Here are a few of my general psychic predictions for 2008 by Psychic Su Walker:
The economy
The markets will continue to remain unstable, as the value of the United States dollar continues to lose ground to the Euro.
I foresee the number of home foreclosures increase in the United States,and at least the fall or buyout of one major banking institution.
Corporate farms will once again absorb smaller family farms, as economic pressures worsen.
THE WEATHER:
I look for an major F5 Tornado between Wichita and Salina Kansas this year, and be on the ground for at least 30 miles.
South Dakota, Minnesota, and Missouri will be drier than normal, while Des Moines, Mason City, Fort Dodge, and Moline will be wetter than normal.
Politics:
Democrats win the White House, giving us our first woman President Hillary Clinton.
Technology:
Apple continues to gain market share and traction against age-old rival Microsoft.
Gas Prices:
Watch for gas prices in the Midwest to bounce between $2.75 and $3.50 per gallon until the 4th of July Holiday.
World:
A major leadership change in France in July.
A major health crisis for Vice President Dick Cheney on or around the 24th of July.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Thank You
Dear Friends and Clients,
It doesn’t seem possible, but yet another year has come and gone. 2007 seemed to pass at a break-neck pace, especially for me.
I was blessed to be the feature psychic on an episode of Court TV’s Psychic Detectives which first aired on the 4th of July. I must tell you, I really appreciated all of your patience during that busy time! The interest generated by the show was overwhelming. For several weeks, my phone was ringing off the hook and my calendar was booked several weeks in advance! Even though it was super frenzied, looking back now, I can really laugh about it. It was a never-ending game of trying to keep all of my telephone batteries charged! What a hoot!
I’ve been taking a psychic look forward into the upcoming year…it’s going to be a roller coaster for the nation economically and politically, and even weather wise.
I also want to express a heart-felt THANK YOU for your trust and patronage. YOU are the reason that I do what I do, and I am honored to be your friend, confidant, and advisor.
I’m just a phone call away, if you need me.
Have a healthy, prosperous and safe 2008!
Su Walker
PS…if you are interested, you can still catch reruns of the Psychic Detectives show on Court TV if you watch the listings…the title is “Open Road.”
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Intuitive vs. Psychic
Lots of folks ask the difference, if there is one, between being intuitive and being psychic.
I guess I've created my own distinction here. I consider intuition as reactive, and psychic skill as proactive. Let me see if I can explain in more detail.
If we're talking about a multi-sensory awareness that you are born with, that just happens to you randomly, that you react to but it's not under your control, that's what I call intuitive. An example would be if a Jane Smith is home doing the dishes and suddenly realizes in the middle of scrubbing the last pot that her elementary schooler has just fallen down on the playground, skinned both knees and is in the nurse's office about ready to call her on the phone. While technically this would be classified as a detailed "sudden knowing" experience, because it's not under Jane's control, I would consider Jane highly intuitive.
If Jane Smith had been doing the dishes and purposefully, standing there with sudsy hands, actively been checking on family members using her clairvoyant remote viewing ability, then I would term Jane psychic. She consciously wanted information and pro-actively used her multi-sensory abilities to reach out and purposefully bring back the information she needed.
Can you be born either intuitive or psychic....technically, according to the above definition, sure you can. Just depends on if you have a handle on your skills or not and consciously know that your ability is under your own control.
Do I as a professional psychic have intuitive moments throughout the day. Of course! It's often the intuitive flashes that prompt me to pro-actively use my psychic skills to gather more detail. For me the two go hand in hand and I'm very glad for both!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Courses
I love to teach just about anything along the psychic skill development line. It's a really FUN thing to see students connect with their own abilities that go beyond five senses. I've had several calls this month asking when the next classes will be held, and at least one call to be a keynote speaker at a conference.
I have some favorite courses that I've developed over the years. Here are my top five:
1) Improving Intuition Intensive -- an all day course designed to give you just about everything you need to take your intuitive abilities from reactive to proactive. When are you most intuitive, how does information come to you, how can you improve your current skill set. We run everyone in the class through their paces letting them have a go at clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, remote viewing, and even deep trace work. This is a beginner to intermediate course.
2) Whisperings from the Mother -- a 2 hour outdoor seminar designed to help you greatly expand your current receptivity and begin to truly understand the messages that come to us from nature. In this course, we boost your own antennae and help you learn to listen to and comprehend the messages coming on the wind, from the trees, and from all of nature itself. This is an intermediate to advanced course.
