NON CHRISTIANS

[Smilin]

Smilin

I do not have a lot of time at the moment, but I will get back to you this evening. In the meantime could you give me your views on medicine wheels.

Thanks

Sorry for the delay... (weekend and all)
My thoughts on the Native American medicine wheel?

It is the centerpiece of Native American spirituality,
existing in slightly different forms between tribes and
clans. As with everything else, it has been distorted
over time since the invasion of the Anglo-Saxons.
However, it is interesting to note that medicine wheels
exist in many other cultures as well which suggests
an ancient common origin. Today, they are sold
mainly to tourists as nice 'thingies' to hang around
the house... just as dream-catchers.

However, in all forms (even rock formations on the
ground), they are always round which symbolizes
the circular path of life, nature, and the creation.
The circle is considered sacred since the sun, moon,
and sky are circular.
They contain 4 quadrants, sometimes with animals
considered sacred, colors, or patterns. Each with
its own spiritual meaning.

The medicine wheel was a symbol of each individuals
private spiritual journey which we must take to
find our own path through life. Thus the diversity
you will find among them.

 

[Smilin]

BUMP..BUMP...BUMP...

 

[Annabel Lee]

BUMP..BUMP...BUMP...

*Wonders if Smilin is hinting he wants to do that 70's dance classic....The Bump.

 

[Mylinkay Asdara]

Or the Hustle! lol

Anyway, this is our thread- what shall we talk about all? I'm open to suggestions.

 

[SquareC]

Does anyone have any good plans for Yule?

I'm just planning a small, private devotion ritual, myself, plus my family celebrates Christmas in the non-religious sense (I almost think my children worship Santa Claus at this time of year!) although my husband is Christian, he is not devout and doesn't go to church services and such. I think his family (who are quite devout Roman Catholics) burned him out on religion putting him through all those years of private Catholic school.....

 

[Mylinkay Asdara]

I'm just doing a quiet at home ceremony and waiting up until dawn for the return of the light My boyfriend will be celebrating with me this year, it will be his first Yule

Then I celebrate the secular Christmas with my family later on

 

[Smilin]

Or the Hustle! lol

Anyway, this is our thread- what shall we talk about all? I'm open to suggestions.

You could do the Hustle? Now that would impress
me. Not many of the younger adults would have
a clue.

And getting back to our discussions on our own
personal spirituality.... where's the response
from the guy who questioned me on medicine
wheels?

As far as Yule, Christmas, and New Year's Eve;
That's still to be determined. The flu edpidemic
here is getting very bad. They've closed most
of the schools in all the surrounding counties.
My daughter's Christmas dance has been
canceled, and three of us are still battling
to recover. It was reported last night on the
local news that close to 1/3 of the local population
is sick with the flu.

If I could get to the point of not having to stay
severly medicated just to work and function
at home, I'd LOVE to start getting in the mood
for the holidays.

 

[Smilin]

*Wonders if Smilin is hinting he wants to do that 70's dance classic....The Bump.

Hey..if you're game. I didn't know Klingons could
dance.

 

[Mylinkay Asdara]

Yeah Smilin- I was going to ask you if the Native Americans had a holy day this time of year, and if so what would it be? Do they celebrate the Solstice too? What type of activities/rituals are involved in that? Any special reason for reverance other than it being the Solstice? I'm soooooo curious (but I won't be back online till monday so take your time )

 

[SquareC]

Yeah Smilin- I was going to ask you if the Native Americans had a holy day this time of year, and if so what would it be? Do they celebrate the Solstice too? What type of activities/rituals are involved in that? Any special reason for reverance other than it being the Solstice? I'm soooooo curious (but I won't be back online till monday so take your time )

I'm curious too, it's not something I had heard about before...but the same holds true for me, I'll be on Monday (busy weekend coming) so take your time...

 

[Smilin]

To the Cherokee the number 7 is most sacred.
Thus there were 7 original clans, and 7 sacred holidays.
Only 6 holidays are performed on a yearly basis, all of
which are tied to the lunar cycle of the moon.

1. Great New Moon Ceremony
Celebrated at the first new moon in autumn (October).
The Cherokee equivalent to Thanksgiving. It is a time
of feast, to give thanks, and prayers that the cycle will
continue.

2. Propitiation of Cementation Ceremony (Friendship Ceremony) Celebrated 10 days after the Great New Moon Ceremony.
The ceremony is symbolic for the relationship between
mankind and The Creator. Friendship, Purification, and Blood adaption rites are appropriate during this time frame.

It was during this period last year that I was initiated into the Eastern Clan.

3. Bouncing Bush Ceremony (Exalting Bush Festival)
THE PARTY OF ALL PARTIES!!!!
It followes shortly after the Cementation Ceremony. Dancing and feasting abound, and thanksgiving is expressed by everyone tossing an offering of sacred tobacco into the sacred fire. (This particular festival is also a main tourist attraction)

The Cherokee equivalent to Mardi Gras you might imagine, yet on a spiritual tone.

