Aligned at the threshold
A reflection on a sweat lodge ceremony as a living rite of passage, an ancient, embodied practice that creates a liminal space between the ordinary and the sacred.
As the sun rose, the sky was postcard blue with no cloud in sight, infinitely welcoming a new prayer as we lit the candle at the altar. It was as early as it could be for a blessing to illuminate our way. Dressed in multiple layers, certainly a double set of socks, a hat and a jacket. We were out at the first glance of the first full moon of the year.
Aligned to the east, we laid the logs on the hard, frozen ground upon another layer of prayers, consecrating in space and time the direction of our heartfelt intentions for humanity as the flames brought us warmth and determination. 4 times 7 by 350 million, we calculated the time and space for ancestral calling, guidance and direction. A timeless scale beyond human comprehension, yet so clearly blessing us in solid rock matter as they glowed deeply red in the fire, later to whisper wisdom and healing in the lodge.
The sweatlodge is an ancient magical vessel with a clear boundary of a particular orientational design to find the sacred. It is a momentary restructuring in the liminal edges of the profane, creating a threshold of awareness and intentional alignment to the greatness beyond the self, leading towards the wisdom and great mystery of existence.
This is a practice, a ritualistic act, repeated and mastered. We sit in communion in the lodge, closely knitted and woven through the vibrational frequencies of songs, drumming a cadence of prayers, surrendering to the discomfort, the heat and the darkness as we interlude with the Great Spirit. There we are. Uncomfortable, sweating, grounded in the mud. The most ancient of human technologies in communion with being human in reverence to Mother Nature, in the womb of creation. Young, old, black, brown, plumpy, twisted, no matter! We’re all equal; we are all humbled. Pride struggles, ego fights, perseverance and focus hold sway.
One though leads, he is key! For we need leadership and direction in the sacred. The space without a design is liminoid, unstructured and precarious. Healing cannot take place without the guided initiate to lead the way. Truly liminal space, truly transformative space, truly sacred space always has a ritual leader (Moore, Turner).
Brought to us by generations of apprenticeships, holding the tools to carve moments of liminal opening in the fabric of reality to allow for the rage, tears, despair, love and surrender. This is what the sacred is about. A momentary rupture from ordinary to extraordinary, an alignment to home, a letting go, a deepening of purpose and prayer. Our leader leads with love, wisdom, courage and humour. Grounded in his devotion, diligence, integrity and prayer, we follow his song, his attunement, his guidance.
In silence and darkness we sat, the ancestral rocks still sizzling in the pit as steam blessed the space, in a moment of ritual pause, as men and women, young and old, the door was open. Silhouetted by Olivia and Felix, only a baby still at the breast. Beyond the fire and further in the background, the trees, I felt the timeless awareness of being human; for that moment, it was the same moment 10,000 - 100,000, even more, years ago. Humans gathering around the fire, the ritual, the ceremony, the sacred. Drumming, singing and praying for healing, for connection, for life, for gratitude. I couldn’t have felt more human, more alive, more humbled and grateful to be part of this ritual. Nothing brings me more joy, satisfaction, and meaning than meeting myself in rituals, ceremonies, and communion, where I can glance beyond to feel a deeper sense of meaning and purpose.
May we all return to these rites of passage, to these moments of meeting with the sacred, so we can remember what it is to walk this land with respect, in relationship to others, ourselves, nature, the world, and the divine. If we all kneeled on the ground and kissed the earth in gratitude and appreciation for life and existence at least once a year, we could learn to be better humans. May this be a prayer for 2026.
Turner, V. (1969) The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure. Ithaca, NY: Aldine Publishing.
Moore, R.L. (1991) The Archetype of Initiation: Sacred Space, Ritual Process, and Personal Transformation. Wilmette, IL: Chiron Publications.
