Yucca

"It is time for you to wash," said Wild Fire, replacing her bone knife in the beaded case at her belt. She led Meredith to a translucent green quartz basin filled with clear water. The old woman held the carved root by its larger end and rubbed it across a rough stone, then stirred it into the water to create foam.

"This is the root of the yucca," she said. "Bend down and I will wash your hair to make you ready for our sacred rite of healing." 

Painted Her White

Other women joined Wild Fire now, and they removed Meredith's clothing and gently smeared her body with white clay, covering everything but her eyes. Soon the clay was dry.  

"Now you are ready," said Wild Fire, placing a patterned headband on Meredith's forehead.

Emergence Ritual

"It is time for the Emergence ritual," said Wild Fire, leading Meredith to the fire circle, where they sat on woven mats. Other women stood behind them and Gray Dawn was already seated, her tall thin frame bent over her work.  

The headwoman rose and lit a bundle of sage. She held it to her forehead, then swung it slowly to the north, south, east and west, then above and below. The heady aroma filled the cave. Gray Dawn left the sage to smolder in a jar near the fire. 

Hawk Feathers

Gray Dawn held high a fan of brown, gray and white hawk feathers. She stood near the fire and wafted the sage smoke into Meredith's face, saying, "I sweep the sage from the fire to you, the power of the fire and the power of the feather."

Meredith breathed in the woody smell which spread through her body, preparing her for what might come next.

Smoking

Meredith's pipe and pouch lay on a low stone beside the fire.  

"Let us smoke," said Gray Dawn. She raised the chanuga high toward the sky, low toward the earth and then toward the four directions, as she had with the sage. Ceremonially, she named the parts of the pipe. She touched the red bowl. "Our cousins the Lakota Sioux tell us the bowl represents the flesh and blood of the buffalo and of all people." She touched the wooden stem. "The stem represents all green and growing things." She held it to her mouth. "All things are connected as parts of the pipe," she said.

Twig to Fire

The headwoman picked up the beaded pouch, opened it and removed a pinch of sacred herb. Carefully she filled the bowl of the chanuga. She held a twig to the fire and lit the pipe, then drew deeply from the stem and exhaled puffs of smoke that rose into the air. She passed the pipe to Meredith.

Meredith smoked deeply and exhaled. "This is wonderful," she said and passed the pipe to the shaman, who smoked and passed it on to the next person. Meredith felt deeply calm and peaceful.

They smoked and talked until the pipe had passed around three times.

Moving Flames

Meredith sat gazing into the fire, entranced by the moving flames.

The colors and shapes are sharper than any she has ever seen. Each flame seems to take on a life of its own. She has a curious sensation that the flames have voices and are speaking to her, saying, "Help us. We are in great trouble. We are your children now."

The flame characters whirl and gyrate, splendidly changing shapes, each becoming the other. One flame flattens out into a level plane and another flame stacks itself upon the first. Others follow suit, stacking one on the other until they form a terraced wall of flame.