Sweet Medicine has been traveling since early January 2012, first in Mexico and now in Chile. She has been spending time with friends and Godchildren, giving public lectures, and planning a wedding she will be presiding over next month. On the New Moon, February 21st, 2012, Sweet Medicine will be holding a Sacred Moon ceremony for women in Santiago, Chile.
Letters from Sweet Medicine’s Journey in the South
On February 1st of each year in the Region of Michoacan, Mexico, the Pure’pacha people hold elaborate ceremonies kindling the NEW FIRE for the next year. This year I am here again to set the New Fire, symbolic of new life, the new year, and rebirth. The ceremony involves the extinguishing of all household fires and their rekindling on the hearths from a newly kindled ceremonial fire, which all participants took pieces of to their homes in the early dawn.
This ceremony occurs after a whole calendar round or fifty-two years. This was the most important ceremony for the Aztecs. If the priests failed or incorrectly performed the ritual then the fifth world of creation would end. Every fire was put out, leaving Mexico in darkness. Everyone climbed on top of their houses or walls and watched eagerly. Priests would dress as deities and climb Uixachtlan, a sacred mountain. At midnight, a sacrifice was made and after the priests removed the heart, they attempted to light a fire in the chest of the sacrificed victim. Once they lit the fire, the priests lit torches and sent them to light every school, temple and house.
There is great feasting afterwards, with music and singing, as well as drinking Atole’ and eating tamales in honor of the maize (corn) that sustains life. People arrived with huge basket of candles to take the fire home. The altars are like a body, made with earth and flowers and seeds of every kind. Stones from of all over the area of Mexico and water from all the sacred pools, rivers and streams.
The importance of this ceremony revolved around the notion of the sun’s journey. If this ceremony was done successfully, the world would continue like normal and the sun would rise again in the morning. If the ceremony failed, the world would be thrown into darkness and celestial monsters would come to devour it. Sacrifice is difficult to understand. It is described as the action of exchanging a “gift” from the Aztecs to the gods that gift life and support. There are three obligations in this “gifting”: to give, to accept, and to reciprocate.
Winter in Central Oregon has been beautiful and mild this year. As you can see in the first photo, even in winter the sun shines brightly here!
This week on Thursday, January 5th, Sweet Medicine will host her last Hoop Teachings class in Bend before migrating south with the birds for the winter season. The theme of this week’s class is The Way Made Clear. Sweet Medicine will express how to regenerate ourselves in this new year, and will offer a Kitara ceremony.
Please join us at Amara and Dreamer’s home from 5:30-8pm. For more information and directions, call 503-680-9831. Suggested donation: $25-$40.
Mitakuye oyasin! We are so pleased and proud to be debuting our new website. Please have a look around and contact us with any questions, recommendations, or glitches you find. Happy new year!
Many thanks to Brad and the staff at Hot Pepper Studios for the beautiful web design and training!
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