Healing Sleep Rituals

by Earth Thunder
Traditional Shaman

In my tribal life and our work at The Ancient Schools of Mysteries we have found that humans may be served by changing their Priorities. We found humans to have iron clad habits that are supported by the human's notion that they are First in the Universe. In great tenderness for all of us humans, may I suggest that Priority decision is the BOX? As Indigenous Peoples and my families lived outdoors we lived the Circles..the humans accepting they are about tenth in the line up of daily priorities. The Wild Universe has the first 9 steps of priority before considering the humans needs. The Wild Universe has it NEEDS FIRST which is: Wild healthy air - water - habitat - food - sleep - hunting - gathering - territorial relations and regeneration.

As the Wild Universe has what it needs first then the human receives the overflow of what is not needed by the Wild. This planet came with a set amount of all these Life Needs there is no way to have more than the planet began with. The Ecosystems of the Wild receive their needs for life First. Usually, hopefully, there is some left over. That is called OverFlow. Then OverFlow is available to the humans who will then discern how they distribute or share where the overflow is best utilized. These discerning distributions of OverFlow resources are the humans' purpose called their LifeWork.

It appears LifeWork requires humans who have lifetimes of cycles of wellness energy. We suggest humans begin their healing with Sleep first. Here are some ideas to invest in Healing Sleep using the Rituals of Healing Blanket, Dream Lodge and eventually Sweat Lodge.

We all long for the ideal life. And I want you to consider that you have this now . the Ideal is a Sacred Garden in every night you sleep. Humans' dilemma is that even in that only place where our bodies can heal, our minds are still controlling what we want to see, be, experience, and perceive. Humans do not easily yield to their mind chatter or their excesses in ego-beliefs. Nor do they accept their sleep is the Ideal, it is their Sacred Garden. With the ecological and environmental disasters and threat of Earth Changes due to global warming and other factors, why we would focus on such an frivolous subject as Sleep? How can dreaming help the ecology of Earth? Consider for a moment if all of humans would allow themselves to be liberated from fear - become tolerant in the ancient sense of the word. What if there was no more boredom, loneliness, manipulation or craving to be loved by another human? What if a human were to be able to determine what was necessary for their survival on this planet and what was irrelevant? What if the human was so busy working for the Wild Universe they forgot to expect more than there really is? Can you realize the impact that this would have on the environment. This means you. You do not have to be an environmentalist, academic, guru or a mystic. The future of the planet depends on your personal healthy energies. Your future, our Wild Universe's future is in your healthy sleep. As you heal and are your healthy sleeping you are making room for Dreams. Dreams are the symbolic Wild Guides of your LifeWork. Everything is dreamed before it becomes a reality. Everything that is needed for healthy humans' adventurous LifeWork.

Who is in your bedroom?

1. Begin with 3 days that are focused in an 8 day pattern. You will plan to Bathe, Eat your last meal no later than 2 hrs. before SunSet. SunSet is 4pm to 11pm.

2. Sleep area is for sleep only. Prepare your sleep area free of electronics.

3. Free of lights, noises, dust, clutter. Turn off telephones, TV, doorbell.

4. Place your bed so your head is in the directions of the season. (East-Spring, South-Summer, West-Fall, North-Winter) Place your Dream Crystal with pointed end directed to the Season.

5. Go for a meditation walk.

6. Do a SunSet Ritual outside.

7. Enter your bed covered with your Healing Blanket. Your only need is to go there and Close your eyes. Allow whatever your life needs to be healed. Accept there is no timetable of when.

8. Schedule weekly, monthly healing with Body/Mind/Spirit Practioners. Massage, Acupuncture, LifeWork Coaching, Chiropractic, Counseling.

(If sleeping with another get an agreement in all of the above)

As you have adequate healing in your days of sleep there will come messages. Some of those messages are too random to interpret. The basic measurement of dreaming is that the human needs to have the same dream-same message three times within an eight day period= for the message to have stability. Many messages are housekeeping, awaiting the cleanout the debris so you can hear more clearly. Dream messages are symbolic. They need MugWump, the discernment of turning around messages and then applying them to your current life. Beware of entertainment, seek healing, and seek your LifeWork. Write down in your Journal with the blue pen eight history of your sacred ritual. Meet with the community you study with share your experiences. Make regular appointments with your teacher to interpret the messages from the Wild Universe.

Dreaming is how humans create what we know as time. Our thoughts are actual experiences. Those experiences become stories to guide other humans through eternal living and dying. All of this created Time. Dreaming is how we do exactly what we do right now today and prepare the future. The two go hand-in-hand. There are no religions, no governments, no bigotry, no enemy who can force you not to dream. Reality is we are dreaming 24 hours a day eternally. The Dreaming Blanket is asking you to become your LifeWork. Remember that human beings are the only species who forget because we can. Dreaming helps us remember, are you ready?

