Sweat. By witches, for witches, with witches. Sweat.
Lots of struggling just lately. Lots of guidance, only some of it actually 'right for me' -- much of it far too formulaic, lots of assumptions about who I really am and what I really need that bear no relationship to either. What's useful in the mix has been hard to discern.
So yesterday I drove to Delaware to sweat.
My first time in Sweatlodge that wasn't run in the Lakota tradition. In fact, now I think of it, I've only been in sweat with one Waterpourer before. This Lodge was run in a Wiccan protocol, a Waterpourer I have known in ritual space but never sweated with before.
Differences: Lots more alignment with my own interior process -- though I'd never been aware of misalignment before. I'm thinking this sweat might have been both longer and hotter than the ones I'd done previously, though I've no way to objectively measure that. Also this was my first coed sweat -- a fact which appears to have made no difference whatever. The deeply carved, nested circles of Sacred Space. The explicit connection to the Stones as Ancient Ones.
Similarities: The deep, listening dark peopled by likeminded ones all doing our own deep work. The calm, supporting voice of the Waterpourer guiding us surely to each new speaking and each new singing and each new learning.
The work (as I remember it, and mindful that much was said that is not here in my awareness just now):
In the Round of Air, I am so grateful for my breath, for the clarity of vision, mind, and intellect which I have used in my life. I release my reliance on detailed memory, I let go of judgmentalness and needing to be right, I ask for clarity, for ClearSight and ClearVision, for ease and grace in this beginning of my old age.
In the Round of Fire, I am so grateful for the joys and passions of youth and middle age, for this electric body in all its impulses, for warmth and delight. I release the passions of youth, the high-energy physicality. I ask for the energy to complete the work of this life, for the passion to joyfully be Present to the next challenges as they arise.
In the Round of Water, I am so grateful for the fluids of this body, for my blood and lymph, tears and sweat, and for the freedom to express my emotions as they arise. I release my desire for everything to work out painlessly, I release my demand that emotions always be neat and easy. I ask that I ride the rivers of the rest of my life with the balance of the canoe and the grace of the skier when everything is in rightness. I ask that I be Present to my own emotions and Accepting of them, and Accepting of the emotions of others.
In the Round of Earth, I am so grateful for the sturdy body I have enjoyed, and for the children I have borne, and for the grandchildren they have borne. I release my desire to do it all myself and embrace the assistance of those who are younger and stronger than I. I ask for the courage and balance to allow this line to end when it is time for it to end, and to allow this life to end in its own time. I ask that I live fully until the time to die, and that when it is time I die in the moment, without a long decline and without asking for another breath.
In the Round of Spirit, I am so grateful to know myself a spiritual being having an experience of human embodiment; I am so grateful to know myself as a body of remembrance and love.
I honor my companions in this work. As we each did the work "for myself" I ask that each of our wishes and choices become manifest for the highest good of all concerned.
Some practical things I have learned: Next time I sweat it would be well to be fully hydrated before beginning. Next time I sweat I should wait longer than an hour before driving home. Next time I sweat it would be well to follow with salty foods as well as savory and fruity.
Blessed Be.
So yesterday I drove to Delaware to sweat.
My first time in Sweatlodge that wasn't run in the Lakota tradition. In fact, now I think of it, I've only been in sweat with one Waterpourer before. This Lodge was run in a Wiccan protocol, a Waterpourer I have known in ritual space but never sweated with before.
Differences: Lots more alignment with my own interior process -- though I'd never been aware of misalignment before. I'm thinking this sweat might have been both longer and hotter than the ones I'd done previously, though I've no way to objectively measure that. Also this was my first coed sweat -- a fact which appears to have made no difference whatever. The deeply carved, nested circles of Sacred Space. The explicit connection to the Stones as Ancient Ones.
Similarities: The deep, listening dark peopled by likeminded ones all doing our own deep work. The calm, supporting voice of the Waterpourer guiding us surely to each new speaking and each new singing and each new learning.
The work (as I remember it, and mindful that much was said that is not here in my awareness just now):
In the Round of Air, I am so grateful for my breath, for the clarity of vision, mind, and intellect which I have used in my life. I release my reliance on detailed memory, I let go of judgmentalness and needing to be right, I ask for clarity, for ClearSight and ClearVision, for ease and grace in this beginning of my old age.
In the Round of Fire, I am so grateful for the joys and passions of youth and middle age, for this electric body in all its impulses, for warmth and delight. I release the passions of youth, the high-energy physicality. I ask for the energy to complete the work of this life, for the passion to joyfully be Present to the next challenges as they arise.
In the Round of Water, I am so grateful for the fluids of this body, for my blood and lymph, tears and sweat, and for the freedom to express my emotions as they arise. I release my desire for everything to work out painlessly, I release my demand that emotions always be neat and easy. I ask that I ride the rivers of the rest of my life with the balance of the canoe and the grace of the skier when everything is in rightness. I ask that I be Present to my own emotions and Accepting of them, and Accepting of the emotions of others.
In the Round of Earth, I am so grateful for the sturdy body I have enjoyed, and for the children I have borne, and for the grandchildren they have borne. I release my desire to do it all myself and embrace the assistance of those who are younger and stronger than I. I ask for the courage and balance to allow this line to end when it is time for it to end, and to allow this life to end in its own time. I ask that I live fully until the time to die, and that when it is time I die in the moment, without a long decline and without asking for another breath.
In the Round of Spirit, I am so grateful to know myself a spiritual being having an experience of human embodiment; I am so grateful to know myself as a body of remembrance and love.
I honor my companions in this work. As we each did the work "for myself" I ask that each of our wishes and choices become manifest for the highest good of all concerned.
Some practical things I have learned: Next time I sweat it would be well to be fully hydrated before beginning. Next time I sweat I should wait longer than an hour before driving home. Next time I sweat it would be well to follow with salty foods as well as savory and fruity.
Blessed Be.