Sacred Pipe
Ceremony
Our Monday night healing circle
occasionally welcomes others to join us in honoring our
ancestors in this sacred ceremony brought to the Lakota
people by White Buffalo Calf Woman and to the Cherokee
people by the Pleiadians. Together we send up a voice
and state our gratitude. The native people have prayed
in this way since the pipe was brought to the people
with the seven sacred ceremonies. When in the presence
of this one I am told by my elders that only truth can
be spoken. It is about coming into right relations with
oneself, with creator and with others, although we are
all one in the same.
Years ago I came upon a greeting card and on the back
was written that a certain tribe (the name of which I
have regrettably forgotten) had only one law: “To be
true to oneself.” I was so taken by the simplicity and
respect herein. If we really were true to ourselves we
could not possibly do anything that would require the
writing of or enforcement of other laws. This one law,
if extrapolated out, like the ripples in the pond after
tossing in a stone, reminds me of the sacred “chanupa”
for in its presence we cannot do or say anything that
takes us out of right relations. It is often used when
two or more people need to settle a dispute or share
from their hearts. I have heard elders speak of
situations where they did not trust that someone would
necessarily tell them the truth if asked a question. So
they requested that this person have a prayer smoke with
them because they knew that with this one between them
only truth would be able to be shared.
Being a pipe carrier is a big responsibility for it
demands living non-judgmentally, impeccably, keeping
one’s word and being a peacemaker at all times. Keeping
one’s word always begins with the self for every
agreement we make we are actually making with oneself.
Other people that we make agreements with are merely
witnesses. This path requires one to be available upon
request to sit with a person needing this medicine way.
Each pipe carrier uses his own blend of herbs, be it
organic tobacco (a sacred herb to native peoples) or
kinick kinick (a blend of many herbs). It is never used
with any illicit or illegal substances. The prayers are
sent up to creator on the curls of smoke; however, it is
not necessary to take the smoke into one’s body to pray.
The pipe carrier can bless you with the smoke, or just
holding it against your heart while praying is another
beautiful way.
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