3) Deep Trance Oracle Work -- a 2 hour seminar based on an old Buddhist exercise that moves students from regular everyday waking state to deep trance state in under 10 minutes. We take you down to what I refer to as a "being of light" state, where your own consciousness is so connected that you literally become an oracle. This is an intermediate to advanced course.
4) Psychic Hide and Seek -- a 2 hour seminar which can be taught indoors or out, depending on the size of the group and the available area. The first half of the course we talking about "pinging," or finding another person when you want or need to psychically. We also discuss "cloaking," or how to not be spotted when you don't want to be seen. The second half, you are assigned a person to go find and turned loose to practice and see if you can hide AND seek psychically at the same time! This is an intermediate to advanced course.
5) Emergency Mojo 911 -- Two or more 3 hour seminars that provide intermediate and advanced students of energy projection with techniques to draw power through them in a stronger, more potent way than they've every done before. In the first 3 hours we begin by sitting, then standing, and finally moving forward and backward maintaining a connection with a greater and greater concentration of energy. Students then learn to mold and shape this energy as well as infuse it with various properties. In the second 3 hours, the goal is to take that energy and be able to toss it at another person in a strong enough way that the partner can describe it's properties. Finally, students attempt to draw up and throw enough energy to be able to force their opponents to move, sit in a chair or stay rooted to a specific location.
I have some favorite courses that I've developed over the years. Here are my top five:
1) Improving Intuition Intensive -- an all day course designed to give you just about everything you need to take your intuitive abilities from reactive to proactive. When are you most intuitive, how does information come to you, how can you improve your current skill set. We run everyone in the class through their paces letting them have a go at clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, remote viewing, and even deep trace work. This is a beginner to intermediate course.
2) Whisperings from the Mother -- a 2 hour outdoor seminar designed to help you greatly expand your current receptivity and begin to truly understand the messages that come to us from nature. In this course, we boost your own antennae and help you learn to listen to and comprehend the messages coming on the wind, from the trees, and from all of nature itself. This is an intermediate to advanced course.
3) Deep Trance Oracle Work -- a 2 hour seminar based on an old Buddhist exercise that moves students from regular everyday waking state to deep trance state in under 10 minutes. We take you down to what I refer to as a "being of light" state, where your own consciousness is so connected that you literally become an oracle. This is an intermediate to advanced course.
4) Psychic Hide and Seek -- a 2 hour seminar which can be taught indoors or out, depending on the size of the group and the available area. The first half of the course we talking about "pinging," or finding another person when you want or need to psychically. We also discuss "cloaking," or how to not be spotted when you don't want to be seen. The second half, you are assigned a person to go find and turned loose to practice and see if you can hide AND seek psychically at the same time! This is an intermediate to advanced course.
5) Emergency Mojo 911 -- Two or more 3 hour seminars that provide intermediate and advanced students of energy projection with techniques to draw power through them in a stronger, more potent way than they've every done before. In the first 3 hours we begin by sitting, then standing, and finally moving forward and backward maintaining a connection with a greater and greater concentration of energy. Students then learn to mold and shape this energy as well as infuse it with various properties. In the second 3 hours, the goal is to take that energy and be able to toss it at another person in a strong enough way that the partner can describe it's properties. Finally, students attempt to draw up and throw enough energy to be able to force their opponents to move, sit in a chair or stay rooted to a specific location.
Monday, September 10, 2007
The passing of Alex
I received a sad e-mail today. Alex, the African Grey parrot and companion of my friend Irene Pepperberg passed away. (See http://www.alexfoundation.org.)
I've had fascinating discussions with Irene about the multi-sensory abilities and psychic abilities of animals and their apparent ability to communicate over long distances. In our talks, it seemed as if Alex was often very aware of how other human beings and parrots that he personally knew were doing.
While I do not know if Irene ever pursued scientific research in this area, I do know that her observations of Alex and Alex's comments about other people and birds at long distance locations was often right on the money.
Was Alex a psychic bird? Are all birds, or other two and four footed animals talented in the multi-sensory or psi arena? What we observed about Alex, his ability to communicate directly with Irene his thoughts and feelings was uncanny and in a word, marvelous!
I would love to see more research done on psychic ability and our non-human friends.
Until then, my heart and prayers go out to Alex and to Irene Pepperberg. Alex was an amazing individual and will be sorely missed.
