Another force to be reckoned with, our family Shaman, recently made my sisters and me an offer we couldn't refuse. Our Shaman offered to come to my sister's home with the intention of conducting an ancient healing ceremony that would send packing the Lyme Disease she's been battling for over two years.
It gets better. Our Shaman agreed to let me and two of my other sisters assist in the ceremony. We are all Reiki trained and have been part of many different forms of healing from various traditions. None of our previous work, however, prepared us for all that would transpire on a sunny afternoon in our little sister's living room.
We went rolling in the deep of our sister's psyche.
Following our Shaman’s marching orders, preparation began weeks before as we set out to create a Star Quilt. First, we researched the long and exquisite tradition of the star quilt in Native American culture.
“The Star Quilt has been a part of Native American tradition and medicine for hundreds of years. It is a symbol of the Morning or Dawn Star. Star Quilts have been used for beauty, warmth and healing, and is even a very important part of many Native American Ceremonies." www.nativeamericantrade.com
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| Suomalainen tahti huopa |
We are of Finnish descent so it made sense that we take this honored tradition and make it our own. We gathered special pieces of fabric, pins, patches and buttons belonging to our ancestors, and sewed these on to a beautiful yellow blanket. With clear intention and love in our hearts, we fashioned the star from an apron once worn, almost threadbare, by our beloved Nana (our maternal grandmother). Quite appropriately, said apron now belonged to the sister who was at the center of the healing.
Next, we chose a pocket lapel from our father's flannel shirt, a ribbon from a crocheted ‘something’ created by his mother, beads from earrings gifted from our mother and photos to represent our grandfathers. I should note that the plan is to add mementos to this blanket over time making it a veritable work in progress. Creating the Suomalainen tähti huopa was a deeply meaningful experience for us, and one we will treasure for years to come. The three of us finished sewing late into the night, and when we finished, we covered our sweet, sleeping sister with her very own Star Quilt and bid the night ado.
Next, we chose a pocket lapel from our father's flannel shirt, a ribbon from a crocheted ‘something’ created by his mother, beads from earrings gifted from our mother and photos to represent our grandfathers. I should note that the plan is to add mementos to this blanket over time making it a veritable work in progress. Creating the Suomalainen tähti huopa was a deeply meaningful experience for us, and one we will treasure for years to come. The three of us finished sewing late into the night, and when we finished, we covered our sweet, sleeping sister with her very own Star Quilt and bid the night ado.
The next morning we prepared our special foods for feasting after the healing ceremony. At our Shaman's direction, we made an alkalizing, detoxing salad comprised of fresh kale, parsley, cilantro, carrots, and chia seeds. Never one to follow a recipe, I coerced the girls into adding cucumber, regardless of the cuke's therapeutic properties, it just sounded yummy. The salad ingredients were chopped with tenacity of purpose, mindfully mixed in a beautiful crystal bowl, and topped off with lemon, ginger and maple syrup dressing. Later the greens were served with a hemp protein drink chaser.
Our Shaman arrived with her gear, and like a Sherpa loading the backs of pack mules ready to head up a holy mountain, she loaded us up with her bags and paraphernalia. As she unpacked her sacred items, we, too, unpacked objects that held spiritual importance to each of us. We carefully placed all of these in a circle on the floor: crystals, stones, pendulums, singing bowls, chimes, drums, shakers, candles, family photos, a mustang replica, copper from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a map of Finland and our Nana's copy of the The Kalevala. While we're not entirely sure why each item was included, we just knew it was a splendid idea at the time. Significant, even.
The ceremony itself is a sacred event and most likely not something to share in a public venue; however, I can tell you this: it was powerful. With the sisu of her Finnish Noadi predecessors, our Shaman guided us through each level of consciousness and shepherded us through auric fields of dreams. If you've ever had the opportunity to be part of a healing ceremony, you know the amazing work that transpires. As they say, it's a journey (in every possible sense of the word), and we are most grateful for the health-giving energy and blessings our sister received. Kiitos Jumalalle.
