yard. This will be the 23rd lodge I have built. This one is a little weird because it is essentially in the middle of town, so we have had to make a few modifications. Since we can't have an open fire due to regulations and nearby houses, we are going to be using a 55 gallon drum (it used to be a BBQ) to build the fire. Other than that everything else is totally traditional. I talked with my elders about it and they said that Indians are famous for improvisation. Heck, we know that Indians often used US flags as clothing and to cover their sweat lodges. Today, pow wow dancers use CDs as part of their regalia. My elders also reminded me that we no longer live in tepees, longhouses or wigwams. I am reading a book entitled, "The Spiritual Legacy of the American Indian (With Letters While Living With Black Elk" by Joseph Epes Brown. Here is a quote from that book, "He (Black Elk) proceeded to make a Sweat Lodge right there in the middle of the shabby room. He reached under the back of the brick chimney and found some loose bricks. He heated them in a pan of coals, and we had our swear ceremony under the table with a blanket over it."

Ha ha ha. Black Elk, one of the greatest medicine men of all times - and even he knew that it was OK to be able to be flexible when required.

The other thing that is a little weird about this lodge is that most of the attendees are not Indians. Again, my elders reminded me that, just as in my vision, the lodge is meant to be a family lodge. Mitakuye oyasin, all my relations - the entire family of the human race. "Anyone may dance the sun dance if he will do as the Oglalas do," - Chief American Horse (Sept. 14, 1896). Many elders and spiritual leaders have interpreted this to extend to all sacred ceremonies. Again, my elders have given me permission to do so. I have been walking in this way since I was 5 years old, I am now 55. During this time I have worked with elders, youth, criminals, people with mental illnesses, and alcoholics and drug addicts. Some were Indians, many were not. Some were just folks.

So, since most of the attendees at this lodge have never been to a lodge, we faced the door to the east. This is the way I have always faced the lodges I personally built - because of my visions. However, especially at Sun Dance, they face the central fire which may not always be in any particular direction. The ones I personally build are always teaching lodges. I am a college professor and have been a teacher most of my life. While this will be a teaching lodge that does NOT mean healing won't happen, as it most certainly will occur. However, since these people are all new I first must teach them the Medicine Way and the meaning of the lodge. This alone will be a four year commitment on my part.

I went cycling (singletrack) on my Trek 920 yesterday to an area in which I knew white sage grew. After praying, I picked some sage for the upcoming ceremony. I think we will start next Saturday.

I explain to people that the lodge is an altruistic healing ceremony. The work altruistic is defined as "the unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness". This is quite different than modern medicine; mind-body healing; and holistic healing. In all of these other methods, only one or two parts of the person is dealt with. Only altruistic healing deals with the entire person - physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional.

I often tell people to think of the lodge like this. Say a person is an alcoholic and goes to a Physician for treatment. The doctor will say, "You have a physical illness" and may prescribe Antabuse to the person. When that doesn't work, he may tell the person he needs to go to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist will say, "You have a mental illness" and will prescribe psychotropic medication such as Naltrexone. When that doesn't work he will send the person to see a priest, rabbi, pastor or other such spiritual healer. The priest will say, "You have a spiritual illness" and will recommend prayer, confession, or some such spiritual remedy. When that doesn't work, the priest will send the person to see a psychologist. The psychologist will say, "You have an emotional illness" and will prescribe group therapy. So now the person has seen four different healers and not one of them has been able to help the alcoholic.

The sweat lodge can deal with all these aspects of the person since it is an altruistic healing ceremony. We must remember that we cannot separate the various aspects of the human being (physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional). These aspects all affect each other. Physical healing can affect mental healing - spiritual healing can affect emotional healing. This has been the problem with traditional modern medicine - trying to treat only one aspect at a time. Fortunately, most doctors now recognize this reality and are treating people with a Team Approach method.

PLEASE NOTE: I am NOT recommending that anyone stop taking their medications, or stop going to see their physician, therapist or spiritual adviser. Rather, I am saying that the Sweat Lodge can be an integral component of the healing process. Further, ALWAYS consult with your physician to see if you are healthy enough to attend a Sweat Lodge ceremony.

Physical healing - This occurs because of the physical components of the lodge - earth, air, fire, and water. Earth, the rocks (grandfathers) which have been heated to red-hot in the fire. Air (which has been purified by the hot rocks and sacred medicines), which we breath inside the lodge. Fire, which heats the rocks and produces negative ions which we breath inside the lodge. Water, which we sprinkle on the hot rocks to produce steam, causing us to sweat the toxins out of our systems. Other physical healing components include the drum, rattles, and the lodge (which is a Medicine Wheel) itself.

Mental Healing - The lodge and songs and heat, all experienced in the complete darkness of the lodge, produces an extreme calming effect and sense of tranquility. When we are in the lodge we are centered in the womb of Mother Earth. The healing affects on our mind is profound!

Spiritual Healing - The lodge is actually in the form of the Medicine Wheel. We are protected spiritually in the lodge and the sweat lodge leader invites Great Spirit, spirit helpers, and the ancestors to assist with the spiritual well-being of all participants. The prayers, songs, and drum also aid in spiritual healing. We also use the Chanupa Wakan (Sacred Pipe) in our ceremony along with the four sacred medicines (white sage, cedar, sweetgrass, and tobacco). The Chanupa is filled with these four sacred medicines and smoked during the ceremony. The Chanupa is the connection between people and Great Spirit. It is the way we pray. My visions have shown me that I am to use all four sacred medicined in my Chanupa. White sage is used to smudge the people before the ceremony. It drives away negative energies, negative influences, negative thoughts and negative spirits. Sweetgrass and cedar are both used to attract positive energies, positive thoughts, positive influences, and positive spirits. Whenever we smudge with sage we should shortly thereafter burn either sweetgrass or cedar (or both) to fill the void - otherwise the spirits we drove away with the sage may return. Tobacco is used to create a connection with Great Spirit because s/he has given it to us for that specific purpose. As we pray, the smoke of the tobacco carries our prayers to Great Spirit.

Emotional Healing - Even though it is completely dark and we can often feel alone. Yet we are still aware that we are in the presence of and Great Spirit, and in communion with Great Spirit. Additionally, we know we are not alone - we know that there are others in the lodge with us. We are all together as one family in this experience. We all provide each other emotional support. Further, we can discuss our problems and others in the lodge which provides insight much like group therapy. The lodge is filled with the love of Great Spirit and of our fellow human beings. This is true agape love. After the lodge we all have a feast together as one big family.

Well, enough for now. I will tell you how the Sweat Lodge is progressing in a later blog.

Walk in Peace,
Steve

Copyright © 1995-2008 Stephen L. Miller