"With this sacred pipe you will walk upon the Earth; for the Earth is your Grandmother and Mother, and She is sacred. Every step that is taken upon Her should be as a prayer."

~ Black Elk, Lakota Sioux holy man and spiritual teacher telling of the White Buffalo Cow Woman's Teachings to the Sioux

as a prayer

I am reading The Sacred Pipe now and the above quote is taken from this book on the spiritual rites of the Oglala Sioux. The Sioux are a Native American tribe of the Dakotas and Tetons. Famous Sioux are Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and Black Elk. Famous places of the Sioux are the Black Hills, Little Big Horn, and Pine Ridge Reservation.

The Sacred Pipe is at once a book of profound spiritual teachings and an oral history of a way that is certainly better than the current one. The first teaching of the book is that of the Earth as Grandmother and Mother, as protecter and one that should be protected.

It tells us that the Earth, as Grandmother and Mother, is both fecund and vulnerable and that she should be loved.

The teaching is simple in it's logic and breadth-- that each step should be as a prayer, that each step should be a word of gratitude for the nourishment and gift of life. That each step upon the Earth should be made with care and awareness.

It is a beautiful teaching of gracious words for the Earth and for our soul. 

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Up until yesterday, the picture above was called Walking on Mars after the trippy skies and reddish landscape of Haleakala. But now, after reading Black Elk's teachings, I have chosen to rename it as a reminder that the steps that we take upon the Earth should be as sacred As a Prayer. 

Thank you, Black Elk, for the inspiration and for the teaching. I will now try to live by your example.

Aloha,

lee

✴the photograph As a Prayer may be viewed in the gallery Travels

✴✴For those interested in reading more about Black Elk and the Lakaota Sioux way of life and spiritual teachings I encourage you to read the highly poetic history Black Elk Speaks by John Neihardt.