Vision Quest
There comes a time when you must leave family, friends and work behind and go off alone, looking within to discover your changes in the circle of life. The Vision Quest is the name of this journey. The Vision Quest is an ancient rite of passage ceremony, enabling men, women and youth to engage an age-old ceremonial pattern: completion of an old life, movement through the threshold of the unknown, and return to the world reborn. People in any life stage or transition will find meaning in this powerful process.
Human beings have followed this path for thousands of years.
"Though the Vision Quest is associated with Native Americans traditions - it is practiced all over the world. As an expression of the archetypical "Heroic Journey," the vision quest has been enacted in religious pilgrimages, mythological tales (including the story of the search for the Holy Grail), and our own daily pursuit of truth and purpose. Today, there are companies that sponsor these journeys. They provide a wilderness area in which it is to occur, and they give instructions and guidance before and after the event. It might take a day, a week, a month - whatever is necessary to complete the transformation and get the answer one seeks.
A vision quest is a rite of passage, similar to an initiation, in some Native American cultures. It is a turning point in life taken before puberty to find oneself and the intended spiritual and life direction. When an older child is ready, he or she will go on a personal, spiritual quest alone in the wilderness, often in conjunction with a period of fasting. This usually lasts for a number of days while the child is tuned into the spirit world. Usually, a Guardian animal will come in a vision or dream, and the child's life direction will appear at some point. The child returns to the tribe, and once the child has grown, will pursue that direction in life. After a vision quest, the child may apprentice an adult in the tribe of the shown direction (Medicine Man, boatmaker, etc).
The vision quest may be a part of shamanism, more exactly, the learning and initiation process of the apprentice for achieving the ability for shamanizing, mostly under the guidance of an older shaman.
A vision quest may include long walks in uninhabited, monotonous areas (tundra, inland, mountain); fasting; sleep deprivation; being closed in a small room (e.g. igloo). The technique may be similar to sensory deprivation to a rite of cleansing and purification. One objective is to commune with the other side.
In traditional Lakota culture the Hanblecheyapi (vision quest, literally "crying for a vision") is one of seven main rites. Vision quest preparations involve a time of fasting, the guidance of a tribal Medicine Man and sometimes ingestion of natural entheogens; this quest is undertaken for the first time in the early teenage years. The quest itself is usually a journey alone into the wilderness seeking personal growth and spiritual guidance from the spirit, sometimes Wakan Tanka. Traditionally, the seeker finds a place that they feel is special, and sits in a 10 foot circle and brings nothing in from society with the exception of water. A normal Vision Quest usually lasts two to four days within this circle, in which time the seeker is forced to look into his soul.
It is said that a strong urge to leave the quest area will come to the seeker and a feeling of insanity may set in. However, the seeker normally overcomes this by reminding him/her of the overall outcome of the quest, causing the mind to stop wandering on random thoughts. The individual can generally find solace in the fact that he or she will not die in just two to four days.
Some have claimed grand visions on their first Vision Quest while others have not. It is an individual experience and often subject to the emotional, spiritual, and physical make-up of the person.
Native American totems are said to be capable of speaking through all things, including messages or instructions in the form of an animal or bird. Generally a physical representation of the vision or message such as a feather, fur or a rock is collected and placed in the seeker's medicine bag to ensure the power of the vision will stay with the individual to remind, protect or guide him.
Since the beginning of this cycle of time, humanity has returned to nature to connect with spirit and to seek answers to problems of the physical realms, especially in this timeline when the messages of prophecy reveal themselves to the seeker.
There is something about being alone in the wilderness that brings us closer and more aware of the 4 elements and our connection to a creational source. We go to seek truths and divine realization, just as many of the ancient prophets did in their time.
In its own way, the vision quest is an Initiation not unlike the days of the ancient mystery school teachings where one learns about themselves and the mysteries of the universe are often revealed to them. It is a time of internal transformation and renewal. Who am I? Why am I here? Physical surroundings allow the soul to move into the grid or the collective unconsciousness".
The benefits of a vision quest:
Curing emotional, physical, spiritual illnesses
Discover your mission here
Commune with nature, spirit, your spirit guides or deceased ancestors
Move beyond outmoded paradigms
Find truth, balance and peace
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference".
http://www.crystalinks.com/visionquest.html
Replies
Yes, this give great benifitts for the soul. They do this for the soul. For learning the soul to know. And that change the perspective, and the life.
