Friday, August 17, 2007

Vision Quest for Elderhood—Stories from the Elders


Our wonderful Elder Women of the Water Ceremonies have written a book about their experiences you might want to read. Just five short stories, but do they give some awesome insights about the journey of elderhood and the process of becoming initiated as an Elder.

Check it out at:

Read stories from elders who have completed their initiations.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

The Power of Elderhood

In June of this year, several dedicated women were initiated as Elders of the Women's Water Ceremonies. After many months of preparation they listened in the silence for three days to know the three goals they would fulfill before their death. They bravely watched for a vision of their death so they can live fully all the days they remain here on earth.

Such a rite of passage transforms your entire life. Here is what one of the elders had to say about her incredible spiritual journey into elderhood.

The Elderhood ceremony has transformed my life for the better. It made me deal with my issues, and become a more loving and compassionate person. The ceremony caused me to become far more aware of my position in and responsibilities to the community we all live in. I have stepped into my power through this ceremony. It is an incredible lesson in living in
community, in integrity, and in service. I recommend this to anyone who is in the "elder" years of their lives. -Sandra Watt, Ph.D

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Catapulting Your Spiritual Growth

Have you been feeling as though there is something really significant for you to do in the world, but you can't quite put your finger on it? Or you know what it is, but it scares the heck out of you? Or maybe you just don't know where to begin?

Perhaps you are feeling a bit restless or anxious, like the spirit world is pushing on you to get busy with something. Do you find yourself feeling stuck, overwhelmed, confused, or not ready? (Soul Purpose has a great story on "Are We Ever Really Confused?" worth checking out. Link to the site is in the right hand column.)

This is your spirit, your spiritual momentum pushing on you to act now, because there are others in the web of of life who are counting on you—counting on your gifts, talents, message, touch or love. This is you—your inner spirit—nudging you (sometimes just down right, pushing you) to fulfill your destiny.

Our ancestors understood this energy and created Rites of Passage Ceremonies to help you transform the feeling of urgency inside you into outward action. If you really want to catapult your spiritual growth, consider doing a Rites of Passage Ceremony.

There are many kinds of ceremonies, any one of which could be supportive to you in your journey of spiritual growth. If you are feeling the nudge, you are blessed and you deserve to be spiritually and emotionally supported in your commitment of service.

Here are some Rites of Passage Ceremonies for you to consider:

Menses—the beginning of the journey into womanhood
Womanhood—acknowledging Spirit as your mother and parent; claiming your purpose
Manhood—acknowledging Spirit as your father and parent; claiming your purpose
Life Purpose—discovering your life purpose and making a public commitment to fulfillment
Ministry—committing to service as a spiritual minister
Elderhood—committing to greater service to your community; visioning the world to come
Naming—fully accepting your personal power expressed through a sacred name

And if you have a little one, a Welcoming Ceremony is a wonderful way to welcome him or her into their own unique spiritual path here on earth.

At SpiritQuest we draw from ancient Native American Ceremonies and we create new ceremonies to help you move through your transition into profound spiritual awareness, commitment and action to fulfilling your purpose.

A whole community of people and your spirit guides surround you with love, prayers and support as you enter into the mystical world of spiritual transformation. Your life becomes extremely focused and dedicated the moment you commit to doing the ceremony. This is what SpiritQuest is all about. As a community, we help each other make our spiritual transitions, catapulting us into greater spiritual awakening and service.

Preparations for such ceremonies begin 10 months prior to SpiritQuest. That means, with SpiritQuest taking place the end of June, we begin preparations in September. If you would like to learn more about the Rites of Passage Ceremonies of SpiritQuest, join us on one of these two calls:

SpiritQuest Rites of Passage Ceremonies on Wednesday, August 8th 5:45 Pacific time
Women's Elderhood Ceremony on Monday, August 13th, 5:45 Pacific time

Call: 605-990-0550
Access Code 135303#

Looking forward to connecting with you about your spiritual journey!

Reverend Misa
Spiritual Director
New Dream Foundation