4. First New Moon of Spring Ceremony

Celebrated in March, at the time the green grass begins to grow. All fires are ritually put out, and fresh fires started from new fire, symbolizing fresh beginnings, and renewal of life from Mother Earth.


5. Green Corn Ceremony

Celebrated in July, or August, (again tied to the lunar cycle) when corn is still green but fit to taste. The thanksgiving ceremony includes a sacred fire, dancing, feasting, and story telling (especially the traditional legends of our wandering, and creation.) A Priest must make an offering of first fruits of corn to the sacred fire before corn may be eaten or harvested by others. (Another favorite with the tourists)

6. Ripe Corn Ceremony

Celebrated about 1 to 2 lunar cycles after the Green Corn Ceremony, when the corn is matured. This is the end of the national cycle of ceremonies. Thanksgiving is offered to Creator for the harvest of mature, ripe fruit.



7. The Chief Dance (UKU Ceremony)

Celebrated once every seven years. The Principal Cherokee Chief is carried into the Sacred Circle of the Sacred Fire, on a white chair, and acknowledged, as Chief of all the people is each of the seven clans. This ceremony reminds us of the one true Chief, the Great Spirit-Creator. Dancing and feasting follow.



Since the removal and scattering of the Cherokee
people, and the fact that members are no longer
segregated into regional clans.... I don't think
this particular festival has been held in recent
years...not to my knowledge at least.

Furthermore, each new moon is sacred and celebrated
by the Cherokee. Not the 'dark moon' of the modern
calender, but the moon of 'first light' when the new
crescent of light first appears. Fasting and meditation
is appropriate during this particular night. Most
traditionalist still adhere to this practice, yet it
is a personal spiritual celebration.

 

[SquareC]

Wow! That is really neat. I love hearing things about the customs of my ancestors....do you happen to know anything about Comanche or Cheyenne? Those are my other Native ancestors.....I am such a mutt.

 

[Smilin]

Wow! That is really neat. I love hearing things about the customs of my ancestors....do you happen to know anything about Comanche or Cheyenne? Those are my other Native ancestors.....I am such a mutt.

Mutts make the most loving companions!!!!

No, sorry, I know very little of the history of those tribes.
However, there are universal similes between all
Native American tribes just as there are similes between
all Christian denominations...

The most FASCINATING thing I've found through
my searches has been the significant comparisons
of the Easter Native American tribes and traditional
Christian doctrine. All of this BEFORE contact was
made by the Anglo-Saxons...

I do have a hunch on why....

 

[SquareC]

Mutts make the most loving companions!!!!

No, sorry, I know very little of the history of those tribes.
However, there are universal similes between all
Native American tribes just as there are similes between
all Christian denominations...

The most FASCINATING thing I've found through
my searches has been the significant comparisons
of the Easter Native American tribes and traditional
Christian doctrine. All of this BEFORE contact was
made by the Anglo-Saxons...

I do have a hunch on why....

I really need to do some research....

 

[Nikitona]

Hello,

I was invited here to share ... this is my first post (sorry it's so long!)

I am a half-breed, Tsalagi (Cherokee) - on my mother's side - and Scottish. I was raised in both my mother's traditional ways and my father's Christian ways, with no emphasis on one over the other. I am a blend of the two. (That blend of course being shaken, not stirred.) By that I do not mean I combined bits and pieces, but intertwined the whole of each.
I was once asked by a friend if we (Natives) go to church, or what our concept is of "fellowshiping."

This is what I sent to him in answer:


Why my people worship in solitude and silence... (and maybe this explains somewhat why I don't get too involved in religious debates!)

To answer this, I have combined the words of some Indian chiefs, tribal elders, Indian prayers, and my own words. The words I have borrowed from others I have edited to make this a little shorter and/or rephrased to flow better with the rest of what I have combined.


"The Indian believes
profoundly in silence --
the sign of a perfect equilibrium.
Silence is the
absolute poise or balance
of body, mind, and spirit.

The man who preserves
his selfhood is ever calm
and unshaken by
the storms of existence...

What are the fruits of silence?
They are self-control,
true courage or endurance,
patience, dignity,
and reverence.

Silence is the
cornerstone of character."



All of Creation surrounds and embraces us. Indian worship of the Creator was silent and solitary. A value was placed on silence, personal truth, introspection, and 'questing,' The individual journey we each must take to find our own path.

It was silent ... because all speech is inadequate and imperfect. The souls of our ancestors ascended to God in wordless adoration.

It was solitary ... because He is nearer to us in solitude.

There were no man made temples or shrines. Being a natural man, the Indian would deem it sacrilege to build a house for Him who may be met freely in the aisles of the forest, or on the floors of sunlit prairies. There is no greater cathedral than the house of nature.



"Listen to the wind for it Talks..
Listen to the Silence for it Speaks..
Listen with your Heart..and You will Understand...

Do not look with the eyes
or listen with the ears,
but instead look with the heart
and listen with the soul,
for there you will find the Truth."



Confining oneself in too close contact with one's fellow-men can lead to a loss of spiritual power. All who have lived out of doors know that there is a magnetic force that accumulates in the solitude of nature and that life in a crowd quickly dissipates this force.