Friday, September 07, 2007
UFO Impromptu Poll
Ever seen a UFO? When, where, how far away, describe the incident.
Ever had an encounter with someone or something that you just weren't sure if it was from this planet/time period/dimension or not? Describe what you encountered, where were you, were you alone....what happened?
Do you feel in any way that the above incidents affected your intuitive/psychic abilities? How so?
Did you have any other physical/emotional/spiritual ongoing effects from the above encounters?
All in all, would you describe your reaction as positive/negative or neutral to what happened to you.
Would love to see your responses!
Thanks!
Su
Ever had an encounter with someone or something that you just weren't sure if it was from this planet/time period/dimension or not? Describe what you encountered, where were you, were you alone....what happened?
Do you feel in any way that the above incidents affected your intuitive/psychic abilities? How so?
Did you have any other physical/emotional/spiritual ongoing effects from the above encounters?
All in all, would you describe your reaction as positive/negative or neutral to what happened to you.
Would love to see your responses!
Thanks!
Su
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Some days are better than others
Today was a good day, although long and hard. I began the day looking at a missing person's case that turned into a murder investigation in Georgia. It was a day when specific names came easily in more than one reading. I like it like that!
Fox 17 TV in Des Moines called today. They wanted to interview me about a separate missing person case here in Iowa that I'll be working on with a couple of dozen other searchers in Woodburn, Iowa on Saturday, September 15th. If you would like to come and join the search, let me know. The terrain is VERY difficult and if you have trouble walking, I don't recommend it.
Investigative cases can range from pretty simple ("Su, I can't find my car keys/wallet/concert tickets! Where are they?!") to pretty awful (missing children who turn out to be victims of a pedophile.) I like the simple ones, but it's the harder ones that are honestly the most important.
The wonderful folks at Court TV's Psychic Detective show have asked if I can give them any other cases to film. We'll see what this case on September 15th turns up. I sure hope we can find the missing gentleman....it's been three years since his disappearance and we need to find closure for this family!
Monday, September 03, 2007
Psychic Feedback
It's always really wonderful and VERY helpful when clients call or write back to provide me with feedback about my accuracy as a clairvoyant or a medical intuitive. Just like any other profession, when your job description is "psychic" you can improve faster and increase accuracy with input from those you work for or with.
This is why I encourage my students to keep a journal from the very beginning of their psychic journeying. If you make notes of perceptions that come to you from beyond five senses, later when (if) the feedback comes your way, you can look back and check the accuracy of your work.
Folks often ask me about accuracy in this kind of work. Honestly, it's really hard to measure or gauge....kind of like grading an essay test. Do most folks give me really high marks...yes. I tell my clients up front that I just won't ever be 100% accurate. I don't know anyone who can make that claim in any profession. However, I do believe that if you find a clairvoyant or medical intuitive or psychic that gives you a strong, consistent 80% plus accuracy for details most of the time, then stick with that individual, you've found someone who has a decent handle on their own skills.
So, keep the feedback coming....to me, to yourself if you are working on honing your own skills. Practice with as much feedback as you can get makes for a more skilled psychic!
This is why I encourage my students to keep a journal from the very beginning of their psychic journeying. If you make notes of perceptions that come to you from beyond five senses, later when (if) the feedback comes your way, you can look back and check the accuracy of your work.
Folks often ask me about accuracy in this kind of work. Honestly, it's really hard to measure or gauge....kind of like grading an essay test. Do most folks give me really high marks...yes. I tell my clients up front that I just won't ever be 100% accurate. I don't know anyone who can make that claim in any profession. However, I do believe that if you find a clairvoyant or medical intuitive or psychic that gives you a strong, consistent 80% plus accuracy for details most of the time, then stick with that individual, you've found someone who has a decent handle on their own skills.
So, keep the feedback coming....to me, to yourself if you are working on honing your own skills. Practice with as much feedback as you can get makes for a more skilled psychic!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Back from Uniquest
It was a fabulous weekend in the SE Nebraska area at Platte River State Park. In July, the organizers of Uniquest (from the Henry Foundation in Omaha) asked if I could come give a presentation on Medical Intuition and what it's like to be a medical intuitive.
I brought a dry erase board and showed the group of close to 40 people just how I go about sketching a person and looking at them medically given only their name, birth date, and city and state location. One brave young woman, whom I had never met, acted as a volunteer and consented to have me describe her inside and out in front of the group.
