Episode #35 Why were you Grounded by an Elder?

Instantly you can feel many dancers circling around you, one stands behind you, you can feel him pounding down from above your aura. He continues to pound over and over again, while other dancers are chanting prayers around you brushing you with their feathers. This seems to last for quite some time, as you continue to enjoy floating above yourself, until you start feeling like your legs are being planted in the ground. That is when you begin to hear reality again.

The same dancer who pounded your energy from above now stands before you, repeating back to you, in English, the very prayer you have been saying to yourself since day one. The dancers slowly leave the radius of your personal space, continuing down the line of people, praying and chanting in their own language. You can tell the sun is extremely hot, to the point that you should be burnt, yet you do not feel the heat. Instead, you feel stronger, healthier and ready to live a full and happy life.

You open your eyes to find you and the nice elderly Native woman are the only two left, even Jordan is gone. You want to wait and see what she does before you leave. She opens her eyes, smiles at you and walks up to the Sacred Tree, hugging and kissing it before leaving the circle. You feel relief, as that is exactly what you had also planned to do. You walk over, hug the tree, kiss it and thank it for all it stands for and what it has done for all who came to the Sundance. You slowly make your way back under the Altar where you find Jordan sitting on the ground relaxing.

“Wow, now that was the most amazing experience, I have had so far this week! How about you Jordan? “I feel awesome, never felt better in my life. The big question is how do you feel? Confused, “What do you mean, big question?”

“I was there, remember, I heard the Elder yell out to ground you. What was that all about? I was getting nervous when all the male dancer surrounded you! Need I continue?”

“Sorry Jordan, I had no idea what was going on when that happened. I had my eyes closed enjoying the feel of the sun on my face. But it felt like one of them pounded me into the ground like a tree. It felt really different. I feel healthier now, that’s good right?”

“I guess that is good.”

“I’m good with it. The Clown Dance is soon we should probably head back to the teepee and get ready. Maybe eat something?” You both make your way back home, again you find Abbe there with a meal ready for all. She is just this amazing woman that has been there from day one with a smile every time we see her.

While eating you state, “Abbe, we both want to thank you for taking care of us. You are an amazing woman, and I am privileged to have met you.” Abbe responds, “Well thank you very much. It has been my pleasure to have helped these past few days. I hope we will meet again. Be sure to take in the feast before you leave.” Jordan says, “We sure will. Thank you again.” After your meal, all of you clean up and get ready for the Clown Dance.

The Clown dance is finally here, you understand the meaning behind this ceremony to be a celebration of all those who sacrificed for the healing of all. Upon arriving the atmosphere is very upbeat everyone is laughing, enjoying the day, you and Jordan find yourselves a place under the Altar waiting to see what happens next.

All the dancers continue to dance around the one Native man who carries the bones of a buffalo over his shoulders and down his back, within a noticeably short time all the bones fall to the ground and he dances freely around the center of the circle. Before long you find yourself up dancing and cheering on all who have sacrificed for you.

That’s when you see it! The prairie dog dancing the jig! Before you can even say anything, Jordan comments, “Did you see that? It’s a gopher dancing in the middle of the circle!” Laughing, “Yes I sure can! It was just the same as what you seen that first day, sharing it with the Elder! This is just so awesome!”

You and Jordan spend the next hour dancing and laughing watching all the dancers having fun and joking around with each other in the circle. When the Elder walked up asking, “Have you enjoyed your journey of my Sundance?” Both you and Jordan answer at the same time, saying the exact same response, “Yes! It has been amazing!”

The Elder says back, “I am glad to hear that. Now before you leave the Native Lands there are a couple of things, I would like to share with you both. First, it is particularly important for you both to attend the feast served just over there at the large teepee. Also, if you take a moment to walk the field of sage, and connect with nature, you shall be rewarded greatly. We will meet again.” He slowly walks on to the next group of people.

You grab Jordan by the arm, “You heard him this time, right?” Laughing, “Yes I heard him. We better head back home and pack up, say goodbye to Abbe and head on our way to the feast before we leave. You jump up, “Perfect! Let’s go!”

This time when returning to the teepee, Abbe is waiting to walk with you to the feast. She already has everything cleaned up and the teepee taken down. She explains, “Hi ladies, I have taken it upon myself to pack your items in your backpacks and thought it would be nice to attend the feast together. Thor the Elder is wanting to give you both something before you leave. We will meet him there.”

You all walk through the glorious fields of dark green grass and beautiful wild, shiny yellow, buttercup flowers dancing harmoniously. The smell of deer meat and elk meat cooking fills the air the closer you get to the feast. It is amazing the amount of food spread out for all to enjoy! There is every kind of fresh vegetable possible, from raw carrots and celery to mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. With bowls and bowls of salad, be it rice to fruit all look worth tasting.

