Friday morning a chilly dawn with clear skies and fall colors. John picks us up outside the hotel and we go to their home to enjoy breakfast that Amanda has prepared. It was of course again a culinary highlight. That Bacon could taste so crunchy and delicious. John lends us a big jeep and soon we sit on the highway heading north to meet Two Dogs again.
John has in his generosity created a flow that now gives us another day with Two Dogs. This day proves to give us deeper experiences of Ojibwe/Chippewa traditions, stories of people’s life, some facts about the rituals, and of course discussions about spiritual approach. We are very grateful to have been offered this opportunity that turns out to be in a way also transformative.
We have the pot with yellow flowers
See explanation here. Glad that promise could be fulfilled so easily.
When we walk around with Two Dogs also the conversation shift between the spiritual world, rituals, the local tribe’s history and people and Two Dogs personal experience of this.
These deep conversations describes a philosophy that recognizes and includes all people. We are all family and we need to learn to show love and pay respect to everyone, even our enemies. That’s the hard part. We also need to practice to show gratitude. “If you think about it there is much to be thankful for” , says Two Dogs. So he tells of the daily ritual of sacrifice and gratitude to the earth, sun, water and air, and I think of Lisbet Gemzells music-set tale of the four elements which she recorded in 2014. There are a lot of synchronicity going on here.
My sense is that we are already part of the family and in just two days, we came very close.
I had the day before asked for a new name and I am curious if Two Dogs has got something. He mentions “Red Bird” but says that it need not be the final name. In the past you could discuss this long before it was closed, he says.
Two Dogs has prepared rituals with drum and rattle. He gives us a performance of how these are being used.
He also shows the sacred pipe, and what kind of clothing and jewelry that may be suitable for rituals.
Out in the garden is a circular ritual site. It is built of wooden poles. Slightly off center lies a stone. The thirteenth symbolizes the one who ended up outside but at arms length and welcome back into the community. We made no rituals so I can not tell you how this particular location was used.
At the sweat lodge was a buffalo skull. Here Ritva and Two Dogs compared Finnish sauna ritual with sweat hut.
Two Dogs also told that it was regarded almost as a betrayal to reveal the rituals for white men.
We do not ask him for anything but letting his initiative to control the day. Declines the sweat lodge as it does not feel like it is time for it this time. We want to go home before dark and we can not this day stay over as Two Dogs welcomes us to do. The next morning we will meet Larry Dossey and that meeting can not be jeopardized.
Before we end the day Two Dogs tells us about chiefs and relatives called “Grandpa”.
Grandpa Joe Madako was the youngest child of nine, and his mother died in childbirth. This resulted in that the children were placed with relatives and where Joe was passed around. During World War II, he was a very lonely and angry teenager who enlisted when the US entered the war. He came home from World War II with many medals. Two Dogs said that he took out their anger against the enemy, and it was a shame about the Germans who met him.
Joe Madako was later also as highly esteemed “Oqichida” – and the spiritual warrior an amulet, a medicine wheel that since Two Dogs inherited.
Two Dogs also told the myth of Windigos-Thunder Beings, some evil and some good. Right now there is a final battle between them, the materialistic that becomes hungrier the more they get challenged by those who are driven by love. “Love’s fire will destroy the material world” .
Before we would leave Two Dogs put a very beautiful arrowhead of flint in Ritvas hand. Ritva then said: “Now Borje will be envious.” The next moment I had Joe Madakos amullet in my hand.
Börje Peratt
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On the Origin of Consciousness 