Path of the Sacred Pipe

This is a fascinating exploration of the Sacred Pipe ceremony in all its dimensions - historical, social, spiritual and symbolic - and based on the author's deep experience of this indigenous tradition. He explains the nature of the Sacred Pipe, the Medicine Wheel, Native American spiritual philosophy and specific ceremonies. The components of the pipe are themselves symbolic: the wood in the stem represents all that grows upon the earth, while the bowl itself represents the Earth and the feathers hanging on it the birds. Praying with the pipe means praying for and with everything. The Medicine Wheel represents the sacred circle, and various charts explain the position of different representative stones. The sweat lodge is a communal purification involving release, cleansing and rebirth. The author also explains the nature of the vision quest and the Sundance. All this gives a precious insight into a way of thinking and being that we need to recover in a new form.