Re: Will Someone Die in a Sweat Lodge this Week-end?

[grim...@yahoo.co.uk]

On Jun 20, 9:01 pm, grimus...@yahoo.co.uk wrote:
> On Jun 20, 8:49 pm, grimus...@yahoo.co.uk wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Jun 20, 8:00 pm, Monica <yano...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > On Jun 20, 11:34 am, grimus...@yahoo.co.uk wrote:
>
> > > > On Jun 20, 7:19 pm, Monica <yano...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > > > Please repost widely. From the good people at Don't Pay to Pray.
>
> > > > > -------------
> > > > > Will Someone Die in a Sweat Lodge this Week-end?
>
> > > > > Summer Solstice is approaching and so is the chance of someone dying
> > > > > again in a New Age sweat lodge. Please remember the victims of the
> > > > > New Age commodification of our culture in your prayers this week.
> > > > > They were all human beings and none of them deserved to die this way.
>
> > > > > In Memoriam
>
> > > > > Rowen Cooke 37, Melbourne Australia
> > > > > died in a sweat lodge November 4, 2004
> > > > > Kylie Watts, 30 Byron Bay in New South Wales
> > > > > died in a sweat lodge in 2003
> > > > > Kirsten "Kris" Babcock 34 Redding, California
> > > > > died in a sweat lodge on June 21, 2002
> > > > > David Thomas Hawker, 36, of Union City, California
> > > > > died in a sweat lodge on June 21, 2002
> > > > > Gordon Reynolds, 43 of Twickenham, West London died in a sweat lodge
> > > > > on November 21, 1996
> > > > > Kelly Rice, 35 of Austin, Texas, housekeeper and masseuse, died of
> > > > > accidental heatstroke inside a sweat lodge in June1993
> > > > > Ronald Delgado of Santa Barbara California was killed in Archie Fire
> > > > > Lame Deer's 'Vision Quest' on July 12, 1980
>
> > > > > Many of these people died in sweats held on very hot days around the
> > > > > summer solstice. With the popularity of the twinkie sweat lodge ever
> > > > > increasing there's an increased probability that someone will die
> > > > > this weekend.
>
> > > > > Please don't let these deaths be forgotten. If you have time, please
> > > > > consider grass roots organizing to educate people about the dangers
> > > > > of these sweats and the harm that they do to native people or to
> > > > > protest any sweat lodges in your area.
>
> > > > > Don't Pay to Pray has been keeping statistics on the number and cost
> > > > > of non-NDN sweat lodges since 2001.  We found that the average cost
> > > > > of sweats reported to us from people across the United States and
> > > > > Canada has increased from $46.67 in 2001 to $95.00 in 2007 and it
> > > > > skyrocketed to $965.26 in 2008.  The number reported to us has risen
> > > > > nearly 900%.  It appears that the sweat-lodge cottage industry is not
> > > > > a mainstream high-end service.  This only increases the liklihood
> > > > > that someone will die this weekend.  We've noticed that many of the
> > > > > more expensive sweats now require waivers.
>
> > > > >http://www.sotems.com.au/pdf%20files/Waiver.PDF
>
> > > > > (Note: SOTEMS is the group that was running the sweat where Rowan
> > > > > Cooke died. He was only 37 and he had a young son.)
>
> > > > > It tells you a lot about the true character of people when you see
> > > > > that their primary response to this horrible mistake was to protect
> > > > > themselves legally in the event of future deaths.
>
> > > > > We've noticed that those who conduct these sweats are getting bolder
> > > > > in insisting on payment for their services and more and more people
> > > > > are simply taking them at their word. Most frauds are now claiming
> > > > > that payment is merely an "exchange of energy" and that it is no
> > > > > longer appropriate just to give the twinkie shame-man blankets, food
> > > > > or gas – we're hearing over and over again that it's appropriate to
> > > > > give large sums of "energy" (that means money).  As activists, we
> > > > > can't let our voices be drowned out by those who would commercialize
> > > > > our spirituality.
>
> > > > > Every year we post the solstice sweats and ask for help getting the
> > > > > word out. Today, a cousin pointed out to me that it's probably now
> > > > > true that more non-NDN people have participated in sweat lodges than
> > > > > have NDN people. Through their numbers and their resources, non NDNs
> > > > > have barged into our communities and have nearly supplanted us from
> > > > > our own cultures. This weekend millions of people all over the world
> > > > > will attend twisted versions of sweat lodge ceremonies believing they
> > > > > are doing something good that is sanctioned by indigenous spiritual
> > > > > leaders. The price of the average twinkie sweat lodge is rapidly
> > > > > growing beyond the means of the poorest people so the frauds have
> > > > > priced out everybody but the richest, whitest people from the
> > > > > trendiest sweats. I don't really think this is completely
> > > > > unintentional. Whether they intend it or not, those who claim to
> > > > > respect our religion are supplanting authentic native people from our
> > > > > own religious practices.
>
> > > > > We have compiled as much information as we can find, but we need help
> > > > > to get the word out about these frauds.  Please take some time today
> > > > > and get the word out about them. Feel free to forward the list to any
> > > > > listserves or organizations that you think might be helpful.
>
> > > > > The list can be downloaded from the files at Debunking Debunkers rule
>
> > > > >http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Debunking_debunkersrule/?
> > > > > v=1&t=search&ch=web&pub=groups&sec=group&slk=1
>
> > > > > The Wall of Shame web site:
>
> > > > >http://shameons.bravepages.com/Solstice_Sweats.html
>
> > > > > or from my blog:
>
> > > > >http://ca.geocities.com/dont_pay_to_pray/links.html
>
> > > > > I'm also going to a clickable list on my blog:
>
> > > > >http://dontpaytopray.blogspot.com/
>
> > > > > Thank you,
>
> > > > > Miigwech
>
> > > > > Heather
>
> > > > Thanks..its not just a matter of physical harm.
>
> > > Yes many times people go into ceremonies with the wrong idea or
> > > attitude, or they haven't purified themselves. It's no game. Then they
> > > lose courage and give into fear.
>
> > ...rather than purifying consciousness to the extent of a new them
> > emerging, a new them with new religious awareness, a new identity.
> > That would be a religious ritual rather than a mere socialable steam
> > sauna by the river.
>
> ..other hippy scenes, the American rainbow tribe for example I should
> think take it all much much more seriously in ritual terms - usually
> with a very strong native american type performance. Its difficult to
> say whether its all plastic shammanism - because, well there are
> reality effects produced that people experience that appear to be
> genuine, and also there is the factor of some of this stuff, that some
> whites are reincarnated native americans remembering past life reality
> when getting into this sort of stuff - but this factor would not cover
> the huge degree of native american imitation in the american 'rainbow
> tribe'. They would say,well they are in america and there are native
> americans in their scene, doing these rituals, either blood native
> americans or reincarnated. But again, I think not anywhere near the
> extend that they pretend. You have to remember also that the
> mainstream in the west hates anything that is...is...awakening of
> Mother Earth consciousness, (due to the anti Mother Earth inate ritual
> of the white mad moron culture) and that is what lots of this stuff is
> about - know what I mean, maybe at some point it becomes real. But
> then again, there is a lot of plasticness falseness...its not as deep
> and solid by far as the real thing..but then it never would be, it
> never would be a soundly grounded as a continuous aboringinal
> tradition, and thats all the white americans who havn't travelled
> abroad  have experienced of this sort of continous really real
> indigenous tradition - so they wanna be part of it, this deep Mother
> Earth soundness, and they imitate you.

