🎵 Steemit Open Mic Week 59 - “When My Soul Comes Home” (Original Song)
“When My Soul Comes Home”
The Story
My uncle is a Sun Dancer. This means the participates in the sacred Sun Dance ceremonies practiced by the Lakota (Sioux), along with other indigenous people of the Great Plains. I've supported him through this experience each of these past three years.
The Sun Dance tradition is held in a circular arena surrounded with buffalo skulls, with a sky-high cottonwood tree standing in the center. This tree is a symbol of sacrifice, falling and then rising again, representing new life. Sun Dancers are then fastened to this tree, held by the skin of their chests, falling and then rising, as if dying and being born as a new person.
Each year, in an event called “Tree Day,” we go to the forest and select a tall cottonwood tree–last year's tree measured 70 feet tall! We strike the tree one person at a time, sharing a single axe, taking care to bring it gently to the ground, and then we carry it for miles and plant it at the ceremony site. To me, Tree Day brings my mind to the thought of Jesus. Everywhere I look, I see Jesus. In the people. In the tree... This song arrived into my life on Tree Day.
Image Source: National Geographic
The Lyrics
I envision life after life
I can see myself in the arena of lights
Yes I can see myself shine
Reflecting God’s Light
I will remember my ancestry
Remembering the souls who are home before me
Aho mitakuye oyasin
I honor all of my relations
I will cherish the plants and animals
Fruit flower tree herb vegetable
Yes I will cherish the living
Hummingbird jaguar buffalo
I will bathe in the Seventh Ray
Through the Violet Flame of São José
I Am
Entering a new dimension
I will go with God all the way
Let go and go to God when my soul comes home
Yes I will go in joy
Bless my soul I will go with God
I am comforted by the anticipation
Of a warm welcome when my soul comes home
Yes I am filled with warmth
Considering infinite peace
I am home right here right now
Already home here and now all right
Yes in this present moment
I am happy to be home
Gratefully,
I had no idea such thing even existed! So interesting! .
Definitely upvoting you.. not only was i entertained listening to a great song.. but also gained knowledge!!
Thank you for sharing this with us!
Have an awesome evening! <3
Sun Dance is so mysterious, right? It's so heart-opening to consider the sacrifices people make to connect with Spirit.
"Heart-opening" is just the right word, yes. In fact, there's a certain area of the ceremony when the Sun Dancer's chest is pierced by a bone, in order to attach the skin to the tree. The opening is both metaphorical and literal, as there is blood shed here. Brings tears to my eyes, remembering.
Oh my gosh! Now here's a question for you: Do you think people have to make sacrifices like this in order to connect with Spirit? I'm not so sure that's the case, but I'd love to know your opinion. I can't imagine we're all intended to be martyrs, are we? Do Native traditions name certain people "heroes" or "saints" like they do in the Catholic traditions?
You know what, that's a really good question. My personal belief is that suffering is not a pre-requisite of spiritual connection, but possibly surrender is. I think there's a necessary surrender to the flow of life where spirit is–this is how and where connection can happen. I do think some people's form of surrender is to suffer, or self-sacrifice, so maybe that's how and where it works in the Sun Dance. However, the goal is definitely not to achieve any form of status, i.e. "Hero" or "Saint." Instead, the goal is to achieve humility.
I'm no expert on this subject, but I am passionate about learning. To me, it seems like Native traditions praise the natural elements, giving ample thanks to the Creator and Provider. And the praise is reserved for this, rather than given praises to the people. Personally, I might go so far as to call a person a "Chief" or a "Warrior" or a "Brave" or an "Uncle," as a sign of respect, to name a few examples. I might say, "I'm proud of you," and "I appreciate you," and "I love you very much." I honor all life as sacred, and I honor all living beings as my relations. I reserve my glorification for the Most High, whom you might call Mother Nature or Father Sky, or God... Hope this helps to satisfy your questions, now that you know my perspective. There is so much I do not know. And I honor the Mystery. Aho.
Hey thank you, I'm happy to share something new with you. Yes, the Sun Dance ceremony is still a mystery to me, even though I see it first-hand. Very little documentation exists because it is so secretive. Much love, sister! I'm following you, looking forward to your tunes and your #gratefulvibes.
:)
Cool story and song inspired by "Tree Day," Cabe!
Thank you, brother. Love you, dude.
We have to know some of the same people. The more I read your story I know we know some of the same people.
Great story and nice performance.
Oh man, I'm happy to hear that. Fun thinking about the circles we belong to, and they ways they overlap. Yeah, I'm a card-carrying member of the NAC (Native American Church of the Americas), and my relatives roll with Sun Dance, Santo Daime... I have a lot of appreciation for the sacred plant medicines, and that's where I draw a lot of inspiration for these songs. Somehow, I've always drawn near to the indigenous cultures of both North and South America, and these days the Eagle-Condor Prophecy really speaks to me. I'm thankful for my roots, growing up in rural Wyoming, next to the Wind River Reservation, where there's a lot of reverence for nature.
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Cool, thanks for your stats! Glad to know it's going well.
I've never heard of anything like Tree day, it sounds like a powerful experience.
It's surreal. A 2-ton, 70-foot cottonwood tree slowly and steadily brought down by men holding ropes in four directions, then lifted and held up by planks, shouldered and carried from the forest, through a meadow, into the arena, then buried at the base, planted, and decorated with colorful prayer flags before being brought upright, vertical again. This tradition is held every year in many separate Sun Dance ceremonies.
Stunning... It's incredible what we humans are capable of when our intentions and hearts are in the right place and we work together <3
Absolutely. I feel you! Feel touched by your note here, imagining the mysterious ways Steemit can work to bring people closer, and spread kindness and care across the world.
it's spiritual physics my friend, simple science, you get back what you put out! <3
Good song brother. Nice history.
Thanks dude. Just a small glimpse of the history, and the rest is left to your imagination. Cheers!
such beautiful lyrics your spirit is shining my friend very high energy
Rock on! I really appreciate that. Feeling your encouragement. Thank you.
Excelente cover éxitos
This is my entry for this week's open mic Los invito a ver mi participación Esta semana https://steemit.com/openmic/@hugo.exe/steemit-open-mic-week-59-hyugo-luna-de-margarita-cover-simon-diaz
WOW I love that song sir and the story behind it. GOD bless you sir..
thanks
Thank you, dude. Hope you're enjoying your experiences in the #openmic so far. It's great to see you actively participating each week.