Testing PDF Test SMSD Australia Newsletter Feb 2104€¦ · sacred human being in balance with life, nature and the sacred laws of the universe. As the beginning place of the Sweet

SWEET MEDICINE SUNDANCE AUSTRALIA Newsletter One | FEBRUARY 2014

In this Issue

Editor’s welcome

By Bronwyn Buckley

Red Lodge Australia

Red Lodge an overview

Razel speaks about Red Lodge

Red Lodge: a True Path with Heart By Sharon Moloney Red Lodge from a young (18yr old) woman’s perspective by Caitlin Moloney

Chuluaqui Quodoushka 2014

The Ecology of Sex: Learning Through Pleasure by Mukee Okan

Important Dates for Red Lodge

February 15th Red Lodge early bird registration for First Year 2014

Red Lodge 2014 (DATES FOR YR 1 ONLY) Year 1: March 13–16, April 24-27 July 31- Aug 3 6–9, Aug 1–4, Oct 31–Nov 3, Jan 9–12, 2014 Ceremonial Week for the Community Aug 30-Sept 6 Q1 Ballina NSW

March 20-23rd 2014

Q2 Ballina NSW

March 27-30th 2014

Welcome to the first edition of our 2014 edition of the Sweet Medicine Sundance Newsletter. With the completion of 2013 much reflection has occurred in the growth and evolution of our community; from the growth of the Red Lodge program and finding it’s home in Ballina, to building new sweat lodges, expansion of the various Sweet Medicine programs and experiences and the evolution of our online presence.

2014 heralds the 4th year of our current Red Lodge program. In the teachings of the 0-9 law we have come from Focus, Substance, Form and now we are in the energy of Determination. It sits in the west and shows how to stop resisting changes, commit to increasing excellence in everything that we do, cross training and pushing the edge. This indeed is the energetic of this part of our evolutionary Red Lodge path.

This year we welcome Heather as the new sponsor for Red Lodge. Heather brings with her the motivation and determination to grow our community and to get the teachings out there to the wider community. Jenny, sponsor of Red Lodge 2013 had a strong hand in developing the form of Red Lodge as well as focusing on “all things Sweet Medicine” here in Australia. With Heather comes a team focused on building upon the foundations so firmly set by those that came before. Of course the current attention for this team is starting up our Red Lodge Program for 2014 and sharing an understanding of what this “Red Lodge” thing is and what it offers. This is also the focus of this newsletter edition. The Q’s as they are known are also coming up in March and this newsletter looks at a teaching from this arena. Many new, exciting things are coming into being within our community in Australia. We welcome you all to come and be part of it. There are many ways to walk your path with a heart!

With love

Bronwyn

SWEET MEDICINE AUSTRALIA February 2014

Red Lodge Australia 2013 - Longhouse Program

An Introduction to the Path of the Sacred Warrior

Many men and women are seeking their path to follow. At this time in history, there have never been more options for spiritual exploration. Red Lodge is a structured, year-by-year program backed by a lineage of elders that have centuries of teachings and ceremonies behind them. A Red Lodge Longhouse takes you through time-honoured, alchemical ways of healing the self, developing your inner warrior and connecting with Spirit to live as a sacred human being in balance with life, nature and the sacred laws of the universe.

As the beginning place of the Sweet Medicine Sundance Path, the Red Lodge Longhouse program offers tools, ceremony, warrior techniques and teachings in five weekend sessions throughout the year as well as one ceremonial week out in nature for extended ceremonial experiences with your peers. Our mission is to provide the opportunities within a safe, community setting to embark on your own inner journey to heal the self and find the warrior within.

Whether you attend year one or all four years, the Red Lodge Longhouse program empowers men and women of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds to seek and find their inner light, truth and self as a part of your own sacred journey of healing, learning, evolving and discovering how to live as a sacred human being in an ever-changing modern world.

The path of the sacred warrior is indeed a great journey. You must do the walking and have the willingness to change and make the leap into the next level of human evolution.

For any of you that have experienced the teachings in the Sweet Medicine Path you will have experienced some of the knowledge, the wheels and the different teachings that are shared in this path and the way they can be used for personal transformation and empowerment. For people new to Sweet Medicine the knowledge and teachings shared through the various programs and especially through Red Lodge focus on

Assisting students in their personal evolution Helping students find the balance they need in order to negotiate these changing

times. Learning ways to walk in the world that will empower you and those around you.


Overcoming past trauma and emotional pain. Discovering your potential as a sacred human. Engaging with nature in order to find balance.