I told the Uniquest bunch about how my sources provide me with names, details, images, and often tongue in cheek or punny information as they give me the scoop on the clients I ask about. It seems as if the "panel of experts" (my psychic sources) seems to change with each person I meet and read for. One gal from the Uniquest group asked if this was so because the guides of the folks I read for provide information to my own guides. Sort of like "I'll have my people talk to your people. Stick around, we'll do lunch together." I suppose that's entirely possible.
Another woman asked about present life emotional and physical problems coming from a past life source. While I can't disagree that it's possible, in my own experience, too many well meaning metaphysically minded individuals are too quick to write off their current predicaments and dis-ease (mentally, emotionally, spiritually or physically) to a past life coming forward to this lifetime. It's too easy an answer, too pat in my book to automatically reach for that as an explanation. Could it be....sure. Do I find it often? Almost never.
Sunday, after finishing the last of the personal mini readings, we packed up and headed back for Iowa. The Omaha Mystic Fest is the last weekend of September and I'll be heading back Nebraska way for that. Looking forward to seeing some now familiar faces there.
I brought a dry erase board and showed the group of close to 40 people just how I go about sketching a person and looking at them medically given only their name, birth date, and city and state location. One brave young woman, whom I had never met, acted as a volunteer and consented to have me describe her inside and out in front of the group.
I told the Uniquest bunch about how my sources provide me with names, details, images, and often tongue in cheek or punny information as they give me the scoop on the clients I ask about. It seems as if the "panel of experts" (my psychic sources) seems to change with each person I meet and read for. One gal from the Uniquest group asked if this was so because the guides of the folks I read for provide information to my own guides. Sort of like "I'll have my people talk to your people. Stick around, we'll do lunch together." I suppose that's entirely possible.
Another woman asked about present life emotional and physical problems coming from a past life source. While I can't disagree that it's possible, in my own experience, too many well meaning metaphysically minded individuals are too quick to write off their current predicaments and dis-ease (mentally, emotionally, spiritually or physically) to a past life coming forward to this lifetime. It's too easy an answer, too pat in my book to automatically reach for that as an explanation. Could it be....sure. Do I find it often? Almost never.
Sunday, after finishing the last of the personal mini readings, we packed up and headed back for Iowa. The Omaha Mystic Fest is the last weekend of September and I'll be heading back Nebraska way for that. Looking forward to seeing some now familiar faces there.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Psychic Detectives Show "Open Road"
July 4th , 2007 the Court TV Psychic Detectives show entitled "Open Road" first aired here in the USA. The number of calls I received immediately after that increased dramatically and I had the wonderful opportunity to talk to more new clients in a single month than any other time I can remember.
The power of national television is amazing!
Looking back, I knew I was a little curious and a lot apprehensive about how the editing of the show would come out...but the Superfine Films folks did a fabulous job and I had no need to be scared. I would love to work with them again...it was a VERY fun week!
I want to deeply thank my Webmaster/Kung Foo Sensei for all his help with my site, with the photos on it and for lending his house to shoot part of the "Open Road" episode in. I also want to thank my family and JP for all their emotional support and positive comments. Everyone has been very patient with me as we all adjust to the new busier schedule.
Superfine Films would like to shoot me again for another episode of Court TVs Psychic Detectives show. Currently, I'm working on another missing person's case at the moment in South Central that has possibilities. The family and I all believe that he has already passed on and like the "Open Road" story, it's now become a matter of finding the missing man to help put everyone at rest.
I'll keep you posted as to the outcome.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Medical Intuitive detail and accuracy
I received an interesting e-mail from a client last week. She wrote:
"CAN YOU ACCURATELY SEE REAL HEALTH PROBLEMS OR DO YOU JUST ATTRIBUTE EVERYTHING TO "CHAKRA IMBALANCES" LIKE A LOT OF OTHER WELL MEANING BUT MISGUIDED PEOPLE IN THIS FIELD. SORRY FOR MY SKEPTISM. - M"
I surely understood her skepticism and sympathize. I myself have had both psychic and medical intuitive readings that were too vague to be helpful. Do I get accurate information from my psychic sources to see real health problems...the answer would be a resounding yes! However, because I am not a doctor, I must not make claims that I can diagnose or prescribe. However, details don't seem to be a problem for me.
