Greetings! Osiyo!

Happy Solstice!

Join us for 6th Annual Daylong Summer Solstice & World Soul Retrieval Ceremonies at Lena

By Jim PathFinder Ewing (Nvnehi Awatisgi)

6th Annual Solstice and World Soul Retrieval
Daylong Ceremonies on Saturday, June 21, Lena, MS

It’s hard to believe that the 6th Annual Solstice Celebration is now at hand. It sure doesn’t seem like this has been going on for so long.
A little recap: We started it in 2003 with the “first annual,” I guess that’s how you count it, event. We had been holding monthly Drum Circles for a few years and decided to combine the Medicine Wheel Ceremony of the monthly Drum Circle with a special Solstice Event.
As it turned out, that year, Frank MacEowen, author of “The Spiral of Memory and Belonging: A Celtic Path of Soul and Kinship” and “The Mist-Filled Path: Celtic Wisdom for Exiles, Wanderers, and Seekers,” was co-sponsoring and inaugurating a World Soul Retrieval Day observance then.

World Soul Retrieval Day Kept Up Since Then

So, we partnered with that effort. It was a tremendous success, with some people coming to Lena from as far as Colombia, and people joining long distance in drumming and singing around the world.

The following year, 2004, Frank and others were not celebrating World Soul Retrieval Day, so we asked permission and were invited to continue the observance, which we did, and have continued in our small way ever since.
Again, people came from all over, including a mother and her daughter traveling from California to join with us that day, and of course, from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Memphis, New Orleans and Hot Springs, Ark.
In both years, a curious thing took place. It had been my intent to hold ceremony all day at what we call the ceremonial grounds about a mile from here, where we kept the tipi and the Bear Lodge (Asi/Inipi). But on both occasions, every time I tried to leave the house, someone else would drive up and want to sit down and talk, ask questions, share observations or ideas. It occurred that rather than a day of ceremony - for me, anyway - that the annual Solstice Celebration was a chance to speak with people.

Really A Spiritual 'Open House'
When we hold Medicine Wheel Ceremony, I'm usually too busy either conducting the ceremony or preparing for it or catching my breath afterwards to visit much. And often people come earlier in the day or the next day for healing, which occupies my time. The Solstice Ceremony became something of a time for people to chat and visit or for personal consultation. So, that's how it developed, into something of a daylong spiritual "open house," where people can visit, meet people, make friends, reacquaint themselves, network, maybe learn something, share a lot, and given prayers and ceremony. And it's free. What a deal! We also toned down the strict timetable of events - since nothing happened on time anyway.

Wisdomkeepers Are Plenty
In 2005, we had our Bird Clan Mother Anita Atsila Galisgisgia (see her article "The Native American Woman: Myths Vs Reality" on the Web page under "Resources") of the Southern Cherokee Tribe & Associated Bands in Texas come to hold ceremony, as well as the chief of the tribe, Bill Fishkiller Taylor, shared with us; and Doc Davidson, head of the Bear Society of Arkansas, came and conducted the Asi/Inipi ceremonies.
For the past two years, we have been blessed to have Medicine Bull, a wingman (healer) of the Bear Society, and his wife, Bright Star, conduct the Asi/Inipi, and as each year since 2003, Peter Bloom of Memphis has given his Heart Song teachings; Boe "Many Knives" Glasschild, a Choctaw shaman, taught his "Lightning Dance" medicine. We've had crystal shamans, Reiki masters, even a High Wiccan Priest attend and celebrate the Power of this healing time over the years.

Medicine Bull and Peter Bloom will be back this year, but alas my brother Boe is living in Michigan and cannot make the trip this time.

Over the years, we've seen some wonderful people pass through our circle. We have seen beautiful miracles take place, and friendships formed, and people coming and going. And regardless of the weather, people have had fun.

Asi/Inipi (Sweat Lodge) Planned, So RSVP If You Are Interested

If weather permits, we will again hold Asi/Inipi with Medicine Bull pouring water on Saturday. Depending on how many people RSVP, we could have a women and children's sweat and a community sweat, one for the morning and one for the afternoon. Please RSVP to Annette Waya at bisonsmile@bellsouth.net.

