In Darkness With Ancestors and Ceremony

Mar. 11

In Darkness With Ancestors

I found myself there, in the darkness of the lodge, in the embrace of the glowing grandfathers and grandmothers. In that darkness, I was cleansed by the steam that washed over my body, my mind, and my spirit. The songs, calling out to spirits for guidance, for help, for pity, but also to remember our bloodline. Life and spirit, past, present and future in one moment, one ceremony, one conscious moment of being in the inside and the outside. The body connected to earth, spirit and life, answers to doubts. I found myself there, I found my spirit in the darkness of the lodge, and it came with me out into the light.

Aaron McKay

Ceremony

The smoke of the burning sweet grass swirls up around my body, my spirit, and washes over. Sacred embers dance to the sound of a song older than my father and grandfather. The beating drum mimics the pulse of the Earth, a connection made between worlds and spirits. Into the snow to leave the offering. We do not forget those who have made their journey home, and we acknowledge those who have yet to come. Acceptance of past, present, and future in prayer.

Aaron McKay