Healing Blanket

Find a blanket that the special to you, a blanket that has not been used for something else, it can be a new blanket or from the giveaway stores. Make a commitment that you will never wash this blanket or dry-clean. Make a commitment that you will never let this blanket be harmed or used in a casual way.

Daily:

a.. At the very least know where your blanket is.

a.. Wrap yourself in your blanket at SunRise and SunSet Rituals.

a.. As your day unfolds dream that your blanket is always around you.

a.. As your mind thinks of others see your blanket around them and you.

a.. As others ask from you hold them in your Healing Blanket.

Monthly:

1. Go to an outdoor sacred place.

2. Wrap in your blanket and face the West ask that your mind be empty, eyes closed until it is empty.

3. Go to the South asked Heal your actions of lack of limitation.

4. Go to the East ask how you may see the bigger picture of all of your daily thoughts, relations, and agreements.

5. Go to the North asked to release the language of humans that says, " shoulds, nevers, forevers, betters, I want, I desire, I deserve,". Ask out loud, "how may I earn the teachings, how may I increase the willingness and availability to be teachable?"

6. Go to the Within of your medicine wheel, close your eyes and listen to the Wild Universe symbolically offer you visuals, sounds, and messages. The Wild Universe does not speak literally it speaks symbolically.

This blanket, as you use it in the daily Rituals and Ceremonies, begins to be tuned. The blanket remembers being the skin of this Grandmother Earth, the living skin of our planets, their moons, suns, and the movement of everything in between. The stars are the openings in the blanket that prepares us to see the inside/outside of thoughts, choices, and actions. As well as who is outside wanting our attention. After the time is put into your blanket it will assist you in how to remember what it was like to listen as a Wild Family.

The teachings of this blanket will help you reinvent how to care for yourself in sensitive, sane, and caring ways.wellness will follow. This blanket will also help you reinvent relationships outside of you. This blanket is the beginning of the Sweat Lodge. The Sweat Lodge is everything you could ever ever need to know about boundaries. The definition of boundaries: anything it takes to reconsider, discern, and get feedback about whether you are doing what you're doing because you want to get something, you need something, or you're demanding something that is only about humans.

Preparing for Sweat Lodge takes as long as it takes. If you are in anyway wanting to do any of the Native American - Indigenous Peoples tools and ceremonies and you are doing them for entertainment I ask you to stop. I ask you with all of the sincere, warmth and humility that I can possibly muster that everything about for this Wild Universe is not - I repeat not for entertainment. If you wish to prepare for Sweat Lodge because you sincerely can say your first reality of expectation is healing or perhaps it is clarity then let me help you start with a way to discover your true intentions. I do not want you to be hurt and I do not want us to misuse our Wild Universe and their Sacred Ways. I ask you to be truthful that anytime along the way you find you were only doing this for entertainment or just something to do that's fascinating, then I ask that you stop.

It is very important to speak of the phenomenal powers of the Wild Universe's Sacred Tools. Sweat Lodge is very a huge kinetic energy vortex !!. Therefore, it is an experience that requires a lot of preparation. The first steps of preparation are the beliefs and values that are the Sweat Lodge. Indigenous peoples for hundreds of years have refused to share many of the ceremonies and tools with non-indigenous peoples. The truthful reason is that if you have not lived outdoors, if you have not had in your belief system that the Wild Universe is your boss, and then sometimes the handling of these tools of Indigenous Wisdom can bring unfulfilling experiences. And frankly this is true of everything in life - to drive a car takes years and years of maturity, it takes years and years of experience then it takes a whole community to support the liability that comes from driving the car. Working with some of the Wild Universe tools are as powerful as an automobile and freeway.

Allow and release your expectations about your LifeWork accept adjusting to the Wild Universe's TimeClock of seasons, cycles, ebb and flowing, you will know after you are already there.

EarthThunder is EarthSpirit Voice of Beloved One, Cherokee Medicine Woman, LifeWork Coach, Traditional Shaman Way serving our Wild Universe, Director of The Ancient Schools of Mysteries-tasom, Director of The Global Communities for 'Vital Earth' and Chief of The International Communities of the Ochre. EarthThunder provides Private Guidance by appointment in Boise, Idaho or via email. She also offers Experiential Intensives in remote Wilderness. The Ancient Schools of Mysteries offers accreditation in the Shaman Way of Indigenous Wisdom and offers Wilderness Retreats, such as the upcoming "JOURNEY SONG" - Who are you? What is your LifeWork? - August 9-10 in Idaho, $195 per person, $330 per couple. All people and children are invited to join in the Global Dance "Initiate the Dream" Storytelling, Ceremonies, Dancing, and Singing at Birds of Prey Canyonland, Idaho, on September 20-21, 2003 Overflow donation accepted. Call 208 343-3062, email earththunder@ cableone. net or visit http://earththunder .com