Very much like Edgar Cayce's style, I need to take someone's full name, birthdate and location. After that, I grab my sketch pad and with the information above at the top of a fresh page, I do an outline sketch of the body. As I draw the outline, other information comes through. Do I pick up "chakra imbalances?" Well, sure, those are easy to spot, but not always particularly helpful. I want to provide as much detail as I can for my clients, so I automatically delve deeper.
As I'm doing the basic outline, often my sources are giving me specific phrases along with the detailed images. As much as I prefer to work with my clients according to their own preferences for healing (nutrition, acupuncture, chiropractic, massage therapy, ayurvedic medicine, oriental medicine, naturopathy, etc.) sometimes my psychic panel steers me directly to traditional Western medicine and surgery. Let me give you a specific example.
Last week I was looking at a gal with lower right quadrant pain in her abdomen. My sources were stern, very direct and said, (this is the quote) "The ileo-cecal valve area (junction of the large and small intestine) is hot, presents as swollen and the appendix contains what appears to be a bacterial signature in excess (meaning lots of pus or infection.)" They went on to inform my client that this situation could turn for the worse within 4 hours, that she needed to take immediate steps (no food or water until the doctor says okay...due to probable surgery, getting ahold of someone to drive her to the hospital pronto) and go directly to the emergency room.
Often the panel of spiritual experts I get information from will make side comments about the individual I am looking at. It's not uncommon for them to give me other psychic details such as "This woman must allow others to care for her! She has been preparing meals for far too many people and must allow others to feed her" (i.e., make food, and help her emotionally as much as she helps them.) The client in question had been hosting 30 people at her home the night before and was very tired and exhausted from all the preparation and clean up.
Sometimes my sources will draw lines on the body, indicating old scars or surgery sites or dense, thickened tissue from a previous difficulty.
Monday, February 26, 2007
When Mother Nature Prunes
This weekend, Mother Nature went on a rather extensive pruning spree where I live in Central Iowa. We received a rather hefty dose of ice followed by a foot of the heavy white stuff. For those of you who have wondered what sort of a place this psychic clairvoyant lady lives in, here is a quick picture of the gazebo in my back yard. Yesterday, I stood looking in this direction and the breaking of tree limbs sounded like gun shots. This morning I could stand outside and as the ice began cracking and melting off the trees, I could have sworn a thousand people at once were trying to pop ice cubes out of ice trays. Mom Nature saw fit to trim off the top of my red bud tree and take out a black walnut that I was wondering if I should cut down anyway. Guess she made the decision for me.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Lakota Sweat Lodges
I was honored to have my Medicine Man friend Lester come over to the house this past week to help me with a few things. Over the past year plus, we have come to find that our friendship and respect for each other has developed into quite the unique working relationship. My medical intuitive and psychic skills, combined with his understanding and deep connection to Spirit proves to be a winning combination in helping folks with their health problems and emotional issues.
I have been impressed time and time again with how strongly and quickly a traditional Lakota Medicine Man can get things done with her or her chanupa (sacred pipe) and Sweat Lodge. It pulls together a combination of factors that I don't see in healing methodologies elsewhere.
First, in order to seek help from a Medicine Man, you must opagi him or her. Opagi is a word that means literally "an offering of smoke." The action of approaching the Chanupa carrier (or Water Pourer) with a pouch or can of tobacco to ask for a lodge to be held to help with a difficulty you are having means that you have taken the first proactive step to make a change. By choosing to ask a Shaman for help means that you recognize that the Spiritual component is an extremely necessary one. For health related issues, the Western cultural equivalent would be approaching your minister to ask him or her to pray for your health, knowing they will also be acting as your doctor.
An Opagi, or offering of smoke, means you actually go out and purchase a can of organic tobacco and gift it to the Medicine Man when you ask for their assistance. Since most of us don't have this sort of thing just laying around the house, making the effort to go out and purchase it, set up a time to meet with the Shaman and take the time to tell him or her what has happened, what you need and why sets several things into motion. First, the Universe knows you are taking the those initial baby steps toward getting help. Second, by acquiring the tobacco and visiting the Water Pourer, you are honoring him or her in a time honored, sacred, traditional way. Third, by saying out loud what has brought you to this place of unbalance or dis-ease, you are sharing your story and taking the first steps at getting the problem out into the open so it can be dealt with.