Red Lodge is a Shamanic path. Shamanism is defined as the study of energy, how it is perceived and how it is used. In the shamanic worldview everything is energy and when we understand and use energy correctly we can be in balance. In balance with ourselves, those around us and the world we live in.

I’ve heard the term “teaching the wheels”.. What does that mean?

In Red Lodge we learn to think in a circular fashion, seeing all aspects in the form of a wheel. A wheel shape is used to describe the teaching. Every position on the wheel has a specific elemental quality through which one learns to see the interconnection to every other energy or position on the wheel. Your own transformation happens as you learn new ways of seeing the world and your connection to it. The knowledge is presented in teachings, practical exercises ceremony and personal reflection rather than beliefs and philosophies. Where do the teachings originate?

These teachings originate from the lineage of the Sweet Medicine Sundance Path. The Twisted Hairs Metis Medicine Society Council of Elders preserves and shares this sacred

knowledge. For thousands of years Medicine Men & Women, Shamans and other seekers from various tribes of Turtle Island (North, South, Central America, Australia and New Zealand) travelled beyond their tribal boundaries to gather wisdom and knowledge. They knew that true knowledge was self-knowledge—felt, tested and integrated in a way that always leads to changes in body, mind and spirit - life changes that work.


Razel Speaks about Red Lodge Take a few minutes to hear Razel speak: http://youtu.be/x6PiC2vpcvo

Razel Wolf from Phoenix Arizona is one of the teachers of the Red Lodge Longhouse program here in Australia. Razel’s insightful wisdom, energy, enthusiasm and pure zest for life has had a profound effect on the many students enrolled in the program. Razel is an actress, teacher, choreographer, model, dancer, ceremonialist and organizer. Her chosen path with heart is the Sweet Medicine Sundance path in which she has studied for 25 years. Razel has been a teacher for the Red Lodge Longhouse program in Phoenix Arizona for the past 10 years. “When I found this path, I knew I had come full circle. With the brilliance of the

teachings this path provides, my understanding and gratitude go deeper and deeper. One of the many gifts this path with heart has offered me is an understanding, acceptance, and intimacy with myself as a woman.” Razel is a shining example of what it is to walk in beauty on this sacred path with heart. We’ve touched on the power of the teachings in this tradition. To gain an experience of these teachings from the Sweet Medicine Tradition Red Lodge teacher Kristin Viken presents teachings on Dharmic Intending. There are 5 clips in this series.

Don’t miss the opportunity to experience a year long program of spiritual study and ceremony that is dedicated to increasing balance and self-growth in all aspects of your life: emotional, physical, mental, spiritual and soul force. Are you willing to be an inquisitive, freethinking individual who takes responsibility for your life? Is this a Dharmic opportunity calling to your spirit, are you ready to make the leap?

For more information about the Red Lodge Program beginning in Australia on March 13th 2014 go to our website http://www.sweetmedicine.com.au or email [email protected] or call Steve 0438 328970 or Sharon 0437 825564


A mother and daughter share their stories of studying in Red Lodge

Red Lodge: a True Path with Heart - Sharon Shining Flicker Moloney, PhD

Are you a spiritual seeker looking for a living tradition to nourish your soul? Know there’s something important missing but don’t know what? Wanting to restore your sacred sexuality to the centre of your life where it properly belongs? Well that was me 2 ½ years ago. I had spent the last 30+ years of my life pursuing spiritual growth, exploring pathways and disciplines that would accelerate my soul’s evolution. That journey included some years as an enclosed monastic nun in the Catholic tradition, deep study and experiences in Buddhism and other Eastern religions, and a PhD in women’s spirituality. The desire for spiritual growth and expansion were my primary focus.

Then something amazing happened! I fell down a rabbit-hole into a parallel universe that completely blew my mind! I de-armored and then signed up for Red Lodge. (De-armoring is a profound 15 day shamanic healing ceremony – see www.shamanicdearmoring.com). Red Lodge is a Native American shamanic spirituality program based in the Sweet Medicine Sundance Path. It comes from Twisted Hairs Lineage – meaning that the Elders braided into their Indigenous wisdom many other strands of knowledge from diverse spiritual pathways. The result is a comprehensive curriculum of teachings, as well as beautiful ceremonies, that propel the ‘student’ on their evolutionary journey. I can vouch for that! My life has been radically different as a result of de-armoring and Red Lodge. Through ‘the Medicine’ as it is known, I became part of an authentic, living spiritual pathway, one that vibrates at a faster frequency than the norm, enabling me to tune up into its resonance. I was embraced by a community of people who were real and who showed me what life looks like when the 5 huquas are the focus of pursuit – happiness, health, humour, hope and harmony (not forgetting horniness!). I had found a true Path with Heart.

