This vision took place about 3 years
ago at the same place (Dreamers Rock ) that I shared with you in a
previous teaching.
It was late in October, when 4 of us,
decided to fast at this sacred place to seek guidance and offer our
prayers for our gift of life. This time, we took a different route across
the lake from the one my cousin and I had traveled the previous year. I
would like to share with you that the fall fasting time, takes place after
all the leaves have fallen from the trees.
It was cold, wet, raining and snowing
when we left to cross the lake to Dreamers Rock and by the time we got to
our destination, we were feeling the wet and cold but warmed up after we
beached the boat and carried our gear to the top of the cliff. We, quickly
set up our individual lodges, completed our ceremonies and crawled into
our sleeping bags in our lodges. We had talked about the length of our
fasting time and decided we would fast up to four days and then break and
return home. By the time we had set up our lodges and actually got into
our fast, it was late in the afternoon and had no idea that we wouldnt be
in our fast very long.
As the leader of the fast, it was my
responsibility to take care of the other fasters and to check on them
while I was fasting myself. In the early morning hours, I was awakened by
sparkling colored lights drifting around in my lodge, it was beautiful and
breathtaking to see these lights. As I gazed at wonder at the lights, I
heard a voice that said to me, what are you doing here, you are not
supposed to be here, as there is a spiritual cleansing of the this lake
and land that is happening now. The voice told me to leave the area right
away. In haste, I went to the others and told them that we would have to
break our fast and leave as soon as we could. They were surprised as it
was around 5 in the morning and I suspect that they would have liked to
stay longer, but as the leader I broke the fast and we did a breaking of
the fast ceremony and packed up our gear and left to head back home.
As we left this area, each one of the
fasters shared that in the short time that they were dreaming, each one of
them had an experience that was unique to them.
Thinking back to that time, I remember
that my Aunty, who walks the traditional path had told me that she felt
that there was going to be a spiritual cleansings of the water in the area
that we were to fast. It seems she was right, thank you Aunty.
On the way home, we stopped at a place
called Wawa, which is about 80 miles from our homeland and decided to stay
over night. At that time we were approached by some local brothers and
sisters ( Native) and they asked If I would conduct a sweat lodge ceremony
that night. The four of us agreed that we would
take part in this ceremony and it
seemed right that we would be going into a sweat ceremony after our short
fast.
It seems that in our lives, many
things happen in which we continue to help others and by helping we
continue to grow as well. I say this, as a very special thing happened in
the lodge that night. A healing miracle took place that enhanced a womans
life and affected us as well. To be able to be present when healing takes
place is indeed healing for us as well.
As we prepared to enter the sweat
lodge, a woman approached me and asked if she could speak to me about a
personal matter and proceeded to tell me her story about being sexually
abused by a man in a dark place. She went on to say that she had been in
sweats before but never completed a full 4 rounds as the darkness in the
sweat always bought her back to her abuse issues and she would have to
leave the sweat. She asked, if it was possible to sit across from me near
the doorway of the sweat and could she place her hand outside the door
covering to have a feeling of safety as her hand would be outside of the
sweat. Being a therapist as well as a traditional man, I understood the
significance of her request and gently told her that it would be alright
to do this and if she had any doubt through out the ceremony, she was to
tell me and I would stop the round and she would be able to leave the
sweat lodge.
This woman was able to complete the 4
rounds of the sweat ceremony and the change in her as she cried and cried
was evident that a break through in healing from her trauma had happened.
She is presently on the path of healing in her life and Im sure that she
will continue on that path.
So, despite leaving our fast early,
another event took place in which we were able to help in the healing of
another human being. We understood that the way things worked that we were
meant to stop on our way home and to lend a hand in the healing of
another.