When you opagi or ask for a healing lodge for yourself, the list of stuff you have to do to get ready for that lodge to take place is not small. It consists of: providing enough wood for a 3 hour bonfire's; acquiring anywhere from dozen to two dozen or more granite rocks that are the size of a melon; getting more tobacco as gifts for the Water Pourer, Fire Tender, and Drummer; making a star quilt or purchasing a quality blanket such as a Pendleton Wool blanket; bringing a large pot of fresh soup for everyone to share after lodge; making whatever number of tobacco ties and flags the Water Pourer requires of you for that lodge; being ready and willing to complete the process of saying thank you to the Spirits and the Shaman by doing a traditional Wopila ceremony at a future time designated by them.
That's a LOT of stuff to do....especially if you are sick or emotionally don't have it in balance for whatever reason. Isn't going to a Western physician and taking a pill a lot easier? Well...maybe that's true.
But the Lakota protocol steps up the healing process in many ways that traditional Western medicine does not. There are so many things to do go get ready for a healing lodge, that a single individual really is forced to ask for help from all kinds of friends and family, even strangers, to make sure the lodge happens. I've been known to call all my friends and ask them if they have melon sized rocks on their property or in their gardens that I can have...but then I have to explain WHY I need them. Thus I am forced to retell my own story. I must explain about the rocks and the sacred fire and about this non-traditional method of seeking health and balance. It requires that to share what's going on in my life with others. It reconnects me to them and them to me, and helps me move the old stuck "stuff" that caused me to get ill in the first place out of my body! It gives others an opportunity to listen, care and offer love and support in their own way.
In making prayer ties (the Lakota word is chanli apahcha or tobacco bundle) you are asked to say a prayer for what you want when tying each of dozens of little colored cloth pouches on a piece of sinew. Again, there is nothing equivalent in our own culture that physically creates a visual representation of prayer after prayer after prayer. The string of little cloth bundles is a tangible representation that we are proactively seeking help from the Creator(s) to get unstuck in life. The repetition solidfies within ourselves and within our connection to Spirit what it is that we want and are working with God/Goddess to create. Each tobacco tie then becomes another baby step in taking back one's own health and balance.
The gift of a blanket to the Water Pourer is not one FOR him or her...but one they in turn will give away as they see fit. You are purchasing an expensive item or putting your own energy into creating one from scratch. I advocate the creation of a blanket if you can do it....I can tell you that in making the effort, each and every stitch then becomes sacred and the thousands of stitches take you forward in thousands of tiny threads that interweave you, the blanket and the Spiritual universe.
Finally, when you ask those closest to you to attend the lodge, you are really asking those friends and family members to prayer for you! You are opening up to allow the energy and love of others to heal you. The conscious asking makes it so that you don't stay an island, alone and isolated struggling with your own healing. You proactively seek love and help and let other's in on that process. You're asking them to go through this hard journey with you. They consciously choose to enter and show they are willing to suffer the tremendous heat and steam of the sweat lodge to help you heal. Only really good people with true loving and caring energy are willing to make that sacrafice!
Finally, in the minutes before the lodge takes place, the Water Pourer gets together with you and the chanupa is filled. Each pinch of red willow bark that goes into the pipe is a clear request directly from you to Spirit about what you seek for your health, happiness and rebalancing. You consciously choose to involve the Creator(s) in your healing process.
Adding it all together, this kind of healing process is a far cry from the Western model where you see the doc, get the prescription filled, and go home, take the pill with a glass of water and lie in bed alone.
The speed at which I've seen this Lakota protocol work on an individual's health has been nothing short of astonishing! Looking over the long list of traditional details and how they force us to reconnect with ourselves, others and Spirit to heal...it's no wonder the Lakota have held onto this system for thousands of years.
It simply works!
I have been impressed time and time again with how strongly and quickly a traditional Lakota Medicine Man can get things done with her or her chanupa (sacred pipe) and Sweat Lodge. It pulls together a combination of factors that I don't see in healing methodologies elsewhere.
First, in order to seek help from a Medicine Man, you must opagi him or her. Opagi is a word that means literally "an offering of smoke." The action of approaching the Chanupa carrier (or Water Pourer) with a pouch or can of tobacco to ask for a lodge to be held to help with a difficulty you are having means that you have taken the first proactive step to make a change. By choosing to ask a Shaman for help means that you recognize that the Spiritual component is an extremely necessary one. For health related issues, the Western cultural equivalent would be approaching your minister to ask him or her to pray for your health, knowing they will also be acting as your doctor.