The summer solstice ritual you could say is a 'nice game' - or indeed
not a game really because it is religion - a real religion that is
about natural cycles. If you look at the landscape of the British
isles you can see many many reminants of the ancients rituals...stone
monuments alianed to solar and lunar cycles...thus the 'nice game', a
reality game, a ritualistic game, which thus changes peoples
consciousness and reality. People, white people, don't need to steal
Native American ritual in order to transcend the consciousness of the
'old age', of their 'old age', i.e. 'babylon', or in actual the
reality of the western ritual child abusers. (wether they are
conscious of this or not, that is how this 'old age' is made). All
they need to do is look to their own ancestry. Now there is the point
of what if you cant or wont play this 'nice game' of paganism/pagan
ritual/natural cycle ritual. Or what if for some reason you are
trapped in this 'old age' and can't make the leap forward of
consciousness for some reason. Thats a nasty place to be in I can tell
you. The ritual child abuse 'karmic,' or rather fascist, consciousness/
reality trap is no joke. The old age is made by very very nasty
'games' - ritual child abuse. Yes reality could be said to be an
illusion because when one transcends fully, then one is no longer
bounded by space and time - thus magical shapeshift. BUT they, the
ritual child abuse regime, makes their reality seem very very very
real I and obviously many others can tell you. So if someone can't
make that breakthrough, and are trapped in this old age reality, its a
very serious bummer, ESPECIALLY if they are concious through it. I
found native americans, your reality, to be deep and sound enough to
somehow not be exclusive despite that trap, despite being somehow
caught in that karmic seeming trap. I connected into your reality
through campaigning and protesting I think.
Something to be aware of.

Blessed be.