Native American water ceremony for women
Find living water. By “alive” I mean it has living things like healing minerals and water spirits. This water is best found in a mountain stream, river, or natural spring. If you can’t perform the ceremony in one of these places, get enough living water and take it back in a container to use elsewhere.
This ceremony is most powerful at night just after sunset or even more powerful after midnight but before 3 am. This is the time of the spirits. During the day there are too many distractions and interferences for the spirits to have much impact or communication.
Have all the people stand in a circle. Sing a song or say a prayer that calls on the helping spirits (Tunkasilas) or angels or whatever type of spirit you are used to or comfortable with. Then address each person with burning sage, cedar, sweatwort, or other medicinal herbs and let the smoke cover their bodies to purify and cleanse all negative energies. While this is being done, some people receive messages for the person being cleaned. This gives a special meaning to the ceremony.
A song or prayer for the healing of physical, mental, spiritual and heart issues is appropriate at this time. After the song/prayer, people go around in a circle saying their individual prayers and wishes.
Once this is done, everyone will lie down or sit in the water. Or the water can be gently poured over everyone. As water runs through our bodies, it carries away impurities and sends them back to mother earth for purification and reuse.
A final song or prayer to thank spirits, angels, helpers, etc. complete the ceremony. After this, it is always good to share food.
As a note, this is another water ceremony, but it is much simpler and can be used on a daily basis. For water (it can be plain tap water) in a container, I use a gourd or a wooden bowl, but a simple glass is enough. Walk outside and sing a song or say a prayer, then four times for a portion of the water on the ground. Drink the remaining water so that the prayers enter your being. Pouring the water on the earth is giving back the life blood (water) of mother earth. This water, once dumped into the ground, will travel around the planet in underground waterways and maybe even into the ocean, depending on where you live. I would suggest that if you feel the need to pray for peace or environmental concerns, this is the best way to send those prayers.