I am much like John Jancar in this. I prefer being alone, and cant handle noise from people and television. I have been a shaman in past life here on Earth. I like the peace, and my last girfriend said i was stone, from the nature..lol. I love al Animals but cant bear out people with noisy talk, etc.
Love and Light , and thank you Ara..
rune..
A vision quest would be a wonderful thing to do....
seems all you need is some space and yourself with water (if you do it with water)
Now of course my mind is thinking I would do a month of yoga nonstop and then go into the woods for a vision quest..;) of course gotta take it to extreems...lol
it's a good one;)
Thanks marianinia,
Love and light
Really good idea.....I agree this would be awesome.....if it's worth it enough to make the sacrifice to get away. : )
or
http://www.whats-your-sign.com/signs.html (animal totem symbolism)
Mush love and light
Thank you Katjami/Soreya
aye, the journey, is always I think a strange and beautiful thing, that is yours uniquely, and the world always wants to claim it for itself, trying to point out "what you are" as you continuously step forward in your journey of path you already know for far to long, whats beautiful about this is yes, it is not about pushing others out of your way, it is about doing this path alone, it has its own strange way of giving you your own place in the universe that is all yours, somehow you find something, a place to be, a way or activity to be while journeying, and its yours, your space and place, and is where much of your strength derives from
you always know who you are in a crowd, no matter how crowded or crammed it ever gets in any time or space
I think when such person looks back, it is like a memory thats like honey, and the sourness that comes at times tastes as honey from that place where you look back, at your struggle to do what you will
much respect
Hi Geo;)
You are right ...
my Quest was in Russia at the sacred place in Mt. Pidan, looking back it brings joy however it was nothing funny about it at that time;)
Love and light
There is a lot of truth to this. There is something about being alone....that really opens you up spiritually. Well it's much easier when you're alone and quiet, to find out what's within you, and who you are. It's much easier for your soul to send messages to your consciousness and heart, when you aren't distracted by peoples noise.
I've spent most of my life alone, to be honest. I was always a loner, never seeking to be part of any peer group. I was friends with everybody and nobody. I was always very popular, but never went out of my way to associate with anybody. I always preferred my own company, and would get away from people just to be by myself. Things haven't changed much, in fact, since I first got truly on the spiritual path 7 years ago...I have almost always been alone and quiet. I find that if I'm around people for too long, I start to get uncomfortable and desperate....and automatically seek to be alone again.
Ultimately our quest back to God is an individual one. It's nice to be part of a group, to share in each others lives, and to help each other out....but ultimately, we walk alone on our path. There was a great message from Archangel Metatron that I read about the importance of Divine Solitude and it's ability to provide quantum leaps in soul growth.
http://ascensionnow.posterous.com/beloved-archangel-metatron-divine...
Interesting post, Ara. God bless you, and God bless all of us with love, joy, and inspiration. This is John Jancar over and out.
One will never reach an enlightenment of soul growth in solitude, there would be no life experience and neither evolution, the desire to express oneself would be overpowering, and I can tell that you have that desire to share you own, quite strongly … the quest is to reflect and express one’s Soul, when one must leave everything behind (expectations, waiting, everything that may cloud your being), to be open to a space where revelation would touch the Source with your Soul.
That is the reason why one must travel to the wilderness, Nature requires your full attention, as of now, if you even for one second ‘not going to be present’ accidents usually occurs. One can describe the journey, but not the knowing, it’s like if you try you will loose the essence – that silence within becomes your revelation.
Love and light
Well obviously you can't and shouldn't always be in solitude, but it's very important. Like the Buddha had to get away from the palace and all the distractions of civilization to be able to find his enlightenment. Relationships are simply a way to make what works and what doesn't more clear for you. Obviously you have to be part of life, life is meant to be lived to the fullest, but ultimately, our quest back to God is a very personal one. That was my only point really.
And yes I am very expressive, I've always been that way, it's one of the reasons people are so drawn to me. I mean I can't even go to the store without people eyeballing me, and it's uncomfortable, that's why I always seek my own solitude, where I can get some peace and quiet and dive into the deep waters within. It's very important and offers quantum leaps in soul growth, and I'm not just talking from mind here like many others do, I am talking from heart level experiential knowing.
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