Soon the young men who were watching for the coming of the wakan person announced that they saw something in the distance approaching them in a beautiful manner.
Detail from “Apparition of the Buffalo Calf Maiden” by Frithjof Schuon, 1959
Suddenly, she entered the lodge, walked around sun-wise, and stood in front of Standing Hollow Horn. She took from her back the bundle, and holding it with both hands in front of the chief, said: “Behold this and always love it! It is lela wakan (very sacred), and you must treat it as such. No impure man should ever be allowed to see it, for within this bundle there is a sacred pipe. With this, you will, during the winters to come, send your voices to Wakáŋ-Táŋka, your Father and Grandfather.”
After the mysterious woman said this, she took from the bundle a pipe and also a small round stone which she placed upon the ground. Holding the pipe up with its stem to the heavens, she said: “With this sacred pipe, you will walk upon the Earth, for the Earth is your Grandmother and Mother, and She is sacred. Every step that is taken upon Her should be as a prayer. The bowl of this pipe is of red stone; it is the Earth. Carved in the stone and facing the center is this buffalo calf who represents all the four-leggeds who live upon your Mother. The stem of the pipe is of wood and this represents all that grows upon the Earth. And these twelve feathers which hang here, where the stem fits into the bowl, are from Wanbli Galeska, the Spotted Eagle, and they represent the eagle and all the wingeds of the air. All these peoples, and all the things of the universe, are joined to you who smoke the pipe—all send their voices to Wakáŋ-Táŋka, the Great Spirit. When you pray with this pipe, you pray for and with everything.”
The wakan woman then touched the foot of the pipe to the round stone which lay upon the ground, and said: “With this pipe, you will be bound to all your relatives; your Grandfather and Father, your Grandmother and Mother. This round rock, which is made of the same red stone as the bowl of the pipe, your Father Wakáŋ-Táŋka has also given to you. It is the Earth, your Grandmother and Mother, and it is where you will live and increase. This Earth which He has given to you is red, and the two-leggeds who live upon the Earth are red; and the Great Spirit has also given to you a red day, and a red road.”
“All of this is sacred, and so do not forget! Every dawn, as it comes, is a holy event; and every day is holy, for the light comes from your Father Wakáŋ-Táŋka; and also you must always remember that the two-leggeds and all the other peoples who stand upon this earth are sacred and should be treated as such.
“From this time on, the holy pipe will stand upon this red Earth, and the two-leggeds will take the pipe and will send their voices to Wakáŋ-Táŋka.”
The Seven Sacred Rites
The wakan woman continued: “These seven circles which you see on the stone have much meaning, for they represent the seven rites in which the pipe will be used. The first large circle represents the first rite which I shall give to you, and the other six circles represent the rites which will, in time, be revealed to you directly.
“Standing Hollow Horn, be good to these gifts and to your people, for they are wakan! With this pipe, the two-leggeds will increase, and there will come to them all that is good. From above Wakáŋ-Táŋka has given to you this sacred pipe, so that through it you may have knowledge. For this great gift you should always be grateful! But now before I leave I wish to give to you instructions for the first rite in which your people will use this pipe.”
The Seven Sacred Rites of the Lakota
Wanáǧi Yuhápi—The Keeping of The Soul
Haŋbléčeyapi—The Vision Quest
Wiwáŋyaŋg Wačípi—The Sun Dance
Huŋkápi—The Making of Relatives
Inípi—The Sweat Lodge
Išnáti Awíčalowaŋpi—Preparing a Girl for Womanhood
Tápa Waŋkáyeyapi—Throwing the Ball
From “Lakota Religious Traditions,” Encyclopedia of Religion, Second Edition, pp. 5295-5298. DOWNLOAD
“It should be for you a sacred day when one of your people dies. You must then keep his soul as I shall teach you, and through this you will gain much power; for if this soul is kept, it will increase in you your concern and love for your neighbor. So long as the person, in his soul, is kept with your people, through him you will be able to send your voice to Wakáŋ-Táŋka.
“It should also be a sacred day when a soul is released and returns to its home, Wakáŋ-Táŋka, for on this day four women will be made holy, and they will in time bear children who will walk the path of life in a sacred manner, setting an example for your people. Behold me, for it is I that they will take in their mouths, and it is through this that they will become wakan.
“He who keeps the soul of a person must be a good and pure man, and he should use the pipe so that all the people, with the soul, will together send their voices to Wakáŋ-Táŋka. The fruit of your Mother the Earth and the fruit of all that She bears will be blessed in this manner, and your people will then walk the path of life in a sacred way.
“Do not forget that Wakáŋ-Táŋka has given you seven days in which to send your voices to Him. So long as you remember this, you will live; the rest you will know from Wakáŋ-Táŋka directly.”
Artwork by Vera Louise Drysdale
Many of us were molded or taught to give
until we break ~and the refuel so we can
so we can keep on giving . But this,
we know now , is the road map to burn
out and resentment . Instead Let's give
to ourselves~ let's fuel our bodies and
souls~ so that we can give to others from
a place of overflow, not depletion .
Lets build bridges and not walls and lets do it with Love~ Yes creator may have given us Mountains but nothing we can't handle! SPREAD YOUR WINGS AND SOAR!!!!!!!ABSOLUTELY! Creator knows your every need. Love will always be the answer. Hearts are heavy with the news in our world. Please join me as we send angels to assist the people of the World. We are calling on Archangel Michael and his angels to protect our planet and work for Love everywhere. These are tough days but remember that angels are with us and Divine Love is stronger than darkness On a crisp autumn day with leaves falling You decide to take a walk. A calm breeze rustles the trees and you feel the sunshine on your face. There is a bench and you take a seat. Although you are by yourself you can feel a presence. It feels like the trees are listening to your every thought and you feel a love all around you. Thoughts of those who have left the earth pop in your head for no reason. Or so you think. The colors of the sunlight streaming through the trees seems to sparkle as if a divine magic was occurring and you the witness. A beautiful calm washes over you filling up your heart. All cares fall away and you are as present in this moment as you have ever been. You rise from the bench and start to continue walking and you realize that you are never alone. Ever. Angels and Ancestors are always walking with you as the trees watch over guiding you with their wisdom. When feeling low ,confused or frustrated with life a walk can be much needed medicine. It is nourishment for your soul. Grateful to those that walk with us. Much love and hugs
