“We have the opportunity to build a Rainbow bridge into the Golden Age. But to do this, we must do it together with all the colors of the Rainbow, with all the peoples, all the beings of the world. We who are alive on Earth today are the Rainbow Warriors who face the challenge of building this bridge,"
~Brooke Medicine Eagle, Daughter of the Rainbow, Crow and Lakota ~
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Kautantowit's Mecautea's Blessing Ceremony
Below, you as our healers in training will be led through an entire traditional Blessing Ceremony used by our Sachem, 'Hawkeye' Graves.
Please note and keep in mind that each Blessing will prove itself to be uniquely different from one to the next, as they each should be... Creator has his ways, and the most Honorable thing we can do is flow with it.
Important notations to remember are conveniently noted on this page in RED TEXT.
It is also extremely Important that the healer as well as the person requesting the ceremony have sat down and discussed the reasoning as well as the purpose and intended outcome of the ceremony in proper depth, as well as have gone over all the pertinent details needing factored into the official ceremony event and that all considerations and oraccomidations or modifications that will need to come into play to ensure the ceremonies overall success.
Upon arrival to the blessing site, the healer arrives with the necessary tools needed to successfully perform the ritual in their bundle with them. The healer should arrive at minimum 1 Hour prior to the scheduled ceremony to attune with the enviornment as well as the energy of those ho will be present for the ceremony, whether part Of the ceremony, or just in witness To the ceremony. Energies are of the upmost of importance when it comes to performing spiritual ceremony, and this reality cannot be emphasized enough to our healers, especially those of you sincerely in active training.
It is the healer that will predominently be in the position of authority when it comes to the entirety of the ceremony, and so it is very Important that our healers can attune to the whole of the enviornment encompassing the ceremony, and that they are confident enough to do and decide what is best for the outcome of the ceremony from the beginning through to the end.
The healer should determine the primary area(s) that will be the focal enviornments for the ceremony and ensure the areas are properly prepared BEFORE the ceremony officially begins. For example, if you are doing a house/business property blessing, you will want to have an area for the ceremony both indoors as well as out as some of the blessing will involve the property itself as well as the inside of the structure itself.
Some things such as Sacred Fire circle cannot be done safely indoors so would require enough space to establish and impliment a sacred fire, including members and observers an area to be part of that aspect of the ceremony. Some locations simply cannot house a sacred fire at all, in which case the healer and the requestee may choose to either modify that aspect of the ceremony or completely discount it all together.
All ceremonies require ample amounts of space, for the healer to comfortably practition and perform the cereony, the participlants to freely move about the ceremony as they're needed to do, and too, for any additional observers.
Indoor ceremonies will require at minimal an open window or doorway so that the smoke can carry away the energies as needed, whether it's washing away any negativity or to carry the prayerful intent of the ceremony... preferably a window that can be opened during and throughout the duration of the official ceremony.
Be sure all pathways are cleared of unecessary furnishings and or objects/ obsticles, and that all participants seating areas are properly prepared for the needs of the ceremony as well as a cleared place for observers to be without infringing upon the ceremony.
Next, the entirety of the property Should be acknowledged by the healer, meaning all of it's perimiters personally walked as well as smudged with sage. Each corner of the property should also have sacred tobacco put in place. Once the perimiters are acknowledged, the center of the property should be smudged as well, to acknowledge that a ceremony is about to take place.
Once this has successfully been accomplished, then the primary areas where the ceremony will commense should begin to be set. Ultimately this will mean a circle where the healer will be centered in the proper direction to honor the purpose of the ceremony. For example,
Seating areas are essential for ceremony as everyone needs a place to be involved accordingly. Blankets are used for seating for all persons whom will be participating in ceremony as we will ultimately all be sitting on the ground... upon Mother Earth and should also be the primary option for all observers as well.
In front of the healers sitting blanket a second blanket should be layed out for the purpose of the alter, meaning the tools the healer will be using during the ceremony. IF their are specific persons whom will be key participants of the ceremony, such as the parents of a newborn infant, or a church or business person or persons, enough room on the alter blanket should be left so that the person/persons are directly across from the healers seated position with the other participants seated around they and the alter forming the circle of seating.
From the healers seat, , seating blankets should be placed in a circle around the alter blanket with space enough for all participants to comfortably sit and move about as necessary. Some ceremonies require select persons to rise up and move around within the ceremony to perform tasks for the healer such as group smudging, while ultimately the participants will be passing ceremonial items around betweeen the participlants throughout the coarse of the ceremonies duration.
