Indian Ritual

  Dear Sisters,
   The man behind me at the check out at Walmart chuckled, out loud, when I asked the cashier if she knew which brand of cigarettes didn't have a filter. I told her that my sisters and I were going to be doing an Indian Ritual and I was supposed to buy some tobacco to spread around the fire I was going to build!! I had also purchased some maxi-pads, because ever since I had that bad cold, I have been having a hard time not leaking when I sneeze or laugh loud, which is what I do all the time. I am Laughing Grandma, you know!  Kaylee calls them, laugh pads. I was hoping the guy behind me wouldn't notice them.
   "Now, that is the most elaborate story I have ever heard someone tell, who just wants to have a good smoke!" The guy behind me laughed.
   "No, really. I need some tobacco for my Indian Ritual."
   "Sure, you do.."
   "Just give me the cheapest brand you have." I told the cashier.
   "Have a good smoke." the man yelled as a picked up my bag and walked toward the door. He was probably saying to himself, "Now, There is a crazy lady. She thinks she is young enough to have a period and old enough to smoke!"
    "Oh, I will!" I yelled back!
   I have been reading 'Write It Down, Make It Happen'.  In the book it tells a story about an old Indian ritual called the Arrow Ceremony. In many Indian cultures, tribes and families would gather to start up a new year at the solstice and have a special celebration, at sunrise, where they would make a request to the Great Spirit to eliminate certain things that they no longer wanted in their lives, and to bring in things that they now wanted to have in their lives. As a way of representing this, they would craft six arrows: three to represent the things they did not want and three for the things that they did want. They placed bird feathers on the ends of the arrows. They went to low ground and made a circle inscribed with tobacco leaves...See, I really did need those Cigarettes!! One by one they would step into the circle from the North, put the arrows in the ground and say silent prayers, concentrating on what they were willing to give up or what they wanted to get rid of. Once everyone was done, they would burn the arrows. The smoke would send the message to the Great Spirit. Then they would go to higher ground, inscribing a similar circle, this time leaving the opening to the South. Again, one by one, they would go into the new circle, and put the arrows in the ground and make the request to the Great Spirit for what they wanted to bring into their lives. Then they would burn the arrows. Sending their messages to the Great Spirit.
    So, two weeks ago, when Lilly said that she and Brad and family were going to be at the ranch deer hunting, Helen and I decided that we should go out too. Then I thought "We should do this Indian Ritual together," and I called Lilly and Helen and they were all excited when I told them there was fire and tobacco involved.   I collected everything we would need.  Sticks to be our arrows. Ribbon to be our feathers, kindling for the fire and matches, paper and pens to write our requests to the Great Spirit and of course tobacco!!
     When we got to the ranch, we had a great surprise! Kay, Isacc,  Lehi and Lilly and family were there. So fun to see them. Then Crystal and family, Rosie and family all came out, so we had a blast with them all. 
    Sunday morning dawned, bright and crisp. Brad and Wyatt got up just as it was getting light and headed out to shoot Bambie. I heard them rustling downstairs and turned over in bed and whispered to Kay, "Kay, get up. Let's go do the Indian Ritual."
    "What's an Indian Ritual?"
    "Just come on." I pulled on my pants and tiptoed to Helen's room.
    Helen opened her eyes, when I stood over her. I put my finger to my mouth and pointed to the door. She rose quietly from her bed, not wanting to disturb Crystal and baby.  Then I went downstairs to wake the princess. She was having a hard time leaving the soft King Sized, princess mattress Brad had brought out to donate to the ranch house. He is the best!  Just kidding, She jumped right up and was excited about the fires and the cigarettes.We bundled up warm and headed for my car. I opened the back up and we stood there in the freezing breeze and wrapped out sticks with ribbons and wrote out the things we wished to leave behind and the things we wanted to come into our lives. Then we headed for the fire pit on the patio. We had had a huge fire the day before when we tore the drawers, closets and carpet out of Jeremy's room and burned it all.  ( Wow, You should see how nice that room looks! )  There were still some hot embers burning. Helen threw a log on the fire and we gathered around. I opened my very first pack of cigarettes and handed one to each of my Indian sisters. "Here, rip those open and spread them around the top edge of the fire pit."  We stood on the North side of the fire and read our requests for the 3 things we were ready to give up. Mine were Procrastination,  30 Pounds of fat, and Clutter in my life. As we read each one, we threw the arrow and the note into the fire. Then we went to the south side of the fire pit and this time we read our requests in silence to the
Great Spirit and then threw in each request and each arrow.  Then I read this from the book. It is what one women wrote, 10 years ago, when she first began doing this ritual with her friends.
" Great Spirit,
I would like guidance in stepping on to a  new plateau of personal and financial growth and achievement. I want to make a great step forward in terms of what I will accomplish with my life from this point onward. In a quiet understated way, I want to be able to make a difference in people's lives and to make a positive contribution to the world. I am just entering into the main stretch. Please help me to expand exponentially in all areas of my life."
     I think my... "I want to lose 30 pounds of fats" sounds almost as eloquent as what she wrote. Don't you?!!!
    Anyway, the year she started doing the rituals,  this lady had the idea to write a real estate book which was a great success and then she wrote "Simplify Your Life", and it was a best seller. So I thought "It sure couldn't hurt us to do a few dozen rituals, because we need more help from the Great Spirit than the average bear!!
  The Sun was just starting to peek over the east hill so we hiked up the north hill and watched the beautiful day begin. Group Hug! Aren't Sisters just the best idea God ever came up with.  I love you all so much...Love Jelene