LAKOTA TEACHINGS.
PITA HOCHOKAN
(THE FIRE PIT)
Keyword----Motivation.
Teaching and Tradition.
The Fire Pit (Pita Hochokan) represents the element of fire and Father Sun in the Sweat Lodge (Inipi) ceremony. In the fire pit the stones to be used in the ceremony are heated before their sacred journey into the Lodge.
Message from Pita Hochokan.
I am the place and the voice of the sacred fire. I bring forth from the void and the Circle Of Creation. I am “Maka” (Mother Earth), transformed for your ceremony of cleansing fire. Within my cup of being I find you the clear message of life. I am a circle, the home of all truths.
Reflection and Guidance.
Just as the Sweat Lodge ceremony begins with the energy of fire in the fire pit, any new endeavours you wish to embark on begin with your commitment and motivation. Your mettle and attention is needed to allow you to motivate and focus on the achievement of your goal. Allow your inner fire to propel you forward, giving you clear vision to what lies ahead. Carry this vision with you to its fruition and you will be strong and as swift as wild fire.
If there is something you are attempting without success or are you coming up with obstacles most of the time, look to your motivation. If you can’t fire up enough interest maybe it is time to let it go and stop “beating yourself up”.
AFFIRMATION.
I will spend time going into the silence to connect with my inner flame. Allowing myself to become inspired in creating what is good for myself and the Whole.
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Grandfather Peter
Thursday 15 February 2007 - 07:26PM (CET) Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Entry for 14 February 2007
LAKOTA TEACHINGS.
CHANLI WAPAKTA
(PRAYER TIES)
Keyword—Social Consciousness
Tradition and Teaching.
When we make prayer ties, we are taking the opportunity to offer our prayers for others. Prayer ties are made by stringing little packets of coloured cloth filled with tobacco and/or sacred herbs. As each prayer is made a prayer from the heart is offered. The ties are brought into the sweat lodge during the Inipi ceremony. They can also be strung anywhere where we may want too offer our prayers. They can be strung on a standing person or around or within a medicine wheel.
Message of Chanli Wapakta.
We convey to you the essence of Creation. We carry prayer to the heart of Creation. We remind you of the Grandfathers’ blessed promise to the Buffalo Nation, that they always hear your prayers. Through us, the circular vision of oneness, one for all and all for one, teaches you to release your grip on the old matter of creation and extract new form. Pray then from your heart for all you have received and will be given. Pray for your sisters and brothers, The elders, the children, the unborn, the ancestors who gave you life, and all your relations. Pray for the Mother of all, Maka, and for all that draw life from her body. Pray for the whole of what you know and what is beyond. And always, always give thanks. This is the prayer of the Creator. This is the circle of life.
Guidance and Reflection
Always take time out from the busy times of your own situations and ask what you you can do for the whole of humanity. Make time to pray for others. Send healing energy to the world. What gifts and talents do you have to offer? What role is appropriate for you to play, given your personal interests and individual circumstances? Concentrate and focus on an activity that brings joy to your heart and is useful to the whole. Work at becoming humble, tolerant, patient, and understanding of others.
Allow yourself to forgive but not forget with love and compassion. Others do not bear your cross and must be allowed to carry their own with love, support and understanding. Create joy in your heart by giving unconditionally, without expectation. Rewards will be gained by those that serve.
Affirmation.
I will pray, and ask how I can serve?
Through service I will come to know the beauty of spirit and the joy of life!
February 15 - Daily Feast
Like children, slender new oaks have taken a stand beneath the great ones that have stood the seasonal changes for well over a hundred years. What stories they could tell about the wild animals and human creatures that have shared this place. These spreading oaks have a blush of green haloed in early morning rays, and on cloudy days a mist hangs like gauzy curtains to blue the shadows. Here the wild rose canes have turned from green to gray and back to green many times. What man is does not always show on the face he wears - but this wood has no masks. Its comforting arms invite us to love and share and to feel at home.
~ As I stand before you my mind runs over many fierce battles....but now my heart is glad. ~
KOON-KAH-ZA-CHY, APACHE CHIEF
"A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
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Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 15
"One of the essential characteristics we need to learn as men was to be gentle, and to be gentle means to be serene, to enter meditation or a prayerful state in the morning and evening."
--Larry P. Aitken, CHIPPEWA
The most important talk we can do during any day, is to start the day with prayer and meditation. We need to ask the Creator to be in our lives. We ask Him to direct our thinking. We ask Him for the courage and the power to be gentle. In the morning quiet time, we make our request for guidance using our spiritual tools. We pray for the people and we pray for ourselves. In the evening we thank the Creator for the day, for the lessons and for the opportunity to be of service to others. Then we go to sleep.