Once the enviornment is properly prepared and ready for the ceremony to begin, the alter and seating are all set and in place, and the healer has done any and all personal issues such as storing supplies, going to the restroom or getting something to drink, the healer should then officially take their position at the head of the ceremonial area and briefly center their thoughts and spiritually as well as physically and mentally prepare themself for the ceremony at hand.
After centering has been achieved, the healer should then address the requestee(s) of the ceremony for any last minute concerns, questions and so forth, and then smudge them in preperation for the ceremony while briefly asking them to join in a meditation of intent with the healer.
As attendees arrive, the ceremony requestee(s) should personally introduce all persons whom will be participating in the ceremony to the healer. Personal observer introductions to the healer are optional as a general introduction will begin at the commensement of the ceremony, and too, an opportunity for all to speak with the healer as well as participants will be offered at the closing of the official ceremony.
It is important to emphasize that there should be no talking, telephone calls or anything else distracting or disruptive should interrupt the coarse of the ceremony from beginning to end by any.
Greetings everyone, my name is ____ _____. I am a healer of Oklevueha Native American Church Kautantowit's Mecautea (ONAC KM), known as, which you can call me ____, and I am here, along with all of you, at the request of ____ to perform an official Blessing Ceremony upon this (property/home/person) for the purpose of purification, blessing and protection. I Welcome, as well as personally Thank you ALL for being present today, and for your willingness to be part of this sacred ceremonial event here with us today.
During the ceremony, we ask that you please remain respectful toward the effort being put forth at hand, and that you save any question or concern that you may have for the end of the ceremony at which we offer ample time for any and all addressment and socialization.
Energy is key when conducting ceremony, meaning that it is of the upmost of importance that we each all stay as focused as we possibly can toward the successful outcome sought after in this ceremonial purpose.
I will happily explain as I walk you all through the ceremonial process, we just ask that you not interrupt during the coarse of the ceremony as it's best to keep all energy flowing as focally as we possibly can. Thank you, and without further adue, let the ceremony officially begin.
Officially Opening the Ceremony:
The healer will initially call the ceremony to order by the blowing of the bird bone whistle a total of Four (4) times in a row and sequence. As this begins, all attention should be focused to the healer and the alter.
The healer will then introduce themself to all in attendance and address the purpose of the ceremony, the order of how the ceremony will progress, and announce any who will be actively participating throughout the coarse of it, and why.
The next thing we do to properly commense the traditional Blessing ceremony is to ask that everyone please step to the main entryway to the property being blessed if you please.
As everyone makes their way to the main entryway, the healer is to grab their smudging tools (sage & any additional herbal blend, abalone shell and feather) and join them.
Once everyone is at the entryway, the healer will then begin to explain the next steps for the ceremony.
Now, what I am going to first do, is to smudge the entirety of the space in which we will conduct the remainder of the ceremony. I will start here at the main entryway, and proceed in a clockwise direction around the perimiters of the property, praying for the purification and protection of the property and all who will then encompass it.
Know, that prior to your arrival here today, I performed the same thing in which I'm about to do here, but, I did so beginning in the Counter-Clockwise position with the sacred smoke and proceeding around the entire property boudary, as I will do here momentarily... but I want you to know and understand that the reason for having done it in the counter-clockwise direction was to dispell any and all negative, ill and unhealthy energies that had accumulated here... to clense and purify the property and to prepare it for the ceremony we are about to perform here now.
Another significant factor I'd like to share with you that was done in that initial ceremony, was to ready the property for our ceremony by placing our sacred father medicine, which is tobacco at and in a small hole at every corner of the property perimiter, which notes as well as honors the primary four sacred directions, the four peoples of the land, the four seasons and four corners of Mother Earth.
The healer will lite the sacraments for smoke blessing and then start on the left side of the main entryway of the property and proceed staying to the left all the way around the property in a clockwise motion until reaching where first commensed.
Next, presuming that the blessing will also include a structure, or building of sorts, the healer will then move to it's main entryway and do the same thing, beginning on the left side of the entryway clockwise throughout the entire building, moving from room to room accordingly to it's structure continuing the clockwise motion throughout each room until the entire building has been successfully done.
Upon the completion of doing each wall from top to bottom including ceiling and floors while praying and envisioning the forming of a steel wall, the healer then will take the sacred smoke through the center of each room in the house or apartment, while praying the whole time for peace, health and protection. With the smoke the healer asks for the good spirits to stay and the negative spirits to go away.
