Om

Well, the sweat was great. Really intense spiritual experience. Supposed to be about praying. My big advice: keep your eyes closed! It's so dark it doesn't matter if you have your eyes open or closed, and with closed the sweat doesn't run in your eyes. Then after that we ate and watched Afro Samurai...interesting! And now the lyrics to another Tull song. :)

[IMG]http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff317/nExt_0811/Stocks/Comics/AfroSamurai.jpg[/IMG]


Slow Marching Band - Jethro Tull

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Would you join a slow marching band?
And take pleasure in your leaving
As the ferry sails and tears are dried
And cows come home at evening.

Could you get behind a slow marching band?
And join together in the passing
Of all we shared through yesterdays
In sorrows neverlasting.

Take a hand and take a bow.
You played for me; thats all for now, oh, and never
Mind the words just hum along and keep on going.
Walk on slowly --- dont look behind you.
Dont say goodbye, love. I wont remind you.

Dream of me as the nights draw cold
Still marking time through winter.
You paid the piper and called the tune
And you marched the band away.

Take a hand and take a bow.
You played for me; thats all for now, oh, and never
Mind the words just hum along and keep on going.
Walk on slowly --- dont look behind you.
Dont say goodbye, love. I wont remind you.[/COLOR]


'Lil more about the lodge: we started the fire at about 3, but it took about a half an hour until it got going, since it was raining and we had to hold up a plastic pool over it (the smoke got in my face and made me cough!). We got it started after someone brought out a phone book we tore up and stuffed in it. After that it was going strong, and the rain didn't affect it at all.

We started the sweat a few hours later. There were 28 stones in the fire, to be placed in the lodge 7 at a time for 4 rounds. We ended up doing 3 rounds, with 14 stones on the third. As each stone was put in the middle, we said "welcome," in- (Lakota?) and when they were all in there, one of the people put water on it, to make steam.

There were 9 people there. One was an Indian chief from a reservation, who came to help guide us in the ceremony. He talked for a while about what it meant, being purification and prayer, and he would ask us if we had any words, etc. Another guy called Ragman did the singing, which was pretty good.

So if anyone does this, I just advise you be ready for the sweat in your eyes! Be ready to keep them closed! :) And take it seriously, because you really do sweat out toxins and negativity. You know when you stretch your back sometimes and it sort of pops, and feels in a really good way? Well I felt like that when I got home. It's really good for you.

Really, I guess that's about it. Two people left before it was over.