“When we want to talk to Him we burn tobacco, and it takes our prayers all the way up to the Sky World.” -Louis Farmer, ONONDAGA
Our herbs and medicines offer us the path to communicate from the physical to the spiritual. Offering tobacco as a gift to the Creator is the proper use of this medicine, enabling our prayers, filled with sincere intent, to reach the spirit world. The meaning behind our prayers is more potent than the words. The Creator always knows our intent.
Our behavior toward others is a mirror of our behavior towards ourselves. When we seek perfection within, we may also demand it from those around us. As we strive to heal our lives, we often expect others to progress at the same pace. Just as we struggle to forgive ourselves for our own imperfections, we may struggle to forgive others for theirs.
By using the sacred herbs, such as tobacco and sage, we bridge the gap between the worlds and channel our true intentions and hopes for forgiveness. Working the steps within our lives helps us realize our human limitations and embrace our failures as natural and forgivable. As we learn to accept ourselves with a gentle heart, we start to view others with the same tolerance and understanding.
The tobacco helps us get to the Sky World, reminding us that both ourselves and others are only human, striving to do our best and sometimes falling short. We seek forgiveness and offer the same to those around us.
Just for today: I will treat others with the tolerance and forgiveness I seek for myself, knowing that the Creator always understands our true intentions.