At long last, I had found what I was looking for; that vital ‘something’ was no longer missing. I discovered a whole new set of tools, some of which resonated with what I had learned previously, but many of which were new and outside the box – practical tools that gave me the skills to take on and dismantle the unproductive patterns in my life that drove me nuts. When I remember the woman who began Red Lodge 2 years ago, it seems like another person.

In Red Lodge 1, I loved learning about life through the Indigenous Native American perspective. All the teachings are presented in the form of a medicine wheel and each


new wheel builds on the previous ones, so there are layers of depth, richness and complexity. I learned about the multiple dimensions of being human (emotional, physical, mental, spiritual and sexual), how to balance them and bring them into alignment with Sacred Law; the different worlds of Grandmother Earth – mineral, plant, animal and human worlds, and how to connect with them; the power of the Sacred Ancestors, who have loved me for always, since always and now, and how to access their supportive presence in my life.

Like any worthy spiritual tradition, there is also an engagement with the dark side of ourselves – processes that took me into my blind spots and the places where I hide myself from myself (like in the Johari window). Tough and confronting to go there, but with skilled support and healthy doses of humour, I was able to go into my darkness deeply enough to find the light. In the process, I learned a deeper compassion for myself and self-acceptance for my human vulnerability. And at the same time tapped into an experience of personal power that I have seized with both hands and now refuse to let go!

My focus has completely shifted out of the old habitual pattern of learning through pain and suffering, to learning through pleasure and knowledge, a very different paradigm! This paradigm makes total sense to me. Our human template is designed to experience life and our humanity through the pleasure of our bodies and through alignment with the material world around us – dimensions which many spiritual traditions spurn.

My second year of Red Lodge which I recently completed, propelled me even deeper into this paradigm. I learned about tyrants and how to take them on in a way that was do-able. I learned about the enemies of spiritual self-growth and their medicine. I learned how the body type that I chose for this life time was a choice intended to take me to my greatest shining.

A core aspect of the teachings which really sang to me is the re-instating of our sexual soul force energy at the centre of the medicine wheel. As someone who has sought for years to integrate and live my sexual energy as part of my spirituality, I was groping in the dark. Even the Buddhist tantric tradition which goes deeply into this domain, still infers in subtle ways, that the use of sexual energy as a path to enlightenment is the ‘lesser’ road. Not so in this path with heart! Here it sits right in the centre of the very first medicine wheel and is rightly understood as the catalysing force which potentiates all the other aspects of our humanity. Finally here was a teaching that restored the sacredness and power of sexuality to its proper domain.

In addition to all these tools, wheels and pragmatic processes, many of my most powerful transformations have occurred through ceremony. The alchemy of each ceremony has generated a palpable experience of the greater benevolent powers of the universe, fully present and accessible to me. I have felt them in my body, stirring, awakening, provoking, confronting; sometimes helping me to cut away things that were not serving me well, other times expanding my consciousness way beyond where I thought I could go. The sweat lodge, the sacred womb of Grandmother Earth, has been a key dimension of this alchemy


and many times I have been birthed out of that womb space inexorably changed – sometimes feeling things inside my body and soul which are not comprehensible with the mind (for a PhD graduate, this is a very good thing!) but which are irrefutable and profound.

A core aspect of why Red Lodge works so powerfully and effectively is the calibre of our teachers. Razel Wolf, (Red Lodge 1 and 2 teacher), Kristin Viken and Janneke Koole, (Red Lodge 3 and 4 teachers), are people of true integrity, depth and wisdom. Every teaching is prefaced by: “Don’t take my word for it. Test it out. See if it grows corn for you.” What makes them such awesome image-makers is that they have done just that – tried out what works and then lived it. They fully walk their talk and are visibly people of power, truth and light. They create, hold and protect the space in which learning these teachings and undergoing the ceremonies, is accomplished with maximum effect. Our Red Lodge teachers are inspiring exemplars of what we can become by walking this pathway. When I see them during our weekends together, I want to be like them – but in my own way. I want to actualise myself so that I can join them in their excellence and maturity.

What is involved in signing up for Red Lodge? The Red Lodge program includes 5 weekends and one ceremonial week spaced throughout the year. My husband, daughter and I flew down from Townsville to Ballina to attend all but one of the sessions. That says something about its magnetic attraction. A minimum of 4 sessions of Red Lodge 1 is required to go into Red Lodge 2. The financial commitment is excellent value for money. Many weekend workshops cost upwards of $1200 per weekend; the commitment for Red Lodge works out to about half that per weekend, so is very reasonable for such a quality program.