An Opagi, or offering of smoke, means you actually go out and purchase a can of organic tobacco and gift it to the Medicine Man when you ask for their assistance. Since most of us don't have this sort of thing just laying around the house, making the effort to go out and purchase it, set up a time to meet with the Shaman and take the time to tell him or her what has happened, what you need and why sets several things into motion. First, the Universe knows you are taking the those initial baby steps toward getting help. Second, by acquiring the tobacco and visiting the Water Pourer, you are honoring him or her in a time honored, sacred, traditional way. Third, by saying out loud what has brought you to this place of unbalance or dis-ease, you are sharing your story and taking the first steps at getting the problem out into the open so it can be dealt with.
When you opagi or ask for a healing lodge for yourself, the list of stuff you have to do to get ready for that lodge to take place is not small. It consists of: providing enough wood for a 3 hour bonfire's; acquiring anywhere from dozen to two dozen or more granite rocks that are the size of a melon; getting more tobacco as gifts for the Water Pourer, Fire Tender, and Drummer; making a star quilt or purchasing a quality blanket such as a Pendleton Wool blanket; bringing a large pot of fresh soup for everyone to share after lodge; making whatever number of tobacco ties and flags the Water Pourer requires of you for that lodge; being ready and willing to complete the process of saying thank you to the Spirits and the Shaman by doing a traditional Wopila ceremony at a future time designated by them.
That's a LOT of stuff to do....especially if you are sick or emotionally don't have it in balance for whatever reason. Isn't going to a Western physician and taking a pill a lot easier? Well...maybe that's true.
But the Lakota protocol steps up the healing process in many ways that traditional Western medicine does not. There are so many things to do go get ready for a healing lodge, that a single individual really is forced to ask for help from all kinds of friends and family, even strangers, to make sure the lodge happens. I've been known to call all my friends and ask them if they have melon sized rocks on their property or in their gardens that I can have...but then I have to explain WHY I need them. Thus I am forced to retell my own story. I must explain about the rocks and the sacred fire and about this non-traditional method of seeking health and balance. It requires that to share what's going on in my life with others. It reconnects me to them and them to me, and helps me move the old stuck "stuff" that caused me to get ill in the first place out of my body! It gives others an opportunity to listen, care and offer love and support in their own way.
In making prayer ties (the Lakota word is chanli apahcha or tobacco bundle) you are asked to say a prayer for what you want when tying each of dozens of little colored cloth pouches on a piece of sinew. Again, there is nothing equivalent in our own culture that physically creates a visual representation of prayer after prayer after prayer. The string of little cloth bundles is a tangible representation that we are proactively seeking help from the Creator(s) to get unstuck in life. The repetition solidfies within ourselves and within our connection to Spirit what it is that we want and are working with God/Goddess to create. Each tobacco tie then becomes another baby step in taking back one's own health and balance.
The gift of a blanket to the Water Pourer is not one FOR him or her...but one they in turn will give away as they see fit. You are purchasing an expensive item or putting your own energy into creating one from scratch. I advocate the creation of a blanket if you can do it....I can tell you that in making the effort, each and every stitch then becomes sacred and the thousands of stitches take you forward in thousands of tiny threads that interweave you, the blanket and the Spiritual universe.
Finally, when you ask those closest to you to attend the lodge, you are really asking those friends and family members to prayer for you! You are opening up to allow the energy and love of others to heal you. The conscious asking makes it so that you don't stay an island, alone and isolated struggling with your own healing. You proactively seek love and help and let other's in on that process. You're asking them to go through this hard journey with you. They consciously choose to enter and show they are willing to suffer the tremendous heat and steam of the sweat lodge to help you heal. Only really good people with true loving and caring energy are willing to make that sacrafice!
Finally, in the minutes before the lodge takes place, the Water Pourer gets together with you and the chanupa is filled. Each pinch of red willow bark that goes into the pipe is a clear request directly from you to Spirit about what you seek for your health, happiness and rebalancing. You consciously choose to involve the Creator(s) in your healing process.
Adding it all together, this kind of healing process is a far cry from the Western model where you see the doc, get the prescription filled, and go home, take the pill with a glass of water and lie in bed alone.
The speed at which I've seen this Lakota protocol work on an individual's health has been nothing short of astonishing! Looking over the long list of traditional details and how they force us to reconnect with ourselves, others and Spirit to heal...it's no wonder the Lakota have held onto this system for thousands of years.
It simply works!
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