There is a variety of wild meat such as lamb, buffalo, dear, elk and even some beaver. You have options of duck, prairie chicken, goose and even pheasant. It didn’t end there, you can try home made breads, buns and bannock. Then to top it all off, there is also a large collection of fresh fruits, apples, oranges, grapefruit, grapes, peaches, pears even mango, cantaloupe and honeydew melon.

Abbe walks you both straight to the feast motioning for you both to help yourselves saying, “I will find us a place to sit while we eat.” She walks away. You are ecstatic, “Oh my God Jordan, look at this spread of a feast! Wow, I have never seen such a remarkable amount of food in one place, at one time, before in my life!” Jordan says, “Me neither, look at this, it’s amazing!”

You both grab a plate and fill it with a portion of almost everything they have to offer. You look around at the others filling their plates, smiling at them and noticing you are not the only one wanting to try a bit of everything. Even Jordan’s plate looks as full as your own, with a slight chuckle you turn to look for Abbe. To your surprise she is right there, waving so you can find her with ease.

“When you are ready Jordan, I see where Abbe is.” Jordan turned around with her plate in hand, “Ready, lets go sit down and enjoy this amazing feast!” As you begin to walk towards Abbe, “Feast is right! That is the prefect name for it.” You sit across from Abbe at a wooden picnic table.

Jordan sits next to you, “Hi Abbe.” “Hi Abbe. Thanks for finding us a place to sit. Are you going to grab yourself a plate of food too?”

Abbe answers, “Hi ladies. You are welcome, the Elder Thor should be here soon. Yes, I am going to get myself a plate of food now. I will return.” She makes her way to the feast. While you and Jordan are enjoying the feast. Thor the Elder sits next to you with a plate of food in his hand.

The Elder smiles asking, “How have you been enjoying my Sundance?”

Before you can even answer Jordan does, “I have found your Sundance to be amazing. I was a bit worried during the healing ceremony, but all went well so I’m not worried anymore. I also learned many different things while I was here. Plus, we ate amazing meals everyday as well as this wonderful feast we are having right now.”

“I found your Sundance to be all of what Jordan just said, other than being scared during the healing ceremony, that was most amazing for me. I have become very spiritually enlightened. I have learned the knowledge of abilities I never knew I had. It has been the most amazing journey in my entire life. I must thank you!”

Thor comments, “I am incredibly happy for all, you both have learned. Here I would like to give each of you a prayer stick. These were placed within the sacred circle during the dance.” He gives you both a small hand whittled stick with a red piece of cloth attached to the top point.

With a smile you both accept your gift. Once finished eating you say your goodbyes to both, Thor the Elder and Abbe, making your way to the fields of sage.

You and Jordan catch an aroma of sweet sage filling the air as you gently kneel upon a field suggested by the Elder. Following guidance from the Elder, using your fingers slowly making a small hole, you take offerings of tobacco placing it within this hole and covering it back over with the same dirt.

Jordan on the other hand, has sat next to you trying to pull some sage from the ground with no avail. She watches as you pull sage from the ground without effort, plus you are able to pull as much as you want. Confused Jordan asks, “How come yours pulled out and mine won’t?”

With a smile, “Did you give an offering? Remember the Elder said you must give to receive.” “Right, I forgot.” “Here Jordan, let me help.” Handing her an offering.

Jordan does exactly what you had done and sure enough, she too was able to pull sage. “Jordan, I’m going to pull enough sage to take back with us and we can burn it to purify our rooms.”

Jordan agrees with your awesome idea. So, there you are with Jordan pulling a nice handful each of sage. Slowly you make your way from the field back on to the dirt path. Instantly a ray of gold begins to edge its way through leaves of sage. Getting so bright you can hardly look at it, you close your eyes for only a moment, feeling the handful of sage changing shape.

It begins to feel like an odd, shaped key, almost like an older style skeleton key, yet much bigger. Curiosity bubbles so strong you just have to open your eyes. All you can see is the bright golden aura surrounding that of a large golden skeleton key.

“Oh my God, Jordan! Open your eyes we found the Golden Key! Now we need to find that secret door in the next two hours.” Jordan slowly opens her eyes, “Wow. You were serious. Wholly crap, where do you think the secret door is?” Before you can even respond, poof you guys find yourself teleported right into a very dark, musty and cramped space.

“What the hell happened? Where are we? Jordan are you still with me?” asking while reaching into your backpack for the flashlight, turning it on immediately shining it around looking for Jordan. JORDAN WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?”

What the hell? Where did your Best Buddy go. Hope you are enjoying your adventure this far interested in finding out what happened Jto ordan? Where did she end up? Better yet, where did you end up?

WANTING TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED AND WHERE YOU BOTH JUST FELL INTO SIMPLE ENOUGH, JUST OPEN EPISODE #13

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