You too are the Light of the World

This is beautiful ceremony you can share in a small or large group, either at The Two Roads Centre, or a location of your choice, if travelling distance allows.  It is a lovely addition to your shamanic pow wow or workshop, or as an event in its own.

The Dance of the Sun 

The dance of the sun is a ‘walking’ ceremony, inspired by the sun dance of the Sioux Indians, in which we move around the supreme centre of our spiritual self, affirming the powers of the six directions within, to bring the highest well being to others, ourselves and the world we live in. 

Black Elk’s Indian tradition, and many of the Indian traditions, held, and still hold regular Sun Dances.  There was a time the law forbade them to practice the sun dance, but such a powerful and sacred ceremony could not be ignored, and naturally Spirit overcomes, Love overcomes, and the dance is every bit as powerful today as it was in the days of the plains living.  The ritual is based on the idea of self sacrifice for the benefit of family and community: a person would actually bleed for their loved ones, for their people, symbolizing, I guess in my own words and understanding, a compassion that is of Christ Energy, or the energy of the good red road.  The people bled compassionately, and danced around the central focus, the sun, the holy tree of unity, of community living, or as Black Elk would have called it, the sacred hoop.  They prayed continually, whilst suffering and lifting their spirits into the sky with the Eagle Medicine ( they blew an eagle whistle too), and this ensured their prayers went straight to Wakan Takan, Great Spirit.  They wore scarves around their bodies, nothing else but a wreath of sage on their crowns.  They way they were dressed affirmed their truth: they were children of Mother Earth and Father Sky, and they sent their prayers to Great Spirit through the blood of Mother Earth, whilst being wrapped in Her loving care.

The dancers danced the movement of the sacred hoop asking for the power of the six directions: West, North, East, South, Above and Below; and bringing all these into the 7th – within, or what I call, what Black Elk taught me, the Red Stone of Power, the Sacred Heart.  He sees all souls as sacred hearts, which is why he always addresses you through me as Dear Heart.  The powers of the six directions are naturally ours, aspects of our higher selves.  When Black Elk had his great vision he was gifted the powers of the six directions, and so part of this ceremony’s proceedings is to re-enact that within our own souls.

Black Elk was also a Christian, and so was I… but I have had to dig very deep to find my true faith through the organized Church with a leader and clergy…nowadays my Church is my body, my Mother Earth; nowadays I am my own leader, and in this way I FEEL the beauty beneath the ways of Christianity.  It struck me that for most of my earlier life I followed the idea of Christian Sacrifice in order to lift my soul into the Light of a spiritual path, or good red road.  I did certain pilgrimages such as Lough Derg in Donegal, various missions too.  All of this gave me a sense of devotion to a spiritual path, not only for myself but for others I was praying for.   And so, out of these two ways of my soul, I have envisioned THE DANCE OF THE SUN – blending both ways for the benefit of others.

And why for the benefit of others?

Well, for two reasons, being one reason only – firstly, that I believe it is through service to each other that we remain strong as a community, and secondly, my truth says WE ARE ONE!  If we are one, then you are me and I am you, and by lifting my own energy into the light of my higher spiritual path, I lift yours too.  By praying for you, I also pray for me, for all.  Secondly, I believe in the power of unconditional love; a parent will pray for their children to be well and happy, it is every parent’s desire.  When we behave like the sacred parents within, loving the creation without, we lift it up with that love.

Also at this stage I will tell you, or remind you, that Black Elk’s great vision showed that the spirit within is supreme, you too are the light of the world, and whatsoever you do to the least of the people of the world, you do onto yourself.

So let us dance, according to the movement of the world around the great central sun, the light of the world.  Let us flow with compassion, releasing the world and all people from any illusion of pain and suffering, and let us create a good red road for all; and what we will find, if we do this, is a life that is happily in harmony with the highest spirit within.  Healing will happen, Joy will happen, Hope will be present, and Love will reign.

But surely we do not need to suffer?

No, I no longer believe in the idea of suffering.  Actually, to be clear – I did believe in suffering, in the idea of sacrifice I mean.  And I would have said it is through suffering that we come to seek a higher way.  However, I believe that higher way is here and now in the world, and so the concept of suffering no longer serves any purpose.  Suffering was in the world at a time when there was no other means of turning our souls towards the light, but now many are leading the way with the consciousness of a higher light, the soul has ascended out of the bondage of the old energy of duality in which pain was a natural and essential counterpart of Joy, and it has risen into the light of Joy itself.  Joy, compassion, unconditional Love, all these are the only teachers we need to show us the way of supreme mastery of the soul.  You may say it is easy for me to say that since I have come through my journey out of pain and into joy, and perhaps your own world is one of pain at the moment.  For this my compassion flows for you, with the awareness that in holy truth you too are free, no matter whether you experience it or not.  In this way I hold you in your highest form, your life in its purest form, in your Immaculate Heart, and the word of truth shall be on Earth.  This is the way of The Dance of the Sun.

The Proceedings:

The dance begins with the SACRED PIPE CEREMONY – Then a re-enactment of part of Black Elk’s great vision of spiritual truth, affirming the spiritual gifts we all are given as a Sun/Child of Divine Source.  A meditation of the Great White Light of Unity Consciousness follows, leading to the sacred peace pipe ceremony.

The dance then follows…

“an opportunity to change what is not in alignment with your inner light”

Eliza White Buffalo is a shaman of Native American Tradition. She was trained from early childhood by the great Sioux leader and Holy Man, Nicholas Black Elk, in both his Indian ways and his understanding of the teachings of Jesus.  

Cost: group of 15 plus – £300.  group of 20 plus –  £400.  group of 40 plus – £600