Great Spirit, today, show me the power of being gentle.
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THINK on THESE THINGS
By Joyce Sequichi Hifler
It is written that where there is a will there's a way. If a desire is sincere and the results are for the good of everyone, the first giant steps have already been taken. American clergyman Joel Hawes has been quoted, "You may be whatever you resolve to be. Determine to be something in the world, and you will be something - 'I cannot' never accomplishes anything; 'I will try' has wrought wonders."
A positive attitude can be one of the greatest joys to experience. To begin a day by willing everything good, and meeting any obstacle with the idea that it has no power, can make some of the most sudden and drastic changes in anyone's life.
To be something or someone is one of the strongest desires, but it does not mean sacrifices of doubt and apprehension and feeling sorry for oneself. It means standing straighter when it is more comfortable to crawl. It means thinking positively and speaking good words.
It is said that a great deal of talent is lost in this world for the want of a little courage. We often think of courage as the kind that wins wars and braves new fronts. But there is another plain, ordinary kind of courage that helps us face our everyday problems.
There is a surprising lack of this kind of courage, and it leads us to seek ways to dodge our responsibilities. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to face everything and everyone and take a firm stand for what we believe. It takes courage to admit we have weaknesses and needs that we must overcome. It is a daily fight to follow the right road when the wrong one looks so smooth. And it takes courage to believe, when obstacles face us.
God has given courage to each of us, for strength to overcome is available to all who are courageous in asking for help to be courageous.
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Happy Valentines Day Everyone!
A Cherokee Feast of Days
by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
The things that try people's souls are not always from outside themselves. Fear is one of those things and it has no right to intrude on our peace of mind. But it will if we let it. We are weakened when we tell ourselves we cannot help what we feel. Feelings are like the pounding of the surf that washes over things that are supposed to be permanent. Sandbag them! We are wise and strong when we say we are - and we are well and happy when we dwell on being well and happy instead of hearing all the things that "could be". Everyone is trying to get ahead by being forewarned - but your spirit knows what is true. Let it warn
you.
~ Give him to us and we promise you he shall never lie again. ~
TESSOUAT - OTTAWA CHIEF
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Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 14
"Sometimes, life is very simple, but it is we two-leggeds, we who are thought to be smart that make it complicated. "
--Larry P. Aitkin, CHIPPEWA
Sometimes it may take years for us to find out what we are really after-it is to be happy. The Elders say, lead a simple life. This
doesn't necessarily mean poor, it means simple. There are some things that makes life complicated such as needing control, needing power or being resentful or angry. These things make complications happen. We need to walk in balance in every area of our lives.
Great Spirit,
let me lead a simple life.
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THINK on THESE THINGS
by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
There are many fears in he minds of man, but none so subtle, yet so effectual, as fear of failure.
We are so afraid we've been unwise and wasted valuable time and it makes us wonder how many times we've failed those who depended upon us, and how many times we've failed ourselves.
Time seems too short to make up and overcome the things long past. It seems sometimes that opportunities are there and gone before we've had time to make use of them. We condemn ourselves so much for the lack of knowledge when we most needed it. But if decisions were made on after thought, they might not be as wise as those made quickly, without time to think.
We should no longer think about past failures, nor give undue thought to our chances for future ones, but only begin now to do the very best we can.
True failure comes only to those who stop trying, for no age, no time, no place can stop the person who decides to try one more time. As Frederick William Farra, English author, has written, "There is only one real failure in life that is possible, and that is, not to be true to the best ones knows."
February 14 - Daily Feast
The things that try people's souls are not always from outside themselves. Fear is one of those things and it has no right to intrude on our peace of mind. But it will if we let it. We are weakened when we tell ourselves we cannot help what we feel. Feelings are like the pounding of the surf that washes over things that are supposed to be permanent. Sandbag them! We are wise and strong when we say we are - and we are well and happy when we dwell on being well and happy instead of hearing all the things that "could be". Everyone is trying to get ahead by being forewarned - but your spirit knows what is true. Let it warn
You.
~ Give him to us and we promise you he shall never lie again. ~
TESSOUAT - OTTAWA CHIEF
"A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II: by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
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Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 14
"Sometimes, life is very simple, but it is we two-leggeds, we who are thought to be smart that make it complicated."
--Larry P. Aitkin, CHIPPEWA
Sometimes it may take years for us to find out what we are really after-it is to be happy. The Elders say, lead a simple life. This
Doesn't necessarily mean poor, it means simple. There are some things that makes life complicated such as needing control, needing power or being resentful or angry. These things make complications happen. We need to walk in balance in every area of our lives.