The truth needs no explanation, just reflection. Reflection allows the spirit to guide the heart so that the heart may celebrate more than it mourns.

No mere man is authorized to come between a man and his Maker. None should in any way meddle with the religious experience of another. Among us all men were created equal sons of God. Our faith is not formulated in creeds nor forced upon any who were unwilling to receive it; hence there was no preaching or proselytizing within the tribe.

To listen only to men speak on matters of the soul is to listen to only the leaves or only the root instead of the whole of the tree itself. The leaves on the tree have a different reality than the root. The leaves feel raindrops falling down from the sky, the root feels moisture emanating up from the earth. If each described one to the other, they would never understand, even though they are both describing the same rain. You must experience the rain and the tree for yourself to fully understand the whole of it.

We believe The Creator made us the way we are and we serve a purpose. "A warrior would rather die than act against his nature." To find out what his nature or purpose (calling) is requires a personal level of communicating with the Creator to seek answers. Most of us do not discuss this ceremony in public, we do not believe this is proper. The seeker only needs a willing and faith-filled heart. Seeking is a prayer, and like any prayer it is like a two-way call between you alone and your Creator.

The majestic forces in nature, Lightning, Wind, Water, Fire, and Frost, were regarded with awe. All things tangible were revered. We believed that the Spirit pervades all creation. The tree, the waterfall, the grizzly bear, each is an embodied Force, and as such an object of reverence.

The Indian came into sympathy and spiritual communion with his brothers of the animal kingdom. He had faith in their instincts, as in a mysterious wisdom given from above; and while he humbly accepted the sacrifice of their bodies to preserve his own, he paid silent homage to their spirits in prayers and offerings. The Indian never took more than he needed from the animals and nature, and used all that he took.



"Listen to the Wolf's Song,
The Echoes of the Four Winds,
Listen to the whispering echoes
of Yesterday's Silence"



The Indian was a religious man from his mother's womb. From the moment the mother felt the stirrings of conception to the end of the second year of life, the mother's purpose and gift was of spiritual influence to her child. She wandered alone prayerfully in the stillness of great woods. Her silent, secret meditations were to instill into the receptive soul of the unborn child the love of all of Creation and a sense of brotherhood with all the created.

Silence and isolation are the rule of life for the expectant mother. When the day dawns in which the new life will come forth, the miracle of whose making has been intrusted to her, she seeks no human aid. She has been trained and prepared in body and mind for this her holiest duty. The ordeal is met alone, where all of nature says to her spirit "tis love! 'tis love! the fulfilling of life!" When a sacred cry comes to her out of the silence & a pair of tiny eyes open upon her in the wilderness, she knows with joy that she has borne well her part in the great song of creation.

She returns to the camp, carrying the mysterious, the holy, the dearest bundle. It is still a part of herself, since both are nourished by the same mouthful. She continues her spiritual teaching, at first silently -- a mere pointing of the finger to nature, direct the child's eyes to the beauty that surrounds it -- then in whispered songs at morning and evening. She teaches the child that all who live very close to Creation hear it's worship in the silence. The murmuring trees breathe His presence; the falling waters chant His praise. She tenderly bids the child be still and listen to the silver voice of the aspen, or the clashing cymbals of the birch; and at night she points to the heavenly, blazed trail of nature's galaxy of stars.

Silence, love, reverence, this is the trinity of first lessons. To these she later adds generosity, courage, and chastity.



"May Serenity Circle
on Silent Wings
and Catch
The Whisper of the Wind."



In the life of the Indian there was only one inevitable duty, the daily recognition of the Unseen and Eternal. Whenever, in the course of the daily hunt, the hunter comes upon a scene that is strikingly beautiful and sublime he pauses for an instant in the attitude of worship. He sees no need for setting apart one day in seven as a holy day, since to him all days are God's.

The religion that is preached in our churches and practiced by our congregations, with its element of show and display, its active proselytizing, & its open contempt of all religions but its own is extremely repellent to the Indian philosophy. To his simple mind, the professionalism of the pulpit and the moneyed church was unspiritual and unedifying. It was not until his spirit was broken and his moral and physical constitution undermined by trade, conquest, & strong drink that Christian missionaries obtained any real hold upon him.

To sum up Native Spirituality in a nutshell, it is about HONOR, LOVE, and RESPECT. Not only do we love, honor, and respect our Creator and our Mother Earth, but also every living thing. It is about being in touch with ourselves and everything around us. It is about knowing and understanding that we are part of everything, and everything is a part of us. We are all One.

Donadagohvi ,
~ Nikitona ~

 

[SquareC]

Nikitona, that was beautiful! Glad to see you here!

 

[Smilin]

Glad you made it Niki,
and that was truly moving and inspiring...

Tsilugi nisohilvi

 

[Annabel Lee]

That was beautiful, Nikitona.
Welcome

 

[Debi1967]

@nikitona
that was definitely inspiring. And when A message brings tears to my eyes that means it was talking to me. Thank you and Thank the Creator that you are here.
Nehweh

 

[dlamberth]

Thank You, Nikitona.