When the healer gets to the main entryway, they then shoot the smoke out the front door and then waits a minute or two. Then the healer will go outside and you put the ashes of the sage on the doorstep, and that is to protect the entrance, and will then do the same at the main entryway to the property itself for the same reason and purpose... to ground the foundation of protection.
Once this is done, the healer will turn their attention to the participants and observers of the ceremony and will then explain the next phase of the ceremony... individual blessing and entry to our sacred circle.
The next thing we are going to do, is to say a quick prayer, welcoming and blessing each of you as the whole of the hoop in which we are symbolically about to become as far as this ceremony is concerned.
How this will work, is we are going to ask each of you to please form a circle of unification among you for the prayer, and then as soon as we complete the prayer, that you then systematically line up in single-file order before the main entryway to the property and be then prepared by instruction as to what and how your individual blessings will be done.
Once you have been completely blessed with the sacred smoke, we ask that you then enter onto the property and proceed to the first of our two alters for this ceremony, which is the one outside... we will have someone prepared to guide you to the location and ask that you take a seat and patiently remain in silence until all have been blessed and have joined you, I as the healer will be the last one To join you at that first alter... Thank you
Kautantowit... Great Creator of all things and whose voice we strive to hear in the winds, your breath giving all things life upon Mother globe... Please hear us, as we seek your wisdom, your stregnth and your guidance this day and all days, and especially so throughout the coarse of executing this sacred Blessing Ceremony.
We make smoke and prayers asking for stregnth and balence as we stand on the firm foundation that is your will and desire of our obligation and expectation as your tools of creation... we make smoke and prayers for your guidance throughout the coarse of this ceremony as well as our daily life's journey upon each our own lifes journey, that you keep our eyes in focus upon the honorable red road and not let us slip too far onto the black medicine road.
Mother Earth and all of we her living children NEED the Red Good Medicine Road, there has already been too much suffering for all including our ancestors for generations before us... it is up to us alone to attempt to prevent the future unecessary sufferings of our future generations to come... born or unborn. We know and comprehend that we have borrowed our today from the past as well as the future, and that we in turn are obligated to preserve as well as attempt to better it as best as we possibly can for their sake... for the honor of our ancestor relations along with Mother Earth and Great Creator.
We make smoke and prayers in effort of seeking your wisdom, so that we may see as well as comprehend and even appreciate your ways, will and intent which in turn will help us to remain confident and clam in the face of unsurity and or diversity. We wish to learn the ways to bring honor unto and on behalf of the All of Creator's creation, and to prove ourselves as effective tools in which help to preserve for the sake and greater good of the whole of the sacred hoop and web within it.
We seek your stregnth Kautantowit... not to be greater than our brothers and our sisters, but to fight our greatest enemy, ourselves, to be confident and sure that we are efficient as well as found honorable to the standard of our ancestor relations, our future generations, and most importantly of all, tomeet if not superceed the standard of our worthiness in the eye and decision of Great Creator, so to preserve All creation... A'ho
Now, what I am going to first do, is to smudge the entirety of the space in which we will conduct the remainder of the ceremony. I will start here at the main entryway, and proceed in a clockwise direction around the perimiters of the property, praying for the purification and protection of the property and all who will then encompass it.
Know, that prior to your arrival here today, I performed the same thing in which I'm about to do here, but, I did so beginning in the Counter-Clockwise position with the sacred smoke and proceeding around the entire property boudary, as I will do here momentarily... but I want you to know and understand that the reason for having done it in the counter-clockwise direction was to dispell any and all negative, ill and unhealthy energies that had accumulated here... to clense and purify the property and to prepare it for the ceremony we are about to perform here now.
Another significant factor I'd like to share with you that was done in that initial ceremony, was to ready the property for our ceremony by placing our sacred father medicine, which is tobacco at and in a small hole at every corner of the property perimiter, which notes as well as honors the primary four sacred directions, the four peoples of the land, the four seasons and four corners of Mother Earth.
Once the individual smudging has been completed and everyone has taken their seats at the first alter, the healer joins the circle in front of the alter. The healer then sits down the sacred smoke and picks up the feather stick, dampens the tips of the feathers attached to it, and then sprinkles water upon all whom are participating in the ceremony, and then all whom are not participating but whom are present as observers.
The water is as pure as we can get, symbolizing purification, clensing and spiritual renewal. You were smudged clean by the smoke,