This Sweet Black Earth Lodge.

 

The Grandmother lodge site, just the edges defined, the hole dug.

I have been promising a real description of the Black Earth Lodge… and here it is.

I hope that most people reading this post have attended at least one sweat lodge in their lives, if not SOTEMS, a wonderful organisation, is a powerful place to get to experience a sweat lodge at CERES on a regular basis, both mixed lodge and men’s and women’s lodges.  I am writing with an assumption that you have been to a sweat lodge, if not, there is descriptions of the experience here. 

Ever since I moved out to the Farm, I knew I was to build a lodge… but I was unsure if I was to be delivering full sweat ceremony, it didn’t feel like I was to be doing so. I even went to a dear Shaman sister to ask if she could assist in my training to be able to pour lodge, and together we recognised that what was to be built was not the most traditional of lodges… which being that I am not the most traditional of shaman’s is probably why.

Then, during a deep blood about 6-8 months ago I found an option I had never heard of before, but feels amazing. Here is the theory; there is profound alchemy in the movement between the elements that are in the lodge, between the earth the air the fire and the water, deep spirit is accessed. The intensity of the heat, the dedication of self to keep breathing through the heat, allowing all else to fall away, is part of the journey.

The Sweet Black Earth Lodge is still an alchemic process, we are still in strong relations with the earth the air the fire and the water, tis the configuration that is fundamentally different.

Instead of heating the rocks for the centre of the Grandmother lodge, we heat loose black earth. As it is moved from the fire to the lodge in a wooden yoni shaped vessel, we are taken deep into the belly of Her. Softly. As we are all placed in the dark lodge as we would a sweat lodge, we rest with our feet in the centre, in the hole, and the blessed black earth arrives to bury our feet. Gently filling in around our feet with this warm earth, the soft warm earth. Allowing ourselves to sink further in as the darkness consumes us all. Sinking deep within, letting it all go, allowing oneself to die, unto themselves.

In lots of ways this is a very familiar place for me and my blood practices, tis the process really of bleeding and I deeply look forward to entering the lodge as I next bleed as it will be finally ready. Perhaps it is the invitation to my man, to join me in this sweet black earth lodge that will be the most profound. My feeling is that I will be able to share just a small taste of the descent that is bleeding, the surrendering that is slipping off this mortal coil for but an instant, an hour or however long it takes for the earth to go cold, and the return begins.

Please, I would really be honoured if you would share what this theory feels like to you…? Would you join me in the deep dark sweet black earth?