Ed McGaa > Quotes

“The vastness of life around us helps eliminate self-centeredness. We are not doing the Vision Quest to make ourselves feel important or to be interesting to our friends but to realize the vastness of the universe and our oneness with it.”
― Ed McGaa, Mother Earth Spirituality: Native American Paths to Healing Ourselves And Our World

“Guns and swords are ineffective against the complex and varied assaults of an environment thrown out of natural balance.”
― Ed McGaa, Mother Earth Spirituality: Native American Paths to Healing Ourselves And Our World

“The Sioux sacred rites have undergone change since the Sioux were forced from their plains freedom to the bleak reservations of despair. The seven Mother Earth ceremonies that have evolved are offered to bridge across to the sacred In the natural world and to foster a regard for our planet as a living relative who must be sustained. Such ceremonies were followed down through time by the successful caretakers, who served well at their stewardship of Mother Earth. Reviving these ceremonies in this time of crisis will, it is hoped, bring forth a new-found perception and respect for the natural elements. I hope that the reader will attempt to do some ceremony in order to carry on that position of stewardship, even if it is a simple holding up of a stone to the rising dawn in recognition of the earth wisdom that comes with each new day.”
― Ed McGaa, Mother Earth Spirituality: Native American Paths to Healing Ourselves And Our World

“Being alone, out somewhere in a remote or semiremote spot on Mother Earth, is the main ingredient of a Vision Quest Ceremony.”
― Ed McGaa, Mother Earth Spirituality: Native American Paths to Healing Ourselves And Our World

“Building a sweat lodge is not particularly difficult, but careful consideration should be given to various details. Choosing a Location and Siting the Lodge A quiet and secluded area is the obvious setting for a sweat lodge. Privacy is essential, yet the area must also be accessible. Once you have found a private but accessible site, you must then choose where you wish to place the lodge itself. There is no hard and fast rule that the doorway of a sweat lodge must face a particular location. The lodge doorways at the base of Spirit Mountain in the Black Hills face west. Most Sioux and Ojibwa sweat lodges face east or west, but you must consider the terrain, location, and setting of the entire lodge area when selecting your lodge opening. In the interest of fire safety, you may have to select your fireplace area first. This will determine the direction of the opening for you, since lodges almost always face the fire. I recently built a sweat lodge that faced south because there was only one choice for a safe fireplace area, and the only clear space for the lodge was north of the fireplace.”
― Ed McGaa, Mother Earth Spirituality: Native American Paths to Healing Ourselves And Our World

“After all the pipes have been presented, the dancers rest while the Sun Dance chief makes a stirring address on spiritual values. The dancers then go before the four directions to prepare themselves. They face each direction to the beat of the drum as they contemplate that direction’s blessings. While facing east, the dancer will consider knowledge, wisdom, peace and harmony, or related values that are part of increasing experience or truth. Some dancers may consider communication, for it is the great messenger that can remove the ignorance, fear, and egocentricity that hold back enlightenment and wisdom.”
― Ed McGaa, Mother Earth Spirituality: Native American Paths to Healing Ourselves And Our World

“If the trillions of cells in our bodies can run amazingly complex functions without our conscious effort, then we can only imagine the wisdom of Mother Earth that we have not yet learned.”
― Ed McGaa, Mother Earth Spirituality: Native American Paths to Healing Ourselves And Our World