A lot of changes have taken place over the years. Since we began the Solstice Celebration, a lot of people have stopped practicing various modalities or fallen to the wayside in spiritual endeavors. Much of what we used to do, going back to before even then, was considered rather esoteric and it's considered mainstream now. We've seen people come and go, but are still chugging along here. Although we are writing books now, we hope that people still enjoy what we offer in the newsletter and find it of interest and of use for them in their daily lives, in their spiritual healing, growth and development.

We will continue to evolve and change, as our new newsletter shows - with our organic farming in "seed" form, so to speak, and our new house and land reflecting the hard work we are beginning.

Bear With Us So To Speak

Since we have moved in to the new house, we also have some limitations. We no longer can have people inside the house, as our septic system out here in the country is unable to accommodate crowds. We will have a porta-john that someone has graciously volunteered to provide for this event (we're still looking for an angel to provide a full time one so we can have it for monthly ceremony).

Join in Prayer & Ceremony Wherever You Are

Join with us wherever you may be for the Summer Solstice Ceremonies. If you are able to come personally, please do. You are invited. If not able to attend in physical form, then join with us in Spirit, drumming, singing, praying or simply being in a good way, adding your voice and good thoughts to Healing The Earth Ourselves.
You may be surprised at the power for healing, growth and development that returns your way.

The Medicine Wheel of our Prayers is like a giant bank vault. When we give to it, adding our energies to others, it is magnified many times with Creator's Power; so that, when we need the energy of the Creator, we may draw from it, in our prayers.

If you have prayers for the Medicine Wheel please e-mail them; we will put them in the prayer basket and give them to the Sacred Fire so they might go directly to heaven.

Tentative Plans:

SATURDAY
10 A.M. -- Peace Candle Lighting. Please bring a candle if you wish to use it as a "seed candle" for peace for the coming year. Each year, we light the candle from the previous year that was originally lit by the Dalai Lama as the 1999 Millennium Peace Candle, originally given to us in 2000. We use the Peace Candle as a guide through the year in all our Medicine Wheel ceremonies here in Lena and at Christmas, New Year's and other observances for Peace, as a vigil of light.

9 a.m. and/or noon-- Asi/Inipi (Sweat Lodge). (Tentative time; we might have two sweats) See: Protocol for the Bear Lodge: http://www.blueskywaters.com/bearlodgeprotocol.html
Also of interest: The History of the American Indian Sweat Lodge: http://www.blueskywaters.com/page_46.htm

1 p.m. -- Heart Song Teachings by Wisdomkeeper Peter Bloom of Memphis, Tenn. Peter is still mulling his specific teaching this year, but in years past he has offered teachings related to the shamanic way taught by Kay Cordell Whitaker, author of "The Reluctant Shaman: A Woman's First Encounters with the Unseen Spirits of the Earth." Peter has been teaching how to find your own personal song for years, drawing from a number of shamanic traditions. Through finding this unique vibration, one can touch the essential Power of one's soul, for spiritual healing, growth and development. We were most pleased earlier this year when he employed a heart song ceremony to dedicate our ceremonial grounds here.

4 p.m. - Bear Asi/Inipi (Sweat Lodge). (Reserved for Bears, wingmen, drummers, to purifiy for ceremony.)

6 p.m. - Bear Dance. This is the first year we have performed Bear Dance here in Lena. We will be honoring the Earth Mother, with healing ceremony for all beings.

For more on the Bear Dance, see:

http://www.blueskywaters.com/beardancehome.html

We will hold a Pot-Luck FEAST afterward. Please bring food to share if you would like to participate.

There is no charge for ceremony, of course, but donations are gratefully accepted. (and needed!)

Bring healthy food to share for the meal after the Bear Dance. No Drugs or Alcohol allowed. No smoking allowed in ceremonial areas.

All of our ceremonies are family events. Children (under mindful parental control at all times) are welcome. Parents please make accommodations for your children during sweat lodge ceremony, if you plan on participating...and you may want to bring something they can amuse themselves with, as ceremonies can be very long and boring for children to quietly sit through.

All events will be outside, there will be no access to the house--so come prepared to spend the day outdoors--we will hold ceremony rain or shine. Bring sunscreen and bug repellant,something to sit on, and whatever you want to eat and drink, to share.

We will have a port-a-john near rhe ceremonial grounds.

For more information - you must RSVP Waya at bisonsmile@bellsouth.net

Whoever wishes to join us must first email us at bisonsmile@bellsouth.net,
DEADLINE: 5p.m., Thursday, June 19th.