VISION QUESTS

NATIVE AMERICANS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD HAVE GONE ON VISION QUESTS IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THEIR NEXT DESIRE IN LIFE. I HAVE RECORDED NUMEROUS PREHISTORIC VISION QUESTS THROUGHOUT THE WEST. MANY OF THESE ARE INDICATED BY A N OBLONG CIRCLE OF ROCKS ON MOUNTAIN TOPS - TYPICALLY THIS AREA IS WHERE PEOPLE WENT TO FEEL MORE PEACEFUL AND IN TUNE WITH THEIR CREATOR.

VISION QUESTS ARE STILL A COMMON THING TO DO AS THE WORLD IS SPINNING INTO THE FAST LANE. AS A SHAMAN I GO TO THE MOUNTAINS TO ATTAIN PEACE OF MIND AND GLARE AT THE SKIES AND PURITY OF THE AIR.

VISIONS COME TO ME AS GOD IS SPEAKING TO ME WHENEVER I NEED TO FIGURE OUT MY CHALLENGES. I LIKE TO LEAD PEOPLE TO HIGH PLACES WHEN WE GO ON AN ECOADVENTURE. I ASK THEM TO CLOSE THEIR EYES AND THINK OF WHAT NATURE IS TELLING THEM TO DO. THEN WE COME INTO A CIRCLE AND DISCUSS EACH OTHERS THOUGHTS - WE GET STIMULATED BY EACH OTHERS IDEAS.

WHEN I WORKED IN THE DAKOTAS AS WELL AS IN THE SOUTHWEST WE FOUND MANY VISION QUEST CIRCLES INDICATED BY STONES PLACED IN AN OBLONG AREA ABOUT 6' X 3' (LARGE ENOUGH FOR ONE PERSON TO LAY DOWN. I RESEARCHED THESE AND IN ARIZONA SOME WERE FOUND WITH CEREMONIAL SITES. IN SOUTH DAKOTA I USED TO CLIMB UP A SPIRITUAL BUTTE DAILY WHICH WAS USED AS A VISION QUEST PEAK IN PREHISTORIC TIMES. IT HAD BITS OF CLOTH TIED TO THE TREES AS THE NATIVES DECIDED TO GIVE OFFERINGS TO THEIR CREATOR. IN THE SOUTHWEST THERE WERE MANY VISION QUEST CIRCLES ASSOCIATED WITH PETROGLYPH SITES. THEY MADE ROCK ART (PETROGLYHS AND PICTOGRAPHS) IN ORDER TO COMMUNICATE TO EACH OTHER WHERE A WATER SITE MAY BE OR TO INDICATE A GOOD DIRECTION TO TRAVEL TO A TRAIL OR TO INDICATE A CLAN SYMBOL. VISION QUESTS WERE PLACES THE NATIVES WENT TO COMMUNICATE WITH SUPERNATURAL BEINGS.

IN CALIFORNIA THE NATIVES FASTED FOR UP TO FOUR DAYS WHEN THEY WENT ON A VISION QUEST. THIS GAVE THEM A SENSORY DEPREVATION WHICH THEY THOUGHT GAVE THEM A CLEANSING. IN SOME AREAS OF THE WEST PEOPLE DECIDED TO CONTACT THEIR SPIRIT HELPERS - OR ANIMALS THAT THEY ASSOCIATED WITH - AT THE VISION QUESTS.