Great Spirit, let me lead a simple life.
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THINK on THESE THINGS
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
There are many fears in he minds of man, but none so subtle, yet so effectual, as fear of failure.
We are so afraid we've been unwise and wasted valuable time and it makes us wonder how many times we've failed those who depended upon us, and how many times we've failed ourselves.
Time seems too short to make up and overcome the things long past. It seems sometimes that opportunities are there and gone before we've had time to make use of them. We condemn ourselves so much for the lack of knowledge when we most needed it. But if decisions were made on after thought, they might not be as wise as those made quickly, without time to think.
We should no longer think about past failures, nor give undue thought to our chances for future ones, but only begin now to do the very best we can.
True failure comes only to those who stop trying, for no age, no time, no place can stop the person who decides to try one more time. As Frederick William Farra, English author, has written, "There is only one real failure in life that is possible, and that is, not to be true to the best ones knows."
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God's Minute
YOU ARE MY HIDING PLACE; YOU WILL PROTECT ME
FROM TROUBLE AND SURROUND ME WITH SONGS
OF DELIVERANCE.
( PSALM 32:7 *NIV )
Dear Member's,
Now when problems surround us and we feel
overwhelmed by them, we all would like to escape from
them even if it is for only a little while! When we turn our
problems over to God we can escape!
Thus, just like king David who wrote, THOUGH I WALK
IN THE MIDST OF TROUBLE, YOU PRESERVE MY
LIFE; YOU STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND AGAINST
THE ANGER OF MY FOES, WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND
YOU SAVE ME. ( PSALM 138:7 ) FOR IN THE DAY
OF TROUBLE HE WILL KEEP ME SAFE IN HIS
DWELLING; HE WILL HIDE ME IN THE SHELTER OF HIS
TABERNACLE AND SET ME HIGH UPON A ROCK.
( PSALM 27:5 )
For, THE LORD WILL GUIDE YOU ALWAYS; HE WILL
SATISFY YOUR NEEDS IN A SUN-SCORCHED LAND
AND WILL STRENGTHEN YOUR FRAME. YOU WILL
BE LIKE A WELL-WATERED GARDEN, LIKE A
SPRING WHOSE WATERS NEVER FAIL.
( ISAIAH 58:11 )
So Member's, the next time problems start getting you
down, and you think it is impossible to handle them,
remember the words of our Savior Jesus Christ, "WHAT
IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH MEN IS POSSIBLE WITH GOD!"
Amen ( LUKE 18:27 )
With My Love & Prayers
Aho , Amen , e-men .
God's Minute
KNOW THEREFORE THAT THE LORD YOUR GOD IS GOD;
HE IS THE FAITHFUL GOD, KEEPING HIS COVENANT OF
LOVE TO A THOUSAND GENERATIONS OF THOSE WHO
LOVE HIM AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.
( DEUTERONOMY 7:9 *NIV )
Dear Member's,
Today being St Valentines Day, a day when we honor
those we love, let us not forget to honor our Heavenly
Father as well!
After all, there is no way humanly possible to
measure the love that GOD has for each of us. The
Prophet David explained it best when he wrote:
YOUR LOVE, O LORD, REACHES TO THE HEAVENS,
YOUR FAITHFULNESS TO THE SKIES. YOUR
RIGHTEOUSNESS IS LIKE THE MIGHTY MOUNTAINS,
YOUR JUSTICE LIKE THE GREAT DEEP. HOW
PRICELESS IS YOUR UNFAILING LOVE! BOTH HIGH
AND LOW AMONG MEN FIND REFUGE IN THE
SHADOW OF YOUR WINGS. ( PSALM 36:5-7 )
Therefore let us do as JESUS CHRIST taught us
when HE said, LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL
YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL SOUL AND ALL YOUR
MIND. ( MATTHEW 22:37 ) For after all, THE LORD
WATCHES OVER ALL WHO LOVE HIM, BUT THE
WICKED HE WILL DESTROY. ( PSALM 145:20 )
So tell GOD how much you love HIM when you pray,
today and every day! Also thank HIM for all of the
Blessings that HE has given to you as well. Then before
you know it you will be saying, "I WILL SING OF THE
LORD'S GREAT LOVE FOREVER; WITH MY MOUTH I
WILL MAKE YOUR FAITHFULNESS KNOWN.
( PSALM 89:1 )
Have a wonderful Valentines day Member's, and know
that GOD smiles every time HE thinks about you, for you
are HIS Valentine Forever. Aho , Amen , e-men .
With My Love & Prayers,
your servant , Pastor CougarMoon