I feel a soul-deep gratitude for having fallen down the rabbit hole into this incredibly rich and vibrant spiritual tradition and community. Red Lodge is a pathway that really does something profound – if you let it. If you are hungering for the more, wanting to get out of the box of limitations, yearning for connection to Life and a living spiritual pathway that will accelerate your growth and evolution, then look no further. Red Lodge is the real deal. You will never look back. I cannot recommend it highly enough.


Red Lodge from a young (18yr old) woman’s perspective

Caitlin Shimmering Snake Moloney

My first experience of the Medicine was a Lineage Address in January 2013. Kristin Viken spoke about the Wheel of Intending, which offered very real, practical ways to foster your intentions into actualising. And intend I certainly did! With strong intending and a desire to learn more, I signed up for Red Lodge. Initially this seemed like a big commitment as I was just about to embark on Year 12, my final year of schooling. The 5 weekends and ceremonial week appeared to be a great deal of time that I didn’t think I had – but I managed to find the time anyway. The requirement to go on to Red Lodge 2 is only 4 out of 6 sessions, so I planned to do the bare minimum, given that I had final exams and

was going to be ‘very busy’! By the end of the first session, I was hooked! There was no way I was going to miss a weekend. Even with each Red Lodge session being the weekend immediately before block exam week, I made it to each one, and I am SO glad I did. Not only did I have a ball every weekend, but I learnt how to manage my time and greatly reduce stress, so that exams became a breeze and I wondered how on earth I ever doubted going to Red Lodge.

The Medicine has given me so many incredible tools to help navigate life and invaluable experiences I will be eternally grateful for. The teachers are exceptionally good – always able to relate to your dramas and offer helpful solutions too. The community at every weekend is also very beautiful. Many hugs are exchanged and everyone seems to settle in as a collective very easily.

Red Lodge has taught me more about myself and the world in one year than the schooling system taught me in 13 years. I thoroughly recommend Red Lodge to anyone, regardless of any seemingly limiting factors. If you take a change and try it, it will change your life in the best way possible.

(PS Note from Mum: Caitlin not only completed Yr12 in a balanced and unstressful way; she also blitzed it with an OP of 2!!!)


FIRST YEAR – Red Lodge dates 2014

Session 1: March 13-16th Session 2: April 24-27th Session 3: July 31st to August 3rd Ceremonial Week and Eagle Dance: August 29th to September 4th Session 4: October 30th to November 2nd Session 5: December 11-14th

SECOND YEAR – Red Lodge dates 2014

Session 1: March 7-9, 2014 Session 2: April 18-20th Session 3: August 8th to 10th Ceremonial Week and Eagle Dance: August 29th to September 4th Session 4: October 24 to 26th Session 5: December 5-7th

THIRD YEAR – Red Lodge dates 2014

Session 1: March 13-16th Session 2: April 24-27th Session 3: July 31st to August 3rd August Ceremonial Week and Eagle Dance: August 29th to September 4th Session 4: October 30th to November 2nd Session 5: December 11-14th

FOURTH YEAR – Red Lodge dates 2014

Session 1: March 7-9th , 2014 Session 2: April 18-20th Session 3: July 25-27th Ceremonial Week and Eagle Dance: August 29th to September 4th Session 4: October 24 to 26th Session 5: December 5-7th

Metis Medicine Shop Australia!

For all your Ceremonial and Apprentice needs Pendleton Blankets Deer Tribe Publications Feathers, Fetishes and Fans Smudge mixtures, mesa clothes www.metismedicineshop.com.au contact Leigh on 0457893773 email [email protected] See us at workshops and Red Lodge


The Ecology of Sex: Learning Through Pleasure Mukee Okan

Harness your sexual energy to move through your body, nourishing self as you dream self continuously into circles of power. Feel all expressions of Nature within your body.

"Feel the energy of your inner body. Immediately mental noise slows down or ceases. Feel it in your hands, your feet, your abdomen, your chest. Feel the life that you are, feel the life that animates the body. The body then becomes a doorway, so to speak, into a deeper sense of aliveness underneath the fluctuating emotions and underneath your thinking.

