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Building The Sacred Circle With Prayer Ties
The Sacred Circle reminds us that we are all one people, that there are four nations in
each of us. Living and working in the Sacred Circle reminds us to honour the life
times we have spent in different cultures and to be guided by the wisdom of our
grandmothers and grandfathers in each of those cultures. The circle offers protection and can be placed in your home or workspace, and outside around your property.
Work from the heart, from the place of unconditional love and let the Creator's energy flow through you.
Materials
As you gather your materials, keep your intention focussed on honouring the plants.
1. Coloured cotton cloth cut in long, about 8 inch (20 cm) strips. (yellow, red, black, white, blue, purple, green, peach.)
2. Fresh cedar branches (the green tips)..
3. Tobacco. Strip the spines from the leaf if you are using leaf tobacco.
Technique
As you make the ties, keep your intention focussed on connecting to the Creator.
Pick up the yellow cloth, and drape it, centered, over the thumb edge of your left hand (if you are right handed). Rotate your hand so that it is palm up. One edge of the cloth will be longer than the other. Pick up a few tips of cedar and a few pieces of tobacco, and place them on the cloth in your palm. Fold over the narrow edges over the pile, and twist into a knot about 2 inches (5cm) around. Take the longer end of the cloth, and pull into a loop around the cedar and tobacco knot. Pull the knot though the loop and tie off.
Continue with the other colours, in the order given in the Materials section above.
Placement
As you place the ties, keep your intention focussed on creating a sacred circle of protection and unity. Place the ties in the following order:
Direction Colour Symbolism
East: yellow - Oriental grandmothers and grandfathers, sunrise, spring, rebirthing, sacred yellow eagle
South: red - Native grandmothers and grandfathers, noon, summer, sacred red eagle
West: black - Black grandmothers and grandfathers, afternoon, fall, harvest, sacred black eagle
North: white - White grandmothers and grandfathers, evening, winter, sacred white eagle, sacred white buffalo
South-east: blue - Father Sky, water, rain, Thunder Beings, healing energy
South-west: purple - Grandfather, Old Ancient Ones
North-west: green - Mother Earth, All creations, plants, creatures, four seasons
North-east: peach - Grandmother, Old Ancient Ones
The ties should be placed so that there is a sightline between them. (In other words, yellow can "see" both red and white.)
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