Mother Earth
Sweatlodge
An Ancient Ritual
In four rounds we sweat together with our loved ones to give thanks to creation. With prayers for all that exists and with humble surrender to the greater answer, we receive what we need through the medicine of our ancestors, through the elements, through all aspects of Great Spirit and Mother Nature.
We sweat for the reconnection of our minds to the greater fabric of life, for the cleansing of our bodies, for the healing of our loved ones - to create sacred pathways of life from darkness to light.
“We have nothing in our hands to give back to Mother Earth - nothing that is not already hers
We have song and word to praise creation - and ceremony to make them count”
The Sweatlodge
In the physical realm, a sweatlodge is a small, low-profile hut - usually built of hazel or willow shoots, covered with blankets, tarps, or even animal skins. In our case, it is a sturdy dome-like structure with blankets and tarps on top. The main difference from a sauna is that the heat comes from hot stones that are heated in a fire outside and then brought in and spinkled with water. We sweat in four rounds, where in the breaks new stones will be brought and participants in need might go out and come in
In the mythological space, the Sweatlodge is the symbol of the womb of Mother Earth, the fire a manifestation of great spirit where the red glowing stones become the seeds of wisdom and energy as we humans go on a journey of recuperation and rebirth
The entire event is one long ceremony, from the initial blessings before even building anything, to the dismantling of the lodge and the cleanup the next day.
The Sweetlodge itself lasts 3-6 hours.
We can’t make things happen - we only can make them welcome
An act of grace,
with dance and song
we call upon the goddess.
Inviting plants to guide us,
the animals by our side.
Asking elements to open
sacred space within
To the spirit of peace
we pray for all the living,
for ancestors, brothers and sisters
for all our relations
throughout all time and space.
Shall there be love!
So we are whole
We are one
We are
We
Are
Love
Our Background & Direction
We do not copy nor imitate, we follow many traditions of what has been given to us by our teachers and maestros, what we have learned from Spirit, and what has been asked of us by holding sacred spaces with plant medicine and sweat lodges.
We deeply honor and respect all Sweatlodge traditions and are deeply grateful for their care of traditions long lost to the Old World. We are deeply inspired and careful not to copy any foreign culture, rite or ceremony.
We honor our ancestors and the Wisdom Keepers of the North, the Seiðr and Druids of the Celtic tribes, the Shipibo Maestros and teachers from many different tribes for their guidance, permission to form roots in our rituals and ceremonies.
Our fire is lit by the spark of life in our hearts. We honor the water of life - the essence from the stars within all that flows, which is contained in our bodies. We honor our beloved Mother Earth and Father Sky that give us body and spirit and the creativity to take care of what exists. We honor the clean air in the cycle of exchange in our breath and the vibration in our voices - to sing spirit into existence - to create love and harmony.
The plants are our allies in medicine, the animals our beloved brothers and sisters. Our world is animated and soul is in everything - from the stone to the bird, from the beetle in our hand to the star in the night - everything is woven into the great mysterious fabric of life.
We are inseparably connected to all that exists on this planet and in all other worlds, in all time and space, in every direction and dimension, in every rhythm and song.
For that we sweat in four rounds - togehter with our loved ones to give thanks to creation. With prayers for all that exists and with humble surrender to the answer from beyond. We trust to receive what we need through the medicine of the ancestors, the elements, through all aspects of the Great Spirit and Mother Nature.
We sweat for the reconnection of our minds to the great fabric of life, for the cleansing of our bodies, for the healing of our loved ones - to create sacred pathways of life - from darkness to light.
About Safety
There are some misconceptions and stories on the internet that may discourage you from signing up. We do our best to make our sweatlodges an empowering and deeply healing experience for you, but despite our training, experience and preparation, there are some risks we want you to know about. Going to a Sweatlodge can be a great cleaning and empowering experience. I can improve your health in many ways but should not become a substitute of sever health issues:
Body
Like in a steam sauna, you are exposed to heat from hot vapors as water is poured over the hot stones.
We will be sitting on the floor on our towels, or in the winter on mats. This can cause some discomfort as you may not be used to sitting on a floor for long periods of time. This is one of the reasons why we make sure that you will have enough space to lie down if you need to.
Sitting in there will definitely make you sweat and over time raise your body temperature and increase your heart rate. For some people this is demanding, but not a problem. To make sure you are doing well, we will be in there with you the whole time and you can leave at any time. Between the rounds we open the door for some time, to get fresh air into the lodge, to cool it down and eventually bring some water to drink in.
While milder, stable, or well-healed heart or lung problems from the past can be even improved, people with severe or acute problems should not enter a sauna or Sweatlodge. Please check with your physician if you have a history of angina, aortic stenosis, stroke, acute or severe chronic lung infection.
As a rule of thumb, if you can go into a sauna, you can go into a sweatlodge.
Psyche
During the rounds you will experience an absolutely dark room, where it is hot and space is limited. This might bring some emotions to the surface but is also the chance for you to overcome them. We are there for you and the others in the group support you as well - to help you to get through it and maybe holding your hands, while the talks, the songs and the process itself can wash it away.
Sweating is considered good your mental health and mood - and in our experience the Sweatlodge is even better. We have seen improvements in depression and anxiety, sleeping disorders and more.
If it becomes too much, you can always leave the lodge and be held by those who have stayed outside for support.
Please inform us
Please tell us as soon as possible, if you are taking any kind of anti-depressants or other mind-altering substances - prescribed or by your own practice, or if you have been diagnosed with any severe form of mental disorder, heart or lung issues.
We are growing at the boundaries of our comfort zone - not beyond
About Stephan
Stephan has drawn inspiration from many cultures to get as close as possible to our own, pagan heritage of the European tribes - beyond any religion. It is his joy to be the voice of our lands and ancestors in ritual and ceremony. For him, there is no better way than the sweatlodge to overcome fear and stress, confusion and depression - to return to the arms of Mother Earth - to be reborn.
Stephan has learned from many teachers, some directly from plants and spirits - and most in and through ceremony.
Thanks to
Walter Honegger for the initiation
Standing Bear for his blessings
Rono “Ronin” Lopez for his deep and loving medicine teachings in words and ceremony
Thank you, Danke, Gracias, Irake, Tak
Stephan, Sky Jaguar
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