There is an aliveness in you that you can feel with your entire Being, not just in the head. Every cell is alive in that presence in which you don't need to think. Yet, in that state, if thought is required for some practical purpose, it is there. The mind can still operate, and it operates beautifully when the greater intelligence that you are uses it and expresses itself through it." Eckhardt Tolle, Stillness Speaks

This is such a powerful description of the sexual soul force energy vibrating and vibrant in every atom, in every aspect of us. We are all the same energy in different unique configurations. The Grandmother Matriarchs of the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path declare that the PHYSICAL IS IT. The repression and attempt to control the indestructible force of creation within us all has become the history of humanity.

It is no wonder there is such a disdain for the physical, for the simple pleasure of being in a physical body. The physical body is the most magnificent intricate wonder and mystery of Great Spirit. What is pleasure? The dictionary says pleasure is a feeling of happiness, enjoyment, or satisfaction. Pleasure can also be described as the inherent power that makes you feel your best.

Our Soul’s hunger is to be in a state of pleasurable learning. This is our natural evolutionary hunger according to the sacred laws of the Universe.

How well acquainted are you with the pleasure of the Physical? How well do you know your anatomy and physiology, your sacred body temple? What is your relationship to your body? What is your relationship to your sexual soul force energy? How do you express your sexual energy? How is it your catalyst – the cause of change and transformation? And pleasure?

One of the extreme and exceptional gifts of the Quodoushka Spiritual Sexuality teachings from this Path is the capacity we all have to transform old stories, myths, beliefs, blocks


and lack of education about Sex.For what purpose? To enjoy the gift of the Physical and

discover the power of learning through pleasure.

Has pleasure been on the backburner with a slow, low flickering flame? Is it time to reacquaint yourself with yourself? And add some passion and devotion to the life you are living?

Through the pleasurable power of relaxation and receptive creativity — to your Path, your purpose, your unique contribution to humanity — your sex energy can unfold into new ways of being. You can generate a new level of positive and rejuvenating energy.

As you learn and grow this energy it naturally overflows into the community to create a loving and sustainable humanity. Let us imagine Life richly for all beings moving forward into a new world. The Feminine is the Womb of Pure Space and Infinite Potential. When seeded by the Masculine spark, fire, spirit we all become the insatiable, relentless, torrential outpouring of Life. The blueprint is within our anatomy and physiology — the physical and the subtle.

Experience the transformational power of learning through pleasure and knowledge. The first level of Quodoushka is all about you! Your sexual energy is your aliveness —the energy of life expressed through you.Quodoushka 1 is all about — * enhancing your self-worth and appreciation * letting go of old stories about sex, men, women and performance * understanding and communicating your needs clearly * increasing your natural attractiveness and magnetism * discovering how orgasm is first your health and well-being. * experiencing the energy laws that govern all experiences. Q1 and 2 is for singles and couples. For all sexual preferences and all relationship choices. You do not need to attend with a partner.

www.ozsacredsexuality.com

QC

hulu

aqui

Quo

dous

hka Quodoushka 1 • March 20 - 23 • residential retreat

Thursday evening – Sunday evening • Ballina

Quodoushka 2 • March 27 - 30 • residential retreatThursday evening – Sunday evening • Ballina

Q1 is a pre-requisite for Q2. You do not need to attend with a partner.

This is your introduction to how you gain energy through unconditional giving and appreciate and enjoy each other from a new place of being. Q2 is about — * the instinctual differences between the masculine and feminine * the differences of desires and experiences men and women have * the tools of awareness to honor and respect these differences

You will learn how to: * increase your ability to feel more * transform co-dependency into co-empowerment * open to receive more pleasure and give more as a lover * enhance communication in relationships * create healthy agreements in all relationships

– as you explore your spiritual sexual edges, within a safe, guided, ceremonial space of beauty and power satisfying your soul’s desire to live fully.

EARLYBIRD Registration for each Q program for ALL paid in full by MARCH 1, 2014 • includes: the program, manual and lunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Accommodation ranges from $120 - $150 per person for 3 nights. Register online or via direct deposit • [email protected]

with Mukee Breezes Love, Kristin Golden Ring Snake and John Spinning Coyote

Q2 fosters strong and healthy relationships through enhanced communication, appreciation, and enjoyment of self, life and others.

“I was hesitant to attend Q1 at first, but decided to support my partner by attending with her. I can say with 100% integrity that the Q program has increased my sexual IQ, improved my relationship with my partner and put me in deeper connection with my Self. I will absolutely attend Q2, and literally cannot wait.” ~ Matthan Felice

Testing PDF Test SMSD Australia Newsletter Feb 2104€¦ · sacred human being in balance with life, nature and the sacred laws of the universe. As the beginning place of the Sweet

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