Using the Pipe Ceremony in Healing

The pipe is perhaps the most sacred single object in Native American spirituality. The bowl represents the female, Mother Earth. The stem represents the male Sky-Father, Galunlati. Tobacco, sage, or some other herbs or combinations of herbs are placed into the pipe bowl and smoked.

The bowl and the stem are not united until the smoking ceremony is to begin. When stored, the pipe stem is to face East. When smoked the Pipe is offered to the directions and shared amongst the smokers. The smoker, in effect, is becoming one with Mother Earth and the Sky Father. The smoke rises upwards, carrying the prayers of the smokers to the Great Spirit.

Pipe bowls were often made out of a substance called Catlinite, although they could still be made from some other substance. Bowls could be plain in appearance or carved into various shapes. The stems could remain as plain wood or be decorated with beads, feathers, symbols, etc. They would then be kept carefully wrapped up. All of this of course, was done with great of respect. The Pipe is not a symbol of that which is sacred; the Pipe, itself is sacred.

For a description of the use of the pipe, read AMERICAN INDIAN CEREMONIES: A PRACTICAL WORKBOOK & STUDY GUIDE TO THE MEDICINE PATH Two other sources of information include BREATH OF THE INVISIBLE: THE WAY OF THE PIPE by John Redtail Freesoul, and THE SACRED PIPE: BLACK ELK'S ACCOUNT OF THE SEVEN RITES OF THE OGLALA SIOUX.

USING THE PIPE CEREMONY FOR HEALING

The Pipe Ceremony is a very sacred act for the Native Americans. This means of course, that on a spiritual level it holds a lot of significance and a lot of potential power.

It is possible to add the Pipe Ceremony to a Healing Ritual for extra power in the healing. To do this you will need your pipe, sage, pipe mix, shell or other container, lighter or matches, and it would be helpful to have a photograph of the person to be healed.

Also, if you are into any of the martial arts such as Tai Chi, it would be a good idea to run through a series of exercises before starting the ceremony, per se. That helps to ground you and focus your mind.

THE HEALING CEREMONY

1. Use the sage to purify yourself, your workspace, and the photograph of the person who has requested healing.

2. Light your Pipe and offer it to the West. State your request. A general request is given below:

Yanu, Spirit Keeper of the West, I ask that you give _________ (name) the strength he/she needs to overcome his/her illness. Strengthen her/his body and mind to allow him/her full freedom from illness. Help him/her to walk the Medicine Path in strength.

Then take a puff from the pipe.

3. Offer your Pipe to the North, stating your request, or saying:

Yunsu, Spirit Keeper of the North, I ask that you give _________(name) the wisdom necessary to overcome his/her illness. Give her/him the knowledge needed to fight his/her affliction. Help him/her walk the Medicine Path in wisdom.

Then take a puff from the pipe.

4. Offer the Pipe to the East, stating your request, or saying:

Awahili, Spirit Keeper of the East, I ask that you carry my prayers for _________ (name) to the Great Spirit. Let the Great Spirit know that _______ is a good person, and deserves healing. Help her/him to walk the Medicine Path enclosed by the wings of the Great Spirit.

Then take a puff from the pipe.

5. Offer the Pipe to the South, stating your request, or saying:

Tsistu, Spirit Keeper of the South, I ask that you help restore ________ (name) to a state of innocence and health. Give him/her your aid, that her/his body and mind might return to a state of peace and calm.

Then take a puff from the pipe.

6. Raise the Pipe, and offer it to the Sky-Father:

Galunlati, Sky-Father, look down upon _________ and grant her/him your aid in overcoming his/her illness. Let your breath blow freely through her/his body and carry away the illness.

Then take a puff from the pipe.

7. Lower the Pipe, and offer it to Agisegwa, the Earth Mother:

Agisegwa, Earth Mother, out of whom the body of ________ was made, I ask that you help restore him/her to health, that she/he may walk your pathways in health.

Then take a puff from the pipe.

8. Offer the Pipe over both of your shoulders:

I call upon _______'s totem animals, guardian spirits, spirit guides, plant and mineral totems to lend their assistance to ______________ to enable him/her to achieve healing and return to a state of health and joy.

9. Continue smoking until your mixture is used up.

10. When finished, you may say "So be it", or "Ho", or something to that effect. Do not then continue to dwell upon the problems. Let go of your prayers and let them move to the Great Spirit.