Smoke Plants of North America

"What a rabbit eats we can smoke"


Smoke Plants of North America by Author Mairi R. Ross. Ms. Ross acknowledges the serious negative health, social, and spiritual consequences of smoking commercial cigarettes and the author challenges us to look past our modern practices and rediscover the truth about the age old ritual of smoking.

The author shares her personal discovery of over 150 wild plants, legal, non-addictive, medicinal, and enjoyable, that have been smoked by Native Americans and others for centuries. Compiled here for the first time in print, this knowledge is drawn from the author's own experience and her research into original ethnobotanical texts and contemporary herbalism. Acknowledging the serious negative health, social, and spiritual consequences of smoking commercial cigarettes, the author challenges us to look past our modern practices and rediscover the truth about the age old ritual of smoking. In this book you will discover: over a dozen smoke mix recipes made with legal, non addictive herbs that calm nerves, reduce anxiety, relieve insomnia and may help you stop or reduce cigarette and marijuana smoking. A guide to gathering over 50 smokeable wild plants. Over 150 smoke plants, many traditionally used by the Navajo, Iroquois, Cherokee, Hope, Cowasuck and other Native Americans. The original spiritual purpose of smoking. 5+"x 7+", 182 page paperback. Available from www.Back40Books.com for $15.95 + shipping

There Goes a Man of God

"It's time Indians tell the world what we know... about nature and about God. So I'm going to tell you what I know and who I am. You guys better listen. You have a lot to learn.
--Mathew King, LAKOTA

A long time ago the Creator came to Turtle Island and said to the Red People - "You will be the keepers of the Mother Earth. Among you I will give the wisdom about nature, about the interconnectedness of all things, about balance and about living in harmony. You Red People will see the secrets of nature. You will live in hardship and the blessing of this is you will stay close to the Creator. The day will come when you will need to share the secrets with the other people of the earth because they will stray from their spiritual ways. The time to start sharing is today."

Oh Great Spirit, today I am ready for You to use me as a channel of Your peace. Let my walk today be visible so the people will say "There goes a Man of God." I want to know what He knows. If they ask, I will tell them to go out into the wilderness and pray for You to guide them.

When you click the underlined title "There Goes A Man of God" you will be taken to the Native American Department at Back40Books.com. You'll discover a great storehouse of Native American Spirituality, practices and lifestyle.
Buzz

Prayer Ties

PRAYER TIES AND FLAGS; See Drawing. Prayer ties and flags are spiritual tools created to be a physical representation and carrier of the energy of a prayer. They may be brought and left at the spot that a ceremony is being held or carried to some other place and left as a token of your dedication. Each time the tie or flag is re-encountered it becomes a reminder of your prayer/intention and thus fortifies it with your additional energy of attention. Through your intention the prayer moves on.

I am suggesting designs for your ties or flags, but be aware that there are many forms and you may envision and design ones of your own. This is your Soul’s way of letting you know what serves it and your energy best. I suggest you try each of these examples and be on "the look out" for others that come to you. I recently read about a little "prayer basket" filled with feathers, a stone and a shell laying on a bed of herbs. Tobacco ties were tied to the handle of the basket. Please bring your ties and/or flags to place on our sacred cedar tree. If you wish, bring your supplies and make the ties here; we will have some sacred tobacco & cornmeal to use. If you can’t do this, please come anyway.

PRAYER FLAGS: Cut strips of natural cloth (so they bio-degrade) about an inch wide and in various lengths. Use various colors that please you. (Many Earth People used red, white, yellow and black representing the directions and the inter-relatedness of all things.)

PRAYER OR TOBACCO TIES: (drawing) Cut a 1 1/2 - 2 1/2" square piece of natural cloth. The color can be any color you choose that represents the dedication (prayer) you are making. Tie bundles strung together often have four colors representing the unity of the four directions.

• After you have cut the square a pinch of tobacco only or a mixture of tobacco, sweet grass, sage and/or other herbs are placed in the center of the cloth as you say your prayer (request). Your prayer is thus mentally placed with the "tobacco" into the bundle. Gather the comers together and tie it at the top around the pinch of tobacco. When tied, touch the pinch bundle to your forehead and say words of dedication that represent the quality of your thoughts in relation to the bundle. Then place the bundle in front of your mouth and nose and breath your essence into it with your out breath. Next, touch it to your throat and speak about the qualities of your speech that you make with this bundle. Touch the bundle to the center of your chest with words about your heart-felt-ness, and lastly touch your belly between your navel and your regenerative organs and speak about the qualities of creation and the powers that go with it.

You may string many ties (bundles) together on one string or cord if you wish, or make individual ones. They can be strung into a necklace to be worn during a ceremony and burned so that the smoke released carries prayers to the universe and the Great Mystery. If you tie the bundles to a sacred tree or other relation you may wish to tie downy feathers with them so that when the wind blows it carries your prayer above.