This sweat lodge ceremony changed me and kept me the same.
The Mouse that took the Sweat Lodge down
Heart Song Stone Man, Mother Duck, Bruce and Beaver Woman arrived to greet Lakota Hazie in the mountains one day. Lakota Hazie had come to share her medicine and teach them how to build a sweat lodge for these times. While they dug holes, removed rocks and cut saplings Hawk and Vulture came to visit. Spider and Ant people came to share in the laughter with their insights; their input. Beaver Woman built the Fire Circle. Edward, the Priest came from the city and built a Turtle altar and the Medicine Wheel Lakota Hazie built the lodge upon drew powers to the site.
People came to sweat. In the months to follow the lodge cover stayed on after all of the ceremonies. The lodge was taking on a life force. As the season changed into fall Bear visited the Lodge three times ripping the covering. The short story he told us we did not understand. On the fourth visit he tore it down.
When Heart Song Stone Man cleared the cloths and broken wood mice scattered in many directions and chewed acorns and mummified mouse limbs fell to the ground. Some mice ran back to their homes in the blankets others tried to bury themselves as others ran into the woods All were driven out and away from the circle. When the circle had been cleared Mouse walked into the Circle with a story of his relationship with Bear and Heart Song Stone Man’s inability to hear their story. When Mouse finished his story Heart Song Stone Man realized the Bear was teaching through story and sign the importance of removing the covering between sweats and not providing false hope of a home for Mouse and his people.
It was the Mouse people. Bear could not find the mice in the folds of blankets. Neither his songs, or stories or strength could get the Keepers of the Lodge to remove the coverings! The taunting songs of the mice were ignored by the Keepers so Bear tore the lodge down.
Heart Song Stone Man left a gift with Mouse and was given the vision of the next lodge and never left the covering on after a sweat again.
~ Gregory E. Woods
Keeper of Stories Keeper of Sacred Medicine Wheels
path to sweatlodge @ Wolf Run
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